Rustica Linnaeus Research Articles

Morphometric analysis of three Mediterranean limpets Patella caerulea Linnaeus, 1758, P. rustica Linnaeus, 1758 and the endangered P. ferruginea Gmelin, 1791 (Gastropoda Patellidae) from the Algerian West Coast

Morphometric analysis of three Mediterranean limpets Patella caerulea Linnaeus, 1758, P. rustica Linnaeus, 1758 and the endangered P. ferruginea Gmelin, 1791 (Gastropoda Patellidae) from the Algerian West Coast

Annual adult survival rates for four sympatric breeding swallow species: effects of environmental factors and density-dependence

Swallow (Family: Hirundinidae) populations in the Canadian Maritimes have declined since the 1980s. Using mark–recapture data from 2012 to 2019, we determined apparent annual adult survival rates for Barn ( Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758), Tree ( Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)), Bank ( Riparia riparia (Linnaeus, 1758)), and Cliff ( Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (Vieillot, 1817)) swallows. For two data-rich species (Barn and Tree swallows), we modelled the relationships between survival and weather (cold snaps, precipitation, temperature, and wind speed), climate (El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) as a measure of primary productivity during the winter, number of active nests as a measure of site quality, and the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) annual population index as density-dependent processes. Survival rates for all four species were typically higher (Barn and Tree) or similar to (Cliff and Bank) of estimates from populations that have not undergone severe, long-term declines. Across weather and climate variables, conditions that are typically favourable for high insect availability (e.g., higher precipitation, warmer temperatures, and lower wind speeds) resulted in higher survival. For female Barn and Tree swallows, survival was higher when EVI was lower, and for Barn Swallows, survival was also higher when the BBS index was higher. Collectively our results demonstrate that conditions throughout the annual cycle affect survival, and the relationships with weather and climate variables support the importance of high insect availability.

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The habitat type and food availability always influence the population size of many organisms. Bird’s feeding pattern should be abstracted to complete avian community structure data. The agronomy main research farm of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology is a well-managed multi-crop agro-ecosystem which provides a suitable ground for ecological research. In a multi-crop farmland, the association of Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758, with the Indian mustard Brassica juncea (L.) Czernajew, 1859 crops have been recorded for the first time while hovering only on this field. A flock of Barn swallows was recorded in 32 field visits while flying continuously over the Indian mustard field after flowering to ripening of fruit in the morning and sometimes in afternoon also. The range of the birds was recorded from 6 to 61 with a mean individual of 36.03 ± 15.37 hovering for 1.83 hr daily. This may be the behaviour for the feeding pattern of these flying insectivorous birds which was not seen in other crop-fields with same insect diversity describing it as not the only reason for this behaviour. To reveal this poorly understood behaviour of flying insectivore birds, a detailed long term behavioural study with gut content analysis is needed to explain the particular reason behind this behaviour of Barn swallows which will support the conservation of these birds and control their population decline.

Effects of turbine height and cut-in speed on bat and swallow fatalities at wind energy facilities

Understanding the relationship between the height of wind turbines and wildlife fatalities is important for informing and mitigating wildlife collisions as ever taller and denser arrays of wind turbines are erected across the landscape. We examined relationships between turbine height and fatalities of bats and swallows at 811 turbines in Ontario, Canada, ranging from 119 to 186 m tall. We accounted for cut-in speeds, operational mitigation, and taller turbines projecting carcasses farther from the turbine base than shorter turbines. Fatalities of hoary bats ( Lasiurus cinereus Palisot de Beauvois, 1796), silver-haired bats ( Lasionycteris noctivagans Le Conte, 1831), and big brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus Palisot de Beauvois, 1796) increased with increased maximum blade height of turbines. In contrast, fatalities of little brown bat ( Myotis lucifugus Le Conte, 1831) and eastern red bat ( Lasiurus borealis Müller, 1776) decreased with increased turbine height. Fatalities of purple martins ( Progne subis Linnaeus, 1758) and tree swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor Vieillot, 1808) were higher at taller turbines than shorter turbines. However, fatalities of cliff swallow ( Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Vieillot, 1817) and barn swallow ( Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758) were not associated with turbine height. Our results suggest that varying flight height among species may be one factor affecting collision risk.

