Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Redescription Of The Allomyia Renoa (Milne) Female And Association And Description Of The Male And Larva (Trichoptera: Apataniidae), David E. Ruiter, Donald R. Givens, Hiroyuki Nishimoto

Insecta Mundi

Allomyia renoa (Milne, 1935) (Trichoptera: Apataniidae) was described from six females. The male association is verified in this paper. The original type locality information is limited: “Reno, Nev., ‘78, Morrison”. An Allomyia Banks population found at Mount Rose in Washoe County, Nevada, was compared to the A. renoa type material and found to be the conspecific. Figures, descriptions and distribution of male, female, pupal and larval A. renoa are provided.

Testing For Character Displacement Between Two Abundant Stream Fishes, Amber Nations

Honors Theses

Character displacement is a pattern that can be used to explain differences between similar species in sympatric and allopatric situations. Gause’s Principle explains that a niche can only be occupied by one species at a time, so character displacement may be a way for similar species in the same habitat to shift resource use and compensate in order for the species to coexist. The Southeastern United States offers a unique opportunity to study this pattern because the diversity of freshwater fauna is quite high. However, the question of “How did this region become so diverse?” remains unanswered. One way for …

How To Distinguish The Xestotrachelus Bruner, 1913 (Orthoptera: Romaleidae: Romaleini) From Other Romaleini In South America, With A Report Of The First Record In Minas Gerais, Brazil, Daniela Santos Martins Silva, Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira, Raysa Martins Lima

Insecta Mundi

The present study provides an important contribution to the knowledge of the geographic distribution of Xestotrachelus Bruner, 1913 (Orthoptera: Romaleidae: Romaleini), a monotypic genus comprised of Xestotrachelus robustus (Bruner, 1911) that has a wide geographic distribution in Brazil. Specimens were collected at the Panga Ecological Reserve, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, in the Brazilian Cerrado. We provide a key to distinguish Xestotrachelus from other genera found in South America.

Chlamydastis Meyrick Of Costa Rica: Barcodes, Biology, And Descriptions Of 36 New Species (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae), Eugenie Phillips-Rodríguez, John W. Brown, Winnie Hallwachs, Daniel H. Janzen

Insecta Mundi

We recognize and review 40 species of Chlamydastis Meyrick, 1916 (Lepidoptera: Depressari­idae) from Costa Rica, including four previously described (i.e., C. vividella (Busck, 1914), revived status; C. phytoptera (Busck, 1914); C. orion Busck, 1920; and C. ungulifera (Meyrick, 1929)) and 36 new species: C. abelulatei Phillips and Brown, new species; C. carolinagodoyae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. angelsolisi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. lindapitkinae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. iangauldi Phillips and Brown, new species; C. anniapicadoae Phillips and Brown, new species; C. antonioazofeifai Phillips and Brown, new species; …

A New Genus Cicatrisphaerion, New Species, New Records, And Redescriptions Of Neotropical Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), Steven W. Lingafelter, Roy F. Morris Ii, Frederick W. Skillman Jr., Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

A new genus, Cicatrisphaerion Lingafelter, Morris, Skillman, and Santos-Silva (Coleoptera: Cer­ambycidae), and three new species of the same authorship, C. wappesi from Quintana Roo, Mexico, C. rileyi from Chiapas, Mexico, and Eupogonius wappesi from Quintana Roo, Mexico, are described. New records and clarification on the distribution of Psyrassaforma janzeni Chemsak, 1991 and P. nitida Chemsak, 1991 are provided. Ameriphoderes amoena (Chemsak and Linsley, 1979) is redescribed based on four male specimens and a new country record from Guatemala is documented. New distributional records are provided for Estola flavobasalis Breuning, 1940 (including a new country record for Bolivia) and Estola …

Molecular And Morphological Consequences Of Post-Glacial Contact Among Lineages Of Northern Short-Tailed Shrews (Blarina Brevicauda) In Eastern North America, Ellen Michels

All NMU Master's Theses

During the Pleistocene, advancing glacial ice fragmented populations of species, which restricted populations from expanding, ultimately inhibiting gene flow. As glaciers receded, expansion out of unglaciated-isolated areas was possible. In addition to glacial barriers, landscape features such as rivers and mountain ranges served as barriers to dispersal of populations during the Pleistocene, influencing the phylogeography of multiple species. Though divergence between multiple lineages is a common feature of North American mammal diversity, circumstances that affected the post-glacial expansion of structured diversity within regions are less well-documented. Northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) are restricted to eastern North America, yet …

