A5088899344- Plant and animal studies
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution
- Coleoptera: Cerambycidae studies
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Study of Mite Species
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Insect Pheromone Research and Control
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Insect Utilization and Effects
University of Connecticut
2017-2025
Organization for Tropical Studies
2020
Universidade Federal da Paraíba
2020
National Museum of Natural History
2010-2016
Smithsonian Institution
2010-2016
Instituto de Ecología
2014
University of Miami
2004-2012
Wildlife Conservation Society
2004
Abstract Climate warming is considered to be among the most serious of anthropogenic stresses environment, because it not only has direct effects on biodiversity, but also exacerbates harmful other human‐mediated threats. The associated consequences are potentially severe, particularly in terms threats species preservation, as well preservation an array ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. Among affected groups animals insects—central components many ecosystems—for which climate...
Significance Tolerance to high temperatures will determine the survival of animal species under projected global warming. Surprisingly little research has been conducted elucidate how this trait changes in organisms living at different elevations similar latitudes, especially tropics. DNA barcodes demonstrate that insect previously thought have broad elevational distributions and phenotypically plastic thermal tolerances actually comprise cryptic complexes. These occupy discrete ranges,...
Plants and their associated insect herbivores, represent more than 50% of all known species on earth. The first step in understanding the mechanisms generating maintaining this important component biodiversity is to identify plant-herbivore associations. In study we determined insect-host plant associations for an entire guild herbivores using DNA extracted from gut contents. Over two years, a tropical rain forest Costa Rica (La Selva Biological Station), recorded full diet breadth...
SPECIALIZATION OF INSECT HERBIVORES TO ONE OR A FEW HOST PLANTS STIMULATED THE DEVELOPMENT TWO HYPOTHESES ON HOW NATURAL SELECTION SHOULD SHAPE OVIPOSITION PREFERENCES: The "mother knows best" principle suggests that females prefer to oviposit on hosts increase offspring survival. "optimal bad motherhood" predicts their own longevity. In insects colonizing novel host plants, current theory initial preferences of insect herbivores should be maladaptive, leading ecological traps. Ecological...
Abstract Almost 40 years ago, Terry L. Erwin published a seemingly audacious proposition: There may be as many 30 million species of insects in the world. Here, we translate Erwin's verbal argument into diversity‐ratio model—the Equation Biodiversity—and discuss how it has inspired other biodiversity estimates. We categorize, describe assumptions for, and summarize most commonly used methods for calculating estimates global biodiversity. Subsequent extrapolations have incorporated parameters...
Abstract Tropical mountains display limited variation in monthly temperatures, but high spatial climatic variability. It is assumed this stability promotes ecological and physiological adaptations to local which may preclude dispersal up or downslope. Determining how environmental, taxonomic morphological factors affect thermal limits fundamental understand biotic responses global warming. We selected 54 species of dragonflies damselflies (Order Odonata) distributed from 300 2,550 m along...
1. The thermal adaptation hypothesis proposes that because thermoregulation involves a high metabolic cost, limits of organisms must be locally adapted to temperatures experienced in their environments. There is evidence tolerance decreases insects inhabiting colder habitats and microclimates. However, it not clear if ectotherms with contrasting temporal regimes, such as diurnal nocturnal insects, are also associated circadian activities. 2. This study explores differences heat among ant...
Abstract Determining the factors affecting structure of insect herbivore communities is a major challenge in ecology. Previous research demonstrated that plant defenses determine plant‐herbivore associations. However, non‐defensive variables may also explain why some species are associated with more diverse assemblages than others. Neotropical rolled‐leaf beetles ( Cephaloleia and Chelobasis ) complete their life cycle inside young rolled leaves host plants order Zingiberales. The diet...
Electric fields in terrestrial environments are used by caterpillars to detect their predators, as foraging cues pollinators, and facilitate ballooning spiders. This study shows that electric transportation detection of hummingbirds a guild tropical phoretic mites. Hummingbird flower mites feed on nectar pollen complete life cycle inside flowers. Mites colonize new flowers hitching rides hummingbird beaks. Flower emerge from nostrils disembark when the beak touches flower. We tested whether...
Background and Aims. Tropical plants are assumed to be especially vulnerable global warming because their physiologies adapted relatively constant temperatures throughout the year. Furthermore, it has been found that woody in colder high elevation environments less tolerant than warmer lowlands. Here, we examined heat tolerance a group of herbaceous with wide elevational distribution tropics. Methods. This study focused on 61 species from order Zingiberales (ginger banana-like plants)...
Abstract One explanation for the widespread host specialization of insect herbivores is ‘Jack all trades‐master none’ principle, which states that genotypes with high performance on one will perform poorly other hosts. This principle predicts cross‐host correlation in be negative. In this study, we experimentally explored correlations and among families four species (two generalist two specialist) leaf beetles ( Cephaloleia spp.) are currently expanding their diets from native to exotic...
