Behavior and Ethology Commons^™

Molecular Evidence Suggests Multiple Evolutionary Origins Of Sociality In The Polyphenic Spider Anelosimus Studiosus (Araneae: Theridiidae)., Nathaniel O. Weber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anelosimus studiosus exhibits two behavioral phenotypes: subsocial and social. This is the only documented spider inhabiting a temperate climate exhibiting social behavior. While the subsocial phenotype is most common throughout the range, the social behavior occurs in isolated pockets in northern latitudes. This study examines the origins of the social phenotype within a segment of the spider's range. Two hypotheses are tested: 1) pockets of social behavior represent a single origin or 2) pockets of social behavior represent local evolutions, thus leading to multiple origins of evolution. Microsatellite loci were used to determine genetic structure of the population and to …

Lack Of Rhythmicity In The Honey Bee Queen: An Investigation Of Temporal Behavioral Patterns In Apis Mellifera Ligustica., Jennifer N. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the behavioral patterns of honey bee queens. To determine if mated honey bee queens possess diel rhythmicity in behavior, we observed them in glass-sided observation hives using three types of observation regimes: focal studies consisting of 2-hour and 24-hour continuous observations as well as scan-sampling of multiple queens. All behaviors (active: walking, inspecting, egg-laying, begging for food, feeding, and grooming self; inactive: standing) occurred at all times of day and night, but no queen showed consistent diel rhythmicity in any of the individual behaviors. There were no consistent diel differences in active versus inactive behaviors or …

Stopover Biology Of Migratory Landbirds In A Heavily Urbanized Landscape, The New York Metropolitan Area, Chad L. Seewagen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Migration routes of many Nearctic-Neotropical landbirds pass through the most urbanized regions of North America. Migrants use urban habitat fragments as stopover sites and commonly occur in cities at exceptional density. Yet, knowledge of migrant stopover biology and refueling opportunities in such places is severely limited. This dissertation examined several aspects of migrant stopover biology in the New York metropolitan area to gain a more holistic understanding of how migratory landbirds utilize urban stopover sites, and ultimately to assess the quality of urban habitats as stopover sites. I first generated morphometric predictive models using salvaged bird specimens to allow me …

The Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Fauna Of The Blackwater Ecological Preserve: Effects Of Prescribed Burns And Habitat Type On Mosquito Abundance And Distribution, Norman A. Grefe Lll

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

While mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are among the most studied of insect groups, much remains unknown about their distribution and response to environmental impacts such as prescribed burns. Blackwater Ecological Preserve, located near Zuni, Virginia, is a relict long leaf pine barren, parts of which undergo periodic prescribed burns to maintain and restore this fire-dependent ecosystem. To assess the impact of prescribed burns on mosquito activity and to determine associations between seasonal patterns of adult mosquito activity and habitat type, CDC light traps baited with dry ice were set (rom late April through October at Blackwater Ecological Preserve during the 2005 …

Carrion Beetles Of The Blackwater Ecologic Preserve: Community Structure Seasonal Patterns And Habitat Use, Amy L. Simons

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Carrion beetles (Silphidae) are important in the decomposition of carcasses in ecosystems. Two subfamilies, Nicrophorinae and Silphinae, differ in reproductive behaviors. The Nicrophinae, burying beetles, bury small carcasses to serve as food for the adults and their offspring. The Silphinae oviposit near larger carcasses. There is intense competition among all carrion beetles and other carrion feeders for carcasses, and beetle species have evolved seasonal activity patterns that minimize competition, such as when they are active and when they reproduce. Northern Silphidae communities are more diverse than southern communities, probably due to increased competition for carrion in the south.

This research …

The Significance Of The Male Display During Male-Male Interactions In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Rebecca Nuffer, Samantha M. Alburn

Biological Sciences

Guppies, Poecilia reticulata, are a model species for studies of female preference based on male courtship displays; however, males also display to each other in an aggressive context, and little attention has been paid to the role of male-male displays. The display involves a male positioning his body in front or to the side of another male, arching his body, and quivering with his dorsal fin splayed. To understand what behaviors elicit a male display, we assigned individual males a dominance status. We then examined the relationship between dominance status and the number of displays delivered and received. By …

Maternal Effects In Transmission Of Self-Medicative Behavior From Mother To Offspring In Sheep, Udita Sanga

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mammals begin learning food preferences in utero and maternally mediated influences early in life help offspring develop their feeding habits. Mammals also learn by individual experience to ingest medicinal compounds such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), which attenuates the negative post-ingestive effects of tannins, a group of potentially toxic plant secondary compounds. The objective of this study was to investigate the transmission of acquired self-medicative behavior from mother to offspring using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a medicine to relieve malaise caused by tannins. I hypothesized that: 1) mothers trained to associate the beneficial effects of PEG while consuming tannins will pass …

Space Use And Mating Activities In The Speckled Rattlesnake, Xavier Glaudas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Our understanding of space use variation in response to the temporally varying importance of specific resources is poorly understood in reptiles, because spatial studies are rarely placed into an explicit ecological and behavioral context. I examined how space use differed between the mating and post-mating seasons, and how this variation related to three important resources, mating partners, food, and refuge, in an adult population of the speckled rattlesnake Crotalus mitchellii in the Mojave Desert of southwestern North America. During the mating season (late April to early June), Crotalus mitchellii increased distance traveled per unit time, because wide-ranging behavior likely enhances …

Effect Of Sand Grain Size On Burrowing Behavior Of Juvenile Pacific Sand Crabs (Emerita Analoga), Natalie A. Lee, Laura M. Melroy

Biological Sciences

Emerita analoga, Pacific coast sand crabs, are an important biological component of the swash zone ecosystem. They have evolved the ability to burrow into sand, and burrowing speed is commonly used as an indicator of performance relevant for fitness in this species. Sand grain size varies among beaches, and crabs may be better adapted to to burrow in some sand types. We performed a completely crossed 3-factor experiment to determine how the sand grain size associated with beach-of-origin and rearing conditions influence burrowing in coarse and fine sand. Crabs from a fine sand beach and a coarse sand beach were …