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Articles 1 - 21 of 21
Full-Text Articles in Entomology
Short-Term Larval Surveys Reveal Rainy Season Breeding Site Preferences Of Malaria Vector Anopheles Spp. In Zanzibar City, Kaeden K. Hill
Short-Term Larval Surveys Reveal Rainy Season Breeding Site Preferences Of Malaria Vector Anopheles Spp. In Zanzibar City, Kaeden K. Hill
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Malaria is a serious illness that causes over 500,000 deaths annually worldwide, with Tanzania alone contributing to approximately 4% of those deaths. Malaria is caused by Plasmodium spp. parasites, and it is vectored by mosquitoes in the Anopheles genus. In Zanzibar City, the incidence of malaria has decreased over the past few decades due to standardized treatment protocols and public health interventions targeting adult mosquitoes. However, the incidence remains between 1-2%, with an increasing trend observed over the past few years likely stemming from continued exchange of Plasmodium spp. from other malaria-endemic areas. Because larvicidal strategies can be useful in …
Structural Responses To Land Use In Pollination Networks: Effects Of Biodiversity And Alien Plants In The Ecuadorian Chocó, Eric Abrahams
Structural Responses To Land Use In Pollination Networks: Effects Of Biodiversity And Alien Plants In The Ecuadorian Chocó, Eric Abrahams
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
As a globally recognized hotspot of biodiversity, the Ecuadorian Chocó Andino region is extremely important for research and conservation. However, little research has been done regarding the mutualistic networks that sustain this ecosystem. The analysis of plant-pollinator networks helps us understand how ecosystems respond to change and is vital to conserving ecological productivity across multiple spatial scales. This study establishes a baseline for pollinator network structure across a land use gradient near the western montane cloud forest in Ecuador. Plants and pollinators were sampled along 11 transects in farms, communities, roads in the Río Manduriacu valley. Weedy herbs dominated overall, …
Community Complexity Of A Pollination Network: Analysis Of Plant-Pollinator Interactions In The Eastern Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, Anisa López-Ruiz
Community Complexity Of A Pollination Network: Analysis Of Plant-Pollinator Interactions In The Eastern Ecuadorian Cloud Forest, Anisa López-Ruiz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Global declines in pollinators and temporal/spatial mismatches between plants and pollinators threaten the integrity of plant-pollinator networks. Ecological network analysis provides a powerful framework for understanding the dynamics of plant-pollinator networks and measures of community complexity that can help inform areas of priority in conservation. This study observed a plant-pollinator network in a secondary forest close to the Río Zuñac Reserve in the eastern Ecuadorian cloud forest to identify assemblages of plants and pollinators and evaluate measures of community complexity, including specialization and nestedness. Flowering plants were identified and observed along a 1.2 km transect, and floral visitors to these …
Conservation And Variation In Agricultural Landscapes: A Survey Of Insect Populations Across Naranjilla Cultivation Methods In The Eastern Andean Cloud Forest, Ian Zakelj
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This study compared insect biodiversity among five sites in agricultural landscapes and natural forest in the El Placer community in the valley of the Rio Pastaza in the eastern Andean cloud forest. The area is of vital importance to conservation, as it falls in the ecological corridor between the Sangay and Llanganates national parks. The primary crop produced by the residents of El Placer is naranjilla, and it is cultivated in a variety of manners, mostly with intensive chemical use. The goal of the study was to find out which types of practices were the least harmful to the insect …
Ecological And Economic Benefits And Risks Of Using Botanical Insecticides In Tanzanian Farms, Lilia Garcia
Ecological And Economic Benefits And Risks Of Using Botanical Insecticides In Tanzanian Farms, Lilia Garcia
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Insect damage is a major concern for smallholder farmers in developing countries like Tanzania. Synthetic insecticides can tame infestations, however they can be expensive, inaccessible, and their misuse can threaten farmer health and ecological conditions. Botanical insecticides are cheap alternatives to treat infestations while preserving beneficial insects such as pollinators, predators, and parasitoids. This study assesses how both synthetic and botanical insecticides affect beneficial insects, crop yield and profit/costs. This study finds botanical insecticides slightly less harmful towards non-target insects. Botanical insecticides seldomly improve crop yields but usually result in a higher profit/lower cost. Due to high variation in ecological …
