A taxonomic revision of the New World genus Oropodes Casey (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Pselaphinae)

The genus Oropodes is characterized and revised with 18 species being treated. Members of this genus are found in temperate forests to desert brush lands from Oregon to Baja California, but are associated primarily with dry forests and shrub lands of California. Keys to males and females, where known, are provided. Seven species are redescribed: Oropodes arcaps (California), Oropodes dybasi (Oregon), Oropodes ishii (California), Oropodes nuclere (California), Oropodes orbiceps (California), Oropodes rumseyensis (California), Oropodes yollabolly (California). The name Oropodes raffrayi (California) is raised from synonymy and the species is redescribed, NEW STATUS. Ten new species are described: Oropodes aalbui (California), Oropodes bellorum (California), Oropodes casson (California), Oropodes chumash (California), Oropodes esselen (California), Oropodes hardyi (California), Oropodes serrano (California), Oropodes tataviam (California), Oropodes tongva (California), and Oropodes tipai (Baja California, Mexico), NEW SPECIES. These species are placed into three species groups: the arcaps-group, the orbiceps-group, and the raffrayi-group. Data for a new record of Euplecterga fideli are given, and a list of the unassociated Oropodes females with distinctive genitalia is included with their label data.     

Studies on California ants: a review of the genus Temnothorax (Hymenoptera,Formicidae)

The following ten new species of the ant genus Temnothorax are described and illustrated: T. anaphalantus (California, Baja California), T. arboreus (California), T. caguatan (Oregon, California, Baja California), T. morongo (California, Baja California), T. myrmiciformis (California, Baja California), T. nuwuvi (Nevada), T. paiute (California, Nevada), T. pseudandrei (Arizona, California), T. quasimodo (California) and T. wardi (California). A key to workers of the twenty-two Temnothorax species known or expected to occur in California is provided.     

Inhalation Therapy

Joint Accord on the Role of Respiratory (Inhalation) Therapy Personnel in Airway Management and Endotracheal Intubation endorsed by the California Medical Association, the California Hospital Association, the California Society for Respiratory Therapy, the California Society of Anesthesiologists and the California Thoracic Society.     

ORIGIN AND DIVERSIFICATION OF THE CALIFORNIA FLORA: RE‐EXAMINING CLASSIC HYPOTHESES WITH MOLECULAR PHYLOGENIES

The California Floristic Province exhibits one of the richest floras on the planet, with more than 5500 native plant species, approximately 40% of which are endemic. Despite its impressive diversity and the attention it has garnered from ecologists and evolutionary biologists, historical causes of species richness and endemism in California remain poorly understood. Using a phylogenetic analysis of 16 angiosperm clades, each containing California natives in addition to species found only outside California, we show that CA's current biodiversity primarily results from low extinction rates, as opposed to elevated speciation or immigration rates. Speciation rates in California were lowest among Arcto‐Tertiary lineages (i.e., those colonizing California from the north, during the Tertiary), but extinction rates were universally low across California native plants of all historical, geographic origins. In contrast to long‐accepted ideas, we find that California diversification rates were generally unaffected by the onset of the Mediterranean climate. However, the Mediterranean climate coincided with immigration of many desert species, validating one previous hypothesis regarding origins of CA's plant diversity. This study implicates topographic complexity and climatic buffering as key, long‐standing features of CA's landscape favoring plant species persistence and diversification, and highlights California as an important refuge under changing climates.     

The Tenebrionidae of California: A Time Sensitive Snapshot Assessment

Due to a diversity of habitats and its geologic history, the US state of California hosts a spectacular assemblage of darkling beetle species (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). In addition to being part of the California Floristic Province, one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots identified by Conservation International, California also has additional areas which are parts of the Great Basin, Mojave, and Sonoran deserts. California is divided into nine floristic regions. Each region is assessed in terms of faunal composition and endemism. A “snapshot” of our present knowledge of the Tenebrionidae indicates that 447 currently recognized species, representing 108 genera, occur in California of which one hundred and ninety are endemic. California is compared to other nearby regions in diversity and endemism. An analysis of currently valid species vs a more realistic species account based on unpublished records of likely synonyms and known species yet to be described in the scientific literature is presented. The California Floristic Region, rather than other more arid parts of California, has the highest number of total and endemic species. Because of their high diversity and endemism, tenebrionids could potentially provide a valuable tool for monitoring the environment for conservation purposes.     

