Helminth parasites of seven anuran species from northwestern Mexico

One hundred eighty-three specimens representing 7 anuran species were examined for helminth parasites: Bufo kelloggi, B. mazatlanensis, Leptodactylus melanonotus, Pachymedusa dacnicolor, Rana forreri, R. magnaocularis, Smilisca baudini . The following species were found: 8 species of Trematoda, Cephalogonimus americanus, Clinostomum attenuatum (larva), Glypthelmins poncedeleoni, G. quieta, Gorgoderina attenuata, Haematoloechus complexus, H. longiplexus , and Megalodiscus temperatus ; 2 species of Cestoda, Cylindrotaenia americana and Nematotaenia dispar ; 13 species of Nematoda, Aplectana incerta, A. itzocanensis, Cosmocerca podicipinus, Cosmocercella haberi, Cosmocercoides variabilis, Foleyellides striatus, Oswaldocruzia pipiens, Rhabdias americanus, R. ranae, Subulascaris falcaustriformis, Physaloptera sp. (larva), Physocephalus sp. (larva), and Spiroxys sp. (larva); and 1 species of Acanthocephala (cystacanth). Helminth species richness was 6.4 ± 2.4 s. Thirty-five new host records are reported.     

Autumn and winter food habits of bobcats in Washington state

The stomach contents were examined from 324 western Washington bobcats ( Felis rufus ) and 123 from eastern Washington taken by hunters from 1976 through 1980, for major prey items as well as sex- and age-related differences in diet. Western Washington bobcats ate primarily mountain beavers ( Aplodontia rufa ) (42% occurrence) and snowshoe hares ( Lepus americanus ) (26%). Within that population females ate larger quantities of smaller prey such as douglas squirrels ( Tamiasciurus douglasi ) and lesser amounts of deer ( Odocoileus sp.) than males. Bobcat diets in eastern Washington were more diverse; main foods consisted of lagomorphs ( Sylvilagus nuttallii, Lepus sp.) (20%), red squirrels ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) (15%), deer (11%), and voles ( Microtus sp.) (11%). Age-related differences were most prevalent in this population, with adults consuming larger quantities of deer and larger prey than did kittens.     

Are bufonid toads specialized ant-feeders? A case test from the Argentinian flooding pampa

Several causes have been considered to explain the specialized ant-feeder habits of the bufonids. We analysed the diet and availability of prey items for sympatric Bufo arenarum, Bufo dorbignyi and Odontophrynus americanus living in a grassland of the flooding pampa, Argentina. Frogs and insects were captured once a month with pitfall traps during the 2-year sampling. The frogs were measured and the stomach content was analysed. Odontophrynus americanus ingests Lepidoptera larvae, Coleoptera, Diptera and Homoptera; while both Bufo species not only feed on ants, but also prefer them. Whereas the two Bufo species show high niche overlap, the niche overlapping between both Bufo and Odontophrynus americanus was low. There are significant differences among body size of both Odontophrynus americanus and Bufo arenarum when compared with B. dorbignyi ; while there are no differences in body size of O. americanus and B. arenarum. Gape is larger in Odontophrynus americanus than in Bufo dorbignyi and B. arenarum, but it is similar in the two Bufo species. The mean prey size is larger for Odontophrynus americanus, followed by Bufo arenarum and B. dorbignyi. These results would confirm that the bufonids have ant-feeder habits, perhaps due to their small edentate gape that would constitute a morphological constraint that could explain their mirmecophagic habits.     

Helminths of the southwestern toad, Bufo Microscaphus , Woodhouse's toad, Bufo woodhousii (Bufonidae), and their hybrids from central Arizona

The gastrointestinal tracts, lungs and urinary bladders from 77 Bufo microscaphus , 61 Bufo woodhousii , and 8 of their hybrids were examined for helminthes. One species of trematode ( Glypthelmins quieta ), 1 species of cestode ( Distoichometra bufonis ), and 5 species of nematodes ( Aplectana incerta, A. itzocanensis, Rhabdias americanus, Physaloptera sp., and Physocephalus sp.) were found. The greatest prevalence (41%) and mean intensity (231.7) were recorded for Aplectana incerta in Bufo woodhousii . It appears hybrids harbor fewer parasites than either parent species.     

