Mites in Mollusks in the Upper Mississippi River and ...

Mites in Mollusks: Community Structure

Mites in Mollusks in the Upper Mississippi River and Their Community Structure Malcolm F. Vidrine, Division of Sciences and Mathematics, Louisiana State University Eunice (LSU Eunice), P. O. Box 1129, Eunice, LA 70535, USA Bruno Borsari, Department of Biology, Winona State University, Winona, MN 55987, USA Samuel L. H. Fuller (deceased) Daniel J. Bereza (deceased) Abstract: Benthic community structure of streams and lakes in the prairie has become an essential part of the study of the prairie environment. More than 49 species groups of mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) are known to have occurred in the upper Mississippi River. Samuel L. H. Fuller and Daniel J. Bereza conducted a survey for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1977-78 and kindly sent mites to MFV from mussels that they collected and identified. Their surveys recovered 28 living species of mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida) and a single species of snail (Gastropoda: Viviparidae) from a total of 64 stations sampled from the St. Croix River down to St. Louis, Missouri. Seventeen species of mites (Acari: Unionicolidae: Unionicola) were found in these mussels, including 7 species new to science. The benthic community structure (mollusks and mites) included a complex series of host-specific interactions between the parasitic mites and host mollusks. These data provide a base upon which results from any new collections may be compared. Proceedings of the North American Prairie Conference 21:171-178. Keywords: Freshwater ecology, freshwater mussels, Unionicola, parasitology, prairie.

Introduction

The ecology of prairie ecosystems entails an integration of terrestrial and aquatic systems that are inextricably linked, not only by amphibious organisms dwelling at the interface of these habitats, but also by the cycling of chemicals and energy that flow through them. Thus, the attributes of an aquatic system within a prairie ecosystem are more than simply informative: their consideration is vital for the development of methods of assessment and evaluation of the ecosystem (Vidrine 2008). Rivers that drain terrestrial prairie habitats are directly impacted by changes in the land, such as sedimentation and erosion. Collectively, the health of the land and the fitness of the river are intertwined into a system as intricate as blood vessels and muscles (Fremling 2005).

The upper Mississippi River and its associated tributaries provide drainage for much of the Midwestern tall-grass prairie. The river also provides habitat for a large variety of mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) and a varied community of invertebrate organisms. A long portion of the river stretching from Minnesota to Missouri was studied by Fuller and Bereza in 1977-78, when they provided the senior author with numerous samples of mites (Acari: Unionicolidae: Unionicola) from mussels that they collected during a river survey with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (Fuller 1978, 1985). The unionicoline mites of North America have been studied in some detail (Vidrine 1996a, b, c, d). Recent studies of rivers and their molluskmite communities have shed light on the intricate

Proceedings of the 21st North American Prairie Conference (2010)

171

Prairie Entomology and Zoology relationships of these communities and adjacent prairies (Vidrine et al. 2006, Vidrine 2008). The purpose of our study was to sample part of the river in order to monitor the continuing existence of this diverse mollusk-mite community, while verifying the accuracy of previous surveys.

Methods

Samuel L. H. Fuller and Daniel J. Bereza conducted a survey for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1977-78 and kindly sent mites to MFV from mussels that they collected and identified. Mussels were collected either by crowfoot sampling or by hand sampling, and mites were removed and identified. The specific number of mussels that were examined in each lot at a station was not recorded; thus specific rates of infection were not ascertained; however, Table 3 permits the calculation of a relative level of incidence as inferred by the comparison of the two numbers of stations provided. However, many of the relationships that occur between mollusks and mites in these collections are documented elsewhere (Vidrine 1996a-d).

Results

More than 49 species groups of mussels are known to have occurred in the upper Mississippi River (Fuller 1978, 1985). The 1977-78 surveys recovered 28 living species of mussels and a single species of snail (Gastropoda: Viviparidae) from a total of 64 stations sampled from the St. Croix River down to St. Louis, Missouri. Seventeen species of mites (Acari: Unionicolidae: Unionicolinae: Unionicola) were found in these mussels, including 7 species new to science (Tables 1, 2 and 3). Minimal recent sampling indicated 3 species of mussels parasitized by 2 species of mites in 2007-8 collections at Merrick State Park (near Fountain City, Wisconsin) in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. A single Fusconaia flava contained Unionicola parkeri; two Quadrula pustulosa contained Unionicola vikitra; and 4 Obliquaria reflexa contained Unionicola vikitra (Bruno Borsari).

