Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Changes In Morphology, Phenology, Demography Of Several Avian Species Over 18 Years At A Restored Grassland, Ashley Mcmahon, Katie Stumpf, Charlie Muise

Biology Theses

In response to a changing climate and habitat loss, avian species are displaying changes in body size, migration phenology, and demography. Species have often adhered to Allen’s and Bergmann’s rules, displaying increased wing length and decreased body mass, respectively, over time in response to higher temperatures. Additionally, climate change has resulted in earlier spring migration and depending on species, either earlier or later fall migration. Finally, species affected by habitat loss often display male-skewed sex ratios and juvenile skewed age ratios. Our goal was to determine how 1) body size, 2) migration phenology, and 3) demography have changed for grassland …

New Insights And Comparative Morphology Of The Rare Western Palearctic Species Ochodaeus Montanus Fuente, 1912, And Its Closest Relative, O. Inermis Reitter, 1893 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), Jean-Bernard Huchet, José Luis Lencina Gutierrez

Insecta Mundi

Abstract

The combined study of Ochodaeus montanus Fuente, 1912 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae) type material and recently collected specimens from the southeastern Iberian Peninsula provided evidence for the description of new specific morphological characters, and to clarify recurring mistakes present in the literature. A comparative study between O. montanus and its closest representative, O. inermis Reitter, 1892, was completed. An updated distribution map of O. montanus as well as a bilingual identification key for the four taxa occurring within the Iberian Peninsula is given.

Resumen

El estudio combinado del material tipo de Ochodaeus montanus Fuente, 1912 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae) …

Scorpiops Tangae Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) From Laos, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Mark Stockmann

Euscorpius

A new species Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is described from Laos, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of five characters: chelal trichobothrium Eb₃ located in distal half of manus between trichobothria Dt and Est; patella of pedipalp with 11 ventral and 17 external trichobothria; fingers of pedipalps undulate in male; pedipalp movable finger with ca. 45 IAD; and chela length to width ratio 3.7 in male. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the …

Identifying Invasive Species Sightings From Geoai-Validated Social Media Posts, Nathan Fox, Derek Van Berkel

I-GUIDE Forum

The spread of invasive species requires scalable monitoring techniques to help guide management and conservation strategies. Here, we explore the potential of GeoAI for the rapid validation of invasive species sightings through social media data. We utilized the Flickr API to retrieve 23,000 images from posts that contained the names of 72 invasive species across various taxonomic categories within the contiguous USA. Then using BioCLIP, a computer vision model capable of identifying over 450,000 species, we assessed whether these posts genuinely contained the species that the user tagged. Results varied, with some species like the European Starling showing high match …

Clustered Setation On The Pedipalps Of Buthid Scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Graeme Lowe, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Chaetotaxy of the external pedipalp femur and distal ventral pedipalp movable finger was studied in 120 species, 69 genera and 17 families of scorpions. Setation was generally denser in the ‘Buthus’ group, a major arid-adapted buthid lineage distributed across Palearctic deserts. On the external femur, macrosetae formed a prominent cluster, the ‘distal external macrosetal cluster’ (DEMC); on the distal ventral movable finger they formed a dense patch, the ‘distal ventral macrosetal cluster’ (DVMC). In other buthids and non-buthids, the DEMC and DVMC were mostly absent, except in a few arid-adapted genera. Relative setation densities of DEMC and DVMC in different …

Uroplectes Ebogo Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Cameroon, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Valeriy Govorov

Euscorpius

A new species Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is described from Cameroon, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination two characters: metasoma without carinae and metasoma V and telson without punctuation. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the information about the karyotype of Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. (2n=24).

Two New Species Of Agrilus Curtis From Arizona With Some New Distributional And Host Records Of Buprestids From The Southwest Usa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Norman E. Woodley

Insecta Mundi

Two new species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), A. botzi Woodley, new species and A. vachellia Woodley new species, both from southeastern Arizona, are described. Agrilus barri Hespenheide and Westcott and Taphrocerus leoni Dugès are recorded from Arizona and represent new U.S. records. Sixteen new state distributional records are presented, along with a few other significant records.

Encyclopedia Of Scale Insect Pests: Corrigenda And Additions, Takumasa Kondo, Gillian W. Watson

Insecta Mundi

The Encyclopedia of Scale Insect Pests was published in 2022 by CABI Publishing. Some errors and omissions in Chapter 2, Table 2 have been brought to the attention of the Encyclopedia editors; since some of them have plant quarantine implications, they are corrected in this article.

