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This study is the first attempt to assess the diversity of beetles (Coleoptera) in terrestrial moss cushions on three West Indian islands (Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico) based on 10 years of moss sampling in 18 localities. In total 1711 adult beetles were collected. They belong to 234 species from 30 families. The most species and specimen rich families are Staphylinidae (86 morphospecies and 1195 specimens), Curculionidae (61 morphospecies and 131 specimens), and Chrysomelidae (16 morphospecies and 185 specimens). In addition to basic bryobionts feeding on moss tissues, moss cushions host a diverse fauna of mycophagous and saprophagous Coleoptera together with predaceous species of beetles. Our results suggest that community composition in moss inhabiting beetles is determined both by geographical isolation processes and, to a lesser degree, by environmental variation across altitudinal gradients. This confirms that the greater relevance of geographical isolation is a common pattern in organisms with limited dispersal ability. Beetle abundance was not significantly related to either the volume of moss or the substrate. Despite being not significant (but close to), the observed trend was to higher beetle abundance in moss cushions collected on trees than in those collected on soil/rock. This may be resulting from the greater diversity of fungi and higher number of beetle fungivores associated with tree growing moss communities.

Anderson, Robert S., Higinio, María Fernanda Bermúdez (2022): Koreguajus antennatus Anderson and Bermúdez Higinio, a new genus and new species of Sphenophorina (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Dryophthorinae; Rhynchophorini) from Colombia. Zootaxa 5190 (4): 595-600, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5190.4.10

Active rock glaciers are among the most common cryospheric landforms in high-altitude mid-latitude mountain ranges. Over both short (years to decades) to long (centuries to millennia) time scales, their activity strongly influences the hydrology and geomorphology of alpine environments. Consequently, rock glaciers reflect paleoclimatic conditions and can be seen as an important player in erosion processes affecting high mountains slopes. Because they represent a visible expression of mountain permafrost and a considerable water reserve in the form of ground ice, rock glaciers are important landforms in the geomorphological and hydrological evolution of mountain systems, particularly in context of climate crisis. However, our understanding of rock glacier dynamics and its evolution at different time scales still need to be improved.In this study, we present a multi-method approach, including field observations, remote sensing and geochronology, to study the rock glacier system of the Vallon de la Route (Combeynot Massif, western French Alps). Remote sensing images and correlation techniques are used to document the rock glacier movement field on time scales ranging from days to decades. In addition, to estimate displacement over periods ranging from centuries to millennia, we use surface exposure dating with terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (10Be quartz) on boulder surfaces along the longitudinal line of the rock glacier, targeting different positions from the headwall to the terminus.The remote sensing analysis processed between 1960 and 2018 agree with the geomorphological observations: the lower two units of the rock glacier are stationary/relict, the transition unit presents small displacement and not over its entire area, and the upper two active units above 2600 m elevation show integrated velocities between 14 and 15 cm a-1. 10Be surface exposure ages are ranging from 13.10 ± 0.51 to 1.88 ± 0.14 ka and their spatial distribution reveals an inverse first-order correlation between surface exposure age and elevation, and a positive correlation with horizontal distance to the headwall. These observations support the hypothesis that boulders fall from the headwall and remain on the surface of the rock glacier as they are transported down the valley. Our results also suggest that the rock glacier is characterized by two major phases of activity. The first phase, beginning around 12 ka, has a 10Be age gradient, following a quiet period between ~6.2 and 3.4 ka prior to the emplacement of the two present-day upper active units. Rock glacier started to be active again by 3.4 ka and still is now above 2600 m a.s.l. These results allow to quantify headwall erosion rates of between 1.0 and 2.5 mm a-1, greater than the watershed-integrated denudation rates estimated on millennial time scales. This suggests that the rock glacier system supports the maintenance of high rock wall erosion by acting as a conveyor of debris and allowing freshly exposed bedrock surfaces to be affected by erosional processes.