A New Vine Snake (Reptilia, Colubridae, Oxybelis) From Peru And Redescription Of O. Acuminatus, Robert C. Jadin, Michael J. Jowers, Sarah A. Orlofske, William E. Duellman, Christopher Blair, John C. Murphy

Publications and Research

The Brown Vine Snake, Oxybelis aeneus, was until recently considered a single species, distributed from southern Arizona through the Neotropics into southeastern Brazil. However, newly conducted research restructured the species with a substantial taxonomic revision, recognizing five additional taxa (i.e. O. koehleri, O. microphthalmus, O. potosiensis, O. rutherfordi, O. vittatus) in this species complex. This revision focused on populations in North America, Central America, and northern South America while neglecting the southern portion of its distribution. Here, we examine the taxonomic history of the complex and use it along with specimen data to resurrect O. acuminatus from southeastern Brazil. Finally, …

The Homology Of Sarcopterygian Gills, Kyle Orr

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Vertebrate gills may be either external (protruding from the body surface) or internal (enclosed in a chamber). Among living amphibians, external gills are found in salamander larvae and neotenes, early frog larvae, and caecilian embryos; internal gills are found only in later-stage frog larvae. Evidence for internal gills has also been found in stem tetrapods, and amphibian-like external gills have been found in some fossil temnospondyls and anthracosaurs. Gill homology among these groups and life stages has long been questioned. To address this, scanning electron microscopy, vascular casting, and paraffin sectioning were utilized to study the morphology of gills and …

Michyrus, A New Genus Of Pleasing Fungus Beetles With Coarsely Faceted Eyes (Coleoptera: Erotylidae), Paul E. Skelley, Héctor Jaime Gasca-Álvarez

Insecta Mundi

Michyrus Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, new genus, is a Neotropical Tritomini (Coleoptera: Ero­tylidae: Erotylinae) with many unusual characters, whose relationships are unclear. Two new species are described: M. thomasi Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez and M. yvineci Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez.

Resumen. Michyrus Skelley y Gasca-Álvarez, nuevo género, es un Tritomini Neotropical (Coleoptera: Ero­tylidae: Erotylinae: Tritomini) con muchos estados de carácter inusuales, cuyas relaciones no están claras. Se describen dos nuevas especies: M. thomasi Skelley y Gasca-Álvarez y M. yvineci Skelley y Gasca-Álvarez.

A resurgence of publications on foundational faunal works, descriptive and revisionary taxonomy, and nomen­clatural issues within the new …

Dyslexia, A New Remarkable Genus Of Pleasing Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae) From The Andes, Paul E. Skelley, Héctor Jaime Gasca-Álvarez

Insecta Mundi

Dyslexia Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Erotylini), is described and illustrated. The genus is comprised of four new species, all described by Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez: D. belamyi, D. dathomirria, D. pulcricolor, and D. tomasi. The unique broad head structures of this genus are characterized and compared with other genera. Problems associated with the taxonomy of Erotylini are discussed.

Resumen. Se describe y se ilustra a Dyslexia Skelley y Gasca-Álvarez, nuevo género (Coleoptera: Erotyli­dae: Erotylinae: Erotylini). El género está formado por cuatro especies nuevas, todas descritas por …

Taxonomic Review Of South American Butter Frogs: Phylogeny, Geographic Patterns, And Species Delimitation In The Leptodactylus Latrans Species Group (Anura: Leptodactylidae), Felipe De M. Magalhães, Mariana L. Lyra, Thiago R. De Carvalho, Diego Baldo, Francisco Brusquetti, Pamela Burella, Guarino R. Colli, Marcelo C. Gehara, Rafael O. De Sá, Et Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

The Leptodactylus latrans species group currently comprises eight medium- to large-sized frog species with a convoluted taxonomic history, particularly related to the specific limits of the L. latrans complex, and the species pair Leptodactylus chaquensis–Leptodactylus macrosternum. Their homogeneous external morphology and continental geographic distribution in South America have posed severe limitations to a comprehensive review, such that taxonomic consensus and species limits remain uncertain. This is further worsened by the presence of chromatic polymorphism among coexisting species that can hardly be distinguished by external morphology. Based on a large-scale geographic sampling including multilocus DNA analyses, and acoustic …

A New Genus And Two New Species Of Unarmed Hymenolepidid Cestodes (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) From Geomyid Rodents In Mexico And Costa Rica, Scott Lyell Gardner, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan, Mariel Campbell, S. Elizabeth Rácz

