A5085747649- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Cancer therapeutics and mechanisms
- Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Lung Cancer Treatments and Mutations
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Insect Pheromone Research and Control
- Diet and metabolism studies
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Cancer Treatment and Pharmacology
- Biomedical Ethics and Regulation
- Synthesis and Biological Evaluation
- Colorectal Cancer Treatments and Studies
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
2017-2025
Queen Mary University of London
2020
Agricultural Research Service
2007-2016
United States Department of Agriculture
2007-2016
Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology
2006-2014
University of Wisconsin–Madison
2002-2006
University of Georgia
1992-2003
Western Michigan University
2000-2002
University of Rochester
1996-1999
University of Arizona
1998
The fire ant Solenopsis invicta is a significant pest that was inadvertently introduced into the southern United States almost century ago and more recently California other regions of world. An assessment genetic variation at diverse set molecular markers in 2144 colonies from 75 geographic sites worldwide revealed least nine separate introductions S. have occurred newly invaded areas main U.S. population probably source all but one these introductions. sole exception involves putative...
Ants have evolved very complex societies and are key ecosystem members. Some ants, such as the fire ant Solenopsis invicta , also major pests. Here, we present a draft genome of S. assembled from Roche 454 Illumina sequencing reads obtained focal haploid male his brothers. We used comparative genomic methods to obtain insight into unique features genome. For example, found that this harbors four adjacent copies vitellogenin. A phylogenetic analysis revealed an ancestral vitellogenin gene...
Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to produce alternative phenotypes under different conditions and represents one of the most important ways by which adaptively respond environment. However, relationship between phenotypic molecular evolution remains poorly understood. We addressed this issue investigating genes associated with phenotypically plastic castes, sexes, developmental stages fire ant Solenopsis invicta. first determined if in S. invicta evolved at a rapid rate, as predicted...
Species delimitation has been invigorated as a discipline in systematics by an influx of new character sets, analytical methods, and conceptual advances. We use genetic data from 68 markers, combined with distributional, bioclimatic, coloration information, to hypothesize boundaries evolutionarily independent lineages (species) within the widespread highly variable nominal fire ant species Solenopsis saevissima, member group containing invasive pests well that are models for ecological...
The small cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae , is a major agricultural pest of cruciferous crops and has been introduced to every continent except South America Antarctica as result human activities. In an effort reconstruct the near-global invasion history P. we developed citizen science project, “Pieris Project,” successfully amassed thousands specimens from 32 countries worldwide. We then generated analyzed nuclear (double-digest restriction site-associated DNA fragment procedure...
Endosymbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are widespread among insects and in many cases cause cytoplasmic incompatibility crosses between infected males uninfected females. Such findings have been used to argue that played an important role insect speciation. Theoretical models, however, indicate alone unlikely lead stable reproductive isolation two formerly conspecific populations. Here we analyze components Drosophila recens, which is with Wolbachia, its sister species subquinaria....
We used 30 genetic markers of 6 different classes to describe hierarchical structure in introduced populations the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. These included four presumably neutral nuclear loci (allozymes, codominant random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), microsatellites, and dominant RAPDs), a class comprising two linked protein-coding under selection, marker mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Patterns revealed by F statistics exact tests differentiation were highly concordant among markers,...
Flesh flies in the genus Sarcophaga are important models for investigating endocrinology, diapause, cold hardiness, reproduction, and immunity. Despite prominence of flesh as insect physiology biochemistry, forensic studies, little genomic or transcriptomic data available members this genus. We used massively parallel pyrosequencing on Roche 454-FLX platform to produce a substantial EST dataset fly crassipalpis. To maximize sequence diversity, we pooled RNA extracted from whole bodies all...
We describe genetic structure at various scales in native populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta using two classes nuclear markers, allozymes and microsatellites, markers mitochondrial genome. Strong was found nest level both monogyne (single queen) polygyne (multiple social forms allozymes. Weak but significant microgeographic detected above not markers. Pronounced DNA (mtDNA) differentiation evident also this form only. These patterns are expected because polygyny ants is...
Ants provide remarkable examples of equivalent genotypes developing into divergent and discrete phenotypes.Diploid eggs can develop either queens, which specialize in reproduction, or workers, participate cooperative tasks such as building the nest, collecting food, rearing young.In contrast, differentiation between males females generally depends upon whether are fertilized, with fertilized (diploid) giving rise to unfertilized (haploid) males.To obtain a comprehensive picture relative...
Landscape corridors are commonly used to mitigate negative effects of habitat fragmentation, but concerns persist that they may facilitate the spread invasive species. In a replicated landscape experiment open habitat, we measured on fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, and native ants. Fire ants have two social forms: polygyne, which tend disperse poorly establish at high densities, monogyne, widely lower densities. landscapes dominated by polygyne ants, ant abundance was higher diversity in...
Abstract Biological invasions are largely thought to be contemporary, having recently increased sharply in the wake of globalization. However, human commerce had already become global by mid‐16th century when Spanish connected New World with Europe and Asia via their Manila galleon West Indies trade routes. We use genetic data trace invasion one world's most widespread invasive pest ants, tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata . Our results reveal a pattern introduction Old populations that...
Wolbachia are cytoplasmically inherited bacteria that induce a variety of effects with fitness consequences on host arthropods, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, male-killing and feminization. We report here the presence in native South American populations fire ant Solenopsis invicta, but apparent absence introduced this pest species USA. The strains S. invicta two divergent types (A B), frequency infection varies dramatically between geographical regions social forms...
Abstract A substantial fraction of insects and other terrestrial arthropods are infected with parasitic, maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria that manipulate host reproduction. In addition to imposing direct selection on the resist these effects, endosymbionts may also have indirect effects evolution mtDNA which they cotransmitted. Patterns diversity were examined in Drosophila recens, is endosymbiont Wolbachia, its uninfected sister species D. subquinaria. The level mitochondrial,...
We surveyed for the presence and identity of Wolbachia in 44 species chalcid wasps associated with 18 Panamanian figs. used existing detailed knowledge population structures host wasps, as well ecological evolutionary relationships among them, to explore relevance each these factors prevalence mode transmission. Fifty-nine per cent wasp have infections, highest proportion reported any group insects. Further, neither nor frequency within hosts was correlated structure pollinator hosts....
Complete mitochondrial genome sequences have become important tools for the study of architecture, phylogeny, and molecular evolution. Despite rapid increase in available mitogenomes, taxonomic sampling often poorly reflects phylogenetic diversity is also biased to represent deeper (family-level) evolutionary relationships. We present first fully sequenced ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) genomes. sampled four mitogenomes from three species fire ants, genus Solenopsis, which various depths....
The circadian clock is a core molecular mechanism that allows organisms to anticipate daily environmental changes and adapt the timing of behaviors maximize efficiency. In social insects, ability maintain appropriate temporal order thought improve colony efficiency fitness. We used newly sequenced fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) genome characterize first clock. Our results reveal similar honeybee, insect with an independent evolutionary origin sociality. Gene trees for eight genes, period,...
Social insects are among the most serious invasive pests in world, particularly successful at monopolizing environmental resources to outcompete native species and achieve ecological dominance. The success of some social is enhanced by their unicolonial structure, under which presence numerous queens lack aggression against non-nestmates allow high worker densities, colony growth, survival while eliminating intra-specific competition. In this study, we investigated population genetics,...