May 15, 2012
DAVIS--Margaret Rei Scampavia, a doctoral student in the UC Davis Department of Entomology, has received a UC Davis Botanical Society Research Grant to help fund her work on pollination ecology.Margaret Rei ScampaviaScampavia will use the one-year $2000 grant for her research on nest site selection and floral visitation of ground-nesting bees in a serpentine, non-serpentine grassland mosaic.
The UC Davis graduate student, who goes by "Rei," studies with major professor and nematologist Edwin Lewis, vice chair of the Department of Entomology, and co-major professor and pollination ecologist Neal Williams. She has served as a field assistant in the Williams lab since 2011, the same year she began her doctoral studies at UC Davis.
“In order to successfully reproduce, outcrossing plants must be able to transfer pollen of sufficient quality and quantity,” Scampavia wrote in her grant application. “Because many plants rely on animal pollinators, primarily bees, to perform this service, pollinators are crucial in the maintenance of plant community diversity.”
“The abundances of bees are determined by interactions between floral resource availability and nesting resource availability, but the relative import of each of these factors on shaping bee communities is poorly understood,” she wrote.
“Serpentine grasslands are a unique system in which to study these relationships because of their striking heterogeneity in both plant community (including several rare, threatened, and endangered endemic species) and soil conditions. Previous studies of pollinators of serpentine endemic plants have either focused on only one plant species, or have surveyed bee communities without establishing floral relationships.”
In her study of bee community composition based on both floral visitation and nest site location, Scampavia aims to (1) correlate bee community composition with serpentine grassland plant community diversity by establishing relationships between specific plants and their pollinators, (2) compare species complexes visiting plants in serpentine and adjacent non serpentine grasslands, and (3) identify unifying edaphic factors of nest sites utilized by bees that visit serpentine endemic plants.
She predicts that because of the short flowering period of serpentine plants, “most pollinators visiting plants in serpentine grasslands will be generalist foragers, but that an increase in bee species richness in and abundance will be correlated with greater plant diversity due to an increase in pollinator service quantity.”
Scampavia also predicts that
--The species visiting serpentine and adjacent non-serpentine grasslands will differ in both richness and abundance, due to differences in floral composition and phenology
--Bees visiting serpentine endemic plants will nest most frequently in non serpentine soils, and other factors such as ground cover; soil moisture, particle size, and salinity will further limit nesting resources.Scampavia, who received her bachelor’s degree in biology with honors from Mills College, Oakland, in 2008, has also studied the pollinator behavior on subpopulations of Ash Meadows Blazing Star (Mentzelia leucophylla), a rare species of flowering plant found only in the desert wetlands of Nye County, Nevada.
The herb, on the list of the nation’s threatened species, shows population decrease due to habitat degradation, including mining, road construction, real estate development and agricultural practices.
Scampavia presented her research (with Mills Valley College biology professor Bruce Pavik) on “The Behavior of Pollinators Influences Pollen Movement in Rare Plants of Ash Meadows” at the 2010 Ash Meadows Symposium in Pahrump, Nev. She also presented her research (with Pavik) on “The Effects of Pollinator Behavior on Subpopulations of Mentzelia Leucophylla (Ash Meadows Blazing Star) at the 2009 Ash Meadows Symposium.
--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
May 15, 2012
CulexDAVIS--Tara Thiemann, postdoctoral researcher in the William Reisen lab at UC Davis, will speak on "Survey of Culex Bloodfeeding Patterns in California" at the next UC Davis Department of Entomology seminar, set from 12:10 to 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 23 in 122 Briggs. Host is medical entomologist William Reisen.
As a postdoctoral researcher, Thiemann is involved with Reisen on studies investigating novel assays to identify current and emerging arboviruses in California.
Abstract of her talk: "Culex tarsalis and members of the Culex pipiens complex are the primary vectors of West Nile virus (WNV) in California. Both mosquito species feed on a variety of avian hosts, as well as disease-susceptible mammals, such as horses and humans, so determining the bloodfeeding patterns of these mosquitoes is a critical component in understanding the transmission dynamics of WNV throughout the state."
