Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

New Synonymies And Notes In Criodion Audinet-Serville (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Antonio Santos-Silva, Sergio Devesa

Insecta Mundi

Criodion angustatum Buquet, 1852 and C. pilosum Lucas, 1857 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) are synonymized with C. tomentosum Audinet-Serville, 1834. The holotypes of C. angustatum and C. hirsutum, and syntypes of C. pilosum and of C. tuberculatum Gahan, 1892 are illustrated for the first time. One of the type localities of C. tuberculatum is corrected.

Currently, Criodion Audinet-Serville, 1834 includes 13 species distributed from Guatemala to southern South America (Monné 2021; Tavakilian and Chevillotte 2021). Despite the relatively small number of species, they encompass several problems with their identification. For example, the specimens often identified as C. murinum Nonfried, 1895 …

New Larval Host Plants And Ecological Observations On North American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), Josef Vlasak, Katerina Vlasakova

Insecta Mundi

New larval hosts are presented for 152 North American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera). Larval host plants of Aneflus calvatus Horn in Leng, Aneflomorpha arizonica Linsley, Aneflomorpha fisheri Linsley, Ane­flomorpha opacicornis Linsley, Anelaphus magnipunctatus (Knull), Atylostagma glabra Schaeffer, Cacophrissus pauper Bates, Elytroleptus limpianus Skiles and Chemsak, Obrium rubidum LeConte, and Stenelytrana splen­dens (Knull) are reported for the first time. The types of wood utilized by larvae of Leptorhabdium pictum (Haldeman), Sphenostethus taslei (Buquet), Typocerus lugubris (Say), and Xestoleptura octonotata (Say) are discussed. Notes on larval morphology and larval habits of Aneflus spp. and Stenaspis solitaria (Say), includ­ing a correction of a published host …

Soil Microbial Community Dynamics In Response To Prescribed Extreme Fires Following Juniperus Virginiana Invasion In The Loess Canyons Of Nebraska, Julie A. Fowler

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In Nebraska and other regions of the Great Plains, the conifer Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) is converting grasslands to dense woodlands. This is driven by the interacting drivers of fire suppression, altered grazing regimes, climate change and other anthropogenic factors, impacting the provisioning of ecosystem services. This vegetation state transition modifies water resource regulation and biogeochemical cycles leading to altered edaphic properties including soil microbial community composition. To restore these grasslands and control J. virginiana spread, prescribed extreme burns are implemented as a management tool through local prescribed burn associations. We hypothesized that the alternative state transition to dense J. …

Northern Saw-Whet Owl Autumn Migration In Eastern Nebraska: Results From A Three-Year Banding Study, Stephen J. Brenner, Joel G. Jorgensen

Nebraska Bird Review

Prior to 2019, records of NSWOs in Nebraska during fall were limited. There were fewer than five accepted reports in eastern Nebraska since the 1950s (Silcock and Jorgensen, 2021). The Hitchcock banding station along the Missouri River bluffs in nearby western Iowa has captured, banded, and released 20-50 birds during autumn migration for a number of years (J. Toll, personal communication). Furthermore, a single season banding study in central Nebraska during fall 2004 captured 14 NSWOs (Kim 2005), suggesting the species may migrate annually over much of the state in fall, or at least in more years than previously thought. …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 89 Number 4, December 2021

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August - November 2021 by W. Ross Silcock

Book Review: Nest Records of Nebraska Birds by Wayne J. Mollhoff Reviewed by W. Ross Silcock

Northern Saw-whet Owl Autumn Migration in Eastern Nebraska: Results from a Three-year Banding Study by Stephen J. Brenner and Joel G. Jorgensen

Mute Swan Observation at Gavins Point Dam Area, Cedar/Knox Co., Nebraska by Caleb Strand and Mark A. Brogie

Book Review: The Sandhill Crane State: A Naturalist's Guide to Nebraska by Paul Johnsgard, Reviewed by Ruth Stearns

Index to Volume 89

Subscription and Organization Information

Mute Swan Observation At Gavins Point Dam Area, Cedar/Knox Co., Nebraska, Caleb Strand, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (NOURC) considers Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) to be Accidental in Nebraska (NOURC 2017) with only two accepted records. A review of Mute Swan status in the Midwest and Nebraska, how individual records in Nebraska are evaluated to determine wild provenance, and a review of Nebraska reports can be found in “The Mute Swan in Nebraska: History and Current Status” (Brogie et al. 2016).

