Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Anthropogenic Change On The Distribution Of Marine Megafauna And Their Prey, Baylie Fadool

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Anthropogenic change is impacting the distribution and survival of marine megafauna and their prey. Humans are changing every aspect of the marine environment, with effects reaching as large as changing the composition of marine environments to directly overexploiting species through the fishing industry. The role that marine megafauna play in balancing ecosystems, including as top apex predators, leads to detrimental results in the absences and population declines of these species. Migrations and declines due to threats on marine apex predator species will alter their environments by causing mesopredator release and changes in community structure, which is often associated with reduced …

Feeding Specificity Of The Photosynthetic Sacoglossan Sea Slug Elysia Papillosa, Kourtney Sui Barber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The sacoglossan sea slug, Elysia papillosa is associated with two species of the siphonaceous green alga, Penicillus, which co-occur in mixed macrophyte beds at Tarpon Springs, FL, USA. Field collections revealed that Elysia papillosa is frequently collected from the alga, P. capitatus, but is also present in much lower abundance on P. lamourouxii. Past studies have shown that some species of sacoglossans consume algal species that differ from the algae from which they are collected so, in order to determine whether E. papillosa was consuming either or both species of Penicillus, total DNA was extracted from individual slugs collected from …

Loci Associated With Antibody Response In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) Infected With Brucella Suis, Courtney F. Pierce, Vienna R. Brown, Steven C. Olsen, Paola Boggiatto, Kerri Pedersen, Ryan S. Miller, Scott E. Speidel, Timothy J. Smyser

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are a destructive invasive species widespread throughout the United States that disrupt ecosystems, damage crops, and carry pathogens of concern for the health of domestic stock and humans including Brucella suis—the causative organism for swine brucellosis. In domestic swine, brucellosis results in reproductive failure due to abortions and infertility. Contact with infected feral swine poses spillover risks to domestic pigs as well as humans, companion animals, wildlife, and other livestock. Genetic factors influence the outcome of infectious diseases; therefore, genome wide association studies (GWAS) of differential immune responses among feral swine can provide …

A New Species Of Diolcus Mayr (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) With A Reexamination Of The Subfamily And Generic Placement Of Nesogenes Boscii (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Elvisurinae Or Pachycorinae), Joseph E. Eger Jr.

Insecta Mundi

Diolcus thomasi Eger new species (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae), is de­scribed from Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Island and compared to D. chrysorrhoeus (Fabricius), its closest congener. Nesogenes boscii (Fabricius) is removed from the Elvisurinae and placed in the Pachycorinae. The relationship of N. boscii to D. thomasi and D. chrysorrhoeus is discussed.

Diolcus Mayr (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) currently contains six valid species: D. cassi­doides (Walker) from Hispaniola, D. chrysorrhoeus (Fabricius) from the southeastern US and Texas, D. disjunctus Barber from Puerto Rico, D. irroratus (Fabricius) from Florida and many of …

General Destabilizing Effects Of Eutrophication On Grassland Productivity At Multiple Spatial Scales, Yann Hautier, Pengfei Zhang, Michel Loreau, Kevin R. Wilcox, Eric W. Seabloom, Elizabeth T. Borer, Jarrett E.K. Byrnes, Sally E. Koerner, Kimberly J. Komatsu, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Andy Hector, Peter B. Adler, Juan Alberti, Carlos A. Arnillas, Jonathan D. Bakker, Lars A. Brudvig, Miguel N. Bugalho, Marc Cadotte, Maria C. Caldeira, Oliver Carroll, Mick Crawley, Scott L. Collins, Pedro Daleo, Laura E. Dee, Nico Eisenhauer, Anu Eskelinen, Philip A. Fay, Benjamin Gilbert, Amandine Hansar, Forest Isbell, Johannes M.H. Knops, Andrew S. Macdougall, Rebecca L. Mcculley, Joslin L. Moore, John W. Morgan, Akira S. Mori, Pablo L. Peri, Edwin T. Pos, Sally A. Power, Jodi N. Price, Peter B. Reich, Anita C. Risch, Christiane Roscher, Mahesh Sankaran, Martin Schütz, Melinda Smith, Carly Stevens, Pedro M. Tognetti, Risto Virtanen, Glenda M. Wardle, Peter A. Wilfahrt, Shaopeng Wang

