Distribution of the milliped genus Narceus Rafinesque, 1820 (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae): occurrences in New England and west of the Mississippi River; a summary of peripheral localities; and first records from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota

The milliped genus Narceus Rafinesque, 1820 (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae) occupies parts or all of 2 Canadian provinces, Québec and Ontario; every U.S. state east of the Mississippi River; and 9 states to the west including Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Records are detailed for the "western" states and New England and include the first from Minnesota, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maine; occurrence is projected for southeastern Minnesota and the Delmarva Peninsula. The genus presently comprises 2 valid species that are endemic to Florida— N. gordanus (Chamberlin, 1943) and N. woodruffi Causey, 1959—and 2 of uncertain status that occur throughout the generic range and are referenced as the " N. americanus/annularis complex"; geographic evidence suggests greater diversity, particularly in the south, and a 2nd generic revision is in order to update the existing one by Keeton (1960). Records cluster within a large, semicontinuous area whose northern, southern, and western range extremes, respectively, are Saint-Nicolas, Lévis Census Division, Québec; Key West, Monroe County, Florida, and northeastern Duval County and Rockport, Aransas County, Texas; and Garner State Park, Uvalde County, Texas. The eastern limit is the Atlantic Ocean, and records are available from Cape Cod and Tuckernuck Island, Massachusetts; Long Island, New York; Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; and James Island, South Carolina. The projected western boundary, based on peripheral localities, angles southwestward from Omaha, Nebraska, to Uvalde County; and the northern boundary passes through central Iowa and Wisconsin (encompassing the Door Peninsula) and the southern periphery of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The lone Minnesota locality, from Lyon County in the southwest, lies substantially north of the projected border in Iowa and well west of the expected area of occurrence in southeastern Minnesota. The northernmost record west of the Mississippi River, it may represent an allopatric population that extends westward into eastern South Dakota.     

Distribution of the milliped genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921; summaries of peripheral localities and ones of A. virginiensis (Drury, 1770) west of the Mississippi River (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)

The milliped genus Apheloria occupies a broad area in Québec and Ontario, Canada, and the United States east of the Central Plains, lying generally north of the Gulf Coastal states. It is reported for the 1st time from New Jersey, District of Columbia, Illinois, and Kansas; and the 1st localities are recorded for Massachusetts, Connecticut, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Wisconsin. The projected distribution encompasses all or parts of the District of Columbia and 27 states, including Vermont and Delaware, where the genus has not been taken; New Hampshire and Mississippi lie outside the range. Chesapeake Bay and the Connecticut River form apparent eastern boundaries in Maryland–Virginia and New England, respectively; the Tennessee River does likewise on the south in northern Alabama. Aside from Arkansas, comparatively few records exist from the 6 projected states of occurrence west of the Mississippi River. Only 1 each is available from Iowa and Kansas, and there are no definite localities in Nebraska, where occurrence is postulated at Omaha, the type locality of Fontaria luminosa Kenyon, 1893. Confirmation with fresh material is necessary, but this name seems referrable to Apheloria and may be senior to either A. virginiensis iowa or A. v. reducta , both by Chamberlin, 1939, if 2 distinct races occur west of the Mississippi River.     

The stoneflies (Plecoptera) of Louisiana

A list of species, illustrated keys to nymphs and adults, distribution, and biological notes are presented for 24 stonefly species occurring in Louisiana. Leuctra moha?, Pteronarcys dorsata, Helopicus subvarians, Paragnetina kansensis, Paragnetina immarginata, Phasganophora capitata, and Acroneuria evoluta are recorded only from the florida parishes east of the Mississippi River. Isoperla Coushatta, Isoperla mohri, Neoperla clymene, an undescribed Neoperla (Sp. A), Paragnetina fumosa, Acroneuria abnormis, Acroneuria arenosa, Perlinella drymo, and Perlesta placida are found both east and west of the Mississippi; and Allocapnia granulata, Allocapnia malverna, Amphinemoura nigritta, and three species of Taeniopteryx have been recorded only west of the Mississippi. Habitats are primarily sand-bottomed streams of pine-hardwood rolling hills, constituting a portion of the western Gulf Coastal Plain. Few stoneflies occur in streams of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, the Alluvial Atchafalaya Basin, or the lowlands along the Red River.     

