A new species of Frasera (Gentianaceae) from Uinta Basin, Utah

Frasera ackermanae, sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected from the Brush Creek drainage, Uinta Basin in Uintah County, Utah. The short stem, compact inflorescence, and longer calyx lobes separate this species from the similar Frasera pahutensis Reveal.     

Mimulus evanescens (Scrophulariaceae): a new annual species from the northern Great Basin

Recent taxonomic studies in Mimulus support the recognition of Mimulus evanescens , a new autogamous species morphologically allied with M. breviflorus and M. latidens . Initially known only from herbarium specimens, the most recent from 1958, M. evanescens was relocated in the field in 1990 in northern Lassen Co., CA. A second population was found in southern Lake Co., OR, in 1993. Mimulus evanescens is apparently confined to the Great Basin and its periphery, where it has been recorded from 10 localities across Idaho, Oregon, and California. Based on collection information and visits to the two extant populations, the new species appears to be restricted to vernally moist sites and fluctuating banks of intermittent streams or pools. Long-term utilization of such sites by livestock may have contributed to the present-day rarity of M. evanescens . The species should be added to federal and state lists of candidate endangered species pending the results of future field studies and surveys.     

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.     

A new species of Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae) from the Uinta Basin, Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Described as a new species is Penstemon flowersii Neese & Welsh from Utah. An illustration is provided. The species is named in honor of the late Seville Flowers, professor of botany at the University of Utah.       

A new species of Penstemon (Scrophulariaceae) from the Uinta Basin of Utah and Colorado

Named as a new species is Penstemon albifluvis J. L. England. The species is known from the Uinta Basin of Utah and Colorado.     

A new genus of viviparous gyrodactylid (Monogenea) from the Great Barrier Reef,Australia with descriptions of seven new species

Acanthoplacatus gen. nov., a new genus of viviparous gyrodactylid, is described from the fins and skin of siganid fishes from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The genus is characterized by a muscular, tube-like haptor with 16 marginal hooks on the posterior margin. The ventral lobe of the haptor is located anteriorly relative to the dorsal lobe and contains a pair of hamuli and a ventral bar with posteriorly-projecting ventral bar membrane. A dorsal bar is absent. Five pairs of posterior gland cells surround the posterior terminations of the gut. The male copulatory organ is a muscular, non-eversible bulb with several spines around the distal opening. Species of Acanthoplacatus have a bilateral excretory system consisting of six pairs of flame cells and a pair of excretory bladders. Seven new species are described: Acanthoplacatus adlardi sp. nov. and A. amplihamus sp. nov. from Siganus punctatus (Forster, 1801), A. brauni sp. nov. from S. corallinus (Valenciennes, 1835), A. parvihamus sp. nov. from S. vulpinus (Schlegel and Mueller, 1845), A. puelli sp. nov. from S. puellus Schlegel, 1852, A. shieldsi sp. nov. from S. lineatus (Valenciennes, 1835) and A. sigani sp. nov. from S. fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782). Species can be discriminated by shape and size of the hamuli, marginal hooks and ventral bar and by male copulatory organ sclerite morphology. Three species (A. brauni sp. nov., A. shieldsi sp. nov. and A. sigani sp. nov.) were assessed for seasonal variation of sclerite size. Ten of thirteen morphological characters showed seasonal variation in size for at least one of the species. The characters were longer in winter except dorsal root tissue cap width. Only one character, marginal hook length, showed significant seasonal variation for all three species. Species of Acanthoplacatus were observed to attach using only the marginal hooks and the role of hamuli in attachment is unclear. The dorsal fin of the host is the preferred site for most species but the anal fin, caudal fin and body surfaces are preferred by some species. Prevalences for species range from 57 to 100%.     

Seed production in Gentiana newberryi (Gentianaceae)

Experimental manipulations and observations in one population of Gentiana newberryi Gray flowers over 2 years showed significant variation in seed production relative to pollinator and soil water availability. When pollinators were rare, there was a significant relationship between number of bees present and number of mature seeds produced, and supplemental hand cross-pollination (xenogamy) did improve seed set in Gentiana newberryi Gray. When pollinators were abundant, supplemental hand cross-pollination did not increase seed set. Self-fertilized seeds (autogamy) germinated at the same rate as cross-pollinated seeds. Seed production in unvisited flowers is probably limited anatomically and is not influenced by the type of fertilization. There was a significant relationship between soil moisture and flower size in G. newberryi , with larger flowers found in wetter areas.     

Feeding by the Great Basin spadefoot toad ( Spea intermontana ) (Anura: Pelobatidae)

The present study analyzed the stomach contents of 65 Great Basin spadefoot toads, Spea intermontana (Cope), collected in an area of irrigation runoff in south central Washington State. Toads were collected by pitfall trapping. Traps were maintained for 1 year beginning in April 2002. Toads consumed at least 56 different arthropod taxa belonging to the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera, Trichoptera, Collembola, and Araneae. Ants and darkling beetles were among the most common prey. Feeding appeared to be very generalized with the toads accepting almost anything they could capture and subdue.     