New records of Scolytidae from Washington state

Eighteen species of Scolytidae are reported from Washington state for the first time or raised from obscurity: Scierus annectens LeConte, Hylesinus californicus (Swaine), Phloeotribus lecontei Schedl, Carphoborus vandykei Bruck, Polygraphus rufipennis (Kirby), Crypturgus borealis Swaine, Pityogenes knechteli Swaine, Ips mexicanus (Hopkins), Ips perturbatus (Eichhoff), Ips plastographus plastographus (LeConte), Ips woodi Thatcher, Trypodendron betulae Swaine, Trypophloeus striatulus (Mannerheim), Procryphalus mucronatus (LeConte), Procryphalus utahensis Hopkins, Pseudopityophthorus pubipennis (LeConte), Pityophthorus alpinensis G. Hopping, and Pityophthorus grandis Blackman. Host tree and collection data are given for these species. A total of 105 scolytid species known from Washington are listed.     

Maternal defensive behavior of mountain goats against predation by golden eagles

Maternal defensive behavior against predators may appear risky but is common in many species. Herein we describe maternal defensive behavior of mountain goats ( Oreamnos americanus ) against Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) predatory attempts. We found that Golden Eagles attacked goats in 1.9% of sightings ( n = 311 sightings of active Golden Eagles over 12 years) but were never successful. Mothers always defended their young against Golden Eagle attacks. Predation by Golden Eagles on young-of-the-year appears low for most ungulate species, including mountain goats. The benefits of defending offspring against eagles are likely high in ungulates, and we would therefore expect selection to favor maternal defensive behavior.     

Stoneflies (Plecoptera) of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Mount Rainier National Park, with an area of 95,356 ha, is approximately one-third as large as the state of Rhode Island. The lowest point is 490 m in elevation in the southeastern corner near where the Ohanapecosh River crosses the southern boundary. Columbia Crest is the highest point at 4392 m. The entire park is a rugged landscape marked by the major topographical feature, Mount Rainier, comprising over 25,899 ha, almost one-third of the park. The park lies entirely west of the crest line of the Cascade Range. Most streams in the park originate on Mount Rainier; however, several large rivers meander through the park near its boundaries. One of the first attempts to summarize the stoneflies of Washington, including Mount Rainier National Park, was Hoppe's 1938 work that reported ca 8 species. Jewett (1959) reviewed the stoneflies of the Pacific Northwest and listed 7 species that had type localities in the park: Megaleuctra kincaidi Frison, Doddsia occidentalis (Banks), Soliperla fenderi ( Jewett), Frisonia picticeps (Hanson), Isoperla rainiera Jewett, Megarcys irregularis (Banks), and M. subtruncata (Hanson). Subsequently, Kathroperla takhoma Stark and Surdick (1987) was described from the park. Samples of adult stoneflies from 1994 to 2001 indicate the presence of at least 82 species, with 64% of these typical Pacific Northwest species, and 30 species, or 36%, widespread western North American species. Seventeen new Washington state records are listed, including a substantial range extension for Lednia tumana (Ricker). One undescribed species in the Sweltsa borealis complex was also discovered. We also present illustrations of male terminalia for Despaxia augusta (Banks) and Moselia infuscata (Claassen) to aid in the identification of these species.     

Potential use of Great Salt Lake water for lobster culture

Three experiments were conducted to determine if water from the Great Salt Lake altered in chemical composition and dilution can be used successfully to sustain a species of hermit crab Pagarus sp. and the American Lobster ( Homarus americanus ). Great Salt Lake water altered by freshwater dilution will not sustain the hermit crab or the American lobster. Great Salt Lake water can be altered chemically by dilution to support growth of the American lobster. American lobsters maintained in Instant Ocean synthetic sea water (control) grow at a more rapid rate than animals sustained in altered Great Salt Lake water. A plastic primer coat used for plastic tank repair appears to be a moult inhibitor for the American lobster. Lobsters afflicted by the primer coat are not able to reverse the damage by continued moults.     

Scorpions are a food item of American black bears in Sonora, Mexico

The remains of the scorpion Diplocentrus peloncillensis Francke were found in 7 scats of black bears ( Ursus americanus ) collected in the Sierra de San Luis, Sonora, Mexico. The collection data and previously reported black bear population estimates for the study area suggested that, although scorpions are not a large part of black bear diets in Sonora, feeding on scorpions is not restricted to a single individual or family unit and is apparently a relatively common behavior in the population. Also, the discovery of D. peloncillensis in Sonora represents a new country record.     