Limits to the potential distribution of light brown apple moth in Arizona–California based on climate suitability and host plant availability

The highly polyphagous light brown apple moth (LBAM) (Epiphyas postvittana (Walk.): Tortricidae) is indigenous to Australia and was first found in California in 2006. It is currently found in 15 coastal counties in California, but nowhere has it reached outbreak status. The USDA projects the geographic range of LBAM will include much of Arizona and California and the southern half of the US, which together with economic estimates of potential crop losses have been used as the rationale for an eradication program in California. We report a temperature-driven demographic model to predict the likely distribution and relative abundance of LBAM using the detailed biology reported by Danthanarayana and colleagues, and climate data from 151 locations in California and Arizona for the period 1995–2006. The predictions of our model suggest that the near coastal regions of California are most favorable for LBAM, the northern Central Valley of California being less favorable, and the desert regions of Arizona and California being unfavorable. The model also predicts that LBAM populations can develop at two of the hottest locations in SE Australia where it is has long been known to occur. This reassessment of the potential distribution of LBAM in California and Arizona suggests that its likely ecological and economic impacts would be less than previously assessed by USDA and that its current pest status warrants re-evaluation.     

Geographic proximity not a prerequisite for invasion: Hawaii not the source of California invasion by light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana)

Background

The light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), is native to Australia but invaded England, New Zealand, and Hawaii more than 100 years ago. In temperate climates, LBAM can be a major agricultural pest. In 2006 LBAM was discovered in California, instigating eradication efforts and quarantine against Hawaiian agriculture, the assumption being that Hawaii was the source of the California infestation. Genetic relationships among populations in Hawaii, California, and New Zealand are crucial to understanding LBAM invasion dynamics across the Pacific.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We sequenced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 1293 LBAM individuals from California (695), Hawaii (448), New Zealand (147), and Australia (3) to examine haplotype diversity and structure among introduced populations, and evaluate the null hypothesis that invasive populations are from a single panmictic source. However, invasive populations in California and New Zealand harbor deep genetic diversity, whereas Hawaii shows low level, shallow diversity.

Conclusions/Significance

LBAM recently has established itself in California, but was in Hawaii and New Zealand for hundreds of generations, yet California and New Zealand show similar levels of genetic diversity relative to Hawaii. Thus, there is no clear relationship between duration of invasion and genetic structure. Demographic statistics suggest rapid expansion occurring in California and past expansions in New Zealand; multiple introductions of diverse, genetically fragmented lineages could contribute to these patterns. Hawaii and California share no haplotypes, therefore, Hawaii is not the source of the California introduction. Paradoxically, Hawaii and California share multiple haplotypes with New Zealand. New Zealand may be the source for the California and Hawaii infestations, but the introductions were independent, and Hawaii was invaded only once. This has significant implications for quarantine, and suggests that probability of invasion is not directly related to geographic distance. Surprisingly, Hawaiian LBAM populations have much lower genetic diversity than California, despite being older.     

INTRASPECIFIC GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS) FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA

Intraspecific patterns of mitochondrial DNA sequence variation were determined among California sea lions ( Zalophus califomianus californianus ) from three colonies along the Pacific coast of southern and Baja California and one colony in the Gulf of California. We found no variation in 368 base pairs (bp) of cytochrome b sequence among 40 sea lions from these localities, but analysis of 360 base pairs of control region revealed eleven genotypes. The four genotypes found in the Gulf of California population were unique and phylogenetically distinct from those found in sea lions along the Pacific coast. The average sequence divergence between Gulf and Southern California genotypes was 4.3%, suggesting a relatively long period of isolation. However, colonies along the Pacific coast, which are less than 200 km apart, shared mtDNA genotypes, indicating that recent genetic exchange has occurred between them. Therefore, we suggest that regional female philopatry exists in California sea lions. Regional boundaries may be related to oceanic currents or patchiness in the distribution of resources. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying causes of genetic differentiation in the California sea lion.     

A Revision of the genus Wislizenia (Capparidaceae) based on population studies

Morphological and cytological studies of mass collections from the southwestern United States and Baja California, and morphological studies on herbarium specimens from these areas and northern Mexico have been used to solve a taxonomic problem within the genusWislizenia. Canonical analysis of morphological data from mass collections separates three geographic groups from: California, Baja California, and states east of California. A similar analysis of herbarium specimens collected throughout the range ofWislizenia refracta confirms the reality of these groups, for which the status of subspecies is proposed: 1) subsp.californica from the California central valley, 2) subsp.palmeri from Baja California and the Sonoran coast, and 3 ) subsp.refracta from states east of California. This taxonomic treatment differs from any of the varied previous ones. Chromosome numbers for six of the mass collections were found to ben = 20, in agreement with other reports.     

