Tellier, J.M., M. Humphreys, S. Minoudi, A. Triantafyllidis & E.T. Schultz. 2023. What are you doing here? Unexpected occurrences of Knobfin Sculpins (Cottus immaculatus) in Connecticut. Ichthyology and Herpetology 111: 1-7. pdf

Abstract reads: Reductions in cold-water habitat owing to anthropogenic stressors are focusing attention on indicator fish species. We investigated an apparent range expansion in Connecticut of a native cold-water fish, Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus). Unexpectedly, genetic and morphological analyses identified the new population as a non-native cottid from the Ozark region, the Knobfin Sculpin (C. immaculatus). This is the first record of C. immaculatus outside of its native range. The new occurrences were not recognized for over a decade despite comprehensive watershed inventories by state natural resource managers. The mechanism by which the non-native Knobfin Sculpin first arrived in Connecticut is currently unknown. Our findings suggest that unintentional species introductions may occur more frequently than is currently recognized and highlight the need for more comprehensive assessments of non-native species distributions.

Schiefer, T. L. (2022). Reevaluation of the subgeneric classification of the North American species of Prionus Geoffroy (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Prionini), with a revision of the subgenus Neopolyarthron Semenov and notes on Prionus (Antennalia) fissicornis Haldeman and Prionus (Prionus) californicus Motschulsk. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 148(3): 335–504.

Abstract reads: The classification of North American species of Prionus (Prionus) Geoffroy, sensu lato, is reevaluated based on male antennal morphology, with three subgenera being recognized: P. (Prionus), consisting of P. aztecus Casey, P. californicus Motschulsky, P. evoluticornis Komiya & Nogueira, P. flohri Bates, P. heroicus Semenov, P. howdeni Chemsak, P. laticollis (Drury), P. lecontei Lameere, P. mexicanus Bates, P. pocularis Dalman, and P. poultoni Lameere; P. (Antennalia) Casey, revived status, consisting of P. fissicornis Haldeman; and P. (Neopolyarthron) Semenov, revived status. The species of P. (Neopolyarthron) are revised and consist of P. imbricornis (Linnaeus), P. debilis Casey, revived status, and P. cuneatus Casey, revived status, with the latter two species being removed from synonymy with P. imbricornis. Prionus robustus Casey, new synonymy, is transferred from synonymy with P. imbricornis to synonymy with P. cuneatus. Prionus fissicornis parviceps Casey, revised synonymy, is removed from synonymy with P. imbricornis and returned to synonymy with P. fissicornis. A lectotype is designated for Cerambyx imbricornis Linnaeus. Keys to North American subgenera of Prionus and to species of P. (Neopolyarthron) are provided. The species of P. (Neopolyarthron) are redescribed, diagnosed, and illustrated, with the female of P. debilis being illustrated for the first time. A county-level distribution map is provided for each species of P. (Neopolyarthron) along with a detailed discussion of distribution, host records, habitat, and conservation status. Prionus imbricornis is associated with forested habitats, P. debilis is associated with tallgrass prairies, and P. cuneatus is associated with prairies and other grasslands. Prionus fissicornis is diagnosed from species of P. (Neopolyarthron), and the type specimens of P. (Antennalia) fissicornis parviceps Casey, P. (Antennalia) fissicornis transversus Casey, and P. (Antennalia) thoracicus Casey are reviewed and illustrated. The date of publication for P. fissicornis is corrected from 1846 to 1847. The following new state records are provided: for P. imbricornis: Delaware and New Jersey; for P. debilis: Minnesota; and for P. cuneatus: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The following previously published country, state, and provincial records are considered to be in error and are removed from the distribution of the relevant species: for P. imbricornis: Canada (Ontario), Croatia, Dominican Republic, Germany, Haiti, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; for P. debilis: Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas; for P. fissicornis: Ontario, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina; and for P. californicus: Arkansas and Georgia.

