Biodiversity Commons^™

Review Of A Field Guide To The Amphibians And Reptiles Of Nebraska. By Daniel D. Fogell., Joseph T. Collins

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

A good field guide to any wildlife group includes an identification key, quality photographs, distribution maps, and a natural history summary. The recently published Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Nebraska does not fail the reader in this regard, having all of these features and more. Dan Fogell effectively presents all 62 species of amphibians, turtles, and reptiles native to Nebraska as well as four additional species of possible occurrence within the state, and all in a useful and compact guide that can be toted easily on a hike or any other field expedition.

This long-overdue updated field …

Review Of Rare: Portraits Of America's Endangered Species. By Joel Sartore., Jim Mason

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

Short of being in the presence of a creature, a really good photograph of one can also make a lasting impression. That is something RARE does compellingly, with exquisite portrait photos of 68 North American species that are dwindling dangerously in numbers or have recently recovered from the brink of extinction. Included are such Great Plains natives as the lesser prairie chicken, the interior least tern, and the black-footed ferret. All creatures were photographed with either a pure white or black background, but unconventional poses surprise the reader with each turn of the page, while creative framing and layout engage …

Extensive Clonal Spread And Extreme Longevity In Saw Palmetto, A Foundation Clonal Plant, Mizuki K. Takahashi, Liana M. Horner, Toshiro Kubota, Nathan A. Keller, Warren G. Abrahamson Ii

Faculty Journal Articles

The lack of effective tools have hampered our ability to assess the size, growth and ages of clonal plants. With Serenoa repens (saw palmetto) as a model, we introduce a novel analytical framework that integrates DNA fingerprinting and mathematical modelling to simulate growth and estimate ages of clonal plants. We also demonstrate the application of such life-history information of clonal plants to provide insight into management plans. Serenoa is an ecologically important foundation species in many Southeastern United States ecosystems; yet, many land managers consider Serenoa a troublesome invasive plant. Accordingly, management plans have been developed to reduce or eliminate …

A Review Of The Subgenus Pandinus Thorell, 1876 With Descriptions Of Two New Species From Uganda And Ethiopia (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Pandinus (Pandinus) ugandaensis sp. n. from Uganda and P. (P.) mazuchi sp. n. from Ethiopia are described and compared with other species of the subgenus. P. ugandaensis sp. n. is characterized by 3-4/3: 3-4/3: 4/3: 4/3 spiniform formula of tarsomere II and only two spines on the inclined anteroventral surface of tarsomere II; eight ventral trichobothria on the chela; 10–11 pectinal teeth in females and 13–14 in males; and 1.6–1.7 length to depth ratio of the fourth metasomal segment. P. (P.) mazuchi sp. n. is characterized by 7/4: 6-7/4: 6-7/5-6: 8/5 spiniform formula of tarsomere II and only …

Redescription Of Centruroides Granosus (Thorell, 1876) And Identity Of Centrurus Granosus Simplex Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Luis F. De Armas, Rolando Teruel, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Centruroides granosus (Thorell, 1876) is redescribed based on several specimens of both sexes from Panama. We demonstrate that the original description of this species was based on an immature (subadult) male, which is herein designated as the lectotype. We conclude that Centrurus granosus simplex Thorell, 1876 is a senior synonym of Centruroides testaceus arubensis (Bakker, 1963), and elevate it to species level: Centruroides simplex (Thorell, 1876), comb. nov.

Buthus Awashensis Sp. N. From Ethiopia (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Buthus awashensis sp. n. from the Awash region of Ethiopia, is described and compared with B. berberensis Pocock, 1900 from Somaliland. The new species is characterized chiefly by the total length of 50–65 mm. B. berberensis reaches only 45–55 mm and differs in coloration, with adults having the chela of pedipalp and chelicerae entirely yellow without dark reticulations, and by mophometric characters, mainly the shape of the chela of pedipalp. Pectinal marginal tips extend the to proximal end of the fourth sternite in males of B. awashensis sp. n. and to proximal end of the fifth sternite in males of …

Hemiscorpius Novaki Sp. N. From Somaliland (Scorpiones: Hemiscorpiidae), František Kovařík, Tomáš Mazuch

