Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Can We Use Judgement Bias To Assess The Welfare Of Fish In Aquariums And Zoos?, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

This commentary examines the potential of tests of judgment bias to assess fish welfare in aquariums and zoos. Judgment bias offers a non-invasive approach to interpreting affective states in animals, using cognitive responses to ambiguous stimuli as indicators of mental wellbeing. Despite the constraints of captive environments—such as limited handling and species diversity in exhibits—recent adaptations of judgment-bias protocols make them suitable across taxa, including fishes. Collaborations with progressive zoos and aquariums could facilitate this research, based on the shared goal of enhancing animal welfare and promoting public education.

Effects Of Retinal Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone On Reproductive Behavior And Retinal Activity In The Cichlid Fish, Astatotilapia Burtoni, Chase Anselmo

LSU Master's Theses

Many animals use visual signals to evade predators, forage for food, and communicate with conspecifics. Some animals that shift into and out of breeding stages, such as fish, can modulate their visual sensitivity to better adapt to changing internal and external conditions. Previous work in our lab demonstrated that females of the cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni have improved visual sensitivity when they enter reproductive readiness. However, little is known about how fish and vertebrates more broadly modulate visual sensitivity across their reproductive cycle. We hypothesized that the hormone and neuromodulator gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) could modulate visual sensitivity because GnRH is …

Pengaruh Larangan Ekspor Karang Hias Terhadap Kondisi Terumbu Karang Di Indonesia, Fitrian Dwi Cahyo, Muhammad Halley Yudhistira

Jurnal Kebijakan Ekonomi

Indonesia has the largest coral population in the world, contributed as the world’s second largest ornamental corals exporter after Japan. Coral trade sparked the issues of habitat destruction, illegal trade, and coral health problems has prompted the government to banning of ornamental coral export. This study aims to find an empirical evidence does the policies mentioned above affect the condition of coral reefs in Indonesia. The author uses the Fixed-Effect Model on the Difference in Difference regression equation whose result show that export banning of ornamental corals does not significantly affect the condition of coral reefs in Indonesia.

New Country Records And Annotated Checklist Of Non-Dacini Tephritidae (Diptera) In Bangladesh, M. Aftab Hossain, Allen L. Norrbom, Luc Leblanc, Md. Forhad Hossain, Kajla Seheli

Insecta Mundi

Tephritidae (Diptera) were sampled in Bangladesh between 2019 and 2023 by hand-collecting on bamboo shoots and using traps separately baited with 2-component BioLure (ammonium acetate and putrescine) or torula yeast. We report here results of our surveys that yielded 1,907 specimens of 20 species belonging to subfamilies or tribes other than Dacini. New species occurrence records for Bangladesh include Acroceratitis bimacula Hardy, A. parastriata David and Hancock, Galbifascia soalia (Séguy), and Xanthorrachis annandalei Bezzi (Dacinae, Gastrozonini), Felderimyia fuscipennis Hendel, Ptilona conformis Zia, and Tritaeniopteron tetraspilotum Hardy (Phytalminae, Acanthonevrini), Adrama apicalis Shiraki, Euphranta flavothoracica (David, Hancock and Sachin), and an …

First Record Of Molorchus Minor (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) In North America, Marc F. Digirolomo, Michael J. Bohne

Insecta Mundi

We report the first documented occurrence of the Palaearctic longhorn beetle Molorchus minor (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) based on specimens collected from bycatch of a bark and ambrosia beetle early detection trapping program in Massachusetts, USA. Diagnostic characters are discussed, and a modified key is presented to facilitate species identification of the genus in North America.