The following is an account of the third NOURC accepted record for Mute Swan in Nebraska. On 11 June 2021 we observed two sub-adult Mute Swans on Lake Yankton, Cedar County, …

American Burying Beetle, Plant Richness, And Soil Property Responses To Collapse Of Juniperus Virginiana Woodlands With Fire, Alison K. Ludwig

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Grasslands are declining in the Great Plains due to land use changes, woody plant encroachment, and loss of historic fire cycles. Prescribed burn associations have utilized prescribed fire to collapse invading woodlands and allow the restoration of grasslands. This fire is considered “extreme” because it is capable of changing the structure and function of an ecosystem. Our study site is the Loess Canyons Experimental Landscape, a long-term, ecoregion-scale experiment to apply prescribed fire across the region to restore grasslands. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project established the Loess Canyons ecoregion as a Biologically-Unique Landscape in 2005 with the state’s wildlife action …

Review Of Nest Records Of Nebraska Birds By Wayne J. Mollhoff, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

This book summarizes a lifetime of investigation of Nebraska’s breeding birds by Wayne Mollhoff. Even though I say the book summarizes a lifetime of investigation, I would not be surprised if Wayne resurfaces in a few years with a follow-up of some sort, intrepid investigator that he is. Over the years Wayne has spent innumerable days in the field climbing trees in full forestry gear, wading and kayaking marshes and rivers, hiking over prairies, and bushwhacking through dense forests (there are still a few in Nebraska). But this isn’t the totality of Wayne’s talents; he is a determined researcher with …

Review Of The Sandhill Crane State: A Naturalist’S Guide To Nebraska By Paul Johnsgard, Ruth Stearns

Nebraska Bird Review

Dr. Paul Austin Johnsgard left us one last gift, in this reference guide to all places natural in Nebraska. Published posthumously, and available for purchase or free via UNL’s Digital Commons, this book arrived at my doorstep like a veritable “seed catalog” of Nebraska’s places of wonder to delight and inspire fair weather adventures just before the long winter set in. He wants us to explore the state as he had done, to be excited by all the out-ofdoors Nebraska has to offer.

Index To Volume 89

Nebraska Bird Review

Adams, Marie 52

to

Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii 168 leucophrys 75, 168-169 oriantha 75, 169

Fall Field Report, August-November 2021, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

INTRODUCTION Recent years have seen increasing reports of birds lingering quite late, and this fall was no exception. Notable groups exhibiting tardy departures were shorebirds and vireos. Tardy shorebirds were record late Solitary Sandpipers, near-record late Dunlin, and late Long-billed Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Wilson’s Phalarope. Among the vireos, all regular species were at least tardy; record late was a Red-eyed Vireo, a Warbling Vireo was record late for the Panhandle, and a Blue-headed Vireo was second latest on record. Record late was a Barn Swallow, and a Mountain Bluebird was record late in …

Deterring Non-Target Birds From Toxic Bait Sites For Wild Pigs, Nathan P. Snow, Joseph M. Halseth, Justin A. Foster, Michael J. Lavelle, Justin W. Fischer, Michael P. Glow, Ingrid A. Messer, Seth M. Cook, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Toxic baiting of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is a potential new tool for population control and damage reduction in the US. Field trials testing a prototype toxic bait (HOGGONE 2 containing 5% sodium nitrite [SN]), though, revealed that wild pigs spilled small particles of toxic bait outside of bait stations which subsequently created hazards for non-target species that consumed those particles, primarily passerine birds. To deter non-target birds from consuming particles of spilled bait, we tested four deterrents at mock bait sites (i.e., baited with bird seed) in north-central Colorado, USA during April–May 2020. We found a programable, inflatable deterrent …

Towards A More Comprehensive Understanding Of Wild Pig (Sus Scrofa) Impacts On Agricultural Producers: Insights From A Texas Case Study, Keith M. Carlisle, Nicole Didero, Sophie Mckee, Julie Elser, Stephanie A. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