Euscorpius

Hemiscorpius novaki sp. n. from Somaliland is described and compared with other African species of the genus. The new species is characterized chiefly by the total length of 40–46 mm; yellow to yellowish-brown color with pedipalp fingers reddish brown to black, darker than the chela; slightly longer metasoma in the male than in the female. These characters distinguish H. novaki sp. n. from H. somalicus Lourenço, 2011. The third African species of the genus, H. tellinii Borelli, 1904, is known only from the female holotype, which differs from females of H. novaki sp. n. in having much less pronounced granulation …

Scorpions In The Modern Cuban Culture: An Introductory Iconography, Luis F. De Armas

Euscorpius

Some graphic examples of the role of scorpions in the present-day culture of Cuba are presented. They include tattoos, jewels, carpets, caps, and drawings by children, among other objects of personal or social usage. Increased use of this arachnid as a cultural element among Cuban people during last 50 years seems to be directly related with globalization, mostly through the TV and movies.

On Fabre’S Traces: An Important Contributor To The Knowledge Of Buthus Occitanus (Amoreux, 1789), Marco Colombo

Euscorpius

Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre (1823–1915) has probably been one of the most important entomologists of the world in the last two centuries, leaving to posterity a huge amount of manuscripts and books. The Languedoc yellow scorpion, Buthus occitanus (Amoreaux, 1789), has been one of his objects of study: many of its behaviours, including the famous “promenade a deux”, have been described by the careful eye of the French entomologist, giving an interesting contribution to modern scorpiology

The First Record Of The Family Euscorpiidae (Arachnida: Scorpiones) From Central China, With A Key Of Chinese Species Of The Genus Scorpiops, Zhi-Yong Di, Ya-Wen He, Zhi-Jian Cao, Ying-Liang Wu, Wen-Xin Li

Euscorpius

The genus Scorpiops (Euscorpiidae) is recorded for the first time in Central China. Two immature specimens of a form belonging to Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex” were collected from Huzhaoshan Mountains in Hubei Province. A discussion of Chinese species of genus Scorpiops is provided, as well as a key of Scorpiops from China.

Scorpions In Ancient Egypt, Hisham K. El-Hennawy

Euscorpius

The ancient Egyptians knew the scorpion and its toxicity, and venerated it since pre-dynastic era. They used the scorpion as a king's name, a name of a nome (county), and a symbol to their goddess, Serqet, that protects the body and the viscera of the dead, and that accompanies them in their journey to the afterlife. They had medical prescriptions and magical spells to heal the stings. Since the 5th dynasty, the title of a “Follower of Serket” was given to clever physicians. Scorpions are most famously depicted on Horus Cippus, a talisman featuring Horus the Child holding in his …

Pectine Development In Scorpion Embryos And First And Second Instars, Roger D. Farley

Euscorpius

The pectines are complex sensory organs that extend from the ventral surface of the anterior opisthosoma (mesosoma) in all extant scorpions and nearly all the fossil scorpions that have been examined. The pectines are synapomorphic for the Order Scorpiones. In this investigation, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the development of the pectines in representatives from five scorpion families. In the more basal families (e.g., Vaejovidae) with apoikogenic development, the pectines start to develop early with enlargement of the limb buds on the third opisthosomal segment. The primordial pectines become elongate lobes attached to the ventro-lateral surface …

The First Record Of Upper Permian And Lower Triassic Scorpions From Russia (Chelicerata: Scorpiones), Victor Fet, Dmitry E. Shcherbakov, Michael E. Soleglad

Euscorpius

Several small fragments of fossil scorpions are reported from two localities in Vologda Province, Russia, representing the Upper Permian (Severodvinian, correlated to Wuchiapingian) (Isady) and Lower Triassic just above the Permian-Triassic boundary (Induan) (Nedubrovo). Most observed structures are not diagnostic at genus or family level. The Isady leg fragment possesses ungues (claws), which are both denticulated and setaceous, and resembles a Carboniferous Eobuthus sp. (Eobuthidae). It is the latest record of this type of ungues, which are known in some Paleozoic scorpions (extinct suborder Mesoscorpiones); all extant scorpions have smooth claws without denticulation or setation.