Discussion

Benthic community structure of streams and

172

Table 1. Host and parasite taxa included in study. LIST OF HOSTS Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae

Actinonaias ligamentina (Lamarck 1819) Amblema plicata plicata (Say 1817) Ellipsaria lineolata (Rafinesque 1820) Elliptio crassidens (Lamarck 1819) Elliptio dilatata (Rafinesque 1820) Fusconaia flava (Rafinesque 1820) Lampsilis cardium Rafinesque 1820 Lampsilis higginsi (Lea 1857) Lampsilis siliquoidea (Barnes 1823) Lampsilis teres (Rafinesque 1820) Leptodea fragilis (Rafinesque 1820) Ligumia recta (Lamarck 1819) Megalonaias nervosa (Rafinesque 1820) Obliquaria reflexa Rafinesque 1820 Obovaria olivaria (Rafinesque 1820) Potamilus alatus (Say 1817) Pyganodon grandis (Say 1829) Quadrula metanevra (Rafinesque 1820) Quadrula nodulata (Rafinesque 1820) Quadrula pustulosa pustulosa (Lea 1831) Quadrula quadrula (Rafinesque 1820) Strophitus undulatus (Say 1817) Tritogonia verrucosa (Rafinesque 1820) Truncilla donaciformis (Lea 1828) Truncilla truncata Rafinesque 1820 Utterbackia imbecillis (Say 1829)

Mollusca: Gastropoda: Viviparidae Viviparus subpurpureus (Say 1829)

LIST OF MITES Arthropoda: Acari: Hydrachnidia: Unionicolidae: Unionicolinae:

Unionicola (Hexatax) laurentiana Crowell and Davids 1979 Unionicola (Lundbladatax) furcula (Lundblad 1935) Unionicola (Pentatax) aculeata (Koenike 1890) Unionicola (Anodontinatax) mitchelli Conroy 1982 Unionicola (Unionicolides) amandita Mitchell and Wilson 1965 Unionicola (Unionicolides) fossulata (Koenike 1895) Unionicola (Unionicolides) fulleri Vidrine 1986 Unionicola (Unionicolides) hoesei Vidrine 1986 Unionicola (Unionicolides) parkeri Vidrine 1987 Unionicola (Unionicolides) tupara Mitchell and Wilson 1965 Unionicola (Unionicolides) vikitra Mitchell and Wilson 1965 Unionicola (Unionicolides) vikitrella Vidrine 1987 Unionicola (Polyatax) viviparaicola Vidrine 1985 Unionicola (Neoatax) abnormipes (Wolcott 1898) Unionicola (Neoatax) indistincta (Wolcott 1898) Unionicola (Unionicola) formosa (Dana and Whelpley 1836) Unionicola (Unionicola) ypsilophora (Bonz 1783)


Mites in Mollusks: Community Structure Table 2. Sampling stations examined in an extensive survey of the upper Mississippi River by the members of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. # 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

