The potential distribution of Amblyomma americanum ticks in Kansas was modeled using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) approaches based on museum and field-collected species occurrence data. Various bioclimatic variables were used in the model as potentially influential factors affecting the A. americanum niche. Following reduction of dimensionality among predictor variables using principal components analysis, which revealed that the first two principal axes explain over 87% of the variance, the model indicated that suitable conditions for this medically important tick species cover a larger area in Kansas than currently believed. Soil moisture, temperature, and precipitation were highly correlated with the first two principal components and were influential factors in the A. americanum ecological niche. Assuming that the niche estimated in this study covers the occupied distribution, which needs to be further confirmed by systematic surveys, human exposure to this known disease vector may be considerably under-appreciated in the state.
Idioporus affinis
gen.n., sp.n. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae: Eunotinae) is described from Central America, and the new tribe, Idioporini, is created for it. Reasons for its placement in the Eunotinae are discussed, as well as implications for higher classification within the Chalcidoidea, particularly with regard to the Eriaporinae (currently placed in the Aphelinidae). Idioporus affinis is a parasitoid of the giant whitefly Aleurodicus dugesii Cockerell (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), and is a potential biological control agent of this whitefly which is a recently introduced pest in California, Louisiana and Texas.
The Lepidoptera of North America Network, or LepNet, is a digitization effort recently launched to mobilize biodiversity data from 3 million specimens of butterflies and moths in United States natural history collections (http://www.lep-net.org/). LepNet was initially conceived as a North American effort but the project seeks collaborations with museums and other organizations worldwide. The overall goal is to transform Lepidoptera specimen data into readily available digital formats to foster global research in taxonomy, ecology and evolutionary biology.
This checklist presents the distribution of the checkered beetle subfamily Tillinae (Coleoptera: Cleridae) in the New World. Information for 164 species and 2 subspecies from 11 genera is included. The data are based on an extensive survey of material collected throughout the Americas, descriptions of new species, a number of revisionary works, data from museum specimens, as well as unpublished checklists. Cymatodera, the most speciose tilline genus in the New World, has its greatest diversity in Mexico where 100 of the 134 recognized species are known to occur. Remaining genera inhabiting the New World and corresponding species numbers are: Araeodontia, 5 species; Barrotillus, 1 species; Bogcia, 2 species; Bostrichoclerus, 1 species; Callotillus, 5 species; Cylidrus, 1 species; Cymatoderella, 3 species; Lecontella, 3 species; Monophylla, 4 species; and Onychotillus, 5 species. An illustrated key to the genera of the New World Tillinae is provided. Forty-eight new country records are given for 35 species. References are presented for all species listed. Distribution maps for all New World genera are provided and locality data is presented for selected species.
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