Anderson, Robert S. (2023): A new species of Toxorhinus Lacordaire (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Dryophthorinae; Rhynchophorini) from Ecuador. Zootaxa 5270 (2): 337-342, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5270.2.9, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5270.2.9

A combination of morphological and molecular techniques were used to revise the genus Ellescus Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Ellescini) in North America. Four valid species of Ellescus are documented from the Nearctic Region. These are the widespread, hypervariable E. ephippiatus (Say, 1831), the Holarctic E. bipunctatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (of which E. borealis (Carr, 1920) new synonym is found to be a new junior synonym), the west coast endemic E. californicus (Casey, 1885) (resurrected from synonymy with E. ephippiatus (Say, 1831)), and the temperately distributed E. michaelinew species. A neotype is designated for E. bipunctatus. The European species, E. scanicus (Paykull, 1792), is determined to have been erroneously reported from North America. An illustrated identification key, distributional data, and DNA sequences (CO1, ITS2) are provided to facilitate identification of the Ellescus species in North America. Notably, CO1 failed to delineate E. ephippiatus and E. michaeli, but the faster-evolving ITS2 reliably separated these taxa, further supporting the use of multiple markers in taxonomic studies and the utility of ITS2 in weevil species delineation.

We describe and illustrate a new eyeless weevil, Yagder serratus gen. & sp. nov., based on a single adult female collected by sifting forest leaf litter in Mexico. A phylogenetic analysis of 39 terminals and 2679 aligned positions from three DNA fragments places the new species into the subfamily Brachycerinae (as incertae sedis) and outside the highly diversified clade of ‘higher’ true weevils. Neither Brachycerinae, nor its tribe Raymondionymini traditionally uniting most eyeless weevils, are monophyletic unless the latter is limited to a Mediterranean core group. Both these taxa are taxonomic dumping-grounds likely containing species-poor sisters of species-rich clades. When resolved, the subfamily Brachycerinae will be likely split into two or more species-poor deeply-divergent subfamilies.

Two new Brazilian species of the genus Coelocephalapion Wagner, 1914 placed in the C. nodicorne species-group (Brentidae: Apioninae) reared from Euphorbiaceae are described and illustrated: Coelocephalapion paleariae sp. n. (Type locality: Botucatu, São Paulo state; reared from seeds Croton glandulosus L.) and Coelocephalapion geraldinhoi sp. n. (Type locality: Dores do Indaiá, Minas Gerais state; reared from leaf galls on Croton antisyphiliticus Mart.). Aside from species descriptions, we also provide a key to species of the C. nodicorne species-group.

We report the strawberry blossom weevil, Anthonomus rubi (Herbst, 1795) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a species native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, as established in British Columbia, Canada. This is the first report of A. rubi in North America. We provide a diagnosis of the species and compare it with other species of the genus Anthonomus Germar in Canada. This species is a pest of plants in Rosaceae Jussieu, including economically important berries such as strawberries (Fragaria Linnaeus) and raspberries (Rubus idaeus Linnaeus), and of native berries of importance to Indigenous peoples in Canada. Female weevils oviposit eggs inside developing flower buds and sever flower stalks, facilitating larval development inside damaged buds and thus reducing fruit yields. Surveys to confirm the presence of A. rubi conducted in 2020 found the weevil to be well established in cultivated and wild hosts throughout the Greater Vancouver area and Fraser Valley, British Columbia. At least one species of parasitoid wasp in the genus Pteromalus Swederus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) has been found in association with A. rubi in the province. Future investigations are required to understand the biology of A. rubi in its new range, assess its impact on berries, and develop management strategies.

