Habitat loss of a rainforest specialist pollinator fly as an indicator of conservation status of the South American Temperate Rainforests

We estimate habitat loss and fragmentation in a hoverfly, Aneriophora aureorufa, used as a representative forest specialist species. This species is a pollinator specialist of two native trees, forming a triad endemic to the South American Temperate Rainforest (SATR). We combine species distribution models with species-specific requirements to estimate the habitat range of A. aureorufa over two non-overlapping time periods (before human settlement to 2000, and from 2000 to 2014). We analyzed the predicted distribution range of A. aureorufa in Chile, quantifying habitat loss in both periods and fragmentation in the latter. In addition, we evaluated the representativeness of the Chilean protected areas system in relation to the current habitat of the species. We found that the total habitat of A. aureorufa decreased by 68.3% compared to historic pre-settlement levels; in the period 2000–2014 the loss was 4.9%. The northern zone was the most affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, with an estimated total loss of 89.9% from the historic period to 2014, with the loss of 238.2 km² per year between 2000 and 2014. Eighteen percent of the habitat of A. aureorufa occurs within protected areas. We found an overrepresentation in the southern zone (24.79%) and an underrepresentation in the northern zone (3.44%). We propose that forest specialist species of the northern zone of the SATR could be threatened due to the high pressure of habitat loss and the underrepresentation of the Chilean protected areas systems.     

Measuring success of a reintroduced population of the American burying beetle (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicrophorus americanus</Emphasis> Olivier) to Nantucket Island,MA

The American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) is a federally listed endangered beetle and since 1993 multiple organizations have collaborated to reintroduce this species to Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, USA. We present evidence that despite very successful reintroduction methods, the reintroduced population is not self-sustaining and requires human assistance for long term maintenance. Beetles were reintroduced from captive stock and each year we augmented the population by trapping wild beetles, pairing males and females, and supplying the pairs with carrion. Long term monitoring of this population has shown that, when provided with carrion, N. americanus on Nantucket have an over winter survival rate of 15?% and a reproductive success rate of 54?%. After seeing the number of beetles captured between 2007 and 2011 double, we modified protocols to determine if the established population would be self-sustaining and we have seen a drastic decline. We suggest that a lack of natural carrion is the main reason for this decline.     

New records of an invasive bumble bee in northern Chile: expansion of its range or new introduction events?

The Eurasian bumble bee Bombus terrestris Linnaeus has been used commercially for pollination of a large number of crop species worldwide. This species has become invasive in several countries where it has escaped into natural environments. This species has become naturalized in many zones of Chile and southern Argentina, and may potentially invade other regions and countries in South America. These naturalized populations of B. terrestris have been associated with rapid population declines of the native bee B. dahlbomii Guérin-Méneville. We report new records of the exotic bee B. terrestris in the Region de Arica y Parinacota in the far north of Chile, which includes portions of the Atacama Desert. We used species distribution models (SDMs) and multivariate analyses to evaluate whether these occurrences represent new escapes from managed colonies or natural dispersal of the species from its southern invaded range. These reports of B. terrestris indicate a northward expansion of this bee. In our analyses, these new areas of occurrences have environmental conditions similar to those observed in the species’ southern invaded range, and our SDMs predict that B. terrestris dispersal through the Atacama is possible, although not likely given the occasional flower blooming in that region of Chile. These new occurrences in northern Chile reflect a potential for future invasion into other regions of South America by B. terrestris. Future surveys in the area should be intensified to evaluate if viable populations of this invasive species may become established.     

Effect of forest removal on the abundance of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

We test the hypothesis that the decline of the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) from over 90% of its original range is the result of habitat loss and fragmentation of eastern North America. Forest removal at a site in southeastern Oklahoma known to have a significant population of N. americanus gave us a unique opportunity to test this hypothesis. At the local scale of this experiment, N. americanus declined significantly after forest removal while beetle numbers at adjacent forested plots did not change. Our results indicate that local disturbances such as forest removal, if occurring across relatively broad spatial scales, can cause wholesale geographic range collapse in this species.     