Changes In Morphology, Phenology, Demography Of Several Avian Species Over 18 Years At A Restored Grassland, Ashley Mcmahon, Katie Stumpf, Charlie Muise

Biology Theses

In response to a changing climate and habitat loss, avian species are displaying changes in body size, migration phenology, and demography. Species have often adhered to Allen’s and Bergmann’s rules, displaying increased wing length and decreased body mass, respectively, over time in response to higher temperatures. Additionally, climate change has resulted in earlier spring migration and depending on species, either earlier or later fall migration. Finally, species affected by habitat loss often display male-skewed sex ratios and juvenile skewed age ratios. Our goal was to determine how 1) body size, 2) migration phenology, and 3) demography have changed for grassland …

New Insights And Comparative Morphology Of The Rare Western Palearctic Species Ochodaeus Montanus Fuente, 1912, And Its Closest Relative, O. Inermis Reitter, 1893 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), Jean-Bernard Huchet, José Luis Lencina Gutierrez

Insecta Mundi

Abstract

The combined study of Ochodaeus montanus Fuente, 1912 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae) type material and recently collected specimens from the southeastern Iberian Peninsula provided evidence for the description of new specific morphological characters, and to clarify recurring mistakes present in the literature. A comparative study between O. montanus and its closest representative, O. inermis Reitter, 1892, was completed. An updated distribution map of O. montanus as well as a bilingual identification key for the four taxa occurring within the Iberian Peninsula is given.

Resumen

El estudio combinado del material tipo de Ochodaeus montanus Fuente, 1912 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae) …

Scorpiops Tangae Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) From Laos, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Mark Stockmann

Euscorpius

A new species Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is described from Laos, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of five characters: chelal trichobothrium Eb₃ located in distal half of manus between trichobothria Dt and Est; patella of pedipalp with 11 ventral and 17 external trichobothria; fingers of pedipalps undulate in male; pedipalp movable finger with ca. 45 IAD; and chela length to width ratio 3.7 in male. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the …

Carbon Restoration Potential On Global Land Under Water Resource Constraints, Shouzhang Peng, César Terrer, Benjamin Smith, Philippe Ciais, Qinggong Han, Jialan Nan, Joshua B. Fisher, Liang Chen, Lei Deng, Kailiang Yu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Ecosystem restoration is a critical nature-based solution to mitigate climate change. However, the carbon sequestration potential of restoration, defined as the maximum achievable carbon storage, has likely been overestimated because previous studies have not adequately accounted for the competition between ecosystem water demands for maximizing carbon sequestration and human water needs. Here we used a comprehensive process-based model combined with extensive land-use data and evaporation recycling accounting for land–atmosphere feedback to estimate the water requirements associated with ecosystem restoration. We found that achieving the carbon sequestration potential of restoration would significantly reduce global water availability per capita by 26%, posing …

Observations Of Co-Nest Building And Spawning In Native And Non-Native Chub Species (Nocomis Spp.) In The Swannanoa River, North Carolina, Patrick Ciccotto

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

Co-nest building and spawning among individuals of the native population of River Chub (Nocomis micropogon) and among those of an introduced population of Bluehead Chub (N. leptocephalus) observed in the Swannanoa River (French Broad River basin) during Spring 2024 represents the first time such behaviors have been documented between two species of Nocomis. Observations of these behaviors are described and discussed in the context of potential hybridization and the impact of introduced Bluehead Chubs in the French Broad River basin.

The Primacy Of Density-Mediated Indirect Effects In A Community Of Wolves, Elk, And Aspen, Elaine M. Brice, Eric J. Larsen, Daniel R. Stahler, Daniel R. Macnulty

Aspen Bibliography

The removal or addition of a predator in an ecosystem can trigger a trophic cascade, whereby the predator indirectly influences plants and/or abiotic processes via direct effects on its herbivore prey. A trophic cascade can operate through a density-mediated indirect effect (DMIE), where the predator reduces herbivore density via predation, and/or through a trait-mediated indirect effect (TMIE), where the predator induces an herbivore trait response that modifies the herbivore's effect on plants. Manipulative experiments suggest that TMIEs are an equivalent or more important driver of trophic cascades than are DMIEs. Whether this applies generally in nature is uncertain because few …

