Inventory of Utah crayfish with notes on current distribution

Crayfish distribution and composition in Utah are poorly documented. Based upon limited collections, the native Pacifastacus gambelii is widespread and often abundant in the Bear and Weber river drainages and is occasionally represented in smaller tributaries to the Great Salt Lake and to the Raft River. Pacifastacus leniusculus was collected from Utah County and Procambarus clarkii from Tooele County; the origin of these populations is not known. The nonnative crayfish Orconectes virilis is currently abundant in the Virgin, Price, and Duchesne river basins and the Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, Deer Creek, and Starvation reservoirs; it is expanding in Huntington North, Scofield, and Willard reservoirs. Further work is required to develop a more complete inventory and monitor the impacts on aquatic ecosystems of expanding nonnative crayfish populations. Surreptitious stockings can be dealt with only if the public is made aware of the adverse consequences of ill-conceived introductions.     

Distribution of Entocytheridae (Crustacea: Ostracoda) in the northern prairies of North America and reports of opportunistic clitellate annelids on crayfish hosts

Northern crayfish, Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870), were collected from 89 sites across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. The entocytherid ostracod Thermastrocythere riojai (Hoff, 1943) was found on O. virilis at 45 of the 89 sites, distributed primarily in the eastern and southern portion of the study area. These observations of T. riojai greatly extend the known range of the species. The widespread distribution of T. riojai suggests that the dearth of entocytherid records from other parts of Canada is a result of nontargeted sampling rather than true absence. In addition, we report on observations of 3 noteworthy associations of oligochaetes with their crayfish hosts. Se colectaron especímenes del acocil Orconectes virilis (Hagen, 1870) en 89 sitios a lo largo de Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Montana, North Dakota y Minnesota. Encontramos el ostracódo entocitérido Thermastrocythere riojai (Hoff, 1943) en O. virilis en 45 de los 89 sitios, distribuidos principalmente en la parte sur y la parte este del área de estudio. Estas observaciones de T. riojai amplían considerablemente el área de distribución conocida de esta especie. La distribución extensa de T. riojai sugiere que la escasez de registros de entocitéridos en otras partes de Canadá es el resultado del muestreo inespecífico y no de una ausencia verdadera. Además, reportamos observaciones de 3 asociaciones sobresalientes entre los oligoquetos y los acociles huéspedes.     

Survey of Wyoming crayfishes

Collections of crayfish by Wyoming Game and Fish Department biologists and University of Wyoming staff in 1985-1987 included five species: Pacifastacus gambelii , the only species found in the Snake River and Bear River drainages of western Wyoming; Orconectes neglectus neglectus , collected from one reservoir in the South Platte River drainage in southeastern Wyoming (its first reported occurrence in the state); O. immunis and O. virilis ,widespread east of the Continental Divide and in the Green River drainage of southwestern Wyoming; and Cambarus Diogenes Diogenes , collected from a tributary of the North Platte River in eastern Wyoming.     

Distribution and first reports of Branchiobdellida (Annelida: Clitellata) on crayfish in the prairie provinces of Canada

Orconectes virilis (northern crayfish) were collected from 67 sites in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and far-western Ontario, Canada, and yielded 2 species of branchiobdellidans, Cambarincola vitreus and Cambarincola chirocephalus. This is the first report of branchiobdellidans in the Prairie Provinces. Cambarincola vitreus was distributed across the study area, but C. chirocephalus appeared to be restricted to southeastern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, and the site in western Ontario. Neither branchiobdellidan species was observed on crayfish in the Beaver River or the South Saskatchewan River and associated tributaries upstream (west) of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, despite multiple sampling at these locations.     

