Mitchell Gilliland, Andrew M. Durso, Matthew F. Metcalf, Oscar Johnson, Sean P. Kelly, E. Everham, Nicole F. Angeli
Abstract Giant constrictor populations in Florida and the Caribbean have top-down impacts on prey that are still poorly understood. We report opportunistically documented predation events by introduced Boa imperator (Central American Boa Constrictor) on four species of native birds on St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, compare these to more detailed dietary studies from Aruba, and encourage detailed studies of Boa imperator diet on St. Croix to better understand population and community-level impacts of predation by this invasive snake.
{"title":"Birds in the Diet of Invasive Boa imperator on St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands","authors":"Mitchell Gilliland, Andrew M. Durso, Matthew F. Metcalf, Oscar Johnson, Sean P. Kelly, E. Everham, Nicole F. Angeli","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a24","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a24","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Giant constrictor populations in Florida and the Caribbean have top-down impacts on prey that are still poorly understood. We report opportunistically documented predation events by introduced Boa imperator (Central American Boa Constrictor) on four species of native birds on St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands, compare these to more detailed dietary studies from Aruba, and encourage detailed studies of Boa imperator diet on St. Croix to better understand population and community-level impacts of predation by this invasive snake.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138949882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Culebrones cave is well known among Puerto Rican herpetologists as a bat hunting ground used by the Puerto Rican boa (Chilabothrus inornatus). As such, their foraging ecology has been previously studied. However, multiple strong hurricanes have impacted the island reducing the number of natural vines around the cave directly affecting the population of snakes foraging at the cave entrance. We compared the foraging ecology between snakes using natural hunting structures and those using artificial perches provided in Culebrones cave. During March to July of 2021, we performed 30 visits to observe successful hunts and the prey handling time of every individual snake. Observations were repeated during the same period of the following year after the addition of artificial vines. The addition of artificial vines to the entrance of Culebrones cave had a positive effect on the snakes that visited the cave to hunt, observing an increase of three snakes on average per night. Prey handling time was longer when snakes hunted on rock walls when compared to those on vines, suggesting an advantage of vines over rocks as hunting perches. Continued monitoring of the foraging ecology in Culebrones cave should be conducted to determine if the addition of more artificial vines can be beneficial to the snake population at this location.
{"title":"Foraging Behavior of Chilabothrus inornatus Using Natural and Artificial Vines at Culebrones Cave in Arecibo, Puerto Rico","authors":"Fabián A. Feliciano-Rivera, A. Puente-Rolón","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a26","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a26","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Culebrones cave is well known among Puerto Rican herpetologists as a bat hunting ground used by the Puerto Rican boa (Chilabothrus inornatus). As such, their foraging ecology has been previously studied. However, multiple strong hurricanes have impacted the island reducing the number of natural vines around the cave directly affecting the population of snakes foraging at the cave entrance. We compared the foraging ecology between snakes using natural hunting structures and those using artificial perches provided in Culebrones cave. During March to July of 2021, we performed 30 visits to observe successful hunts and the prey handling time of every individual snake. Observations were repeated during the same period of the following year after the addition of artificial vines. The addition of artificial vines to the entrance of Culebrones cave had a positive effect on the snakes that visited the cave to hunt, observing an increase of three snakes on average per night. Prey handling time was longer when snakes hunted on rock walls when compared to those on vines, suggesting an advantage of vines over rocks as hunting perches. Continued monitoring of the foraging ecology in Culebrones cave should be conducted to determine if the addition of more artificial vines can be beneficial to the snake population at this location.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138950255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The occurrence of Eurema daira daira (Godart, 1819) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) on Cuba is documented for the first time. This is based on adult specimens, eggs, and pupa observed and collected in Varadero, Hicacos Peninsula, Matanzas, during November 2023. The implications of this discovery are discussed.
{"title":"First Documented Record of Eurema daira daira (Godart, 1819) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Coliadinae) from Cuba","authors":"Yosiel Álvarez","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a25","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The occurrence of Eurema daira daira (Godart, 1819) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) on Cuba is documented for the first time. This is based on adult specimens, eggs, and pupa observed and collected in Varadero, Hicacos Peninsula, Matanzas, during November 2023. The implications of this discovery are discussed.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138949610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract A systematic survey was conducted in 2013 to identify the plant species composition of the sand flats of Guana Island, British Virgin Islands. A total of eight species were enumerated on the sand flat: broadleaf panicum (Brachiaria adspersa (Trin.) Parodi), Indian bluegrass (Bothriochloa pertusa (L.) A.Camus), thin paspalum (Paspalum setaceum Michx.), goosegrass (Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.), common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.), southern sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus L.), crowfootgrass (Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Beauv.), and tropical fimbry (Fimbristylis cymosa R.Br.). The greatest Species Relative Density (RD) was observed for Bothriochloa pertusa (76%) and Fimbristylis cymosa (10%), while the RD of all remaining species was ≤ 5%. The Shannon Diversity Index of the sand flat was 0.93, while the Shannon Equitability Index was 0.45, indicating moderate species diversity present within the sand flat. Although all eight species identified were previously reported on the island, characterization of their presence on the sand flat may provide further insights into their conservation significance, potential invasiveness, impacts on the ecosystem, and possible need for management/control. Continued monitoring of Cenchrus echinatus may be highly warranted due to previous documentation as an invasive species capable of displacing native vegetation in tropical regions.