MHC gene configuration variation in geographically disparate populations of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus)

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II DRB genotypes were examined in two geographically isolated populations of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) (Gulf of California and California coastal Pacific Ocean). Genomic DNA from 227 California sea lions was examined using eight sequence-specific primer (SSP) pairs flanking the putative peptide-binding site. A total of 40 different Zaca-DRB genotype configurations were identified among the 227 individuals. Using SSP-PCR, significant differences were found between coastal California and Gulf of California Zalophus populations in numbers of DRB sequences per individual and configuration of sequences within individuals. Additionally, unique local patterns of MHC diversity were identified among the Midriff Island animals. These population differences are consistent with either ecologically distinct patterns of selection pressures and/or geographical isolation. The consequences of these partitioned MHC configurations at the population level are as yet unknown; however, the worldwide increase in emerging marine diseases lends urgency to their examination.     

Serological evidence of California group and Cache Valley virus infection in Minnesota white-tailed deer

Blood samples were obtained from 138 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested at three sites surrounding the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, metropolitan area (USA) and tested for neutralizing antibody to Cache Valley virus and three California serogroup (Jamestown Canyon, La Crosse, trivittatus) viruses (Bunyaviridae). Deer at each site had neutralizing antibody to one or more California serogroup viruses and/or Cache Valley virus. The majority of adult deer (85%) had antibody to both a California serogroup virus and Cache Valley virus. Antibody prevalence varied significantly with age of the deer. Fawns had a significantly lower prevalence of antibody to either a California serogroup (17%) or Cache Valley virus (39%) than did older (greater than 1-yr-old) deer (89% for a California serogroup virus and 91% for Cache Valley virus). The geometric mean titers of antibody in fawns to California serogroup (1:6) and Cache Valley viruses (1:17) were also less than that seen in older animals (1:11 and 1:28 for California serogroup and Cache Valley viruses, respectively). Of 76 older deer with antibody to the California serogroup, 91% had antibody specific for Jamestown Canyon virus. Jamestown Canyon is the primary California serogroup virus circulating in the suburban/rural Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Transmission occurs in an enzootic pattern similar to that documented in Indiana and Michigan. Cache Valley virus also appears to be enzootically transmitted in this area. However, the impact on domestic or wild animal populations is unknown.     

Therapeutic Abortion—Attitudes and Practices of California Physicians

A questionnaire about attitudes and practices regarding therapeutic abortion was sent to 943 diplomates of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology listed in California. In the 748 replies received, certain disparities between the views and practices of the specialists on the one hand and current California statutes on the other were noted. The responses to the questions strongly suggested that current California laws governing the performance of therapeutic abortion are in need of modernization and liberalization if they are to accord with the views and practices of California obstetrician-gynecologists.     

Marine invasion history and vector analysis of California: a hotspot for western North America

Aim We examine the regional dominance of California as a beachhead for marine biological invasions in western North America and assess the relative contribution of different transfer mechanisms to invasions over time. Location Western North America (California to Alaska, excluding Mexico). Methods We undertook extensive analysis of literature and collections records to characterize the invasion history of non‐native species (invertebrates, microalgae and microorganisms) with established populations in coastal marine (tidal) waters of western North America through 2006. Using these data, we estimated (1) the proportion of first regional records of non‐native species that occurred in California and (2) the relative contribution of transfer mechanisms to California invasions (or vector strength) over time. Results Excluding vascular plants and vertebrates, we identified 290 non‐native marine species with established populations in western North America, and 79% had first regional records from California. Many (40–64%) of the non‐native species in adjacent states and provinces were first reported in California, suggesting northward spread. California also drives the increasing regional rate of detected invasions. Of 257 non‐native species established in California, 59% had first regional records in San Francisco Bay; 57% are known from multiple estuaries, suggesting secondary spread; and a majority were attributed to vessels (ballast water or hull fouling) or oysters, in some combination, but their relative contributions are not clear. For California, more than one vector was possible for 56% of species, and the potential contribution of ballast water, hull fouling and live trade increased over time, unlike other vectors. Main conclusions California, especially San Francisco Bay, plays a pivotal role for marine invasion dynamics for western North America, providing an entry point from which many species spread. This pattern is associated historically with high propagule supply and salinity. Any effective strategies to minimize new invasions throughout this region must (1) focus attention on California and (2) address current uncertainty and future shifts in vector strength.     

