Geomys Breviceps) Burrows from Southeastern Oklahoma

Home , Onthophilus, Plains pocket gopher, Spilodiscus, Texas pocket gopher

Coleoptera (Histeridae and Scarabaeidae) from Baird’s pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps) burrows from Southeastern Oklahoma

Matthew B. Connior Health and Natural Sciences, South Arkansas Community College, 311 S. West Ave., El Dorado, AR 71730

Chris T. McAllister Science and Mathematics Division, Eastern Oklahoma State College, Idabel, OK 74745

Ecological research of the insect fauna asso- and Pushmataha) in extreme southeastern ciated with pocket gophers in the southern Oklahoma. We excavated pocket gopher United States has yielded several recently burrow mounds in all four counties fol- published studies including a number lowing the techniques of Connior (2011a) of undescribed species of insects, mainly and set four pitfall traps in Pushmataha beetles (Coleoptera) in the families Histeri- County following the techniques of Skelley dae, Leiodidae, and Scarabaeidae (Peck and and Gordon (2001). All specimens were pre- Skelley 2001, Skelley and Gordon 2001, Skel- served in 70% EtOH for later identification ley and Kovarik 2001, Kovarik et al. 2008; and subsequently deposited in the follow- Tishechkin and Cline 2008, Connior 2011a). ing institutions: Louisiana State Arthropod Some of these studies have focused on spe- Museum and Florida State Collection of cific taxonomic groups of pocket gophers Arthropods. The taxonomy of the Scara- (e.g. Skelley and Kovarik 2001; Kovarik baeidae follows Gordon and Skelley (2007). et al. 2008), while others have focused on Specimen identifications were furnished by geopolitical boundaries (e.g. Tishechkin and the following specialists for each group as Cline 2008). From these studies, patterns of listed: A. K. Tishechkin (Histeridae), Louisi- regional distributions of insect inquilines are ana State Arthropod Museum; and P. E. Skel- starting to emerge, especially regarding the ley, Florida State Collection of Arthropods community ecology of pocket gopher hosts (Scarabaeidae). and insect inquilines. Oklahoma has two species of pocket Histeridae gophers within the genus Geomys. Baird’s Onthophilus kirni Ross – Atoka Co., Jct. pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps) occurs in N4015 Co. Rd. (McGee St. Pk. Rd.) and E1890 the eastern half of the state (Sulentich et al. Co. Rd. (Sain Rd.) (34.272912oN, 95.875530o 1991) and Plains pocket gopher (Geomys W); 8 March 2013; (1) burrow excavation. bursarius) occurs in the western half of the Choctaw Co., Fort Towson historic site off state (Connior 2011b). Limited information US 70 (34.025801 o N, 95.258803 o W); 1 March regarding pocket gopher beetle inquilines 2013; (3) burrow excavation. McCurtain Co., is known from Oklahoma (e.g. Gordon and 5 km NW Texas/Oklahoma border, St Hwy Skelley 2007). This study was conducted to 87 (33.728231o N, 94.716294o W); 1 March augment the known distribution of beetle in- 2013; (3) burrow excavation. Pushmataha quilines from Baird’s pocket gopher within Co., 17 km E Rattan, Hwy 3 (34.186536o N, the southeastern portion of Oklahoma. Be- 95.216083o W); 8 March 2013; (10) burrow tween March and April 2013, we sampled excavation; 8 March- 25 April 2013 (1) pitfall four counties (Atoka, Choctaw, McCurtain, trap. This beetle is a new state record. It has Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 93: pp 19-22 (2013) 20 M.B. CONNIOR and C.T McALLISTER been reported from pocket gopher burrows Cryptoscatomaseter oklahomensis (Brown) from surrounding Arkansas (Kovarik et – Atoka Co., Jct. N4015 Co. Rd. (McGee al. 2008), Louisiana (Tishechkin and Cline St. Pk. Rd.) and E1890 Co. Rd. (Sain Rd.) 2008, Connior 2011a), and Texas (Ross 1944; (34.272912oN, 95.875530o W); 8 March 2013; Helava 1978). (3) burrow excavation. Choctaw Co., Fort Spilodiscus gloveri (Horn) – Atoka Co., Towson historic site off US 70 (34.025801 o N, Jct. N4015 Co. Rd. (McGee St. Pk. Rd.) and 95.258803 o W); 1 March 2013; (1) burrow ex- E1890 Co. Rd. (Sain Rd.) (34.272912oN, cavation. McCurtain Co., 5 km NW Texas/ 95.875530o W); 8 March 2013; (2) burrow ex- Oklahoma border, St. Hwy. 87 (33.728231o cavation. McCurtain Co., 5 km NW Texas/ N, 94.716294o W); 1 March 2013; (17) bur- Oklahoma border, St Hwy 87 (33.728231o row excavation. Pushmataha Co., 17 km E N, 94.716294o W); 1 March 2013; (1) burrow Rattan, St. Hwy. 3 (34.186536o N, 95.216083o excavation. Pushmataha Co., 17 km E Rat- W); 8 March 2013; (8) burrow excavation; 8 tan, St Hwy 3 (34.186536o N, 95.216083o W); March- 25 April 2013 (3) pitfall trap. This 8 March 2013; (5) burrow excavation. This beetle has been previously reported from beetle has been previously reported from Latimer County (Gordon and Skelley 2007). Latimer County (Caterino 1998). It was Euphoria discicollis (Thomson) – Push- also reported from Kansas and Oklahoma, mataha Co., 17 km E Rattan, St. Hwy. 3 although no further data was given (Casey (34.186536o N, 95.216083o W); 8 March 2013; 1916). (2) burrow excavation. This beetle has