Evolution Of Forest Bitis (Macrocerastes) In Africa: Phylogeography, Population Genetics, And Potential As A Model For Batesian Mimicry, 2023 University of Texas at El Paso
Evolution Of Forest Bitis (Macrocerastes) In Africa: Phylogeography, Population Genetics, And Potential As A Model For Batesian Mimicry, Eugene Richard Vaughan
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
The major biogeographical patterns characterizing the diversification of widely distributed species in the African rainforest remain poorly understood because of the low number of well-sampled studies that are focused on this region. I examine the phylogeography and population genetics of two broadly sympatric sister lineages of large African forest vipers (genus Bitis, subgenus Macrocerastes), the rhinoceros viper (B. nasicornis) and the Gaboon vipers (B. gabonica and B. rhinoceros). Despite their close relationship, these two lineages have notably different patterns of divergence in time and space. A time-calibrated phylogeny with sequence data from five genes, and population structure and PCA analyses …
What Gives Me Hope, 2023 University of Maine
What Gives Me Hope, Heather M. Leslie
Maine Policy Review
The commentary focuses on the author's experiences over the last several years in Maine where she has conducted research, mentored students, and collaboratde with diverse community partners on a number of projects focused on shellfish fisheries co-management and other community-led resilience projects in coastal Maine.
Landings, Vol. 31, No. 12, 2023 President, Maine Lobstermen's Community Alliance
Landings, Vol. 31, No. 12, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance, Rebecca Nuzzi, Amber-Jean Nickel
Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community
Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to Maine's lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.
For more information, please visit the Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) website.
Can The Vegetation Structure And Composition In Urban Green Spaces Determine Diversity Of Green Lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)?, 2023 University of Florida
Can The Vegetation Structure And Composition In Urban Green Spaces Determine Diversity Of Green Lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)?, Jose I. Martinez, Raiza J. Castillo, Adrián Ardila-Camacho, Charles V. Covell, José Isabel López-Arroyo, Francisco Javier Nava-Guízar
Insecta Mundi
Green spaces represent the only natural areas in several cities around the world, providing good shelters for the local fauna. Based on this premise, many ecological studies have been conducted focused on these areas. Most of these works are about insects, particularly butterflies and beetles. Our study is centered on a different group: green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). These insects exhibit a similar feeding behavior to some other groups, such as beetles. We estimated diversity, richness, distribution, abundance and similarity employing two methods: sweep netting and suction trapping. Also, oviposition hosts were identified in 20 different green spaces. Approximately 740 specimens …
The Stick Insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea) From The Cloud Forest Of The Chicaque Natural Park, Colombia, 2023 Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas.
The Stick Insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea) From The Cloud Forest Of The Chicaque Natural Park, Colombia, Andres David Murcia, Oscar J. Cadena-Castañeda
Insecta Mundi
A faunal study for the order Phasmatodea of the Chicaque Natural Park is presented, including a list of species found, descriptions, redescriptions, and biological notes. A total of nine species were found and studied; two new genera: Ramandeun new genus, Nubilophasma new genus, and four new species: Atratomorpha jorgei new species, Isagoras franciscoverai new species, Nubilophasma chicaquensis new genus and new species, and Ramandeum coronatum new genus and new species are described. The description of the eggs of the new taxa, of the previously unknown eggs of Paraceroys quadrispinosus (Redtenbacher, 1906), and the redescription of …
Predicting The Potential Distribution In South Korea Of Two Mealybug Species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Intercepted On Pineapples In Quarantine, 2023 Jeju National University
Predicting The Potential Distribution In South Korea Of Two Mealybug Species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Intercepted On Pineapples In Quarantine, S Bin Kim, Soo-Jung Suh
Insecta Mundi
Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell) and Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley are major pests of pineapples, ornamentals, and vegetable crops in many countries around the world. The potential distribution of these mealybug pests into South Korea remains a prime concern because of their high incidence in interceptions screened during inspection. Hence, these species prompted a modelling effort to assess their potential risk of introduction. Potential risk maps were developed for these pests with the CLIMEX model based on occurrence records under environmental data. The potential distribution of these pests in South Korea in the 2020s, 2050s and 2090s is projected based on the RCP …
A New Species Of Colyphus Spinola (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) From Veracruz, Mexico, 2023 California State Collection of Arthropods
A New Species Of Colyphus Spinola (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) From Veracruz, Mexico, Jacques Rifkind
Insecta Mundi
Colyphus lostuxtlas new species (Coleoptera: Cleridae: Clerinae) is described from Veracruz, Mexico.