Distribution of the milliped Virgoiulus minutus (Brandt, 1841): first records from Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas (Julida: Blaniulidae)

Virgoiulus minutus (Brandt 1841) (Julida: Blaniulidae), the only indigenous representative of the family in the New World, occurs, or can be expected, in parts or all of 24 states east of the Central Plains plus the District of Columbia; it is documented for the 1st time from Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The northern-, southern-, and westernmost localities are in Berrien County, Michigan; Putnam County, Florida; and Angelina/Rusk Counties, Texas, respectively. New England, Utah, Wyoming, Canada, and Mexico are deleted from the range, and specific localities are reported to augment previous generalized citations; those from Mexico represent misidentifications of Nopoiulus kochii (Gervais, 1847), an introduced European species that is recorded from Mexico City, Distrito Federal. Records of V. minutus from Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri are the 1st definite localities from these states; a sample from ""Anechar,"" believed to be a misspelling of ""Arrochar,"" a neighborhood in Staten Island, is considered the 1st definite record from New York. The published statement of occurrence in Delaware in general is the only known record of an indigenous diplopod from this state.     

Spring and winter records of the eastern pipistrelle ( Perimyotis subflavus ) in southeastern New Mexico

Eastern pipistrelles ( Perimyotis subflavus ) were first documented from South Dakota, western Texas, and New Mexico during recent years, suggesting that the distribution of this species is expanding westward across central parts of North America. In New Mexico, only 2 records of P. subflavus previously were known—one from summer and one from autumn. Here we report on 3 new records of P. subflavus from southeastern New Mexico, including the first 2 records from winter and the first record from spring. One individual in winter was observed hibernating in a cave in Chaves County. Our records and previous ones from autumn and summer suggest that this species is resident throughout the year in New Mexico.     

Bat distribution and hibernacula use in west central Nevada

We captured 299 individuals of 11 bat species in mist-nets at 18 water sources in west central Nevada from June through August 1994. Myotis ciliolubrum, Pipistrellus hesperus, M. californicus , and Corynorhinus townsendii were the most common species captured. These species are apparently broadly distributed throughout west central Nevada, occurring in a variety of habitat types. We captured Euderma maculatum at 2 localities. These represent the 1st known records of this species in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Mine adits were surveyed for hibernating bats from December 1994 through February 1995. We determined the presence of 3 hibernating species: C. townsendii, M. ciliolabrum and P. hesperus . Bats were present in 19 of 70 mines (27%) we surveyed at elevations ranging from 1500 m to 2460 m. C. townsendii was the most common species encountered. Our study provides some much-needed baseline data on bat distribution and use of mines for hibernacula in west central Nevada.     

Distribution of the milliped Tylobolus utahensis Chamberlin, with remarks on T. fredericksoni (Causey) (Spirobolida: Spirobolidae)

Tylobolus utahensis Chamberlin, the only representative of the genus occurring in the southwestern deserts, ranges from central Inyo County, California, to the western periphery of Kane County, Utah. This distribution roughly corresponds to the northern limit of the Mojave Desert ecosystem and is also shown by the millipede Piedolus utus Chamberlin. (Spirobolida: Atopetholidae) and the centipede Theatops posticus (Say) (Scolopendromorpha: Cryptopidae). Tylobolus fredericksoni Causey, ostensibly from Douglas County, Kansas, is designated "" nomen dubium "" and disregarded pending collection of fresh material; Narceus gordanus (Chamberlin) is deleted from South Carolina and Tennessee. Tyobolus uncigerus (Wood) occurs north of the Columbia River in Klickitat County, Washington, and Hiltonius thebanus Chamberlin is referable to Onychelus Cook in the family Atopetholidae.     