Determination Of A New Spring-Flying Species Of The Pterourus Glaucus Complex (Papilionidae) In Southern New England, Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The Pterourus glaucus complex in three southern New England states is analyzed for cryptic speciation. What was historically considered to be one species, P. glaucus (Linnaeus, 1758), was recently split to separate P. canadensis (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) at species rank (Hagen et al., 1991). Additionally, P. appalachiensis Pavulaan & Wright, 2002, was described as an Appalachian Mountain endemic. The western member of the complex, P. rutulus (Lucas, 1852), has frequently been considered a subspecies of P. glaucus (Scott, 1986; Tyler, Brown & Wilson, 1994), as was P. alexiares (Höpffer, 1866) (Tyler, Brown & …

Identifying Invasive Species Sightings From Geoai-Validated Social Media Posts, Nathan Fox, Derek Van Berkel

I-GUIDE Forum

The spread of invasive species requires scalable monitoring techniques to help guide management and conservation strategies. Here, we explore the potential of GeoAI for the rapid validation of invasive species sightings through social media data. We utilized the Flickr API to retrieve 23,000 images from posts that contained the names of 72 invasive species across various taxonomic categories within the contiguous USA. Then using BioCLIP, a computer vision model capable of identifying over 450,000 species, we assessed whether these posts genuinely contained the species that the user tagged. Results varied, with some species like the European Starling showing high match …

Working In Pairs Increases Consistency Of Georgia Adopt-A-Stream's Habitat Assessment, Christopher H. Kodani, Robert Bourne, Cody Jones, Michael Kahle, Cecilia Nachtmann

Georgia Journal of Science

Habitat assessment is a skill that is important to stream ecologists of all levels, including volunteers of water quality monitoring programs such as Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (AAS). Some aspects of habitat assessment can be subjective because observers must use their best judgement in assessing some variables, therefore, it is worthwhile to examine the variation in volunteer stream monitor observations, the effect of training, and the reliability of habitat metrics calculated from the data collected. To gain some insight, we asked volunteers attending a workshop at AAS’s 2022 Confluence Conference to complete a Habitat Assessment Worksheet both before and after a short …

Mutations And Antibiotic Resistance In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Ryan M. Johnson, Bodhi Brady, Nicklaus Busse, Connor Beckman, Hunter Gloden, Joseph Glasrud, Zachary Smith, Hari P. Nepal, Madhav P. Nepal

Life Science Reports

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is a bacterium known to target, infect, and destroy lung cells as well as connective tissues within the body. This bacterium is prevalent worldwide and has infected over a quarter of the current world population, becoming one of the most successful pathogens in history. Due to its extreme transmission rates as an airborne pathogen, MTB strains have been treated with antibiotics such as rifampicin and isoniazid, which inhibit bacterial infection in the human body. These first-round drugs remained as successful mechanisms for slowing and killing the pathogen, notably through rifampicin's inhibition of RNA-polymerase and isoniazid’s ability to …

Prescription Adherence Rates Across Medication Categories, Makenzie Stagner, Allie Weber, Madhav P. Nepal, Hari P. Nepal

Life Science Reports

Prescription adherence is a major public health challenge, as non-adherence to medication instructions can lead to poorer health outcomes and higher healthcare costs. Although prescription adherence is crucial for managing patient compliance and health outcomes, adherence rates differ greatly between medication types. The main objectives of this study were to determine prescription adherence rates across six medication types (antibiotic, cardiac, chronic health, pediatric, and psychiatric) and identify sources of variation. We searched PubMed and Web of Science databases for relevant published articles. Previous research data were selected related to prescription adherences and compliance rates were included in our analysis. Results …

The Moon Jelly, Adam Krogmann

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Artist Statement

The Moon Jelly is a piece I created as a part of the Scientific Illustration course I participated in during the summer semester of 2023. This piece was inspired by the livestreams of the Monterey Bay Aquarium that film these moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) in their tank. The Moon Jelly is an ink drawing created as part of a collection focused on Monterey Bay Aquarium animals. Through this artwork I hoped to draw attention to smaller marine animals that may otherwise be overlooked even though they provide a vital role in the ecosystem. Moon jellyfish are important marine …