New variety of Stephanomeria tenuifolia (Compositae) from Utah

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Named as new is Stephanomeria tenuifolia (Torr.) Hall var. uintaensis Goodrich & Welsh.     

New variety of Mentzelia pumila (Loasaceae) from Utah

Named is Mentzelia pumila (Nutt.) T. &: G. var. lagarosa Thorne var. nov. from Utah.     

New variety of Yucca harrimaniae (Agavaceae) from Utah

Yucca harrimaniae var. sterilis Neese & Welsh is named and described from the Uinta Basin of Utah. The plant is strongly rhizomatous, evidently sterile, and has limber, sparingly filiferous leaves that tend to recline on the ground.         

A new genus and species of Haplozetidae (Arachnida: Acari) from Great Britain with a key to the European genera

A new genus of mite, Pseudoprotoribates of the family Haplozetidae (Oribatida), is described and its systematic position discussed. The type species P. luxtoni was found in Great Britain, new to science and described herein. A key to the European genera of Haplozetidae is provided.     

Two new species of Leicacandona Karanovic (Ostracoda,Candoninae) from the Great Sandy Desert,Australia

Two new species, Leicacandona pinkajartinyi sp. nov. and L. jula sp. nov., are described from the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia. Both species have reduced posterior claws on the caudal ramus, but differ in carapace shape and the length of setae and number of segments on the second and third thoracopods. A cladistic tree based on 27 morphological characters and a tree based on geographic latitudes and longitudes of the localities where Leicacandona species have been collected so far were constructed. These two cladograms do not correspond completely, although some similarities exist. The results obtained here agree with those obtained for some other subterranean animals in Australia, and they are understood as independent colonizations of subterranean waters by a couple of widespread surface water species.     

Shrew and heteromyid records from the Great Basin of Oregon and Utah

Oregon records from Harney County establish a minimum altitudinal occurrence for the water shrew ( Sorex palustris ), identify an isolated population of the montane shrew ( Sorex monticola obscures ), and provide an additional specimen of Merriam's shrew ( Sorex merriami ). Utah records extending the ranges in the southeastern part of the Bonneville Basin for the little pocket mouse ( Perognathus longimembris ), long-tailed pocket mouse ( Perognathus formosus ), and dark kangaroo mouse ( Microdipodops megacephalus ) are also given.     

A new pulvinate Eriogonum (Polygonaceae) from Utah

A new species of pulvinate wild buckwheat, Eriogonum soredium (Polygonaceae, Eriogonoideae) is described from near-barren limestone slopes in the Grampian Hill area near Frisco, Beaver County, Utah. The new species is outwardly similar to E. shockleyi S. Wats, but may be readily distinguished by its glabrous (not pubescent) flowers and fruits, generally smaller leaves, more numerous involucres per head, turbinate (not campanulate) involucres with 5, rarely 4 (not 5 to 10) teeth, and the smaller flowers.     

Biogeographic and taxonomic relationships among the mountain snails (Gastropoda: Oreohelicidae) of the central Great Basin

Described here are 4 species of mountain snails, Oreohelix , isolated on mountains in the central Great Basin of Nevada and Utah since the end of the Pleistocene. Forty-three mountains were searched during an 18-year period, resulting in 24 mountains found with no oreohelicids present. One population, Oreohelix loisae (19 mm to 23 mm in shell diameter), is described here as a new species related to, but geographically isolated from, the species Oreohelix nevadensis (17 mm to 22 mm diameter). Oreohelix loisae is present only in the Goshute Mountains while O. nevadensis is represented in 3 geographically adjacent ranges in the central Great Basin. These 2 species are possibly related to the Oreohelix haydeni group from the northern Wasatch Range. The subspecies Oreohelix strigosa depressa (15 mm to 21 mm diameter) is present on 11 ranges from western Utah west to east central Nevada. This subspecies is closely related to populations found today in the northern Wasatch Mountains of Utah. The smallest species in diameter (8 mm to 14 mm), Oreohelix hemphilli , is centered in the central Great Basin and found on 16 ranges often in sympatry with 1 or 2 of the larger conspecifics. Both qualitative and quantitative information on shell characters and soft anatomy is provided here for these 4 species. Shell characters, soft anatomy, geographical isolation, and statistical analysis suggest that 4 distinct species inhabit the central Great Basin today. Xeric and calciphilic species include O. hemphilli and O. loisae , while O. strigosa and O. nevadensis typically are associated with permanent water and both metamorphic and limestone mountains.     

A new combination and a new variety in Artemisia tridentata

The combination Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. spiciformis (Osterhout) Goodrich & McArthur comb. nov. is made. This high elevation taxon was originally described at the species level and more recently has generally been treated as a form of A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana . The subspecies designation is supported by its parallel nature to the other A. tridentata  subspecies and by its relatively widespread and locally abundant populations. Also, a new variety of A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana is proposed.