been previously reported from Cleveland and Scarabaeidae Payne Counties (Orozco 2012). Cryptoscatomaseter acuminatus (Cart- Geomyphilus insolitus (Brown)– Atoka wright) – Pushmataha Co., 17 km E. Rattan, Co., Jct. N4015 Co. Rd. (McGee St. Pk. Rd.) St. Hwy. 3 (34.186536o N, 95.216083o W); 8 and E1890 Co. Rd. (Sain Rd.) (34.272912oN, March 2013; (5) burrow excavation; 8 March- 95.875530o W); 8 March 2013; (4) burrow 25 April 2013 (3) pitfall trap. This beetle is a excavation. Choctaw Co., Fort Towson his- new state record. It has been reported from toric site off US 70 (34.025801 o N, 95.258803 pocket gopher burrows from surround- o W); 1 March 2013; (1) burrow excavation. ing Arkansas (Fiene et al. 2011), Louisiana Pushmataha Co., 17 km E Rattan, St. Hwy. (Tishechkin and Cline 2008, Connior 2011a), 3 (34.186536o N, 95.216083o W); 8 March and Texas (Gordon and Skelley 2007). 2013; (9) burrow excavation; 8 March- 25 Cryptoscatomaseter haldemani (Horn) April 2013 (2) pitfall trap. This beetle has – Atoka Co., Jct. N4015 Co. Rd. (McGee been previously reported from Latimer and St. Pk. Rd.) and E1890 Co. Rd. (Sain Rd.) Payne Counties (Gordon and Skelley 2007). (34.272912oN, 95.875530o W); 8 March 2013; We collected two species of Histeridae (2) burrow excavation. Choctaw Co., Fort and five species of Scarabaeidae. One spe- Towson historic site off US 70 (34.025801 o N, cies of Histeridae, Onthophilus kirni, and one 95.258803 o W); 1 March 2013; (9) burrow ex- species of Scarabaeidae, Cryptoscatomaseter cavation. McCurtain Co., 5 km NW Texas/ acuminatus, represent new state records. All Oklahoma border, St. Hwy. 87 (33.728231o collections of beetles represent new county N, 94.716294o W); 1 March 2013; (6) burrow records. Further sampling in Oklahoma excavation. Pushmataha Co., 17 km E Rat- should elucidate further distributional tan, St. Hwy. 3 (34.186536o N, 95.216083o records and potentially additional obligate W); 8 March 2013; (5) burrow excavation; 8 Coleoptera species. March- 25 April 2013 (3) pitfall trap. This beetle has been previously reported from ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Latimer County (Gordon and Skelley 2007). We thank Paul Skelley (scarab beetles) and Alexey Tishechkin (hister beetles) for Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 93: pp 19-22(2013) BAIRD'S POCKET GOPHER BURROWS 21 identification and expert curatorial assis- Kovarik P, Chordas S III, Robison H, Skelley P, Connior tance. We also thank James T. and Nikolas M, Fiene J, Heidt G. 2008. Insects inhabiting the burrows of the Ozark pocket gopher in Arkansas. H. McAllister for assistance in collecting. J Ark Acad Sci 62:75-78 The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Orozco J. 2012. Monographic revision of the Ameri- Conservation provided scientific collecting can Genus Euphoria Burmeister, 1842 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Coleopterists Bull permit No. 5498 to CTM. Monograph 11:1-182. Peck SB, Skelley PE. 2001. Small carrion beetles (Co- LITERATURE CITED leoptera: Leiodidae: Cholevinae) from burrows of Casey TL. 1916. Memoirs on the Coleoptera, vii. Geomys and Thomomys pocket gophers (Rodentia: Lancaster (PA). New Era Printing Company. 246 p. Geomyidae) in the United States. Insecta Mundi Caterino MS. 1998. A phylogenetic revision of Spilo- 15:139-150. discus Lewis (Coleoptera: Histeridae). J Nat Hist Ross ES. 1944. Onthophilus kirni new species, and two 32:1129-1168. other noteworthy Histeridae from burrows of a Connior MB. 2011a. Histeridae and Scarabaeidae from Texas pocket gopher. Entomol News 55:115-117. unsampled populations of pocket gopher burrows Skelley PE, Gordon RD. 2001. Scarab beetles from in Louisiana. Insecta Mundi 153:1-5. pocket gopher burrows in the southeastern United Connior MB. 2011b. Geomys bursarius. Mamm Spec 43 States (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Insecta Mundi (879): 104-117. 15:77-93. Fiene JG, Connior MB, Androw R, Baldwin B, McKay T. Skelley PE, Kovarik PW. 2001. Insect surveys in the 2011. Surveys of Arkansas dung beetles (Coleoptera: Southeast: investigating relictual entomofaunas. Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae): Phenologies, mass Florida Entomol 84:552-555. occurrences, state and distributional records. Amer Sulentich JM, Williams LR, Cameron GN. 1991. Geomys Midl Nat 165:319-337. breviceps. Mamm Spec 383:1-4. Gordon RD, Skelley PE. 2007. A monograph of the Tishechkin AK, Cline AR. 2008. The beetle (Coleoptera) Aphodiini inhabiting the United States and Canada fauna of pocket gopher burrows in Louisiana. Proc (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae). Mem Entomol Soc Wash 110:331-339. Amer Entomol Inst 79: 1-580. Helava J. 1978. A revision of the Nearctic species of the Received: July 15th, 2013, Accepted: November 3rd, 2013 genus Onthophilus kirni Leach (Coleoptera: Histeri- dae). Cont Amer Entomol Inst 15:1-43.

Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 93: pp 19-22 (2013) 22 M.B. CONNIOR and C.T. McALLISTER

Proc. Okla. Acad. Sci. 93: pp 19-22 (2013)