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2001 All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) Grant Awards

Synonymy, Distribution, and Plant Associations for the Leaf Beetles of Great Smoky Mountains Park (Coleoptera: Orsodacnidae and Chrysomelidae excluding Bruchinae)

Edward G. Riley, Texas A&M University and Shawn M. Clark,
Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University
DLIA Grant #: 2001-00

This report presents the original nomenclature (synonymies), known distributions, and summary of known plant associations for the leaf beetle species occurring or possibly occurring within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). As used here, the term leaf beetle includes the families Megalopodidae, Orsodacnidae and Chrysomelidae (sensu Reid, 1995), the latter including the seed beetles, Bruchinae.

The three sections presented under each species, i. e., the synonymy, the distribution statement, and the plant association summary, have been extracted from two of our on-going and nearly completed projects covering these subjects for the leaf beetle fauna of American north of Mexico: 1) A Catalog of the Leaf Beetles of America north of Mexico (Riley, et al.), and 2) Host Plants of Leaf Beetle Species Occurring in the United States and Canada (Clark, et al.).

The initial leaf beetle list for GSMNP was compiled from distribution data captured as part of these two studies. We included species on the GSMNP list if they were recorded from either or both North Carolina and Tennessee.

ATBI Student Research Interns

Paul E. Super and Michelle Prysby,
Great Smoky Mountains Institute
DLIA Grant #: 2001-04

Two high school student interns were hired to help work on ATBI projects and learn about field research and biological diversity in the process. Erin Henegar and Meredith Jagger, both graduating seniors from Maryville High School, Maryville, Tennessee, were hired to fill these positions. They worked three to four days per week for a total of approximately 300 hours each. The principle projects they worked on were studies of hymenoptera pollinators (Apoidea), coleoptera, lepidoptera, odonata, land snails, and analysis of lepidoptera data. They collected over 500 specimens, which have been passed on to taxonomists for determination and wrote articles about their experience for the ATBI Quarterly and the Walker Valley Reflections (newsletter of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute).

Spider Identifications from Malaise Traps

Emily Whiteley,
Catawba Valley Community College
DLIA Grant #: 2001-06

The study consisted of two parts: 1) sorting to adult and juvenile, the spiders collected in Malaise traps over a two year period, and identifying the adults and 2) entering the data generated into Biota, a relational database published by Sinauer and Associates. Spiders collected by ATBI personnel, from twenty-two malaise traps, representing eleven habitat types and up to two years of collecting, were sorted to morphospecies and by age class (adult or juvenile). The adults collected were identified to species, with some juveniles of particular species identified as well. Dr. Fred Coyle, of Western Carolina University, confirmed all species identifications.

There were 443 adult spiders (or easily identifiable juveniles) in the total of 5482 spider specimens. These represent 19 families, 62 genera, and 88 species.

Lepidoptera Database

Brian Scholtens,
College of Charleston
DLIA Grant #: 2001-07

The goal was to design and construct a database for Lepidoptera specimen records from GSMNP and to construct a database to be used for the writing of web pages for the butterfly species of the park. Design of both databases was done using FileMaker Pro 5.0 for the Macintosh and is now complete.

Determination of Algal Species Present in Aerial Environments in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Jeffrey Johansen,
John Carroll University
DLIA Grant #: 2001-09

The following deliverables arouse from this project. First, a complete and publisheda checklist of algae reported from the park in the journal Castane; second, the building of the algal website posted by DLIA; third, the publishing of the summer’s study in the journal Algological Studies; fourth, the attence of the DLIA meeting to be held in late November 2001; and finally, this final report. Algal studies in aerial habitats in the major geological substrata of the park were conducted and a checklist of algae was completed. A total of 173 new species were found.

Initial Tardigrade and Meiofauna Inventory

Paul J. Bartels,
Warren Wilson College
DLIA Grant #: 2001-10

The purpose of this grant was to develop a sampling program for an inventory of the tardigrades in GSMNP; develop standard laboratory protocols for preparing tardigrade specimens; develop and coordinate a team of researchers and students to carry out the inventory; initiate the inventory and begin a microscope slide catalog of tardigrades; collect meiofaunal organisms other than tardigrades for other researchers; and develop a web-based key to the genera of tardigrades.

