- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Registration is underway at https://tinyurl.com/bdhrhurh. You also can access the QR code on the flyer below.
The goal is "to advance the land management aims of local tribal communities and provide a platform to educate about the importance of maintaining wetland biology for climate change, ecological and human health, and vector control,” announced medical entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
The symposium is sponsored by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, which aims to “strengthen the capacity to prevent and respond to emerging vector-borne diseases in the southwestern United States and Pacific Islands.”
His collaborator is Diana Almendariz, a traditional ecological knowledge specialist and a cultural practitioner of Maidu/Wintun,Hupa/Yurok traditions, heritage, and experiences. She will discuss the precolonial relationships between native peoples and wetlands in Northern California, the impacts of colonization on those relationships, and the application of traditional ecological knowledge practices to restore damaged wetland ecosystems. (See video of her talking about her goals at https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Agenda (The symposium will start promptly at 1 p.m. so attendees are asked to arrive early).
Snacks and drinks will be provided.
1 to 2:30 p.m.: Presentation by Diana Almendariz: "Cultural History and Traditional Ecological Management of Wetlands." She'll be exploring the deep connection between indigenous history and wetland ecosystems.
2:30 to 2:35 p.m.: Break
2:35 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: Presentation by Geoff Attardo: "Wetland Biology and its Importance for Ecological and Human Health." He'll be discussing wetland biology's significance in climate change, ecology, and vector-borne disease.
3:15 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.: Break
3:20 p.m.– 3:50 p.m.: Tule Weaving Demonstration: Participants will learn traditional Tule weaving techniques, connecting with the material culture of wetland management.
3:50 p.m. – 4 p.m. Break
4 p.m. - 5 p.m.: Question and Answer Session: Attendees can engage with the speakers and delve deeper into the topics discussed.
(For more information, contact Geoffrey Attardo at gmattardo@ucdavis.edu)
/span>- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
That's the title of a poster next to the door of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, UC Davis.
The poster specifies possible careers, listing pollinators, medical, genomics, animal behavior, forensics, environmental protection, public health, evolution, pest biology, invasive biology, pest biology, biotechnology, forest entomology, agriculture, aquatic entomology, vector biology, conservation and new species discovery.
Images of California's state insect, the California dogface butterfly, Zerene eurydice, decorate the poster. The butterfly is also the featured insect in the Bohart Museum's logo.
Not to be left out, someone from the nearby laboratory of arachnologist Jason Bond added to the "Why Study Insects" poster: "Arachnids!" Yes, let's study arachnids, too! Bond is the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and associate dean, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. And he's the president-elect of the American Arachnological Society. (See news story)
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) defines entomology as the study of insects. "Entomologists study bees, ants, beetles, termites, mosquitoes, and other insects, as well as other related animals (known as arthropods), such as spiders and scorpions...While it has been estimated that there are as many as 30 million species of insects on the planet Earth, only about one million have actually been discovered and described."
Another factoid from ESA: "Many animals, such as birds, fish, and snakes, eat insects, so they are an important part of the food chain. And without insect pollinators, global vegetation would largely collapse. At the same time, other insects are important decomposers — they eat dead plants and animals, which releases nutrients back into the soil so that new plants and animals can grow. Still other insects are parasites or predators, and they help control the populations of other species. Entomologists study insects and other animals in their habitats, which teaches us how to preserve and restore natural ecosystems."
How many insects are there in the world? According to the Smithsonian Institute, "there are some 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) individual insects alive."
"In the United States, the number of described species is approximately 91,000," the Smithsonian says. "The undescribed species of insects in the United States, however, is estimated at some 73,000. The largest numbers of described species in the U.S. fall into four insect Orders: Coleoptera (beetles) at 23,700, Diptera (flies) at 19,600, Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) at 17,500, and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) at 11,500."
"Recent figures indicate that there are more than 200 million insects for each human on the planet! A recent article in The New York Times claimed that the world holds 300 pounds of insects for every pound of humans."
Another factoid from the Smithsonian: "Most authorities agree that there are more insect species that have not been described (named by science) than there are insect species that have been previously named. Conservative estimates suggest that this figure is 2 million, but estimates extend to 30 million."
"While it has been estimated that there are as many as 30 million species of insects on the planet Earth, only about one million have actually been discovered and described."
So, we're not running out of insects any time soon!
The Bohart Museum of Entomology, directed by UC Davis distinguished professor Lynn Kimsey, houses a global collection of eight million insect specimens. It is part of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, ranked as one of the nation's leading entomology departments. Department chair is Professor Joanna Chi, a molecular geneticist-physiologist. Vice chair is associate professor Rachel Vannette, a community ecologist.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
It's a week before Christmas and it's not just the geese that are getting fat.
If you're thinking that the bathroom scale and you are not good friends, not to worry.
We remember the late Extension apiculturist emeritus Eric Mussen (1944-2022) of the UC Davis Department of Entomology, emphasizing the massive weight gain that occurs during the larval stage of the honey bee. He used to speak at scores of beekeeping functions throughout the year, and every time he talked about larval weight gain, he always drew a "Wow!" or "Incredible!" or "Amazing!"
"A honey bee egg weighs about 0.1 mg," Mussen told us. "The first stage larva weighs the same. Over the next six days of larval life the larva goes from 0.1 mg to around 120 mg. It defecates once, just before pupating, and the resulting adult bee weighs around 110 mg. Thus, the new bee weighs about 1,000 times the weight of the one-day-old larva."