{"title":"Population Dynamics and Conservation Significance of Native and Non-native Grass and Sedge Species on the Sand Flats of Guana Island, British Virgin Islands","authors":"Gerald Henry, Chase Straw","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a28","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a28","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A systematic survey was conducted in 2013 to identify the plant species composition of the sand flats of Guana Island, British Virgin Islands. A total of eight species were enumerated on the sand flat: broadleaf panicum (Brachiaria adspersa (Trin.) Parodi), Indian bluegrass (Bothriochloa pertusa (L.) A.Camus), thin paspalum (Paspalum setaceum Michx.), goosegrass (Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.), common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.), southern sandbur (Cenchrus echinatus L.), crowfootgrass (Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Beauv.), and tropical fimbry (Fimbristylis cymosa R.Br.). The greatest Species Relative Density (RD) was observed for Bothriochloa pertusa (76%) and Fimbristylis cymosa (10%), while the RD of all remaining species was ≤ 5%. The Shannon Diversity Index of the sand flat was 0.93, while the Shannon Equitability Index was 0.45, indicating moderate species diversity present within the sand flat. Although all eight species identified were previously reported on the island, characterization of their presence on the sand flat may provide further insights into their conservation significance, potential invasiveness, impacts on the ecosystem, and possible need for management/control. Continued monitoring of Cenchrus echinatus may be highly warranted due to previous documentation as an invasive species capable of displacing native vegetation in tropical regions.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138948373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Forensic entomology is a growing field within the Caribbean, but lacks practical application. There remains room for further growth inclusive of primary baseline information, such as determining the identity of flies of forensic importance on the various Caribbean islands. Descriptions of morphology and biology of immature stages of some flies are also lacking, especially for the family Sarcophagidae. Described here is the morphology of the third larval stage of two species of Sarcophagidae of forensic importance, Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) and Blaesoxipha (Gigantotheca) plinthopyga (Wiedemann, 1830). The two species were found to colonise and breed in decomposing pig meat. Specimens collected were reared and dissected using light microscopy. Key larval features are illustrated for use in identification, as an alternative or addition to adult morphology. Structures described include the anterior and posterior spiracle, anal segment, and cephalopharyngeal skeleton. Both species are considered to be of forensic importance and have been shown to colonise human corpses in a review of the literature.
{"title":"Morphology of Third Instar Peckia chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) and Blaesoxipha plinthopyga (Wiedemann, 1830) (Sarcophagidae); Species of Forensic Importance","authors":"Rochelle Daley, Latoya Foote-Gordon, E. Garraway","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a23","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a23","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Forensic entomology is a growing field within the Caribbean, but lacks practical application. There remains room for further growth inclusive of primary baseline information, such as determining the identity of flies of forensic importance on the various Caribbean islands. Descriptions of morphology and biology of immature stages of some flies are also lacking, especially for the family Sarcophagidae. Described here is the morphology of the third larval stage of two species of Sarcophagidae of forensic importance, Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) and Blaesoxipha (Gigantotheca) plinthopyga (Wiedemann, 1830). The two species were found to colonise and breed in decomposing pig meat. Specimens collected were reared and dissected using light microscopy. Key larval features are illustrated for use in identification, as an alternative or addition to adult morphology. Structures described include the anterior and posterior spiracle, anal segment, and cephalopharyngeal skeleton. Both species are considered to be of forensic importance and have been shown to colonise human corpses in a review of the literature.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138948957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ultrastructure Morphology of the Antennae of Oxysarcodexia corolla and Oxysarcodexia peltata (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)","authors":"Latoya Foote-Gordon, Eric Garraway","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a19","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a19","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138596517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Predation of a Dry Forest Toad, Incilius coccifer, by a Blue-Diademed Motmot, Momotus lessonii, in Western Central Valley, Costa Rica","authors":"José Manuel Mora, Miguel A. Rodríguez","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a20","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a20","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138595708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Keislamari Cintron-Berrios, T. Santiago-Rodriguez, Paola G. Figueroa-Pratts, Sarah Latimer-Fantauzzi, Miranda Guerra-Montenegro, G. Toranzos
