Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Dynamics Of Hybrid Zones At A Continental Scale, Bradley T. Martin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hybridization has traditionally been viewed as a happenstance that negatively impacts populations, but is now recognized as an important evolutionary mechanism that can substantially impact the evolutionary trajectories of gene pools, influence adaptive capacity, and contravene or reinforce divergence. Physiographic processes are important drivers of dispersal, alternately funneling populations into isolation, promoting divergence, or facilitating secondary contact of diverged populations, increasing the potential for hybridization. In North America, glacial-interglacial cycles and geomorphological changes have provided a dynamic backdrop over the last two million years that promoted such oscillations of population contraction and expansion. These biogeographic processes have resulted in regional …

Ecology And Vegetation In A Passively Managed Urban Park In Worcester, Ma, Raphaella Mascia

College Honors Program

As urbanization continues to expand globally, urban parks are becoming critical habitats for human and non-human species alike. Understanding the various contexts and conditions of local parks prompts improved management and conservation efforts for such expanding urban habitats. Therefore, I assess the ecology and vegetation of a local park, Cookson Field, located in Worcester, MA, US, through a comprehensive series of vegetation surveys and examine its urban context through an examination of land-use history. I find that Cookson Field is primarily an oak (Quercus sp.) woodland with an ericaceous understory consisting mainly of blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) …

Effects Of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations Of 4-Methyl-1- Cyclohexanemethanol (Mchm) On General Esterase And Glutathione-S-Transferase Activity In Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promela), Emily De Wind

Research in Biology

Abstract

In 2014, several thousand gallons of coal-processing chemicals, which included 4-methyl-1- cyclohexanemethanol (MCHM), spilled into the Elk River in West Virginia. The location of this spill in West Virginia’s chemical valley is historically significant in defining the exploitations of people residing in this area. The concentration of crude MCHM in the river was approximated at 0.15 µg/L. Although some initial studies did consider the effects of MCHM exposure on humans, little attention has been given to aquatic wildlife. In this project, I will expose fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, an environmentally relevant species, to concentrations of MCHM between zero …

On Atrypanius Cretiger (White, 1855) And Atrypanius Punctatellus (Bates, 1872) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthocinini), Antonio Santos-Silva, Juan Pablo Botero

Insecta Mundi

Atrypanius punctatellus (Bates, 1872) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Acanthocinini) is for­mally proposed as a junior synonym of A. cretiger (White, 1855). Atrypanius cretiger is redescribed and the type locality is confirmed as Colombia.

Despite the large amount of work on Acanthocinini published in the past fifty years, the tribe still has many problems. This is particularly true with regard to the limits and definition of the genera. Due to the large num­ber of species in this tribe, especially in the Neotropical region (146 genera and 1,138 species – Tavakilian and Chevillotte 2020; Roguet 2021), it is difficult to perceive eventual synonyms, …

First Record Of Palonica Viridia (Ball, 1903) (Hemiptera: Membracidae) In Utah, Lawrence Barringer

Insecta Mundi

Palonica viridia (Hemiptera: Membracidae) is reported from Utah for the first time. Ecological and trapping information is also provided.

The genus Palonica Ball, 1931 contains seven species, four of which occur in the United States (Deitz and Wal­lace 2012; Wallace 2015). Palonica nogalana Ball is found only in Arizona while P. pyramidata (Uhler) and P. tremulata (Ball) have wide distributions across much of the United States and parts of Canada (Deitz and Wallace 2012). Palonica viridia (Ball) ranges west from Arizona, north to British Columbia and east to Texas and New York into Quebec. Presented is the first record of …

A New Species Of Myrmecotypus Pickard-Cambridge Spider (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae) From The Bolivian Orocline, Imitating One Of The World’S Most Aggressive Ants, Robert Perger, Gonzalo D. Rubio

Insecta Mundi

A new species of ant-mimicking spider of the subfamily Castianeirinae, Myrmecotypus rubrofemo­ratus Perger and Rubio, new species (Araneae: Corinnidae), is described from the Pre-Andean area of the Bolivian orocline. Adults of M. rubrofemoratus new species resemble the carpenter ant Camponotus femora­tus Forel, 1907, which is considered one of the most aggressive ants in the world.