Now get this:
"If a human baby, weighing eight pounds at birth, were to grow at the same rate, the baby would weigh 8,000 pounds, or 4 tons, at the end of six days."
Four tons in six days? Fortunately, what goes on with Apis mellifera does not apply to Homo sapiens.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
UC Davis environmental toxicologist/biochemist Sascha Nicklisch will discuss how to disarm the defenses of the varroa mite, a major pest of honey bees, at his UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology seminar on Monday, Oct. 23.
His seminar, "Disarming the Defenses of Resistant Pests: Rational Design of Inhibitors for ABC Transporter Proteins in the Varroa Mite," is set for 4:10 p.m. in Room 122 of Briggs Hall.
The seminar also will be on Zoom. The link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882 849672
The varroa mite, Varroa destructor, is known as Public Enemy No. 1 to beekeepers.
"Varroa mites pose a significant global menace to honey bee colonies, causing colony losses, ecological imbalances, and food scarcity," says Nicklish, an assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology, in his abstract. "Escalating pesticide resistance in these mites necessitates innovative strategies to bolster acaricide effectiveness. "Small molecule synergists that heighten mite susceptibility to acaricides offer a promising solution by amplifying chemical treatment efficacy, thus reducing overall pesticide demand."
A first-generation college graduate, Nicklisch received his master's degree in biological sciences in 2005 from the University of Cologne, Germany, and his doctorate in protein biochemistry at the University of Cologne in 2008. He postdotoral fellowships at the University o Osnabruek, Germany, and at UC Santa Barbara.
Nicklisch joined the UC Davis faculty in July 2018 after serving as a staff scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and as a part-time lecturer at UC Dan Diego. His resume also includes senior scientist in analytical biochemistry for Phenex Inc. and consultant for August Therapeutics, Inc., both in the greater San Diego area.
Nicklisch said he "was drawn to teach at UC Davis because of its reputation for research in environmental and human toxicology. I feel like this area of science has barely had its surface scratched and I am excited to pioneer further developments in the field. My research interests focus on understanding why industrial chemicals and other toxicants enter and accumulate in humans and other animals and plants."
"Our main research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying chemical uptake and distribution in humans and other organisms," he writes on his website. "The Nicklisch Lab is interested in determining levels of drugs and environmental chemicals in different types of foods and to biochemically characterize their interactions with protective drug transporters, including P-glycoprotein, MRP1 and BCRP. Current efforts in the lab focus on investigating possible drug-pollutant and pollutant-pollutant interactions with P-glycoprotein other drug transporters on a molecular and organismal level."
"The Nicklisch Lab," he relates, "has demonstrated expertise in a broad range of traditional lab techniques to determine structure and conformation of proteins, including NMR and EPR spectroscopy and Circular Dichroism spectrometry. In addition, we have a proven track record of developing and optimizing new biochemical assays and analytical tools to determine enzyme and transporter function and kinetics. Our lab has pioneered the field of toxicokinetic interactions of environmental chemicals with drug transporters as novel targets for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying chemical bioaccumulation."
Seminar coordinator is Brian Johnson, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. For Zoom technical issues, he may be reached at brnjohnson@ucdavis.edu. The list of seminars is posted here.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The open house set from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 23 in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, UC Davis. It's free and family friendly and parking is also free. It's an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the "nuisance insects," and ask questions.
The line-up, as of today:
- Lynn and Bob Kimsey of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty. Lynn, a hymenopterist, is a UC Davis distinguished professor who teaches general entomology and the biodiversity of California insects and serves as the director of the Bohart Museum, and Bob is a forensic entomologist, specializing in public health entomology; arthropods of medical importance; zoonotic disease; biology and ecology of tick-borne pathogens; tick feeding behavior and biochemistry.
- Carla-Cristina "CC" Melo Edwards, a first-year doctoral student in the laboratory of medical entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo, associate professor of entomology, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. She will share her expertise on mosquitoes and show specimens.
- Moriah Garrison, senior entomologist and research coordinator with Carroll-Loye Biological Research (CLBR). She is scheduled to show live ticks and mosquitoes and field questions.
- Educators from the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District. They will discuss mosquitoes and their program
- Nazzy Pakpour, UC Davis alumna, Novozymes scientist and author of Please Don't Bite Me
- Jeff Smith, curator of the Bohart Museum's ;Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) collection. He will display butterfly specimens collected globally. Also on the "Lep crew" are Bohart volunteers Greg Kareofelas and Brittany Kohler.
Petting Zoo. A popular attraction is the live petting zoo; visitors are encouraged to hold or get acquainted with live Madagascar hissing cockroaches and stick insects
Family Arts and Crafts Activity. The event will be held outside and will highlight two collecting techniques, said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator.
- Clear Packing Tape Art. "Clear packing tape is a good way to collect small, hard-to-see insects," Yang said. "Glitter will mimic small insects like fleas or bed bugs. Putting the tape on white paper makes it easy to look at them under a microscope and for this craft it will make a pretty card."
- Making insect collecting or "kill" jars. Participants are asked to bring a recycled jar. "This should be a clean and dried glass jar with a wide, metal top--think jam, pickle, peanut butter jars. Four to 16-ounce jars work well. We will have some on hand as well, but recycling is good! We will fill the bottom with plaster of paris and let it dry and teach people how to use it properly, using something like nail polisher remover containing ethyl acetate as the killing agent. A UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology video explains the procedure: https://youtu.be/s8yCzFGzbn8?si=71sNmA5l8NyP1zj0