A5032555276- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Fossil Insects in Amber
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Crustacean biology and ecology
- Conservation, Ecology, Wildlife Education
- Fern and Epiphyte Biology
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Lichen and fungal ecology
University of Utah
2016-2025
The Evergreen State College
2002-2011
University of Connecticut
2008
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
2008
Colgate University
2008
University of California, Los Angeles
2008
National Institutes of Health
2004
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
2004
Florida International University
2004
The University of Texas at Austin
1984-1994
In ecology and conservation biology, the number of species counted in a biodiversity study is key metric but usually biased underestimate total richness because many rare are not detected. Moreover, comparing among sites or samples statistical challenge observed sensitive to individuals area sampled. For individual-based data, we treat single, empirical sample abundances from an investigator-defined assemblage community as reference point for two estimation objectives under sampling models:...
Many studies suggest that global warming is driving species ranges poleward and toward higher elevations at temperate latitudes, but evidence for range shifts scarce the tropics, where shallow latitudinal temperature gradient makes upslope more likely than shifts. Based on new data plants insects an elevational transect in Costa Rica, we assess potential lowland biotic attrition, range-shift gaps, mountaintop extinctions under projected warming. We conclude tropical biotas may face a level...
Significance We find that most terrestrial ectotherms are insufficiently tolerant of high temperatures to survive the warmest potential body in exposed habitats and must therefore thermoregulate by using shade, burrows, or evaporative cooling. Our results reveal exposure extreme heat can occur even at elevations latitudes show why heat-tolerance limits relatively invariant comparison with cold limits. To climate warming, areas may need rely on behaviors—and have access habitats—that provide...
Species richness is an important characteristic of ecological communities, but it difficult to quantify. We report here a thorough inventory tropical rain forest ant fauna and use evaluate species estimators. The study was carried out in ∼1500 ha lowland at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Diverse methods were used, including canopy fogging, Malaise traps, Berlese samples, Winkler baiting, manual search. Workers 437 encountered. abundance distribution clearly lognormal, the emerged...
Abstract Although many taxa show a latitudinal gradient in richness, the relationship between latitude and species richness is often asymmetrical northern southern hemispheres. Here we examine pattern of across 1003 local ant assemblages. We find asymmetry, with hemisphere sites being more diverse than sites. Most this asymmetry could be explained statistically by differences contemporary climate. Local was positively associated temperature, but negatively (although weakly) temperature range...
Summary Targeted enrichment of conserved genomic regions (e.g. ultraconserved elements or UCEs) has emerged as a promising tool for inferring evolutionary history in many organismal groups. Because the UCE approach is still relatively new, much remains to be learned about how best identify loci and design baits enrich them. We test an updated identification bait workflow insect order Hymenoptera, with particular focus on ants. The new strategy augments previous Hymenoptera by (i) changing...
The ant genus Pheidole is a highly diverse lineage of ants that are dominant elements tropical and subtropical ecosystems throughout the world. Biodiversity inventory projects in Middle American wet forests (southern Mexico to Costa Rica, lowland rainforest high montane forest) allow an improved taxonomy this region. An identification guide 234 species region provided, using "bird guide" approach. Species arranged order minor worker head width scape length, each has fixed layout includes...
Abstract Rasopone Schmidt and Shattuck is a poorly known lineage of ants that live in Neotropical forests. Informed by phylogenetic results from thousands ultraconserved elements (UCEs) mitochondrial DNA barcodes, we revise the genus, providing new morphological diagnosis species-level treatment. Analysis UCE data many samples select outgroups revealed non-monophyly genus. Monophyly was restored transferring several species to unrelated genus Mayaponera Shattuck. Within Rasopone, are...
Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functioning services. Nonetheless, global invertebrate biodiversity patterns their congruences with vertebrates remain largely unknown. We resolve first high-resolution (~20-km) diversity map a major clade, ants, using informatics, range modeling, machine learning to synthesize existing knowledge predict distribution undiscovered diversity. find that ants different vertebrate groups have distinct features...
The goal of "strict inventory" (as opposed to community characterization) is obtain species lists for specific sites. Quantitatively structured inventory can improve efficiency (defined as the steepness accumulation curves). As part Arthropods La Selva project (ALAS), a ants lowland tropical rain forest was carried out. A novel method sample processing developed, in which parataxonomists prepared specimens based on their own sorting morphospecies within samples (repeating process each...
The taxonomy and natural history of the ant genus Crematogaster are reviewed for Costa Rican fauna. Thirtyone species known, a key is provided these two additional from adjacent regions Panama. Species boundaries evaluated over their entire range when possible. taxonomic one unbridled naming new subspecies, with no synthetic works or keys. Major changes proposed, recognition several polytypic very broad ranges synonymization many names associated them. pygmaea Forel 1904, suturalis 1912,...