Diatom flora of Beaver Dam Creek, Washington County, Utah, USA

The diatom flora of Beaver Dam Creek, Washington County, Utah, was studied. The study area is in a warm Mojave Desert environment at an elevation between 810 and 850 m. A total of 99 taxa were identified from composite samples taken in the fall, winter, spring, and summer seasons. These taxa are all broadly distributed and no endemic species were encountered. Three new records for the state of Utah were identified: Gomphoneis eriense Skv. & Mayer, Navicula elginensis var. lata. (M. Perag.) Patr., and Nitzschia calida Grun. The most important taxa throughout the study as determined by multiplying percent presence by average relative density (Important Species Index) were Cymbella affinis Kütz., Epithemia sorex Kütz., Navicula veneta Kütz., Nitzschia palea (Kütz.) W. Sm., and Nitzschia microcephala Grun.     

Biogeographic and conservation implications of late Quaternary pygmy rabbits ( Brachylagus idahoensis ) in eastern Washington

Five implications of a biogeographic model of pygmy rabbits ( Brachylagus idahoensis ) in eastern Washington proposed in 1991 are confirmed by 11 new late-Quaternary records. Pygmy rabbits from eastern Oregon colonized eastern Washington during the late Pleistocene and occupied their largest range during the middle and late Holocene. Disjunction of the eastern Washington population from that in eastern Oregon occurred during at least the late Holocene. Nineteenth-century cattle grazing and 20th-century agricultural practices reduced habitat preferred by pygmy rabbits. Conservation of the small remaining population of pygmy rabbits will necessitate altered land use practices.     

The montane bee fauna of north central Washington, USA, with floral associations

The mountains of north central Washington contain a variety of habitat types, from shrubsteppe to high alpine meadows. While native bee surveys of some surrounding areas like the Columbia Basin are fairly complete, little work has been done in the mountains of north central Washington to document the diversity of bees found therein. We conducted a survey of native bees in the Tonasket Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest during summer 2004. Collections yielded a diverse bee fauna (140 species in 24 genera) visiting diverse floral elements (57 plant species in 18 families). These preliminary data suggest that a rich bee fauna exists in the Okanogan Basin and surrounding mountains.     

Demographic and environmental relations of two rare Astragalus species endemic to Washington County, Utah: Astragalus holmgreniorum and A. ampullarioides

Two endemic locoweeds of Washington County, Utah, Astragalus holmgreniorum and A. ampullarioides , were recently listed as federally endangered plant species (Federal Register 2001). They both occur in few, small populations surrounded by increasing human activity in the St. George, Utah, area. Demographic and habitat studies have been ongoing since 1992 and results of those studies are presented here. Astragalus holmgreniorum (Holmgren locoweed) is presently limited to 1 larger population and 2 smaller, isolated populations on the eastern and western edges of its range. It is a short-lived perennial that grows primarily on the Virgin limestone member of the Moenkopi Formation. Density of A. holmgreniorum over the 10-year study averaged about 2 plants per m 2 . The number of living plants of this species perhaps never exceeds 10,000. In drought years A. holmgreniorum populations are as much as 95% smaller than in years with adequate water, and few plants produce flowers that successfully contribute to the seed bank. Astragalus ampullarioides (Shivwits locoweed) occurs in 4 populations where plant density fluctuated between 0.5 and 4.8 per m 2 during our study period (average = 2.6). This locoweed is restricted to clay soils of the Chinle Formation. Direct threats to both Astragalus species include widespread urbanization, road construction, population fragmentation, and off-highway vehicle use. Indirect threats include competition from aggressive, introduced annual species such as Bromus rubens, B. tectorum, Malcolmia africana , and Erodium cicutarium . Our data show that 3 of 4 species most closely associated with these Astragalus species are introduced. Studies of seed banks and reproduction biology, as well as continued monitoring of these Astragalus species, are critically needed. Studies of the consequences of competition from alien and native species on seedling establishment of these locoweeds are especially needed.     

Resource overlap between mountain goats and bighorn sheep

Mountain goat ( Oreamnos americanus ) and bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) ranges overlap substantially in northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. Resource overlap in food and habitat parameters is assumed, but the degree of overlap has not been estimated. Data from published separate and comparative studies on food and habitat use were used to calculate indices of resource overlap for goats and sheep. Indices of overlap for general forage classes (grasses, forbs, browse) were > 0.90 in summer and winter for data based on pooled data from separate studies and in summer for data for comparative studies. In winter for comparative studies this overlap was 0.64. For studies where forage species were identified, estimates of resource overlap from separate studies were ～ 0.8 but were < 0.5 for comparative studies. Indices of overlap for habitat variables were also low (< 0.7) for comparative studies. It was concluded that possible overlap in food and habitat use by goats and sheep could be extensive; but in sympatric populations resource overlap may be reduced substantially.     

