- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Khouri will present his seminar in-person at 4:10 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) in 122 Briggs Hall and via Zoom. The Zoom link is https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/99515291076
"Ziad's work on the mammoth wasps is unique," said host Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and a distinguished professor of entomology. "This is a family of large bodied distinctive parasitoid wasps that have never had a modern systematic treatment, and the genus and species level taxonomy was a mess. He has brought together modern and classical techniques to bring taxonomic order to this family of wasps and discovered how they evolved."
The Bohart Museum, home of a global collection of eight million insect specimens, houses some 2300 mammoth wasp specimens, mostly from the Americas, Korea and South Africa.
Khouri will deliver his seminar in two parts: "The Evolutionary History of Mammoth Wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae)" and "Comparing the Power of Data-Based Phylogenetic Posterior Predictive Checks in the Context of Cucleotide and Amino Acid Data."
Khouri shares these abstracts from his seminar:
Part 1: "The Evolutionary History of Mammoth Wasps (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae)"
Scoliid wasps comprise a clade of aculeate insects whose larvae are parasitoids of scarabaeid beetle grubs. While scoliids have been studied and used as biological control agents, research into the group's evolution, as well as the stability of scoliid taxonomy, has been limited by a lack of reliable phylogenies. We use ultraconserved element (UCE) data under concatenation and the multispecies coalescent to infer a phylogeny of the Scoliidae. In order to mitigate potential issues arising from model misspecification, we perform data filtering experiments using posterior predictive checks and matched-pairs tests of symmetry. Our analyses confirm the position of Proscolia as sister to all other extant scoliids. We also find strong support for a sister group relationship between the campsomerine genus Colpa and the Scoliini, rendering the Campsomerini non-monophyletic. Campsomerini excluding Colpa (hereafter Campsomerini sensu stricto) is inferred to be monophyletic, with the Australasian genus Trisciloa recovered as sister to the remaining members of the group. Many sampled genera, including Campsomeriella, Dielis, Megascolia, and Scolia are inferred to be non-monophyletic. Analyses incorporating fossil data indicate an Early Cretaceous origin of the crown Scoliidae, with the split between Scoliini + Colpa and Campsomerini s.s. most probably occurring in the Late Cretaceous. Posterior means of Scoliini + Colpa and Campsomerini s.s. crown ages are estimated to be in the Paleogene, though age 95% HPD intervals extend slightly back past the K-Pg boundary, and analyses including fossils of less certain placement result in more posterior mass on older ages. Our estimates of the stem ages of Nearctic scoliid clades are consistent with dispersal across Beringia during the Oligocene or later Eocene. Our study provides a foundation for future research into scoliid wasp evolution and biogeography by being the first to leverage genome-scale data and model-based methods. However, the precision of our dating analyses is constrained by the paucity of well-preserved fossils reliably attributable to the scoliid crown group. Despite concluding that the higher-level taxonomy of the Scoliidae is in dire need of revision, we recommend that taxonomic changes be predicated on datasets that extend the geographic and taxonomic sampling of the current study.
Part II: "Comparing the Power of Data-Based Phylogenetic Posterior Predictive Checks in the Context of Cucleotide and Amino Acid Data"
When used for phylogenetic inference, exonic DNA sequences can be coded in multiple ways, including as nucleotides, amino acids, and codons. In empirical studies, the choice of data type and associated model is often predicated on which model is less expected to be violated in ways that lead to inaccurate inference. Posterior predictive checks are one method for assessing the adequacy of phylogenetic models and potentially providing an indication of inference reliability. We used a simulation-based approach to explore how our ability to detect model inadequacy using phylogenetic posterior prediction, as well as the associated inference errors, may vary with data coding. Specifically, we simulated data under multiple models, including codon models featuring process heterogeneity across lineages, selection heterogeneity across sites, and selection for codon usage. We then performed inference and posterior predictive checks under nucleotide and amino acid models from the GTR family. We found that some simulation conditions resulted in significant differences, between amino acid and nucleotide treatments, in our ability to detect model violation, even when the magnitude of error in an estimate of interest was similar. Moreover, we corroborate the results of other studies indicating that error in tree length estimation is not always correlated with error in topology reconstruction. Although the use of amino acid models generally resulted in more accurate topologies, we found tree length errors to often be greater than for nucleotide models when the data being analyzed were generated using branch-heterogeneous codon models. We show that the magnitude and direction of tree length estimation error can depend on both data coding and properties of the data-generating process. We conclude that if posterior predictive checks are to be used for purposes such as data filtering, practical effect size thresholds indicative of low inference reliability must be established separately for amino acid and nucleotide data. We also advise caution and recommend careful selection of models and data coding when performing analyses where accurate inference of tree length is important.