Difference in parenting in two species of burying beetle, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicrophorus orbicollis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicrophorus vespilloides</Emphasis>

Burying beetles (Nicrophorus) are model parents among insects, with all studied species known to regurgitate flesh from vertebrate carcasses to their offspring. However, most studies focus on a very few species, yet the interpretation of the function and importance of care is typically generalized to all burying beetles. Here we characterize subtle variation within and between individuals and sexes, and how this variation differs between two species of burying beetle. We find that Nicrophorus orbicollis exhibits low variance, with a normal distribution of parental care provided during peak care periods. In N. vespilloides, however, the distribution is more uniform as values of care are spread across the possible phenotypic spectrum. This suggests that there is stabilizing selection on care in N. orbicollis, but relaxed or disruptive selection in N. vespilloides. Although repeatability was similar between both species, transitions from other care behaviors into feeding were more common in N. orbicollis than N. vespilloides. Thus, while parenting is coarsely similar across the genus, variation in its expression should not be extrapolated to all Nicrophorus. We suggest that subtle variation both within and among species merits greater attention, and could inform us about the factors that lead to different distributions of care.     

Ecological niche differentiation between native and non-native shrimps in the northern Baltic Sea

Invasions of non-native species are modifying global biodiversity but the ecological mechanisms underlying invasion processes are still not well understood. A degree of niche separation of non-native and sympatric native species can possibly explain the success of novel species in their new environment. In this study, we quantified experimentally and in situ the environmental niche space of caridean shrimps (native Crangon crangon and Palaemon adspersus, non-native Palaemon elegans) inhabiting the northern Baltic Sea. Field studies showed that the non-native P. elegans had wider geographical range compared to native species although the level of habitat specialization was similar in both Palaemon species. There were clear differences in shrimp habitat occupancy with P. elegans inhabiting lower salinity areas and more eutrophicated habitats compared to the native species. Consequently, the non-native shrimp has occupied large areas of the northern Baltic Sea that were previously devoid of the native shrimps. Experiments demonstrated that the non-native shrimp had higher affinity to vegetated substrates compared to native species. The study suggests that the abilities of the non-native shrimp to thrive in more stressful habitats (lower salinity, higher eutrophication), that are sub-optimal for native shrimps, plausibly explain the invasion success of P. elegans.     

Some results of phenetic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicroforus vespillo</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Silphidae) population from Kaluga city pine forest

The population phenetic structure was studied in the burying beetle Nicroforus vespillo (Linnaeus, 1761) from Kaluga city pine forest. Some possible phenes of N. vespillo were distinguished and frequencies of their occurrence studied. As a result, all the samples belonged to the same population. The phene pool of the population was characterized by indices of intrapopulation diversity and a share of rare morphs. Based on these characteristics, logarithmic trends were elaborated showing graphically the annual dynamics of the beetle population.     

Identification and field testing of floral odorants that attract the rove beetle <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pelecomalium testaceum</Emphasis> (Mannerheim) to skunk cabbage, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lysichiton americanus</Emphasis> (L.)

Western skunk cabbage, Lysichiton americanus (Araceae), is pollinated mainly by the rove beetle Pelecomalium testaceum (Staphylinidae). Our objective was to determine the floral semiochemical(s) of L. americanus that attract(s) P. testaceum. Porapak Q headspace volatile extracts of L. americanus inflorescences were analyzed by gas chromatographic–electroantennographic detection (GC–EAD) and GC–mass spectrometry. In GC–EAD analyses, three floral odorants [(E)-4 nonene, (E)-5-undecene, indole] elicited consistent responses from the antennae of female P. testaceum. In field experiments, traps baited with a blend of these three components (“3-CB”) captured significantly more P. testaceum than unbaited control traps. Traps baited with the 3-CB, the two hydrocarbons, or indole, each captured significantly more beetles than unbaited control traps, indicating redundancy in the semiochemical blend. Moreover, traps baited with indole captured significantly more beetles than traps baited with either the 3-CB, or the hydrocarbons, indicating that indole is a key floral attractant for P. testaceum. Many necrophilous and coprophilous insects respond to indole in search of carrion or feces, but P. testaceum has never been associated with these types of resources. Both electrophysiological and behavioral responses of P. testaceum to two hydrocarbon semiochemicals, which are not signature odorants of carrion or feces, may indicate that the beetles recognize the odor of L. americanus as an honest signal, seek and pollinate its inflorescences, and get rewarded with pollen and on-plant mating opportunities.     

