Invertebrate Collection Research Articles

Invertebrate animals, including type specimens, transferred from the University of Tasmania to the Tasmanian Museum

Collections of Tasmanian invertebrates, formerly housed in the Department of Zoology, University of Tasmania, have been presented to the Tasmanian Museum. They include type specimens of Turbellaria, Trematoda, Cestoda, Hirudinea and Ascothoracida and examples of Hydroidea and Psocoptera.

Fish Population Structure in Altered and Unaltered Areas of a Small Kansas Stream

Collection of invertebrates and fish were made from channelized and unchannelized stream sections. A species list of invertebrates is presented, but no quantitative estimates were made. Numbers and weights of fish were used to calculate diversity indices, and equitability measure, and extrapolated to produce section values in Ibs./acre and numben/acre. Index values indicated less species diversity in the altered section than in the unaltered sections when numbers of fish were used, but there was no signihcant difference in diversity when biomass units were used. The equitabilib component did not indicate a significant trend in sectional differences. Both biomass and numbers were less in the channelized section than in the unchanneEzed sections. It was concluded that the lower biomass and numbers of fish, and lower diversity index values in the altered area, were attributable to the effects of channelization. Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci., 77 (1), 1974.

The distribution of Plecoptera and Ephemeroptera in a Lowland Region of Britain (Lincolnshire)

o| li]1.|Biological Surveys of rivers and streams were carried out in Lincolnshire during 1961\2-67. li]2.|Lincolnshire is a lowland region, with calcareous rocks and soils intensively farmed. Pollution is mainly from small sewage disposal works and farms. li]3.|The rainfall is low, up to 27.5\rd (70 cm) annually. li]4.|Most river systems are less 50 km long and have sources from \s+ 33 m to 125 m above Mean Tide Level (ODN). There are two main types of watercourse li]5.|The temperature of the streams is less variable throughout the year than that of rivers. li]6.|The two types of watercourse are chemically similar, but the rivers have higher B.O.D.'s and some reaches are affected by salt water during low freshwater flows. li]7.|The vegetation of streams differs from that of rivers. Plant species common in rivers are also found in pools and ponds. li]8.|Collections of invertebrates were made with a hand net in two standardised methods depending on the type of watercourse. li]9.|The distribution and habitat of each species is described and habitats are compared with those in other regions. Altitude ranges are higher in other regions but basic habitats are very similar. li]10.|Comparisons are drawn between the Plecoptera and Ephemeroptera faunas of

DDT residues in Pacific sea birds: a persistent insecticide in marine food chains.

THE accumulation and biological concentration of DDT and its metabolites* within food chains of terrestrial1, freshwater2 and estuarine3 ecosystems have been well documented. Significant residue concentrations have occasionally been reported in marine organisms, but these have usually been attributed to local sources of contamination4. The present study, which is based on analyses of collections of birds, fish and invertebrates from Pacific Ocean localities, indicates that DDT is also a component of marine ecosystems and that pelagic species may accumulate high concentrations of DDT residues. The results of the work with fish will be published elsewhere5.

The Arthropod Cave Fauna of the Carlsbad Caverns Region, New Mexico

All invertebrates thus far identified from Carlsbad Caverns and nearby caves, Eddy County, New Mexico, are arthropods. The fauna includes cope- pods, trichoniscid isopods, scorpions, pseudoscorpions, spiders, harvestmen, mites, centipedes, millipedes, collembolans, campodeids, rhaphidophorines, psocids, tineid moths, dipterans, fleas, and beetles (Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, and Tenebrionidae). About 60% of the species are apparently troglophiles. Only 2 species are unquestionably troglobitic (Speorthus tuganbius, a polydesmid millipede; and Plusiocampa sp., a campodeid dipluran), but 2 other species are possibly tro- globitic (Thalkethops grallatrix, a centipede; and Ceuthophilus longipes, a rhaphi- dophorine). The caves are relatively dry and are situated in a semi-arid region, which probably accounts for the poor troglobitic fauna and high percentage of troglophiles. Many of the species are guanobites. Unlike the famous cave regions of southwest Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and central Texas, the invertebrate fauna of the caves of the Guadalupe Mountains and vicinity in New Mexico, near the town of Carlsbad, is comparatively sparse. A cor- respondingly small percentage of ecologically significant species are troglobites. All species of invertebrates encountered in the caves thus far are arthropods. Protozoans, rotifers, and nematodes are certainly present here as in all caves in which they have been sought, but no special attempt was made to include these groups in our survey. Collections of invertebrates have been made in eighteen caves in this general vicinity (Fig. 1). The largest of these by far is Carlsbad Caverns, located in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, approximately 30 km southwest of Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, on the east- ern edge of the Guadalupe Mountains. The geology of the area has

