Surveys in 2008 documented 2 salamander species, Plethodon cinereus (Eastern Red-backed Salamander) and P. glutinosus (Northern Slimy Salamander), utilizing sinkholes in Montgomery County, VA. Given the suite of species that are morphologically similar across the Northern Slimy Salamander and P. wehrlei (Wehrle's Salamander) complexes, we revisited 16 of these sinkholes in spring–summer 2022 and utilized cleaved amplified polymorphism (CAP) reinforced by DNA barcoding to confirm species identification. We added microhabitat measures to finetune habitat preferences of captured plethodontids (leaf-litter depth, soil moisture, and cover type [log, rock, cover board, leaves] at the point of collection for each salamander). Of 146 salamanders captured, we documented 116 P. jacksoni (Blacksburg Salamander), 29 Eastern Red-backed Salamanders, and 1 P. cylindraceus (White-spotted Slimy Salamander). Further, tail clips from 2008 surveys (n = 100) confirmed that we erroneously identified Blacksburg Salamanders as Northern Slimy Salamanders in the original study and we should instead interpret site-level habitat preferences for Blacksburg Salamanders. New microhabitat analyses for the Blacksburg Salamander suggest preferences for rocks and cover types associated with greater leaf-litter depth. We combine old and new project data to provide a broader baseline understanding of the natural history of this newly designated species.

In the US, Phragmites australis ssp. australis (European Common Reed) generally is considered to be a harmful invasive species whose dense monoculture stands greatly reduce species diversity. I examined the effectiveness of 3 control measures in discrete stands of European Common Reed along the perimeter of a small urban New England saltmarsh. Cutting, cutting plus application of an herbicide, and increasing salinity via excavation to reduce elevation along with ditching to enhance tidal flow into the marsh, were compared. I measured culm heights as a measure of plant vigor over a period of 15 years. Three years of cutting culms, with or without treatment with the organic herbicide Burn-Out II^®, was not a successful control. The only moderately successful control (2–26% reduction in height) involved increased inundation with seawater, which increased salinity by 33%. Any excavation of a European Common Reed stand should include precautions to avoid establishing a new stand in the spoils dewatering area.

Little information on fecundity has been published for Channa argus (Northern Snakehead), the most invasive and widespread species of Channidae in North America, neither in its native nor introduced range. I examined specimens collected from fish lifts at the Conowingo Dam in the lower Susquehanna River. Gonad mass averaged 67 g (18 g–154 g) for females with an average total length of 614.7mm (490 mm–72 mm) and mass of 2533 g (1237 g–4155 g). Female gonadosomatic index averaged 0.028 or 2.8% (standard deviation = 0.01; min–max = 0.9–8.5%). Average fecundity (63,569 eggs/female; min–max = 21,790 –213,180 eggs/female) was similar to that reported for other native and introduced populations and increased with female mass. Two peaks in egg diameter were apparent with diameters varying between 210 and 700 µm (average = 1032 µm, SE = 26.7; n = 1223). Ancillary collections in July yielded ovaries with 19% fewer eggs than expected by female mass, but greater egg sizes (average = 1411 µm). Results indicate that females could partially spawn during spring, retain inchoate eggs that mature for later spawns, and spawn again in summer or fall.

Castanea dentata (American Chestnut) was likely an important floral resource for a variety of insects in pre-blight eastern forests, including the rare oligolectic bee Andrena rehni, and insects may have played a significant role in the tree's pollination. We surveyed 2 chestnut orchards in New York in 2023 for insect visitors to male catkins. We recorded 66 species and retrieved pollen samples from 49 specimens across 6 families. Andrena rehni was documented after a 119-year absence in the state, and for all specimens, only Castanea pollen was detected in their pollen loads. Honeybees, bumblebees, and sweat bees also intentionally collected chestnut pollen, while longhorn beetles and soldier flies had the highest rates of carrying chestnut pollen incidentally. Our findings support the existing idea that some insects, like beetles, have the potential to contribute to chestnut pollination, and that American Chestnut provides pollen and nectar to a diversity of insects in northeastern landscapes.