INTERCHANGE AND ISOLATION OF HUMPBACK WHALES OFF CALIFORNIA AND OTHER NORTH PACIFIC FEEDING GROUNDS

Humpback whales feed in several high-latitude areas of the North Pacific. We examined the interchange of humpback whales between one of these areas, off California, and those in other feeding grounds in the eastern North Pacific:. Fluke photographs of 597 humpback whales identified off California between 1986 and 1992 were compared with those off Oregon and Washington (29); British Columbia (81); southeastern Alaska (343); Prince William Sound, Alaska (141); Kodiak Island, Alaska (104); Shumagin Islands, Alaska (22); and in the Bering Sea (7). A high degree of interchange, both inter-and intrayear, was found among humpback whales seen off California, Oregon, and Washington., A low rate of interchange was found between British Columbia and California.: two whales seen near the British Columbia/Washington border were photographed off California in a different year, No interchange was found between California and the three feeding areas in Alaska. Humpback whales off California, Oregon, and Washington form a single intermixing feeding aggregation with only limited interchange with areas farther north. These findings are consistent with photographic identification studies in the North Atlantic and with genetic studies in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific.     

California perennial grasses are physiologically distinct from both Mediterranean annual and perennial grasses

In the Central Valley of California, native perennial grass species have been largely replaced by Eurasian annual species, while in many parts of the Mediterranean Basin native perennial grasses continue to dominate, even on disturbed or degraded sites. We assessed whether differences in summer rainfall patterns have lead to the development of different plant-water strategies between grasses from these two regions. We compared six measures of plant-water physiology for three guilds of grasses: California perennial grasses, Mediterranean perennial grasses, and Mediterranean annual grasses. Discriminant analysis distinguished between the three guilds; Mediterranean perennial grasses were characterized by a more conservative water-relations physiology than Mediterranean annual grasses, whereas California perennial grasses were in some ways intermediate between the two Mediterranean grass guilds. For individual traits, California perennial grasses were either intermediate or more like Mediterranean annuals than Mediterranean perennials. Our results suggest California perennials are more drought tolerant than Mediterranean annuals but less drought tolerant than Mediterranean perennials, despite the fact that California??s Central Valley has a more intense summer drought than the Mediterranean Basin. These patterns may help explain why Mediterranean annuals, but not Mediterranean perennials, have been more successful invaders of interior California grasslands.     

PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF CUTLERIA CYLINDRICA (CUTLERIALES,PHAEOPHYCEAE) IN NORTHEASTERN ASIA,AND THE IDENTITY OF AN INTRODUCED POPULATION IN CALIFORNIA1

Cutleria cylindrica Okamura was described from Japan in 1902 and has been reported only from northwestern Asia until its relatively recent discovery in California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico. To clarify the genetic relationships within and among the disjunct populations, we carried out a molecular phylogenetic study, as well as the examination of sex ratio and the life‐history patterns, of populations in Japan, Korea, and California. Based on the DNA sequences of mitochondrial genes cox2, cox3, the open reading frame (ORF) region, and the spacer between cox3 and ORF, a total of 23 haplotypes were detected in the 85 individuals from 20 localities in Japan, Korea, and California. All localities in Japan and Korea included multiple haplotypes, but only a single haplotype was found in California. There was a positive relationship between distance and genetic divergence in Japan and Korea. The single haplotype found in California was the same as one occurring in Japan (Aomori Pref. and Fukuoka Pref.) and Korea (Daedaepo, Pusan). Both male and female gametophytes were distributed in most northeastern Asian populations. Only female gametophytes, developing parthenogenetically from female gametes, were found in California and Aomori Pref., Japan. On the basis of these results, we conclude that the disjunct population of C. cylindrica in California originated from a relatively recent introduction from Japan and shares its origin with the parthenogenetic population in the Tsugaru Strait.     

Pre-mission invasion of Erodium cicutarium in California

Abstract. The California grassland is dominated by alien plant species. It is generally assumed that the invasion of aliens began with the initial introduction of livestock by Spanish missionaries in 1769. In this paper we present pollen evidence which indicates that Erodium cicutarium, a Mediterranean annual, was well established in the Santa Barbara region several years before the founding of the first California mission at San Diego in 1769. Historical evidence shows that it took the Spanish nearly a decade to develop a livestock base in California. Disturbance by livestock was therefore not a necessary prerequisite for invasion by alien plants. Historical and macrofossil evidence indicates that E. cicutarium invaded California from Baja California.     

