The article appeared in the journal ZooKeys on September 30. See the article at the URI below.
Alaska freshwater crustacean news: crayfish reproducing in Alaska and a new obscure, interstitial, subterranean arthropod from Alaska
Signal crayfish breeding in the Buskin River drainage, Kodiak Island
It appears that the signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, is now established in Alaska. See the articles below.
Invasive Species Breeding in Buskin River
http://www.kmxt.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6769&Itemid=2
Another Crawdaddy Found in Buskin
http://www.kmxt.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6580&Itemid=2
A new species of bathynellid from Alaska
Camacho, A.I., R.L. Newell, Z. Crete, B.A. Dorda, A.Casado., and I. Rey. 2015. Northernmost discovery of Bathynellacea (Syncarida: Bathynellidae) with description of a new species of Pacificabathynella from Alaska (USA). Journal of Natural History. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2015.1083621
From the abstract:
A new species of the genus Pacificabathynella Schminke and Noodt, 1988 is described from groundwaters of Alaska (USA). This is the first record of Bathynellacea Chappuis, 1915 from the far north of America.
These were from the Kwethluk River (60.34520N, 161.089146W) on the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge.
Network for Arthropods of the Tundra, Newsletter 2, October 2015
Derek Sikes shared this blog and newsletter with me. I encourage you to look at these.
blog:
https://tundraarthropods.wordpress.com/
Network for Arthropods of the Tundra, Newsletter 2, October 2015
https://tundraarthropods.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/neat-news-october-2015-2nd-ed.pdf
A few short videos of a native horntail Urocerus flavicornis (Hymenoptera: Siricidae)
Bill Davidson, a U. S. Forest Service Student Trainee for Forest Health Protection this summer managed to capture a few great videos of one of our native horntails. While in Cooper Landing this summer Bill found Urocerus flavicornis in action on spruce logs that were cut as part of a fire wise program. Also known as a wood wasp, U. flavicornis is a wood borer that can typically be found on stressed, dying and dead spruce trees in Alaska. It is also commonly found in association with cut wood and saw logs. Although this insect looks menacing, it is completely harmless to humans.
Emergence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=078tCtrfQiU
Oviposition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYfjFOAQcyo
More information on Urocerus flavicornis and other wood wasps and horn tails can be found in these places:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5315942.pdf
http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/pdfs/GuideSiricidWoodwasps.pdf
Refuge Notebook: Warm summers prepare for spruce bark beetle return
Global climate models from Germany (green), Canada (red) and USA (black) scaled to the Kenai predict that post-2030 mean summer temperatures will always be above the threshold for spruce bark beetle outbreaks. Observed temperatures are from the Homer airport since 1932. Lower bar graph shows annual beetle-kill for southern Kenai since aerial surveys began in 1971 (US Forest Service). Ed Berg graphic.
The article (URI below) appeared in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s Refuge Notebook series.
Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus spp.) of Interior Alaska: Species Composition, Distribution, Seasonal Biology, and Parasites.
The article appeared May 5 in Biodiversity Data Journal.
Pampell R, Sikes D, Pantoja A, Holloway P, Knight C, Ranft R (2015) Bumble Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus spp.) of Interior Alaska: Species Composition, Distribution, Seasonal Biology, and Parasites. Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e5085. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.3.e5085
Homer News: Aphids plague spruce stands
KDLL Conversation: ‘Hug A Bug’ – Not All Insects Are Pests
Topics included new exotic species, mosquitoes, pollinators, carpenter ants, etc.
The Conversation: Why we still collect butterflies
This is a nicely written and very informative article on the importance of collecting.
https://theconversation.com/why-we-still-collect-butterflies-41485
Defoliation of spruce by aphids around Kachemak Bay
Aphids from spruce at the Homer Bench, 12.June.2015. Photo courtesy of Karin Sonnen (USDA NRCS, Homer).
Mitch Michaud (USDA NRCS, Kenai), phoned me regarding substantial defoliation of spruce at Halibut Cove and the Homer bench. At Halibut Cove, spruces had been dropping many needles.
Aphids were the culprit, but the identity of the aphids has not yet been established.
Browning spruce needles due to aphid infestation, 9.June.2015.
Browning of spruce needles.
Spruce trees damaged by aphids, 9.June.2015.