Species Common Name: Wabash Pigtoe Species Scientific Name: Fusconaia flava Currently listed as: ___ Endangered ___ Threatened X Species-In-Need-of-Conservation (SINC) ___ not listed Petitioned to: ___ Endangered ___ Threatened ___SINC X not listed Note to petitioner: Feel free to expand the blanks below to add sufficient information. When completed, please convert Word document to a pdf prior to submitting. 1) List the survey/research information that has occurred since the last 5-year review (2013) that has prompted your petition to change the listing category of this species. Recent evidence showing a positive population trend of the Wabash Pigtoe from a long-term data set from 8 sites sampled in the Verdigris River prompted this petition. These sites were sampled in 1991, 1997, 2003, 2009 and 2015. In 2009 and 2015, the Wabash was the most predominant freshwater mussel found at these sites and ranked #1 of 23 species documented during this survey. The trend data is positive and shows a significant increase from 9.7% of the catch in 1991 to 30.4% of the catch in 2015. Likewise, the density per 1-m2 showed a significant increase from 0.58 to 5.18. Following is a table showing the trend data for the Wabash Pigtoe from these long-term sample sites (Miller & Lynott 2006 and KDWPT unpublished data). 1991 1997 2003 2009 2015 Relative abundance (as % of total) 9.7% 15.2% 20.2% 29.3% 30.4% Rank of abundance (of 23 species sampled) 4 3 2 1 1 Density (#/1m2) 0.58 1.29 3.25 4.18 5.18 Other data shown in table below reveal that the Wabash Pigtoe is a co-dominant species in southeast Kansas rivers and some large creeks. Literature cited: Miller, E. J. and S. T. Lynott. 2006. Increase of unionid mussel populations in the Verdigris River, Kansas, from 1991 to 2003. Southeast. Nat. 5(3):383-392. Unpublished data (2009-2015). KDWPT collection records data base. 2018 Petition to change listing categoryWabash Pigtoe/Page 1 2) a. Provide a map of the species’ current distribution in Kansas and range wide. Blue streams: indicate current occupancy of Wabash Pigtoe Hollow circles: indicate past range of Wabash Pigtoe (presence of relic shells) Source: A Pocket Guide to Kansas Freshwater Mussels Total range as shown on IUCN website. b. Is the Kansas population considered connected with the population in an adjoining state? Yes X No ______ Don’t know _______ c. If no, what is the distance to the nearest out-of-state population? __________________ d. Is the Kansas population genetically distinct from the core population in other states? Yes _____ No ______ Don’t know X 2018 Petition to change listing categoryWabash Pigtoe/Page 2 There is some question regarding the consistency of Wabash Pigtoe genetics across its entire range. Evidently, the western clade differs from the eastern clade (Mississippi Valley) and is possibly an undescribed species (Burdick and White 2007). As stated on NatureServe (2018), more morphological and genetic work is needed. All of Kansas sites where the Wabash Pigtoe occurs would be in the western clade. Cite references: Burdick, R. C. and M. M. White. 2007. Phylogeography of the Wabash pigtoe, Fusconaia flava, (Rafinesque, 1820) (Bivalvia: Unionidae). J. of Molluscan Studies. 73(4): 367- 375. NatureServe. 2018. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: March 14, 2018). 3) How and to what magnitude has the species’ distribution changed within Kansas during the past 35 years? No range change of note in the last 35 years. Historically there was a contracting range probably due to reduced flows and were probably extirpated from the Lower Arkansas, Smoky Hill-Saline and Solomon river basins. However this was prior to the last 35 years and probably occurred in early 1900s. Wabash Pigtoes can be found in following basins: Walnut: Grouse Creek, Walnut River Verdigris: Caney River, Elk River, Fall River, and Verdigris River Neosho: Cottonwood River, South Fork of Cottonwood River, Labette Creek, Spring River, and Neosho River. Marais des Cygnes: Marmaton River, Little Osage River, Pottawatomie Creek, and Marais des Cygnes River Kansas – Lower Republican: Black Vermillion River, Clark Creek, Mill Creek, Soldier Creek, Stranger Creek, Lyon Creek, Wakarusa River, Smoky Hill River and Kansas River Missouri: Blue River, Wolf River and Walnut Creek Angelo, R. T., M. S. Cringan, E. Hays, C. A. Goodrich, E. J. Miller, M, A. VanScoyoc and B. R. Simmons. 