Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) currently number ∼3000 on Nantucket Island. No deer were seen on the island at the beginning of the 20^th century. The historical record suggests that a single male deer was brought to the island in 1922, and that 2 female deer were brought to the island from Michigan in 1926. After the deer population had increased to several hundred, additional deer (2 male and 3 female) were brought to Nantucket from New Hampshire in 1935 and 1936. To investigate the presence of founder effect in the population on Nantucket, we obtained samples of White-tailed Deer feces or muscle tissue from Nantucket; the New England mainland (including Cape Cod, southeastern Massachusetts, and a few samples from Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island), Shelter Island, NY; and Ann Arbor, MI. We amplified a portion of the mitochondrial control region (D-loop), and found 3 different sequences (haplotypes) among 35 deer samples from Nantucket. Two common haplotypes were identical or nearly identical to haplotypes from Michigan. One rare haplotype was also found in deer from the mainland in Connecticut and Massachusetts. This latter haplotype was unusual in that it contained 3 tandem copies of a 75 base-pair repeat, while most White-tailed Deer have 2 copies. In contrast, we found 5 haplotypes among 26 deer from the New England mainland. Haplotype diversity on Nantucket was 0.447 (± 0.082), and nucleotide diversity (π) was 0.021 (± 0.005). Haplotype diversity on the mainland was 0.839 (± 0.029), and π was 0.046 (± 0.002). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated little genetic differentiation among populations on the New England mainland (ϕ_ST = 0.095, P = 0.113). However, when the population on Nantucket was included in the analysis, there was much more genetic variation among populations (ϕ_ST = 0.414, P = 0.000). Our results indicate that most deer on Nantucket originated from 2 founding females from Michigan, and a small percentage are descended from later introductions from the New England mainland.

Freshwater mussels are one of the most diverse and critically endangered organismal groups in the world. In North America, many of the ∼300 species are imperiled to some degree, and numerous states, including Illinois, have instituted surveys and safeguards to protect their remaining mussel resources. In Illinois, the status of many mussel species is unknown, and additional efforts are needed to determine the health of rare and endangered mussels. The Rock River system was historically a stronghold for mussels in Illinois; however, studies over the last decade are lacking. To obtain current data on the health and status of mussels within a portion of the Rock River, we conducted survey efforts throughout the upper Rock River. We sampled mussels semi-quantitatively at 30 sites using bank-to-bank transects in July of 2021 to determine whether rare and endangered species were still extant. We also examined the abundances of species currently considered common and assessed shell-length data to determine the overall viability of the mussel fauna. We surveyed a total of 4360 m of the river and obtained 2506 live mussels of 19 species. The assemblage consisted primarily of Potamilus ohiensis (Pink Papershell) and Cyclonaias pustulosa (Pimpleback), and approximately half the assemblage consisted of recent recruits (juveniles). We collected live Cyclonaias nodulata (Wartyback), Cyclonaias tuberculata (Purple Wartyback), and Truncilla donaciformis (Fawnsfoot), all Illinois or Wisconsin state-listed species. The Purple Wartyback consisted of 2 cohorts and are the first live individuals recorded from the Rock River since the late 1980s. Furthermore, the presence of numerous juveniles indicates successful reproduction and recruitment for multiple species. Continued work on managing stream habitats is vital to protecting and reinforcing their remaining diversity, and the upper Rock River warrants further protections.

To address the dearth of information on Justicia americana (American Water Willow) establishment and occurrence in rivers, we conducted a 4-year study in 2 Ohio state scenic rivers to evaluate the factors influencing planting success. We surveyed 1 river with extensive American Water Willow colonies and then planted American Water Willow at 15 sites in another river largely devoid of American Water Willow colonies. We also compared hydrologic regimes between the 2 rivers. Percent occurrence of planted individuals was greatest in sites receiving 1 early spring planting of dormant individuals and 2 summer plantings of non-dormant individuals. Percent survival differed only in 2021 and was greatest in sites receiving 1 early spring planting of dormant individuals and 2 summer plantings of non-dormant individuals. Greater percent survival was associated with cobble-dominated substrate compared to clay-, sand-, or gravel-dominated substrates. Colony survival and flooding frequency were greater in the river with extensive existing colonies than in the river with few existing colonies and greater flooding intensity. Our results suggest that the establishment and growth of American Water Willow are influenced by planting method, substrate type, and flooding intensity.