Khouri joined the UC Davis graduate program in 2012 and is pursuing his doctorate in entomology. His dissertation research involves the phylogenetics, evolution and taxonomy of Scolliidae (Hymenoptera) and phylogenetic posterior prediction. He holds a bachelor's degree in biology (2012) from Notre Dame University - Louaize (NDU).
He did undergraduate research on the identification of bee and other pollinator specimens at the American University of Beirut; assessed genetic diversity in Spartium junceum populations (known as Spanish broom, rush broom, or weaver's broom); and collected specimens for the establishment of an insect collection at NDU. Khouri was a member of the UC Davis team that won the national Linnaean (now Entomology) Games at the 2015 Entomological Society of America meeting. The UC Davis team defeated the University of Florida, winning the competition for its first time in the Games' 32-year history. (See video)
The Bohart Museum, located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane, is currently closed to the public. It houses eight million insect specimens, as well as a live "petting zoo" (Madagascar hissing cockroaches, stick insects and tarantuias) and an insect-themed gift shop, now online.
Nematologist Shahid Siddique, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, coordinates the seminars. For any Zoom technical issues, contact Siddique at ssiddique@ucdavis.edu. (See list of seminars)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Shades of Shirley Temple, maybe?
A curly haired tarantula at the Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis could have been named for...drum roll..Shirley Temple.
The curly haired tarantula, or Brachypelma albopilosum, proved a big hit at the Bohart Museum on Saturday, Feb. 13 during the campuswide UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. Graduate student Ziad Khouri, who is studying for his doctorate with Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum and professor of entomology at UC Davis, intrigued visitors with the spider.
It's native to Costa Rica and Honduras. And like other members of Brachypelma, it's a CITES listed species. That means it's on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and under international restrictions for quotas and trade permits.
Khouri noted that in the past, it was overharvested for the pet trade, although the current availability of captive bred specimens has decreased pressure on wild populations. Nevertheless, habitat loss and destruction continue to threaten he curly hair tarantula and many other species.
Tarantulas were in the news this week when scientists revealed that they named a newly discovered tarantula found on the Folsom Prison grounds after singer/songwriter Johnny Cash, the legendary "Man in Black." Its scientific name? "Aphonopelma johnnycashi."
The announcement was part of a newly released study by biologists Chris Hamilton and Jason Bond of Auburn University and Brent Hendrixson of Millsaps College involving nearly 3,000 tarantulas from across the American Southwest. Fellow scientists describe their 340-page study as "unequivocally the most important work on tarantulas ever done."
That brings to mind the Johnny Cash song, "Folsom Prison Blues" in which he lamented "I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when."
Wonder if "The Man in Black" ever saw "The Critter in Black," now his namesake Aphonopelma johnnycashi.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The University of California, Davis is preparing for its fifth annual Biodiversity Museum Day.
Set from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, it's a campuswide open house showcasing 11 specialized research and teaching collections. It's free and open to the public.
New to the Biodiversity Day are the Nematode Collection, Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, California Raptor Center, Phaff Yeast Culture Collection and the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden.
They will join the Center for Plant Diversity, Botanical Conservatory, Paleontology Collections, Anthropology Collection, Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, and the Bohart Museum of Entomology for a day of science exploration.
Biodiversity Museum Day is billed as a special day for the public to go behind the scenes to learn how scientists conduct research; gain first-hand educational experience; and see some of the curators' favorite pieces, including the history of the collection or the organism.
Parking is free. Visitors are encouraged to stroll or bike around the UC Davis campus to visit these diverse collections. They can explore displays, talk to scientists and students, and participate in family-friendly activities. This year students interested in applying or transferring to UC Davis are especially encouraged to visit.
All participating museums and collections have active education and outreach programs, but the collections are not always accessible to the public. For a full-day experience, the Biodiversity Museum Day has scheduled staggered hours:
- Anthropology Collections, Young Hall, open noon to 4 p.m.