The Neotropical castianeirine genus Myrmecotypus Pickard-Cambridge is a group of slender, fast-running spi­ders that includes 11 species (World Spider Catalog 2020). Four species are reported from South America and three from Bolivia: M. iguazu Rubio and Arbino, 2009, M. niger Chickering, 1937, and M. …

First Record Of Phaenops Obtusa (Horn) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) In Massachusetts, Lawrence Barringer

Insecta Mundi

Phaenops obtusa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is reported from Massachusetts for the first time. Eco­logical and trapping information is also provided.

The genus Phaenops Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), sometimes treated as a subgenus of Melanophila Eschscholtz (e.g. Bright 1987), contains 15 species in North America, five which occur in the northeast (Nelson et al. 2008; Paiero et al. 2012). Phaenops obtusa (Horn) is primarily distributed in southeastern United States from Louisiana to Florida and South Carolina, with a disjunct occurrence reported from New York (Nelson et al. 2008). Presented here is the first record of P. obtusa from Massachusetts, extending its disjunct …

The Lycaenid Butterfly Fauna (Lepidoptera) Of Cosñipata, Peru: Annotated Checklist, Elevational Patterns, And Rarity, Gerardo Lamas, Michael L. Mcinnis, Robert C. Busby, Robert K. Robbins

Insecta Mundi

Peru’s Cosñipata Region in Cuzco and Madre de Dios Departments is a valley between Manu National Park and the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve that ranges from 400 to 4,000 m elevation. A team of experienced lepidopterists sampled the butterfly fauna of this valley for more than a decade (7,440 field person-hours). We analyze the data for Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea), a family for which we have taxonomic expertise. After adding data on the fauna from museums and the literature, we present an annotated checklist of the 340 Lycaenidae species recorded from the Cosñipata Region with notes for each species on the elevations …

A New Genus Cicatrisphaerion, New Species, New Records, And Redescriptions Of Neotropical Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), Steven W. Lingafelter, Roy F. Morris Ii, Frederick W. Skillman Jr., Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

A new genus, Cicatrisphaerion Lingafelter, Morris, Skillman, and Santos-Silva (Coleoptera: Cer­ambycidae), and three new species of the same authorship, C. wappesi from Quintana Roo, Mexico, C. rileyi from Chiapas, Mexico, and Eupogonius wappesi from Quintana Roo, Mexico, are described. New records and clarification on the distribution of Psyrassaforma janzeni Chemsak, 1991 and P. nitida Chemsak, 1991 are provided. Ameriphoderes amoena (Chemsak and Linsley, 1979) is redescribed based on four male specimens and a new country record from Guatemala is documented. New distributional records are provided for Estola flavobasalis Breuning, 1940 (including a new country record for Bolivia) and Estola …

Soil Salinity And The Occurrence Of Invasive Phragmites Australis In Scarborough Marsh, Anthony Devecchis

Thinking Matters Symposium

In North America, Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. is a common invasive reed that competes well in wetland ecosystems and wet ditches. According to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Natural Areas Program, P. australis is disruptive to both tidal and freshwater marshes throughout Maine, including Scarborough Marsh, the state’s largest salt marsh covering an area of 3100 acres (≈ 1,254 hectares). Like many tidal marshes, Scarborough Marsh plays an important role buffering against high tides and flood waters, whilst providing key habitat for numerous species of fishes, birds, and insects. Previous research suggests that changes in soil …

Feeding Ecology Of Elusive Caribbean Killer Whales Inferred From Bayesian Stable Isotope Mixing Models And Whalers’ Ecological Knowledge, Jeremy J. Kiszka, Michelle Caputo, Paula Méndez-Fernandez, Russell Fielding