Conservation Efforts Concerning Native Bee Species Of Michigan, Thomas Hellman
Conservation Efforts Concerning Native Bee Species Of Michigan, Thomas Hellman
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Bee species all over the world are declining at concerning rates. However, it is good to see the public rallying behind the “save the bees!” movement even though most efforts from this movement have been on the conservation of the European honeybees. This is because most people often associate the honeybee, which is only one of 20,000 known bee species in the world, to all other bees. Therefore, conservation efforts should be broadened and aimed towards the many native bee species that can be found locally in North America. In the state of Michigan, there are over 450 species, and …
Foraging Behavior In Atta Leaf-Cutter Ants: A Comparison Of Disturbed Versus Undisturbed Nests, Ariana Baetz
Foraging Behavior In Atta Leaf-Cutter Ants: A Comparison Of Disturbed Versus Undisturbed Nests, Ariana Baetz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The genus of ant, Atta, is one of the most prolific and ecologically impactful genera in the subfamily of Leaf-Cutter ants. They prefer to build nests and forage in disturbed areas or on the borders between secondary forest and disturbed areas, as much of their preferred harvest is cultivars. Two nests of Atta were studied at the La Hesperia Nature Reserve, one an undisturbed nest aged about four years and one a recently disturbed nest aged about seven years. General foraging behaviors were observed and compared for both nests, including peak foraging hours, headwidth of foraging ants, trail length, plants …
Effectiveness Of Different Agricultural Management Styles As Insect Biological Corridors: A Comparison Of Insect Populations In Fragmented Chocó Cloud Forest, Ecuador, Tara M. Krantz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Insects are part of the most diverse class of animals on the planet and are essential to various ecological functions such as pollination, nutrient cycling, providing a food source for other taxa, and more. The diversity and ecological services of insects are necessary to the operation of agriculture because of pest control and pollination of crops. However, the diversity of insects is severely reduced due to fragmentation. It is currently not well understood if certain types of agriculture can lessen the impact of fragmentation on natural and crop-based insect communities. In this study, insect populations in four different agricultural management …
Lepidopteran Diversity And Abundance Across Five Different Indigenously Managed Land Use Zones In The Naso-Teribe Territory, Bocas Del Toro Province, Panama, Eli Dotson
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Lepidopterans, the order that includes both moths and butterflies, are among the best-known insects taxonomically and ecologically due to the relative ease of monitoring them in comparison to other groups of insects. Their distribution follows that of other insects and forms of life, as around 90% of species have a tropical distribution. This incredibly speciose group of animals fills many vital roles in the ecosystems they inhabit, including herbivores in their larval stages, prey for a variety of predators in all life stages, and pollinators for many plant species as adults. In some circumstances, certain species may also serve as …
Patrones De Depredación De Orugas Con Colores Crípticos Y Aposemáticos / Caterpillar Depredation Patterns With Cryptic Colors And Aposematics, Jacqueline Maldonado
Patrones De Depredación De Orugas Con Colores Crípticos Y Aposemáticos / Caterpillar Depredation Patterns With Cryptic Colors And Aposematics, Jacqueline Maldonado
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Las orugas o estadios tempranos de las mariposas, tienen múltiples formas de defensa contra sus depredadores naturales. Investigaciones han demostrado que algunas defensas de orugas son funcionales contra depredadores específicos. Esta investigación permite dar a conocer el éxito de las defensas de orugas en el ecosistema de la Amazonia ecuatoriana. Los efectos de la coloración del cuerpo de la oruga en la tasa de depredación fue examinado en bosques primarios y bosques secundarios cerca del Rio Napo. Orugas de plastilina fueron colocadas en varios lugares (i.e., troncos, hojas), tanto como orugas solitarias o en grupos como orugas gregarias. . Los …