With the addition of the new species described herein, the genus Colyphus Spinola now comprises 27 species, distributed from Mexico to Panama (Ekis 1977; Rifkind 1997, 2014, 2020, 2023; Rifkind and Barr 2011). The species described herein is known only from a cloud forest reserve (part of La Reserva Biosfera Los Tuxtlas) on the lower slopes of Volcán San Martín in Veracruz, Mexico. Other Colyphus species with distributions in cloud forests include the Costa Rican species C. hansoni Rifkind, C. irazu Ekis, and C. ska Rifkind and Barr, …
An Illustrated Type Catalog Of Trichodesma Leconte, 1861 (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) From Mexico, With Description Of A New Species, 2023 Florida State Collection of Arthropods
An Illustrated Type Catalog Of Trichodesma Leconte, 1861 (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) From Mexico, With Description Of A New Species, Kyle E. Schnepp
Insecta Mundi
Trichodesma nancyae, new species (Coleoptera: Ptinidae), is described from Mexico. The species is illustrated and diagnosed, bringing the total number of extant species in the genus to 73. Lectotypes for Trichodesma beyeri Fall, Trichodesma scripta Champion, and Trichodesma texana Schaeffer are here designated. Habitus and label photographs are provided for types of 12 of the 13 species occurring in Mexico.
Defensive Behaviors Of The Mealybug Nipaecoccus Nipae (Maskell, 1893) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) And The Green Lacewing Ceraeochrysa Claveri (Navás, 1911) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), With Videos Of Dorsal Packet Loading And Mealybug Ostiole Function, 2023 Florida State Collection of Arthropods
Defensive Behaviors Of The Mealybug Nipaecoccus Nipae (Maskell, 1893) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) And The Green Lacewing Ceraeochrysa Claveri (Navás, 1911) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), With Videos Of Dorsal Packet Loading And Mealybug Ostiole Function, Erin C. Powell
Insecta Mundi
The interactions between the lacewing Ceraeochrysa claveri (Navás) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) larva and the coconut mealybug Nipaecoccus nipae (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) were recorded. The third-instar lacewing larva constructed a dorsal packet using mealybug wax from both male pupal cases and the bodies of adult females. Surprisingly, live nymphs were also frequently placed into the dorsal packet. Prey mealybugs were discarded and not incorporated into the packet after consumption. When disturbed, adult female mealybugs reflex bled from their dorsal ostioles, contacting the mouthparts of the lacewing. The lacewing quickly retreated to clean the mouthparts on the substrate, providing further evidence that ostiolar …
Descriptions Of One Hundred New Species Of Hesperiidae, 2023 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Descriptions Of One Hundred New Species Of Hesperiidae, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Nick V. Grishin
Insecta Mundi
A century and a half since the time of Hewitson, we are experiencing a renaissance in species discovery fueled by whole genome sequencing. A large-scale genomic analysis of Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809 (Lepidoptera), including primary type specimens, reveals a deluge of species new to science. One hundred of them (one in a new genus) are described here from the New World (type localities are given in parenthesis): Drephalys (Drephalys) diovalis Grishin, new species (Ecuador: Napo), Euriphellus panador Grishin, new species (Ecuador: Esmeraldas), Euriphellus panamicus Grishin, new species (Panama: Panama), Cecropterus (Thorybes) viridissimus Grishin, new species (Ecuador: Zamora-Chinchipe), …
Aksakidion Odontokeras (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), A New Genus And Species In An Old Collection From Paraguay, 2023 Florida A&M University
Aksakidion Odontokeras (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), A New Genus And Species In An Old Collection From Paraguay, Wills Flowers
Insecta Mundi
Aksakidion odontokeras, new genus and new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), is described from four specimens in the Bowditch Collection at Harvard University. It is distinguished from all other genera in the Eumolpinae by an elongate, seta-bearing, tusk-like projection on the dorsal side of each mandible. Although locality data only mention Paraguay as the country of origin, information about the collector indicates it was collected in the late 19th century in the vicinity of Asunción.