Climate-induced shifts in the niche similarity of two related spadefoot toads (genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pelobates</Emphasis>)

Of the four species encompassing the genus Pelobates, only two overlap along a narrow contact zone, i.e., Pelobates fuscus and Pelobates syriacus. Our study investigated the shifts in niche similarity of these two closely related species from the Last Interglacial towards the end of the twenty-first century. We computed climatic suitability models using Maxent and projected them onto future and past climates. We used fossil occurrences to test the predictive accuracy of past projections. Niche similarity was assessed between the studied species using Schoener’s D index and a background similarity test. Finally, we evaluated niche differentiation by contrasting the species occurrences using a logistic regression analysis. The ecological niches are slightly extended outside the present geographical ranges in the Caucasus and the Balkans, south for P. fuscus and north and west for P. syriacus, suggesting that their present distribution is not at equilibrium with the climate. The Last Interglacial distribution of P. fuscus included British Isles and broad areas in western, central, and northern Europe, while P. syriacus extended northwards in the Balkans. The validation with fossil records revealed good predictive performance (omission error?=?4.1 % for P. fuscus and 16.6 % for P. syriacus). During the Last Glacial Maximum, climatic suitability persisted in refugia in southern Europe, Pannonian Basin, and Caucasus for P. fuscus, and Israel, southern Balkans, and Caucasus for P. syriacus. Present potential distributions revealed a low similarity of species’ ecological niches, comparable with Last Interglacial, but projections towards 2080 revealed a sharp increase.     

Biogeography and designatable units of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus occidentalis</Emphasis> Greene and <Emphasis Type="Italic">B. terricola</Emphasis> Kirby (Hymenoptera: Apidae) with implications for conservation status assessments

Conservation action for species of concern requires that “designatable units” (e.g., species, subspecies, geographic races, genetically distinct forms) are clearly defined, or that the species complex is treated as a whole. Several species of bumble bee are currently threatened, and some of these have cryptic colouration (resembling other species), or form complexes that vary considerably in colour patterning. Here we address the taxonomy and distribution of Bombus occidentalis Greene and B. terricola Kirby, both of which are currently of conservation concern in North America. Bombus occidentalis includes two apparently monophyletic groups of COI barcode haplotypes (recently considered as subspecies) with ranges mostly separated by that of their sister species, B. terricola. The southern B. o. occidentalis ranges throughout the western United States and into western Canada from southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, and throughout British Columbia north to ca. 55°N; the northern B. o. mckayi Ashmead, is restricted to north of this in British Columbia, westernmost Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory and Alaska. Bombus o. mckayi exists, as far as is known, only with a “banded” colour pattern. By contrast, B. o. occidentalis occurs in both banded and non-banded colour patterns, although the southern banded colour pattern is geographically isolated from the northern subspecies. Bombus o. occidentalis has declined throughout its range, perhaps due in part to exposure to novel parasites. Despite having similar levels of parasitism (ca. 40 %) as the southern subspecies, B. o. mckayi appears to have stable populations at present. There is therefore compelling evidence that the two subspecies should be distinguished for conservation and management purposes. We present the evidence for their distinction and provide tools for subspecies recognition.     

Comparison of genetic and morphological methods to detect the presence of American lobsters, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Homarus americanus</Emphasis> H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Astacidea: Nephropidae) in Norwegian waters

American lobsters (Homarus americanus H. Milne Edwards, 1837) are imported live to Europe and should according regulations be kept in land-based tanks until sold. In spite of the strict regulations aimed specifically at preventing the introduction of this species into the NE Atlantic, several specimens of H. americanus have been captured in the wild, especially in Oslofjord, Norway since 1999. One of the great concerns is interbreeding between the introduced American species and the local European lobster, H. gammarus (Linnaeus, 1758). For this reason an awareness campaign was launched in 2000 focusing on morphologically “unusual” lobsters caught in local waters. Morphological characters have been based on colour and sub-ventral spines on the rostrum. Two samples of H. americanus were used for comparisons, as well as samples of European lobster from Oslofjord collected in 1992. Previous genetic analyses (allozymes, mtDNA and microsatellite DNA) have demonstrated that the American lobster is distinct from its European counterpart, with several additional alleles at many loci in addition to different allelic frequency distribution of alleles of “shared” alleles. During the present study, thirteen microsatellite loci were tested in the initial screening, and the three most discriminating loci (Hgam98, Hgam197b and Hgam47b) were used in a detailed comparison between the two species. A total of 45 unusual lobsters were reported captured from Ålesund (west) to Oslofjord (southeast) from 2001 to 2005 and these were analysed for the three microsatellite loci. Nine specimens were identified as American lobsters. Comparisons between morphological and genetic characteristics revealed that morphological differences are not reliable in discrimination the two species, or to identify hybrids. Further, some loci display almost no overlapping in allele frequency distribution for the reference samples analysed, thus providing a reliable tool to identify hybrids.     

