Status of Thamnophis sirtalis in Chihuahua, Mexico (Reptilia: Colubridae)

This is a study of the populations of Thamnophis sirtalis that occur in Chihuahua, Mexico, and the adjoining U.S. state of New Mexico. Reference is made to previous studies dealing with geographical and systematic relationships. Additional data are provided for the New Mexico subspecies ( dorsalis ), and the relationship of T. s. parietalis to the New Mexico population is discussed. The Chihuahua population is described as a new subspecies.     

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.     

New Mexico grass types and a selected bibliography of New Mexico grass taxonomy

Collection data, bibliographic citations, and curatorial information on 52 names of New Mexico grass types are compiled. A bibliography of taxonomic research pertinent to the study of New Mexico grasses is cross-referenced with genera known to occur in the state.     

New synonymy, new species, and taxonomic notes of North American Pityophthorus (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), Part III

New synonymies and new data affecting North American Pityophthorus are proposed as follows: chalcoensis Hopkins ( = herrerai Hopkins) and nigricans Blandford ( = chiapensi s Bright). Neotypes are designated for the following species described by Eichhoff: concentralis, cribripennis, infans, puchellus, and tuberculatus. New species are: carinatus (Canada), cavatus (Manitoba, Saskatchewan), euterpes (Mexico), hesperius (British Columbia), impexus (Mexico), intentus (Arizona), laticeps (Mexico), malleatus (Arizona), mesembria (Guatemala), montezumae (Mexico), scalptus (British Columbia, Colorado), trepidus (California), and vespertinus (Mexico).     

New distributional records of the red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) in western New Mexico and evidence for its extirpation from the Zuni Mountains

In the American Southwest, the red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) occurs as disjunct populations in coniferous forests on mountaintops. There is a paucity of information concerning the species’ distribution and habitat in western New Mexico. I report new records that document and verify the occurrence of red squirrels in additional montane areas in west central New Mexico, including the Mangas Mountains, Canovas Rim, Turner Mountain, Tularosa Mountains, Elk Mountains, Bearwallow Mountain, and Pinos Altos Mountains. I also report observations of red squirrels from an atypical habitat—low-elevation riparian forests. These new records suggest that the geographic distribution of the species in west central New Mexico is broader than indicated by existing records. However, I also document the apparent extirpation of red squirrels from the Zuni Mountains in northwestern New Mexico. The red squirrel is one of several avian and mammalian species associated with mixed coniferous forests that have become extirpated in this mountain range.     

New synonymy and new species of American bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), part XI

The following new generic synonymy is proposed: Coptodryas Hopkins (= Microperus Wood), Cyrtogenius Strohmeyer (= Carpophloeus Schedl, Taphroborus Nunberg), Glostatus Schedl (= Ctonocryphus Schedl, Rhopalocryphus Nunberg), Hylurgops LeConte (= Hylescerites Schedl), Hypothenemus Westwood (= Ernophloeus Nunberg), Monarthrum Kirsch (= Eupteroxylon Eggers), Terminalinus Hopkins (= Kelantanius Nunberg), Xylechinus Chapuis (= Pruniphagus Murayama), Xylocleptes Ferrari (= Hylonius Nunberg). New combinations include: Pityophthorus anticus Schedl is transferred to Araptus; Hylesinus machilus Schedl is transferred to Phloeosinus; Phloeophthorus acaciae Lea is transferred to Phloeotribus; Blastophagus squamosus Schedl is transferred to Polygraphus; Chramesus semibrunneus Eggers is transferred to Pseudochramesus; Dacryophthorus capensis Schedl is transferred to Xylechinus; Pseudochramesus imperialis Schedl is transferred to Xylechinus ; and Hoplitontus abyssinicus Schedl is transferred to Xylocleptes . New specific synonymy includes: Hypothenemus sundaensis (Eggers) (= Ernophloeus costalimai Nunberg). A note on the South American Hylesinus antipodius Schedl is included. New names are proposed as follows: Hylesinopsis kenyae for africanus (Schedl 1963) (from Alniphagus ) and Hylesinopsis ugandae for africanus (Schedl 1965) (from Hylesinus ). Species described as new to science include: Ambrosiodmus ferns (Mexico), Ambrosiodomus paucus (Costa Rica), Carphoborus bicornis (USA), Chaetophloeus pouteriae (Mexico), Cnemonyx euphorbiae (Mexico), Corthylus convexifrons (Venezuela), Corthylus senticosus (Mexico), Corthylus sentosus (Mexico), Cryptocarenus pubescens (Brazil), Cryptocarenus spatulatus (Mexico), Dendrocranulus mexicanus (Mexico), Hylesinus caseariae (Mexico), Pityophthorus levis (USA), and Trischidias exigua (Mexico).     