Population structure and ecological effects of the crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus in Castle Lake, California

The recent appearance of the ""California crayfish,"" Pacifastacus leniusculus , in Castle Lake, California, and interest in its potential impacts on the lake ecosystem provided motivation for a study of the population structure and habitat use of this species and its effects on aquatic macrophytes. Mark-recapture studies indicated that the total number of adult (3 + yr or older) crayfish in the lake was ca 10,100 individuals, yielding an estimate of lakewide crayfish density in preferred crayfish habitats of 0.13 adults m -2 . Using mean body mass of individuals, we estimated that ambient biomass density was 5.9 g m -2 . Length-weight relationships determined for captured individuals were sex dependent, with males having greater body mass for a given carapace length. Length-frequency and weight-frequency diagrams indicated that P. leniusculus reaches larger sizes in Castle Lake than do populations of P. leniusculus in ultraoligotrophic Lake Tahoe. Population-wide, males were significantly larger in both carapace length and body mass than females. We also examined sex dependence of interhabitat differences in crayfish body size by comparing animals trapped in rocky areas with those from areas with macrophytes and soft sediments. No significant differences in overall body size were found between habitats, but a significant habitat-sex interaction term occurred because the sex-dependent size differences were more pronounced in sediment than in rocky areas. Exclosure and enclosure experiments indicated that crayfish had large but differential impacts on Castle Lake macrophyte species, as the abundance of two of the dominant species ( Chara sp., Potamogeton richardsonii ) declined in the presence of crayfish and, in one case, increased in exclosures. These effects occurred via both consumptive and nonconsumptive mechanisms. These studies indicate that and expanding population of P. leniusculus in Castle Lake may be producing sizable impacts on the littoral zone habitat.     

A revision of the genus Pandalus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Pandalidae)

The genus Pandalus Leach, 1814, is revised based upon the abundant material from collections in various museums or institutions in the world. Altogether 20 species are recognized which appear to form five groups. Nineteen species are recognized in Pandalus, three of which are described as new: P. curvatus from southern Japan, and P. chani and P. formosanus from Taiwan. Four informal species groups are also recognized within the genus: P. montagui group (P. montagui Leach, 1814; P. borealis Krøyer, 1838; P. goniuruStimpson, 1860; P. jordani Rathbun, 1902; P. tridens Rathbun, 1902; and P. eous Makarov, 1935); P. stenolepis group (P. stenolepis Rathbun, 1902; P. curvatus sp. nov.); P. hypsinotus group (P. hypsinotus Brandt, 1851; P. danae Stimpson, 1857; P. prensor Stimpson, 1860; P. gracilis Stimpson, 1860; P. gurneyi Stimpson, 1871; P. nipponensis Yokoya, 1933; P. teraoi Kubo, 1937; P. chani sp. nov.; and P. formosanus sp. nov.); and P. platyceros group (P. platyceros Brandt, 1851; and P. latirostris Rathbun, 1902). The P. platyceros group appears to be most closely related to the genus Pandalopsis Bate, 1888, but Pandalus is retained as a possible paraphyletic group. Protandrous hermaphroditism is known in all but two species of the genus (P. curvatus and P. formosanus), for which only specimens of either male or female have been available. Pandalus propinqvus G. O. Sars, 1870, is transferred to a new monotypic genus Atlantopandalus, because of its lack of hermaphroditism and possession of some unique morphological characters, including one indicating a close relationsip to Dichelopandalus Caullery, 1896. All species are fully described and illustrated. The affinities and important morphological variations of the species are discussed. A key for adults is presented for the identification of the species. Biogeography of the genus is briefly discussed.     

Ranging behaviour of the invasive crayfish,Procambarus clarkii (Girard)

The spreading of the invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii throughout the world is attributed to human introductions; however, the rapid and widespread diffusion of the species following its establishment is the result of its dispersal capabilities. This study aimed to provide further information for the comprehension of the invasive potential of this crayfish by underlining some aspects of its behavioural flexibility. Radio-telemetry was used to analyse locomotion, home-range faithfulness and dispersal of the species in an Italian irrigation ditch system. Space was used differently by the two sexes, females being more nomadic in their ranging behaviour probably due to their reproductive phase. In addition, an inter-individual variability was found in both speed of locomotion and dispersal pattern. By applying a simulation model, it was shown that (1) both sexes disperse, and (2) ranging behaviour is not the result of a passive dispersion, but that the occupancy of burrows may affect the rate of dispersion. Finally, an intra-individual variability is related to the occurrence of two spatial strategies within the same population.     