Review of five species of cyclocoelids (Digenea: Cyclocoelidae) from aquatic birds in Mexico with notes on their interspecific variation

Based on a morphological approach, five species of cyclocoelids (Digenea: Cyclocoelidae) are revised based on material from birds in Mexico. The species studied are: Cyclocoelum cf. leidyi Harrah, 1922 from the black-necked stilt Himantopus mexicanus Müller (Recurvirostridae); Cyclocoelum mutabile (Zeder, 1800) from the northern jacana Jacana spinosa L. (Jacanidae) and the willet Tringa semipalmata Gmelin (Scolopacidae); Cyclocoelum pseudomicrostomum Harrah, 1922 from the American coot Fulica americana Gmelin (Rallidae); Selfcoelum lamothei Blend & Dronen, 2008, from the long-billed curlew Numenius americanus Bechstein (Scolopacidae); and Neohaematotrephus arayae Zamparo, Brooks, Causey & Rodriguez, 2003 from J. spinosa. New morphological data, illustrations and measurements are presented for these trematodes. Three species, insufficiently described, i.e. C. cf. leidyi, C. mutabile and C. pseudomicrostomum, are redescribed in detail. Our results indicate morphological variation in some important features used in the diagnosis of Cyclocoelum Brandes, 1892 (i.e. the presence or absence of oral sucker, the position of the genital pore relative to the pharynx, and the posterior extension of the uterus) and Selfcoelum Dronen, Gardner & Jiménez, 2006 (i.e. anterior extension of vitelline follicles). Finally, this study provides the first molecular data for the large subunit of the ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA) gene for N. arayae.     

The fish assemblage from the Pennsylvanian Buckhorn Asphalt Quarry Lagerstätte (Oklahoma,USA)

A diverse assemblage of fishes (isolated teeth and scales) is reported from the Middle to Upper Pennsylvanian Buckhorn Asphalt Quarry Lagerstätte in Oklahoma, USA. The assemblage includes chondrichthyans such as the bransonelliform Bransonella lingulata, the xenacanthiform Xenacanthus, the symmoriiform Stethacanthus, ctenacanthiforms, an polyacrodontid euselachian, anachronistid neoselachians (Cooleyella amazonensis and C. sp.) and an iniopterygian paraselachian cf. Sibyrhynchidae. Moreover, the assemblage encompasses remains of acanthodians and various actinopterygians and a single specimen of an osteolepiform sarcopterygian. Most of the taxa are cosmopolitan during the Late Palaeozoic. The occurrence of bransonelliform and xenacanthiform species at the same locality is very rare in the Carboniferous. The assemblage yields the first Carboniferous occurrences of a polyacrodontid hybodontoid and an actinopterygian belonging to the Acropholidae. Bransonella lingulata from the Desmoinesian/Moscovian of the Buckhorn Asphalt Quarry in Oklahoma represents the youngest occurrence of this species.     

Mammals in Last 30 to 7 ka Interval (Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene) in Southern Uruguay (Santa Lucía River Basin): Last Occurrences,Climate, and Biogeography

Fossiliferous Quaternary sedimentary beds in the Santa Lucía Basin (southern Uruguay) are potentially useful for the study of the last occurrences of extinct taxa, as well as the environmental and climatic patterns in the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene. They have provided a chronological framework (AMS ¹⁴C and Optically Stimulated Luminescence dates), a mammalian diversity and interpretations of last occurrence, the climatic-environmental setting, and some associated biogeographic processes. The ages produced encompass the last 30 to 7 ka interval (latest Pleistocene-early Holocene). The mammalian assemblage (36 genera, 24 species) includes typical South American late Pleistocene mammals, extinct species of extant genera, and some extant species that still exist elsewhere on the continent. The preservation pattern includes articulated and semi-articulated skeletons of large and small mammals. The presence in the southern Uruguayan Pampean area of some mammals currently inhabiting Patagonia, northwest and central Argentina (Dolichotis, Galea, Microcavia, Chaetophractus, Lagostomus, and Vicugna) is explained by the predominance of open areas and cold climates associated with the Last Glacial Maximum. The mammalian record depicts local extinctions or shifting ranges occurring in latest Pleistocene or early Holocene. The sedimentary chronological framework and taphonomic features suggest the persistence into the early Holocene of Eutatus seguini, Morenelaphus brachyceros, Equus neogeus, Hemiauchenia sp., Lama sp., and Vicugna sp. Glyptodon and Glossotherium seem to persist at least to the latest Pleistocene. This pattern can substantiate the hypothesis that some megafauna and large mammals persisted for some millennia alongside people with extinction occurring before, during, and after human colonization.     

