The diverse assemblage of invertebrates associated with Pinus (pine) snags in Florida and the Coastal Plain of Georgia include the large, widely distributed assassin bug, Microtomus purcis, and the scorpion Centruroides hentzi which is restricted to this region. We describe two instances of predation by M. purcis on C. hentzi in Georgia. These represent the first documented observations of predation on a scorpion species by an assassin bug.

We provide the first direct observation of intentional herbivory in sirenid salamanders and provide a literature summary that indicates that the phenomenon has been well documented, but often misinterpreted. Here we report direct observation of herbivory in Siren lactertina (Greater Siren) and Pseudobranhcus axanthus (Southern Dwarf Siren) and review indirect evidence of the same for S. intermedia (Lesser Siren). We believe that at least two species of sirenid salamanders are facultative herbivores, the only salamanders known to show such behavior, and this behavior may apply to all known species of Sirenidae.

Caracara cheriway (Crested Caracara) typically nest in Sabal palmetto (Cabbage Palms) in Florida and isolated thorny shrubs (e.g., Celtis pallida [Granjeno]) in Texas. The species has not previously been reported to use anthropogenic nest substrates. We found Crested Caracara nests in an electrical substation, on a radio tower, and on a billboard near Clewiston, FL, and in an electrical substation and on a lattice electrical-transmission tower near Houston, TX. Our observations of nesting on anthropogenic substrates may support 3 distinctly different inferences. First, the behavior could be ongoing but not previously reported. Second, because individual Crested Caracaras in breeding plumage persist for years as floaters, novel use of anthropogenic nest substrates may indicate adult Caracaras seeking any possible nesting opportunity, even if nest success is low. Third, Crested Caracaras may be modifying their breeding behavior to capitalize on high-quality resources in areas that lack traditional nest substrates. Comparison of productivity between nests on anthropogenic and natural substrates would resolve the latter 2 competing hypotheses. Because management focuses primarily on nest sites, novel nesting-behavior could have important management implications. Future research should quantify productivity on anthropogenic substrates and document whether individuals produced at these sites tend to return to anthropogenic substrates to breed.

Praxelis clematidea (Praxelis; Asteraceae), a native of South America, was first discovered in Florida in Orange County in 2006; it has now been confirmed in 6 other counties: Hardee, Hillsborough, Lake, Manatee, Osceola, and Polk counties. These populations are concentrated around the Lake Wales Ridge (LWR) region and may pose a threat to the already imperiled flora and fauna of the LWR. An assessment of the threat to the LWR and other Florida ecosystems is essential, and control methods must be evaluated for Florida before the species becomes an insurmountable problem. Our goal is to inform the people of Florida of the threat of Praxelis and to urge them to report any populations so they can be controlled or eradicated.

Accurate fecundity estimates are necessary for the proper assessment of fish stocks. Despite all recent investigations of the reproductive biology of Rhinoptera bonasus (Cownose Ray) indicating a maximum fecundity of 2 embryos per brood, maximum fecundity estimates of 6 per brood persist. All reports of 6 embryos per brood seem to stem from a single account. It is the purpose of this paper to present evidence indicating that the report of 6 embryos is based upon a misidentification in the field, and that maximum fecundity estimates for the Cownose Ray are therefore up to six-fold higher than actually observed.

On page 741 of the article entitled “Reproductive Biology of Clinch Dace, Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori” published in SENA issue 13-4, the phrase “a fourth, undescribed taxon,” was mistakenly inserted into the first sentence of the last paragraph, giving the erroneous impression that Tennessee Dace was an undescribed species, when it actaully had been described by Starnes and Jenkins in 1988, a fact correctly noted by the article's authors earlier in the manuscript. The correct version of the sentence should read:

“There are currently 3 species of Chrosomus listed under state and/or federal endangered species acts including C. cumberlandensis (Starnes & Starnes) (Blackside Dace), C. saylori (Skelton) (Laurel Dace), and Tennessee Dace.”

Our apologies to the authors and readers for this editorial error.

Encounters of Thalasseus maximus (Royal Terns) (n = 1387) banded as chicks in South Carolina were used to expand our knowledge regarding winter and migration sites of immature and mature birds, to identify causes of mortality, and to examine natal-site fidelity. Ages of encountered terns ranged from zero (less than one year old) to 27 years old. Mortality was highest in the first year of life. The majority of the encounters (64%, n = 879) were in Florida. Banded birds were also observed outside the US as far west as the Gulf coast of Mexico, east to Guyana, and south to Peru. Royal Terns appear to delay their first migration from winter grounds to breeding sites until the fourth summer. The vast majority of encounters (92%, n = 1275) were due to mortalities; the remaining 8% (n = 112) were of live terns encountered by resighting or capturing. In total, 35% (n = 485) of live or dead encounters were directly attributed to human activities, including entanglement in fishing gear (recorded as late as 1991) and shooting (recorded as late as 1980).