Clustered Setation On The Pedipalps Of Buthid Scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Graeme Lowe, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Chaetotaxy of the external pedipalp femur and distal ventral pedipalp movable finger was studied in 120 species, 69 genera and 17 families of scorpions. Setation was generally denser in the ‘Buthus’ group, a major arid-adapted buthid lineage distributed across Palearctic deserts. On the external femur, macrosetae formed a prominent cluster, the ‘distal external macrosetal cluster’ (DEMC); on the distal ventral movable finger they formed a dense patch, the ‘distal ventral macrosetal cluster’ (DVMC). In other buthids and non-buthids, the DEMC and DVMC were mostly absent, except in a few arid-adapted genera. Relative setation densities of DEMC and DVMC in different …

Fire And Ant Interactions Mediated By Honeydew And Extrafloral Nectar In An Australian Tropical Savanna, Fernanda M. P. Oliveira, Carlos H. F Silva, Melinda L. Moir, Inara R. Leal, Alan N. Andersen

Natural Resources Research Articles

Fire is a major disturbance affecting ecosystems globally, but its impact on mutualisms has received minimal attention. Here, we use a long-term field experiment to investigate the impact of different fire regimes on globally important ant–honeydew and ant–extrafloral nectar (EFN) mutualistic interactions in an Australian tropical savanna. These interactions provide ants with a key energy source, while their plant and hemipteran hosts receive protection services. We examined ant interactions on species of Eucalyptus (lacking EFNs) and Acacia (with EFNs) in three replicate plots each of burning every 2 and 3 years early in the dry season, burning late in the …

Uroplectes Ebogo Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Cameroon, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Valeriy Govorov

Euscorpius

A new species Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is described from Cameroon, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination two characters: metasoma without carinae and metasoma V and telson without punctuation. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the information about the karyotype of Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. (2n=24).

Two New Species Of Agrilus Curtis From Arizona With Some New Distributional And Host Records Of Buprestids From The Southwest Usa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Norman E. Woodley

Insecta Mundi

Two new species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), A. botzi Woodley, new species and A. vachellia Woodley new species, both from southeastern Arizona, are described. Agrilus barri Hespenheide and Westcott and Taphrocerus leoni Dugès are recorded from Arizona and represent new U.S. records. Sixteen new state distributional records are presented, along with a few other significant records.

Encyclopedia Of Scale Insect Pests: Corrigenda And Additions, Takumasa Kondo, Gillian W. Watson

Insecta Mundi

The Encyclopedia of Scale Insect Pests was published in 2022 by CABI Publishing. Some errors and omissions in Chapter 2, Table 2 have been brought to the attention of the Encyclopedia editors; since some of them have plant quarantine implications, they are corrected in this article.

Biology Of Aproida Balyi Pascoe, 1863 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Aproidini) On Its Host Plant, Eustrephus Latifolius R. Br. Ex Ker-Gawl (Asparagaceae) In Australia, Caroline Simmrita Chaboo, Vivian E., Mariana Campos, Geoff B. Monteith

Insecta Mundi

Within the leaf-beetle subfamily Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Aproida Pascoe, 1863 (Aproidini) from Australia has been considered a transitional genus between mining cassidines (“hispines”) and exophagous cassidines (“tortoise beetles”). To illuminate this transition, a detailed study was conducted over one year of the biology of Aproida balyi Pascoe, 1863 on the host plant, Eustrephus latifolius R. Br. ex Ker-Gawl (Asparagaceae). Distribution maps of the host plant and three Aproida species are provided. The life cycle of A. balyi comprises single eggs in a foamy ootheca, three larval instars that feed openly, a pupa suspended from the larva III exuvia, and …

Temperature Affects Nest Box Selection, Nest Success, And Nestling Size In A Southeastern Population Of Eastern Bluebirds, Katie Stumpf