"Bloodmeals from over 2500 mosquitoes were identified using with a novel Luminex® assay or DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I (COI). Spatial differences in Culex bloodfeeding were examined throughout California, and nearly 100 different vertebrate (avian, mammalian and reptilian) host species were identified."
"Variation in bloodfeeding patterns primarily resulted from differences in host availability and abundance. Several species, including House Sparrow, House Finch, Mourning Dove, and Domestic Dog, were frequent hosts throughout the state, and highly competent corvids, Western Scrub-Jay, Yellow-billed Magpie, and American Crow, were fed upon more frequently than in previous studies. WNV-competent avian hosts were fed upon in each study area and throughout the seasons. By feeding on competent hosts and humans, Cx. tarsalis and the Cx. pipiens complex could serve as both enzootic and epidemic vectors of WNV in California."
Biosketch: Thiemann received her doctorate in entomology in 2011 from UC Davis (Designated Emphasis in Biology of Vectorborne Diseases). Her doctoral dissertation: “Bloodfeeding Patterns of Culex tarsalis and the Culex pipiens complex in California.” Thiemann received her master's degree in biology (2003) and her bachelor's degree in biology (2011) from Truman State University, Kirksville, Mo.
Thiemann is a member of the Entomological Society of America, Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Her awards and honors include:
- Young Investigator Award 2nd Place, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2010
- Reeves Student Research Award, Mosquito & Vector Control Association of California, 2010
- Hazeltine Student Research Award, UC Davis Department of Entomology, 2010 and 2008
- Best Overall Poster, Luminex Planet xMAP, 2010
- President’s Prize 2nd Place Poster, Entomological Society of America, 2008
- Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship, 2001
- President’s Prize 1st Place Oral, Entomological Society of America, 2001
- Valedictorian, Truman State University, 2001
- Second Place, Missouri State Science Fair, Junior Division, 1993
Peer-Reviewed Publications:
Thiemann, T.C., D.A. Lemenager, S. Kluh, B.D. Carroll, H.D. Lothrop and W.K. Reisen. 2012. Spatial variation in the host feeding patterns of Culex tarsalis and the Culex pipiens complex in California (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Medical Entomology. (In press)Thiemann, T. C., A. C. Brault, H. B. Ernest, and W. K. Reisen. 2012. Development of a high-throughput microsphere-based molecular assay to identify 15 common bloodmeal hosts of Culex mosquitoes. Molecular Ecology Resources 12: 238-246.
Thiemann, T. C., and W. K. Reisen. 2012. Evaluating sampling method bias in Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) bloodmeal identification studies. Journal of Medical Entomology 49: 143-149.
Thiemann, T. C., S. S. Wheeler, C. M. Barker, and W. K. Reisen. 2011. Mosquito host selection varies seasonally with host availability and mosquito density. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 5: e1452.
Thiemann, T.C., B.M. Nelms, and W.K. Reisen. 2011. Bloodmeal host congregation and landscape structure impact the estimation of female mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) abundance using dry ice-baited traps. Journal of Medical Entomology 48:513-517.
Montgomery, M.J., T.C. Thiemann, P. Macedo, D.A. Brown, and T.W. Scott. 2011. Blood-Feeding Patterns of the Culex pipiens Complex in Sacramento and Yolo Counties, California. Journal of Medical Entomology 48: 398-404.
Reisen, W. K., T. Thiemann, C.M. Barker, H.L. Lu, B. Carroll, Y. Fang, and H.D. Lothrop. 2010. Effects of Warm Winter Temperature on the Abundance and Gonotrophic Activity of Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) in California. Journal of Medical Entomology 47: 230-237.
Elnaiem, D.E. A., K. Kelley, S. Wright, R. Laffey, G. Yoshimura, M. Reed, G. Goodman, T. Thiemann, L. Reimer, W.K. Reisen, and D. Brown. 2008. Impact of aerial spraying of pyrethrin insecticide on Culex pipiens and Culex tarsalis (Diptera : Culicidae) abundance and West Nile virus infection rates in an urban/suburban area of Sacramento County, California. Journal of Medical Entomology 45: 751-757.