The mobile iPhone app Leafsnap, designed for the automatic identification of 220 tree species from northeastern United States, was released to public in 2011. In first 3 years its use, downloaded by more than 1,500,000 users five continents and 181 countries who recorded over 3,056,684 leaf images. high levels accuracy Leafsnap identifications, as were confirmed expert botanists, used map geographic distribution native exotic at a scale previously unachievable without this technology aid...
AbstractEcologists and evolutionary biologists are fascinated by life's variation but also seek to understand phenomena mechanisms that apply broadly across taxa. Model systems can help us extract generalities from amid all the wondrous diversity, only if we choose develop them carefully, use wisely, have a range of model which choose. In this introduction Special Feature on Systems in Ecology, Evolution, Behavior (EEB), begin grappling with question, What is system? We then explore where...
Projecting ecological and evolutionary responses to variable changing environments is central anticipating managing impacts biodiversity ecosystems. Current modeling approaches are largely phenomenological often fail accurately project due numerous biological processes at multiple levels of organization responding environmental variation varied spatial temporal scales. Limited mechanistic understanding organismal variability extremes also restricts predictive capacity. We outline a strategy...
1. Colonization success of species when confronted with novel environments is interest in ecological, evolutionary and conservation contexts. Such events may represent the first step for ecological diversification. They also play an important role adaptive divergence speciation. 2. A that able to do well across a range has higher plasticity than one whose restricted single or few environments. The breadth which can succeed ultimately determined by full pattern its vital rates each...
To fully understand the ecology and evolution of plant–herbivore interactions, information regarding life history both immature adult insect stages is essential. However, most knowledge associations derived from observations adults. One reason for this bias that species identification usually challenging. DNA barcodes can be used to identify level. This technique compares short sequences appropriate barcode loci [e.g. mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene insects] an...
The species of the Neotropical genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1836 are revised. We present a key to known larvae (8 species), 95 occur in Mexico, Central America and West Indies, 138 South America. All identification keys were translated Spanish. Descriptions for 214 as well illustrations 212 presented. following removed from Cephaloleia: C. bipartita Pic, 1926c is transferred Hybosispa Weise, 1910; minasensis 1931 viridis Stenispa Baly, 1858. described new: abdita sp. n. Brazil; amba...
Abstract Scatter‐hoarding animals can dramatically affect plant survival by depositing seeds in favorable microhabitats away from parent plants (seed dispersal) and consuming predation). By understanding how scatter hoarders make seed dispersal decisions, we infer different chemical defenses or set strategies may influence and, ultimately, recruitment. We used a wild population of Central American agoutis, Dasyprocta punctata , to experimentally test chemistry size fates tropical premontane...
This study describes a pollination system in species of Araceae that involves three beetle, one which is also fruit predator. In tropical cloud forest Colombia, inflorescences Xanthosoma daguense opened at dusk, releasing sweet scent and raising their temperature 1–3 °C. Soon after, two Scarabaeidae (Dynastinae; Cyclocephala gregaria C. amblyopsis ) Nitidulidae ( Macrostola costulata arrived with pollen. beetles remained inside the inflorescence for 24 h. The next night, left after picking...
The Neotropical genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1837 is comprised of 209 described species. Adults usually feed and mate within the scrolls formed by young rolled leaves plants Zingiberales. This paper reports for populations belti Baly, C. dilaticollis dorsalis Baly placida at La Selva Biological Station (Costa Rica, Central America) detailed descriptions of: 1. larval adult diets diet breadth; 2. egg, pupal morphology; 3. development times; 4. dimorphic sexual characteristics; 5. longevity;...
It is suggested that rolled-leaf hispine beetles (Hispinae, Coleoptera) and plants from the order Zingiberales maintained a highly specialized plant-herbivore interaction for >60 My. The evidence supporting this old conservative are herbivory marks found on leaves of genus Zingiberopsis (Zingiberaceae) latest Cretaceous early Eocene. This fossil was described as ichnotaxon Cephaloleichnites strongii Coleoptera), based assumption type can be solely attributed to extant beetles. has been...
Abstract Leaf volatile chemicals are known to reduce herbivory rates by repelling or intoxicating insect herbivores and attracting the predators parasitoids of herbivores. However, leaf volatiles may also be used as cues locate their host plants. suggested important search for in structurally complex diverse habitats, such tropical rain forests. A group herbivores, rolled‐leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Hispinae), have maintained a highly specialized interaction with Neotropical...
Abstract Tropical ectotherms are particularly vulnerable to global warming because their physiologies assumed be adapted narrow temperature ranges. This study explores three mechanisms potentially constraining thermal adaptation in tropical insects: (a) Trade‐offs genotypic performance at different temperatures (the jack‐of‐all‐trades hypothesis), (b) positive genetic covariance performance, with some genotypes performing better than others viable ‘winner’ and ‘loser’ or (c) limited...