Scott L. Gardner Publications

Two new cestodes of the family Hymenolepididae are described from two species of rodents of the family Geomyidae collected in Mexico and Costa Rica. One new species of Hymenolepis is described from Cratogeomys planiceps Merriam 1895 from near Toluca, Mexico and another that we allocate to a new genus is described from Heterogeomys heterodus (Peters, 1865) from near Irazú Volcano, Costa Rica. Hymenolepis s. str. includes those Hymenolepididae with an apical organ, with no hooks on suckers or apical organ, and three testes. Hobergia irazuensis n. gen., n. sp. includes a hymenolepidid with an apical organ, unarmed scolex, small …

The Undergraduate Student’S Guide To Geometric Morphometrics, Erika Crispo

Open Educational Resources

Embarking on a new research endeavor can be a daunting task. User guides, books, and published articles are written for an audience that already has some background experience in the field. Undergraduate students like you, who are at the very beginning of their research careers, often struggle to make sense of these documents. Furthermore, students like you often attempt to do so while balancing heavy course loads. Thus, I have written this document to help ease the burden so that you have more time to ponder the interesting scientific questions instead of digging through pages upon pages of documentation. I …

Foraging Strategy Plasticity In Fiordland Penguins (Eudyptes Pachyrhynchus): A Stable Isotope Approach, Jeffrey Wayne White

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Foraging ecology in the crested penguins (genus: Eudyptes) is an active area of research, with new techniques rapidly increasing our understanding of these charismatic species. The most common techniques to assess foraging ecology include stomach content analysis, fecal DNA analysis, stable isotope analysis, tracking, and video loggers. Here we review dietary research on all 8 taxa within the genus Eudyptes to identify gaps in our current knowledge. However, foraging studies that assess dietary segregation require a method for quickly and accurately sexing penguins in the field. Obvious sexual dimorphism in plumage is largely absent in penguins leaving behavioral cues …

Trade-Offs Between Morphology And Thermal Niches Mediate Adaptation In Response To Competing Selective Pressures, Stella F. Uiterwaal, Ian T. Lagerstrom, Thomas M. Luhring, Miranda E. Salsbery, John P. Delong

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Abstract

The effects of climate change—such as increased temperature variability and novel predators—rarely happen in isolation, but it is unclear how organisms cope with multiple stressors simultaneously. To explore this, we grew replicate Paramecium caudatum populations in either constant or variable temperatures and exposed half to predation. We then fit thermal performance curves (TPCs) of intrinsic growth rate (r_max) for each replicate population (N = 12) across seven temperatures (10°C–38°C). TPCs of P. caudatum exposed to both temperature variability and predation responded only to one or the other (but not both), resulting in unpredictable outcomes. These changes in …

The Effects Of Ship Wakes In The Venice Lagoon And Implications For The Sustainability Of Shipping In Coastal Waters, Gian Marco Scarpa, Luca Zaggia, Giorgia Manfe, Giuliano Lorenzetti, Kevin E. Parnell, Tarmo Soomere, John Rapaglia, Emanuela Molinaroli

Biology Faculty Publications

We analyse the impact of ship traffic in the vicinity of navigation channels in a wide shallow waterbody. The crucial hydrodynamic driver in this situation is the depression (Bernoulli) wake that may be transferred into a long-living solitary wave of depression over the shoals. The analysis considers navigation channels in the Venice Lagoon using a new large dataset of approximately 600 measured wake events associated to specific ships whose data are provided by the AIS system. Since the development of the modern industrial port and the opening of the Malamocco–Marghera channel in the late 1960s, growing pressure on the lagoon …

The Neotropical Variegated Squirrel, Sciurus Variegatoides (Rodentia: Sciuridae) In Nicaragua, With The Description Of A New Subspecies, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert M. Timm

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

The Neotropical variegated squirrel, Sciurus variegatoides, is represented in Nicaragua by five known subspecies—adolphei, belti, boothiae, dorsalis, and underwoodi. Analyses of morphometrics, color, and color patterns of 394 specimens from throughout the country and all available literature support the retention of these subspecies, but also reveal the presence of a sixth population of these squirrels, which is worthy of description and recognition as a new subspecies. This new subspecies is confined to Isla de Ometepe in Lago de Nicaragua. Variegated squirrels on Ometepe are on average the smallest variegated squirrels in the country …

Evolution Of Freshwater Crabs In Lake Malawi And The Lake Malawi Basin In The East African Rift Valley, Emily Johnson