Lawler, S.P., L. Reimer, T. Thiemann, J. Fritz, K. Parise, D. Feliz, and D.E. Elnaiem. 2007. Effects of vegetation control on mosquitoes in seasonal freshwater wetlands. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 23: 66-70.
Seminar Coordinators:
Coordinators of the spring seminars are Louie Yang and Joanna Chiu, assistant professors. All lectures will take place on Wednesdays from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in 122 Briggs Hall. The series, launched April 4, will continue through May 23.In a webcast project coordinated by professor James R. Carey, the seminars will be videotaped and can be accessed at a later date on UCTV.
The complete list of speakers for the April 4-June 6 seminars:
April 4: Ian Pearse, who just finished his doctorate, working with major professor Rick Karban lab, UC Davis, will speak on "The Use of Non-Native Plants by Native Herbivores."
Host: Rick Karban, professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyApril 11: James Harwood, graduate student, James R. Carey lab, UC Davis,"Biodemography of Reproductive Senescence in Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): The Influence of External Conditions on Age Specific Reproduction and Lifespan"
Host: James R. Carey, professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyApril 18: Bryony C. Bonning, professor, Iowa State University, "Novel Toxin Delivery Strategies for Management of Pestiferous Aphids"
Host: Bruce Hammock, distinguished professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyApril 25: Vince Jones, professor, Washington State University. "How a 'Perfect Storm' of Technology, Legislation, and Applied Ecology Is Finally Leading to IPM in Western Orchards"
Host: Michael Parrella, professor and chair, UC Davis Department of EntomologyMay 2: Susan Cobey, bee breeder-geneticist at UC Davis and Washington State University, "Importation of Honey Bee Germplasm to Increase Genetic Diversity in Domestic Breeding Stocks"
Host: Eric Mussen, Extension apiculturist, UC Davis Department of EntomologyMay 9: Cancelled. Sonia Altizer's talk will now be June 6
May 16: James C. Nieh, professor of biology, University of California, San Diego, "Role of Negative Signaling in a Superorganism: the Honey Bee Stop Signal"
Host: Brian Johnson, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyMay 23: Tara Thiemann, postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis, William Reisen lab, "Survey of Culex Bloodfeeding Patterns in California"
Host: William Reisen, research entomologist, Center for Vectorborne Diseases, and adjunct professor, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology (PMI), School of Veterinary MedicineMay 30: Nathan Muchhala, post-doctoral fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb., “Bats, Birds, and Bellflowers: The Evolution of Specialized Pollination in the Neotropics”
Host: Jessica Forrest, Neal Williams labJune 6: Sonia Altizer, professor, University of Georgia, "Infection and Immunity in Migratory Species: Monarchs as a Global Case Study" (Rescheduled from May 9)
Host: Louie Yang, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyContact information:
Louie Yang: (530) 754-3261 or lhyang@ucdavis.edu
Joanna Chiu: (530) 752-1839 or jcchiu@ucdavis.edu
--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
April 30, 2012
DAVIS--Professor and nematologist Ed Lewis, vice chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology with a joint appointment in the Department of Nematology, will speak on "Infection Behaviors of Parasitic Nematodes: The Story of the Slithering Herd" at the Friday, May 4th seminar of the Animal Behavior Graduate Group(ABGG)
Lewis' talk, open to all interested persons, is from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in 194 Young Hall.
On his website, Lewis says:
"My research program is wide-ranging in the scope of the questions asked and in the taxa that are studied. There is, however, a common thread to the work that takes place in my laboratory; we seek to understand why and how organisms find, recognize, assess and exploit resources. We ask questions about how insects and nematodes make decisions about resource utilization and what the fitness outcomes of the decisions are. To answer these kinds of questions, we engage in studies of behavior, population ecology, community ecology and evolutionary biology with several groups of insects, nematodes and bacteria. There are also intentional links to more practical pursuits including biological control of crop pests, predicting the impact of crop management on pest and beneficial organisms and restoration ecology. I see no difference between what is traditionally called 'basic' and 'applied' research, thus the links of nearly all of the work in the laboratory to agricultural or environmental concerns is explicit."
