A draft of Birds of Santa Fe Savanna page is now live. This is the first of several that will document the local wildlife.
The page illustrates the seasonality and relative abundance of birds specific to the area around the lab. The Santa Fe area has a a diverse array of wildlife communities, so the bird fauna here will differ from those at, e.g., the Randall Davey Audubon Center or Las Golondrinas.
Over the years, I have wondered about the best time to post a new page. Because information changes, better photos become available, links break and so on, an active site is always a work in progress. I have opted for the good rather than the perfect for now, and will continue to improve all of the content on the site.
As mentioned in an earlier post, the beetle ecology/physiology project has split into two separate sets of experiments. For the ecology project, I am hoping to get some good data regarding beetle abundance, seasonality and predation, but that will be the subject of other posts.
To get a more mechanistic understanding of heat stress in the beetles, I plan to do two sets of experiments once the beetles are available later in the summer. One will be a relatively straightforward measure of the range of temperature tolerance for the stink beetles (Amphidorini) and their non-stinky mimics (Asidini).
The other experiment will measure activity in the nervous systems of the beetles when they are under heat stress. There is considerable evidence that there is a blast of neural activity, sometimes referred to as a “spreading depolarization” when insects enter a state of paralysis known as heat coma. I would like the measure the temperature that is required for the spreading depolarization in the Amphidorini, which are relatively heat sensitive, and the Asidini, which are more resistant. The hypothesis is that it will take a higher temperature to induce spreading depolarization in the Asidini.
To get those data, I will need an amplifier to record neural activity in the beetles. Although I could spend a few thousand dollars on a new, ready made amplifier, there are some nice DIY designs in the literature. The circuit I chose (from Land et al., 2001, J. Neurosci Meth. 106:47) should do everything I need. It can amplify signals between 100X and 1000X, it has filters to stabilize the signal and reduce noise, and is relatively inexpensive to build.
The circuit diagram from the original paper is shown above. It uses two op-amps for amplification and filtering, and was designed to be powered by two 9V batteries. I will use the same circuit, but plan to use a 9V DC power supply for simplicity.
Most of the components arrived from Mouser Electronics today, and I can get started once a few more things (like the circuit boards) arrive. I plan to build one single channel amplifier to work out the process (little box on top), then assemble a four channel unit to record multiple beetles at once (bottom box).
The middle box will house the analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which will allow me to record the data on a computer.
I will post more details about the setup and procedures as things progress.
Special thanks to Dr. Hans Ruppel, whose support is making this project possible.
After working very hard this winter to submit a manuscript describing the most recent results of the project, I realized that it has really become two non-overlapping lines of inquiry.
A few weeks ago, I submitted a manuscript titled “Batesian Mimicry and Thermal Resilience Among Tenebrionid Beetles from a New Mexican Piñon-Juniper Savanna” to the Journal of Experimental Biology. The editor said some kind words about it, but ultimately rejected it because it did not fit comfortably into the aims of the journal. The main complaint was that a significant portion of the paper focused on the ecology of the beetles, rather than their physiology.
It took a few days for me to realize that the paper had evolved into something different. Looking over the title, two things may stand out.
Batesian Mimicry
Thermal Resilience
Those are really two separate concepts and analyzing either one can be performed relatively independently of the other. In other words, this was two incomplete papers rather than one solid story.
Now begins the process of completing both of those stories.
Mimicry
Several lines of evidence address whether the Asidini Philolithus elatus and Stenomorpha rimata are Batesian mimics of the Amphidorine Eleodes obscura. For an organism to be a bona fide Batesian mimic it must
Resemble the model in the eyes (or ears or nose) of potential predators.
Be palatable
Be undefended (or at least to a potential predator)
Overlap the model in space and/or time so that predators can learn the association
Be relatively uncommon to prevent predators from discovering their mimicry
The Asidini fulfill these criteria to varying degrees
The major argument for mimicry is that the Asidini look a lot like E. obscura, and are about the same size and mass.
A close relative of S. rimata, S. marginata, has been shown to be palatable to mice and skunks. Palatability of P. elatus is unknown.
On the minus side:
P. elatus will regurgitate when handled, suggesting at least mild defense
Headstanding behavior, which contributes to the mimicry, is weak (P. elatus) or non-existent (S. rimata)
Both Asidini are at least as common as E. obscura during peak season, giving predators plenty of opportunity to learn that they are quite edible.
Stenomorpha rimata is present in late September and October, when Eleodes have disappeared from the surface, giving predators plenty of time to learn that they are tasty and undefended.
I really need to know who the local predators are, so that I can make sense of all this. I hope to use the upcoming field season to find out who is eating beetles around here. Based on scats and scattered body parts, someone is eating them, but who?
Thermal Resilience
Maintenance of scent glands is costly, so E. obscura should either use more metabolic energy than the undefended P. elatus and S. rimata, or devote less energy to other aspects of fitness. Based on respirometry across a range of temperatures it would appear that all three species use the same amount of energy per unit time, but the Asidini have much higher survival at elevated temperatures.