Pylodictis olivaris (Flathead Catfish) are large piscivores native to western Gulf of Mexico drainages that have been widely introduced into Atlantic Slope drainages with largely unknown consequences for native lotic faunas. From 2009–2011, we assessed the diet, demography, growth, and spatial distribution of Flathead Catfish in the lower Tar River in east-central North Carolina. We documented current presence of Flathead Catfish using electrofishing at 27 sites in the Tar River and its tributaries Fishing and Sandy creeks and examined diet and growth rates in the lower Tar River population. Stomach contents revealed that Tar River Flathead Catfish are primarily piscivorous but also consumed a diverse range of prey items. Canonical correspondence analysis found that Flathead Catfish ≥500 mm TL appeared to consume centrarchids at greater rates than smaller Flathead Catfish, suggesting a shift to larger prey in larger, older fish. Body-condition analysis found that condition did not change with body size, suggesting that the lower Tar River population has likely not yet over-exploited its resource base. Upstream distribution of Flathead Catfish in the upper Tar River and Fishing Creek, two important refuges for numerous imperiled lotic taxa in this fragmented drainage, appears restricted by two small dams. Our data suggest a need for continued monitoring for natural and human-mediated Flathead Catfish range expansions into sensitive reaches as well as empirical study of possible species-, assemblage-, and ecosystem-level effects of this apex predator on imperiled freshwater biota in the Tar River. Moreover, tabling the removal of some small dams in the Tar Drainage may be a prudent action capable of protecting sensitive taxa, at least in the short-term.

Using Elephas maximus (Asian Elephant) and Equus ferus caballus (Domesticated Horse) as ecological analogs to extinct Pleistocene mammals, we tested the effect of gut passage on 3 proposed anachronistic fruits: Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon), Maclura pomifera (Osage Orange), and Asimina triloba (Paw Paw). We found that elephant-gut passage of persimmon seeds increased their germination success and decreased their time to sprout, while Osage Orange seeds showed no benefit to gut passage. Neither American Persimmon nor Osage Orange seeds survived gut passage through horses. Both mammals refused to consume Paw Paw fruits. Assuming a similar physiology and behavior compared to our modern analogs, we suggest that extinct North American elephant species could have been important seed dispersers for American Persimmons but were unlikely to be effective for Osage Orange or Paw Paw, while horses would have been poor dispersers for all plant species tested.

The geographic range of Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator) extends to North Carolina, where information on populations is limited. In North Carolina, American Alligators are found near the coast, but typically not on the extensive barrier-island chain known as the Outer Banks. The goal of our study was to determine if habitat varied among sites occupied by American Alligators on islands—the Outer Banks and Roanoke Island—and sites on the adjacent mainland. Water depth, variance in water depth, turbidity, salinity, conductance, and pH varied among sites on Roanoke Island from sites on the mainland (P = 0.008) and the Outer Banks (P = 0.001). However, sites on the mainland and the Outer Banks were similar (P = 0.536). Ultimately, American Alligators may access the Outer Banks and find suitable habitat, but to date, little research has examined American Alligator habitat use in this portion of its geographic range; long-term occupancy is probably limited by of the effects of human disturbance and major storm events.

Geomys personatus maritimus (Maritime Pocket Gopher) is a genetically distinct subspecies that only occurs in deep sandy soils of Nueces and Kleberg counties of southern Texas. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has considered recommending the Maritime Pocket Gopher for federal listing. Because a large proportion of this gopher's current range occurs on US Navy (hereafter, Navy) property, active management by the Navy plays a key role in the conservation of this subspecies. Therefore, our objective was to assess the distribution and habitat preferences of Maritime Pocket Gophers on Navy properties in southern Texas. We conducted a strip-transect survey to evaluate the number and distribution of gopher mounds on the Navy base. We created GIS layers of the different disturbance types and plant communities, and overlaid them onto the mapped gopher-mound density layer. If the proportion of available area used by Maritime Pocket Gophers was below or above the corresponding 90% confidence interval, we categorized disturbance types and plant communities as used more often or less often, respectively. The distribution of Maritime Pocket Gophers was influenced by soil-particle size, plant community, type of habitat disturbance, and quantity of leaf litter. Maritime Pocket Gophers favored areas with sandy soil in frequently mowed native prairie, restoration fields, and Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda Grass) with little to no ground litter (i.e., dead vegetation, debris).

Megacopta cribraria (Kudzu Bug) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae) is an invasive insect in the Southeast. In Baldwin County, GA, we found adult Kudzu Bugs at high abundances throughout the summer, while juveniles showed peaks in early July and September. We conducted a series of choice-preference tests and determined that the insects preferred Glycine max (Soybean) over Phaseolus lunatus (Lima Bean). Additionally, they preferred Pueraria montana var. lobata (Kudzu) over Soybeans, highlighting the role of Kudzu as a primary host plant. Additionally, Kudzu Bugs continued to feed on Soybeans, even in the presence of Kudzu.