An Inordinate Fondness For Beetles: A Study Of Insect Species Diversity And Abundance In Mazumbai Forest Reserve Versus Nearby Agricultural Areas, Emma Weisner
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This study investigates how human disturbance of ecosystems alters insect diversity and abundance, specifically exploring how insect communities inside Mazumbai Forest Reserve in Tanzania differ from insect communities in agricultural areas near the reserve. Following methods of previous studies on the effect of disturbance on insect populations (Bellamy et al. 2018; McLaughlin & Mineau 1995; Perry et al. 2016), this research utilizes pitfall traps and yellow bowl traps in multiple locations throughout the two study areas to catch insects, which are then identified to their specific order. The collected data support the hypothesis that insect order diversity and abundance vary …
Effect Of Varied Disturbance Types On Dorylus (Anomma) Molestus Defensive Behavior In The West Usumbara Mountains, Tanzania., Ryan Mahar
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The purpose of this study was to observe novel nest characteristics of Dorylus molestus (Siafu), as well as their defensive behavior in response to varied disturbance methods. The number of defensive soldiers at a specific section of a column was counted before and after each agitation. Varied agitation methods were used on columns without larvae presence to test how soldiers responded to different disturbance types. Disturbances on columns with larvae presence were compared to those on columns without larvae. Nest distribution, behavior, composition, and size were observed objectively. Mechanical disturbance was found to incite the greatest increase in defensive soldier …
Abejas Silvestres (Himenóptera: Apoidea) En La Neblina: Análisis De La Diversidad, Interacciones, Y Potencial Para Miel En Un Remanente De Bosque Nublado, Jen Hayes
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Las abejas (Himenóptera: Apoidea) se encuentran en casi cada una de las bioregiones en el mundo. Su composición es muy diversa en los neotrópicos. Las abejas silvestres (no-Apis) representan casi el 90% de las especies de abejas en todo el mundo (Parra, 2005). Los objetivos principales de este estudio fueron realizar un inventario de las especies de abejas al final de la estación seca, observar sus interacciones intra-específicas, y determinar el potencial de producción de miel medicinal de las abejas sin aguijón (Apidae: Meliponini). El estudio fue realizado en la Reserva Inti Llacta, un remanente de bosque nublado …
Influencias Antropogénicas En El Mantenimiento De Los Senderos En El Género De Hormigas Corta Hojas Atta, Glen Zinck
Influencias Antropogénicas En El Mantenimiento De Los Senderos En El Género De Hormigas Corta Hojas Atta, Glen Zinck
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Leaf-cutter ants have been shown to rigorously maintain their trunk trails throughout the year and regardless of if they have traffic. The behaviors of this clearing mechanism of the ants has been well-documented with different natural obstacles such as leaves and twigs, yet the comparative energy and time used by the ants with anthropogenic obstacles still remains unknown. In order to determine the differences in time and energy for moving these obstacles, both natural and artificial obstacles were tested in tandem during these trials. I used different sizes of blockers to see if the surface area and weight factored into …
Sperm Use During Egg Fertilization In The Honeybee (Apis Mellifera), Maria Rubinsky
Sperm Use During Egg Fertilization In The Honeybee (Apis Mellifera), Maria Rubinsky
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
A technique to quantify sperm use in honeybee queens (Apis mellifera) was developed and used to analyze the number of sperm used in different groups of honeybee queens. To do this a queen was placed on a frame with worker cells containing no eggs, and an excluder box was placed around her. The frame was put back into the colony and removed after two and a half hours. This method reduced stress on the queen so that she felt comfortable enough to lay eggs and did not require the queen to be killed so that she could be sampled multiple …
Caterpillar Fungus Of The Tibetan Plateau, Lucas Crouch
Caterpillar Fungus Of The Tibetan Plateau, Lucas Crouch
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Chongcao is a traditional Chinese medicine that can only be found on the Tibetan plateau. It is the result of a parasitic relationship between the Ghost moth Larva and the fungus Cordyceps Sinensis. Chongcao is highly prized among the Chinese as a medicine and the value is reflected in the market. The price of Chongcao increased by 900% between the years 1997 and 2008 (Winkler, 2010). In 2009 the market went down a slightly due to the 2008 financial crises but the price in 2010 recovered to 2008 levels. It is currently worth twice its weight in gold. (LA Times) …