During a recent visit to the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University (MCZ) to study type material of Neotropical Chrysomelidae, a short series …
Genomics-Based Taxonomic Rearrangement Of Achlyodini And Carcharodini (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Pyrginae), 2023 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Genomics-Based Taxonomic Rearrangement Of Achlyodini And Carcharodini (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Pyrginae), Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin
Insecta Mundi
Genomic analysis of Pyrginae Burmeister, 1878 (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809) with an emphasis on the tribes Achlyodini Burmeister, 1878 and Carcharodini Verity, 1940 reveals many inconsistencies between the resulting phylogeny and the current classification. These problems are corrected by proposing new taxa, changing the ranks of others, or synonymizing them, and transferring species between genera. As a result, five subtribes, one genus, 20 subgenera, and one species are proposed as new: Cyclosemiina Grishin, new subtribe (type genus Cyclosemia Mabille, 1878), Ilianina Grishin, new subtribe (type genus Iliana E. Bell, 1937), Nisoniadina Grishin, new subtribe (type genus Nisoniades Hübner, [1819]), …
New Plagiosarus Bates, 1880 (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthoderini) From Costa Rica And Notes On P. Melampus Congestus Bates, 2023 Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, United States
New Plagiosarus Bates, 1880 (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthoderini) From Costa Rica And Notes On P. Melampus Congestus Bates, Josef Vlasak, Antonio Santos-Silva
Insecta Mundi
Plagiosarus transversus Vlasak and Santos-Silva, new species (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthoderini), is described from Costa Rica. The rank of Plagiosarus melampus congestus Bates, 1885 is discussed.
Accelerated Evolution Of Sars-Cov-2 In Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer, 2023 The Ohio State University
Accelerated Evolution Of Sars-Cov-2 In Free-Ranging White-Tailed Deer, Dillon S. Mcbride, Sofya K. Garushyants, John Franks, Andrew F. Magee, Steven H. Overend, Devra Huey, Amanda M. Williams, Seth A. Faith, Ahmed Kandeil, Sanja Trifkovic, Lance Miller, Trushar Jeevan, Anami Patel, Jacqueline M. Nolting, Michael J. Tonkovich, J. Tyler Genders, Andrew J. Montoney, Kevin Kasnyik, Timothy J. Linder, Sarah N. Bevins, Julianna B. Lenoch, Jeffrey C. Chandler, Thomas J. Deliberto, Eugene V. Koonin, Marc A. Suchard, Philippe Lemey, Richard J. Webby, Martha I. Nelson, Andrew S. Bowman
USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications
The zoonotic origin of the COVID-19 pandemic virus highlights the need to fill the vast gaps in our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 ecology and evolution in non-human hosts. Here, we detected that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA during November 2021-March 2022. Subsequently, deer-to-deer transmission persisted for 2–8 months, disseminating across hundreds of kilometers. Newly developed Bayesian phylogenetic methods quantified how SARS-CoV-2 evolution is not only three-times faster in white-tailed deer compared to the rate observed in humans but also driven by different mutational biases and selection pressures. The long-term effect of …
Rapid Evolution Of A(H5n1) Influenza Viruses After Intercontinental Spread To North America, 2023 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Rapid Evolution Of A(H5n1) Influenza Viruses After Intercontinental Spread To North America, Ahmed Kandeil, Christopher Patton, Jeremy C. Jones, Trushar Jeevan, Walter N. Harrington, Sanja Trifkovic, Jon P. Seiler, Thomas Fabrizio, Karlie Woodard, Jasmine C. Turner, Jeri Carol Crumpton, Lance Miller, Adam Rubrum, Jennifer Debeauchamp, Charles J. Russell, Elena A. Govorkova, Peter Vogel, Mia Kim-Torchetti, Yohannes Berhane, David Stallknecht, Rebecca Poulson, Lisa Kercher, Richard J. Webby
USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses of clade 2.3.4.4b underwent an explosive geographic expansion in 2021 among wild birds and domestic poultry across Asia, Europe, and Africa. By the end of 2021, 2.3.4.4b viruses were detected in North America, signifying further intercontinental spread. Here we show that the western movement of clade 2.3.4.4b was quickly followed by reassortment with viruses circulating in wild birds in North America, resulting in the acquisition of different combinations of ribonucleoprotein genes. These reassortant A(H5N1) viruses are genotypically and phenotypically diverse, with many causing severe disease with dramatic neurologic involvement in mammals. The proclivity of …