Biology Of Aproida Balyi Pascoe, 1863 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Aproidini) On Its Host Plant, Eustrephus Latifolius R. Br. Ex Ker-Gawl (Asparagaceae) In Australia, Caroline Simmrita Chaboo, Vivian E., Mariana Campos, Geoff B. Monteith

Insecta Mundi

Within the leaf-beetle subfamily Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Aproida Pascoe, 1863 (Aproidini) from Australia has been considered a transitional genus between mining cassidines (“hispines”) and exophagous cassidines (“tortoise beetles”). To illuminate this transition, a detailed study was conducted over one year of the biology of Aproida balyi Pascoe, 1863 on the host plant, Eustrephus latifolius R. Br. ex Ker-Gawl (Asparagaceae). Distribution maps of the host plant and three Aproida species are provided. The life cycle of A. balyi comprises single eggs in a foamy ootheca, three larval instars that feed openly, a pupa suspended from the larva III exuvia, and …

Albinism In Olivierus Martensii (Karsch, 1879) (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Victoria Tang, Zhenbang Liu

Euscorpius

This is a formal case report for the albinism in Olivierus martensii (Karsch, 1879). Albino phenotype is compared with its normal counterpart in terms of their morphology and behavior by cursory experiments. The examined 7 albino individuals (5 of which were adults) were smaller and more slender than their normal counterparts. However, these quantitative differences were not statistically significant and should be treated with caution due to the low sample size. Their abilities to detect both white light and UV light or UV-excited fluorescence were not significantly undermined, although their tendency to ensure a clear vision through self-cleaning behavior appeared …

Psychological And Social Well-Being Of Bony Fishes In Zoos And Aquariums, Ronald G. Oldfield, Patrick Bonano

Animal Sentience

Research on the behaviour of animals in zoos has been conducted for decades, and observations have provided information that has improved the psychological and social well-being of animals. However, research on fishes in zoos and aquariums seems to be lacking. Here, we assess the current state of research on fishes in zoos and aquariums by surveying the peer-reviewed literature. Our assessment differs from previous surveys in that we examine the taxonomic classes Chondrichthyes (sharks and rays) and Osteichthyes (bony fishes) separately. Our survey finds that bony fishes have been drastically underrepresented in zoo journals, more drastically than chondrichthyans, revealing an …

A New Invasive Lepidosaphes Armored Scale (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) For Florida: First Records, Natural Enemies, And An Identification Key, Erin C. Powell, Mark Zenoble, Douglass R. Miller, Benjamin B. Normark, Gregory A. Evans

Insecta Mundi

The invasive armored scale, Lepidosaphes laterochitinosa Green 1925 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae), was found in the Florida landscape for the first time in November 2022 and is now known from two south Florida counties: Broward and Miami-Dade. In Florida thus far, this polyphagous species has been found on Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engl. (Araceae), Dracaena Vand. ex. L. (Asparagaceae), and Breynia disticha J. R. Forst. and G. Forst. (Phyllanthaceae), all common landscape ornamentals. New parasitoid host records are provided for Encarsia lounsburyi (Berlese and Paoli), Encarsia citrina (Craw), and Aphytis lingnanensis Compere (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) that emerged from L. laterochitinosa in Broward …

Effects Of Microplastic Biofilms On An Anthropogenically Impacted Suburban Lake, Paris M. Velasquez

Masters Theses

Plastics have been observed in every location on the planet, and their prevalence in the environment is due in part to their strong resistance to degradation. Inland lakes are susceptible to plastic pollution by highway runoff, which contains plastic fragments of brake pads, car tires, litter, and road paint. These plastics eventually enter freshwater environments and degrade into microplastics (

Exploring Biosignatures And Biogeochemical Processes In Lanzarote Lava Tubes: Implications For Martian Analog Research, Vera Palma, Ana Z. Miller, Francesco Sauro, Bogdan P. Onac, José M. De La Rosa, Sara Gutiérrez-Patricio, Beatriz Cubero, José A. Gonzalez-Perez, Jesus Martínez-Frías, A Teresa Caldeira

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Deciphering Above-Treeline Vegetation Greenness Trends: Insights From The Carpathian Mountains, Pavel Dan Turtureanu, Arthur Bayle, Nicoud Baptiste, Olimpiu Traian Pop, Mihai Pușcaș, Philippe Choler

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Exploring Pristine Microbial Ecosystems From The Uninhabited Volcanic Selvagens Islands, Pedro N. Jiménez-Morillo, Sara Gutiérrez-Patricio, Vera Palma, Ana Teresa Caldeira, Nicasio Tomás Jiménez-Morillo, Ana Z. Miller

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Two New Species Of Anthrenus Geoffroy (S. Str.) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae) From Egypt And Eritrea, Graham J. Holloway, Andreas Herrmann

Insecta Mundi

Two new species, Anthrenus kushangaza Holloway and Herrmann and Anthrenus kittenbergeri Holloway and Herrmann (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae) from northeast Africa are described. Images of internal and external features are presented and compared with A. crustaceus Reitter and A. rauterbergi Reitter, both of which are found in the same geographical region as the new species.

