Herons, Egrets and Bitterns

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil McKilligan
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Present Status ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Family ◽  
Southern Half

This is the first book to deal exclusively with the Australian members of the Family Ardeidae (herons, egrets and bitterns). It gives a comprehensive, easy-to-read account of their origins, classification and biology, and explains the features that distinguish them from other birds. The book devotes a major chapter to the 14 Australian species, covering their distribution and movements, feeding, breeding, population dynamics and conservation. Some of Australia’s herons have become very scarce in the southern half of the continent and are at risk of national or local extinction. In northern Australia heron habitats and resources are largely pristine and consequently this region accommodates large numbers of certain species. A final chapter on population and conservation provides a useful summary of the present status of the Australian herons, some of whom are thriving and others who are in a very precarious position.

scholarly journals A new Australian species of Rioxa, with a remarkable Life-habit (Dipt.; Trypaneidae)

1919 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
M. Bezzi
Keyword(s):  
Present Note ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Life Habit ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
The Family

Dr. Guy A. K. Marshall has recently submitted to me a Trypaneid, discovered in Northern Australia by Mr. G. F. Hill. The fly is said to have been bred from larvae having habits very different from those of the related members of the family; and being moreover interesting from a morphological and biogeographical standpoint, it forms the object of the present note.

Obstetrics and the family: Identification of mothers at risk for parenting failure, and methods of support

1981 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila M. Monaghan ◽  
Patricia M. Buckfield
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
The Family

Diatoms on the cirri of tropical barnacles

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.R. Bigelow ◽  
C.G. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Diatoms ◽  
Rocky Shores ◽  
Balanus Amphitrite ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Feeding Efficiency ◽  
The Family

Two species of large extension feeding barnacles are abundant on exposed tropical rocky shores of northern Australia. The cirri of many specimens carry varying numbers of a commensal diatom in some cases with as many as 2000 individuals on a single cirrus. The araphid diatom resembles the genus, Lichmophora within the family Fragilariaceae although no description has yet been published. Species of Lichmophora are common benthic diatoms in these waters as an epiphyte on macroalgae and common primary fouling diatoms on test panels. The diatom reported here has not been found on any substratum other than the barnacles Tetraclita squamosa and Australobalanus imperator, very rarely on Balanus amphitrite. Analysis of the diatom distribution on the cirri shows significantly higher numbers on the posterior captorial cirri. The effect of commensal diatoms on the feeding efficiency of the barnacles is discussed.

scholarly journals Population dynamics of five riverbed breeding bird species on the lower Drava River, NE Slovenia

Acrocephalus ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (174-175) ◽  
pp. 85-126
Author(s):  
Luka Božič ◽  
Damijan Denac
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
General Situation ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Main River Channel ◽  
Extreme Flood ◽  
Gravel Bars ◽  
Gravel Bar

AbstractIn 2006–2017, annual censuses of breeding bird species regarded as indicators of natural rivers were carried out on the 38.9 km long lowland stretch of the Drava riverbed between Maribor and Zavrč with altered flow regime due to the operating hydropower plants. Gravel bar habitats were surveyed in four years of the study period by combining orthophoto analysis and analysis of field photographs. Effects of gravel bar management were evaluated based at 20 locations. The Little Ringed PloverCharadrius dubiusoccurred on 39.8% of the gravel bars, but most were occupied only in a few years and held just one breeding pair. Low numbers between 2009 and 2012 (< 30 pairs) were followed by a steep population increase from 2014 onwards to a maximum of 66–73 pairs (1.7–1.9 p/km). Such population dynamics was attributed to the lack of large discharges (>500 m3/s) and consequent overgrowing of riverbed in the first part of the study period, while the increase in the second part was due to the creation of extensive shingle areas (from 20,6 ha in 2009/10 to 37,8 ha in 2014) by the extreme flood in early November 2012, subsequent regular occurrence of large discharges outside the breeding seasons and large-scale removals of woody vegetation. Breeding population of Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosremained at a rather similar low level (<20 p) during most of the period studied after an initial decline, and did not reflect changes in the overall surface area of riverbed habitats. Contrary to the general situation, the number of breeding pairs on gravel bars subjected to management increased several-fold. Maximum number of pairs on these bars was reached up to four years after the initiation of management measures, as only then the optimal mosaic of early successional stages interspersed with shingle areas developed at main sites. The species was widespread only on lower part of the Drava. KingfisherAlcedo atthiswas fairly widely distributed along the riverbed, but occurred in rather low densities throughout (c. one pair on 2–3 km of the studied riverbed on average), probably as a result of limited bank erosion and consequent overgrowing/lack of suitable nest sites. The population was estimated as stable with effects of harsh winter conditions on breeding numbers in some years. The majority of nest holes were excavated in eroded river banks along the main river channel (77.8%), followed by similar sites located in mouth areas of small tributaries of the Drava (14.8%). Regular breeding of Sand MartinRiparia ripariasince 2012 (up to 259, mostly at only one location annually) was almost exclusively the result of the annual artificial nest site preparation programme. Fairly large gravel bar-breeding population of White WagtailMotacilla alba, monitored since 2013 and predominantly ground nesting in sparsely vegetated areas, seems unusual considering the prevalent breeding habits of the species at the European scale. Conservation implications and guidelines for future management efforts are discussed.