In Situ Infrared Videography Of Sand Scorpion Nighttime Surface Activity, Douglas D. Gaffin

Euscorpius

Sand scorpions make burrows from which they emerge at night to seek mates and prey. Previous ecological studies have documented scorpion activities on the sand surface. Few studies, however, have videotaped scorpion movements in the context of understanding their sensory neurobiology. Our objective is to understand which signals guide scorpions as they emerge from and return to their burrows. Candidate stimuli include chemical trails, footsteps, celestial patterns, geomagnetic cues, humidity and/or temperature gradients, distinctive scents from the burrow, seismic echolocation, memory, or landmark orientation. We videotaped scorpions to learn whether they return to their burrows by the same path they …

Further Considerations On The Species Of The Genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1891 From Africa, With Description Of Three New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Wilson R. Lourenço, Elise-Anne Leguin

Euscorpius

New considerations are proposed regarding the African species of the genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1891. Two species, Orthochirus aristidis (Simon, 1882) and Orthochirus innesi Simon, 1910 have been the subject of several publications in the past decades; however, doubts remain about their exact identity and range of geographical distribution. In this note, their taxonomic status is reinvestigated. The type material is revised and the lectotype and paralectotypes are designated for O. aristidis. Revised diagnoses and illustrations are proposed for both species, and these are confirmed as valid. Three new species are described from Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania. The total number …

Polymorphism And Hybridization In Species Of Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Wilson R. Lourenço, Eric Ythier, Mark Stockmann, John L. Cloudsley-Thompson

Euscorpius

A new and well documented case of hybridization among scorpions is presented. It was obtained under laboratory conditions between Hottentotta jayakari (Pocock) and Hottentotta salei (Vachon) specimens of which had been collected in the northern and southern regions of Oman. Hybrids were successfully produced not only from F₀ males and females, but also from F₁ males and females, thereby attesting to the fact that the first generation obtained (F₁), was completely fertile. Both F₁ and F₂ broods were composed of dark and pale morphs, indicating that the juveniles could inherit either one or …

Redescription Of Tityus Pictus Pocock, 1893 And Tityus Smithii Pocock, 1893, With Notes On The Tityus Species From The Lesser Antilles (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Rolando Teruel

Euscorpius

In the present paper, the taxonomic status of Tityus pictus Pocock, 1893 and all of its junior synonyms is revised. Tityus smithii Pocock, 1893 is restored as a valid species, and the subspecies Tityus smithii microdon Pocock, 1893 (currently T. pictus microdon) is regarded as its junior synonym. Both T. pictus and T. smithii are redescribed, supplementary information on their morphological variability are given, and their geographical distribution is up- dated, including a new locality record for the latter. Also, the taxonomic position and relationships of all Lesser Antillean species of the genus are clarified: it is demonstrated that …

Historical Diversification Of Montane Herpetofauna Within And Between The Sierras Of Mexico, Robert William Bryson Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mexican highlands consist of four major mountain ranges spanning most of mainland Mexico. The evolutionary history of the Mexican highlands has been shaped by various geological and climatic events over the past several million years. The relative impacts of these historical events on diversification in montane taxa, however, remains uncertain. I used mitochondrial DNA data from three widely distributed species complexes of lizards as a model system to exemplify the potential roles of Neogene mountain formation and Quaternary climate change on timing and tempo of diversification across the Mexican highlands. My results suggested strong geographic partitioning of genetic variation …

Phylogeography Of A Vanishing North American Songbird: The Painted Bunting (Passerina Ciris), Connie Ann Herr

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Studies of genetic variation within and between species can provide insights into their evolutionary history as well as important information for conserving biodiversity. An understanding of population processes can assist in the conservation of biodiversity by contrasting current versus historical patterns, and the processes that have generated these patterns. Genetic differentiation often coincides with significant geological or climatic changes that have shaped the sizes and locations of the species geographic range and altered the connectivity between populations over time. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses can also provide a statistical framework for the investigation of how human processes such as habitat …

Survival, Breeding Frequency, And Migratory Orientation In The Jefferson Salamander, Ambystoma Jeffersonianum, Stephen P. De Lisle, Kristine L. Grayson

Biology Faculty Publications

Accurate estimates of demographic parameters, such as survival and breeding frequency, are necessary for the conservation and management of animal populations. Additionally, life-history data are required for gaining an empirical understanding of the ecology of natural populations. We monitored a population of Jefferson Salamanders (Ambystoma jeffersonianum) breeding in a permanent mountain-top pond at the southern limit of this species’ geographic range in Virginia over four years. We used closed multistate mark-recapture models with Pollock's robust design to estimate the demographic parameters of this population. Additionally, we used point-of-capture data to compare the orientation of migrations into and out …