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Eutrophication is a widespread environmental change that usually reduces the stabilizing effect of plant diversity on productivity in local communities. Whether this effect is scale dependent remains to be elucidated. Here, we determine the relationship between plant diversity and temporal stability of productivity for 243 plant communities from 42 grasslands across the globe and quantify the effect of chronic fertilization on these relationships. Unfertilized local communities with more plant species exhibit greater asynchronous dynamics among species in response to natural environmental fluctuations, resulting in greater local stability (alpha stability). Moreover, neighborhood communities that have greater spatial variation in plant species …

A Review Of Avian Influenza A Virus Associations In Synanthropic Birds, Susan A. Shriner, J. Jeffrey Root

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Avian influenza A viruses (IAV) have received significant attention due to the threat they pose to human, livestock, and wildlife health. In this review, we focus on what is known about IAV dynamics in less common avian species that may play a role in trafficking IAVs to poultry operations. Specifically, we focus on synanthropic bird species. Synanthropic species, otherwise known as peridomestic, are species that are ecologically associated with humans and anthropogenically modified landscapes, such as agricultural and urban areas. Aquatic birds such as waterfowl and shorebirds are the species most commonly associated with avian IAVs, and are generally considered …

Reddyanus Justi Sp. N. From Laos (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, Graeme Lowe, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

A new species Reddyanus justi sp. n. from Laos is described, fully complemented with color photographs of live and preserved specimens. The new species is characterized by the irregular quadrilateral shape of the subaculear tubercle in males. In addition to analysis of external morphology and hemispermatophore, we also describe the karyotype (2n=12)

Geographic And Intra-Racial Disparities In Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer In The Seer 18 Registries Of The United States, Wesal H. Abualkhair, Meijiao Zhou, Carolina O. Ochoa, Leonel Lacayo, Caitlin Murphy, Xiao Cheng Wu, Jordan J. Karlitz

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Although early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) incidence rates (IRs) are increasing, geographic and intra-racial IR disparities are not well defined. Methods: 2000-2015 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program CRC IR Analysis (170,434 cases) was performed from ages 30 to 60 in four US regions, 18 individual registries, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan locations and stratified by race. Analyses were conducted in 1-year and 5-year age increments. Results: Wide US regional EOCRC IR variations exist: For example, age 45 IRs in the south are 26.8/100,000, 36.0% higher than the West, 19.7/100,000 (p < 0.0001). Disparities magnify between individual registries: EOCRC IRs in highest risk registries were 177-348% (Alaska Natives), 75-200% (Hawaii), 76-128% (Louisiana), and 61-125% (Kentucky) higher than lowest risk registries depending on age. EOCRC IRs are 18.2%-25.6% higher in nonmetropolitan versus metropolitan settings. Wide geographic intra-racial disparities exist. Within the White population, the greatest IR difference (78.8%) was between Kentucky (5.9/100,000) and Los Angeles (3.3/100,000) in 30- to 34-year-olds (p <.0001). Within the Black population, the greatest difference (136.2%) was between rural Georgia (30.7/100,000) and California excluding San Francisco-Oakland/San Jose-Monterey/Los Angeles (13/100,000) in 40- to 44-year-olds (p = 0003). Conclusion: Marked geographic EOCRC disparities exist with disproportionately high IRs in Alaska Natives, Hawaii, and southern registries. Geographic intra-racial disparities are present within White and Black populations. In Blacks, there are disproportionately high EOCRC IRs in rural Georgia. Although vigilance is required in all populations, attention must be paid to these higher risk populations. Potential interventions include assuring early investigation of symptoms, targeting modifiable risk factors and utilizing earlier age 45 screening options supported by some guidelines.

The Endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps Californianus) Population Is Exposed To Local Haemosporidian Parasites, M. Andreína Pacheco, Chris N. Parish, Timothy J. Hauck, Roberto F. Aguilar, Ananias A. Escalante

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

The endangered California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest New World Vulture in North America. Despite recovery program success in saving the species from extinction, condors remain compromised by lead poisoning and limited genetic diversity. The latter makes this species especially vulnerable to infectious diseases. Thus, taking advantage of the program of blood lead testing in Arizona, condor blood samples from 2008 to 2018 were screened for haemosporidian parasites using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol that targets the parasite mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Plasmodium homopolare (Family Plasmodiidae, Order Haemosporida, Phylum Apicomplexa), was detected in condors captured …

A Putative Chordate Luciferase From A Cosmopolitan Tunicate Indicates Convergent Bioluminescence Evolution Across Phyla, Michael Tessler, Jean P. Gaffney, Anderson G. Oliveira, Andrew Guarnaccia, Krista C. Dobi, Nehaben A. Gujarati, Moira Galbraith, Jeremy D. Mirza, John S. Sparks, Vincent A. Pieribone, Robert J. Wood, David F. Gruber

Publications and Research

Pyrosomes are tunicates in the phylum Chordata, which also contains vertebrates. Their gigantic blooms play important ecological and biogeochemical roles in oceans. Pyrosoma, meaning “firebody”, derives from their brilliant bioluminescence. The biochemistry of this light production is unknown, but has been hypothesized to be bacterial in origin. We found that mixing coelenterazine—a eukaryote-specific luciferin—with Pyrosoma atlanticum homogenate produced light. To identify the bioluminescent machinery, we sequenced P. atlanticum transcriptomes and found a sequence match to a cnidarian luciferase (RLuc). We expressed this novel luciferase (PyroLuc) and, combined with coelenterazine, it produced light. A similar gene was recently predicted from a …

Wetland Edge Trampled By American Bison (Bos Bison) Used As Basking Site For Painted Turtles (Chrysemys Picta), Keith Geluso, Carter Kruse, Mary Harner

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Prairies of the Great Plains once were influenced by large-scale disturbances, such as fire and herbivory by large ungulates, that promoted ecosystem functioning. American Bison (Bos bison) created many types of disturbances as they traversed grassland landscapes. Trampling, a common type of bison disturbance, occurred when large herds moved through an area denuding aboveground vegetation, exposing prairie soils, and restarting succession. Bison reintroductions now allow researchers to use contemporary observations to examine influences of these large, hoofed mammals on system functions. Herein, we report on the immediate benefit of trampling along a wetland edge for another vertebrate species. …

Artificial Nightlight Alters The Predator–Prey Dynamics Of An Apex Carnivore, Mark A. Ditmer, David C. Stoner, Clinton D. Francis, Jesse R. Barber, James D. Forster, David M. Choate, Kirsten E. Ironside, Kathleen M. Longshore, Kent R. Hersey, Randy T. Larsen, Brock R. Mcmillan, Daniel D. Olson, Alyson M. Andreasen, Jon P. Beckmann, P. Brandon Holton, Terry A. Messmer, Neil H. Carter

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Artificial nightlight is increasingly recognized as an important environmental disturbance that influences the habitats and fitness of numerous species. However, its effects on wide‐ranging vertebrates and their interactions remain unclear. Light pollution has the potential to amplify land‐use change, and as such, answering the question of how this sensory stimulant affects behavior and habitat use of species valued for their ecological roles and economic impacts is critical for conservation and land‐use planning. Here, we combined satellite‐derived estimates of light pollution, with GPS‐data from cougars Puma concolor (n = 56), mule deer Odocoileus hemionus (n = 263) and locations of cougar‐killed …

Description Of A New Species Of Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) From The Sierra Azul, Oaxaca, Mexico, A New Synonymy, And Notes On Chrysina Species Found In The Sierra Azul, José Monzón Sierra, Julian Federico Blackaller-Bages, David C. Hawks

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Chrysina Kirby, C. clavellina Monzón, Blackaller, and Hawks (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) is described from Santiago Clavellinas in the Sierra Azul in Oaxaca, Mexico. Chrysina cosijoezai (Ramírez-Ponce and Curoe) is placed as a junior synonym of C. lacordairei (Boucard), and notes on the Chrysina fauna of this mountain range are included.