The Biodiversity Research Collections, with Katrina Menard in the lead, was recently awarded a National Science Foundation grant to digitize it’s bee collection as part of an effort to track the effects of climate change in this enigmatic group of pollinators. The University of Connecticut collection is particularly important as one of the largest collections of New England bees, and by making these data available to researchers and the public through digitization and imaging, we hope to better understand how climate change affects the distribution and diversity of this group of insects on a regional and global scale. 

The grant is awarded as part of a collaborative research entitled: Digitization TCN: iDigBees network, towards complete digitization of US bee collections to promote ecological and evolutionary research in a keystone clade.

The funding will be for four undergraduate students each semester to digitize our bee collection and image at least 700 specimens (approximately one per species of bee we have) over a four year period, giving them valuable collection and research experience. We anticipate to present a poster of the data at the Entomological Society of America meeting this year, giving the students new experiences in professional societies as well

Proposal abstract reads: Bees are the most important pollinators in both managed and natural landscapes, and concerns are quickly growing about declines in bee diversity and numbers. Only a fraction of the ca. 4,000 known bee species in the United States have adequate data for assessing their presence or absence in an ecosystem. The iDigBees Thematic Collections Network addresses this problem by transcribing specimen label information for thousands of bee specimens in US insect collections into a shared global database. As a result, bees will become the first major insect group to have specimen data sufficiently digitized to promote research projects and support conservation efforts. Specifically, the iDigBees project will (1) map distributions for thousands of bee species and quantify patterns of bee biodiversity; (2) identify data gaps to inform future inventory and monitoring efforts; (3) reveal changes in species distributions over time through historic records; (4) document the impacts of a changing climate on bees; (5) identify critical taxa and geographic areas for conservation; and (6) establish a network of researchers, conservationists, and land managers to rapidly utilize data for research, education, public policy, and land management. The education program will coordinate an array of existing programs and create a new technology-mediated learning tool, SMARTBees, to serve high school and college students. Obtaining specimen-level data on US bee species and communities, and integrating findings into education programs, are essential steps toward addressing the pollinator crisis.

iDigBees represents an in-depth insect biodiversity digitization initiative that will mobilize at least 350,000 bee specimen records, and 6,600 high-resolution image suites. Obtaining specimen-level data on US bee species and communities is an essential step toward addressing the pollinator crisis. Via the novel networks proposed here, species distribution patterns and “extended specimen” data will emerge, leading to testable hypotheses as to underlying mechanisms and predictions on how bees will respond to future global changes. Integrated data will also shed light on how particular life-history traits life-history traits respond to environmental change. iDigBees will help to highlight candidate pollinator restoration options for agricultural, urban, and other managed landscapes. This project, in partnership with researchers and government agencies, will provide open-source datasets for policy, research, and education. The iDigBees model will be promoted throughout North America and other continents to foster “deep global digitization”. The iDigBees network integrates educational and public engagement initiatives to work with the Biodiversity Literacy in Undergraduate Education (BLUE) RCN to build and implement novel biodiversity data-centric Open Education Resources that promote student-oriented learning. SMARTBees will serve as a digital platform featuring learning modules designed to serve culturally diverse high school students who are transitioning into community college as well as first year undergraduates. Building on the extended specimen model exemplary digital bee specimens will teach students host plant relationships, key evolutionary concepts and the important role pollinators have in sustaining the biodiversity of our planet.

Vouchers of specimens studied for these two projects are housed in the CONN herbarium.

Abstract reads: Physcomitrium pygmaeum is an ephemeral moss described in 1871 from a single collection from Utah, currently considered conspecific with Physcomitrium pyriforme. The interpretation of the taxon has been problematic due to its rarity in the field, the elusiveness of the type material, and an extremely scattered and inconsistent collection record. Here we present a comprehensive description and assessment of the taxon following the identification of the original material and lectotype designation, the examination of all existing herbarium specimens to the best of our knowledge, the collection of fresh material in Nevada, and the molecular barcoding of the latter using four plastid and two nuclear loci. Available information, albeit scant, suggests that this member of the North American bryoflora should be considered critically endangered following IUCN criteria.