Joe MacGown - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Joe MacGown

ZooKeys, Jun 23, 2023

A new species, Hypothyce rayi MacGown & Hill, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: ... more A new species, Hypothyce rayi MacGown & Hill, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Melolonthini), is described from east central Alabama, USA. Three other species of Hypothyce, H. burnei Skelley, H. mixta Howden and H. osburni (Cartwright) are known to occur in the United States. We discuss differences between these species and provide an updated identification key to the genus.

Transactions of The American Entomological Society, May 15, 2021

ABSTRACT One hundred and ninety-three species of ants, plus the hybrid fire ant, Solenopsis invic... more ABSTRACT One hundred and ninety-three species of ants, plus the hybrid fire ant, Solenopsis invicta X richteri, are reported for Mississippi. Thirty-two species are considered to be exotic to Mississippi. County records are given for each species.

Psyche, 2012

Pyramica epinotalis is an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ec... more Pyramica epinotalis is an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and southern Mexico. Here we report the first records of P. epinotalis for the United States. Collections were made in three parishes across southern Louisiana in cypress-tupelo swamps using floating pitfall traps placed in floating vegetation and arboreal pitfall traps placed on trunks and limbs of three wetland tree species. One additional specimen of this species was collected in Highlands County, Florida. Based on collections of specimens in Louisiana, including multiple dealate females at different localities, P. epinotalis appears to be well established in this state. We discuss the design and implementation of modified arboreal pitfall traps that were instrumental in this discovery.

Transactions of The American Entomological Society, May 3, 2022

Journal of Entomological Science, Mar 29, 2022

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Loureiro) (Oleaceae) is a shade-tolerant invasive shrub first i... more Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Loureiro) (Oleaceae) is a shade-tolerant invasive shrub first introduced from China into the US in the mid-19th Century as an ornamental (Wyman 1973, Shrubs and Vines for American Gardens, Macmillan, NY). Chinese privet is an aggressive invader across the southeastern United States and is now found in 27 U.S. states, including Hawaii (EDDMapS, http://www. eddmaps.org/; 20 May 2021), resulting in loss of native species richness across much of its invaded range (Hanula et al. 2009, Invas. Plant Sci. Manag. 2: 292–300; Hudson et al. 2014, Forest Ecol. Manag. 324: 101–108; Merriam and Feil 2003, Biol. Invasions 4: 369–373; Wilcox and Beck 2007, Southeast. Nat. 6: 535–550). Ward (2002, Southeast Geogr. 1: 29–48) documented an 8% increase in Chinese privet cover in the Upper Oconee River floodplain in northern Georgia between 1951 and 1999. Where Chinese privet establishes, it can dominate as an understory monoculture (e.g., Wilcox and Beck 2007), reducing flowering plant richness needed to support pollinators and, over the long term, likely reducing woody debris diversity necessary as harborage and food for a number of arthropods. Several studies have investigated these impacts of Chinese privet infestation on various taxa, including arthropod communities, with most reporting similarly negative results. A more abundant and diverse bee fauna was found on Chinese privet removal plots compared to control (infested) plots 1 and 2 yr after treatment, and again 5 yr after treatment (Hanula and Horn 2011a, Insect. Conserv. Divers. 4: 275–283; Hudson et al. 2013, Biol. Conserv. 167: 355–362). In a later study on bees at the same study

Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 2022

Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 2017

Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 2021

ABSTRACT A 2005 review compiled a list of 155 ant species plus the hybrid fire ant Solenopsis inv... more ABSTRACT A 2005 review compiled a list of 155 ant species plus the hybrid fire ant Solenopsis invicta X richteri from Alabama. Here, we add an 38 additional species based on both published and unpublished records and revised identifications raising the total to 193 species and one hybrid. Of these, 32 species and one hybrid are considered exotic to the state. We present county level maps of species richness and collection efforts for native and exotic ants highlighting areas of special concern for conservation and invasion risks.