Research and evidence-based medicine (EBM) education are important elements of emergency medicine (EM) residency training; however, curricular time is limited and integrating novel strategies to engage learners and improve understanding of complex concepts is challenging. We sought to develop a unique research escape hunt educational experience to teach EM residents basic research and EBM skills using an active-learning, team-based strategy.A nine-station escape room-scavenger hunt was designed around educational content including (1) predictive statistics and diagnostic test characteristics, (2) interpretation of data and statistical analysis, (3) study design, (4) informed consent for research, and (5) the ethical principles guiding research. Stations required participants to use a variety of strategies to solve puzzles, with a correct response required to progress through the escape hunt. Teams worked together to solve each station's puzzles, with opportunities to reinforce the content in real time. Subsequent sessions were presented in a virtual format using Zoom breakout rooms over the past 2 years.Postactivity assessments were grounded in Kirkpatrick's model and focused on participants' reactions, learning, and behavior. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction (100% [21/21] "satisfied" or "extremely satisfied") and engagement (95% [20/21] "engaged" or "very engaged") with the activity, as well as increased comfort with the research and EBM concepts covered (91% [19/21] "agree" or "strongly agree" increased comfort), and demonstrated improvements in knowledge across each content area presented (91% [19/21]).This practical, team-based curriculum was found to be a successful way to engage residents with research methodology and EBM content. This curriculum is feasible for both in-person and virtual formats and we will continue to use this as a component of our EM residency program moving forward.

The originally monobasic genus Crostis Casey, 1922 (type species Crostis subexplanata Casey, 1922 from Brazil) is redefined based on two named and approximately 15 unnamed species occurring between the southern United States and northern Argentina. Three oblong-ovate northern species here grouped informally as the Crostis boreas species group are described: Crostis boreas Prena & Anderson new species from Arkansas and Texas in the U.S.A. and Querétaro and Tamaulipas in Mexico, Crostis boreodes Prena & Anderson new species from Guanajuato and Michoacán in Mexico, and Crostis caperata Prena & Anderson new species from Chiapas in Mexico. The South American Baridius thoracicus Kirsch, 1875 is transferred from Lamprobaris Champion, 1908 to Crostis, as Crostis thoracica (Kirsch) new combination.

The rehab services of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Language Pathology (PT/OT/SLP) are areas of emerging practice in the emergency department (ED). These specialty consult services can provide ED physicians with valuable, nuanced assessments for the older adults that will assist in determining a safe discharge plan. PT and OT interventions in the ED have been shown to decrease hospital admissions and readmissions, increase patient satisfaction, and decrease cost. Rehab specialists provide physicians with an expanded scope of management options that can greatly enhance the care of patients in the ED.

Glacier basal motion is responsible for the majority of ice flux on fast-flowing glaciers, enables rapid changes in glacier motion and provides the means by which glaciers shape alpine landscapes. In an effort to enhance our understanding of basal motion, we investigate the evolution of glacier velocity and ice-marginal lake stage on Kennicott Glacier, Alaska, during the spring–summer transition, a time when subglacial drainage is undergoing rapid change. A complicated record of > 50 m fill-and-drain sequences on a hydraulically-connected ice-marginal lake likely reflects the punctuated establishment of efficient subglacial drainage as the melt season begins. The rate of change of lake stage generally correlates with diurnal velocity maxima, both in timing and magnitude. At the seasonal scale, the up-glacier progression of enhanced summer basal motion promotes uniformity of daily glacier velocity fluctuations throughout the 10 km study reach, and results in diurnal velocity patterns suggesting increasingly efficient meltwater delivery to and drainage from the subglacial channel system. Our findings suggest the potential of using an ice-marginal lake as a proxy for subglacial water pressure, and show how widespread basal motion affects bulk glacier behavior.