"Norge" Jars, a Substitute for Mason Fruit-Canning Jars in Preservation of Alcohol Collections of Invertebrates

"Norge" Jars, a Substitute for Mason Fruit-Canning Jars in Preservation of Alcohol Collections of Invertebrates

The Care of Alcoholic Collections of Small Invertebrates

The Care of Alcoholic Collections of Small Invertebrates

The Care of Alcoholic Collections of Small Invertebrates

Small specimens can be stored safely in vials, tightly stoppered with cotton anid placed upside down in a larger jar, Due to the unavailability of tight jars, methods used in several instittions to prevent alcohol loss have been tried out. Either plastic tape (3M no. 472) or dipping in plastic coating (Uniroyal Adhesive no. 6273) appreciably slows evaporation. Seventy to eighty per cent alcohol is the best preservative; 40-70% isopropyl alcohol seems an excellent substitute, and is easily obtained. Methods of reconditioning dried specimens are controversial. All locality labels should be typed or mimeographed or the labels can be photo-offset, or Xerox copied on good bond paper. Although many of the specimens used by taxonomists and morphologists are kept in liquid preservative and require special containers, the problems connected with their preservation have received little attention in the United States. Exceptions are the important papers by Arndt (1937), and Mayr and Goodwin (1957), and the SSZsponsored report by Storey and Wilimovsky (1955). This article deals with the preservation of small invertebrate animals, especially spiders, that is, with specimens kept in vials as opposed to vertebrates and some invertebrates kept in larger containers.

Invertebrate Collections: Trash or Treasure?

Invertebrate Collections: Trash or Treasure?

The Crayfish Orconectes palmeri longimanus (Faxon) in Kansas

To our knowledge these are the first records of Orconectes palmer in Kansas. Creaser and Ortenburger (1933:39, Fig. 16) reported Cambarus longimanus from the Verdigris River in Rogers County, Oklahoma. Williams (1954:898) included the above record and indicated (Fig.200) an additional record from Tulsa County, Oklahoma, in a discussion of O. p. longimanus. He did not, however, list the latter record in text nor have we been able to locate any specimens from Tulsa County among the collections made by Williams now housed in the Recent Invertebrate collections of the Department of Zoology, University of Kansas. Penn (1947:Fig. 4), in a map of localities from which

Speculations on the origin of the invertebrate faunas of the lower continental slope

Recent studies of the benthic faunas of the continental slope of western North America, highlighted by the collection of additional specimens of Neopilina galatheae Lemche, 1957, off Baja California have led to speculations regarding the origin of invertebrate faunas on the continental slope of the Eastern Pacific. It is suggested that many of the shelf and epicontinental bottom faunas migrated down the slope during the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic times in response to competition and population pressure from the newly evolved forms. In areas of relatively old, stable, deep-sea topography, some of these early forms still exist, with minor changes in external morphology. Since middle Cretaceous times, many new topographic features of the Eastern Pacific, particularly trenches, ridges, and borderlands, presumably have been formed along the continental margins. In as much as these features were formed after the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic invasion of invertebrates into the deep sea had occurred, a new migration of Tertiary and Holocene faunas may have taken place. Recent collections of benthic invertebrates in depths of 1000 to 4000 metres support this thesis, as ‘ancient’ or relict forms of invertebrates, exemplified by Neopilina, were found on outer slopes that descend directly to the sea floor, or on the undisturbed abyssal bottom. Modern, or more recently evolved faunas, which appear to have originated from fairly recent (Tertiary) shallow-water environments, as well as from older abyssal regions were found at equivalent depths in trenches and in borderland basins, inshore of the Paleozoic relicts. Animals from Arctic and Antarctic waters may have invaded abyssal and hadal depths during the cooling of the Pleistocene.