Location Minnesota. Washington County. St. Croix River, river miles 22.8-24.5, Stillwater (Stillwater). 7 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. St. Croix County. St. Croix River, river miles 15.9-18.1, Hudson (Hudson). 8-13 August and 14-15 September 1977 and 14-19 July 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Washington County. St. Croix River, river miles 10.8-12.2, ca. 0.6 miles northeast of Afton (Catfish Bar). 1-2 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Washington County. St. Croix River, river miles 5.8-6.2, ca. 4.7 miles south southeast of Afton (Kinnickinnic). 19-20 July 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Ramsey County. Mississippi River, river miles 846.2-847.8, St. Paul (Lock and Dam 1). 2-3 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 809.2-811.8, Prescott (Prescott). 13 July 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 809.3-809.8, ca. 1.2 miles southeast of Prescott (Pine Coulee). 1 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 807.7-808.7, ca. 3.0 miles southeast Prescott (Truedale Slough). 24 July 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 806.7-807.7, ca. 4.0 miles southeast of Prescott (Four Mile Island). 25 July 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 803.9-806.1, ca. 6.2 miles below Prescott (Big River). 26 July and 9 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 800.8-803.0, ca. 1.8 miles northwest of Diamond Bluff (Morgan Coulee and Coulter’s Island). 28-29 July 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 798.9-800.5, Diamond Bluff (below Diamond Bluff). 30 July 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Pierce County. Mississippi River, river miles 793.7-794.9, Trenton (Trenton). 12 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Goodhue County. Mississippi River, river miles 789.2-791.2, Red Wing (above and below Red Wing). 19 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Goodhue County. Mississippi River, river miles 783.2-785.4, ca. 5.0 miles east of Red Wing (Wacouta Point). 21-22 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Wabasha County. Mississippi River, river miles 760.8-763.8 (Reads Landing). 21-29 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Wabasha County. Lake Peppin (lower Lake Peppin). 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ ANSP survey). Minnesota. Wasbasha County. Mississippi River, river mile 760.5, Wabasha. 26 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Wabasha County. Mississippi River, river miles 757.0-758.4, ca. 2.0 miles southeast of Wabasha (Teepeeota Point). 20 September 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Proceedings of the 21st North American Prairie Conference (2010)

173

Prairie Entomology and Zoology Table 2 (continued) # 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 174

Location Minnesota. Wabasha County. Mississippi River, river miles 754.6-757.0, ca. 3.5 miles southeast of Wabasha (Grand Encampment). 19 September 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Buffalo County. Mississippi River, river miles 753.9-754.6, ca. 1.3 miles northwest of Alma (Beef Slough). 27 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Buffalo County. Mississippi River, river miles 752.3-752.8, Alma (Lock and dam 4 lower approach). 27 August 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Buffalo County. Mississippi River, river miles 746.6-748.3, ca. 3.5 miles south southeast of Alma (West Newton). 23-26 September 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Buffalo County. Mississippi River, river miles 740.0-740.6, ca. 3.0 miles southeast of Buffalo (Lock and dam 5 culvert). 26-28 September 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Buffalo County. Mississippi River, river miles 733.0-735.4, ca. 1.5 miles northwest of Fountain City (Island 58 and Fountain City). 30 August and 2 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Buffalo County. Mississippi River, river mile 733.4, ca. 0.5 miles northwest of Fountain City (Fountain City). 2 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Buffalo County. Mississippi River, river miles 729.8-732.0, ca. 2.0 miles southeast of Fountain City (Betsy Slough). 3 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Winona County. Mississippi River, river miles 726.1-726.2, Winona (Winona). 5 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Winona County. Mississippi River, river miles 723.2-724.2, Winona (above and below lower Winona RR bridge). 6 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Trempeleau County. Mississippi River, river miles 713.6-714.2, Trempeleau (Lock and dam 6 lower approach). 13 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Trempeleau County. Mississippi River, river miles 711.2-713.0, ca. 2.0 miles southeast of Trempeleau (Richmond Island). 14 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Trempeleau County. Mississippi River, river miles 710.0-710.7, ca. 4.0 miles southeast Trempeleau (Below Queen’s Bluff). 15 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Houston County. Mississippi River, river miles 703.1-703.6, ca. 3.0 miles north of LaCresent (Lock and dam 7 upper approach). 17 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Houston County. Mississippi River, river miles 699.0-700.4, ca. 1.0 miles east of LaCresent (Above and below La Crosse RR bridge). 18-19 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ ANSP survey). Wisconsin. La Crosse County. Mississippi River, river miles 696.0-696.3, ca. 0.8 miles southwest of La Crosse (Hingen Island bank repair). 22 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. La Crosse County. Mississippi River, river miles 692.7-693.5, ca. 2.5 miles southwest of La Crosse (Root River). 22 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Houston County. Mississippi River, river miles 689.8-691.2, ca. 2.0 miles north of Brownsville (above Brownsville). 15 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Minnesota. Houston County. Mississippi River, river miles 685.4-689.8, Brownsville (Brownsville). 15 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Proceedings of the 21st North American Prairie Conference (2010)

Mites in Mollusks: Community Structure Table 2 (continued) # 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58.