ABGG, an interdepartmental program which offers doctoral degrees, trains students for teaching and research in a wide variety of disciplines, including anthropology, animal science, conservation biology, ecology, entomology, neurobiology, psychology, physiology, veterinary science, wildlife biology, and zoology. Faculty members from several departments, schools, and colleges participate.
Lewis received his bachelor of science degree in natural resources from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.; his master's degree in entomology from the University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.; and his doctorate in entomology from Auburn (Ala.) University.
Other ABGG seminars scheduled through June 1:
May 11: ABGG exit seminar: "Innovative Nursery-Rearing for Improving Welfare in Rhesus Macaques," Becki Bruneli, UC Davis
May 18: ABGG exit seminar: "The Development of Antipredator Behavior in White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys," Whitney Meno, UC Davis
May 25: ABGG exit seminar: "Captive Primate Welfare: Basing Management on Empirical Research," Daniel Gottlieb, UC Davis
June 1: ABGG exit seminar: "The Squawking (about) Dead: Using Dead Conspecifics and Heterospecifics as Cues of Risk," Teresa Iglesias, UC Davis
--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
April 30, 2012
DAVIS--Pollination ecologist Neal Williams, assistant professor of entomology at UC Davis, will present a public lecture on “Promoting Native Bees for Gardens, Farms, and Native Plants” at the Davis Botanical Society meeting on Thursday night, May 10 in the Davis Public Library, 315 E. 14th St.
Williams, to speak from 7 to 8 p.m., will discuss native bee biology and diversity in the Capay Valley, how bees interact with plants, and the challenges facing native bees as they respond to landscape change in Yolo County. Drawing from his studies on the impact of native plant selections in the re-diversification of agricultural landscapes, Williams also will tell his audience how habitats can be enhanced using native plants.
“Our beautiful state has diverse and unique plants and animals, with many found nowhere else in the world,” said Botanical Society spokesperson Ellen Dean, curator of the UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity. “This is true of our native bee species, some of which have never been named by science. If you have wanted to find out more about the relationship between native bees and California plants, you are invited to come to a free public lecture.”
Williams, who joined the UC Davis Department of Entomology in 2009, was a featured speaker at the International Symposium on Pollinator Conservation, held last January in Fukuoka, Japan. He explored agricultural landscape change and the role of bee life history in predicting and understanding responses of bee communities.
A native of Madison, Wisc., Williams studied botany, history and philosophy of science in 1990-91 at Edinburgh University, Scotland, before receiving his bachelor of science degrees in botany and zoology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1992. He received his doctorate in ecology and evolution in 1999 from the State University of New York, Stony Brook (SUNY-Stony Brook).
The Davis Botanical Society’s annual meeting and election of officers will take place at 6:45 p.m., just prior to Williams’ talk. Refreshments will be served following the meeting.
Parking in the library parking lot is free. Further information on the Davis Botanical Society is available from Ellen Dean or Jean Shepard at the UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity at (530) 752-1091.
--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
April 25, 2012 Watch Susan Cobey's seminar
DAVIS--Bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey of UC Davis and Washington State University will discuss the importance of genetic diversity in the honey bee at her UC Davis seminar on Wednesday, May 2 in 122 Briggs Hall.Bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey with queen cells. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Cobey will discuss “Importation of Honey Bee Germplasm to Increase Genetic Diversity in Domestic Breeding Stocks" from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in 122 Briggs Hall as part of the UC Davis Department of Entomology’s spring seminar series.Cobey, a UC Davis researcher since May 2007 and a former student of Harry H. Laidlaw Jr., for whom the UC Davis bee lab is named, provided practical application to the Page-Laidlaw Closed Population Breeding Program theory in development of the New World Carniolan line, in its 31st generation and now an industry standard. She is a world expert on the instrumental insemination of queen bees. Her classes on queen rearing and instrumental insemination draw students from all over the world.
Increasing the overall genetic diversity of honey bees may lead to healthier and hardier bees that can better fight off parasites, pathogens and pests, Cobey said. Just as stock improvement has served the poultry, dairy and swine industries well, the beekeeping industry needs access “to stocks of origin or standardized evaluation and stock improvement programs.”