Birds of the Ramsar site Estação Ecológica de Taiamã and buffer zone, Pantanal wetlands, Brazil

The Estação Ecológica de Taiamã (EET) is one of the Ramsar sites in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil. We present an annotated list of bird species recorded between 2015 and 2018, along with a compilation of existing data for this area. In our sampling, 207 species were recorded, with 76% documented. We have the first record of Chlidonias niger (Linnaeus, 1758) for the Pantanal and Central region of Brazil. Another 30 species are new records for EET, such as the migrant Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758. The general list comprises 24 orders, 60 families, and 278 species, of which 160 were assigned to the primary list and 118 to the secondary list. This study will aid in the conservation of biodiversity in the Pantanal. The EET and its buffer zone are important for maintaining biodiversity and expanding its boundaries may further promote the conservation of birds in Brazilian wetlands.

Does prey availability affect the reproductive performance of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) breeding in Ontario, Canada?

Animal populations are often limited by food availability, particularly during the breeding season. In birds, food limitation can impact several components of the reproductive cycle, including the timing of reproduction and reproductive output. Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758) have experienced a population decline over the past 40 years in North America that is thought to be related to changes in prey availability. We monitored Barn Swallow reproductive behaviour and prey availability throughout two breeding seasons at 10 sites in Ontario, Canada, to test the hypothesis that limited prey availability during the breeding season affected reproductive behaviour. We found no relationship between food availability and number of eggs laid or number of young fledged. Neither did we observe higher rates of second brooding or more pairs nesting at breeding sites with higher food availability. Barn Swallows did not time their reproductive effort to maximize prey availability during the nesting period, but any mismatch in phenology of prey and bird reproduction at a breeding site was not associated with lower reproductive success. The results of this study did not support our hypothesis and suggest that Barn Swallow reproductive behaviour was not negatively affected by limited prey availability on the breeding grounds.

Seasonal variations of the biometric indices of Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758 (Gastropoda Patellidae) from contrasted sites of the western Algerian coast

Seasonal variations of the biometric indices of Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758 (Gastropoda Patellidae) from contrasted sites of the western Algerian coast

Fate of a climate-driven colonisation: Demography of newly established populations of the limpet Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758, in northern Portugal

Even though a large number of studies linking changes in species distributions to global warming have been published in the last decades, the long-term success of invasions or range shifts has rarely been evaluated. The intertidal limpet Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758, is a warm-water species whose changes in distribution have been related to the recent warming off northern Portugal. Here we analyse the effects of the severe winter of 2008/2009 on the demographic structure of P. rustica, with the objectives of reassessing its geographical distribution and testing the mechanisms underlying the establishment of range limits. In addition, three decades of sea surface temperature were analysed, providing information on the thermal context contemporaneous to the distributional changes. Despite the cold winter of 2008/2009, the abundance of P. rustica increased in the study area, showing that the previously reported changes on the distribution of this species were not ephemeral. The demographic analyses suggested that even though early life stages are probably affected by extreme low winter temperatures, adults are less sensitive, with important consequences for the resilience of marginal populations and the fluctuations of distributional ranges. These results emphasise the importance of considering the demographic consequences of thermal stress when trying to understand and forecast the effects of climate change on biogeography and biodiversity.

Recent changes in the distribution of a marine gastropod, Patella rustica, across the Iberian Atlantic coast did not result in diminished genetic diversity or increased connectivity

AbstractAim The Lusitanian limpet, Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758, is a rocky shore intertidal mollusc found throughout the Mediterranean and the north‐east Atlantic from Mauritania to southern France. A 280‐km gap in its distribution in the Iberian north‐west was first reported in the early 20th century. Between 2002 and 2005 this gap was bridged, and unusual climatic and hydrographic events that occurred in the late 1990s are hypothesized to have facilitated transport and settlement of colonizers from the southern edge of the gap. In the present work we used genetic data to investigate differentiation between the edges of the former gap, to determine the origin of colonizers and to assess patterns of connectivity across the historical and newly colonized region.Location Atlantic coast of Iberia (Portugal and north‐west Spain) and Biarritz.Methods The genetic variation of 12 sites, sampled between 2004 and 2006, was assessed through the analysis of five microsatellites (n = 412) and of a 650‐bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI; n = 163). F‐statistics were used to investigate differentiation and patterns of gene flow across the distribution of P. rustica, from southern Portugal to Biarritz. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mismatch distribution was analysed and the mutation–drift equilibrium tested to investigate putative demographic changes.Results Levels of differentiation were low and generally non‐significant. Comparisons between regions of the historical distribution were all non‐significant. For microsatellites, low yet significant genetic differentiation was observed when all three regions were included. Levels of genetic diversity of newly founded populations were similar to those observed within the historical range. Evidence of demographic changes was detected with mtDNA and microsatellites.Main conclusions The studied region is inhabited by a single population, suggesting that the gap in the distribution of P. rustica was not an effective barrier to gene flow. If it has ever prevented gene flow, it did not last enough time for genetic differentiation to occur. On the other hand, the main currents flowing along the Atlantic coast of Iberia could have been responsible for maintaining connectivity through occasional larval transport across a considerable stretch of inhospitable habitat.