A New Genus Of Horn-Like Tetrigids (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tetrigidae) From South America, Daniela Santos Martins Silva, Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira

Insecta Mundi

A new pygmy unicorn genus, Brazitettix Silva, new genus, and two new species, Brazitettix roraimae Silva, new species and Brazitettix paulista Silva, new species (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tetrigidae) are described in Brazil. This new genus is a unique tetrigid taxon in the American continent due a notched-long and elevated head projection. The morphology of this taxon resembles Rostella Hancock, 1913 and Dravidacris Bhaskar and Kasalo, 2022 that are currently comprised into Cleostratini, an artificial group that contains biogeographic distant taxa with distinct morphological head projection.

Resumen

Un nuevo género de tetrígidos, Brazitettix Silva, nuevo género, y dos nuevas especies, …

First Record Of The Diamond-Backed Watersnake (Nerodia Rhombifer) In Nebraska, Joseph W. Paysen, Keith Geluso, Daniel D. Fogell

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The diamond-backed Watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer) is a fairly large-bodied (≤2100g), semi-aquatic snake associated with wetlands throughout the south-central United States. Distribution of this species closely aligns with river floodplains in parts of its distribution, including the Missouri River floodplain as far north as Holt County, Missouri. Herein, we report on the first record of the Diamond-backed Watersnake in Nebraska. On May 21, 2011, Daniel D. Fogell collected a juvenile Diamond-backed Watersnake in southeastern Richardson County representing the first occurrence of the species in the state, which is adjacent to Holt County, Missouri. In extreme southeastern Nebraska, the distribution of this …

From Turf To Turf: Fungal Invasion Of Ascocoryne Turficola In A Northern Michigan Bog, Evan L. Coscarelli-Trott

All NMU Master's Theses

This is the first paper to report Ascocoryne turficola Boud. 1905 (Helotiales: Ascomycota) within the United States. It is an obligate bog fungus native to Europe and Siberia, where it is extremely rare across most of its range. A. turficola appeared at Lily Pond Bog in Marquette, Michigan (87.47º W, 46.59º N) in 2019, almost contemporaneous with anecdotal reports in Minnesota and Ontario. Since 2019, the Lily Pond population has exploded and become the dominant fungus in this bog but has yet to spread to similar bogs nearby. This species is adapted to long distance dispersal and carries the potential …

The Influence Of Environmental Change On Genetic Diversity Across Spatial And Taxonomic Scales, Connor M. French

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The spatial distribution of genetic diversity is of interest to biodiversity scientists and conservationists and is a fundamental metric of biodiversity. Genetic diversity patterns across spatial and taxonomic scales contain information about population and assemblage dynamics that can convey their resilience to environmental change. Ectotherms are especially linked to their environments and may be especially sensitive to fluctuations in the environment over time. Herein, I investigate global and regional patterns of genetic diversity in two groups of ectotherms, insects and lizards, to understand the relationship between environmental change and genetic diversity, from populations to assemblages. Overall, my research aims to …

The Effects Of Environmental Changes On The Biodiversity And Macroecological Patterns Of Bird Assemblages In The United States, Marlen Acosta Alamo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The current restructuring of species assemblages and global loss of biodiversity result from species-specific responses to anthropogenic changes in climate and land cover. I investigated the effect of these two drivers on the seasonal distribution and biodiversity of birds in the United States and how human-induced habitat loss impacts macroecological patterns such as the species-area and the abundance-occupancy relationships. In Chapter 1, I examined the existence of a correlation between breeding and wintering geographic distributions of birds with different migratory strategies and the effect of changes in climate and the proportion of crop-pasture and urban land cover on this correlation. …

Methodologies For Dry Fixation And Taxidermy Of Education-Oriented Scorpion Specimens, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Scorpions hold a renowned status as iconic creatures across numerous cultures in the world. Traditionally preserved as desiccated specimens for educational purposes, they have been exhibited in museums and pedagogic collections, serving as concrete epistemological conduits for public education on biodiversity. However, these specimens frequently lack meticulous organization, potentially misrepresenting the animals’ ethological characteristics. This brief article aims to offer paradigmatic guidance for taxidermy of scorpions, ensuring a more accurate depiction of their in vivo habitus, achievable through the use of readily obtainable tools and undemanding techniques.

