Tag: USA

Mono-Lake-Tauchkaefer / Mono Lake diving beetle (Hygrotus artus)
Until its rediscovery in 2017, the Mono Lake diving beetle was known only from the male holotype collected in June 1917 (photo), which is now housed in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (© Loggi at German Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Mono Lake diving beetle: missing for 100 years—and sought in the wrong place

A mistake with consequences For a long time, the case seemed clear: the Mono Lake diving beetle lived—so it was assumed—in Mono Lake in California’s Sierra Nevada. A lake that could hardly be more inhospitable: highly alkaline, extremely saline, and with conditions to which only a few specialized organisms can

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EIner der Vögel Nordamerikas, dessen Bestandsrückgang sich beschleunigt: der Rotflügelstärling (Agelaius phoeniceus)
The red-winged blackbird is one of the most recognizable birds of North American wetlands and agricultural landscapes. Yet even for this once very common species, the decline in populations is accelerating. (© Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Bird populations in North America: Decline accelerating—nearly every second species affected

Bird populations in North America have been declining for decades. But a new study now shows that not only are bird numbers falling, the speed of this decline is also increasing. This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal Science by researchers from Ohio State University and

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Singvögel im Museum
Museum bird specimens as scientific reference objects—and as a mirror of historical collecting practices. (© Doreen Fräßdorf, Naturkundemuseum Berlin, 2025)

The invisible half of biodiversity — How male-biased collections skew research and species conservation

We will probably never find out what the females of Schomburgk’s deer (Rucervus schomburgki) looked like. In historical drawings, travel reports, and museum collections, only remains of males are found—with their unique, many-branched antlers. Females likely carried none, and apparently collectors in the 19th century considered them too inconspicuous to

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Franklin-Hummel (Bombus franklini)
Female morphotype specimen of Franklin's bumblebee: collected on May 20, 1972 west of Oregon City. The specimen is preserved in the entomology collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (© USNMENT01006817 - Bombus franklini (Frison, 1921) Collected in United States of America, CC0 1.0, via GBIF)

Franklin’s Bumblebee—the first extinct bumblebee in North America?

Franklin’s bumblebee had the unfortunate distinction of having the smallest range of all bumblebee species in North America—and probably even worldwide. It occurred only in a narrow strip between the Pacific coast and the mountain ranges of the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range to the east, in southern Oregon

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A. hebardi
The grasshopper species Appalachia hebardi, long believed to be extinct, is flightless, measures about 2.5 to 3.8 centimeters in length, and has so far been recorded in only three U.S. states. (© Nicholas Gilchenok, courtesy of the photographer, via iNaturalist)

USA: Appalachian grasshopper thought to be extinct rediscovered

In Augusta County, Virginia, USA, an interesting discovery was made: The Appalachian grasshopper (Appalachia hebardi), a species belonging to the family of Acrididae that had been considered extinct for decades, has been rediscovered. The last confirmed sighting of this rare species dates back—depending on the source—either to the 1960s or

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Wiederentdeckung der Kurznasen-Maräne im Lake Superior (Oberer See)
It was here in Lake Superior that the shortnose cisco, believed extinct for 40 years, was surprisingly rediscovered recently. (© Yinan Chen, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Surprise find: The rediscovery of the shortnose cisco in Lake Superior

The shortnose cisco, a freshwater fish from the salmon family, had been considered extinct since 1985. After almost 40 years, it has now been rediscovered in a place where no one expected it: Lake Superior, the largest of North America’s five Great Lakes. Once, the shortnose cisco (Coregonus reighardi) was

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Ectopistes migratorius Wandertaube
The passenger pigeon was once the most common bird in North America. Today, it exists only in historical records and museum samples. Now modern gene-editing technologies are supposed to help bring the species back. (© Hayashi and Toda (artists), Charles Otis Whitman (author)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Revival of the Passenger Pigeon: A Project by Revive & Restore

The passenger pigeon, once the most common bird in North America, has been extinct for more than a century. Now, biologists from the nonprofit organization Revive & Restore have set a goal to bring the species back using cutting-edge gene-editing technologies. Under the leadership of Ben Novak, efforts are underway

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Gelingt Wissenschaftlern die Elfenbeinspecht-Wiederbelebung bis 2025?
Ivory-billed woodpeckers were found mainly in the southern United States. The main causes of their population decline are believed to be hunting and habitat loss. (© Doreen Fräßdorf, fotografiert im Natural History Museum in London, England, 2024)

Biotech Company Plans to Revive the Ivory-billed Woodpecker by 2025

The U.S. biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences announced on October 1st its plan to revive the ivory-billed woodpecker by 2025, amidst the ongoing debate about whether this iconic bird species is truly extinct. The ivory-billed woodpecker was once a keystone species in the forests of the southern United States, playing a

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Ausgestorbene Wandertaube: Jungvogel, Männchen, Weibchen
A depiction of the extinct passenger pigeon created between 1910 and 1914: a young bird (left), a male (middle) and a female (right). (© Louis Agassiz Fuertes, via Wikimedia Commons)

Passenger Pigeon

From the most common to an extinct bird species When European explorers reached eastern North America in the 16th century, they were amazed at the huge flocks of birds they found in the ancient forests. Compared to Europe, where large parts of the forests had already been cut down, they

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Rocky-Mountain-Heuschrecke oder Felsengebirgsschrecke
Illustration from 1902. Rocky Mountain locusts belong to the suborder of short-horned grasshoppers (Caelifera). (© Julius Bien (1826-1909) biography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Rocky Mountain Locust

Record: A swarm of 12.5 trillion locusts The correct biological term for animals that form large groups is “swarm,” but when it comes to large assemblies of migratory locusts, the term “plague” is used because they not only migrate but also devastate entire regions. Migratory locusts differ from ordinary grasshoppers

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