I report the discovery of a small, previously unknown colony of Hydrobates leucorhous (Leach's Storm-Petrel) at an abandoned lighthouse site on Guyon Island, Cape Breton, NS, Canada. I found a total of 35 Leach's Storm-Petrel burrows, including 15 active nesting burrows, on the island during a 3-day period from 22 to 24 August 2023. The highest burrow densities on the island were observed within a mound of anthropogenic origin consisting of soil deposited on top of concrete infrastructure and metal pipe. This discovery of active burrows within habitat of anthropogenic origin may have implications for habitat creation for conservation efforts at small and recently established colonies, or colonies which are experiencing loss of suitable nesting habitat, and warrants further investigation.

Using univariate and multivariate statistics, I conducted a detailed morphological analysis on the dentition and skull of long-tailed shrews of the Sorex cinereus species group from east-central US. Based on the examination of 109 shrews, by use of 24 measurements, I identified 3 distinct morphological groups. These groups are referrable to: (1) Sorex cinereus cinereus (Masked Shrew) from southeastern New York, northern New Jersey, and northeastern Pennsylvania; (2) S. c. fontinalis (= S. fontinalis of some authors) (Maryland Shrew) from southeastern Pennsylvania, northeastern Maryland, and the Delmarva Peninsula of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia; and (3) Sorex c. nigriculus (Tuckahoe Masked Shrew) endemic to southern New Jersey. The lower Delaware River and Bay may be a barrier that prevents intergradation between S. c. nigriculus and S. c. fontinalis or they could be 2 distinct species. Intergradation between S. c. nigriculus and S. c. cinereus in central New Jersey likely is occurring, although targeted sampling is needed to verify this. Intergradation between S. c. cinereus and S. c. fontinalis in east-central Pennsylvania is uncertain.

Piscivory, intraguild predation, and competition by native fish can limit the ability of non-native fish to invade or persist in invaded aquatic ecosystems. Gambusia affinis (Western Mosquitofish) is one of the most invasive species of freshwater fishes; however, the presence of native piscivorous or facultatively piscivorous fish might negatively affect their populations. We examined the effect of an “invasion” of native Lepomis megalotis (Longear Sunfish) on a non-native population of Western Mosquitofish in a small pond in central Ohio (Olde Minnow Pond). We also monitored fish populations in a nearby pond (Wood Duck Pond) that had small populations of non-native Western Mosquitofish and native Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill Sunfish) throughout the study period. The abundance of Western Mosquitofish in minnow traps in Olde Minnow Pond was greatly reduced after the “invasion” of Longear Sunfish. In contrast, Wood Duck Pond showed no decline in Western Mosquitofish numbers in traps over the same period. In addition, the proportion of male Western Mosquitofish in Olde Minnow Pond was greater after the “invasion” of Longear Sunfish, but no such change was observed in Wood Duck Pond. In general, male and female body size did not differ between the pre- and post-invasion periods. Our results suggest that the invasion, abundance, and persistence of populations of non-native Western Mosquitofish can be limited by the presence of native Lepomis.

Hyla chrysoscelis (Cope's Gray Treefrog) and H. versicolor (Gray Treefrog) are common and important species in woodland ecosystems throughout Appalachia, including southeastern Ohio. While the monitoring of treefrogs is comparatively easy in their aquatic breeding habitat, accurately measuring relative abundance in their terrestrial dwelling is more difficult, and biologists must balance search effort with data quality and effectiveness. In this study, we used PVC pipe refugia of differing colors (gray and white) to monitor the treefrog population in a mixed deciduous forest, conducting 30 surveys (5 per year, spanning April–October) over a 6-year period (2018–2023). Treefrog abundances were largest in the first (April) and last (October) yearly surveys, suggesting that early and late-season surveys are sufficient for accurately assessing population trends and dynamics. We also detected a strong preference among treefrogs to utilize west-facing refugia stations, and a slight preference for white PVC refugia. In addition, we observed many non-target species in PVC pipe refugia, which may deter usage by treefrogs as they never co-occurred with other species.

Overabundant Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) are a threat to forest regeneration due to browse on seedlings of preferred species. We investigated the deer-management program of Cincinnati Parks (Ohio) to determine if controlled hunting reduced deer density enough to facilitate tree regeneration. We surveyed seedlings, saplings, trees, palatable herbs, and invasive shrubs in 5 sites. In all sites, sapling densities were <1000/ha, thus insufficient for forest regeneration. Four sites had seedling densities >2500/ha, considered sufficient for regeneration. However, when taxa that cannot contribute to future canopies (Fraxinus [ash], Asimina triloba [Pawpaw]) were excluded, all sites were below the density necessary for regeneration. Species preferred by White-tailed Deer were common in the canopy of the forests, but sparse in the seedling and sapling layers, suggesting deer will shift tree species composition. Sites also had low cover of herb species preferred by deer. Among sites, reduction of palatable herb cover was significantly associated with both recent deer density and invasive shrub cover, while tree-seedling density showed a negative trend with deer density. Our findings indicate management has not decreased deer populations sufficiently in the Cincinnati Parks to promote vegetation regeneration. Deer exclusion or underplanting of protected tree seedlings are needed to facilitate tree regeneration.