This is a nice partial story, but I need to know more about possible mechanisms. Two sets of experiments would be very helpful in completing this part of the story.
Testing survival across a full range of temperatures. I have only tested up to 40C, which is semi-lethal to Eleodes but does not strongly affect P. elatus or S. rimata. Although I am no fond of the idea, I need to test up to a temperature that is 100% lethal in order to have a complete picture of thermal resilience.
Because temperature induced lethality is associated with disrupted ionic regulation, it will be important to examine concentrations of ions in the hemolymph (blood) of E. obscura, P. elatus and S. rimata at high temperatures.
If all goes well, I should have two papers ready by the end of the season. Wish me luck.
Because it took so long to load when they were all on the same page, I have moved the owlet videos to new a series of pages. It’s slightly more hassle if you want to see all of them at one sitting, but it beats waiting what seems like forever for the pages to load. If you love it or hate it, use the contact link to send feedback.
Last fall, we gathered data on the physiology, temperature sensitivity and lifespans of Eleodes obscura and its presumed mimic Philolithus elatus. The data were interesting and I have drafted a paper, but it seemed worth trying to replicate the results to be sure the data were solid.
One of the limitations of working with a seasonal organism, like P. elatus, is that one can only work during a narrow window, when the animals are available and alive. True stink beetles, like E. obscura, survive for years, so one can simply collect a bunch and then do experiments almost indefinitely. Philolithus die less than two months after emerging, then are completely gone until late the next summer.
Hence my excitement at finding the first P. elatus of the season.
The first Philolithus elatus collected in 2025. 7/27/25.
More are emerging every day. We now have seven P. elatus available for experiments, and are hoping to bring the total to twenty within the next week. There are plenty of E. obscura available as well. We should soon have a big pile of data to add to the manuscript.
For a little more info on P. elatus, check out the new Wikipedia page that I started.
The owlets in the nest box have been growing at an astounding rate, and are well on their way to fledging. The parents have been delivering food constantly, and the chicks get more active and inquisitive all the time.
Sleepy parent having a look out the doorway. Credit Terry Morgan, 5/10/25.
The parents have been out and about quite a bit, and seem unbothered by the presence of observers and paparazzi.
Parent, probably mom, resting in the late morning. 5/14/25.
Family Album from Past Years
This seems like a good time to reminisce about past broods. It’s hard to know how long these particular parents have been rearing young in Terry’s box, but screech owls have been nesting there for many years. Terry has many more excellent photos; here is a small sampling.
Parent resting on a chair on the patio. Credit: Terry Morgan.Four fledglings and a parent (far right) in the eaves. Credit: Terry Morgan.Fledgling on the patio. Credit: Terry Morgan.Fledgling in a pinyon tree. Credit: Terry Morgan.
The drama in the nest box continues. Based on past broods, he expects them to fledge on or about May 22. As always, stay tuned for more.
As Terry predicted, the eggs started to hatch last night. So far three of the eggs have hatched, which is a local record for simultaneous emergence. This may be the result of the female owl having left the first eggs on their own during the early days.
Three owlets sprawled on their siblings’ eggs. 4/22/25.
At the moment, the owlets look like fuzzy blobs, but in the video you can see three sets of wiggly heads, bodies, and wings.
Let’s hope for the other two to hatch successfully in the next few days.
In addition to its other functions, this site serves as a notebook for keeping track of data and references. In our effort to keep a handle on the local species’ characteristics and publications, information about each will be posted on its own page.
Eleodes obscura, participating in notetaking. 9/20/23.
The first species to receive this honor is the prominent, large, and widespread stink beetle, Eleodes obscura. It has been the subject of field surveys, respirometry experiments, and longevity studies here at the lab, and may be the most studied species of Eleodes.
Expect more pages to become active with time. Hopefully, this will become a resource that many people in the community can make use of.
Terry’s owls are getting serious about the business of parenting. The female appears to have decided that five eggs are enough, and is incubating them full time. The male has been bringing her mice, and she has been dining in rather than leaving the box to eat them.
Owls in the box. The male (right) has brought a mouse to feed the female while she incubates the eggs. The mouse is in her mouth at the bottom center of the image. 4/2/25.
Five eggs will be a pretty good brood if they all hatch and survive. For the next few weeks, she will be tending them, with the first egg expected to hatch about April 22.
For several years, our neighbor Terry has been recording and posting footage from his camera inside a next box occupied by a pair of western screech owls. He has always had a strong following on Facebook, but for those of us who do not use the platform, he has offered to make the information and videos available here on the Lab web site.
Owl resting triumphantly after removing the mirror that had been mounted on the upper right. 3/4/25.
Once again, they have prepped the nest box and have started to lay eggs. The first video clips have been uploaded to Terry’s Owl Cam page, along with his comments and a spreadsheet of data regarding previous broods.
New videos and commentary will be uploaded regularly, so stay tuned for plenty of drama and excitement. There are two eggs now, with more to come, and then it will be about another month before they hatch. Once the eggs hatch, there will be a festival of cuteness as the little fuzzballs eat and grow for roughly another month before they fledge.