A description of Siphonophora portoricensis Brandt (Diplopoda: Siphonophorida: Siphonophoridae), with a Catalogue of Ordinal Representatives in the New World

Data on geographical distribution are provided for S. portoricensis Brandt, the type species of Siphonophora Brandt and the oldest species-group name in the genus, family, and Order; it appears to occur throughout Puerto Rico. It is characterized by fusion of the distal three podomeres of the anterior gonopods, which are sublinear in shorter, less mature males and bend caudad for varying lengths in longer individuals. In the New World, the Siphonophorida is represented by both families, the Siphonorhinidae by one genus and one species, Illacme plenipes Cook and Loomis, from San Benito County, California, and the Siphonophoridae by 10 genera, six monotypic, 66 extant nominal species, and one subspecies; two fossil species of Siphonophora have been proposed along with an unnamed fossil form of Siphonocybe Pocock. The following new combinations are officially recorded: Columbianum gracilicornis (Carl), Columbiozonium pearsei (Chamberlin), Cordillerium fuhrmanni (Carl), Yucatanium sabachana (Chamberlin), and Guatemalium barberi (Chamberlin). The Siphonophoridae ranges from southern California, northcentral Arizona, and central Texas to the Andes of central Peru and São Paulo state, Brazil. It also occurs on 10 islands in the Greater and Lesser Antilles, being newly recorded from Martinique, but apparently does not cross the Straits of Florida and is unknown from Florida, the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.     

Late-seasonal activity and diet of the evening bat ( Nycticeius humeralis ) in Nebraska

In North America, Nebraska represents part of the northwestern edge of the distribution for the evening bat ( Nycticeius humeralis ). To date, little information on this bat's natural history has been published from the state or from other parts of the Great Plains. Here we report on aspects of its natural history in Nebraska from 2 localities. In late summer and early autumn of 2006, we documented individuals farther west in Nebraska (Harlan County) than previously reported and determined that individuals fed mainly on Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. In 2006, evening bats appeared to migrate from Nebraska during late September–early October, and individuals were extremely fat, about 15 g, prior to migration. Evening bats likely are more widespread and common in south central Nebraska than previously documented. On 6 October 2005, we reported on an individual from eastern Nebraska (Douglas County), which represents the latest seasonal record of N. humeralis from the state.     

Distribution of the Shoshone scuplin ( Cottus greenei: Cottidae) in the Hagerman Valley of south central Idaho

Cottus greenei, a potentially threatened species endemic to Idaho, was collected from 49 localities in 25 springs/streams in south central Idaho. Most localities were along the north bank of the Snake River in waters of the Thousand Springs formation, Gooding County. One population was found in a spring in the main Snake River. Another sculpin, Cottus bairdi, was collected with C. greenei at 23 locations in 16 springs/streams. Confusion concerning the type locality of Cottus greenei is discussed.        

Reproductive activity and distrubution of bats in Nebraska

New geographic, reproductive, and seasonal records are presented for 11 of 13 bats inhabiting Nebraska. New geographic records are presented for 10 species, most notably Myotis lucifugus (120 miles west of nearest known record), M. septentrionalis (42 miles west of nearest record), Nycticeius humeralis (72 miles west of nearest record), and Pipistrellus subflavus (258 miles northwest of nearest record). New reproductive localities are recorded for 9 species, particularly the 1st records of breeding by Pipistrellus subflavus in Nebraska (Cherry and Dixon Counties) and the 2nd record of breeding by Lasionycteris noctivagans in Nebraska (Lancaster County). New records of timing of lactation and appearance of flying-young are reported for 7 species, and new records of seasonal activity are reported for 3 species. Lastly, captures of adult males of Lasiurus borealis and L. cinereus in summer are reported from sites across the state; summer populations of these species previously were thought to consist entirely or primarily of adult females and young in some regions. Records presented here are the result of geographic range expansion of several species and of fieldwork conducted in previously unsampled areas.     

New distribution records for the Querétero dusky rattlesnake Crotalus aquilus (Viperidae), with comments on morphology and habitat use

We provide the 1st documented accounts of the Mexican endemic rattlesnake Crotalus aquilus from the state of México. The new records extend the known distribution of the species into a region where it may be sympatric with the superficially similar C. triseriatus . Because these taxa have previously been subject to some taxonomic confusion, we performed a preliminary morphological comparison using individuals of both species obtained from proximal localities. Our analyses support the supposition that these taxa are morphologically distinct. The new localities for C. aquilus are situated in high valleys that have been extensively modified by human settlement and agriculture.     

Three new records for diatoms from the Great Basin, USA

Three diatom species recently collected from Great Basin localities represent new records of these taxa from this region of western North America. Cocconeis scutellum   Ehr. and Melosira dubia   Kuetz. were collected from a thermal spring in Tooele County, Utah. Nitzschia hustedtiana   Salah was collected from newly flooded marshes at the south end of the Great Salt Lake, Tooele Countv, Utah.     