This research investigates the impacts of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa Linneaus) on agricultural producers in Texas, with the aim of identifying and describing all categories of wild pig impacts and quantifying the extent of producers’ over- or underestimation of their total wild pig-related costs in 2018, as compared to calculations based upon data subsequently provided by the producers about individual wild pig-related costs and losses. Based on interviews with 23 producers in 16 Texas counties, we identified more than 20 discrete categories of negative impacts and negligible positive impacts associated with wild pigs. Among them were categories that have …

Landscape Transformations Produce Favorable Roosting Conditions For Turkey Vultures And Black Vultures, Jacob E. Hill, Kenneth F. Kellner, Bryan M. Kluever, Michael L. Avery, John S. Humphrey, Eric A. Tillman, Travis L. Devault, Jerrold L. Belant

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent increases in turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) and black vulture (Coragyps atratus) populations in North America have been attributed in part to their success adapting to human-modified landscapes. However, the capacity for such landscapes to generate favorable roosting conditions for these species has not been thoroughly investigated. We assessed the role of anthropogenic and natural landscape elements on roosting habitat selection of 11 black and 7 turkey vultures in coastal South Carolina, USA using a GPS satellite transmitter dataset derived from previous research. Our dataset spanned 2006–2012 and contained data from 7916 nights of roosting. Landscape …

Reproductive Success Of Captive-Reared Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma Magister) Released Into Genetically Depauperate Populations, Miracle M. Davis, Timothy J. Smyser, Scott A. Johnson, Joseph Duchamp, Jeffery L. Larkin, Robert K. Swihart, Jacqueline M. Doyle

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Habitat fragmentation and degradation have led to a proliferation of small and isolated populations that are vulnerable to genetic erosion. Reduction in habitat and concomitant declines in population connectivity can expediate the collapse of species that exist as natural metapopulations. In recent years, Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister) have experienced local extirpations and declines in genetic diversity across their range due to disease-related mortality, reduced food availability, and disruption of connectivity among subpopulations. In response, we developed a captive-breeding program to facilitate genetic management of isolated woodrat populations in Indiana. Between 2010 and 2012, 27 captive-reared individuals were released to four …

Economic Estimates Of Wild Hog (Sus Scrofa) Damage And Control Among Young Forest Plantations In Alabama, Micah Fern, Rebecca Barlow, Chris Slootmaker, John Kush, Stephanie Shwiff, Larry Teeter, Jim Armstrong

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Operating as ecological engineers, the increased distribution and abundance of wild hogs (Sus scrofa) has caused considerable socio-economic impacts. The international scope of economic research providing wild hog damage estimates are often confined to agricultural crops, while damage estimates among forest plantations are lacking. In Alabama, private landowners hold the majority of timberland acreage and are less equipped to absorb financial losses from wild hog damage than their industrial counterparts. A survey was conducted to estimate the economic impact of wild hogs, namely costs of damage and control, to privately owned forestlands. The survey was distributed in the …

Sex And Nest Type Influence Avian Blood Parasite Prevalence In A High-Elevation Bird Community, Marina D. Rodriguez, Paul F. Doherty, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Kathryn P. Huyvaert

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: The prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed.

Methods: Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate the prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection.

Results: We estimated the prevalence …

Responses Of Turkey Vultures To Unmanned Aircraft Systems Vary By Platform, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Thomas W. Seamans, Bruce N. Buckingham, Joshua L. Hoblet, Patrice E. Baumhardt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A challenge that conservation practitioners face is manipulating behavior of nuisance species. The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) can cause substantial damage to aircraft if struck. The goal of this study was to assess vulture responses to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for use as a possible dispersal tool. Our treatments included three platforms (fixed-wing, multirotor, and a predator-like ornithopter [powered by flapping flight]) and two approach types (30 m overhead or targeted towards a vulture) in an operational context. We evaluated perceived risk as probability of reaction, reaction time, flight-initiation distance (FID), vulture remaining index, and latency to return. …