Summer EPT of Abrams Creek, GRSM

Dr. R. Edward DeWalt and Brian D. Heinold,
Illinois Natural History Survey
DLIA Grant #: 2001-11

The objective of this study was to compare the species composition, species richness, and phenology of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies) at multiple sites within the Abrams Creek drainage of western Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Coleoptera Taxonomic Working Group (TWIG) at the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum (LSAM)

Christopher E. Carlton, Louisiana State University
DLIA Grant #: 2001-12

The purpose of this group was to establish a taxonomic working group (TWIG) for the order Coleoptera (beetles) to contribute to the All Taxon Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) at GSMNP; establish a sorting center for beetles at Louisiana State Arthropod Museum (LSAM); develop a research project involving students and staff at LSAM to fill gaps in survey beetle faunas of obscure habitats in the GSMNP that may not be covered by the park’s "in-house" collecting protocols (main ecological focus was forest litter); develop a website to disseminate information about the beetle TWIG; and initiate a checklist of beetle species documented from GSMNP to be posted on the website and updated periodically.

Survey of Cellular Slime Molds (Social Amoebae) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

John C. Landolt,
Shepherd College
DLIA Grant #: 2001-14

Cellular slime molds were collected at several sites within the park. Samples were identified and cataloged. A list of species was compiled.

The Aquatic Annelida of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mark J. Wetzel,
Illinois Natural History Survey
DLIA Grant #: 2001-24

Forty-nine steam sites, 12 springs and seeps, one pond and Gum Swamp, all located within the Park, have been surveyed for aquatic Oligochaeta (and other macroinvertebrates); over 1,000 oligochaete specimens have been mounted and identified, representing three families, eight genera, and 13 species – all represent new Park records, and one – Rhyacodrilus subterraneus (Tubificidae) – represents a new state record for NC.

Biting Flies and Their Symbionts

Will Reeves and Peter Adler,
Clemson University
DLIA Grant #: 2001-25

This study surveyed biting flies (11 families) and their symbionts in the Park, using various trapping techniques, to describe new species, furnish records to the central ATBI database, develop a small guide to the Park’s biting flies, and to deposit specimens in various museums, including the Park museum.

Tree canopy biodiversity (Myxomycetes, Macrofungi, Mosses, Liverworts, Lichens and Tardigrades) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Harold W. Keller,
Central Missouri State University
DLIA Grant #: 2001-26

A total of 240 trees representing 35 different tree species were climbed during two three-week periods in June, July and August of calendar years 2000 and 2001.

107 Myxomycete species were recorded from the tree canopy, 51 of which are new records for the GSMNP. Many species of macorfungi, bryophytes, lichens, vascular epiphytes, and tardigrades were also found. 

Little R. Insects

Jon Souders,
Glen Este High School
DLIA Grant #: 2001-27

Leeches (Euhirudinea) of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Southern Appalachian States

William Moser, Donald Klemm, Bruce Daniels and Roy Sawyer,
National Museum of Natural History
DLIA Grant #: 2001-32

Nineteen wetland and running water localities throughout and adjacent to the GSMNP were sampled in Summer of 2001 and twelve localities were sampled in the Spring of 2002. A digital key of the Leeches of the Southern Appalachian States (North Carolina, Northern Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee) is being compiled.

Hymenoptera

Michael Sharkey,
University of Kentucky
DLIA Grant #: 2001-33

With this grant, a large team of Hymenopterists was assembled to help with identification and mounting of collected specimens.

A Survey of Selected Families of Brachycerous Diptera from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Dr. B. A. Foote, Kent State University and Dr. J.B. Keiper,
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
DLIA Grant #: 2001-34

Using traps, sweep netting, and malaise traps, samples were collected and identification of these samples is underway. The taxa focused on are associated with aquatic and moist woodland habitat. Due to the volume of material and taxonomically challenging families (e.g., large volumes of Chloropidae, for which many keys are inadequate or questionable) a visit to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History to make use of the Foote collection (donated in 1997) and other specimens to check our IDs was necessary. A partial list is complete.