Science Advances

Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functionin... more Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functioning and services. Nonetheless, global invertebrate biodiversity patterns and their congruences with vertebrates remain largely unknown. We resolve the first high-resolution (~20-km) global diversity map for a major invertebrate clade, ants, using biodiversity informatics, range modeling, and machine learning to synthesize existing knowledge and predict the distribution of undiscovered diversity. We find that ants and different vertebrate groups have distinct features in their patterns of richness and rarity, underscoring the need to consider a diversity of taxa in conservation. However, despite their phylogenetic and physiological divergence, ant distributions are not highly anomalous relative to variation among vertebrate clades. Furthermore, our models predict that rarity centers largely overlap (78%), suggesting that general forces shape endemism patterns across taxa. This raises confid...

Insects

Since their introduction into the United States in the early 1900′s, imported fire ants, namely S... more Since their introduction into the United States in the early 1900′s, imported fire ants, namely Solenopsis invicta Buren (Red Imported Fire Ant), S. richteri Forel (Black Imported Fire Ant), and their hybrid form Solenopsis invicta X richteri have spread throughout portions of the USA, especially in the southeastern region. Imported fire ants are a serious invasive and economically significant species in the USA and elsewhere, and their spread into new parts of the country is of great concern. Although early models predicted that the fire ants would not be able to survive very far north into the USA, these ants have nonetheless successfully continued their spread into higher latitudes. Based on Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) samples, the Mississippi Entomological Museum Invasive Insect Screening Center, at Mississippi State University, has verified the presence of imported fire ants collected in Kentucky at multiple locations from 2014 to 2022.

Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 2017

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, 2012

Pyramica epinotalisis an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecu... more Pyramica epinotalisis an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and southern Mexico. Here we report the first records ofP. epinotalisfor the United States. Collections were made in three parishes across southern Louisiana in cypress-tupelo swamps using floating pitfall traps placed in floating vegetation and arboreal pitfall traps placed on trunks and limbs of three wetland tree species. One additional specimen of this species was collected in Highlands County, Florida. Based on collections of specimens in Louisiana, including multiple dealate females at different localities,P. epinotalisappears to be well established in this state. We discuss the design and implementation of modified arboreal pitfall traps that were instrumental in this discovery.

Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) was considered to be a relatively common species in central and s... more Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) was considered to be a relatively common species in central and southern Mississippi before the introduction of the imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta and S. richteri, and before subsequent area wide control measures, but it has not been reported from the mainland since the mid 1930's. Recent collections in a relic sandhill community in Smith County have resulted in the rediscovery of this species in central Mississippi. Colony characteristics and microhabitat of P. badius are described. Observations of P. badius and other ant species found walking on the P. badius craters are provided. Seeds found in middens and caches were identified, and charcoal pieces found on the mounds were identified and measured.

FIGURE 2. Leptanilloides chihuahuaensis, male, holotype (MEM 207971): (A) lateral habitus and (B)... more FIGURE 2. Leptanilloides chihuahuaensis, male, holotype (MEM 207971): (A) lateral habitus and (B) forewing and hindwing showing labeled veins. Abbreviations: 2r-rs =second radial sector cross-vein, A = anal vein, C = costal vein, Cu = cubital vein, cu-a = cubital-anal cross-vein, ha = hamuli, M = medial vein, M+Cu = merged medial-cubital veins, Rs+M = merged medial and radial sector plus medial veins, Rs = radial sector, Sc+R = merged subcostal and radial veins.

We describe a new species of the Neotropical genus Leptanilloides, L. chihuahuaensis sp. n., base... more We describe a new species of the Neotropical genus Leptanilloides, L. chihuahuaensis sp. n., based on male specimens from the Davis Mountains in western Texas. Known males of species of Leptanilloides are compared with L. chihua-huaensis. This is the first report of the genus from the United States and the Nearctic region. Previously, the Leptanilloides genus-group was only known to occur from southern Mexico to southeastern Brazil; and thus, this record from Texas rep-resents a remarkable extension of the known range of the genus.