Honors College Faculty Publications

Investigating the feeding ecology of marine predators is critical for understanding their roles and functional importance in ecosystems. However, assessing the diet of large and wide-ranging predators can be challenging, particularly in the case of rare and elusive species. Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are large apex predators in global oceans, but very little is known about their feeding ecology in tropical ecosystems, particularly in the Caribbean Sea. Killer whales are distributed throughout the Caribbean, and are a regular target of artisanal whalers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (West Indies). Here we investigate the feeding ecology of Caribbean killer whales …

Density Of Free-Roaming Cats Related To Feeding Stations On Hayden Island, Oregon, Olivia Helback, Joe Liebezeit

University Honors Theses

Free-roaming cats have a devastating impact on wildlife populations with stray/feral cats being the most problematic. In some areas, community members provide these cats with food, water, and shelter often in conjunction with a trap, neuter, return (TNR) program. Hayden Island located north of Portland, Oregon is home to a managed colony of feral and stray cats. Some island residents provide feeding stations for the cats and actively participate in population management. To determine how feeding stations might affect cat spatial distribution, camera traps were placed at 19 different stations in urban and natural areas on Hayden island. Additional annual …

A Baseline Documentation Report For The Delta Wind Birds Sky Lake Nature Reserve, James Dubberly

Honors Theses

The purpose of this baseline documentation is to conduct a report on our subject property and discuss the findings. A conservation easement is established by upholding a certain standard of a property’s current condition which makes a baseline documentation necessary for an easement to be enacted. Baseline documentation reports are used as a resource to monitor and enforce the legal agreements of the conservation easement. The subject property is currently owned by the Delta Wind Birds organization. In our scenario, this documentation report will serve to aid in the conversion of our subject property into a conservation easement in which …

Outline - Coyote Population Dynamics, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

The purpose of this lesson is to encourage students to begin thinking about the interactions between animals in an environment and the ways in which those interactions affect each animal. Students will learn about predator/prey dynamics and ecosystem biodiversity through the lens of coyotes and other city predators, primarily cats, by learning about their diets and movement patterns. They will then be asked to consider the impacts of humans and feral cat colonies on urban environments. Students will learn through discussion and interactive activities before presenting their findings via a management plan presentation.

Powerpoint - Coyote Population Dynamics, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Note-Taking Graphic Organizer, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Student Diet And Activity Tracker Worksheet, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Outline - Coyote Traits, Adaptations & Behavior, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

The purpose of this lesson is to facilitate student acquisition of background knowledge on topics related to Canid speciation and evolution. This will focus on unique physical and behavioral characteristics of coyotes from other Canids as well as those adaptations that have allowed them to become so widely distributed through North America, though not quite as well distributed as dogs, which will also be a focus of this lesson. Students will research and present their findings via a Project Based Learning (PBL) poster.

Powerpoint - Coyote Traits, Adaptations & Behavior, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Note-Taking Graphic Organizer, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Outline - Coyote Biodiversity, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

The purpose of this lesson is to facilitate student acquisition of background knowledge on topics related to human and coyote impacts on biodiversity. This will focus on how humans impact biodiversity in urban areas, how coyotes fit into the urban food web, and how the two species interact with one another. Students will research and present their findings via a Project Based Learning (PBL) poster.

Note-Taking Graphic Organizer, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Outline - Coyote Wildlife Management, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

The purpose of this lesson is to facilitate student acquisition of knowledge on topics related to human and coyote interactions. This will focus on how humans and coyotes interact in urban areas and ways in which scientists can mitigate conflicts between the two species. Students will research and present their findings via a PowerPoint presentation.

Powerpoint - Coyote Wildlife Management, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Note-Taking Graphic Organizer, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Coyote Risk Assessment Backyard Survey, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Science Probe - Wildlife Management Scenario Group 1, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Science Probe - Wildlife Management Scenario Group 2, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Science Probe - Wildlife Management Scenario Group 3, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.

Science Probe - Wildlife Management Scenario Group 4, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 12: Urban Wildlife

No abstract provided.