- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
UC Davis doctoral student and medical entomologist Carla-Cristina “CC” Melo Edwards of the laboratory of medical entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, will be discussing mosquitoes and ticks--and how she traps them--when the Bohart Museum of Entomology hosts an open house on Saturday, Sept. 28.
Edwards will be among the scientists discussing and displaying their work and fielding questions.
The open house, themed "Museum ABCs: Arthropods, Bohart and Collecting," and free and family friendly, takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane, UC Davis campus. Parking is also free.
The event will be "an overview of terrestrial arthropods which encompasses everything from insects, arachnids, millipedes, isopods and centipedes," said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordination. "We will also showcase some of the trapping/catching methods we use, for example, nets, lights, pitfall traps and malaise traps."
"We also get asked a lot of questions about our own collection and why the specimens don't decay," Yang added. "We will highlight the different curation techniques from pinning, point mounting, preserving in alcohol and mounting on slides."
Edwards said she will discuss and showcase "different kinds of traps that we use for mosquitoes and ticks...Different types of mosquitoes require different types of traps!"
Her doctoral research focuses on investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying pyrethroid resistance in Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito). She was a McNair scholar at Baylor University, where she completed her undergraduate degree in cell and molecular biology in May 2021.
Luz Maria Robles, public information for the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control, says the risk of contracting West Nile virus in Sacramento and Yolo counties continues. (See map of latest West Nile virus activity in the two counties.) This year, to date, the statistics show:
Yolo County: 1 dead bird and 42 mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus
In addition to featuring the science of entomology, the Bohart open house will include a tribute to the late UC Davis professor Richard "Doc" Bohart (1913-2007), who founded the insect museum in 1946; served as the first director; and compiled 32 years on the UC Davis entomology faculty, Sept. 28 is his birthday anniversary and a cake to celebrate what would have been his 111th birthday will be served.
UC Davis distinguished emerita professor Lynn Kimsey, who directed the Bohart Museum for 34 years, retiring on Feb. 1, 2024, was Bohart's last graduate student. She remembers him in the audio of a newly produced video by Walter Leal, UC Davis distinguished professor of molecular and cellular biology and former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology. Kimsey provides the narrative and images. Leal added excerpts from a 1996 Aggie Video production when Kimsey interviewed Bohart. (See https://youtu.be/3YqnK-CpbJE)
The Bohart Museum is the home of a global collection of eight million insect specimens. It also houses a live petting zoo (Madagascar hissing cockroaches, walking sticks, tarantulas and more) and an insect-themed gift shop, stocked with t-shirts, hoodies, books, posters and jewelry, among other items. Director is Professor Jason Bond, 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.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Being bothered by mosquitoes and troubled about the risk of diseases?
Mosquitoes are not just annoying. They can be deadly.
The seminar, titled "Natural Mosquito Control," is part of the California Farm Academy Speaker Series, and will take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at CLBL, located at 40140 Best Ranch Road, Woodland. The event begins with pizza and mingling, “until about 5:30, and then the presentation,” said spokesperson Julia Hobbs Thomas. Reservations can be made on Eventbrite.com at this link.
The event is billed as "a discussion about both native and invasive species, what diseases they can spread, and how healthy ecosystems can create habitats that keep them in check. Agriculture can play a big role, because pesticide use can damage populations of beneficial insects like dragonflies. You'll also pick up a few tips to avoid being bitten!"
Wood-fired pizza and beverages will served beneath the canopy of a century-old valley oak, she added. Attendees can also bring food or beverages to enjoy or share.
Said Attardo: “I will be focusing on educating people about the most imminent risks of mosquito-borne diseases in California coming from West Nile Virus—due to native Culex mosquitoes predominantly—and Aedes aegypti vectored diseases such as dengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and yellow fever. I'll discuss places these mosquitoes breed in suburban and urban habitats, as well as ways people can eliminate and prevent creation of breeding sites.“
Attardo specializes in medical entomology, reproductive physiology, molecular biology and genetics. He recently hosted a UC Davis symposium, sponsored by the Deaprtment of Entomology and Nematology and the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, on “Tule and Cattail: A Tale of the Marsh Economy and Its Role in Human Health and Wellbeing” that aimed "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." Attardo addressed the symposium with collaborator Diana Almendariz, a traditional ecological knowledge specialist and a cultural practitioner of Maidu/Wintun, Hupa/Yurok traditions, heritage, and experiences.