- Arboretum, Headquarters along LaRue Road, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Bohart Museum of Entomology, Academic Surge Building, open noon to 4 p.m.
- Botanical Conservatory, greenhouses along Klieber Hall Drive, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- California Raptor Center, Old Davis Road, open 9 a.m. to noon
- Center for Plant Diversity, Sciences Lab Building, open 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, Bee Biology Road, open 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Academic Surge Building, open noon to 4 p.m.
- Nematode Collection, Sciences Lab Building, open 1 to 4 p.m.
- Paleontology Collections, Earth and Physical Sciences Building, open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Earth and Physical Sciences Building, open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Most of the collections are located indoors. In the event of rain, alternative locations are planned for the outdoor sites. Maps, signs and guides will be available at all the collections, online, and on social media, including Facebook and Twitter, @BioDivDay.
For further information about the event, contact Ernesto Sandoval, director of the Botanical Conservatory, at jesandoval@ucdavis.edu or (530) 752-0569.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
And that one, they agreed, they should have known. Oops!
Here's what happened: The "Bug Bowl" team, aka the Linnaean Games team from the University of California, Davis, won the national championship at the 2015 Entomological Society of America's annual meeting, and was invited to appear Friday, Jan. 22, on the TV show, Good Day Sacramento.
The background: The UC Davis graduate students--captain Ralph Washington Jr., and members Brendon Boudinot, Ziad Khouri and Jessica Gillung--defeated the University of Florida 130 to 70 last November to win its first-ever national championship in the 32-year history of the ESA's Linnaean Team Games. See YouTube video at https://youtu.be/_hA05K0NET4.
Professor Larry Godfrey and Extension apiculturist Elina Niño, Extension apiculturist, served as the team's advisors. The team members are candidates for a Ph.D. in entomology. Washington studies with Steve Nadler, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and professor Brian Johnson; Boudinot with professor Phil Ward; and Khouri and Gillung with professor Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
So fast forward to Friday, Jan. 22. The team (minus Khouri, who was unable to attend), answered surprise questions posed by Good Day Sacramento co-anchor Marianne McClary in a fast-paced, fun-filled, witty encounter.
The first question, however, stumped them: "What year was the Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis established?" They knew who founded the museum and about his work.
That was noted entomologist Richard M. Bohart (1913-2007), former professor of entomology at UC Davis. He founded the museum, now located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building on Crocker Lane, in...drum rolll...1946.
The team answered 1949. Close, but just a few years off.
"Lynn Kimsey is going to be really angry at me," Washington deadpanned.
"She's going to kill us," Gillung said. Both of them have spent many hours volunteering at the Bohart Museum's open houses, introducing visitors to the specimens and the live petting zoo.
The UC Davis team, however, went on to successfully answer the remaining four questions, questions that would have puzzled many an entomologist (see their online answers on the video):
- "The active ingredient of the most commercial termite trapping system is novalumeron. What is its mode of action?"
- "In some insects, the tarsal claws are bifid. What does that mean?"
- "Fly fishermen follow the emergence of adults of various aquatic insects. What do typical fly fishermen call these emergence events and why is this entomologically wrong?"
- "There are more than 2600 species of termites worldwide. Which continent houses the most species?"
Richard M.Bohart, also known as "Doc," completed a 32-year career at UC Davis. "He was the reason many students chose entomology as a major," wrote professor Lynn Kimsey, former student Norman Smith and professor Robert K. Washino in their memoriam on the UC Senate page. "He had a passion for entomology, which began when he was very young and continued well beyond retirement... Doc's passion was collecting, identifying, and classifying Strepsiptera mosquitoes and wasps. During his career, he identified more than one million specimens, many of which are housed in the R. M. Bohart Museum of Entomology, a teaching, research, and public service facility that he founded on campus in 1946."
"His teaching and collecting activities resulted in the development of one of the finest collections of stinging wasps in the world in the Bohart Museum of Entomology," wrote Kimsey, Smith and Washino. "A great deal of this material was obtained through his collecting and that of his students. During his tenure, the museum collection grew from 500 specimens to 7 million, a span of some 60 years. Chancellor James Meyer dedicated the entomology museum in his name in 1983. The R. M. Bohart Museum moved into a new building in 1994 and was dedicated by Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef."