Co-occupancy of a den by a pair of Great Basin black bears

An adult male and an adult female black bear ( Ursus americanus ) were found in the same den in the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada in Nevada. Co-occupancy of dens is very rare, and such behavior has never been previously reported for adult bears of opposite sex.     

Predator-specific mortality of pronghorn on Yellowstone’s northern range

Yellowstone National Park supports a small population ( Antilocapra americana ). Some individuals migrate during summer to areas characterized by reduced visibility, mixed habitat types, and a diverse predator community. Across areas selected by migratory and nonmigratory pronghorn, we documented cause-specific mortality of adults and fawns and assessed relative risk of predation by various predators. Coyotes ( Canis latrans ) accounted for 56% of adult predation and up to 79% of fawn predation. Cougars ( Puma concolor ) and wolves ( Canis lupus ) accounted for additional predation of adults, while cougars, black bears ( Ursus americanus ), and Golden Eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ) were documented killing fawns on rare occasions. Our results suggest that even when pronghorn are in the presence of multiple predator species, coyote predation on adults and fawns may predominate for populations inhabiting shrubsteppe habitat. However, the risk of predation by sympatric predators, particularly cougars, may be high for female pronghorn selecting mixed cover types during migration or for birthing purposes. While the direct effect of wolves on overall mortality was low, wolves may indirectly influence survival rates of adult females and fawns by altering the behavior and space use of sympatric predators, particularly coyotes.     

Notes on American Sitona (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), with three new species

Historical notes extracted from a taxonomic revision of American representatives of Sitona Germar are presented. Described as new to science are Sitona alpinensis (Utah to Northwest Territories), bryanti (Arizona), and oregonensis (Oregon to Washington).     

Some Pycnogonida from the Eastern (Hasa) District of Saudi Arabia

Seven pycnogonid species are described from the Arabian (Persian) Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia in its Eastern (Hasa) District. Two new species, Ascorhynchus dietheus and Nymphon enteonum, are fully described, illustrated and compared with similar congeners. Distributions and remarks are given for all seven species. A key is given for the 22 species in one of four discrete groups of the genus Ascorhynchus, including the new species. This group has longitarsal distal leg segments and scapes of one segment only. A parasitic juvenile Ascorhynchus species is described and illustrated, but left unnamed for lack of a presumed adult specimen. It is compared with the few other known parasitic specimens in this genus.     

Taxonomy and variation of the Lopidea nigridia complex of western North America (Heteroptera: Miridae, Orthotylinae)

External morphological variation in the Lopidea nigridia "complex" of western North America was examined using principal component analysis and showed continuous variation among populations in most characters. External morphology did not parallel paramere structure and did not substantiate previously recognized species. There was little correlation between dorsal coloration and paramere structure. Cluster analysis (UPGMA) using paramere and color characters failed to group populations coded as the same species and also failed to group all specimens of any one population. The variation in structure of the parameres and vesicae among populations of the nigridia complex was no greater than the interpopulational variation of these structures structures in the congeneric species marginata Uhler. Lopidea nigridia Uhler is treated as a polytypic species comprising three subspecies: Lopidea nigridia nigridia Uhler, a fuscous-white form from the sagebrush steppe of the Great Basin and the chaparral of southern California; Lopidea nigridia serica Knight, a solid red form from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains from Alberta to Colorado and east across the Northern Great Plains to southern Manitoba; Lopidea nigridia aculeata Van Duzee, a polymorphic form varying from solid red to fuscous red and white from the Cascade Mountains and eastern slopes of the coastal ranges of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, the Blue and Wallawa mountains of Oregon and Washington, and throughout the Coastal and Sierra Nevada ranges of California. The following new synonymies are created: Lopidea nigridia Uhler -- Lopidea raineri Knight, Lopidea scullent Knight, Lopidea rolfsi Knight, and Lopidea wilcoxi Knight; Lopidea nigridia aculeata Van Duzee -- Lopidea nigridia hirta Van Duzee, Lopidea usingeri Van Duzee, Lopidea discreta Van Duzee, Lopidea fallax Knight, Lopidea Yakima Knight, Lopidea audeni Knight, Lopidea eriogoni Knight, Lopidea calcaria Knight, Lopidea chamberlini Knight, Lopidea angustata Knight, Lopidea rubrofusca Knight, and Lopidea flavicostata Knight and Schaffner; Lopidea nigridia serica Knight -- Lopidea medleri Akingbohungbe.