Project Completion Report Survey to determine the status of the Siuslaw hairy‐necked tiger beetle (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae: Cicindela hirticollis siuslawensis Graves, Krejci, and Graves, 1988) near the historic site of Hauser, OR Assistance Agreement No. HAA081034/L08AC13768, Modification 4 August 15, 2011 Cicindela hirticollis siuslawensis photo by Sarina Jepsen, The Xerces Society Submitted to Interagency Special Status/Sensitive Species Program (ISSSSP) Submitted by Sarina Jepsen, Celeste Mazzacano, Carly Voight and Scott Hoffman Black The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 628 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232 (503) 232‐6639 www.xerces.org 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 Methods…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3 Results……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 Literature Cited……………………………………………………………………………………......................................8 2 INTRODUCTION Historically, Cicindela hirticollis siuslawensis (the Siuslaw hairy‐necked tiger beetle) was known from multiple locations along the Oregon Coast in Tillamook, Lincoln, Lane and Coos counties, as well as Pacific and Grays Harbor counties on the Washington Coast. This subspecies, like other Cicindela hirticollis subspecies, is probably sensitive to human disturbance and has presumably been extirpated from most of its historic range in Oregon. Its status has not been assessed in Washington. Extensive surveys in 2009 of historic collection localities and other suitable habitat from Astoria to Brookings on the Oregon Coast revealed that this species is currently relegated to the southern half of the Oregon coast (Lane, Douglas, Coos and Curry counties), with the most robust populations in the New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern in Curry county (Mazzacano et al. 2009). During the 2009 Xerces survey effort, all historic sites in Oregon on BLM and USFS land were surveyed, except the vague historic locality of ‘Hauser, OR’ (reported in Graves et al. 1988). Xerces staff determined that potentially suitable habitat existed near the town of Hauser, OR, at the sandy edges of the ephemeral wetlands occurring in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (NRA). On June 29, 2011, Xerces staff surveyed three locations within the Oregon Dunes NRA, but did not find C. h. siuslawensis at any of the sites. Additional potential habitat (i.e. ephemeral wetlands with sandy shores) exists within the vicinity of Hauser in the OR Dunes NRA. However, the narrow habitat requirements and sensitivity to human disturbance of other subspecies of C. hirticollis (see Brust et al. 2006, Cornelisse and Hafernik 2009, Dunn 1981, Graves et al. 1988, Knisley 2003, Larochelle and Lariviere 2001, Nagano 1980) lead the authors to surmise that the high level of Off‐Highway Vehicle (OHV) recreational use in this area is probably incompatible with the survival of C. h. siuslawensis. Thus, additional surveys near Hauser, OR in the portion of the Oregon Dunes NRA that is accessible to OHVs are not recommended at this time. METHODS Site Selection and access One specimen of C. h. siuslawensis exists in the American Museum of Natural History collection from the vague locality of Hauser, Oregon, collected on May 6, 1939 (Graves et al. 1988). In 2009, Xerces staff documented C. h. siuslawensis at Tenmile creek, approximately six miles north of Hauser, OR (Mazzacano et al. 2009). In 2011, we worked to select suitable habitat between the known population at Tenmile Creek and the town of Hauser, OR, within the Oregon Dunes NRA. Survey sites in this area were identified by using aerial photos and in consultation with US Forest Service staff and staff of Spinreel Dunebuggy and ATV Rental who were familiar with the area. Target habitat included moist, sandy edges of ephemeral wetlands that had little to no vegetation. Sites were selected that exist on Forest Service land. Although most other extant populations of C. h. siuslawensis occur at the edges of permanent creeks or rivers, other tiger beetle enthusiasts have reported observing C. h. siuslawensis in the ephemeral wetlands in the Oregon dunes (Pers. Comm. with R. Lyons, 2009), and several populations associated with river edges showed greatest habitat utilization at backwater areas near the river but not part of the river’s edge (Mazzacano et al. 2010). Sites were accessed by 3 OHV from the Spinreel Campground, as Forest Service staff recommended against hiking in an area with such heavy OHV traffic because of safety considerations. Survey timing C. h. siuslawensis adults are reportedly active in two main peaks: from April to late June and early August to September (Pearson et al. 2006), although records of C. h. siuslawensis exist from July (summarized in Mazzacano