Studies on the biology and ecology of the northern scorpion, Paruroctonus boreus (Girard)

An investigation to elucidate some facets of the biology and ecology of Paruroctonus boreus (Girard), in southeast Idaho, was conducted from 21 March to 13 October 1972. Three hundred and eighty - five observations were made on 202 scorpions captured in covered pitfalls and by ultraviolet light. The greatest activity occurred at 2130 hours. Surface activity was not observed when ambient temperature was below 10 C, and, as ambient temperature increased, an increase in surface activity was noted. Male scorpions frequently moved as much as 30 m between observations, while females seldom moved more than five m. Sex ratios varied considerably depending on time of year and method of sampling. Of 142 scoipions observed by blacklight, 92 were males, and 50 were females (1.84 males/female). Limited data suggest a mean litter size of 34 ± 11.     

Estimating the young evolutionary age of marbled crayfish from museum samples

ABSTRACT

The obligately parthenogenetic, all-female marbled crayfish, Procambarus virginalis, is a triploid descendant of the similarly looking, sexually reproducing slough crayfish, Procambarus fallax, native to Florida and southern Georgia. We have earlier hypothesised that marbled crayfish may have originated from P. fallax only some 25 years ago, perhaps in captivity. In order to investigate the young evolutionary age hypothesis in more detail, I searched the P. fallax collection of the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History (USNM, Washington, D.C.) for evidence of marbled crayfish before its detection in the German aquarium trade in 1995. In particular, I analysed the sex ratio of P. fallax and the frequency of pure female samples throughout its entire distribution range to detect potentially misidentified marbled crayfish among the P. fallax. If marbled crayfish had originated from P. fallax long ago, spread throughout Florida and Georgia and erroneously been sampled as P. fallax, then the sex ratio of the P. fallax in the collection should be significantly biased towards females and pure female samples should be much more frequent than in related Procambarus species. Comparison of P. fallax (n = 2299) with its closest relatives P. seminolae (n = 801) and P. leonensis (n = 150) revealed female proportions of 55.33%, 53.93% and 54.67%, respectively, which are not significantly different from each other. The average female proportion of the 14 Procambarus species investigated (8641 specimens) was 52.54 ± 7.54% (mean ± standard deviation). Moreover, pure female samples consisting of more than 3 specimens that could represent hidden marbled crayfish were not conspicuously more common in P. fallax (2.33%) than in all Procambarus species investigated (1.24 ± 1.79%). These data suggest that the P. fallax collection of the USNM consists of real, sexually reproducing P. fallax and does most likely not include hidden marbled crayfish, supporting the young evolutionary age hypothesis for marbled crayfish.     

List of Idaho Scolytidae (Coleoptera) and notes on new records

Reported are 105 species of Scolytidae (Coleoptera) from Idaho. About one-third of these are rarely collected, of which 22 species are known from a single locality each. Twelve species reported from Idaho for the first time are: Carphoborus carri Swaine, C. sansoni Swaine, Phloeosinus hoferi Blackman, Conophthorus monophyllae Hopkins, Dryocoetes betulae Hopkins, Ips confuses (LeConte), Pityophthorus absonus Blackman, P. aquilus Blackman , P. blandus Blackman, P. deletus LeConte, P. sculptor Blackman, and Xyleborinus saxeseni (Ratzeburg). Significant extensions of the known distributions in Idaho are reported for seven other scolytids; Alniphagus aspericollis (LeConte), Dendroctonus murrayanae Hopkins, Phloeotribus lecontei Schedl, Procryphalus mucronatus (LeConte), Trypophloeus populi Hopkins, Xyleborus dispar (Fabricius), and X. intrusus Blandford. Xyleborus dispar especially needs study in anticipation that it may become increasingly important in Idaho fruit trees and other woody plants including ornamentals and shade trees.     