A NEW SPECIES OF CHIRIDOTEA (CRUSTACEA: ISOPODA) FROM NEW ENGLAND WATERS

The genus Chiridotea. is unique to the eastern coastal region of the United States and southeastern Canada. Members of this genus are small (usually < 1 cm. ) , broad, depressed valviferous forms that inhabit sandy areas and charac teristically burrow just beneath the sediment surface. The species described herein constitutes the fourth known species of this genus. Those previously described are : C. coeca (Say, 1818) ; C. tuftsi ( Stimpson, 1853) ; and C. a/myra Bowman, 1955. Included in Bowman's paper is a revision of the generic characteristics of this group. The description of this new form is based on specimens collected on Georges Bank, a relatively shallow portion of the continental shelf east of Massa chusetts, U. S. A. These specimens were encountered while processing collections of benthic invertebrates taken by the R/V Albatross III and the R/V Delaware for the Woods Hole Laboratory, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Material Exa@nined.—Holotype, adult female with oostegites developed, 7.5 mni. in length, deposited in the U. S. National Museum (Catalogue No. 104282); allotype, adult male 6.0 trim. in length (U.S.N.M. Catalogue No. 104280) ; para types, 1 male 5.0 mm. in length and 1 ovigerous female 6.5 mm. in length (U.S.N.M. Catalogue No. 104281) ; all type specimens were collected August 6, 1959, by means of a grab-type bottom sampler on Georges Bank at lat. 41°48' N., long. 67° 53' W. ; water depth 15 fathoms, sand substrate, bottom water tempera ture 57.0°F. (R/V Delaware, cruise number 59-9, station 21). One female, 7.5 mm. in length, collected December 7, 1955, at lat. 40° 51' N., long. 68° 55' W.; substrate coarse sand, water depth 36 fathoms, bottom water temperature 47.2° F. (R/V Albatross III, cruise number 70, collection 3). One male, 6.5 mm. in length, collected December 14, 1955, at lat. 41°40' N., long. 67°36' W.; substrate gravelly sand, water depth 28 fathoms, bottom water temperature 45.7° F. (R/V Albatross III, cruise number 70, collection 38). Five females, body lengths 4.0, 5.0, 6.5, 7.5, 7.5 nim., and two males, body lengths 7.0 and 7.0, collected August 24, 1957, at lat. 41°22' N., long. 68°20' W.; substrate coarse sand, water depth 24 fathoms (R/V Albatross III, cruise number 101, station 64). Three specimens, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5 mm. in length, collected August 24, 1957, at lat. 41° 34' N., long., 67° 28' W.; substrate coarse sand, water depth 23 fathoms (R/V AlbatrossIII,cruisenumber 101,station90). Diagnosis.—Medium-sized Chiridotea with short antennae; flagellum of antenna 2 is much shorter than the peduncle; antenna 1 usually not reaching beyond the peduncle of antenna 2; outer margin of pereion epinieral plates 5—7

Fossil Invertebrate Collections from India and Pakistan in the British Museum (Natural History)

Fossil Invertebrate Collections from India and Pakistan in the British Museum (Natural History)

Invertebrate Research in Alaska

Account of invertebrate collections and research in the 19th century; work in present century till 1940 (mostly descriptive and taxonomic); research centers in Alaska; recent and current investigation in entomology, parasitology, terrestrial and marine invertebrates; main research problems.

Additions to the Fish Fauna of Bermuda, with the Description of Grammonus mowbrayi, a New Brotulid

T HE brotulid and macrourid described here are part of a collection of fishes and invertebrates made over a long period of years at Bermuda by the late Mr. Louis L. Mowbray, and presented in 1948 to the Chicago Natural History Museum. The specimen of Papyrichthys pellucidus was given to this Museum by the Bermuda Biological Station, through the courtesy of the former director, Dr. Dugald E. S. Brown.