Se describe una nueva especie de Chrysina Kirby, C. clavellina Monzón, Blackaller, y Hawks (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) de Santiago Clavellinas en la Sierra Azul en Oaxaca, México. Chrysina cosijoezai (Ramírez-Ponce y Curoe) se sitúa como un sinónimo de C. lacordairei (Boucard) y se incluyen notas …

Book Review: Giuseppe T. Cirella’S (Ed.), Sustainable Human-Nature Relations: Environmental Scholarship, Economic Evaluation, Urban Strategies. (Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd., 2020), Editorial Board

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

No abstract provided.

A Brain-Infecting Parasite Impacts Host Metabolism Both During Exposure And After Infection Is Established, Lauren E. Nadler, Erik Bengston, Erika J. Eliason, Cameron Hassibi, Siri H. Helland-Riise, Ida B. Johansen, Garfield T. Kwan, Martin Tresguerres, Andrew V. Turner, Kelly L. Weinersmith, Øyvind Øverli, Ryan F. Hechinger

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Datasets

1. Metabolic costs associated with parasites should not be limited to established infections. Even during initial exposure to questing and attacking parasites, hosts can enact behavioural and physiological responses that could also incur metabolic costs. However, few studies have measured these costs directly. Hence, little is known about metabolic costs arising from parasite exposure.
2. Further, no one has yet measured whether and how previous infection history modulates metabolic responses to parasite exposure.
3. Here, using the California killifish (Fundulus parvipinnis) and its brain-infecting parasite (Euhaplorchis californiensis), we quantified how killifish metabolism, behaviour, and osmoregulatory phenotype changed upon acute …

Two New Species Of Chiromachetes (Scorpiones: Hormuridae) From The Northern Western Ghats, India, Shauri Sulakhe, Shubhankar Deshpande, Nikhil Dandekar, Makarand Ketkar, Gaurang Gowande, Anand Padhye, Deshabhushan Bastawade

Euscorpius

Two new species of Chiromachetes Pocock, 1899 (Hormuridae) are described from the northern Western Ghats of India using an integrated taxonomic approach. Chiromachetes parakrami sp. n. and C. ramdasswamii sp. n. are closely related and differ from each other and C. sahyadriensis by morphological features and raw genetic divergence of 7.9–9.4 %.

Genomic Adaptations To Salinity Resist Gene Flow In The Evolution Of Floridian Watersnakes, Rhett M. Rautsaw, Tristan D. Schramer, Rachel Acuña, Lindsay N. Arick, Mark Dimeo, Kathryn P. Mercier, Michael Schrum, Andrew J. Mason, Mark J. Margres, Jason L. Strickland, Christopher L. Parkinson

Publications and Research

The migration-selection balance often governs the evolution of lineages, and speciation with gene flow is now considered common across the tree of life. Ecological speciation is a process that can facilitate divergence despite gene flow due to strong selective pressures caused by ecological differences; however, the exact traits under selection are often unknown. The transition from freshwater to saltwater habitats provides strong selection targeting traits with osmoregulatory function. Several lineages of North American watersnakes (Nerodia spp.) are known to occur in saltwater habitat and represent a useful system for studying speciation by providing an opportunity to investigate gene flow …

A New Cryptic Species Of Metallic Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) From Western Honduras, José Monzón Sierra, David C. Hawks

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), Chrysina porioni Monzón and Hawks, is described from the Sierra del Merendón west of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. This species is very similar to C. ericsmithi (Monzón and Cano), with which it has long been confused.

Resumen. Se describe una nueva especie de Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae), Chrysina porioni Monzón y Hawks, de la Sierra del Merendón al oeste de San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Esta especies es muy parecida a C. ericsmithi (Monzón y Cano), con la cuál se ha confundido por mucho tiempo.

Period Estimation And Noise In A Neutrally Stable Stochastic Oscillator, Kevin R. Sanft, Ben F. M. Intoy

Spora: A Journal of Biomathematics

The periods of the orbits for the well-mixed cyclic three-species Lotka-Volterra model far away from the fixed point are studied. For finite system sizes, a discrete stochastic approach is employed and periods are found via wavelet analysis. As the system size is increased, a hierarchy of approximations ranging from Poisson noise to Gaussian noise to deterministic models are utilized. Based on the deterministic equations, a mathematical relationship between a conserved quantity of the model and the period of the population oscillations is found. Exploiting this property we then study the deterministic conserved quantity and period noise in finite size systems.