Feather micro‐organisms and uropygial antimicrobial defences in a colonial passerine bird

Summary1. The relationship between the composition of communities of micro‐organisms and their hosts remains poorly understood. We conducted extensive field studies of feather‐degrading bacteria, other cultivable bacteria, and fungi on the plumage of a migratory bird, the barn swallowHirundo rusticaLinnaeus, to understand the association between micro‐organisms, host sociality and host antimicrobial defences, as reflected by the size of the uropygial gland.2. The abundance of feather‐degrading bacteria, but not other cultivable bacteria or fungi, decreased with increasing size of the uropygial gland.3. Females had more feather‐degrading bacteria than males.4. Barn swallows living in larger colonies had more feather‐degrading bacteria than less social conspecifics.5. These findings suggest that the uropygial gland plays a specific role in regulating the abundance of feather‐degrading bacteria that furthermore depends on the social environment of the host.

High genetic differentiation with no evidence of hybridisation between four limpet species (<i>Patella</i> spp.) revealed by allozyme loci

The occurrence of hybridisation between limpet species of the genus Patella has always been a contentious issue. Although a previous allozyme study reported high differentiation and no hybridisation between Patella vulgata Linnaeus, 1758, Patella depressa Pennant, 1777 and Patella ulyssiponensis Gmelin, 1791 along English shores, the recent finding of an mtDNA haplotype of P. depressa in a P. vulgata individual raised new doubts on this issue. To further study the possibility of hybridisation between limpet species and their level of genetic differentiation, ten allozyme loci were screened using starch gel electrophoresis for P. ulyssiponensis, P. depressa, P. vulgata and Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758, from the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Our results show high differentiation between species, which could be clearly separated into different clusters with a Bayesian clustering algorithm. No significant signs of hybridisation were detected between any of the four species. Thus, the hypothesis of hybridisation between P. vulgata and P. depressa across their sympatric distribution is not supported. Two sympatric clusters were recovered within P. vulgata that could be related to Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium found in locus MPI. Finally, due to the high level of intraspecific variability, the studied loci are interesting tools for the analysis of population structure and stock identification.

Recent changes in the distribution of a marine gastropod, Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758, and their relationship to unusual climatic events

AbstractAim Recent colonization of northern Portuguese shores by Patella rustica Linnaeus, 1758, led to the bridging of a historical gap in the distribution known since the 1900s. Long‐term oceanographic data collected over the last half‐century were examined in order to detect possible mechanisms for the observed change in its distribution.Location This study was carried out along the entire Portuguese coastline, from 41°50′ to 37°06′ N. Time‐series of hydrographical variables (sea surface temperature and salinity) were derived for the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula.Methods Abundance and size‐frequency distributions of the newly observed limpet populations were compared with those from well‐established populations in southern Portugal. Anomalies were computed for sea surface temperature (1950–2000) and sea surface salinity (1958–2001) data, covering the whole Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. An upwelling index (1967–2005) was derived for a single location within the distributional gap of P. rustica. Split moving window analysis was performed to detect significant discontinuities in hydrographical data sets.Results Patella rustica has gradually been expanding in northern Iberia, and in the late 1990s the historical gap in distribution in northern Portugal was bridged. Size‐frequency distribution differed between historical and recent populations, the latter lacking small‐sized individuals. At the same time, several anomalous oceanographic events occurred off the Portuguese coast and were probably related to this expansion.Main conclusions Although sea surface temperature might be a major determinant of the reproductive success of P. rustica and hence its dispersal potential, it is more likely that a coincidence of several factors occurring in the late 1990s provided exceptional conditions that allowed the geographical expansion of this species.