All NMU Master's Theses

Lake Malawi is the southernmost lake in the East African Rift Valley and is home to a single species of freshwater crab, the Malawi Blue Crab. Little is known about species diversity and the phylogenetic relationships of the freshwater crabs of Lake Malawi, in contrast to the lake’s highly-diverse cichlid fish species flocks. The Malawi Blue Crab is presently assigned to Potamonautes lirrangensis (Rathbun, 1904) sensu lato, which was originally described from a single female specimen from the D. R. Congo. While the distribution of P. lirrangensis s. l. ranges from the Congo River basin to other Rift Valley lakes, …

Do Enallagma Exsulans From Streams And Lakes Show Patterns Of Divergence?, Savannah Rae Graham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Divergent selection across heterogenous environments could lead to adaptive divergence in populations resulting in potential local adaption. These populations have phenotypic differences that are fitness related and make native individuals more fit than non-native individuals. My research focuses on a species of damselfly, Enallagma exsulans, to explore local adaptation and morphological differences as a result of divergent selection or plasticity. My first study explored potential local adaptation of wild caught stream and lake E. exsulans using a reciprocal transplant design, a classic approach for this objective. The stream and lake sites chosen were on a small spatial scale allowing for …

Presence And Distribution Of Leptodactylus Guianensis Heyer And De Sa, 2011 In Colombia: Comparisons With Other Species In The L. Latrans Group., Mariela Osorno Muñoz, Doris L. Gutiérrez-Lamus, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Leptodactylus guianensis is reported for the first time for Colombia along with a distributional map of the species. The species is the fifth species of the L. latransspecies group documented in the country. Males possess a single, conical and slightly chisel-shaped thumb spine; only three species in the group have a single thumb spine. In collections, specimens of L. guianensis are misidentified as L. macrosternum, L. latrans or L. bolivianus. We provide morphological, colouration and habitat descriptions for where the species occurs in Colombia.

A Polyphasic Approach In Understanding Green Algal Ecology, Blia Lor

Biology Theses

Pithophora and Cladophora are two representative genera of the order Cladophorales as filamentous Chlorophyta. These two genera are major contributors to the total algal biomass of littoral communities in freshwater and shallow marine water and have been reported as nuisance algae as they proliferate fast with the influx of nutrients. However, the wide geographical distribution and the overlap of plastic morphological characteristics between the two genera have complicated taxonomic identification at species level and phylogenetic studies. In the present study, a population of a monospecific, filamentous algal community was collected in Jewell, Georgia from the Ogeechee River. The monospecific, filamentous …

Multiple Connections Between Amazonia And Atlantic Forest Shaped The T Phylogenetic And Morphological Diversity Of Chiasmocleis Mehely, 1904 (Anura: Microhylidae: Gastrophryninae), Rafael O. De Sá, João Filipe Riva Tonini, Hannah Van Huss, Alex Long, Travis Cuddy, Mauricio C. Forlani, Pedro L.V. Peloso, Hussam Zaher, Célio F.B. Haddad

Biology Faculty Publications

Chiasmocleis is the most species-rich genus of Neotropical microhylids. Herein, we provide the first comprehensive multilocus phylogeny for the genus, including all but 3 of the 34 recognized species and multiple individuals per species. We discuss cryptic speciation, species discovery, patterns of morphological evolution, and provide a historical biogeographic analysis to account for the current distribution of the genus. Diversification of Chiasmocleis from other New World microhylids began during the Eocene, app. 40 mya, in forested areas, and current diversity seems to be a product of recurrent connections between the Atlantic Forest and Amazonia. Small-sized species evolved independently three times …

Shaping The Tools Of Battle : Sexual Selection, Contest Dynamics, And Weapon Divergence In The Asian Rhinoceros Beetle Trypoxylus Dichotomus, Jillian F. Del Sol

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Exaggerated weapons of sexual selection often diverge more rapidly and dramatically than other body parts, suggesting that relevant agents of selection may be discernible in contemporary populations. I examined the ecology, reproductive behavior, and strength of sexual selection on horn length in five recently diverged beetle populations that differ in relative horn size. I show that mating system ecology differs between these locations and corresponds with the local strength of contemporary selection on horn length. Comparisons of ecological conditions and selection strength across populations offer a critical first step towards meaningfully linking mating system dynamics, selection patterns, and diversity in …

Confirming World-Wide Distribution Of An Agriculturally Important Lacewing, Chrysoperla Zastrowi Sillemi, Using Songs, Morphology, Mitochondrial Gene Sequencing, And Phylogenetic Reconstruction, Zoe Mandese