Life history differences and latitudinal variation in recruitment in two species of arctic-boreal perciform fishes,the fish doctor <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gymnelus viridis</Emphasis> and the Arctic shanny <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stichaeus punctatus</Emphasis>

Growth and recruitment were examined in two arctic-boreal, shallow water marine perciform species: the fish doctor Gymnelus viridis (Zoarcidae) and the Arctic shanny Stichaeus punctatus (Stichaeidae). G. viridis ranges in the Canadian Arctic from northern Hudson Bay to northern Ellesmere Island, whereas S. punctatus has a more southerly range from Nova Scotia coastal waters to northern Hudson Bay. At Nuvuk Islands in northeastern Hudson Bay, where the two species are sympatric in shallow water, they had comparable juvenile growth rates but temporal variation in 0+ recruitment was substantially greater in S. punctatus. This difference may stem from their contrasting early life histories. S. punctatus spawns large numbers of small demersal eggs that hatch into pelagic larvae, whereas G. viridis spawns small numbers of large demersal eggs that hatch directly into demersal juveniles with no pelagic stage, suggesting that recruitment in G. viridis should be less sensitive to yearly variation in the onset of the ice-free period in Hudson Bay and the subsequent pulse of pelagic invertebrate production. Relative to Nuvuk, recruitment variation in G. viridis was found to be greater at Resolute, Cornwallis Island, close to its northern range limit, whereas recruitment variation in S. punctatus was not evident in Newfoundland, closer to its southern range limit.     

Patch occupancy and habitat of the hops azure (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Celastrina</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">humulus</Emphasis>), a rare North American endemic butterfly: insights for monitoring and conservation

The hops azure (Celastrina humulus Scott & D. Wright 1998) is a rare butterfly found along the Front Range of Colorado. Data on the prevalence of the butterfly and its preferred habitats are lacking. To describe the habitat of C. humulus at the southern part of its range, explore what factors impact C. humulus detectability, and estimate C. humulus habitat use along a riparian area known to support it, we conducted an occupancy analysis along the largest riparian system at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado, USA. We used environmental and site-specific covariates to model the probability of detection and the probability of occupancy. Probability of detecting C. humulus was influenced by the amount of cloud cover during sampling, while the probability of occupancy was influenced by the total area of the host plant (wild hops) at the site. Probability of detection was higher during the first visit (69 %) than the second visit (64 %), and the probability of occupancy was higher (77 %) than assumed (30 %). Despite the host plant being patchily distributed throughout the butterfly’s range, the riparian areas at USAFA had a high prevalence of both wild hops and C. humulus. We use the project findings to develop future sampling efforts for the butterfly along tributaries at other locales within the butterfly’s range.     

The role of protected area zoning in invasive plant management

As anthropogenic pressure on the landscape increases, invasive alien species (IAS) pose a growing threat to areas designed to protect high biodiversity habitats. In order to assess the present danger of IAS spread, we examined 23 Czech sites of community importance (SCI) within Natura 2000 protected areas (PA) over 2015 and mapped the occurrence of four IAS: Solidago spp. (goldenrod), Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam), Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed) and Fallopia spp. (Japanese knotweed). The model areas were divided into five monitoring zones, graded by conservation importance and habitat disturbance level (core area [A], broader core area [B], semi-natural habitat [C], anthropogenically affected habitat [D], anthropogenically degraded habitat [E]). Despite a high number of IAS occurrences (3222 localities), habitats of European importance (zone A) showed a relatively low level of invasion (< 0.3% total area). Highest IAS occurrence number was in SCI border areas and disturbed habitats (zones C and E). There was a significant positive correlation between level of invasion inside and outside SCIs, related to human activities such as logging and urbanisation. A strong effect for watercourse vicinity was noted for the occurrence of I. glandulifera and Fallopia spp.; but not for H. mantegazzianum and Solidago spp. A stratified management approach, employing zones delimitation to assess what threat pose IAS to the PA objects of conservation, can be useful to prioritize control measures in IAS local action plans.     

Composition and distribution of sibling species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chironomus</Emphasis> Meigen, 1803 (Diptera,Chironomidae) in Curonian Lagoon of the Baltic Sea

The species composition of Chironomus in the Curonian Lagoon has been investigated. It was shown that three sibling species of the plumosus group, namely, Ch. plumosus, Ch. balatonicus, and Ch. muratensis, and a first-generation interspecific hybrid Ch. muratensis × Ch. plumosus lived here. The occurrence frequency in the lagoon was 87, 19, 6, and 3% for Ch. plumosus, Ch. balatonicus, Ch. muratensis × Ch. plumosus, and Ch. muratensis, respectively. The species Ch. plumosus was recorded in all the areas (southern, central, and northern), while Ch. balatonicus was found only in the northern area in the village of Juodkrante near the city of Klaipeda. Presumably, the distribution of these sibling species is due to the presence of a salinity gradient in the lagoon.