Mourning dove numbers on different seral communities in the Chihuahuan Desert

Mourning Doves are the most commonly hunted game bird in New Mexico based on hunter harvest data collected by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Research is limited on the influence of rangeland ecological condition on Mourning Dove ( Zenaida macroura ) populations in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico. Mourning Dove numbers were evaluated periodically (1988-1989) on ranges in late- and mid-seral conditions in south central New Mexico based on the Dyksterhuis quantitative climax procedure. Strip transect procedures were used to estimate Mourning Dove populations. Concurrently, vegetation canopy cover was determined by line intercept. On the basis of percent cover, grasses were the most abundant group on late-seral range while shrubs dominated mid-seral range. Mourning Dove sightings did not differ ( P > 0.05) between late- and mid-seral ranges, nor did they differ ( P > 0.05) among grassland, shrubland, and shrub-grass mosaic communities. Mourning Dove populations showed seasonal differences ( P < 0.05), with numbers highest in summer and fall and lowest in winter and spring. Data from our study indicate that Chihuahuan Desert ranges in either mid- or late-seral stages provide equally suitable habitat for Mourning Doves.     

Records of the yellow-nosed cotton rat ( Sigmodon ochrognathus ) in southwestern New Mexico

The yellow-nosed cotton rat ( Sigmodon ochrognathus ) previously was known only from extreme southwestern New Mexico in the Peloncillo and Animas mountains. Here I document S. ochrognathus at 3 localities from the Big Burro and Mogollon mountains in southwestern New Mexico. My northernmost capture represents an extra-limital record of 160 km north of prior records in southern New Mexico and represents the northernmost occurrence in North America. Lack of intensive mammalian surveys in the region render it difficult to interpret my recent captures, but the most parsimonious explanation is that captures likely represent overlooked populations. I captured S. ochrognathus in grassy areas ungrazed by domestic livestock along the Gila River. Understanding the use of limited grassland habitats along arid rivers by terrestrial vertebrates in the region is important because many of these grasslands have been converted to agricultural lands or are grazed by livestock.     

New grass distribution records for Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

New distribution records are given for seven grass species now found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. &nbsp;     

Mexican cardiochiline genera (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), including a preliminary assessment of species-groups in Toxoneuron Say and Retusigaster Dangerfield,Austin and Whitfield

The Mexican species of the braconid subfamily Cardiochilinae are reviewed. Forty-five species are recognized from Mexico, though many of these remain undescribed. Seven species are described as new and one, Toxoneuron levis (Mao), is redescribed. Species-groups are delineated for the New World species of Toxoneuron Say and Retusigaster Dangerfield, Austin and Whitfield and the genera are re-defined with respect to one another. Two new species are described in both Retusigaster and Toxoneuron. The atypical nature of the two included in Toxoneuron is discussed. Hansonia, Heteropteron and Schoenlandella are newly recorded for Mexico with one new species described for each. The placement of all New World species previously included in Schoenlandella is discussed, and several of these species are returned to Cardiochiles s. s. Distribution patterns of the Mexican species are discussed and an annotated key is presented for the 28 described species recorded from Mexico.     