Channa argus (Northern Snakehead) was first discovered in Pennsylvania and the Delaware River watershed in 2004 in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDRP), Philadelphia, PA. We monitored this population by boat and/or backpack electrofishing from 2005 to 2021. Our objective was to summarize common population characteristics and compare these with other non-native Northern Snakehead populations. Length-at-age data indicated the FDRP population was slower growing and lacked larger individuals relative to other populations. Data from stomach dissection documented feeding on Anguilla rostrata (American Eel), Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill), Lepomis gibbosus (Pumpkinseed), Fundulus diaphanus (Banded Killifish), and Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass), suggesting potential impacts to these species. Backpack electrofishing in 2005 and 2008 showed significant decreases in the densities of American Eel and Banded Killifish which may be due to predation by Northern Snakehead.

Recent investigations of the biogeography of fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) in Pennsylvania and Delaware have resulted in the discovery of 2 species in the genus Photuris that lack formal description. Photuris witmeri sp. nov. and P. figuramuto sp. nov. are described herein with notes on distribution and behavior. The primary male flash pattern of P. witmeri is a trembling flash often preceded by a single flash, while that of P. figuramuto is a single bright flash at irregular intervals. To date, P. witmeri is known from Pennsylvania and Delaware, whereas P. figuramuto is known only from Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny Front.

Since its initial invasion in 2002, Agrilus planipennis (Emerald Ash Borer [EAB ]) has devastated Fraxinus (ash) species in forest communities of the Midwestern United States. The forests of the Lake Erie Islands have a unique composition that is typically divided into 2 categories: upland forests, which have rockier soil and bedrock above lake level, and lowland forests, which have deeper soil and bedrock below lake level. We used plot-sampling methods in selected wooded preserves of both upland and lowland forests on South Bass and North Bass islands, OH. We compared our findings with data collected on those 2 islands as well as Middle Bass and Kelleys islands in previous studies from before infestation, during initial infestation in the 2000s, and approximately one decade later to monitor ash loss and to determine which species were regenerating in these new canopy gaps. We calculated importance values and subsequent Boerner values through determination of relative frequency, relative coverage, and relative density of individual tree species within study plots. Fraxinus pennsylvanica (Green Ash) was most negatively impacted by the EAB while Fraxinus quadrangulata (Blue Ash) was still important in upland forests due to regeneration seen in small saplings. Lonicera maackii (Amur Honeysuckle) began filling in canopy gaps in upland forests and lowland forests, while invasive species like Morus alba (White Mulberry), Rhamnus cathartica (Common Buckthorn), and Elaeagnus umbellata (Autumn Olive) filled in the canopy gaps of lowland woods. The decline in ash populations due to the EAB has allowed for further growth of numerous invasive plant species and transformed the composition of Lake Erie Island forests.

The algal and cyanobacteria community inhabiting the rain-filled, cup-shaped leaves of Sarracenia purpurea (Purple Pitcher Plant) is understudied even though the Purple Pitcher Plant is regularly used as a model system in ecological research. To investigate this ecologically significant component, we surveyed the abundance and diversity of algal and cyanobacteria assemblages at 28 sites along a latitudinal gradient from the Florida panhandle to northern Maine. We then modeled the taxa assemblage across pitcher- and site-scale environmental gradients. Cyanobacteria responded positively to nutrient gradients at the pitcher scale, while algal composition and species richness responded to latitudinal and elevational gradients at the site scale. The algae and cyanobacteria inhabiting the Purple Pitcher Plant responded to multi-scale factors similarly to when they inhabit larger aquatic systems, highlighting the utility of studying this component of the Purple Pitcher Plant in experimental aquatic ecology.

Procambarus acutus (White River Crayfish) is listed as a species present in Michigan for over a century, but reports are rare and its range is uncertain. Historically the range of White River Crayfish in Michigan was limited to a single watershed in the southernmost area in the state. Our objective for this study was to evaluate the current range and differences between the current and historical range. Our findings suggest that the range of White River Crayfish within Michigan has expanded, and currently includes locales much further north than previously observed. More investigation is needed to confirm whether the species is experiencing range expansion or was simply not observed due to insufficient and biased survey methods within Michigan. With new range knowledge, future management decisions can better determine impacts from invasive species and habitat change to form more productive conservation plans.