From the largest nesting aggregation ever recorded for the genus Melissodes, we took diverse bionomic measurements of Melissodes bimaculatus (Two-spotted Longhorn Bee). Our results show a protandrous reproductive strategy occurring from July through August in New York. We observed parasitism by the kleptoparasitic bee Triepeolus simplex as well as nest-architecture modifications to ease this burden that support the selfish-herd hypothesis. In this population, we also found a proclivity for grass (Poaceae) pollen, a previously undocumented diet preference for Two-spotted Longhorn Bees. We further showed that this bee species has widespread climatically suitable habitat, with expected range expansion under future climate conditions. Altogether, our results offer novel insights into the ecology of theTwo-spotted Longhorn Bee and its gregarious nesting behavior.

Habitat management can directly impact Setophaga discolor (Prairie Warbler) abundance and distribution. Despite regional declines, Prairie Warbler populations at Camp Edwards (Bourne, MA) have increased. To investigate habitat-management effects on Prairie Warbler populations at Camp Edwards, we used a dynamic-occupancy model to analyze a long-term monitoring dataset collected across 84 point-count sites from 2013 to 2022. The model results indicated that Prairie Warbler colonization and extinction probabilities were impacted by management (measured in years since disturbance). Colonization probability was highest initially after disturbance, then subsequently decreased for ∼50 years, and extinction probability also decreased for ∼25 years. Both probabilities remained low before increasing at ∼75 years since disturbance. The increase in colonization probability >75 years since disturbance may have been an artifact of our study design and incomplete disturbance records. We also found that latitude and longitude significantly affected colonization probability, likely a result of how habitat types are distributed across the base. These results inform how Prairie Warblers respond to long-term management, suggesting that habitat management could improve colonization rates and sustain Prairie Warbler populations.

We report the capture of 10 Symphurus plagiusa (Blackcheek Tonguefish) in 2022 and 2023 at the northern end of their range. These specimens are the first records from the tidal Hudson River, and we document other tonguefish specimens from New York waters from previous records. We establish the identification of juveniles based on caudal fin ray counts and discuss the benefits of community education networks in detecting and monitoring fish species.

While observations of Callinectes sapidus (Blue Crab) in the Gulf of Maine (GoM) have been increasing, the ability of Blue Crabs to survive winter temperatures in GoM estuarine environments has remained uncertain. A tagged adult male Blue Crab was last detected by acoustic telemetry in November 2022 in a saltmarsh pool in Wells, ME, and was recaptured alive in the same pool in April 2023, confirming successful overwintering in the system. Water temperature in a nearby pool averaged 6.6 °C ± 3.2 SD from November–April, with only 15 days below 3 °C. This observation provides evidence that, at least in some years, Blue Crabs are capable of surviving GoM winters, providing opportunity for this species to persist in the GoM as temperatures warm.

A free-ranging, adult, piebald Cervus canadensis (Elk) was found emaciated and moribund in Pennsylvania and was humanely dispatched due to poor prognosis. The cow had pigmented masses in the oropharyngeal cavity and lung that were cytologically and histopathologically diagnosed as melanoma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an oropharyngeal melanoma in free-ranging Elk. The association between melanoma and piebaldism in cervids is not understood and requires further investigation.

Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) is distributed throughout the southeastern US. Along the east coast, the northernmost natural range of the Green Anole extends to barrier islands of the Outer Banks within Dare County, NC. Populations of the Green Anole have also expanded north along the Outer Banks into the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge (Currituck County, NC) near the North Carolina–Virginia border, although it's unclear whether this expansion is natural, or human influenced. Recently, an established population of introduced Green Anoles was documented in the City of Virginia Beach (independent city), VA, ∼40 km north of the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. Here, we document another established population of Green Anoles in the City of Norfolk, VA, ∼ 20 km west of the City of Virginia Beach population. Future documentation of Green Anole populations in Virginia is critical to differentiating between natural range expansion and extended distribution through human introductions.