Olssoniella chivosca n. sp. (Trematoda: Dicrocoeliidae) from the Western Evening Grosbeak

Western evening grosbeaks collected during the spring migrations of 1947 and 1948 in Corvallis, Oregon, were found to be heavily infected with a trematode inhabiting the bile passages of the liver. Nine birds were examined, 6 of which were infected with 4 to 42 parasites per bird. Serial longitudinal and cross sections as well as whole mounts were prepared for anatomical study. The drawings were made by placing whole mounts on a Bausch & Lomb triplepurpose projector. The images were reflected onto photographic paper which was then developed. The anatomical details were traced with India ink after the paper was dried. Then the silver deposit was removed with photographic bleach and the paper again dried. Further details were added free-hand following a study of the serial sections. The same technique was employed for figures 1 and 3 except that a compound microscope was used instead of the projector. The type specimen deposited in the U. S. National Museum has been catalogued as U. S. N. M. Helm. Coll. 37087. Nine paratypes have been catalogued as No. 37088 in the same collection. Additional paratypes have been deposited in the invertebrate collections, Department of Zoology, Oregon State College. In the description below the first measurement was that of the smallest of a structure in any of the 9 paratypes, next the largest of a structure of the 9 paratypes in the U. S. National Museum. The third measurement given in parenthesis was of the type form.

Iraq Natural History Museum

THE first Natural History Museum in. Iraq, which is under the auspices of the Iraqi Ministry of Education, was established early in 1946. The formal opening by the Regent of Iraq took place on May 2, 1946. The Museum consists of three main departments at present. (1) Zoological Department : the present exhibits in this department represent most of the avifauna of Iraq, as well as small collections of Iraqi mammals, reptiles, fishes and invertebrates. (2) Botanical Department : in this department plaster models of Iraqi fruits and vegetables are exhibited. There are also specimens of plant products, economic plants, plant diseases, etc. (3) Geological Department : in this department two of the oil companies operating in the country have participated in presenting its exhibits. The Iraq Petroleum Co. presented a cement model of the geological structure of the Kirkuk oilfields, as well as specimens of rocks, crude oil, and fossils found in Iraq. The Rafidain Oil Co. presented a model of an oil refinery, specimens of oil products, a model of a Ley land motor oil-tanker, a lubricating oil unit, a petrol filling pump, and various photographs and diagrams. The Museum is seeking to establish contacts with similar museums elsewhere, and. to exchange information and publications with them. All communications should be addressed to the Director, Iraq Natural History Museum, Baghdad, Iraq.

Variations in Abundance of Certain Invertebrates in William Trelease Woods, 1933-1938

This paper differs from several others on the same area in that it proved possible to trace variations in abundance (annuation) for five consecutive years for several species and for four years for a larger number. Some effort was made to trace changes from season to season (aspection) and some results were worthy of record. The difficulties encountered made possible a statement of the best methods to follow. Several community studies have been made at the University of Illinois, largely in the two woodlands owned by the University and known as William Trelease Woods (formerly University Woods) and Brownfield Woods. McDougall (1922) has given an account of the plants in William Trelease Woods, and in 1928 he and Penfound made a further report upon the plant forms there. Weese (1924) studied the invertebrates in this woodland during 1921-1922. Several later workers have considered various phases of the community problem. Blake (1926) gave an account of hibernation among invertebrates, based on his observations made during the winter of 19241925. In a later paper (1931) he considered the spring population of 1925. Rutherford (1929), working in Brownfield Woods, studied the movements of insects in hibernation. Smith-Davidson (1930) reported upon the treelayer society in both Brownfield and William Trelease Woods, a phase heretofore neglected. Her later paper (1932) gave an excellent account of seasonal variability and its effect upon total populations as seen in 1925-1926. In 1933 studies of the animal community at William Trelease Woods were begun in the desire to have continuous records of animal populations over a period long enough to indicate the reactions of the animals to weather changes. Collections of invertebrates from 1933 to 1935 were made by Rice (1944) and were continued from 1935 to 1936 by Kanatzar, who prepared a master's thesis which was not published. The writer's work began in the fall of 1936 and continued until Septembet, 1938. Rice (1946) tested the methods used and analyzed the populations of forest species with reference to weather and bird predation. Her work began October 1, 1934, and ended with September, 1935. However, she made use of Kanatzar's data through November, 1935, and began her most serious analysis with November 1, 1933, and ended with October 31, 1935. It was possible for the writer to report on nine species through the entire period, on six species through Kanatzar's period of study, and two species through Rice's period of study with Kanatzar's year omitted. Only one species analyzed by Rice was graphed by the author and this for a different purpose.