As an aside, Doc Bohart was not only a talented entomologist but an athlete. He played football at UC Berkeley and "even in his 60s he could still throw a football across a football field," Kimsey said. She was his last graduate student before he retired.
Access "Bug Bowl" link on Good Day Sacramento.
Access ESA's YouTube video featuring the championship game between UC Davis and the University of Florida.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
But the Linnaean Games are also a force to be reckoned with-- for those who study insect science or who want to study insect science.
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) today posted the video of the 2015 Championship Linnaean Games on YouTube. Access it at https://youtu.be/_hA05K0NET4 to see the lively competition between the University of California, Davis and the University of Florida. UC Davis won the championship for the first time in the 32-year history of the ESA's Linnaean Games.
The UC Davis championship team was comprised of Ralph Washington Jr. and members Jessica Gillung, Brendon Boudinot and Ziad Khouri. All are graduate students in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. They earlier won the Linnaean Games competition at the regional level: the Pacific Branch of ESA.
Washington is studying for his doctorate with major professors Steve Nadler and Brian Johnson, who respectively specialize in systematics and evolutionary biology of nematodes and the evolution, behavior, genetics, and health of honeybees; Boudinot with major professor Phil Ward, systematics and evolutionary biology of ants; and Jessica Gillung and Ziad Khouri with major professor Lynn Kimsey, who specializes in the biology and evolution of insects. Kimsey directs the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
Two members of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty--Extension entomologist Larry Godfrey and Extension apiculturist Elina Niño--served as the team's advisors.
Here are some of the questions that the UC Davis team correctly answered:
Toss-Up Question: What is the smallest insect that is not a parasite or parasitoid?
Answer: Beetles in the family Ptiliidae.
Bonus Question: Some species of mosquitoes lay eggs that can undergo diapause or aestivation. Give at least three cues that trigger the aquatic eggs to hatch.
Answer: Temperature, immersion in water, concentration of ions or dissolved solutes.
Toss-Up Question: Chikungunya is an emerging vector-borne disease in the Americas. Chikungunya is derived from the African Language Makonde. What means Chikungunya in Makonde?
Answer: Bending up.
Toss-Up Question: A Gilson's gland can be found in what insect order?
Answer: Trichoptera
Toss-Up Question: Certain Chrysomelid larvae carry their feces as a defensive shield. To what subfamily do these beetles belong?
Answer: Cassidinae.
Bonus Question: The first lepidopteran sex pheromone identified was bombykol. What was the first dipteran sex pheromone identified? Give the trade or chemical name.
Answer: Muscalure, Z-9-Tricosene. It is also one of the chemicals released by bees during the waggle dance.
Toss-Up Question: What famous recessive gene was the first sex-linked mutation demonstrated in Drosophila by T.H. Morgan?
Answer: White
Bonus Question: Cecidomyiidae are known as the gall flies. What is unique about the species Mayetiola destructor, and what is its common name?
Answer: Mayetiola destructor is the Hessian Fly, a tremendous pest of wheat. It does not form galls.
Toss-Up Question: Nicrophorus americanus is listed under what legislative act?
Answer: The Endangered Species Act
Toss-Up Question: In what insect order would you find hemelytra?
Answer: The order Hemiptera.
Toss-Up Question: The subimago stage is characteristic of what insect order?
Answer: The order Ephemeroptera
Bonus Question: A 2006 Science article by Glenner et al. on the origin of insects summarized evidence that Hexapods are nothing more than land-dwelling crustaceans, which is to say that the former group Crustacea is paraphyletic with respect to the Hexapoda. What hierarchical name has been used to refer to this clade?
Answer: Pancrustacea
Toss-Up Question: What are the three primary conditions that define eusociality?
Answer: Cooperative brood care, overlapping generations, and reproductive division of labor
A total of 10 teams competed in the 2015 Linnaean Games:
- Eastern Branch: Virginia Tech University and University of Maryland
- North Central Branch: Michigan State University and Purdue University
- Pacific Branch: UC Davis and Washington State University
- Southeastern Branch: University of Georgia and University of Florida
- Southwestern Branch: Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M
The UC Davis Linnaean Games Team won the championship--they're the stars--but congratulations to all! It's a honor to be selected on a team and an honor to win a spot at the regionals and advance to the nationals.