Experimental tail shortening in Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) affects haematocrit

Summary Recent studies in Scotland suggest that the outermost tail feathers of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica Linnaeus) may be around 10–12 mm longer than the aerodynamic optimum, with sexual selection for long tails accounting for this extra length. To test this hypothesis, we shortened the outermost tail feathers in male and female Barn Swallows in southern Spain by cutting 1, 11 or 21 mm from the tips of the feathers, and checked for change in haematocrit 1 month later. Haematocrit levels were high when birds arrived at the breeding grounds due to an intense effort for flight during migration, but these levels decreased during the breeding season. We predicted that this decrease would be more pronounced when tail length was closer to the aerodynamic optimum (tails shortened by 11 mm), and less pronounced as tail length was displaced from that optimum (tails shortened by 1 or 21 mm). Contrary to expectations, we found that the smaller the experimental reduction in tail length, the more pronounced the decrease in haematocrit. Barn Swallows with little parental effort and originally long tail feathers experienced a more pronounced decrease in haematocrit than individuals with strong parental effort and originally short tail feathers, respectively, although only in the group of birds with tails shortened by 21 mm. These results do not support the hypothesis that outermost tail feathers in Barn Swallows have been elongated because of sexual selection, at least in the population studied, but are consistent with tail length being at an aerodynamic optimum, or very close to it. Differences in tail length among populations might help to understand the disagreement with previous studies.

A trade‐off between clutch size and incubation efficiency in the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Summary To investigate reproductive costs associated specifically with incubation for a single‐sex intermittent incubator, clutches of the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica Linnaeus) were manipulated in successive trios, involving reduced (n − 2), control (n) and enlarged (n + 2) clutch sizes (n is the natural clutch). All manipulated clutches were within the natural range. Manipulations were made shortly after clutch completion and reversed immediately prior to hatching, so the costs of incubation were examined in isolation while the demands of egg‐laying and nestling rearing were maintained at natural levels. The efficiency of incubation was dependent on clutch size: the period from laying to hatch was shortest for those incubating reduced (R), and longest for birds incubating enlarged (E) clutches (R: 14·8 ± 0·1 days, n = 28; control (C): 15·3 ± 0·3, n = 24; E: 15·6 ± 0·2 days, n = 28). Also, hatching success was higher amongst R (92%) than either C (85%) or E (81%) clutches. There was no evidence of an incubation cost due to clutch size in terms of parental body condition, provisioning of nestlings, or in the time interval before a second clutch. No difference was found in female nest attendance behaviour or in the decline in egg density (which could reflect water loss) according to our clutch manipulations, indicating that other factors probably underlie the effects observed. It was shown that the number of eggs being incubated affects components of fitness in Barn Swallows, independently of laying and chick‐rearing costs. Intraseasonal costs of incubation included prolonged egg development and reduced hatching success among larger clutches but did not affect nestling growth or interclutch intervals. We suggest that an inability to maintain optimal temperature for egg development is likely to underlie the observed responses to clutch size manipulations.

Case 3066. Macrophya Dahlbom, 1835 (Insecta, Hymenoptera): proposed designation of Ten-thredo montana Scopoli, 1763 as the type species; and Tenthredo rustica Linnaeus, 1758: proposed conservation of usage of the specific name by the replacement of the syntypes with a neotype

Case 3066. Macrophya Dahlbom, 1835 (Insecta, Hymenoptera): proposed designation of Ten-thredo montana Scopoli, 1763 as the type species; and Tenthredo rustica Linnaeus, 1758: proposed conservation of usage of the specific name by the replacement of the syntypes with a neotype

Carpoglyphus nidicolus- a new species of Carpoglyphidae (Acarina: Astigmata) inhabiting the nests of swallows

Abstract A new species of Carpoglyphidae, Carpoglyphus nidicolous, (Acarina : Astigmata) is established based on specimens collected from the nests of cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Vieillot) and barn swallows (Hirundo rustica Linnaeus) in Oregon, U.S.A.