Active rock glaciers are some of the most frequent cryospheric landforms in midlatitude high-elevation mountain ranges. Their activity strongly influences the hydrology and geomorphology of alpine environments over short (years to decades) and long (centuries to millennia) timescales. Being conspicuous expressions of mountain permafrost and important water reserves in the form of ground ice, rock glaciers are seen as increasingly important actors in the geomorphological and hydrological evolution of mountain systems, especially in the context of current climate change. Over geological timescales, rock glaciers both reflect paleoclimate conditions and transport rock boulders produced by headwall erosion, and they therefore participate in shaping high mountain slopes. However, the dynamics of rock glaciers and their evolution over different timescales remain under-constrained. In this study, we adopt a multi-method approach, including field observations, remote sensing, and geochronology, to investigate the rock glacier system of the Vallon de la Route (Combeynot Massif, western French Alps). Remotely sensed images and correlation techniques are used to document the displacement field of the rock glacier over timescales ranging from days to decades. Additionally, to estimate displacement over periods from centuries to millennia, we employ terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (quartz 10Be) surface-exposure dating on rock boulder surfaces located along the central flow line of the rock glacier, targeting different longitudinal positions from the headwall to the rock glacier terminus. The remote sensing analysis demonstrates that between 1960 and 2018 the two lower units of the rock glacier were motionless, the transitional unit presented an integrated surface velocity of 0.03±0.02 m a−1, and the two upper active units above 2600 m a.s.l. showed a velocity between 0.14±0.08 and 0.15±0.05 m a−1. Our results show 10Be surface-exposure ages ranging from 13.10±0.51 to 1.88±0.14 ka. The spatial distribution of dated rock glacier boulders reveals a first-order inverse correlation between 10Be surface-exposure age and elevation and a positive correlation with horizontal distance to the headwall. These observations support the hypothesis of rock boulders falling from the headwall and remaining on the glacier surface as they are transported down valley, and they may therefore be used to estimate rock glacier surface velocity over geological timescales. Our results also suggest that the rock glacier is characterized by two major phases of activity. The first phase, starting around 12 ka, displays a 10Be age gradient with a rock glacier surface velocity of about 0.45 m a−1, following a quiescent period between ca. 6.2 and 3.4 ka before the emplacement of the present-day upper two active units. Climatic conditions have favored an integrated rock glacier motion of around 0.18 m a−1 between 3.4 ka and present day. These results allow us to quantify back-wearing rates of the headwall of between 1.0 and 2.5 mm a−1, higher than catchment-integrated denudation rates estimated over millennial timescales. This suggests that the rock glacier system promotes the maintenance of high rock wall erosion by acting as debris conveyor and allowing freshly exposed bedrock surfaces to be affected by erosion processes.

Falling snow often accumulates in dunes. These bedforms are found on up to 14 % of the surface of Earth, and appear occasionally on other planets. They have been associated with increased heat fluxes and rapid sea ice melting (Petrich et al., 2012; Popović et al., 2018). Their formation, however, is poorly understood (Filhol and Sturm, 2015; Kochanski et al., 2019a; Sharma et al., 2019). Here, we use field observations to show that dune growth is controlled by snowfall rate and wind speed. We then use numerical experiments to generate simulated dune topographies under varied wind and snowfall conditions, and use those to quantify conductive and radiative heat fluxes through snow. Our results show that dune growth leads to decreased snow cover, more variable snow depth, and significant increases in surface energy fluxes. We provide quantitative results that will allow modelers to account for the impact of snow bedforms in snow, sea ice, and climate simulations. In addition, this work offers a starting point for process-based studies of one of the most widespread bedforms on Earth.

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, completed its first Martian year, 669 sols (687 Earth days), of operation on June 24, 2014. During that time the rover successfully drilled three full depth drill holes into the Martian surface and analyzed the recovered material using onboard instruments, giving us new insights into the potential habitability of ancient Mars. These drill targets are known as 'John Klein' (Sol 182) and 'Cumberland' (Sol 279), which lie in the mudstones of the Yellowknife Bay formation, and 'Windjana' (Sol 621), which lies in the sandstones of the Kimberley formation. In this paper we will discuss what was necessary to procure these samples, including: 1) an overview of the sampling hardware; 2) the steps taken to ensure sampling hardware is safe when drilling into a target (i.e., evaluation of rock type, rover stability, prior testbed experience, etc.); and 3) the drilling parameters used to acquire these samples. We will also describe each target individually and discuss why each sample was desired, the triage steps taken to ensure it could be safely acquired, and the telemetry obtained for each. Finally, we will present scientific highlights obtained from each site utilizing MSL's onboard instrumentation (SAM & CheMin), results enabled by the drills ability to excavate sample at depth and transfer it to these instruments.