Potential Use For Serosurveillance Of Feral Swine To Map Risk For Anthrax Exposure, Texas, Usa, Rachel M. Maison, Courtney F. Pierce, Izabela K. Ragan, Vienna R. Brown, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Richard A. Bowen, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Anthrax is a disease of concern in many mammals, including humans. Management primarily consists of prevention through vaccination and tracking clinical-level observations because environmental isolation is laborious and bacterial distribution across large geographic areas diffi cult to confi rm. Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species with an extensive range in the southern United States that rarely succumbs to anthrax. We present evidence that feral swine might serve as biosentinels based on comparative seroprevalence in swine from historically defi ned anthrax-endemic and non–anthraxendemic regions of Texas. Overall seropositivity was 43.7% (n = 478), and logistic regression revealed county endemicity …

How Do Genetic Relatedness And Spatial Proximity Shape African Swine Fever Infections In Wild Boar?, Tomasz Podgórski, Kim M. Pepin, Anna Radko, Angelika Podbielska, Magdalena Łyjak, Grzegorz Woźniakowski, Tomasz Borowik

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The importance of social and spatial structuring of wildlife populations for disease spread, though widely recognized, is still poorly understood in many host-pathogen systems. In particular, system-specific kin relationships among hosts can create contact heterogeneities and differential disease transmission rates. Here, we investigate how distance-dependent infection risk is influenced by genetic relatedness in a novel host-pathogen system: wild boar (Sus scrofa) and African swine fever (ASF).We hypothesized that infection risk would correlate positively with proximity and relatedness to ASF-infected individuals but expected those relationships to weaken with the distance between individuals due to decay in contact rates and …

The First Record Of The Jumping Bristletail Pedetontus Gershneri Allen, 1995 (Microcoryphia: Machilidae) From Alabama, Usa Significantly Extends Its Known Range, Alexander B. Orfinger, Grant D. De Jong

Insecta Mundi

The jumping bristletail Pedetontus gershneri Allen, 1995 (Microcoryphia: Machilidae) is reported from the state of Alabama, USA, for the first time, extending its known range east-southeast by roughly 588 km. The first partial mtDNA barcode was generated for the species. Notes on color variation and sampling needs of Microcoryphia are briefly discussed.

The Microcoryphia (=Archaeognatha, or jumping bristletails) are a small order of insects with about 500 nominal species worldwide (Mendes 1990). The North American fauna includes 30 named species (De Jong 2020), with additional species expected to be discovered and described (Bowser 2019). Numerous records of species in the …

Survey Of The Attelabidae Of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), Julia Janicki, Daniel K. Young

Insecta Mundi

A statewide survey of Wisconsin’s Attelabidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) was conducted over one full (2012) and two partial (2011, 2013) field seasons. Specimens were collected using a variety of techniques. Fourteen species of Attelabidae in nine genera placed in two subfamilies are now recorded from Wisconsin, with five new state species records and 117 new Wisconsin county records. Generic and species-level keys for Wisconsin attelabid species are provided along with generic and species diagnoses. Species treatments also include a synonymy, a description, and information on natural history, phenology, distribution and collecting methods. Dorsal and lateral habitus images are also provided for …

A New Neotropical Predaceous Midge In The Genus Parabezzia Malloch From Guerrero, Mexico, And A Second Mexican Record Of P. Alexanderi Wirth (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae: Ceratopogoninae: Ceratopogonini), Herón Huerta, Gustavo R. Spinelli, William L. Grogan Jr.

Insecta Mundi

We describe and illustrate a new Neotropical predaceous midge, Parabezzia carlae Huerta, Spinelli and Grogan, new species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from males collected by Malaise trap in La Union, Ayutla de los Libres, state of Guerrero, Mexico. We also report a second record of P. alexanderi Wirth from Veracruz, Mexico. A key to the known species in Mexico is included.

Se describe e ilustra una especie nueva de mosquita predadora de la región Neotropical, Parabezzia carlae Huerta, Spinelli y Grogan, nueva especie (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) sobre la base de machos colectados con trampa Malaise procedentes de La Unión, Ayutla de Los Libres, …

A New Species Of Leptorhyparus Howden, 2003 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini) In Amber From The Dominican Republic, With Comments On Extant Species, Paul E. Skelley

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Leptorhyparus Howden, 2003 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini) is described, Leptorhyparus quadricornis Skelley, in amber from the Dominican Republic. Extant species of Leptorhyparus are reviewed, with additional collection data and diagnostic characters presented.