Food of the Red-Backed Salamander

T HE following account reports the stomach examination of 169 red-backed salamanders (Pletkodon cinereus Green) collected near Ithaca, New York, from October 2 until November 10, 1942. One hundred and forty-nine contained food while 20 were empty or nearly so. The collections were made at several stations, the majority of specimens being taken in mixed hardwood and pine-hemlock woodlands. Most of these were found under rotting logs and flat rocks. A large number were found under flat stones in dried up stream beds; perhaps the damper soil presents an easier path to the hibernating quarters, wherever this may be. The individuals were solitary, or were sometimes found in groups of 3 or 4. On November 10, one salamander was found, and none were seen thereafter. The salamanders were put immediately into 10% formalin, and examined later in the laboratory. At the same time, the writer made a collection of invertebrates from the habitat of the salamanders in hope that it would assist in the future determination of food items. Once identified, these items were compared with those taken from the salamanders' stomachs.The percentage by bulk of the food elements in each stomach was estimated as carefully as possible, and the results are analyzed in the Table. This paper will serve as a supplement to those of Surface (1913), Blanchard (1928), Smallwood (1928), and Hamilton (1932). Insects made up 73.2% of the total, and occurred in almost every stomach. The order Coleoptera was most important, both adults and larvae forming over 20% of the total stomach contents. Carabids, chrysomelids, staphylinids (Philonthus and Staphylinus), curculionids, and lampyrids were frequently encountered. Elaterids (Melanotus), alleculids, and cryptophagids were found sparingly. Diptera formed 10.5% of the total, and sometimes constituted the entire stomach contents of an individual. Tipulid larvae commonly occurred under rotting logs, and sometimes 6 or 8 form the last meal of a salamander. The larvae of a species of Bibio were often found under stones in large aggregations, and were much eaten by the salamanders. Hymenopterous remains formed slightly less than 10%, about half of which were ants (Lasius sp. and others). Hibernating wasps were frequently found under the same logs as were the salamanders, and the smaller species were sometimes eaten. Lygaeids and tingids (lacebugs) were the most common hemipterans, and the order made up 5.6% of the total. A number of lepidopterous larvae were eaten. Many of the leaf mining larvae listed as unidentified insects are undoubtedly of this order. One might well speculate as to how the salamanders obtained such food; sometimes bits of leaf remained with the insect, making certain their origin. Several red-backs had dined upon the wingless females of moths distended with brown, keg-shaped eggs; and not infrequently the eggs alone served to identify this insect. Thrips

A new unarmed cysticercoid, Cysticercus setiferus

During the spring, summer, and autumn of 1935 and 1936, bi-weekly collections of invertebrates were made in the chicken yards of the Zoological Division Field Station at Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A. Among a miscellaneous group of insects found near a feed trough on 15 July 1935, was a small beetle, Litargus sp. This insect contained two specimens of a peculiar bristly cysticercoid. In September 1936, five beetles, Alphitophagus bifasciatus, collected in the same chicken yards, each contained from 1 to 8 of these larval cestodes. Additional specimens of what appear to be the same cysticercoid were collected by Dr H. L. Van Volkenberg (1931) (U.S. Nat. Mus. Helm. Coll. Nos. 41673 and 41672) on 10 July 1934 and 4 April 1935, respectively, from Ataenius stercorator at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. A comparison of both in toto mounts and sections of the specimens from Puerto Rico with those from Maryland showed that the larval cestodes are identical. The name Cysticercus setiferus is proposed for this species.