Arctic temperatures are increasing faster than the Northern Hemisphere average due to strong positive feedbacks unique to polar regions. However, the degree to which recent Arctic warming is unprecedented remains debated. Ages of entombed plants in growth position preserved by now receding ice caps in Arctic Canada help to address this issue by placing recent conditions in a multi-millennial context. Here we show that pre-Holocene radiocarbon dates on plants collected at the margins of 30 ice caps in Arctic Canada suggest those locations were continuously ice covered for > 40 kyr, but are now ice-free. We use in situ 14C inventories in rocks from nine locations to explore the possibility of brief exposure during the warm early Holocene. Modeling the evolution of in situ 14C confirms that Holocene exposure is unlikely at all but one of the sites. Viewed in the context of temperature records from Greenland ice cores, our results suggest that summer warmth of the past century exceeds now any century in ~115,000 years., Shrinking Arctic Canada ice caps are revealing preserved landscapes containing a record of past glacier activity. Here the authors show that 14C ages of plants and cosmogenic 14C concentrations from these landscapes indicate that recently exposed landscapes have been continuously ice covered for > 40,000 years.

Considerable debate revolves around the relative importance of rock type, tectonics, and climate in creating the architecture of the critical zone. We demonstrate the importance of climate and in particular the rate of water recharge to the subsurface, using numerical models that incorporate hydrologic flowpaths, chemical weathering, and geomorphic rules for soil production and transport. We track alterations in both solid phase (plagioclase to clay) and water chemistry along hydrologic flowpaths that include lateral flow beneath the water table. To isolate the role of recharge, we simulate dry and wet cases and prescribe identical landscape evolution rules. The weathering patterns that develop differ dramatically beneath the resulting parabolic interfluves. In the dry case, incomplete weathering is shallow and surface parallel, whereas in the wet case, intense weathering occurs to depths approximating the base of the bounding channels, well below the water table. Exploration of intermediate cases reveals that the weathering state of the subsurface is strongly governed by the ratio of the rate of advance of the weathering front itself controlled by the water input rate, and the rate of erosion of the landscape. The system transitions between these end‐member behaviours rather abruptly at a weathering front speed ‐ erosion rate ratio of approximately 1. Although there are undoubtedly direct roles for tectonics and rock type in critical zone architecture, and yet more likely feedbacks between these and climate, we show here that differences in hillslope‐scale weathering patterns can be strongly controlled by climate.

Two new species of South American Metamasius Horn (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Dryophthorinae) are described: Metamasius onorei new species from Cotopaxi, Ecuador and Metamasius pilirostris new species from west of Río Yurumangui, Colombia. Diagnostic characters and images are provided for both new species to facilitate identification.

Saotomia tuberculata, a new genus and species of Peritelini (Curculionidae; Entiminae) from São Tomé, West Africa is described. The new genus is most similar to the other African genera Dysommatus Marshal, 1933 and Fernandius Marshall, 1954. Important taxonomic characters are illustrated.

The weevil genera Aethiopacorep Voisin and Titilayo Cristóvão & Lyal are the only native African members of the nearly pantropical and poorly known tribe Anchonini. All Anchonini are flightless, a trait likely limiting dispersal, yet these weevils are found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. A phylogenetic analysis of 79 terminals and 3248 aligned positions from one mitochondrial and two nuclear ribosomal fragments supports a clade of West African Anchonini nested within American Anchonini. As suggested by previous authors, the Asian genera Himalanchonus Zherikhin and Otibazo Morimoto do not form a clade with the tribe’s core, and along with Cycloterinus Kolbe, Euthycodes Pascoe, Leptanchonus Morimoto, Nepalanchonus Zherikhin, and Tanyomus Champion, are here removed from Anchonini and placed as Molytinae incertae sedis. So defined, the monophyletic tribe Anchonini contains 36 genus-group names, all but two denoting American taxa. Using molecular clock analysis, we estimate the separation of the West African Anchonini from its American sister at 9.5–5.2 million years ago (Ma). This date greatly postdates the Cretaceous opening of the Atlantic Ocean (about 100 Ma) and, therefore, evokes a single transatlantic dispersal to West Africa, likely by over-water rafting, leading to subsequent diversification. We postulate this to be the first documented eastwards crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by terrestrial non-volant arthropods based on morphological and molecular data.