Se describe una nueva especie en el género Leptorhyparus Howden, 2003 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), Leptorhyparus quadricornis Skelley, en ámbar de la República Dominicana. Se revisan las especies vivientes del género Leptorhyparus, agregándose datos de colección y caracteres diagnósticos.

Two New Species Of Nothochodaeus Nikolajev, 2005 From Palawan Island, Philippines (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), Jean-Bernard Huchet

Insecta Mundi

Nothochodaeus minotaurus Huchet, new species, and N. huxleyi Huchet, new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), from Palawan Island, Philippines, are described and illustrated.

Following my study of the Ochodaeidae of the Philippine archipelago (Huchet 2014a, 2014b, 2017, 2018, 2019), I describe here two new species of the genus Nothochodaeus Nikolajev, respectively N. minotaurus Huchet, new species, and N. huxleyi Huchet, new species, bringing to four species, all endemic, the representatives of this genus in the archipelago. Both species described here are illustrated and compared with their closest relatives. These new species originate from the island of Palawan. This discovery …

New Genus Of Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) In Amber From The Dominican Republic, Paul E. Skelley

Insecta Mundi

Priscyparus quisqueyensis Skelley, new genus and new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), is described in amber from the Dominican Republic. An updated key to New World genera of Rhyparini is presented.

Priscyparus quisqueyensis Skelley, género nuevo y especie nueva (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Rhyparini), se describe de ámbar de la República Dominicana. La clave a los Rhyparini del Nuevo Mundo es enmendada para incluir el nuevo género.

There are only three fossil taxa of Rhyparini (Coleoptera: Scrabaeidae: Aphodiinae) preserved in copal or amber from the New World. There have been brief listings of a Termitodius Wasmann in Colombian copal (Penney and …

Center For Grassland Studies, November 2021

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Contents

Ranchers’ Preferences for Payment for Ecosystem Services Programs in Nebraska by Kyle Martens

Center for Grassland Studies Policy Advisory Committee

Director's Column by Walt Schacht (Interim Director)

Fall Army Worms Reared Their Ugly Heads and Wings in Nebraska in 2021by Roch Gaussoin

Dalbey-Halleck Open House by Margo McKendree

Internships – Let’s Get More Students on the Land! by Shelly Kelly

Jim Gerrish Insightful and Relatable for Grazing Livestock (GLS) Club Members

Rooting Out Genetic Structure Of Invasive Wild Pigs In Texas, Anna M. Mangan, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Michael J. Bodenchuk, Courtney F. Pierce, Timothy J. Smyser

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa), also called feral swine or wild hogs, are recognized as among the most destructive invasive species in the world. Throughout the United States, invasive wild pigs have expanded rapidly over the past 40 years with populations now established in 38 states. Of the estimated 6.9 million wild pigs distributed throughout the United States, Texas supports approximately 40% of the population and similarly bears disproportionate ecological and economic costs. Genetic analyses are an effective tool for understanding invasion pathways and tracking dispersal of invasive species such as wild pigs and have been used recently …

Subspecific Designation Of The U.S.A. Interior Highlands Population Of Argynnis (Speyeria) Diana (Cramer, 1777) (Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae: Argynnini: Argynnina), Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Subspecific designation is designated for the North American Interior Highlands population of Argynnis diana, based on four factors: mtDNA haplotype differences from nominotypical A. diana of the Appalachian Mountains; wing shape difference in the males between both regions; wing size of the adults; and tendency for females of the Interior Highlands to show tan coloration in the submarginal row of rectangular spots of the subapical region of the dorsal forewings.

Type Locality Of Polyommatus Lucia (W. Kirby, 1837) (Lycaenidae: Polyomatinae) With An Inspection Of The Species' Phenotypic Expression, Norbert G. Kondla, Harry Pavulaan, David M. Wright

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The type locality of Polyommatus lucia was not clearly defined by W. Kirby (1837) and been improperly interpreted as Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, Canada by several authors. The present paper examines the circumstances surrounding the collection of the specimen described and illustrated by William Kirby, and determines the type locality is Fort Carlton Provincial Park, Saskatchewan. The habitat, flora, and phenotypic expression of Celestrina lucia (W. Kirby) near the type locality are presented.