A global expert on vectorborne diseases, and renowned for his groundbreaking work on tsetse flies, Attardo received the Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology Award in 2022 from the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America. (See news story)
He joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology in 2017 from the Yale School of Public Health, where he served as a research scientist studying the reproductive biology of tsetse flies. Attardo holds a doctorate in genetics (2004) from Michigan State University, studying with Alexander Raikhel.
For more information on the May 15 seminar, contact Thomas at julia@landbasedlearning.org or 415-271-0090.
- 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)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
He's been planning "Tule and Cattail: A Tale of the Marsh Economy and Its Role in Human Health and Wellbeing” for a year. Sponsored by ENT and the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, it's free and family friendly. You can register at https://qr.codes/xYbeAK.
What a great day to spend a Sunday afternoon--and on St. Patrick's Day, too.
Attardo, both a talented scientist and photographer, has been capturing lots of images in the wetland area in Cache Creek conservatory which is adjacent to the Tending and Gathering Garden. "The wetland area is flooded by runoff from the Gordon Slough and is a habitat to plants and animals native to Northern California," says Attardo, chair of the UC Davis Designated Emphasis in the Biology of Vector-Borne Diseases. "The islands in the wetland are populated with tule which is a hardstem bulrush. Tules provide shelter to an array of wildlife. Red-winged blackbirds commonly build their nests in tule stalks. Reptiles and amphibians also live among them. Dragonflies frequently use tule stalks for eclosion and as perches. Fish also use the submerged stalks and root systems as nurseries."
"The tule acts as a water filter by sequestering excess nutrients from the water in collaboration with symbiotic microbes," he commented. "The tule also stabilizes the banks and slows waterflow. The tule is also utilized by native peoples for a variety of purposes including making sleeping mats, baskets, cordage, external and internal walls for homes, canoes. It also functioned as a food source."
Basically, it's a collaborative outreach project "to integrate indigenous ecological knowledge and Western science to provide educational outreach opportunities."
The aim: "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," Attardo says.
Here's what's on the agenda (note that the symposium will start promptly at 1 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be provided.)
Agenda
1 to 2:30 p.m.: Presentation by Diana Almendariz: "Cultural History and Traditional Ecological Management of Wetlands" 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" 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)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
That's just one of the facts that UC Davis medical entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo will discuss when he presents a seminar on "The Mating Biology of Tsetse Flies--Insights into the Morphological, Biochemical, and Molecular Responses to Mating Stimuli in a Viviparous Disease Vector."
The seminar, hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, is set for 4:10 p.m., Monday, Oct. 9 in 122 Briggs Hall.
Attardo, an associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and chair of the Designated Emphasis in the Biology of Vector-Borne Diseases, is a global expert on vectorborne diseases, including his groundbreaking work on tsetse flies. He researches the invasive yellow mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which can carry such diseases as dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever.
His work involves predicting insecticide resistance and tracking movements of genetically independent populations of aegypti throughout the state.
"Research into the reproductive behavior of tsetse flies offers key insights into controlling diseases like African sleeping sickness," Attardo writes in his abstract. "Unique among insects, these flies give birth to live offspring. During mating, males transfer a mix of sperm and other vital substances to the females. This study employs state-of-the-art techniques, including 3D scanning and genetic analysis, to monitor changes in the female fly's reproductive system over a 72-hour period post-mating. Findings indicate that mating sets off a chain of intricate changes in the female, affecting everything from biochemistry to gene activity. These changes prepare her for pregnancy and childbirth. The study opens up new avenues for understanding tsetse fly biology and offers potential strategies for disease control."
The seminar also will be on Zoom. The link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882 849672
The Attardo lab monitors the dynamics of vector insects at the levels of physiology, population genetics and environmental interactions.
Attardo, who holds a doctorate in genetics from Michigan State University, where he researched the molecular biology of mosquito reproduction, joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology in 2017 from the Yale School of Public Health's Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases.
For his outstanding work, he received the 2022 Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology Award from the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America, which encompasses 11 Western states, plus parts of Canada and Mexico, and U.S. territories.
For any technical issues regarding Zoom, contact seminar coordinator Brian Johnson at brnjohnson@ucdavis.edu.
Resources:
- Tsetse Fly Research (article featuring Geoffrey Attardo, Feb. 3, 2021, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology
- A Tsetse Fly Births One Enormous Milk-Fed Baby, Deep Look, featurng the work of Geoffrey Attardo