{"title":"A First Look at Possible Diet-Induced Variations in the Fecal Microbiota of the Agricultural Pest Diaprepes abbreviatus","authors":"Keislamari Cintron-Berrios, T. Santiago-Rodriguez, Paola G. Figueroa-Pratts, Sarah Latimer-Fantauzzi, Miranda Guerra-Montenegro, G. Toranzos","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a22","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138597860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Morphometrics, Diet, Reproductive Biology, and Ecological Interactions of the Introduced Redclaw Crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus (Decapoda: Parastacidae), in Jamaica, West Indies","authors":"S. R. Todd, Eric J. Hyslop","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a21","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a21","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138597018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alfonso Aguilar-Perera, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Virginia Nóh-Quiñoes
El pez león Pterois volitans fue introducido en el Océano Oeste Atlánico desde hace más de 30 años, pero fue registrado por vez primera en el Golfo de México en 2010. Dada su expansión poblacional en la región, el pez león se ha convertido en una invasión biológica que amenaza el ecosistema marino. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir algunas características reproductivas básicas de este pez por vez primera para el sureste del golfo frente a la costa norte de la península de Yucatán, México. Las muestras fueron recolectadas a través de un programa de ciencia ciudadana, en el cual los pescadores buzos-langosteros arponearon pez león entre 2010 y 2018. La distribución de frecuencias de talla del pez león fue significativamente diferente entre sexos, con los machos más grandes que las hembras. La proporción en sexos fue signitificativa con predominancia de machos. Los análisis histológicos revelaron que la hembra y macho maduros más pequeños tuvieron 160 mm LT and 196 mm LT, respectivamente. Las hembras alcanzaron una madurez sexual (50%) a una talla menor comparada con los machos. Ambos sexos estuvieron en fase de desove capaz durante todos los meses de muestreo (junio a diciembre), con picos de índice gonadosomático en junio, septiembre y diciembre en las hembras. La estimación del intervalo de desove es cuatro días. En el sureste del golfo, el pez león madura a una talla mayor que el pez león del norte del golfo y el de otras regiones en el Océano Atlántico Oeste, con la excepción de Bermuda. Aunque el tamaño de muestra en nuestro estudio es limitado, la oportunidad para identificar la talla de madurez es útil para establecer una línea base para la historia de vida del pez león en el sureste del golfo.
狮子鱼Pterois volitans在30多年前被引入大西洋西部，但2010年首次在墨西哥湾被记录。由于狮子鱼在该地区的数量扩大，它已经成为一种威胁海洋生态系统的生物入侵。这项工作的目的是首次描述这种鱼在墨西哥yucatan半岛北部海岸外的墨西哥湾东南部的一些基本繁殖特征。这些样本是通过公民科学项目收集的，在2010年至2018年期间，蓝鳍金枪鱼渔民用鱼叉捕鱼狮子鱼。雄性狮子鱼的大小频率分布在两性之间有显著差异，雄性狮子鱼大于雌性狮子鱼。性别比例显著，男性占主导地位。组织学分析显示，较小的成熟雌性和雄性分别为160 mm LT和196 mm LT。与雄性相比，雌性达到性成熟(50%)的体型较小。在所有采样月份(6月至12月)，雌雄均处于产卵阶段，雌雄性腺指数在6月、9月和12月达到峰值。估计产卵间隔为四天。在墨西哥湾东南部，狮子鱼成熟的体型比北湾和西大西洋其他地区的狮子鱼要大，百慕大除外。虽然我们的研究样本规模有限，但确定成熟大小的机会有助于建立东南海湾狮子鱼生活史的基线。
{"title":"Reproductive Traits of Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans, at Two Sites Off the Northern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico","authors":"Alfonso Aguilar-Perera, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson, Virginia Nóh-Quiñoes","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v53i2.a14","url":null,"abstract":"El pez león Pterois volitans fue introducido en el Océano Oeste Atlánico desde hace más de 30 años, pero fue registrado por vez primera en el Golfo de México en 2010. Dada su expansión poblacional en la región, el pez león se ha convertido en una invasión biológica que amenaza el ecosistema marino. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir algunas características reproductivas básicas de este pez por vez primera para el sureste del golfo frente a la costa norte de la península de Yucatán, México. Las muestras fueron recolectadas a través de un programa de ciencia ciudadana, en el cual los pescadores buzos-langosteros arponearon pez león entre 2010 y 2018. La distribución de frecuencias de talla del pez león fue significativamente diferente entre sexos, con los machos más grandes que las hembras. La proporción en sexos fue signitificativa con predominancia de machos. Los análisis histológicos revelaron que la hembra y macho maduros más pequeños tuvieron 160 mm LT and 196 mm LT, respectivamente. Las hembras alcanzaron una madurez sexual (50%) a una talla menor comparada con los machos. Ambos sexos estuvieron en fase de desove capaz durante todos los meses de muestreo (junio a diciembre), con picos de índice gonadosomático en junio, septiembre y diciembre en las hembras. La estimación del intervalo de desove es cuatro días. En el sureste del golfo, el pez león madura a una talla mayor que el pez león del norte del golfo y el de otras regiones en el Océano Atlántico Oeste, con la excepción de Bermuda. Aunque el tamaño de muestra en nuestro estudio es limitado, la oportunidad para identificar la talla de madurez es útil para establecer una línea base para la historia de vida del pez león en el sureste del golfo.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135635417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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