2009. Historical changes in the occurrence and distribution of freshwater mussels in Kansas. Great Plains Res. 19:89-126. Hoke, E. 1997. The unionid mollusks of the upper Kansas basin of northwestern Kansas and southwestern Nebraska. Trans. of Neb. Acad. of Sci. 24:35-62. Globally? There is no evidence of range reduction in past 35 years, however, Minnesota reported a range expansion of Wabash Pigtoe (Sietman 2003). 2018 Petition to change listing categoryWabash Pigtoe/Page 3 Sietman, B.E. 2003. Field Guide to the Freshwater Mussels of Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: St. Paul, Minnesota. 144 pp. 4) Describe the species’ population trend within Kansas during the past 35 years. As mentioned above (1), the long term data set from 8 sites in the Verdigris River showed significant increase in the population of Wabash Pigtoe in both density and relative abundance. In 2015, it became the most numerous mussel documented from these sample sites. In other rivers and creeks of southeast Kansas it is consistently in the top tier of most abundant mussels present as documented in the following table. Therefore, it should be considered one of the co- dominant mussel species occurring in most if not all southeast Kansas rivers and large creeks. Table 1. Data summary from several sites from southeast Kansas showing the relative abundance and rank of Wabash Pigtoe from various rivers and sampling years. River Year No. No. % Rank Citation mussels Wabash Wabash in survey Pigtoe Pigtoe Neosho 93-95 5,773 960 16.7% 5/24 Obermeyer et al. 1995 Neosho 04 861 24 2.8% 7/19 Mosher 2006 Spring 93-95 1,493 126 8.4% 3/23 Obermeyer et al. 1995 Spring 01 719 69 9.6% 3/17 K160 bridge data set Spring 03 607 102 16.8% 3/16 Pierce Site data set Spring 14 617 78 12.6% 5/17 Pierce Site data set Verdigris 93-95 2,787 219 7.9% 4/24 Obermeyer et al. 1995 Verdigris 04-05 4,663 389 8.3% 3/23 Mosher 2006 Fall 93-95 2,135 217 10.2% 4/23 Obermeyer et al. 1995 Fall 04 1,871 228 12.2% 3/21 Mosher 2006 Elk 93-95 321 51 15.9% 3/12 Obermeyer et al. 1995 Elk 04 424 60 14.2% 3/14 Mosher 2006 MdCygne 97 1,574 247 15.7% 3/17 Workshop Data MI Co. MdCygne 02 1,626 39 2.4% 5/17 KDWP data (2 sites) MdCygne 03-04 2,163 548 25.3% 1/18 Mosher 2006 MdCygne 16 2,149 386 18.0% 3/18 Buer et al. 2017 Marmaton 95 120 7 5.8% 3/14 Mussel workshop BB Co. Marmaton 04 431 56 13.0% 2/17 Mosher 2006 Marmaton 16 558 63 11.3% 3/13 Buer et al. 2017 L. Osage 95 304 14 4.6% 6/13 Workshop data BB Co. Grouse C. 04 475 63 13.3% 2/11 Mosher 2006 Walnut 04 754 64 11.8% 4/8 Mosher 2006 2018 Petition to change listing categoryWabash Pigtoe/Page 4 Buer. K., A. Karlan, and W. Stark. 2017. Survey of freshwater mussel populations in the upper Osage River system with emphasis on the status of the Mucket (Actinoaias ligamentina). Kansas Dept. Wildl., Parks and Tourism. Mosher, T. D. 2006. Evaluation of freshwater mussel (Unionidae) populations in southeastern Kansas streams. Kansas Dept. Wildl. and Parks, Emporia, KS. Obermeyer, B. K., D. R. Edds, and C. W. Prophet. 1995. Distribution and abundance of federal “candidate” mussels (Unionidae) in southeast Kansas. Kansas Dept. Wildl. and Parks. Globally? The Endangered Species Committee of the American Fisheries Society considered the Wabash Pigtoe “Currently Stable” in 1992 (Williams et al. 1992). This short term trend continues with the species being considered “relatively stable” at ≤10% change and total population is estimated at >1,000,000 individuals (NatureServe2017). Williams, J.D., M.L. Warren Jr., K.S. Cummings, J.L. Harris, and R.J. Neves. 1992. Conservation status of freshwater mussels of the United States and Canada. Fisheries 18:6-22. NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: March 14, 2018). 5) a. What is the Global Rank of this species from NatureServe? (http://natureserve.org/) G5 = Secure NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: March 13, 2018). b. What is species status and trend on ICUN Red List? (http://www.iucnredlist.org/) Status: Least Concern Trend: Stable The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 13 March 2018. c. What proportion of the species’ global population is currently found within Kansas? Probably < 5% 6) What is the species’ current residency status within Kansas (vagrant, migrant, wintering, or year-round)? Year-round. 2018 Petition to change listing categoryWabash Pigtoe/Page 5 7) Describe the species’ current breeding status within Kansas. Wabash Pigtoe adults are relatively stationery. They disperse to pioneer new habitat during the glochidia stage.