Not Withering On The Evolutionary Vine: Systematic Revision Of The Brown Vine Snake (Reptilia: Squamata: Oxybelis) From Its Northern Distribution, Robert C. Jadin, Christopher Blair, Sarah A. Orlofske, Michael J. Jowers, Gilson A. Rivas, Laurie J. Vitt, Julie M. Ray, Eric N. Smith, John C. Murphy

Publications and Research

The genus Oxybelis currently is composed of four taxa despite numerous studies suggesting and describing multiple taxa within the O. aeneus complex. Here, we utilize a multilocus molecular dataset (i.e. cyt b, ND4, 12S, 16S, cmos, PRLR, 3663 bp) to conduct phylogenetic analyses to assess the evolutionary history of Oxybelis. Our molecular analyses find three major lineages of Oxybelis (i.e. O. aeneus complex, O. brevirostris, O. fulgidus complex) with a sister relationship between O. brevirostris and the O. aeneus complex to the exclusion of the O. fulgidus complex. More specifically, O. aeneus appears to harbor at least …

A Brain-Infecting Parasite Impacts Host Metabolism Both During Exposure And After Infection Is Established, Lauren E. Nadler, Erik Bengston, Erika J. Eliason, Cameron Hassibi, Siri H. Helland-Riise, Ida B. Johansen, Garfield T. Kwan, Martin Tresguerres, Andrew V. Turner, Kelly L. Weinersmith, Øyvind Øverli, Ryan F. Hechinger

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

1. Metabolic costs associated with parasites should not be limited to established infections. Even during initial exposure to questing and attacking parasites, hosts can enact behavioural and physiological responses that could also incur metabolic costs. However, few studies have measured these costs directly. Hence, little is known about metabolic costs arising from parasite exposure.
2. Furthermore, no one has yet measured whether and how previous infection history modulates metabolic responses to parasite exposure.
3. Here, using the California killifish Fundulus parvipinnis and its brain‐infecting parasite Euhaplorchis californiensis, we quantified how killifish metabolism, behaviour and osmoregulatory phenotype changed upon acute exposure to parasite …

Asymmetric Benefits Of A Heterospecific Breeding Association Vary With Habitat, Conspecific Abundance And Breeding Stage, Rose J. Swift, Michael J. Anteau, Erin A. Roche, Mark H. Sherfy, Dustin L. Toy, Megan M. Ring

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Heterospecific breeding associations may benefit individuals by mitigating predation risk but may also create costs if they increase competition for resources or are more easily detectable by predators. Our understanding of the interactions among hetero- and conspecifics is often lacking in mixed species colonies. Here, we test how the presence of hetero- and conspecifics influence nest and chick survival for two listed (under the U.S. Endangered Species Act) migratory species breeding on the Missouri River, USA. We monitored 2507 piping plover Charadrius melodus nests and 3245 chicks as well as 1060 least tern Sternula antillarum nests and 1374 chicks on …

Tools, Techniques And Teamwork: Transferring New Technologies For Wildlife Management, Conservation And Economic Development, John Eisemann, Gail Keirn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Did you ever wonder who invented radio telemetry? Or breakaway snares? What about the bird repellent methyl anthranilate or the livestock protection collar? These and many other tools used in wildlife damage management resulted from creative thinking by biologists, technicians, researchers and managers working to solve complex wildlife issues. Over the past 90 years, these “aha moments” within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program have ranged from developing novel scare devices, traps and vaccines to exploiting an animal’s visual capabilities to stop unwanted behaviors. Once discovered, these unique ideas may lead to practical, feasible and cost-effective wildlife damage …

The Dynamic Trophic Niche Of An Island Bird Of Prey, Ulises Balza, Nicolas A. Lois, Michael J. Polito, Klemens Puetz, Amira Saalom, Andrea Raya Rey

