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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Transactional Skew And Assured Fitness Return Models Fail To Predict Patterns Of Cooperation In Wasps, Peter Nonacs, Aviva Liebert, Philip Starks Dec 2012

Transactional Skew And Assured Fitness Return Models Fail To Predict Patterns Of Cooperation In Wasps, Peter Nonacs, Aviva Liebert, Philip Starks

Aviva E Liebert

Cooperative breeders often exhibit reproductive skew, where dominant individuals reproduce more than subordinates. Two approaches derived from Hamilton’s inclusive fitness model predict when subordinate behavior is favored over living solitarily. The assured fitness return (AFR) model predicts that subordinates help when they are highly likely to gain immediate indirect fitness. Transactional skew models predict dominants and subordinates “agree” on a level of reproductive skew that induces subordinates to join groups. We show the AFR model to be a special case of transactional skew models that assumes no direct reproduction by subordinates. We use data from 11 populations of four wasp …


Genetics, Behavior And Ecology Of A Paper Wasp Invasion: Polistes Dominulus In North America, Aviva Liebert Dec 2012

Genetics, Behavior And Ecology Of A Paper Wasp Invasion: Polistes Dominulus In North America, Aviva Liebert

Aviva E Liebert

Studies of social insect invasions to date have focused primarily on highly eusocial insects such as ants and yellowjacket wasps. Yet insect societies without fixed, morphological caste systems may be particularly good invaders due to their behavioral flexibility, as demonstrated by the recent invasion of the European paper wasp Polistes dominulus into North America. Here we provide a review of this ongoing invasion in terms of (1) population genetic variation in P. dominulus, and (2) comparative behavior and ecology of P. dominulus vs. the native P. fuscatus. We present new genetic evidence supporting the occurrence of multiple independent introductions of …


G74-108 Wilts Of Cucurbits (Revised October 1994), James R. Steadman, David L. Keith, Laurie Hodges Sep 2012

G74-108 Wilts Of Cucurbits (Revised October 1994), James R. Steadman, David L. Keith, Laurie Hodges

Laurie Hodges

Discussion covers the symptoms, disease cycles, and control measures for bacterial and Fusarium wilts of cucurbits, including cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelons, squash, and pumpkins. Wilt caused by squash vine borer also is covered.


G73-46 Hessian Fly On Wheat, John E. Foster, Gary L. Hein Mar 2012

G73-46 Hessian Fly On Wheat, John E. Foster, Gary L. Hein

John E. Foster

This NebGuide discusses the life cycle, control and prevention of the Hessian fly. Plant-safe dates and resistant wheat varieties are also examined. The Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), is not native to the United States, but was probably introduced by Hessian soldiers during the Revolutionary War. This insect was given its common name by Americans because of its damage on Long Island in 1779. The pest has become distributed throughout the United States wheat production areas since then. The Hessian fly belongs to the family of insects known as gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a group noted for their habit of …