Bats along the Republican River and its tributaries in southwestern Nebraska: distribution, abundance, and reproduction

Thirteen species of bats occur in Nebraska, but limited information is available on those inhabiting southwestern parts of the state. We investigated the distribution, abundance, and reproductive activity of bats in 5 counties in extreme southwestern Nebraska (Chase, Hays, Dundy, Hitchcock, and Red Willow). From April 2007 to April 2008, we deployed mist nets on 15 occasions at 8 localities over the Republican River and its tributaries. We captured 100 individuals representing 5 species, including the evening bat ( Nycticeius humeralis ), eastern red bat ( Lasiurus borealis ), hoary bat ( Lasiurus cinereus ), big brown bat ( Eptesicus fuscus ), and silver-haired bat ( Lasionycteris noctivagans ). All species raised young in this region of Nebraska, except L. noctivagans , which was documented only during migration. Lactating females of N. humeralis captured on 15 June and volant young captured on 23 June extend known dates of reproductive activity for this species in the state, and an adult female captured on 30 April represents the earliest seasonal record of this species from Nebraska. Our records of evening bats also extend the known distribution of this species farther west in Nebraska than previously reported. Changes in land use throughout the Great Plains during the last century have altered many habitats, such as gallery forests associated with rivers, and distributions of mammals, including bats, have shifted to reflect those ecological changes.     

The centipede genus Arthrorhabdus Pocock, 1891, in the Western Hemisphere: potential occurrence of A. pygmaeus (Pocock, 1895) in Belize (Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae: Scolopendrinae)

The scolopendrid centipede genus Arthrorhabdus Pocock, 1891, comprises 6 species: A. formosus Pocock, 1891, the type species, occurring in southern Africa (Mpumalanga, Free State, Western and Northern Cape Provinces, South Africa, and southern Namibia); A. somalus Manfredi, 1933, in Somalia and Yemen; A. jonesii Verhoeff, 1938, from southern India (Kerala Province); A. mjobergi Kraepelin, 1916, and A. paucispinus Koch, 1984, in Australia (Western and South Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland); and A. pygmaeus (Pocock, 1895), in the south central and southwestern United States, Mexico, and, potentially, Belize. This sporadic occurrence suggests that the genus is polyphyletic, and the monotypic synonym, Arthrorhabdinus Verhoeff, 1907, is available for pygmaeus , which is not referrable to another established genus. Arthrorhabdus spinifer (Kraepelin, 1903), known only from Belém, Pará State, Brazil, is transferred to Rhoda Meinert, 1886, thereby constituting a new combination. Sixteen new localities are reported for A. pygmaeus , 14 in Mexico and 2 in the U.S.; a specimen from Belize, intercepted in quarantine in Miami, suggests occurrence in this country. The 2 U.S. sites, in Cameron County, Texas, and Pima County, Arizona, extend the generic and specific ranges around 400 miles (640 km) to the southeast and west, respectively. In Mexico, A. pygmaeus ranges southward through the mainland, possibly excluding the Yucatan Peninsula, and also inhabits the southern half of Baja California Sur (BCS). Its apparent absence from the rest of the Baja peninsula suggests that the BCS populations may result from rafting across the Gulf of California from Sinaloa, where the species occurs.     

A re-examination of 11 species of Otostigmus from the Indo-Australian region described by R. V. Chamberlin based on type specimens in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology,Harvard (Chilopoda; Scolopendromorpha; Scolopendridae)

As a contribution to a revision of the scolopendromorph centipede subgenus Otostigmus of the genus Otostigmus, the type specimens of 11 species described by R. V. Chamberlin from the Indo-Australian region and in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard have been redescribed. Of these 11, six are junior synonyms of other Otostigmus species, one is a junior synonym of Rhysida longipes longipes (Newport, 1845) and one a nomen dubium. Only three, namely, Otostigmus amballae Chamberlin, 1913, Otostigmus proponens Chamberlin, 1920 and Otostigmus pamuanus Chamberlin, 1920 are valid.     