Controlling The Dengue Mosquito (Aedes Aegypti): Assessment Of The Effects Of Metofluthrin, A Novel Vapor-Active Pyrethroid, On Mosquito Behavior In A Modeled Domestic Setting., Randy Kring
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Dengue fever is a potentially life-threatening illness that is endemic in over 100 countries and threatens approximately half of the world’s population. The dengue virus is transmitted between humans by a mosquito vector, principally the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. This mosquito prefers to live and feed in and around people’s homes. As a result, preventing mosquito bites within a domestic setting is essential to controlling the dengue virus. Although several methods of bite prevention are currently available to the public, most of these methods only provide short-term protection from the dengue mosquito. In contrast, a recently developed synthetic pyrethroid called …
Bromeliads As A Breeding Site For The Dengue Vector Aedes Aegypti, Eva B. Shultis
Bromeliads As A Breeding Site For The Dengue Vector Aedes Aegypti, Eva B. Shultis
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Dengue Fever is a major public health concern in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide, including the city of Cairns, Australia, which is currently suffering a severe outbreak. The most important vector of the Dengue virus is the predominantly urban mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.), which lays its eggs in both artificial and natural containers, including the ornamental bromeliad plants found in many household gardens. The ability of larvae to develop to adulthood inside bromeliads has become controversial, however, and bromeliad enthusiasts frequently refuse to have their plants treated with insecticide. The aim of this study was to determine the conditions under …
Vertical Distribution Of Spiders (Araneae) On A Tropical Island, Eric Brown
Vertical Distribution Of Spiders (Araneae) On A Tropical Island, Eric Brown
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The distribution of spiders into vertical layers was studied on Misali Island. In particular, differences in diversity, species richness, abundance, and body length were analyzed. A variety of collection methods were used in order to capture as many different species as possible from three levels of forest: leaf litter, groundcover (up to 1m), and understory (up to 3m). After being sorted to the morphospecies level, the spiders were cataloged and several statistical tests were run. These tests show that spiders do show species-level stratification between different levels of forest. They also pointed towards a particularly firm dividing line between species …
Improving Beekeeping On Unguja Island, Larken Root
Improving Beekeeping On Unguja Island, Larken Root
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The purpose of this study was to investigate the current practices and methods for improvement of beekeeping on Unguja Island in Zanzibar. Beekeeping has been occurring for many years in Unguja but has retained traditional techniques with little improvement. Improvement can occur in the form of introduction of modern equipment, formation of beekeeping organizations, advancing and diversifying products, and gaining governmental support. Beekeeping is worthy of expansion because of its potential to increase rural income in a sustainable way as well as support conservation of forest areas. The study found that there has so far been little improvement of income …
Natural Loggers: Leaf Cutter Ants As Pests In Northwestern Ecuador, Aaron Honig
Natural Loggers: Leaf Cutter Ants As Pests In Northwestern Ecuador, Aaron Honig
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The biological world is under attack. All across the world in every continent and sub-continent biological diversity is rapidly decreasing (Wilson, 1999). As the human population continues to exponentially increase, especially in Third World countries where biological diversity reaches its peak, countless diverse biological habitats are threatened by accelerating human consumption and the growing needs of growing human populations. In Ecuador, only 1% of the original tropical forest remains, as a result of the accelerating need of viable agricultural tracts for Ecuador’s relatively poor farmers, as well as the unsustainable harvest of valuable hardwood tree species endemic to Ecuador’s primary …