Location Minnesota. Vernon County. Mississippi River, river miles 666.0-667.0, DeSoto (above Indian Camp Light). 9-10 October 1977 and 24 June 1979. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Vernon County. Mississippi River, river miles 664.9-666.0, ca. 2.0 miles south of DeSoto (Indian Camp Light). 10-12 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Allamakee County. Mississippi River, river miles 662.4-664.9, Lansing (upper Lansing light). 11-12 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Allamakee County. Mississippi River, river miles 647.5-647.9, ca. 2.2 miles northeast of Harper’s Ferry (Lock and dam 9 lower approach). 14 October 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Crawford County. Mississippi River, river miles 644.8-646.8, ca. 5.0 miles southwest of Lynxville (Hay Point bank repair). 5-6 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Allamakee County. Mississippi River, river miles 643.5-644.7, ca. 2.0 miles south southeast of Harper’s Ferry (Jackson Island). 13 October 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Crawford County. Mississippi River, river miles 633.3-635.8, Prairie du Chien (Prairie du Chien east channel). 27-30 September 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Clayton County. Mississippi River, river miles 633.2-633.5, McGregor (McGregor). 19 October 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Grant County. Mississippi River, river miles 628.6-629.4, ca. 1.5 miles north of Wyalusing (Wyalusing Bend light). 10 October 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Wisconsin. Grant County. Mississippi River, river miles 626.9-628.0, Wyalusing (Wyalusing). 9 October 1978. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Clayton County. Mississippi River, river miles 609.1-610.7, ca. 5.0 miles southeast of Guttenburg (Island 189). 17 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Dubuque County. Mississippi River, river miles 597.6-599.4, ca. 1.0 mile east of Waupeton (Hurricane Chute). 19-20 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Illinois. Carroll County. Mississippi River, river miles 537.2-539.1, Savanna (Savanna). 18-19 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Jackson County. Mississippi River, river miles 532.9-534.2, Sabula (Sabula). 22-23 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Jackson County. Mississippi River, river miles 530.0-531.3, ca. 5.0 miles south of Sabula (Dark Slough). 22 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Scott County. Mississippi River, river miles 492.5-494.0, ca. 3.0 miles southwest of LeClaire (Lock and dam 14). 24 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Illinois. Rock Island County. Mississippi River, river miles 480.7-482.0, Rock Island (Centennial Bridge). 25-27 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Muscatine County. Mississippi River, river miles 446.6-448.2, ca. 7.0 miles south of Muscatine (Bass Island). 27 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Illinois. Mercer County. Mississippi River, river miles 432.5-434.1, New Boston (New Boston upper light). 28 October 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Illinois. Mercer County. Mississippi River, river miles 430.1-432.2, ca. 2.0 miles south southeast of New Boston (Edwards River). 28 August 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Proceedings of the 21st North American Prairie Conference (2010)

175

Prairie Entomology and Zoology Table 2 (concluded) # 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64.

Location Iowa. DesMoines County. Mississippi River, river miles 398.4-400.3, Burlington (Craigle Island). 30-31 October and 1 November 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Illinois. Henderson and Hancock Counties. Mississippi River, river miles 386.5-395.0, Dallas City area (Green Bay). 30-31 August and 1-7 September 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Iowa. Lee County. Mississippi River at Keokuk. 1978 ANSP station and 1977-1979 by Dirk Kavanagh. Missouri. Clark County. Mississippi River, river miles 353.8-355.9, ca. 4.0 miles south southwest of Alexandria (Fox Island). S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Missouri. Lewis County. Mississippi River, river miles 347.9-349.7, ca. 7.0 miles north of Canton (Buzzard’s Island). 5-6 November 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey). Missouri. Lewis County. Mississippi River, river miles 338.5-340.3, ca. 3.0 miles south of Canton (Howards). 6-7 November 1977. S. L. H. Fuller (USACE/ANSP survey).