Two new Geoplaninae species (Platyhelminthes: Continenticola) from Southern Brazil based on an integrative taxonomic approach

The genera Cratera Carbayo et al., 2013 and Obama Carbayo et al., 2013, belonging to the subfamily Geoplaninae, were recently proposed to encompass some of the species that belonged to the genus Geoplana Stimpson, 1857. Herein we describe two new species of Geoplaninae, occurring in areas of ombrophilous forest which belong to the southern portion of the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. The species are sympatric in their type-locality. In general, both new species herein described match the diagnostic characteristics of their genera. However, some of these features are noteworthy when characters of the new species are taken into consideration, especially the pattern of the sensory pits and the morphology of the prostatic vesicle. Both species are differentiated from their congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics, corroborated by phylogenetic analyses of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference, as well as the Automatic Barcode Gap tool.     

Larger ectoparasites of the Idaho ground squirrel ( Spermophilus brunneus )

We sampled both subspecies of the Idaho ground squirrel ( Spermophilus brunneus ) to document the larger ectoparasites of this rare endemic. S. b. brunneus was host (+ = new host record, ? = new Idaho record) to 4 flea species ( Neopsylla inopina + , Oropsylla idahoensis + , O. tuberculata , and Thrassis pandorae +), 1 tick ( Ixodes sculptus +), and an eyeworm (Nematoda: Rhabditis orbitalis ? + , also 1st records from Seiuridae); S. b. endemicus was host to a louse species ( Neohaematopinus laeviusculus +), 5 flea taxa ( Rhadinopsylla sp. + , O. t. tuberculata, Thrassis f. francisi + , T. f. barnest + , and T. f. rockwoodi ), and a mite ( Androlaelaps fahrenholzi +). Spermophilus brunneus had fewer known ectoparasite species than other congeners. Although all of their parasites had many other hosts, S. b. endemicus and S. b. brunneus shared only a single parasite species in common, whereas all but one of their ectoparasites also occurred on the closely related Townsend's ground squirrel ( S. townsendii ). The proportion of parasitized individuals and the parasite loads per individual were significantly lower in S. b. brunneus , which lives in small, isolated populations, than in S. b. endemicus , which has larger, less fragmented populations, suggesting a relationship between host population structure, parasite loads, and parasite species diversity. All but one of the flea species have been linked to plague transmission.     

Variation in Lewsia kelloggii (Portulacaceae) with description of a new species endemic to Idaho

Lewisia kelloggii has been understood as a rare plant with a disjunct range in California and Idaho. Examination of herbarium specimens and analysis of isozymes in 6 Idaho and 7 California populations revealed consistent differences between plants of the 2 states. Fixed differences in alleles at 2 loci (AAT2 and PGI1) distinguished Idaho from California plants. Genetic identities based on isozymes between Idaho and California populations averaged 0.58, lower than the average for congeneric plant species. Idaho plants were smaller than most California plants, but California plants were variable. The most consistent morphological difference between Idaho and California specimens was the difference in the number of glands on the margins of bracts and sepals. Idaho plants had 0 (-5) pink glands on each margin of these organs, all on teeth near the tips. In California plants these organs had 12-25 glands on each margin, the distal ones elevated on teeth and the proximal ones sessile. We recognize the Idaho plants as a new species, L. sacajaweana , and retain the name L. kelloggii for the California populations.     

Distribution and ecology of freshwater Ostracoda (Crustacea) collected from springs of Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon: a preliminary study

Fourteen freshwater ostracod species collected from 24 springs in Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon between 1991 and 1994 were classified. Their ecology, based on major water parameters (i.e., temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity), and biogeographical distribution in North America were studied. Among these 14 species, 9 ( Ilyocypris bradyi , I. gibba , Darwinula stevensoni , Candona candida , Heterocypris incongruens , Herpetocypris reptans , H. chevreuxi , Prionocypris canadensis , P. longiforma ) are new records for Nevadas ostracod fauna, while 3 ( H. reptans , P. canadensis , and Cypria turneri ) are new species for Oregon. H. reptans , P. canadensis , and Heterocypris salina are also recorded as new for the ostracod literature of Idaho. Scottia pseudobrowniana , collected from Nevada, is a new ostracod species for the United States. The occurrence of 5 Holarctic species in the northern Great Basin area may suggest a possible historical relationship with the European ostracod fauna.     

