Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

Chemosensory Receptors In Berghia Stephanieae: Bioinformatics And Localization, Kelsi L. Watkins

Masters Theses

Chemosensation is achieved through the binding of chemical signals to chemoreceptor proteins embedded in the membranes of sensory neurons. The molecular identity of these receptors, as well as the downstream processing of chemosensory signals, has been well studied in arthropods and vertebrates. However, very little is known about molluscan chemosensation. The identity of chemoreceptor proteins in the nudibranch mollusc Berghia stephanieae are unknown. Data from other protostome and molluscan studies suggest Berghia may use ionotropic receptors for some forms of chemoreception. This study used a bioinformatics approach to identify potential chemosensory ionotropic receptors in the transcriptome of Berghia. A …

Root-Inhabiting And Rhizosphere Mycobiomes And Crop Yield Of Corn And Wheat, Marianna E. Wallace

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The root mycobiome plays a direct role in plant productivity, and the study of its community composition allows for identification of organisms that influence plant health. To better understand the role of fungal community composition in crop productivity, the root-associated mycobiomes of historically high and low yield sites of corn and wheat planted in rotation were characterized and analyzed along with soil physicochemical variables and crop yield. In each field studied, root and rhizosphere mycobiomes reflected significant differences in fungal species composition. Several soil variables were found to be predictors of differences in composition of sample types including soil texture …

First Host Record, Nesting Behavior, And Taxonomic Position Of The Spider Wasp Genus Hesperopompilus Evans And Some Other Evans Genera (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West, James P. Pitts

Insecta Mundi

First host record, prey transport, and burrow excavation are described for Hesperopompilus sp., an undescribed, rare spider wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from Texas. Taxonomic, ecological, and behav­ioral examination of the genus subsequently led to an investigation of the previously related Perissopompilus Evans and Xerochares Evans. Taxonomic, host preference, nesting behavior, and phylogenomic relationships of the three taxa are discussed along with those of Xenopompilus Evans. The molecular connection of Perisso­pompilus and Allochares Banks is supported by their common use of host species of Filistatidae.

Evans (1951), in his taxonomic study of the spider wasp tribe Pompilini (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilinae), described the …

Synopsis Of The Subfamily Carventinae In New Zealand (Heteroptera: Aradidae), Marie-Claude Larivière, André Larochelle

Insecta Mundi

The subfamily Carventinae (Heteroptera: Aradidae) is revised for New Zealand. Eight genera and fifteen species are recognized.

One genus and six species are described as new: Carventaptera hallae Larivière and Larochelle new species, Lissaptera heissi Larivière and Larochelle new species, Modicarventus kirmani Larivière and Larochelle new species, Neocarventus montanus Larivière and Larochelle new species, Neocarventus northlandicus Larivière and Larochelle new species, Neocarventus potterae Larivière and Larochelle new species, Tuataraptera Larivière and Larochelle new genus.

One new combination is established: Neocarventus uncus Kirman, 1989 = Tuataraptera unca (Kirman, 1989).

One new synonymy is made: …

Host Selection And Nesting Behavior Of Nearctic Trapdoor Spider-Hunting Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae, Pompilinae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West

Insecta Mundi

Host records and nesting behavior of the Nearctic trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasps (Hy­menoptera: Pompilidae) Calopompilus Ashmead and Priocnemissus Haupt (Pepsinae: Pepsini) and Aporus Spinola and Psorthaspis Banks (Pompilinae: Aporini) are reviewed, investigated, compared, and discussed. First time incidental trapdoor spider host records for Priocnemis (Priocnemissus) minorata Banks (Pepsi­nae: Pepsini), Anoplius (Lophopompilus) carolina (Banks) (Pompilinae: Pompilini), and Notocyphus dorsalis dorsalis Cresson (Notocyphinae: Notocyphini) are included, although they are not typical trapdoor spider-hunting spider wasp species. The Palearctic Aporus (Aporus) unicolor Spinola, A. (Aporus) bicolor Spinola and A. (Aporus) planiceps (Latreille) are …

Is The Reputation Of Eucalyptus Plantations For Using More Water Than Pinus Plantations Justified?, Donald A. White, Shiqi Ren, Daniel S. Mendham, Francisco Balocchi-Contreras, Richard P. Silberstein, Dean Meason, Andrés Iroumé, Pablo Ramirez De Arellano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The effect of Eucalyptus plantations on water balance is thought to be more severe than for commercial alternatives such as Pinus species. Although this perception is firmly entrenched, even in the scientific community, only four direct comparisons of the effect on the water balance of a Eucalyptus species and a commercial alternative have been published. One of these, from South Africa, showed that Eucalyptus grandis caused a larger and more rapid reduction in streamflow than Pinus patula. The other three, one in South Australia and two in Chile, did not find any significant difference between the annual evapotranspiration of E. …

Flexible Phenotypes, Energetics, And Whole-Animal Performance Of Migratory Songbirds, Michael Griego