Legend. Vials often contained numerous mites, which were obviously taken from more than one mussel. Additional collections by Dirk Kavanagh are included.

lakes in the prairie is an essential part of the study of the prairie environment (Vidrine 2008, Vidrine et al. 2006). The benthic community structure (mollusks and mites) of the Mississippi River included a complex series of host-specific interactions between the parasitic mites and host mollusks. The samples collected during the 1977-78 survey provided the material for the development of a data base sufficient to create a profile of the mollusk-mite community structure in the river as depicted in the tables. In addition to the profile, seventeen species of mites were found in the mussels and snails, including 7 species new to science: Unionicola (Unionicolides) fulleri Vidrine 1986 Unionicola (Unionicolides) hoesei Vidrine 1986 Unionicola (Unionicolides) parkeri Vidrine 1987 Unionicola (Unionicolides) vikitrella Vidrine 1987 Unionicola (Polyatax) viviparaicola Vidrine 1985 Unionicola (Hexatax) laurentiana Crowell and Davids 1979 Unionicola (Anodontinatax) mitchelli Conroy 1982 The collections presented in this paper were essential in the development of our current knowledge of the ranges of distribution and the host ranges of the varied species of Unionicola in North America. Many of the species illustrate rather dramatic host176

specificity. Among these data, specific resident, host-parasite associations are evident between: Amblema plicata and Unionicola tupara; the varied species of Quadrula and both U. vikitra and U. vikitrella; Fusconaia flava and U. parkeri; Lampsilis siliquoidea and U. fossulata; Obliquaria reflexa and U. vikitra; Lampsilis cardium and U. hoesei and U. abnomipes; and Potamilus alatus and U. fulleri and U. indistincta. Two transient, free-swimming adult mites, U. aculeata and U. laurentiana, commonly employ a variety of mussels as sites of egg deposition and larval development and were found in these samples. As in many other surveys, host mussels were parasitized by communities of mites infesting varied sites, including the partitioning of individual hosts. Mites of the varied species of Unionicola reside, oviposit and/or develop in specific locations within their molluscan hosts, e.g., gills, mantle, foot and labial palps. Several absences appear to be intriguing, e.g., no labial palp mites were found in the collections. There is evidence in these data that the collectors had large sample sizes. Many containers sent to MFV had large numbers of mites, including species that typically occur in low population densities in single hosts. Evidence is also apparent of ‘vagrancy’ in the collections. ‘Vagrant’ mites are mites that


Mites in Mollusks: Community Structure typically occur in one group of hosts and are yet discovered in unusual hosts; this usually occurs in large collections of mussels held for a period of time before searching for mites. ‘Vagrant’ mites move out of their typical hosts into any other host, when

their hosts are stressed for long periods of time. The rigors of intense mussel survey work are typified by circumstances that might lead to such vagrancies. There is a need for additional sampling to confirm or refute the persistence of an elaborate

Table 3. Host-parasite community structure of the Upper Mississippi River. Molluscan hosts and their mite parasites are listed with their station sample collection incidence. H# = number of sample station collections with a particular host species. P# = number of sample station collections with a particular parasite species for the host species indicated. Each stations' collection presented to MFV consisted of one or more specimen vials of mites from identified mussel species. Thus, a relative level of incidence is inferred by the comparison of the two numbers of stations. The tremendous range of difference in the number of vials and mites at each of the stations precluded a detailed attempt to correlate specific frequencies of host-parasite co-occurrence. Hosts