Three New Species Of Genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 From Tibet, China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), With Implications For The Diagnostic Values Of Qualitative Characters, Victoria Tang, Kaichen Ouyang, Zhenbang Liu, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species of genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 are described from Tibet Autonomous Region, China. S. deshpandei sp. n. is described based on an adult male and an immature pair collected from Mêdog County, Nyingchi, with additional molecular evidence substantiating its validity against S. longimanus Pocock, 1893. S. kovariki sp. n. is featured by a single adult female from Zayü. This species is only weakly supported by its genetic distance from S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994, but empirical understanding of the morphological variation in Scorpiops species motivated us to consider them as distinct. S. matthewi sp. n. is based on …

Euscorpius Gulhanimae Sp. N. From The Konya Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Ersen A. Yağmur

Euscorpius

A new species Euscorpius gulhanimae sp. n. is described from southern Turkey (Beyşehir District of Konya Province). It differs by trichobothrial numbers in Pv and et series; these numbers are the highest in all species of Euscorpius in Turkey. E. gulhanimae sp. n. has light greyish yellow mesosoma, dark reddish-brown chela and dark brown metasomal segments III-V; the new species is distinguished by this two-colored feature from all Euscorpius species. With this description, the known number of species in the family Euscorpiidae in Turkey is increased to 21.

Amphiphala, A New Genus And Its Three New Species From Eastern North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylina), Michael A. Roberts, Michael Sabourin, John W. Brown

Insecta Mundi

Amphiphala Roberts and Sabourin, new genus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is proposed for three new species: A. liatriana Roberts and Sabourin, new species; A. landryana Brown, new species; and A. carolana Sabourin, new species. The genus is recorded from the eastern part of North America from Ontario, Canada south to South Carolina, and west to Manitoba and Mississippi. Owing to its superficial similarity to the banded sunflower moth, Cochylichroa hospes (Walsingham, 1884), Amphiphala remained hidden in North American Lepidoptera collections. Amphiphala liatriana has been reared from northern blazing star, Liatris scariosa (L.) Willd. (Asteraceae), in Maine.

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxxiii. Three New Species Of Gint From Ethiopia And Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species, Gint sahil sp. n. from Somaliland and Gint abshiri sp. n. and G. derbiae sp. n. from Ethiopia are described and compared with other species of the genus. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Gint, fully complemented with color photos of specimens of the new species, as well as of their habitats. Furthermore, alongside the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we have provided description of the karyotype of G. abshiri sp. n. This species exhibits karyotype with 2n=27. Included is distribution map and a key for the genus Gint …

Revision Of The Genus Scorpio In Jordan, With A Description Of A New Genus And Three New Species (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Bassam Abu Afifeh, Ersen A. Yağmur, Mohammad Al–Saraireh, Zuhair Amr

Euscorpius

Several new Scorpio populations are studied from various habitats in Jordan, including specimens previously identified as Scorpio kruglovi Birula, 1910 and S. fuscus (Ehrenberg, 1829). A new scorpionid genus, Jordanius gen. n. is described, mainly differentiated from the genus Scorpio Linné, 1758 by the elongation and heavy patterns of granulation of chela manus, and granulated chela fingers. Scorpio granulomanus Al-Saraireh et al., 2023 is transferred to the new genus, and Jordanius maysaraensis gen. et sp. n. is described. Also, Scorpio jordanensis sp. n. and S. wahbehi sp. n. are described. Detailed …

A Comparative Analysis Of Extant Oceanic Shark Species Using Trait-Based Ecology, Elizabeth A. Johnson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, scientists have been working together to mitigate human impacts on global shark populations, but deciding which species need the most immediate attention can be difficult. This study uses a newly emerging approach to ecology, trait-based ecology, to identify trends in trait expression with depth and determine which species have the most unique sets of traits. While trait-based ecology has already been applied to numerous fields, a trait-based approach to shark research is still in its infancy. A total of 15 traits across 337 oceanic shark species were examined to identify trends in trait expression and …

A New Species Of Acmaeodera Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) From The State Of Michoacán, Mexico, Jason A. Hansen, Richard L. Westcott

Insecta Mundi

Acmaeodera parasuperba Hansen and Westcott, new species (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), from Michoacán, is described, imaged, and its relationship discussed.