Doctoral Dissertations

Animal life has evolved innumerable strategies to adapt to a great range of environmental conditions present on earth. The physiology of free-living animals has thus been shaped to allow for maximal performance under challenging conditions and has given rise to traits that enable animals to overcome daunting ecological pressures. Few life history stages in the animal kingdom rival the intensity of annual avian migration: the extreme metabolic requirements of long-distance flight coupled with navigating vast and hostile ecological barriers results in enormously high mortality for young birds. It is therefore the main focus of this thesis to identify physiological traits …

Constraints Of The Imagination: How Phenotypes Are Shaped Through Genetics, The Environment, And Development, Michelle Gilbert

Doctoral Dissertations

Phenotypic constraints are ubiquitous throughout nature, being found throughout all stages of life and at multiple different biological levels including cellular, genetic, environmental, behavioral, evolutionary, and developmental. These constraints have shaped, not only the natural world, but the way that we perceive what is possible, or impossible, an observation made clear by François Jacob in his 1977 paper “Evolution and Tinkering”. This is reflected in the literature, repeatedly, by the regular occurrence of densely packed visualization of phenotypic space that seemingly always have large areas that go unoccupied. Despite constrained regions of space being observable across countless taxa, identifying the …

Contrasting Particle Fluxes And Composition In A Submarine Canyon Affected By Natural Sediment Transport Events And Bottom Trawling, Sarah Paradis, Marta Arjona-Camas, Miguel Goñi, Albert Palanques, Pere Masqué, Pere Puig

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Submarine canyons are important conduits of sediment and organic matter to deep-sea environments, mainly during high-energy natural events such as storms, river floods, or dense shelf water cascading, but also due to human activities such as bottom trawling. The contributions of natural and trawling-induced sediment and organic matter inputs into Palamós Canyon (NW Mediterranean) were assessed from three instrumented moorings deployed in the axis and northern flank of the canyon covering the trawling closure (February) and the trawling season (March-December) of 2017. During the trawling closure, large sediment fluxes with high contents of labile marine organic matter content were registered …

A Long-Term Vision For An Ecologically Sound Platte River, Andrew J. Caven, Melissa M. Mosier, Kristal Stoner, Bill Taddicken, Brice Krohn, Ashley Gramza, Craig R. Allen, Mike Carter, Michelle Koch, Kirk D. Schroeder, Sarah Bailey, Rich Walters, Brian C. Chaffin, Erica Gnuse, Amy Jones, Kate Bird

Zea E-Books Collection

The Platte River extends about 310 mi (499 km) from North Platte, Nebraska, to its terminus at the Missouri River confluence near Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The Platte River Valley is a continentally significant ecosystem that serves as a major stopover for migratory waterbirds in the Central Flyway including the endangered Whooping Crane (Grus americana) and >1 million Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis) at the peak of spring migration. However, the Platte River Valley also supports a great diversity of avifauna including grassland breeding birds, native stream fish, vascular plants, herpetofauna, mammals, pollinators, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Despite ongoing conservation …

Evaluation Of Invasive Avifauna Management Strategies In North America, Christopher L. Castillo

Graduate Review

Human action has long been the cause of species introductions into new ecosystems (Lodge 1993). Now, these non-native species are a major global problem both ecologically and economically (Bled et al. 2011). Invasive species can alter habitats, decrease biodiversity, damage human settlements, and destroy agriculture (Townsend Peterson and Vieglais 2001; Kumschick and Nentwig 2010). The United States has been particularly affected by invasive introductions, a multitude of which have been avian species. Various management techniques have been implemented in order to control problem bird populations, however often times these methods are used with a ‘trial and error’ strategy. This review …

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) Semicaeruleum (Cockerell, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) In Maryland: A Disjunct Population In Eastern North America?, Eugene J. Scarpulla

Insecta Mundi

Since 2004, three specimens of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) semicaeruleum (Cockerell, 1895) (Hyme­noptera: Halictidae) have been collected in Maryland. Other than three specimens from Wisconsin, there are no additional records of this western United States species known east of the Mississippi River. I document the three Maryland records and offer possible scenarios of how the specimens could have arrived in Mary­land.

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) semicaeruleum (Cockerell, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) is an abundant western North American species that ranges from the Canadian Prairie Provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan) through the United States west of the Mississippi River (Arizona, California, Colorado, …

Acmaeodera Moesta Dugès, 1891 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), A Poorly Known Species From Mexico, Richard L. Westcott, Jesus Romero-Napoles

Insecta Mundi

Two new state records are reported for the Mexican Acmaeodera moesta Dugès (Coleoptera: Bu­prestidae), a lectotype is designated for it, and clarifying discussion is provided.

According to Westcott (2020) there are 152 described valid species of Acmaeodera Eschscholtz in Mexico. Acmaeodera moesta Dugès (Fig. 1–3) was described from the state of Guanajuato, and it has not since been men­tioned in the literature except for listings in catalogs and checklists. Herein we record it from the states of México (MEX) and San Luis Potosí (SLP), designate a lectotype, and provide a detailed discussion.