Baseline susceptibility to bacterial insecticides in populations of Culex pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae) from California and from the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus

Bacterial insecticides play an increasingly important role in mosquito control. To establish guidelines for detecting resistance at an early stage, information on natural variation in susceptibility of insect populations to these insecticides is needed. Between 1990 and 1993, the susceptibility of Culex pipiens L. complex to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis de Barjac and/or Bacillus sphaericus Neide was determined in 31 collections from California. These collections were undertaken before the widespread use of B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis and before the registration of B. sphaericus in California. Seven collections from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where no microbial insecticides have been used, also were tested. The 1990-1991 California collections exhibited limited variation in susceptibility to B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis. LC50 and LC95 values spanned about a three-fold and four-fold range, respectively. The 1993 Cyprus collections exhibited both higher mean LC values, and greater variability in those values, than the California collections. The LC50s for the Cyprus collections varied over a 10-fold range, whereas the LC50s varied over a 12.5-fold range. Variation in susceptibility to B. sphaericus among the 1991 California collections was about five-fold at the LC50 and LC95. No significant geographic variation in susceptibility to B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis was observed among regions within California. Although variation in susceptibility was limited among California collections, the greater variability observed among the Cyprus collections and between the Cyprus and California collections illustrates the importance of establishing regional baselines to monitor accurately for changes in susceptibility.     

Population genetics of Howellia aquatilis (Campanulaceae) in disjunct locations throughout the Pacific Northwest

Howellia aquatilis A.Gray (water howellia) is a federally-listed threatened aquatic plant species with limited distribution in four states: California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. Previous studies have shown a lack of genetic variation within the species; these studies, however, have excluded samples from one or more states. There have been no published studies on the population biology or genetics of the six known California populations or their evolutionary relationship to the other Pacific Northwest populations. We used Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms to identify genetic variation within and among the California populations, and to compare the California populations to the Idaho, Montana, and Washington populations. Analysis of molecular variance of 92 individuals from the six California populations show that 83.8% of genetic variation is found within populations and 16.2% among populations (P < 0.001). All sampled populations from all states provide 83.7% variation within and 16.3% variation among populations (P < 0.001). A UPGMA analysis confirms there is no clear clustering of Howellia aquatilis populations within California, that the Montana populations cluster within the California populations, and, although with limited population sample sizes, the Idaho and Washington populations are distantly related to all other populations. Waterfowl migration patterns support a hypothesis for avian dispersal as a primary factor in gene flow in Howellia aquatilis.     

Biogeography and endemism of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Baja California, Mexico: afirst overview

Abstract Aims Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Baja California peninsula are poorly known, with information based largely on scattered museum and literature records. We provide the first comprehensive account of ant species occurring on the peninsula, we examine distribution patterns, and we assess the ‘peninsular effect’ which predicts that species richness declines from the base to the tip of a peninsula. Location Peninsula of Baja California, Mexico. Methods Data collection involved examining, identifying and recording label data from c. 2350 series of ants. These records provide a provisional, if incomplete, species list. We applied the incidence‐based estimator, Chao‐2, to our data base of specimen records to estimate the total number of ant species on the peninsula. We assessed endemism by comparing our peninsular species list to those from adjacent states. The peninsular effect was tested by comparing genus and species level richness between the two states of Baja California, and across five latitudinal blocks. Results We document 170 native ant species in thirty‐three genera, plus six non‐native species, in Baja California. It seems likely that additional species remain to be discovered: the Chao‐2 estimator of species richness, at 206.0 species, is about 20% higher than our observed species richness. About 30% of the species and 20% of the genera are restricted within Baja California to the relatively mesic California Floristic Province of north‐western Baja California. Nearly all of these species also occur in California. Forty‐seven species (27.6%) are peninsula endemics. Using our entire data set, the peninsular effect appears to be strong, with about twice as many species in the northern state of Baja California than are recorded from the southern state of Baja California Sur; the ratio of genera is 33 to 24. However, this effect becomes weak at the species level and absent at the genus level when minimizing habitat effects by omitting species restricted to the California Floristic Province. At a finer scale, across latitudinal blocks of about 1.9°, the number of species declines towards central portions of the peninsula and then increases in the Cape Region. Nine ant species display strongly disjunct distributions, and these occur in two general patterns: peninsula disjuncts and peninsula–mainland disjuncts. Main conclusions The Baja California peninsula supports a diverse and distinctive ant fauna, with the proportion of endemic species similar to that displayed by plants. Patterns of species and genus richness across the five latitudinal blocks provide poor support for the peninsular effect. Moreover, habitat diversity, especially that related to topographic relief, appears to be the most important factor affecting the gradient of ant species richness in Baja California. Additional collections are needed to develop a more complete species list and to determine the boundaries and status of many species. Nevertheless, the present data base provides a useful starting point for understanding the evolution of ant assemblages in Baja California and for comparison with peninsular patterns in other taxa.