Studies in Nearctic desert sand dune Orthoptera, Part XVI: A new black Stenopelmatus from the Mescalero Sands

Stenopelmatus mescaleroensis is described from New Mexico as new to science. A key to the Stenopelmatus of the United States is presented with notes on chaetotaxy used for these crickets.     

Spider wasps of Colorado (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae): an annotated checklist

One hundred forty-three species of Pompilidae are recorded from Colorado, slightly more than half the number occurring north of Mexico. Some of these occur principally at higher altitudes or in the northern part of the state; this group includes 5 species of Holarctic distribution. Others (such as the tarantula hawks, Pepsis ) are prevalent across the southern third of the state and range south into New Mexico and often into Mexico. Still others are widely distributed wherever there is friable soil and suitable for nesting. Certain genera are more or less restricted to preying upon certain spider taxa, while others are generalists and a few are cleptoparasites of other Pompilidae.     

Mayfly fauna of New Mexico

An inventory and analysis of the mayfly (Insecta, Ephemeroptera) fauna of New Mexico, based on the published literature and study of extensive materials from diverse collections, indicated the presence of 12 families, 37 genera, and 81 species. Of these, 25 represent new state records: Acentrella turbida, Ameletus falsus, A. sparsatus, Baelis adonis, B. bicaudatus, B. flavistriga, Baetodes deficiens, Caenis latipennis, Callibaetis fluctuans, Cinygmula par, Ephemera simulans, Hexagenia bilineata, Isonychia sicca, Labiobaetis propinquus, Lachlania saskatchewanensis, Leptophlebia bradleyi, Leucrocuta petersi, Neochoroterpes nanita, Paraleptophlebia debilis, P. heteronea, Procloeon conturbatum, Rhithrogena plana, R. robusta, R. vita, and Thraulodes gonzalesi. Baetodes deficiens represents a new USA record. For 37 of the 56 previously reported and confirmed species, 124 new county records are provided. With respect to continental affinities, 34 species are wester, 27 southwestern, 13 widespread, 1 is a southern USA species, and 1 eastern. Of the major drainage systems of the state, the Gila system is the most species rich with 48 species, followed by the Rio Grande (46), Pecos (39), Candadian (28), and San Juan (25). Relationships between drainage systems and between New Mexico and broadly adjoining states are discussed. Lachlania dencyannae , the only endemic species in New Mexico, occurs in the Gila system and is rare and endangered. Certain other species from the Gila system are also noted as being at risk. From other drainages, B. Adonis, Ephemerella mollitia, and L. petersi also are of some concern at the national level. Additional species that are rare in New Mexico and are of concern at least at the state level include Ametropus albrighti, C. fluctuans, Il. bilineata, L. bradleyi, N. nanita, P. conturbatum, and R. hageni .     

New synonymy and new species of American bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), Part IV

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New American bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), with two recently introduced species

Species named as new to science include: Conophthorus michoacanae, C. teocotum, Hylesinus aztecus (Mexico), Phloeocleptus punctatus (Costa Rica), Pseudothysanoes atomus (Venezuela), P. leechi (California), Pityogenes mexicanus, Araptus speciosus, Amphicranus spectus (Mexico), and Xyleborus praestans (Panama). Also reported are the first records of the notorious Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff) from South America (Brazil), and the first American records of Xyleborus fornicatus Eichhoff (Panama) and X. validus Eichhoff (New York and Pennsylvania).     

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.     

Two new species of fleas of the genus Meringis (Siphonaptera: Hystrichopsyllidae)

Two new species of Meringis are described. Meringis disparalis, n. sp., has been most commonly taken from Dipodomys merriami but has also been taken from D. ordii and Onychomys leucogaster. Collection localities include the counties of Dona Ana, Eddy, and Luna in southern New Mexico. Meringis facilis, n. sp., has been taken from D. ordii, several other rodents, and Sylvilagus audubonii. Collection localities include Crowley County, Colorado, and Bernalillo, Chaves, and Valencia counties in New Mexico. A key to the species of ♂ Meringis is given.