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) overpopulation in eastern North America has largely been driven by an overabundance of optimal habitat, leading to numerous negative impacts on forest health and regeneration. Intermediate-aged forests are not highly preferred by White-tailed Deer, but preference shifts as forests age into mature stands because there is a greater amount of adequate plant species for White-tailed Deer to browse. We surveyed differences in wildlife habitat-use patterns in northeastern New York (Clinton County) in order to evaluate how White-tailed Deer differentially utilized 2 managed forest stands: (1) a mature forest (40 years post-harvest) and (2) an intermediate-aged forest (16 years post-clearcut). We monitored seasonal and diel wildlife habitat-use patterns using camera traps from March 2018 to September 2019. White-tailed Deer used the mature stand more often than the intermediate stand, particularly in the fall and spring, and shifted activity away from both stands in the winter. We suggest that stand-level forest management practices may be an effective way to manage the impacts of White-tailed Deer and maintain resilient forest ecosystems.

The larvae of Curculio caryatrypes (Greater Chestnut Weevil) are only known to feed on the nuts of Castanea dentata (American Chestnut). The introduction of the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, causal agent of chestnut blight, to North America in 1904 resulted in the functional extinction of the American Chestnut and the extinction of several of its host-specialist insect associates, possibly including the Greater Chestnut Weevil. We examined American Chestnut trees in Pennsylvania and Maryland during September 2022 for evidence of Greater Chestnut Weevils. Historically, these areas were at the core of the distribution of American Chestnut and were known to host the Greater Chestnut Weevil. Only 6 of the 61 American Chestnut trees examined were reproductive. No evidence of the Greater Chestnut Weevil was encountered at any of the sites visited, and we consider it likely that this species is no longer present in the areas surveyed during this study. However, it is possible that the species may persist elsewhere, such as in southern Maine, where there are records of mature, fruiting trees, or in Wilkinson County, GA, where the last known Greater Chestnut Weevil was collected in 1997.

Marine migration patterns of unique or regional stocks of Salmo salar (Atlantic Salmon) are poorly known. Atlantic Salmon (AS) utilizing the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre (NASpG) for foraging and growth consist of stocks from the United States (41°N) to Greenland (64°N) in the western Atlantic and from Spain (41°N) to Norway (70°N) in the eastern Atlantic. Wide latitudinal range and unique riverine characteristics probably result in stocks selecting differing suites of marine sea-surface temperatures (SST) within the species' known selection range (i.e., their Grinnellian niche). We analyzed trends in stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) composition from archived scale tissues in relation to long-term variation of SST for the North Atlantic Ocean to identify marine feeding regions used by adult AS successfully returning to the Saint John River, Canada, during the period 1982–2011. Marine foraging regions were determined for individuals that spent 1 winter (1SW) or multiple winters (MSW) at sea. During 1982–1991 and 1992–2001, AS which successfully returned, exploited more southern regions of the NASpG, while returning adults from 2002–2011 exploited more northern regions. Historically presumed marine feeding regions, which were identified by the isotopic model as probable during 1982–2001, have experienced a warming trend, and data suggests that AS returning to the Saint John River have been migrating further north in the NASpG in response to recent global climate change. The northward range shift as the North Atlantic warmed is consistent with recent biogeographical changes found among other marine species also following their Grinnellian niche.

We report an observation of a Rattus norvegicus (Brown Rat) capturing and killing a Tamias striatus (Eastern Chipmunk) in rural western Massachusetts. This documentation of predation on an active animal suggests that the potential for predation by rats to affect some small-mammal populations may be underestimated.

We report the first observations of Opheodrys vernalis (Smooth Greensnake) communal oviposition of 137 eggs within an active nest mound of Lasius interjectus (Citronella Ant) in a northern Illinois prairie. This is the first North American documentation of snake oviposition, and communal oviposition, within an active ant nest. The communal Smooth Greensnake nest is also the largest reported to date. We observed other instances of Smooth Greensnakes nesting in proximity to Citronella Ant nests beneath artificial cover objects, which may indicate a facultative inquiline relationship. Other documented North American associations between snakes and ants have been with Formica mound-building ants in which snakes used mounds as refugia or hibernacula. The only other North American observation of a reptile nesting within an active ant mound was with Anolis carolinensis (Green Anole) and Odontomachus brunneus ants in Florida (Kwapich 2021). Other accounts of inquiline oviposition by snakes within active ant nests have been from Central America, South America, and Africa, predominantly within the fungal-farming chambers of leaf-cutter ant genera Acromyrmex, Anochetus, Apterostigma, Atta, Camponotus, Platythyrea, and Strumigenys.

I report several related observations of previously undocumented courtship and singing behavior in Cardinalis cardinalis (Northern Cardinal) in central Virginia. The observations indicate that solo female song and coordinated male–female song may precede “song–dance” displays and that these displays may be followed by copulation. I also report on a female providing a male with food in courtship feeding, which previously has only been documented as a male-to-female behavior.