An updated classification of the order Hymenoptera is provided with current numbers genera and species described so far specified. The composed 2 suborders, 27 superfamilies, 132 families, 8423 extant an additional 685 extinct genera. Considered one most species-rich insects orders a total 153088 have been described, in addition to 2429 species.
A remarkable diversity of bioactive lipophilic alkaloids is present in the skin poison frogs and toads worldwide. Originally discovered neotropical dendrobatid frogs, these are now known from mantellid Madagascar, certain myobatrachid Australia, bufonid South America. Presumably serving as a passive chemical defense, appear to be sequestered variety alkaloid-containing arthropods. The pumiliotoxins represent major, widespread, group that found virtually all anurans chemically defended by...
Abstract We introduce a novel framework for conceptualising, quantifying and unifying discordant patterns of species richness along geographical gradients. While not itself explicitly mechanistic, this approach offers path towards understanding mechanisms. In study, we focused on the diverse mountainsides. conjectured that elevational range midpoints may be drawn single midpoint attractor – unimodal gradient environmental favourability. The interacts with geometric constraints imposed by sea...
In a neotropical cloud forest of Costa Rica, we compared the density and composition macro- mesoinvertebrates in organic matter found within canopy to that upper soil horizons on floor. We used Winkler sifting apparatus extract invertebrates from accumulated litter humus. The numerically dominant invertebrate groups both humus floor leaf were mites, adult beetles, holometabolous insect larvae, ants, collembola, amphipods, isopods. Relative abundances these major taxa same floor, indicating...
Our investigations address ant-ant competition as a determinant of variation among the ant inhabitants tropical myrmecophytes. We surveyed in associates eight myrmecophytes moist forests western Amazonia
The association between Azteca ants and Cecropia trees is the most conspicuous ant-plant mutualism in neotropics, yet little known about identities or community ecology of species involved. A survey ant communities found Costa Rican revealed a obligately associated with Cecropia, diverse assemblage non-obligate variety genera. High occupation rates saplings trees, presence many incipient colonies vs single suggest that are limiting resource for which compete. Obligate appeared competitively...
The distribution of species on elevational gradients challenges our understanding ecological processes, particularly in the context biotic responses to climate change. We report here leaf-litter ants Barva Transect, a continuous gradient wet forest Costa Rica's Atlantic slope. Seven sites were sampled, distributed from 50 2000 m. Worker density and microsite occupancy high relatively constant m 1500 then abruptly dropped near zero at Species 1 m2 scale was 1070 declined higher elevations....
The geographic distributions of many taxonomic groups remain mostly unknown, hindering attempts to investigate the response majority species on Earth climate change using models (SDMs). Multi-species can incorporate data for rare or poorly-sampled species, but their application forecasting impacts biodiversity has been limited. Here we compare forecasts changes in patterns ant North America derived from ensembles single-species those a multi-species modeling approach, Generalized...
The megadiverse parasitoid wasp family Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera) is classically considered an exception to the extensively studied latitudinal diversity gradient: majority of ichneumonid species are described from temperate regions. gradient has been hypothesized be dependent on biology wasps, but recently questions sampling and description biases have raised. Here, we show with primary data that richness markedly underestimated in tropical areas patterns remain uncharacterized. We...
Many studies have focused on the impacts of climate change biological assemblages, yet little is known about how interacts with other major anthropogenic influences biodiversity, such as habitat disturbance. Using a unique global database 1128 local ant we examined whether mediates effects disturbance assemblage structure at scale. Species richness and evenness were associated positively temperature, negatively However, interaction among precipitation shaped species evenness. The effect was...
The genus Ponera is a lineage of leaf litter ants, with center diversity in the Indo-Australian region. Two species occur New World; however, uncertainty exists regard to their biogeographic origins and limits, especially for isolated cloud forest populations Middle America. We investigate geographic distribution, phylogeny, phylogeography these two better characterize American ant fauna gain insight into biogeography taxa that span hemispheres. Sequencing Ultra-Conserved Element (UCE) loci...
Evolutionary innovations underlie the rise of diversity and complexity-the 2 long-term trends in history life. How does natural selection redesign multiple interacting parts to achieve a new emergent function? We investigated evolution biomechanical innovation, latch-spring mechanism trap-jaw ants, address outstanding evolutionary problems: how form function change system during complex traits, whether such they beget are repeatable time space. Using phylogenetic reconstruction 470 species,...