Faculty Publications

Optimal foraging theory predicts an inverse relationship between the availability of preferred prey and niche width in animals. Moreover, when individuals within a population have identical prey preferences and preferred prey is scarce, a nested pattern of trophic niche is expected if opportunistic and selective individuals can be identified. Here, we examined intraspecific variation in the trophic niche of a resident population of striated caracara (Phalcoboenus australis) on Isla de los Estados (Staten Island), Argentina, using pellet and stable isotope analyses. While this raptor specializes on seabird prey, we assessed this population's potential to forage on terrestrial prey, especially invasive …

New Records Document Cystiphora Sonchi (Vallot) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) And Associated Parasitoids (Hymenoptera) In The Continental United States, Louis S. Hesler, Michael W. Gates, Eric A. Beckendorf

Insecta Mundi

A gall midge, Cystiphora sonchi (Vallot, 1827) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is reported for the first time in the continental United States of America from the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The gall midge is an obligate parasite of Sonchus L., including perennial sowthistle, Sonchus arvensis L., a weed that was the impetus for earlier releases of C. sonchi as a biological control in Canada. Patches of S. arvensis were commonly infested with C. sonchi, and often leaves were densely galled. Dissections of galled leaves led to the novel finding of multiple C. sonchi larvae in some individual …

Endophyte-Infected Tall Fescue Affects Rumen Microbiota In Grazing Ewes At Gestation And Lactation, Jianmin Chai, Saleh Alrashedi, Ken Coffey, Joan Burke, Kristina M. Feye, Steven C. Ricke, Si Hong Park, J. Lannett Edwards, Jiangchao Zhao

Animal Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) is a cool-season perennial grass that is widely used as a forage for many livestock species including sheep. An endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) in tall fescue produces ergot alkaloids that enhance plant survival but produce toxicosis in animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the rumen microbiota from gestation and lactation in ewes grazing tall fescue pastures with high (HA) or moderate (MA) levels of endophyte infection, and their relationship with serum parameters. Data were collected at the beginning of the study (d1), the week before initiation of lambing (d51), and at …

Reproductive Compatibility Among Populations And Host‐Associated Lineages Of The Common Bed Bug (Cimex Lectularius L.), Zachary C. Devries, Richard G. Santangelo, Warren Booth, Christopher G. Lawrence, Ondřej Balvín, Tomáš Bartonička, Coby Schal

Entomology Faculty Publications

As populations differentiate across geographic or host‐association barriers, interpopulation fertility is often a measure of the extent of incipient speciation. The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., was recently found to form two host‐associated lineages within Europe: one found with humans (human‐associated, HA) and the other found with bats (bat‐associated, BA). No unequivocal evidence of contemporary gene flow between these lineages has been found; however, it is unclear whether this is due to an inability to produce viable “hybrid” offspring. To address this question and determine the extent of compatibility between host‐associated lineages, we set up mating crosses among populations of …

Instability Of Glucocorticoid Metabolites In Coyote Scats: Implications For Field Sampling, Erika T. Stevenson, Eric M. Gese, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Studying physiologic stress responses can assist in understanding the welfare of animals. One method of measuring the physiologic stress response is evaluating concentrations of glucocorticoid metabolites in feces. Previously, using an adrenocorticotropic hormone challenge, we found fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels were a reliable indicator of physiologic stress response in coyotes (Canis latrans). We determine whether glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations remain stable when collecting feces over a 2-week period, a timeframe commonly used in scat surveys for wild canids. We collected feces from 6 captive coyotes maintained at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Predator …

Many Miles Away: A Cautionary Tale, Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Reporter Kerry Phillips is in for the surprise of her life: her television station has been contacted on a matter so important that 'scarcely anything could be of greater interest,' and she has been asked to follow up on the story. Little does she know just how interesting her job is about to get!

Two New Species Of Corynellus Bates, 1885 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Antonio Santos-Silva, James E. Wappes

Insecta Mundi

Two new species of Corynellus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) are described: C. rebeccae Santos-Silva and Wappes, from Bolivia; and C. elianae Santos-Silva and Wappes, from Panama. A key to species of Corynellus is provided.