Diagnoses,synonymies and occurrences of the pantropical millipeds,Leptogoniulus sorornus (Butler) and Trigoniulus corallinus (Gervais) (Spirobolida: Pachybolidae: Trigoniulinae)

The trigoniuline millipeds, Leptogoniulus sorornus (Butler) and Trigoniulus corallinus (Gervais), the latter apparently native to southeast Asia, have been introduced into Africa, Central and South America, and tropical islands throughout the world. Literature records are summarized, new localities are presented, and diagnostic statements and anatomical illustrations are provided. Full synonymies are presented, and the following new ones are proposed: under L. sorornus— Spirobolus suturalis Porat, S. sanctae-luciae Bollman, S. coquereli Saussure and Zehntner, Trigoniulus ambonensis Attems, T. acolastus Silvestri, Glosselus musarum Cook, and nine names authored by R. V. Chamberlin— Cairibolus antonianus, T. frater, T. garmani, T. remotus and T. philippinus, Spirostrophus socius and S. javanus, Litobolus hanevavus, and Trucobolus townesi; under T. corallinus— Iulus sumatrensis Gervais, Spirobolus sanguineus Koch, S. goësi Porat, S. cinctipes Butler, S. rugosus Voges, six names by Karsch— S. detornatus, S. punctiplenus, S. signifer, S. decoratus, S. phranus and S. punctidives—S. dominicae Pocock, S. surinamensis Bollman, S. dorsopunctatus Saussure and Zehntner, Trigoniulus sanguineus Tomosvary, T. tahitianus and T. amnestus, both by Chamberlin, and T. (Marshallbolus) takakuwai Verhoeff.     

Hispid pocket mouse ( Chaetodipus hispidus ) in east-central and northeastern Nebraska

The hispid pocket mouse ( Chaetodipus hispidus ) occurs throughout the Great Plains, mainly west of the Missouri River. In Nebraska, this species likely occurs throughout the state, but records of occurrence were lacking for east-central and northeastern counties. During a survey in 2008 for the plains pocket mouse ( Perognathus flavescens ) in eastern Nebraska, we documented C. hispidus in 10 new counties, including a modest range expansion into northeastern Nebraska. Many individuals were captured on moderately compact soils consisting of silt, but some also were captured on sandy and other friable soils. Most individuals were captured in areas containing some exposed ground, but this may reflect our trap placement for P. flavescens. Individuals from northeastern and east-central Nebraska best resembled C. h. spilotus from southeastern Nebraska, with black coloration suffused on the dorsum, head, and dorsal side of the tail; however, our individuals generally lacked the characteristic bright ochraceous coloration along lateral lines and on the dorsum. Limited evidence supports a recent expansion in distribution within the region.     

Discovery of the milliped Scytonotus granulatus (Say, 1821) in Oklahoma and Alabama, with a review of its distribution (Polydesmida: Polydesmidae)

Scytonotus granulatus (Say, 1821) (Polydesmida: Polydesmidae), the most widely ranging polydesmid species in North America and the 4th most widely distributed indigenous continental milliped, is recorded from LeFlore and Latimer Counties, Oklahoma, and Jackson County, Alabama, the 1st records from these states. It also occurs in Logan and Independence Counties, Arkansas. The Latimer County record corresponds approximately to the terminus of the eastern forested biome and extends the distributions of the species and the genus some 255 miles (408 km) westward; along with literature records from Shawnee County, Kansas, and Cass County, Nebraska, it constitutes the western range limits. The projected overall distribution extends around 1100 miles (1760 km) east-west and 985 miles (1576 km) north-south and encompasses parts of Ontario, Québec, and 19 states, including all of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. New localities are detailed as are those from Missouri and that from Dare County, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.     

Fleas (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae, Ctenophthalmidae) from rodents in five southwestern states

Nine species of fleas were collected incidental to a survey of rodents for molecular studies in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, south of latitude 38° N. Three species were parasites of woodrats, Neotoma spp.: Orchopeas neotomae Augustson was confirmed for Texas, and the distribution patterns of O. agilis (Rothschild) and O. schisintus (Jordan) were more clearly defined. Four species were parasites of mice, Peromyscus spp.: Aetheca wagneri (Baker) was a new flea for P. gratus Merriam, the distribution of O. leucopus (Baker) was extended to far west Texas, Plusaetis sibynus (Jordan) was new for Utah and N. lepida , and the range of Stenoponia americana (Baker) was extended west of the Continental Divide in New Mexico. Other species included Foxella ignota (Baker) and Meringis dipodomys Kohls.