A New Species Of Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) From The Sierra Madre Occidental Of Mexico, With Notes On The Type Locality Of Chrysina Adelaida (Hope, 1841), David C. Robacker, David C. Hawks, Naidely Castillo, Brianna Miranda

Insecta Mundi

This paper presents a taxonomic review of the genus Boreocanthon Halffter, restored generic sta­tus, a group of ball-rolling (telocoprid) dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) endemic to North America. The genus, heretofore treated as a subgenus of Canthon, comprises 13 species, each keyed, diagnosed, illustrated and presented with information on distribution, relationships, and biology (*signifies restored generic combination): *Boreocanthon ateuchiceps (Bates, 1887); B. coahuilensis (Howden, 1966); *B. depressipennis (LeConte, 1859c); *B. ebenus (Say, 1823); *B. forreri (Bates, 1887); *B. integricollis (Schaef­fer, 1915); *B. lecontei (Harold, 1868); …

Taxonomic Review Of The North American Dung Beetle Genus Boreocanthon Halffter, 1958 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Deltochilini), W. D. Edmonds

Insecta Mundi

This paper presents a taxonomic review of the genus Boreocanthon Halffter, restored generic sta­tus, a group of ball-rolling (telocoprid) dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) endemic to North America. The genus, heretofore treated as a subgenus of Canthon, comprises 13 species, each keyed, diagnosed, illustrated and presented with information on distribution, relationships, and biology (*signifies restored generic combination): *Boreocanthon ateuchiceps (Bates, 1887); B. coahuilensis (Howden, 1966); *B. depressipennis (LeConte, 1859c); *B. ebenus (Say, 1823); *B. forreri (Bates, 1887); *B. integricollis (Schaef­fer, 1915); *B. lecontei (Harold, 1868); …

Genomics Reveals A New Genus And Species From A Single Female Specimen (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae: Hesperiini: Moncina), Ernst Brockmann, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Nick V. Grishin

Insecta Mundi

New taxa in Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) are traditionally proposed after inspection of male genitalia, which largely form the basis for Hesperiidae taxonomy. However, with genomic DNA se­quencing, even a single female specimen can be placed in a phylogenetic context of existing classification and taxonomically assigned with confidence. Genomic sequencing of an unusually patterned Hesperiidae female from San Martin, Peru, characterized by pearly spots outlining an inverted heart pattern on the rust-colored ventral hindwing, reveals that it represents an undescribed genus and species named here as Gemmia buechei Brockmann and Grishin, new genus and new species.

Neotropical regions are rich …

Effects Of The Brain Nonapeptides Arginine-Vasotocin And Isotocin On Shoaling Behaviour In The Guppy (Poecilia Reticulata), Babak Ataei Mehr

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Brain nonapeptides have been suggested to regulate social behaviours. However, the contribution of Arginine-Vasotocin (AVT) and Isotocin (IT) to social behaviour in fishes is not well-characterized. Using the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), I first measured association preference for conspecifics in individuals injected with either AVT, an AVT-antagonist, or saline. The time spent associating with conspecifics did not differ significantly among the injection treatments. However, individuals injected with AVT performed more movement among areas of the tank than individuals injected with either the AVT-antagonist or saline, consistent with an effect of AVT on anxiety-related behaviours (i.e. hyperactivity). Second, I measured …

The Multiform Genus Psyrassa Pascoe (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Elaphidiini): New Species, New Records, Synonyms And Transfers, Kimberly García, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

This paper presents a taxonomic review of the genus Boreocanthon Halffter, restored generic sta­tus, a group of ball-rolling (telocoprid) dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) endemic to North America. The genus, heretofore treated as a subgenus of Canthon, comprises 13 species, each keyed, diagnosed, illustrated and presented with information on distribution, relationships, and biology (*signifies restored generic combination): *Boreocanthon ateuchiceps (Bates, 1887); B. coahuilensis (Howden, 1966); *B. depressipennis (LeConte, 1859c); *B. ebenus (Say, 1823); *B. forreri (Bates, 1887); *B. integricollis (Schaef­fer, 1915); *B. lecontei (Harold, 1868); …

Reanalysis Of The Yunnan Population Of Scorpiops Kubani With A Description Of A New Species, Scorpiops Lowei Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

The Yunnan population of Scorpiops kubani (Kovařík, 2004) is reassessed based on recently collected specimens from this region. A misidentification of that species is revealed, which leads to a description of a new species, Scorpiops lowei sp. n.

Salt Marsh Plant Community Structure On Horse Island, South Carolina, Mackenzie L. Jenkins, Jennifer L. Schafer

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Sea level rise is causing an increase in salt water encroachment and flooding in many coastal habitats, and increasing salinity can have negative impacts on plant communities. The objective of our research was to determine the impact of salinity on salt marsh plant community structure on Horse Island, South Carolina. We investigated variation in plant cover and height with distance from a tidal creek and the effect of increasing salinity on seedling emergence from the seed bank. We established three transects in the salt marsh habitat and recorded plant species presence, percent cover of each species, and height of the …