Georgia Journal of Science

Given the critical role of temperature in avian reproduction, rising global temperatures will likely impact reproductive success of many bird populations. We examined the effect of nest box temperature, nest box color, entrance orientation, distance to forest cover, and distance to water on net box selection, nest success, and nestling size in eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) in central Georgia. White painted nest boxes had significantly cooler temperatures than control nest boxes (P < 0.05). However, model selection revealed that eastern bluebird females selected control boxes, despite their overall warmer temperatures. Nest success was associated with year, likely because of high nest predation during the warmer 2022 breeding season (P < 0.05). Nest success was also associated with cooler nest boxes, possibly because incubating females spend more time incubating which can reduce predation risks. Larger nestlings fledged from painted nest boxes, nest boxes with cooler temperatures, and nests from 2021, which we attribute to decreased thermoregulatory demands enabling faster nestling growth in cooler boxes and years. These seemingly opposing results suggest there may be an optimal temperature range where nest box temperature maximizes reproductive fitness while minimizing energetic demands on incubating adults. Determining this temperature range can help target management efforts to ensure specific goals are met.

Albinism In Olivierus Martensii (Karsch, 1879) (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Victoria Tang, Zhenbang Liu

Euscorpius

This is a formal case report for the albinism in Olivierus martensii (Karsch, 1879). Albino phenotype is compared with its normal counterpart in terms of their morphology and behavior by cursory experiments. The examined 7 albino individuals (5 of which were adults) were smaller and more slender than their normal counterparts. However, these quantitative differences were not statistically significant and should be treated with caution due to the low sample size. Their abilities to detect both white light and UV light or UV-excited fluorescence were not significantly undermined, although their tendency to ensure a clear vision through self-cleaning behavior appeared …

Resource Selection Of The Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus Niger Niger) In The Coastal Plain Of Virginia, Marissa H. Guill, Jesse L. De La Cruz, K. Marc Puckett, W. Mark Ford

Virginia Journal of Science

The southern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) is a subspecies of fox squirrel that ranges from southeastern Virginia to northern Florida. Throughout its Southeastern range, southern fox squirrel habitat of natural mixed pine-hardwood forests has been fragmented by agriculture and short-rotation pine plantations. In Virginia, remaining habitat has been transformed by fire suppression on the landscape and has in turn resulted in small, disjunct populations of southern fox squirrels. We sought to identify the home range and resource utilization of southern fox squirrels in the southern Coastal Plain of Virginia. From established nest boxes, we captured, radio collared …

Wrack Lines Volume 24, No. 2, Fall-Winter 2024-2025, Farwa Mohsin, Seth Kinter, Elena Smith, Eden Torres, Dominic Moore, Isaiah Sosa

Wrack Lines

Six recipients of the Wrack Lines Voice of Diverse Youth Scholarship share personal essays about their relationship to nature and climate change.

2024 Fall Newsletter, Plaster Creek Stewards

Newsletters

Highlights:

Project GreenER Returns in 2025

Sustainable Business of the Year

PCS Is Showing Up Around the Community

Botanical Highlight: Discovery of a New Kent County Native Grass

Fall Event Furthers New Tree Planting Initiatives

Plaster Creek: Unsalted?

Making Connections at Calvin

Ophidiomyces Ophidiicola And Texas Snakes: A Field To Bench Study Of Ophidiomycosis, Kenlynn L. Volz

Biology Theses

Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), the primary cause of Ophidiomycosis, is a fungal pathogen recently detected in Texas snakes. Prior to this study, there were major knowledge gaps regarding Oo growth, spread, and suitable environmental conditions. This study filled those gaps using a field to bench approach involving sampling snakes across Texas, in vitro fungal growth, and ecological niche modeling. 103 snakes were sampled across Texas in 2023 and 2024 and six cases of Oo infection were detected. Results of the growth experiment suggest that Oo prefers more stable temperatures and high humidity to a point and that there is a …

Bisc 662: Multivariate Analysis In Ecology, Steve Brewer

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.