et al. 2009). June was chosen for surveys because many of the ephemeral wetlands in the OR Dunes NRA would likely be dry later in the season. Protocol The survey protocol for detecting the presence of adult C. h. siuslawensis described in Mazzacano et al. (2009) was followed. RESULTS Figure 1. Map of all sites surveyed 4 Site 1 This site consists of a series of ephemeral wetlands in close proximity to each other. Surveys were conducted along the sandy perimeter of three water bodies from 10:35 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. on June 29, 2011. No tiger beetles were observed at this site. The northernmost part of Site 1 is less than 0.5 miles away from the site on Tenmile Creek where C. h. siuslawensis was observed in 2009 and 2010 (Mazzacano et al. 2009, 2010). However, the nearby extant population of C. h. siuslawensis on Tenmile creek exists in an area where OHV use is restricted, whereas Site 1 is designated as an OHV Open Riding area (according to a USFS Oregon Dunes OHV Riding Map). Figure 2. Photos of Site 1 Figure 3. Map of Site 1 5 Site 2 This site consists of an ephemeral wetland complex near Beale Lake. A transect was surveyed through this site from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on June 29, 2011. Six Cicindela oregona oregona were observed, as well as an additional adult tiger beetle that evaded identification. Approximately 20 larval Cicindela burrows were observed. No adult C. h. siuslawensis were observed. Figure 4. Photos of Site 2 Figure 5. Map of Site 2 6 Site 3 This site consists of an unvegetated temporary wetland near a dispersed camping area for OHV riders. OHV use is apparently very heavy here. The perimeter of the wetland was surveyed from 12:50 p.m. to 1:15 pm on June 29, 2011. No tiger beetles were observed. Figure 6. Photo of Site 3 Figure 7. Map of Site 3 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We greatly appreciate assistance in site selection, site access and information about ATV rentals from Forest Service staff, including Cindy Burns, Sharon Stewart and Carol Hughes. We also appreciate the staff of Spinreel Dune Buggy and ATV Rental for assistance in selecting sites and providing access to the survey area. LITERATURE CITED Brust, M.L., W.W. Hoback, K.F. Skinner, and C.B. Knisley. 2006. Movement of Cicindela hirticollis Say larvae in response to moisture and flooding. Journal of Insect Behavior 19(2): 251‐
263. Cornelisse, T.M. and J.E. Hafernik. 2009. Effects of soil characteristics and human disturbance on tiger beetle oviposition. Ecological Entomology 34: 495‐503. Dunn, G.A. 1981. Tiger beetles of New Hampshire. Cicindela 13: 1–28. Graves, R.C., M.E. Krejci, and A.C.F. Graves. 1988. Geographic variation in the North American tiger beetle, Cicindela hirticollis Say, with a description of five new subspecies (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae). Canadian Entomologist, 120(7): 647‐678. Knisley, C.B. (2003). A status review of the Sacramento Valley tiger beetle, Cicindela hirticollis abrupta, Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Field Office, 24 pp. + figs. Larochelle, A. and M.C. Lariviere. 2001. Natural history of the tiger beetles of North America north of Mexico. Cicindela 33: 41–162. Mazzacano, C., S. Jepsen and S.H. Black. 2009. Surveys to determine the status of two rare insect species on the Oregon coast: the Siuslaw hairy‐necked tiger beetle (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae: Cicindela hirticollis siuslawensis Graves, Krejci, and Graves, 1988) and the Oregon plant bug (Hemiptera: Miridae: Lygus oregonae Knight, 1944). Report to Interagency Special Status/Sensitive Species Program (ISSSSP), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Section 6) and The Oregon Zoo by The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. 39 pages. Mazzacano, C., S. Jepsen and S.H. Black. 2010. Surveys to determine habitat utilization by the rare Siuslaw hairy‐necked tiger beetle (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae: Cicindela hirticollis siuslawensis Graves, Krejci, and Graves, 1988) at extant sites on BLM and FS lands on the Oregon Coast. Project Completion report to the Interagency Special Status/Sensitive Species Program (ISSSSP), Financial Assistance Agreement No. L08AC13768 ‐ Modification 4. 37 pages. Nagano, C.D. 1980. Population status of the tiger beetles of the genus Cicindela (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) inhabiting the marine shoreline of southern California. Atala 8: 33–42. Pearson, D.L., C. B. Knisley, and C. J. Kazilek. 2006. A Field Guide to the Tiger Beetles of the United States and Canada. Oxford University Press. Oxford, New York. 227 pp. USFS OHV Riding Map. Available online: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5259370.pdf (last accessed 8 August 2011). 8