An Interesting Attractant for Priacma serrata (Lee), (Cupesidae: Coleoptera)

1957 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 214-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Atkins
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Economic Importance ◽  
Field Station ◽  
Rotten Wood ◽  
Rotting Wood ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Trinity

On the warm morning of May 27, 1956 at the Trinity Valley field station near Lumby, B.C., some laundry hanging out to dry attracted large numbers of a strange Cerambycid-like beetle. Closer examination showed this insect to be Priacma serrata (Lec.) of the family Cupesidae (Fig. 1), an interesting and infrequently collected species.The family Cupesidae seems to have no economic importance, having only two genera and five species in North America that have been described (Blatchley, 1910). The larvae are reported to live in rotten wood; dissection of some adults collected at this time produced an entirely empty and deflated gut. The females and larvae of the closely related Micromalthus debilis Lec. are found in rotting wood in North America and were reported from decaying mine timbers far under ground in Johannesburg.

Revision of Australian Parathyginus with description of two new species, along with first detailed description of aedeagus in the family Heterogastridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea)

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5016 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-522
Author(s):  
M. B. MALIPATIL
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Male Genitalia ◽  
Type Species ◽  
Female Genitalia ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
Two New Species

The Australian species of the small heterogastrid genus Parathyginus Scudder, 1957 have been reviewed, resulting in the establishment of the junior subjective synonymy of P. doddi (Distant, 1918) with P. signifer (Walker, 1872), and the description of two new species, P. australis sp. nov. and P. acuminatus sp. nov. A redescription of the genus is provided with emphasis on male and female genitalia characters, along with a key to all included Australian species. Male genitalia, particularly the details of the aedeagus, have been rarely studied in this genus or for that matter the family Heterogastridae particularly due to the difficulty in inflating the inflatable sections. In this study, therefore, an attempt was made to fully inflate and describe the aedeagus of all the species included in this contribution, as well as of Heterogaster urticae (Fabricius, 1775), the type species of the oldest genus Heterogaster Schilling, 1829, of the family Heterogastridae.  

A molecular phylogeny of the circum-Antarctic Opiliones family Neopilionidae

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Giribet ◽  
Kate Sheridan ◽  
Caitlin M. Baker ◽  
Christina J. Painting ◽  
Gregory I. Holwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
South America ◽  
Morphological Study ◽  
18S Rrna ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
28S Rrna ◽  
South American ◽  
Australian Species ◽  
The Family