Native earthworms were removed from forested ecosystems during the last glacial advance and have since been replaced with nonnative earthworm species. Nonnative earthworms can cause major changes in microbial and plant communities and nutrient cycling. In this study, we sought to compare the earthworm communities north and south of the last glacial terminus, and to examine correlations between plant communities and soil characteristics. In summer 2011, we measured the earthworm, herbaceous plant, and woody plant communities in 3 forests in southwestern Ohio and 3 forests in northern Kentucky. We also measured soil characteristics including moisture, pH, organic matter, and nitrate and ammonium content. We found no native earthworm species at any of our study sites; however, previously glaciated forests exhibited more diverse earthworm communities and included all ecological groups. Earthworm species richness increased with increased density of invasive woody plant species and decreased with increased soil ammonium. Scientists and managers should continue to survey the earthworm communities in forests to better understand the ranges of nonnative earthworms and the impacts they have on plant communities and nutrient dynamics.

Freshwater mussel distributions are heavily reliant upon the range and movement of host fishes and are subject to range restrictions when fish migration is blocked. The Columbia Dam on the Broad River in Columbia, SC, has been a barrier to the migration of anadromous species and other fish in the river since 1824. As a result, 5 freshwater mussel species are restricted to reaches of the river downstream of the dam. In 2006, a fish passage was created to facilitate fish movement between stream reaches above and below the dam. Fish hosts that use the passage could facilitate the recolonization of reaches above the dam by freshwater mussels. We conducted laboratory trials to determine the fish hosts of 4 of the species limited to reaches below the dam. The most suitable hosts for Lampsilis cariosa (Yellow Lampmussel) were Morone chrysops (White Bass), Morone saxatilis (Striped Bass), and Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Black Crappie), whereas Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass) and Micropterus dolomieu (Smallmouth Bass) transformed fewer juvenile mussels. Lampsilis siliquoidea (Fatmucket) hosts were Largemouth Bass and Perca flavescens (Yellow Perch). Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill), and Lepomis gibossus (Pumpkinseed) were the best hosts for Ligumia nasuta (Eastern Pondmussel). We suspected that Elliptio roanokensis (Roanoke Slabshell) used anadromous fishes as hosts because its distribution is limited to mainstem rivers below the downstreammost dam. We confirmed that 2 Clupeidae, Dorosoma cepedianum (Gizzard Shad) and Alosa aestivalis (Blueback Herring), and 1 Moronidae, Morone americana (White Perch), are hosts for Roanoke Slabshell. Many of the host-fish species identified in this study are highly mobile, and we expect the range of these mussels to eventually expand upstream of the Columbia Dam as fish make use of the new passage.

Bats in the eastern US face many significant threats, and more information on the distribution, natural history, and condition of multiple bat species is needed for conservation planning and management. To address this need for the northwestern mountain region of North Carolina, we conducted a large-scale, 3-day bat blitz in 2011 at 30 mist-net sites across 6 counties. We documented the presence of 8 species and obtained new county and summer records for 7 of those 8. Most notably, in McDowell County we documented Lasiurus seminolus (Seminole Bat), a species associated with Coastal Plain habitats and for which there were no previous records in the northwestern mountain region of North Carolina. “Bio-blitz” inventories have many benefits beyond scientific results, including opportunities to share research ideas, foster new collaborations, train students in techniques, and provide educational programs.

Canis latrans (Coyotes) are a management concern in the southeastern US because of their potential impacts on agriculture, other wildlife species, and human health and safety. This region is part of a recent range expansion by Coyotes, and information about their population structure in the southeastern US is lacking. In this study, we used microsatellite DNA to assess genetic diversity and population structure among Coyotes in east-central Alabama. We detected high genetic diversity (H_E = 0.78) and no population structure across the total sampling area. Additionally, we investigated population structure between urban and rural groups. We detected low but significant population structure between these groups, which may be biologically meaningful. We discuss the implications of this result in the context of potential management strategies. Overall, our study sought to provide information about the molecular ecology of Coyotes within a region of recent range expansion.

This study assesses, through the first systematic field observations of winter foraging of Tachycineta bicolor (Tree Swallow), whether swallow foraging on the fruits of Morella cerifera (Southern Wax Myrtle) is correlated to air temperature. We observed Tree Swallows in central Florida for 53 days between 3 November 2011 and 14 January 2012. Tree Swallows foraged on Southern Wax Myrtle more often on colder days, producing a statistically significant negative relationship between maximum daily temperature and foraging on Southern Wax Myrtle. Our results also indicated that Tree Swallows ate Southern Wax Myrtle fruit over a broad range of temperatures at which flying insects are also available.