H# Parasites

Actinonaias ligamentina

1

Amblema plicata

45

Ellipsaria lineolata

1

Elliptio crassidens

1

Elliptio dilatata

5

Fusconaia flava

Lampsilis cardium

Lampsilis higginsii Lampsilis siliquoidea Lampsilis teres Leptodea fragilis

24

7

2 4 1 4

P#

Hosts

H# Parasites Unionicola vikitra

32

33 Unionicola tupara

1

none Unionicola tupara

39

Unionicola amandita

1

Unionicola fulleri

1

Unionicola aculeata

1

none Unionicola aculeata

1

Unionicola parkeri

1

Unionicola parkeri

17

Unionicola tupara

2

Unionicola sp. nymphs

2

Unionicola aculeata

2

Unionicola abnormipes

3

Unionicola hoesei

2

Unionicola aculeata

1

Unionicola sp. Nymphs

1


1

Unionicola fossulata

3


2

Unionicola aculeata

1

Unionicola laurentiana

Obliquaria reflexa Obovaria olivaria

4

Potamilus alatus

19

Potamilus ohiensis

1

Pyganodon grandis

11

Quadrula metanevra

2

Quadrula nodulata

9

Quadrula p. pustulosa

53

1

Quadrula quadrula

21

Unionicola aculeata

1

Strophitus undulatus

3

Unionicola indistincta

1

Tritogonia verrucosa

1

Unionicola fulleri

1

Truncilla donaciformis Truncilla truncata Utterbackia imbecillis Viviparus subpurpureus

3 3 1 1

Ligumia recta

2

none

Megalonaias nervosa

2

Unionicola tupara

2

P#

Unionicola aculeata Unionicola ypsilophora Unionicola sp. Nymphs Unionicola fulleri Unionicola indistincta Unionicola hoesei Unionicola abnormipes none Unionicola fulleri Unionicola formosa Unionicola mitchelli Unionicola ypsilophora Unionicola indistincta Unionicola aculeata Unionicola furcula Unionicola hoesei none Unionicola vikitra Unionicola vikitrella Unionicola vikitra Unionicola vikitrella Unionicola aculeata Unionicola laurentiana Unionicola vikitra Unionicola vikitrella Unionicola abnormipes Unionicola vikitra Unionicola laurentiana Unionicola aculeata Unionicola aculeata none Unionicola viviparaicola


1 1 1 17 7 2 1 6 5 3 2 2 1 1 1 9 9 53 52 2 1 21 20 1 1 1 2 1 1

177

Prairie Entomology and Zoology and complex association of mites and mollusks in the upper Mississippi River drainages. There is little doubt that additional sampling would unveil not only potential new species but also new associations. Future study will permit an evaluation of the continuing impact of changes in the prairie landscape upon aquatic associations between mites and mollusks and numerous other organisms.

Acknowledgments

Dirk Kavanagh collected mussels and mites that are included in this study. We also thank the reviewers for critical comments that greatly enhanced this paper.

Literature Cited Fuller, S. L. H. 1978. Final Report: Fresh-water mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) of the Upper Mississippi River: Observations at selected sites within the 9-foot channel navigation project on behalf of the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. 401 pp. Fuller, S. L. H. (Revision by I. Brynildson).1985. Freshwater mussels of the Upper Mississippi River. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Madison, WS). (Based upon a poster published by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the United States Army Corps of Engineers by the same title). 64 pp. Fremling, C. 2005. Immortal River. The Upper

178

Mississippi in Ancient and Modern Times. The University of Wisconsin Press. Madison, WI. 429 pp. Vidrine, M. F. 1996a. North American Najadicola and Unionicola: Diagnoses and Distributions. Gail Q. Vidrine Collectables (Eunice, LA). vi + 355 pages. Vidrine, M. F. 1996b. North American Najadicola and Unionicola: Photomicrographs. Gail Q. Vidrine Collectables (Eunice, LA). xiv + 205 pages. Vidrine, M. F. 1996c. North American Najadicola and Unionicola: Collections and Communities. Gail Q. Vidrine Collectables (Eunice, LA). vi + 259 pages. Vidrine, M. F. 1996d. North American Najadicola and Unionicola: Systematics and Coevolution. Gail Q. Vidrine Collectables (Eunice, LA). vi + 145 pages. Vidrine, M. F. 2008. The Mollusca of the Freeman and Custis Expedition of 1806: Mollusks (emphasis on mussels and associated parasites) of the Red River drainages. Bulletin of the Museum of Life Sciences (Louisiana State University in Shreveport) 14:111-146. Vidrine, M. F., G. J. Quillman-Vidrine, M. F. Vidrine II, D. J. Vidrine, and C. E. Vidrine. 2006. Freshwater mussels (Bivalvia : Unionidae) in the Cajun Prairie ecosystem in southwestern Louisiana. Proc. of the North American Prairie Conference. 19:133-136.