The Floral Thermal Environment: Physical, Morphological, And Environmental Determinants, And Their Impact On Plant-Pollinator Interactions, 2023 Clemson University
The Floral Thermal Environment: Physical, Morphological, And Environmental Determinants, And Their Impact On Plant-Pollinator Interactions, Jennifer Apland
All Theses
Anthropogenic climate change is driving major shifts in global temperatures and increases in extreme temperature events that contribute to reduced survival and species loss. To counteract extreme temperatures, many organisms can undergo geographic range shifts or engage in behavioral thermoregulation (e.g., movement to suitable microhabitats). While plants are sessile and thus subject to highly variable ambient temperatures, they have evolved mechanisms to regulate internal floral temperature. Floral thermoregulation may mitigate thermal stress on pollen and ovules and impact plant-pollinator interactions. These mechanisms for thermoregulation are often highly dependent on ambient temperature and solar radiation as most plants are not endothermic. …
Balsam Woolly Adelgid And Host Forest Characteristics: Impacts And Interactions In Recently Invaded Areas Of Northern Utah And Southeastern Idaho, 2023 Utah State University
Balsam Woolly Adelgid And Host Forest Characteristics: Impacts And Interactions In Recently Invaded Areas Of Northern Utah And Southeastern Idaho, Grayson B. Jordan
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
The balsam woolly adelgid (BWA), is an invasive forest insect native to central and southern Europe. In 2017, it was detected in Utah for the first time. While BWA had limited impact as a pest in its native European range, it has caused considerable damage to true fir populations in North America. In the Intermountain region, subalpine fir has been identified as the tree species most at risk of BWA infestation. Subalpine fir provides a variety of ecosystem services and is a critical component of the spruce-fir alpine forests of the area. With an expected increase in the severity and …
Restoration Strategies For Wetlands In The Arid West: Seeding And Planting Approaches For Lakeshore Ecosystems, 2023 Utah State University
Restoration Strategies For Wetlands In The Arid West: Seeding And Planting Approaches For Lakeshore Ecosystems, Jes Braun
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Wetlands are widely recognized for their valuable benefits such as providing habitat, improving water quality, and reducing the impacts of flooding. However, wetlands face threats from development, drought, and invasive species. This is particularly apparent in the arid west, where upstream water use and drought make water scarcer and contribute to dramatically changing water levels. Here, I investigated revegetation techniques for lakeshore wetlands, using Utah Lake as a case study. Although recent management efforts have minimized invasive Phragmites cover, the desired plant communities are not returning as quickly as needed, highlighting the need to research restoration techniques. Through my research, …
Ecology And Management Of Dyer's Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) In Northern Utah, 2023 Utah State University
Ecology And Management Of Dyer's Woad (Isatis Tinctoria) In Northern Utah, Erin Marie Hettinger
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Dyer’s woad (Isatis tinctoria L.) is a non-native forb that continues to threaten natural areas throughout Northern Utah and much of the Intermountain West. Once introduced, dyer’s woad can become extremely invasive, decreasing forage quality, and displacing native species. While dyer’s woad is found throughout much of Northern Utah, its range in other states remains limited. If promptly managed, control success in these areas will be much higher and populations may be kept at bay before ecological damage becomes severe.
This project tested the ability of dyer’s woad seedlings to compete with common rangeland grasslands at varied densities as …
Why Is The Depletion Of Our Important Fish Stocks So Persistent?, 2023 University of Maine
Why Is The Depletion Of Our Important Fish Stocks So Persistent?, James A. Wilson
Maine Policy Review
In the 1980s and 1990s, two events changed the fundamental structure of Maine's coastal ecology: inshore herring and then nearshore groundfish stocks were overfished and disappeared. Surprisingly, even without fishing, there has been no recovery. Standard fisheries management assumes that the recovery of any locally overfished place should be quick – fish from other places will 'fill in.'
In contrast, recent scientific work on social learning among animals suggests that fish have communication and learning abilities comparable to other vertebrates. Learning allows groups of fish to adapt to much more local places than possible if adaptation depended on genetics alone. …