Beetles (Coleoptera: Histeridae and Scarabaeidae) from previously unsampled populations of pocket gopher burrows in Louisiana

Pocket gopher burrows (Rodentia: Geomyidae) were sampled from five previously unsampled localities in northern Louisiana to determine the associated faunal composition of Histeridae and Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera). Sampling produced four species of Histeridae and seven species of Scarabaeidae, all of which had been previously reported from Louisiana. The most commonly collected scarab beetle was Cryptoscatomaseter haldemani (Horn) followed by Geomyphilus insolitus (Brown). Onthophilus kirni Ross was the most commonly collected hister beetle

First Record and Notes on the Ecology of the Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata) in Arkansas

We report a new state record for Pseudacris maculata from Arkansas. Furthermore, we conducted an ecological study from this population of P. maculata from Benton County. We found this population was primarily breeding during February and March. We also report limited findings on their reproduction, diet, and parasites

Notes on the Natural History of Selected Invertebrates from Arkansas, 2019

The invertebrate fauna are a large component of ecosystem. Yet, invertebrate biologists are few and scattered in Arkansas; thus, the invertebrate fauna of much of the state is poorly known. Herein we document new records of distribution and provide notes on the natural history of selected invertebrates from Arkansas. Of note, we provide records on planarians, crayfish, centipedes, and spiders

Responses of Bats to Forest Fragmentation in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Arkansas, USA

Intense conversion of bottomland hardwood forests to rice and soybeans in the Mississippi River Valley of Arkansas has restricted the remaining forest to isolated fragments. Habitat fragmentation has proven to be detrimental to population sustainability of several species, and is the subject of intense study with often species and latitude specific responses. We compared both coarse land area classes and landscape fragmentation metrics from six 30 km × 30 km subsets centered on publicly owned management areas to bat captures obtained from a 2005 population study. Patch density was the strongest predictor of total captures (R 2 = 0.801, p = 0.016) and of Myotis austroriparius captures (R 2 = 0.856, p = 0.008). Our findings indicate that patch density and area are important predictors of bottomland bat captures

Coccidian Parasites (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) of Arkansas Herpetofauna: A Summary with Two New State Records

Coccidian parasites (Protista: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) commonly infect reptiles, and to a lesser degree, amphibians. The family Eimeriidae includes at least 18 genera and 3 of them, Caryospora, Eimeria, and Isospora have been reported previously from various Arkansas herpetofauna. Over the past 3 decades, our community collaborative effort has provided a great deal of information on these parasites found in amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. Here, we provide a summary of all coccidians reported from herptiles of the state as well as provide 2 new state records for coccidians from non-native Mediterranean geckos, Hemidactylus turcicus

Vertebrate Natural History Notes from Arkansas, 2018

Because meaningful observations of natural history are not always part of larger studies, important pieces of information often are unreported. Small details, however, can fill gaps in understanding and lead to interesting questions about ecological relationships or environmental change. We have compiled recent important observations of distribution, deformities, and foods of various vertebrates, observations of winter activity of a woodchuck (Marmota monax) and winter torpor of a hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), and also report a very unusual case of bilateral gynandromorphism in a Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). These unique observations continue to add immensely to the growth of knowledge of the biology of vertebrates in Arkansas

Annotated Checklist of the Recent Wild Mammals of Arkansas

Volume: 293Start Page: 1End Page: 1

Coleoptera (Histeridae, Leiodidae and Scarabaeidae) inhabiting the burrows of Baird’s pocket gopher (Rodentia: Geomyidae: \u3ci\u3eGeomys breviceps\u3c/i\u3e) in Arkansas

Pocket gopher burrows were sampled from 22 counties within Arkansas to determine the associated faunal composition of three major families of Coleoptera (Histeridae, Leiodidae and Scarabaeidae) commonly associated with pocket gopher burrows. We collected eight species of Histeridae, four species of Leiodidae and eight species of Scarabaeidae from the burrows of Geomys breviceps Baird. Three of the Histeridae were new state records, Geomysaprinus goffi Ross, G. rugosifrons (Fall) and Margarinotus felipae (Lewis). All of the Leiodidae were new state records and one Scarabaeidae was a new state record, Dellacasiellus concavus (Say). The most commonly collected scarab beetles were Cryptoscatomaseter haldemani (Horn) and Geomyphilus insolitus (Brown). The most commonly collected hister beetle was Onthophilus kirni Ross. The Leiodidae were infrequently captured

Responses of Bats to Forest Fragmentation in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, Arkansas, USA

Intense conversion of bottomland hardwood forests to rice and soybeans in the Mississippi River Valley of Arkansas has restricted the remaining forest to isolated fragments. Habitat fragmentation has proven to be detrimental to population sustainability of several species, and is the subject of intense study with often species and latitude specific responses. We compared both coarse land area classes and landscape fragmentation metrics from six 30 km × 30 km subsets centered on publicly owned management areas to bat captures obtained from a 2005 population study. Patch density was the strongest predictor of total captures (R2 = 0.801, p = 0.016) and of Myotis austroriparius captures (R2 = 0.856, p = 0.008). Our findings indicate that patch density and area are important predictors of bottomland bat captures

The Fleas (Arthropoda: Insecta: Siphonaptera) of Arkansas

Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) are important ectoparasites of cats, dogs, other mammals (including humans), and birds, and are an important component of the biota of North America. In addition, they can be nuisance biters and serve as vectors or intermediate hosts of several flea-borne disease agents and parasites that negatively affect mammals and birds. In Arkansas, there have been no recent comprehensive summaries of fleas in the last 45+ years. Here, we provide a summary of the 29 species of fleas within 7 families that have been recorded from the state, update their taxonomy, and note their medical and veterinary importance