We revise the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group based on study of types and other museu... more We revise the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group based on study of types and other museum specimens and material in J. Trager's collection. The latter material originates from 30 years of accumulated samples, both from free-living colonies of F. pallidefulva group species, and from "slave" populations in colonies of Polyergus lucidus s. l., which have single-species host populations. Among the currently available names for the group, the four valid taxa are F. archboldi, F. dolosa, F. incerta and F. pallidefulva. There is a fifth common, but previously unrecognized new species, described here as Formica biophilica Trager, n. sp. Earlier taxonomies of this group were constrained by typological thinking and inadequate treatment of metric characters. For this study, well preserved individuals, nest series and types of all but one taxon were studied (no types seen for F. pallidefulva). Analysis focused on form, length, abundance and distribution of macrochaetae (...

Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium... more Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Gnamptogenys triangularis (Mayr), native to the forests of South and Central America, is a predatory ant that feeds on millipedes. In its native range, this species is known from Buenos Aires, Argentina (38.1◦S) in the south to Costa Rica (10.4◦N) in the north, with records from eight countries in South America (all except Chile, French Guiana, and Paraguay), and the two southernmost countries of Central America (Panama and Costa Rica). The first records of G. triangularis outside its native range came from

The ant genus Odontomachus Latreille in the United States is reviewed. Six species are treated: O... more The ant genus Odontomachus Latreille in the United States is reviewed. Six species are treated: O. brunneus (Patton), O. clarus Roger, O. desertorum Wheeler stat. nov., O. relictus Deyrup and Cover, O. ruginodis M.R. Smith, and O. haematodus (Linnaeus), a new record for North America. The spread of O. haematodus is documented, and its identity is clarified. The genus is diagnosed for species in the Nearctic region for all castes, and worker-and male-based keys are presented. The workers and males of all six species are described and figured, including the first male descriptions for O. haematodus and O. desertorum. This represents the first study of species-level variation in Odontomachus male genitalia, and one of the first of such studies of the Ponerinae for any biogeographic region. A discussion of the utility of the male sex for Odontomachus taxonomy is provided.

ZooKeys, Jun 23, 2023

A new species, Hypothyce rayi MacGown & Hill, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: ... more A new species, Hypothyce rayi MacGown & Hill, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Melolonthini), is described from east central Alabama, USA. Three other species of Hypothyce, H. burnei Skelley, H. mixta Howden and H. osburni (Cartwright) are known to occur in the United States. We discuss differences between these species and provide an updated identification key to the genus.

Transactions of The American Entomological Society, May 15, 2021

ABSTRACT One hundred and ninety-three species of ants, plus the hybrid fire ant, Solenopsis invic... more ABSTRACT One hundred and ninety-three species of ants, plus the hybrid fire ant, Solenopsis invicta X richteri, are reported for Mississippi. Thirty-two species are considered to be exotic to Mississippi. County records are given for each species.

Psyche, 2012

Pyramica epinotalis is an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ec... more Pyramica epinotalis is an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and southern Mexico. Here we report the first records of P. epinotalis for the United States. Collections were made in three parishes across southern Louisiana in cypress-tupelo swamps using floating pitfall traps placed in floating vegetation and arboreal pitfall traps placed on trunks and limbs of three wetland tree species. One additional specimen of this species was collected in Highlands County, Florida. Based on collections of specimens in Louisiana, including multiple dealate females at different localities, P. epinotalis appears to be well established in this state. We discuss the design and implementation of modified arboreal pitfall traps that were instrumental in this discovery.

