New collections and records for earwigflies and scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Meropeidae and Panorpidae) in Florida

I add new collection and phenological data on the North American earwigfly, Merope tuber Newman, and new county records for the red scorpionfly, Panorpa rufa Gray, and veined scorpionfly, Panorpa venosa Westwood, in Florida. Additionally, I report on a new Georgia county record for the extralimital species, Panorpa ferruginea Byers, the ferruginous scorpionfly, and speculate on its potential occurrence in Florida

Etymology of the earwigfly, Merope tuber Newman (Mecoptera: Meropeidae): Simply dull or just inscrutable?

The naturalist Edward Newman did not provide an etymology for the mecopteran Merope tuber when he described it in 1838. In 1872 Asa Fitch asserted that the genus was named after Merope one of the Pleiades sisters of Greek mythology; however, he provided no reason for his assumption. We researched several etymological alternatives. We concur with Fitch and conclude that Newman did indeed name the genus Merope after the dullest of the Pleiades sisters

A state record for the Oconee scorpionfly, Panorpa oconee Byers (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), in Florida

I provide the first state record for the Oconee scorpionfly, Panorpa oconee Byers, from Putnam County, Florida. This is the southernmost record for P. oconee, extends its range 321 km south of its known distribution and, if valid, adds a seventh described species of panorpid, and twelfth mecopteran, indigenous to Florida

Preliminary Checklist of the Mecoptera of Florida: Earwigflies, Hangingflies, and Scorpionflies

We provide the first species checklist of Mecoptera indigenous to Florida, based upon preliminary data gathered primarily from specimens housed in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods. There are 11 described and one undescribed species of mecopterans, representing three families, inhabiting the state of Florida. These include the recently discovered meropeid (earwigfly), Merope tuber Newman, four species of bittacids (hangingflies), represented by the genus Bittacus Latreille, and 7 species (one undescribed) of panorpids (scorpionflies), represented by the genus Panorpa Linnaeus. We are not certain if one of these, Bittacus texanus Banks, is indigenous, represents a nonindigenous occurrence, or is simply erroneous. Two of the species on our list, Bittacus stigmaterus Say and Panorpa venosa Westwood, represent first state records and one species, Panorpa floridana Byers, is endemic. Six of the species which have been recorded in Florida, M. tuber, Bittacus punctiger Westwood, Panorpa rufa Gray, Panorpa pachymera Byers, Panorpa lugubris Swederus and P. venosa, represent the southernmost records for these species in the continental United States. Perceived diversity and abundance of mecopteran species in Florida are limited by climate, biogeography, and collection bias

Records for Bittacus Hangingflies and Panorpa Scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Bittacidae and Panorpidae) in Florida

We provide new county records for four species of panorpids (Panorpa americana Swederus, Panorpa lugubris Swederus, Panorpa sp. undetermined, and one undescribed species from the Panorpa rufescens Rambur species group) and two species of bittacids (Bittacus pilicornis Westwood, Bittacus punctiger Westwood), and call attention to a previously published county record for another species, Panorpa rufa Gray, in Florida. Additionally, we reject a previously published record for the scorpionfly Panorpa claripennis Hine in Florida, which we overlooked in our 2008 preliminary checklist of Florida mecopterans. The record for P. lugubris in Miami-Dade County is the southernmost record for any panorpid in the continental United States

Rediscovery of the Florida Scorpionfly, Panorpa floridana Byers (Mecoptera: Panorpidae)

We describe the rediscovery of the Florida scorpionfly, Panorpa floridana Byers (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), at Gold Head Branch State Park, Clay County, Florida, based upon a single, living, adult specimen photographed on 4 November 2010. The hardcopy photographic prints and electronic digital images of this panorpid are the first vouchers for P. floridana in 28 years, the only observation of a living specimen, and the sixth individual known of this seemingly rare Florida endemic

Geographic Distribution: Anolis sagrei (Brown Anole). USA: Florida: Escambia Co.

Pensacola: Agriculture Interdiction Station 1-10, Station 19: 1-10 eastbound (30.54519°N, 87.35201°W, WGS84). 15 November 2012. Katrina Simmons and Randal St. Louis. Verified by Kenneth L. Krysko, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida (UF 169126). First county interdiction and westernmost vouchered specimen for the Florida Panhandle (Krysko et al. 2011. Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Florida. Final report, Project Agreement 080l3, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee. 524 pp.). Currently, A. sagrei is not known to be established in Escambia Co., but is present in adjacent Santa Rosa Co. and at least 54 other Florida counties (Krysko et al. 2011, op. cit.). One adult male was confiscated from a truck delivering horticultural plants from Alvin, Brazoria Co., Texas, where non-indigenous A. sagrei is previously established (McCoid 2006. Herpetol. Rev. 37:361). The specimen was originally turned in to Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville, Florida; Entomology Log No. E2012- 8695. The vehicle\u27s destination was Boynton Beach, Palm Beach Co., Florida, where an established population of this Caribbean anole already exists (Krysko et al. 2011, op. cit.), and potentially could have contributed to the known genetic admixture among various invasive populations (Kolbe et al. 2004. Nature 431:177- 181; Kolbe et al. 2008. BioI. Lett. 4:434-437). I thank Dyrana Russell for details regarding confiscation locality

Possible Addition of the Prairie Skink to the Diet of the Grackle

On 8 June 1984, at the intersection of California Street and the Union Pacific RR tracks, just west of Saddle Creek Road in Omaha, a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) was seen flying approximately 2 m above the observer, with a large adult prairie skink, (Eumeces septentrionalis) (Reptilia; Sauria) in its bill. The Grackle had difficulty flying, since the skink was somewhat heavy and struggling violently, The Grackle dropped to the ground about 7 m away and released the lizard. The skink lay on its back, twitching slightly. The distal half of its tail was missing. The lack of male breeding colors and presence of a relatively stout abdomen during this season indicated that it was a gravid female. When I approached to within 3 m of the Grackle, it immediately grabbed the skink and flew away. This observation occurred at 1315. It is not known if the lizard was eventually ingested