The Opiliones family Neopilionidae is restricted to the terranes of the former temperate Gondwana: South America, Africa, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Despite decades of morphological study of this unique fauna, it has been difficult reconciling the classic species of the group (some described over a century ago) with recent cladistic morphological work and previous molecular work. Here we attempted to investigate the pattern and timing of diversification of Neopilionidae by sampling across the distribution range of the family and sequencing three markers commonly used in Sanger-based approaches (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I). We recovered a well-supported and stable clade including Ballarra (an Australian ballarrine) and the Enantiobuninae from South America, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, but excluding Vibone (a ballarrine from South Africa). We further found a division between West and East Gondwana, with the South American Thrasychirus/Thrasychiroides always being sister group to an Australian–Zealandian (i.e. Australia + New Zealand + New Caledonia) clade. Resolution of the Australian–Zealandian taxa was analysis-dependent, but some analyses found Martensopsalis, from New Caledonia, as the sister group to an Australian–New Zealand clade. Likewise, the species from New Zealand formed a clade in some analyses, but Mangatangi often came out as a separate lineage from the remaining species. However, the Australian taxa never constituted a monophyletic group, with Ballarra always segregating from the remaining Australian species, which in turn constituted 1–3 clades, depending on the analysis. Our results identify several generic inconsistencies, including the possibility of Thrasychiroides nested within Thrasychirus, Forsteropsalis being paraphyletic with respect to Pantopsalis, and multiple lineages of Megalopsalis in Australia. In addition, the New Zealand Megalopsalis need generic reassignment: Megalopsalis triascuta will require its own genus and M. turneri is here transferred to Forsteropsalis, as Forsteropsalis turneri (Marples, 1944), comb. nov.

Population dynamics of muskrats and mink: investigating contemporary patterns in a classic predator-prey system

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam A Ahlers ◽  
Timothy P Lyons ◽  
Edward J Heske
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Density Dependence ◽  
American Mink ◽  
Population Cycles ◽  
The United States ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Cycle Lengths ◽  
Southern Half

A well-studied predator-prey relationship between American mink (Neovison vison (Schreber, 1777)) and muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus (Linnaeus, 1766)) in Canada has advanced our understanding of population cycles including the influence of density dependence and lagged responses of predators to prey abundances. However, it is unclear if patterns observed in Canada extend across the southern half of their native range. We used data from the United States to create a 41-year time series of mink and muskrat harvest reports (1970-2011) for 36 states. After controlling for pelt-price effects, we used 2nd order autoregressive and Lomb-Scargle spectral density models to identify the presence and periodicity of muskrat population cycles. Additionally, we tested for evidence of delayed or direct density dependence and for predator-driven population dynamics. Our results suggest muskrat populations may cycle in parts of the United States; however, results varied by modeling approaches with Lomb-Scargle analyses providing more precise parameter estimates. Observed cycle lengths were longer than expected with weak amplitudes and we urge caution when interpreting these results. We did not detect evidence of a predator-prey relationship driven by a lagged numerical response of American mink. American mink and muskrat fur returns were largely correlated across the region suggesting extraneous factors likely synchronize both populations.

Chalcidoidea of Iran (Insecta: Hymenoptera)

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Parasitoid Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
Differential Characters ◽  
Biological Attributes

Abstract Within Hymenoptera, the superfamily Chalcidoidea (chalcidoid wasps) is the second largest superfamily after Ichneumonoidea. Because of the preponderance of parasitoid species, Chalcidoidea is one of the most important groups in applied biological control. This book provides a comprehensive, accurate checklists for the chalcidoid fauna of Iran. The species listed in each family chapter include all the species recorded in the literature from Iran through 2019, with one exception as noted in Chapter 10 (Eurytomidae). Each family chapter includes differential characters to distinguish the family, hypothesized phylogenetic relationships with other families, and general biological attributes of the family. Previous cataloguing efforts of the Iranian fauna for the family are summarized, as well as the information included in the checklist of species for the family. This summary information includes the number of species recorded from Iran, any newly recorded species, a comparison of the Iranian fauna with those of adjacent countries, and major host attributes of the family in Iran. Also included for each species record are host records and plant associates in Iran, when known, and additional comments as necessary. The final chapter tabulates the species diversity of Iranian Chalcidoidea by family, the species newly exclude from Iran, the species presently considered as endemic to Iran and the number of species of each family that are known from each of the 31 provinces that comprise Iran. Because of the importance of chalcidoids for biological control of pests in Iran, host information for parasitoid species that is provided throughout the chapters is synthesized in an Appendix at the end of the book.

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