A5010136826- Plant and animal studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Piperaceae Chemical and Biological Studies
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Biological Control of Invasive Species
- Entomological Studies and Ecology
- Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Annonaceae
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
- Forest Management and Policy
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Conservation, Ecology, Wildlife Education
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
University of Nevada, Reno
2016-2025
Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
2014-2024
John Wiley & Sons (United States)
2016
Ecological Society of America
2016
Ecologie & Evolution
2014
College for Creative Studies
2012
Tulane University
2000-2009
George Washington University
2005
Wesleyan University
2005
University of Missouri
2005
Understanding variation in resource specialization is important for progress on issues that include coevolution, community assembly, ecosystem processes, and the latitudinal gradient of species richness. Herbivorous insects are useful models studying specialization, interaction between plants herbivorous one most common consequential ecological associations planet. However, uncertainty persists regarding fundamental features herbivore diet breadth, including its relationship to latitude...
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...
Ecological specialization is a fundamental and well-studied concept, yet its great reach complexity limit current understanding in important ways. More than 20 years after the publication of D. J. Futuyma G. Moreno's oft-cited, major review topic, we synthesize new developments evolution ecological specialization. Using insect-plant interactions as model, focus on four critical areas: genetic architecture, behavior, interaction complexity, macroevolution. We find that theory based simple...
Significance Phytochemical diversity is a key component of functional diversity. Challenges in quantifying phytochemical have limited our understanding the causes and consequences variation across plant species families. Here we show that dozens predicts herbivore diversity, specialization, phototoxicity, herbivory, attack by natural enemies. Our approach findings provide framework for future investigations focused on uncovering chemical underpinnings trophic interactions at realistic...
Moths are the most taxonomically and ecologically diverse insect taxon for which there exist considerable time-series abundance data. There is an alarming record of decreases in moth diversity from across Europe, with rates varying markedly among within regions. Recent reports Costa Rica reveal steep cross-lineage declines caterpillars, while other sites (Ecuador Arizona, reported here) show no or only modest long-term over past two decades. Rates decline dietary ecological specialists...
The descriptive taxonomic study reported here is focused on
As bees’ main source of protein and lipids, pollen is critical for their development, reproduction, health. Plant species vary considerably in the macronutrient content pollen, research bee model systems has established that this variation both modulates performance guides floral choice. Yet, how chemistry shapes interactions between plants bees natural communities an open question, essential understanding nutritional dynamics plant–pollinator mutualisms informing conservation. To fill gap,...
To examine the effectiveness of larval antipredator mechanisms and to test assumption that diet breadth chemistry are important predictors predation responses. I offered 70 species lepidopteran larvae predatory ant Paraponera clavata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Prey were significant rejection, as was plant but a lesser degree. Specialist caterpillars better protected than generalists, prey with unpalatable extracts frequently rejected by P. clavata, while palatable rarely rejected....
Lepidopteran larvae possess multiple defenses against a diverse group of predators and parasitoids. Many studies larval have determined whether defense works particular enemy, but the question which types are most effective enemy has not been examined closely. We assessed efficacy different caterpillar parasitoid wasps, flies, nematodes, compared results to earlier work with predatory invertebrates. Third fifth instar caterpillars from 266 species 30 families were collected in lowland wet...
Selective pressures from host plant chemistry and natural enemies may contribute independently to driving insect herbivores towards narrow diet breadths. We used the specialist caterpillar, Junonia coenia (Nymphalidae), which sequesters defensive compounds, iridoid glycosides, its plants assess effects of sequestration on larval immune response. A series experiments using implanted glass beads challenge function showed that larvae feeding diets with high concentrations glycosides are more...
One of the goals chemical ecology is to assess costs plant defenses. Intraspecific trade-offs between growth and defense are traditionally viewed in context carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis (CNBH) growth-differentiation (GDBH). Broadly, these hypotheses suggest that limited by deficiencies carbon or nitrogen while rates photosynthesis remain unchanged, subsequent reduced results more abundant resource being invested increased (mass-balance based allocation). The GDBH further predicts...
Summary Chemically mediated plant–herbivore interactions contribute to the diversity of terrestrial communities and diversification plants insects. While our understanding processes affecting community structure evolutionary has grown, few studies have investigated how trait variation shapes genetic species simultaneously in a tropical ecosystem. We secondary metabolite among subpopulations single plant species, Piper kelleyi (Piperaceae), using high‐performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC...
Summary According to the plant‐apparency hypothesis, apparent plants allocate resources quantitative defenses that negatively affect generalist and specialist herbivores, while unapparent invest more in qualitative nonadapted generalists. Although this hypothesis has provided a useful framework for understanding evolution of plant chemical defense, there are many inconsistencies surrounding associated predictions, it been heavily criticized deemed obsolete. We used hierarchical Bayesian...
Reports of biodiversity loss have increasingly focused on declines in abundance and diversity insects, but it is still unclear if substantive insect losses are occurring intact low-latitude forests. We collected 22 years plant-caterpillar-parasitoid data a protected tropical forest found reductions the density insects that appear to be partly driven by changing climate weather anomalies. Results also point potential influence variables not directly measured this study, including changes...
Abstract There is tremendous diversity of interactions between plants and other species. These relationships range from antagonism to mutualism. Interactions with members their ecological community can lead a profound metabolic reconfiguration the plants’ physiology. This favour beneficial organisms deter antagonists like pathogens or herbivores. Determining cellular molecular dialogue plants, microbes, insects, its evolutionary implications important for understanding options each partner...
Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system thought to influence aspects plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability plant defense evolution. Our understanding what influences variability, however, limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys herbivory for 503 species at 790 sites across 116° latitude. With these data, we show that within-population increases...
Abstract Apex predators and plant resources are both critical for maintaining diversity in biotic communities, but the indirect (‘cascading’) effects of top‐down bottom‐up forces on at different trophic levels not well resolved terrestrial systems. Manipulations or can cause direct changes one level, which turn affect other levels. The resource consumer variation should be strongest aquatic systems, moderate weakest decomposer food webs. We measured top endophytic animals an understorey...