A new status for Penstemon cyananthus Hook. ssp. subglaber Pennell (Scrophulariaceae)

Penstemon cyanathus Hook. ssp. subglaber Pennell, a plant found frequently in northwestern Utah, southeastern Idaho, and southeastern Wyoming, is elevated to species status. A new name, Penstemon holmgrenii Clark is proposed because P. subglaber is preoccupied.     

Nesting and summer habitat use by translocated Sage Grouse ( Centrocercus Urophasianus ) in central Idaho

We translocated 196 Sage Grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus into Sawtooth Valley, Idaho, during March-April 1986-87 to augment a small resident population. Forty-four grouse equipped with radio transmitters were monitored through spring and summer. Nest sites ( n = 6) had greater ( P = .032) horizontal cover than did independent random plots ( n = 7). During summer, grouse used sites ( n = 50) with taller live and dead shrub heights, greater shrub canopy cover, and more ground litter ( P n = 50) 50-300 m from use sites. Distance to edge and mountain sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata vaseyana ) density best separated use sites from independent random plots in logistic regression analysis and correctly classified 64% of the use sites and 78% of the independent random plots. Sage Grouse used sties that had narrower frequency distributions for many variables than did independent plots ( P < .04), suggesting selection for uniform habitat.     

Foraminiferan (Protozoa) epizoites on the anthuridean (Crustacea,Isopoda) Calathura brachiata (Stimpson)

Foraminiferan epizoites were studied on the isopod Calathura brachiata (Stimpson). Most individuals found belonged to the genus Cibicides. The foraminiferans were either rare or quite frequent on Calathura brachiata, indicating patchy occurrence of living foraminiferans. They were most frequent on the anterior part of the body (head, first pereonites) and the first two pairs of legs (pereopods). This pattern, which is unusual among foraminiferan epizoites on isopods, is explained by habitat selection of the foraminiferans and the behaviour of the isopod, which presumably rests between feeding with the anterior part of the body held in an upward position, allowing foraminiferans to settle on mouthparts and on the legs (first two pereopods) used in grasping prey. The size range of the foraminiferans indicates that settling of foraminiferans from the water column is more important for the development of foraminiferan epibiosis on Calathura than migration of individuals from the bottom and this may be the general pattern for most isopod species.     

Trypanoplasma atraria sp. n. (Kinetoplastida: Bodonidae) in fishes from the Sevier River drainage, Utah

A total of 181 fishes belonging to 10 species were captured near Richfield, Utah, and examined for parasites. A new species of hemoflagellate, Trypanoplasma atraria sp. n., was observed in 3 species: Utah chub ( Gila atraria [Girard]), redside shiner ( Richardsonius balteatus [Richardson]), and speckled dace ( Rhinichthys osculus [Girard]). Seven other species of fishes examined in the study area were negative for T. atraria sp. n. The salmonid leech, Piscicola salmositica (Meyer), collected in the same area harbored developmental stages of Trypanoplasma , suggesting a possible leech vector for the hemoflagellate. Characteristics of Trypanoplasma atraria sp. n. place it near T. salmositica , but the new species is twice as large.     

Utah Chub ( Gila atraria ) from the latest Pleistocene Gilbert Shoreline, West of Corrine, Utah

A bulk sampling of gastropods collected near Great Salt Lake, Utah, Revealed several fish bones of Gila atraria (Girard). The early date of this find, coupled with the relationship of the Gilbert lake transgression and successive regression of approximately 11,000 years B.P., reveals a death assemblage induced by a series of saline inundations into the freshwater paludal environment.