Honors Scholar Theses

The Chrysoperla carnea-group of green lacewings is a cryptic species complex. Species within the group are morphologically similar, yet isolated from one another via reproductive mating song. Chrysoperla zastrowi, a species within the carnea-group, is currently described with a distribution ranging from South Africa to the Middle East and India. However, recent collections of carnea-group lacewings from Guatemala and California were preliminarily identified as Chrysoperla zastrowi based upon similarities in their vibrational courtship songs. This analysis aims to place six specimens, collected by collaborators in Guatemala, Armenia, Iran, and California, into a pre-existing phylogeny of the …

Foraging Behavior, Taxonomy, And Morphology Of Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), With An Emphasis On Perdita (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Zachary M. Portman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bees are the most important pollinators of flowering plants and are necessary for pollinating both wild plants and many of the crops that produce the food we eat. There are many different species of bees, with about 20,000 species worldwide and 4,000 species in the United States. Even though bees are important pollinators, there is still much we do not know about how many species there are and their biology. In order to better understand the species and their biology, I performed three projects that help fill these gaps by reviewing the species of a poorly known bee group, examining …

The Mechanism Of Biotremor Production In The Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo Calyptratus), Samuel Tegge

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Vibratory communication has evolved in numerous animal groups, including insects, spiders, fishes, mammals, and was recently discovered in veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus). I examined the mechanism by which C. calyptratus produce these biotremors. Muscle activity data were gathered during simulated anti-predator responses via electromyography (EMG) with simultaneous recordings of biotremor production using an accelerometer. I correlated EMG data with the accelerometer data to implicate the muscles responsible for the production of the biotremors. Mixed-effect linear regression models described the mechanism, and a model selection framework determined which model fit the data best. I then used an analysis of variance to …

How The Egg Rolls: A Morphological Analysis Of Egg Shape In The Context Of Displacement Dynamics, Ian R. Hays

Theses and Dissertations

Very little is known about how morphology effects the motion, stability and the resulting viability of avian eggs. The limited research that exists focuses on the pyriform or ‘pointed’ egg shapes found in the Alcidea family. This unusual shell form is thought to suppress displacement and prevents egg loss on the cliffside nesting habitat of the Uria genera. Unfortunately, these studies never isolated or quantify the specific morphological features (elongation, asymmetry and conicality) of these pyriform eggs, which limits their applicability to other taxa and hampers a robust proof of concept. We isolated each feature as a variable, produced models …

A Characterization Of West Virginia Coyotes (Canis Latrans) Utilizing Skull Morphology, Katharina E. Scholer

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are now found throughout North and Central America, but before European colonization were restricted to west of the Mississippi. Migration occurred in two major paths to the East; north over the Great Lakes (through Canada) and south below the Great Lakes. The location of these routes is significant because those migrating north interbred with the wolves that reside there. These hybrid animals are larger and behaviorally different from their western counterparts. It is possible to differentiate these hybrids morphologically and genetically. Hybrids are known to be located in Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania, but the interest of …

A Remarkable Teratological Specimen Of Trichiotinus Rufobrunneus (Casey) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Trichiini), Héctor Jaime Gasca-Álvarez, Paul E. Skelley, Cuauhtemoc Deloya

Insecta Mundi

An unusual eye malformation observed in Trichiotinus rufobrunneus (Casey) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Trichiini), is described and illustrated. The functionality of the ectopic compound eye is discussed. According to label data, larval association with oak rotten log habitats is reported.

Se describe e ilustra una malformación inusual en los ojos de Trichiotinus rufobrunneus (Casey, 1914). Se discute la funcionalidad de los ojos compuestos ectópicos. De acuerdo con los datos de etiqueta, se reporta la asociación de la larva con madera de roble en descomposición.

A New Combination And An Update Of Neotoumeyella Kondo And Williams, 2009 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), Takumasa Kondo

Insecta Mundi

Based on morphological features of the adult female, the Brazilian soft scale, Mesolecanium ferum Hempel, 1920 (= Toumeyella ferum) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) is transferred to the genus Neotoumeyella Kondo and Williams, 2009, as Neotoumeyella ferum (Hempel), comb. nov. The genus Neotoumeyella is rediagnosed in order to accommodate the unique features of M. ferum and an updated key to the six species of the genus is provided. An English translation of the Spanish redescription of M. ferum (as T. ferum) by Granara de Willink (2012) is also provided, with the author’s comments and interpretations

En base a las características …