Forage and nesting cover available to female Meleagris gallopavo (Wild Turkey) prior to nesting can influence nest success. Prescribed burns commonly are conducted during the dormant season in southern Pinus (pine) forests in part to improve vegetation conditions for prenesting Wild Turkeys and reduce risk of fire-related nest failure associated with growing-season burning. However, prescribed burning during the early growing season may provide beneficial food and cover for Wild Turkeys. Therefore, we investigated the influence of fire season and frequency and vegetation characteristics on female Wild Turkey habitat selection during prenesting in a Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) community managed with frequent growing-season prescribed fire in North Carolina. Growing-season fire history was not predictive of prenesting habitat selection. Females selected forest stands burned during the preceding dormant season, edges of non-forested cover, and creek drainages. On our study area, ericaceous shrubs along creek drainages provided nesting cover, and greater probability of use near creeks likely reflected females searching for potential nest sites. Recent dormant-season burns may provide an important source of nutrition for pre-nesting females and should be used in addition to growing-season burns when managing for Wild Turkeys.

The goals of this study were to describe the biology, spawning season, and movements of Cycleptus meridionalis (Southeastern Blue Sucker) in the lower Alabama River, and evaluate possible spawning-site fidelity to Millers Ferry Lock and Dam. We also present fisheries, river discharge, and lock-use data in support of our recommendation to implement fish-passage operations at Claiborne and Millers Ferry locks and dams. We collected a total of 1094 Southeastern Blue Suckers—704 males, 355 females, and 35 sex-undetermined individuals—below Millers Ferry and Claiborne locks and dams from 1995 to 2005. Females were significantly longer and heavier per given total length than males. Spawning season lasted from March through April. Peak spawning occurred in mid-March when the water temperature was 15–20 °C. Age estimates ranged from 4 to 34 years for males and females. We recaptured 20% (206) of 1049 anchor-tagged fish multiple times (range = 1–10) at intervals between captures of 1–3618 d, and recaptures occurred 1–99 km downstream after release. We detected 75% (111) of 149 sonic-tagged fish 1–19 times at intervals between detections of 1–1288 d at distances of 4–250 km downstream after release. Spawning-site fidelity was confirmed by the recapture of 57 anchor-tagged fish and the detection of 15 sonic-tagged fish in or near Millers Ferry tailwater. Daily fish-passage operations completed at Claiborne and Millers Ferry locks and dams from January through April should increase upstream fish-migration success into the upper Alabama and Cahaba rivers without adversely affecting navigation, hydroelectric generation schedules, and industrial water needs along the river.

The Mecardonia acuminata complex is a classic example of a widespread endemic species in the southeastern US. Morphological variations in the complex resulted in the classification of at least three varieties or subspecies for the species by previous botanists. However, the distributions and diagnostic features of two of the subspecies, peninsularis and microphylla, are unclear due to shared morphological features and widespread distribution of the subspecies acuminata. The present study involved examination and biostatistical analyses of 3 vegetative and 5 reproductive characters that were known to serve as diagnostic features of 1 or more taxa of the species. Results of the study indicate that subspecies peninsularis can be distinguished by its ascending peduncle angle of suspension, diffuse basal branching habit (dendriform at base) of the shoot and small leaves, especially in the southern ranges of the complex. Subspecies microphylla can be distinguished based on its short (<20 mm) fruit peduncles and divaricate peduncle angle of suspension. Subspecies acuminata comprises individuals with divaricate peduncle angle of suspension and long fruit peduncles (>20 mm). Subspecies acuminata was also observed to comprise many individuals that were intermediates of 2 or 3 subspecies. Discriminant function analyses on longitude, latitude, and biogeography as well as Wilks' lambda estimates suggest moderate to low clinal variation and a much broader historical range distribution of subspecies peninuslaris. The morphological variations in the species complex may be due to secondary contact with ongoing integration into subspecies acuminata.

Lake Waccamaw, NC, is an unusual Carolina bay home to endemic and rare species. Parasites of the lake-endemic Fundulus waccamensis (Waccamaw Killifish) have not been described previously. In 2011, we collected Waccamaw Killifish (n = 101) by seining and dip netting from 3 sites over 3 seasons (spring, summer, and fall) to investigate the identity, prevalence, and intensity of the parasite-component community. We found 13 taxa of parasites, all of which were new host records, and total prevalence of parasitism = 95%. Infected hosts contained 2.3 ± 1.0 (mean ± SD) parasite species, with the component community composed of 6 ecto- and 7 endoparasites. The most prevalent (70.3%) and highest mean intensity (17.3 metacercariae per host) infections were associated with the generalist trematode Posthodiplostomum minimum.