Transactions of The American Entomological Society, May 3, 2022

Journal of Entomological Science, Mar 29, 2022

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Loureiro) (Oleaceae) is a shade-tolerant invasive shrub first i... more Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Loureiro) (Oleaceae) is a shade-tolerant invasive shrub first introduced from China into the US in the mid-19th Century as an ornamental (Wyman 1973, Shrubs and Vines for American Gardens, Macmillan, NY). Chinese privet is an aggressive invader across the southeastern United States and is now found in 27 U.S. states, including Hawaii (EDDMapS, http://www. eddmaps.org/; 20 May 2021), resulting in loss of native species richness across much of its invaded range (Hanula et al. 2009, Invas. Plant Sci. Manag. 2: 292–300; Hudson et al. 2014, Forest Ecol. Manag. 324: 101–108; Merriam and Feil 2003, Biol. Invasions 4: 369–373; Wilcox and Beck 2007, Southeast. Nat. 6: 535–550). Ward (2002, Southeast Geogr. 1: 29–48) documented an 8% increase in Chinese privet cover in the Upper Oconee River floodplain in northern Georgia between 1951 and 1999. Where Chinese privet establishes, it can dominate as an understory monoculture (e.g., Wilcox and Beck 2007), reducing flowering plant richness needed to support pollinators and, over the long term, likely reducing woody debris diversity necessary as harborage and food for a number of arthropods. Several studies have investigated these impacts of Chinese privet infestation on various taxa, including arthropod communities, with most reporting similarly negative results. A more abundant and diverse bee fauna was found on Chinese privet removal plots compared to control (infested) plots 1 and 2 yr after treatment, and again 5 yr after treatment (Hanula and Horn 2011a, Insect. Conserv. Divers. 4: 275–283; Hudson et al. 2013, Biol. Conserv. 167: 355–362). In a later study on bees at the same study

Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 2022

Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 2017

Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 2021

ABSTRACT A 2005 review compiled a list of 155 ant species plus the hybrid fire ant Solenopsis inv... more ABSTRACT A 2005 review compiled a list of 155 ant species plus the hybrid fire ant Solenopsis invicta X richteri from Alabama. Here, we add an 38 additional species based on both published and unpublished records and revised identifications raising the total to 193 species and one hybrid. Of these, 32 species and one hybrid are considered exotic to the state. We present county level maps of species richness and collection efforts for native and exotic ants highlighting areas of special concern for conservation and invasion risks.

Science Advances

Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functionin... more Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functioning and services. Nonetheless, global invertebrate biodiversity patterns and their congruences with vertebrates remain largely unknown. We resolve the first high-resolution (~20-km) global diversity map for a major invertebrate clade, ants, using biodiversity informatics, range modeling, and machine learning to synthesize existing knowledge and predict the distribution of undiscovered diversity. We find that ants and different vertebrate groups have distinct features in their patterns of richness and rarity, underscoring the need to consider a diversity of taxa in conservation. However, despite their phylogenetic and physiological divergence, ant distributions are not highly anomalous relative to variation among vertebrate clades. Furthermore, our models predict that rarity centers largely overlap (78%), suggesting that general forces shape endemism patterns across taxa. This raises confid...

Insects

Since their introduction into the United States in the early 1900′s, imported fire ants, namely S... more Since their introduction into the United States in the early 1900′s, imported fire ants, namely Solenopsis invicta Buren (Red Imported Fire Ant), S. richteri Forel (Black Imported Fire Ant), and their hybrid form Solenopsis invicta X richteri have spread throughout portions of the USA, especially in the southeastern region. Imported fire ants are a serious invasive and economically significant species in the USA and elsewhere, and their spread into new parts of the country is of great concern. Although early models predicted that the fire ants would not be able to survive very far north into the USA, these ants have nonetheless successfully continued their spread into higher latitudes. Based on Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) samples, the Mississippi Entomological Museum Invasive Insect Screening Center, at Mississippi State University, has verified the presence of imported fire ants collected in Kentucky at multiple locations from 2014 to 2022.

Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 2017

Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, 2012

Pyramica epinotalisis an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecu... more Pyramica epinotalisis an arboreal dacetine ant previously known only from Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and southern Mexico. Here we report the first records ofP. epinotalisfor the United States. Collections were made in three parishes across southern Louisiana in cypress-tupelo swamps using floating pitfall traps placed in floating vegetation and arboreal pitfall traps placed on trunks and limbs of three wetland tree species. One additional specimen of this species was collected in Highlands County, Florida. Based on collections of specimens in Louisiana, including multiple dealate females at different localities,P. epinotalisappears to be well established in this state. We discuss the design and implementation of modified arboreal pitfall traps that were instrumental in this discovery.

Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) was considered to be a relatively common species in central and s... more Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) was considered to be a relatively common species in central and southern Mississippi before the introduction of the imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta and S. richteri, and before subsequent area wide control measures, but it has not been reported from the mainland since the mid 1930's. Recent collections in a relic sandhill community in Smith County have resulted in the rediscovery of this species in central Mississippi. Colony characteristics and microhabitat of P. badius are described. Observations of P. badius and other ant species found walking on the P. badius craters are provided. Seeds found in middens and caches were identified, and charcoal pieces found on the mounds were identified and measured.

FIGURE 2. Leptanilloides chihuahuaensis, male, holotype (MEM 207971): (A) lateral habitus and (B)... more FIGURE 2. Leptanilloides chihuahuaensis, male, holotype (MEM 207971): (A) lateral habitus and (B) forewing and hindwing showing labeled veins. Abbreviations: 2r-rs =second radial sector cross-vein, A = anal vein, C = costal vein, Cu = cubital vein, cu-a = cubital-anal cross-vein, ha = hamuli, M = medial vein, M+Cu = merged medial-cubital veins, Rs+M = merged medial and radial sector plus medial veins, Rs = radial sector, Sc+R = merged subcostal and radial veins.

We describe a new species of the Neotropical genus Leptanilloides, L. chihuahuaensis sp. n., base... more We describe a new species of the Neotropical genus Leptanilloides, L. chihuahuaensis sp. n., based on male specimens from the Davis Mountains in western Texas. Known males of species of Leptanilloides are compared with L. chihua-huaensis. This is the first report of the genus from the United States and the Nearctic region. Previously, the Leptanilloides genus-group was only known to occur from southern Mexico to southeastern Brazil; and thus, this record from Texas rep-resents a remarkable extension of the known range of the genus.

We revise the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group based on study of types and other museu... more We revise the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group based on study of types and other museum specimens and material in J. Trager's collection. The latter material originates from 30 years of accumulated samples, both from free-living colonies of F. pallidefulva group species, and from "slave" populations in colonies of Polyergus lucidus s. l., which have single-species host populations. Among the currently available names for the group, the four valid taxa are F. archboldi, F. dolosa, F. incerta and F. pallidefulva. There is a fifth common, but previously unrecognized new species, described here as Formica biophilica Trager, n. sp. Earlier taxonomies of this group were constrained by typological thinking and inadequate treatment of metric characters. For this study, well preserved individuals, nest series and types of all but one taxon were studied (no types seen for F. pallidefulva). Analysis focused on form, length, abundance and distribution of macrochaetae (...

Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium... more Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Gnamptogenys triangularis (Mayr), native to the forests of South and Central America, is a predatory ant that feeds on millipedes. In its native range, this species is known from Buenos Aires, Argentina (38.1◦S) in the south to Costa Rica (10.4◦N) in the north, with records from eight countries in South America (all except Chile, French Guiana, and Paraguay), and the two southernmost countries of Central America (Panama and Costa Rica). The first records of G. triangularis outside its native range came from

The ant genus Odontomachus Latreille in the United States is reviewed. Six species are treated: O... more The ant genus Odontomachus Latreille in the United States is reviewed. Six species are treated: O. brunneus (Patton), O. clarus Roger, O. desertorum Wheeler stat. nov., O. relictus Deyrup and Cover, O. ruginodis M.R. Smith, and O. haematodus (Linnaeus), a new record for North America. The spread of O. haematodus is documented, and its identity is clarified. The genus is diagnosed for species in the Nearctic region for all castes, and worker-and male-based keys are presented. The workers and males of all six species are described and figured, including the first male descriptions for O. haematodus and O. desertorum. This represents the first study of species-level variation in Odontomachus male genitalia, and one of the first of such studies of the Ponerinae for any biogeographic region. A discussion of the utility of the male sex for Odontomachus taxonomy is provided.