Seasonal Dynamics of the American Burying (Nicrophorus americanus Olivier) in Eastern Oklahoma.

Thomas Ferrari

Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology

Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, OK 74078 Interspecific competition effects on survival of the American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus Olivier) in Eastern Oklahoma. Tom Ferrari OSU Graduate student

Abstract

American Burying Beetle (ABB) (Nicrophorus americanus) populations have been in decline since the early 1900’s, and much effort has been put into studying the survival of this now endangered species. Burying (Silphidae), which rely solely on carrion as both a reproductive and food resource, exclude most other competitors by burying small mammal and other vertebrate carcasses underground. Fertilized females may reproduce alone or in groups, but a carcass is usually buried by a male and female pair.

Small carrion is a short-lived, high-quality resource to many specialized . The competition for this valuable resource is strong and has probably shaped many ecological, behavioral, and physiological traits of the associated insects. Not only do the burying beetles compete with insects, they must also compete with vertebrate scavengers.

In southeastern Oklahoma, the ABB compete directly or indirectly with many other species. After two years of sampling in this region, the four most abundant other insect species trapped in conjunction with the ABB were the red-lined carrion beetle Necrodes surinamensis, the congener Nicrophorus orbicollis, the ridged carrion beetle Oiceoptoma inaequale, and the beetle Euspilotus assimilis from the Family .

We completed 2400 trap-nights using 170 above-ground pitfall traps that were placed in seven separate areas within Pittsburg and Hughes counties in southeastern Oklahoma. Preliminary results based on flight times and capture data indicate that the strongest competitor for reproductive resources is the congener N. orbicollis

Objective 3

Compare vegetation diversity and structure, condition class of habitat, soil characteristics, proximity to water, inter-specific competition, and small mammal and bird communities among designated release sites and ABB population monitoring sites in Eastern Oklahoma in relation to ABB activity levels.

Sampling

James Collins WMA o 18 sites (relocation site)

McAAP o 19 sites

Private Land o 18 sites

Results James Collins WMA

2013 (294 trap-nights) 18 traps • 53 ABBs (0.18 capture rate) • 110 N. orbicollis • 7 N. pustulatus

2014 (111 trap-nights) 3 traps • 57 ABBs (0.51 capture rate) • 42 N. orbicollis • 53 N. pustulatus

5.00 James Collins WMA 2013 ABB N. orb 4.50 N. pus N. tom 4.00

3.50

3.00 night - 2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

Mean capture rate per trap per rate capture Mean 0.00

3-Jul

6-Jun

1-Oct

4-Sep

8-Aug

21-Jul 30-Jul

-0.50 12-Jul

1-May

15-Jun 24-Jun

10-Oct

13-Sep 22-Sep

17-Aug 26-Aug

10-May 19-May 28-May First Day of Three-day Trapping Event 5.00 James Collins WMA 2014 ABB N. orb 4.50 N. pus N. tom 4.00

3.50

3.00 night - 2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

Mean capture rate per trap rate Meancapture 0.00

3-Jul

6-Jun

1-Oct

4-Sep

8-Aug

21-Jul 30-Jul

-0.50 12-Jul

1-May

15-Jun 24-Jun

10-Oct

13-Sep 22-Sep

17-Aug 26-Aug

10-May 19-May 28-May First day of three-day trapping event Results Lamar Site

2013 (270 trap-nights) 18 traps • 233 ABBs (0.86 capture rate) • 700 N. orbicollis • 90 N. pustulatus

2014 (24 trap-nights) 2 traps • 15 ABBs (0.63 capture rate) • 33 N. orbicollis • 19 N. pustulatus

30.50 Lamar Site 2013 ABB N. orb 28.00 N. pus 25.50 N. tom

23.00

20.50 night - 18.00

15.50

13.00

10.50

8.00

5.50 Mean capture rate per trap per rate capture Mean 3.00

0.50

-2.00

3-Jul

6-Jun

1-Oct

4-Sep

8-Aug

12-Jul 21-Jul 30-Jul

1-May

15-Jun 24-Jun

10-Oct

13-Sep 22-Sep

17-Aug 26-Aug

19-May 10-May 28-May First day of three-day trapping event Results McAAP

2013 (84 trap-nights) 12 traps • 78 ABBs (2.79 capture rate) • 39 N. orbicollis (1.39 capture rate) • 9 N. pustulatus (0.32 capture rate)

2014 (267 trap-nights) 18 traps • 159 ABBs (1.79 capture rate) • 202 N. orbicollis (2.27 capture rate) • 173 N. pustulatus (1.94 capture rate)

4.00 McAAP 2014 ABB N. orb 3.50 N. pus

N. tom

3.00

night -

2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50 Mean capture rate per trap per trap per trap per rate capture Mean

0.00

3-Jul

6-Jun

1-Oct

4-Sep

8-Aug

30-Jul 12-Jul 21-Jul

1-May

15-Jun 24-Jun

10-Oct

13-Sep 22-Sep

17-Aug 26-Aug

19-May 28-May -0.50 10-May First day of three-day event