The many problems that currently face the U.S. honey bee population have underscored the need for sufficient genetic diversity at the colony, breeding, and population levels,” wrote Cobey and colleagues Walter “Steve” Sheppard, professor and chair of the WSU Department of Entomology and David Tarpy of North Carolina State University, formerly a graduate student at UC Davis in a chapter of the newly published book, Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions (Contemporary Topics in Entomology).
European colonists brought a small subset of European bees to America before the U.S. Honey Bee Act of 1922 restricted further importation of Old World honey bees to prevent the introduction of the tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi. These early importations represented a limited sampling of several subspecies, Cobey said.
“The limited foundation stock has been propagated and expanded to establish the existing U.S. beekeeping industry,” she noted. “In addition, the destruction of a once widespread feral population by parasitic mites and the genetic consequences of large scale queen production practices have contributed to reduce genetic diversity in U.S. honey bee populations. “
To enhance domestic U.S. breeding stocks, scientists and beekeepers from UC Davis, WSU and the California Bee Breeders' Association are working together to develop and test protocols for the international exchange of honey bee germplasm and to incorporate imported stocks into established U.S. breeding stocks.
Research co- developed by Cobey was presented in March at the first International Symposium About the Carniolan Honey Bee in Slovenia. The conference drew scientists, researchers and queen breeders interested in the conservation of Carniolan honey bees (Apis mellifera carnica). Two of the key goals were to establish an international group for the preservation of the Carniolan honey bee, and to launch collaboration between the professionals in the field of Carniolan honey bee preservation and selection.
Much in demand as a speaker, Cobey has presented seminars throughout the United States, Central and South America, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. She was recently invited to Cuba for the 3rd Latin-American Beekeepers' Meeting and the 4th Cuban Beekeeping Congress. Cobey will be a keynote speaker for the Apimondia Symposium on Honey Bee Breeding in Quebec in November 2012.
Coordinators of the spring seminars are Louie Yang and Joanna Chiu, assistant professors. All lectures will take place on Wednesdays from 12:10 to 1 p.m. in 122 Briggs Hall. The series, launched April 4, will continue through May 23.
In a webcast project coordinated by professor James R. Carey, some of the seminars will be videotaped and can be accessed at a later date on UCTV.
The complete list of speakers for the April 4-May 23 seminars:
April 4: Ian Pearse, who just finished his doctorate, working with major professor Rick Karban lab, UC Davis, will speak on "The Use of Non-Native Plants by Native Herbivores."
Host: Rick Karban, professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyApril 11: James Harwood, graduate student, James R. Carey lab, UC Davis,"Biodemography of Reproductive Senescence in Fruit Flies (Tephritidae): The Influence of External Conditions on Age Specific Reproduction and Lifespan"
Host: James R. Carey, professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyApril 18: Bryony C. Bonning, professor, Iowa State University, "Novel Toxin Delivery Strategies for Management of Pestiferous Aphids"
Host: Bruce Hammock, distinguished professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyApril 25: Vince Jones, professor, Washington State University. "How a 'Perfect Storm' of Technology, Legislation, and Applied Ecology Is Finally Leading to IPM in Western Orchards"
Host: Michael Parrella, professor and chair, UC Davis Department of EntomologyMay 2: Susan Cobey, bee breeder-geneticist at UC Davis and Washington State University, "Importation of Honey Bee Germplasm to Increase Genetic Diversity in Domestic Breeding Stocks"
Host: Eric Mussen, Extension apiculturist, UC Davis Department of EntomologyMay 9: Sonia Altizer, professor, University of Georgia, "Infection and Immunity in Migratory Species: Monarchs as a Global Case Study"
Host: Louie Yang, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyMay 16: James C. Nieh, professor of biology, University of California, San Diego, "Role of Negative Signaling in a Superorganism: the Honey Bee Stop Signal"
Host: Brian Johnson, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of EntomologyMay 23: Tara Thiemann, postdoctoral Scholar at UC Davis, William Reisen lab, "Survey of Culex Bloodfeeding Patterns in California"
Host: William Reisen, research entomologist, Center for Vectorborne Diseases, and adjunct professor, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology (PMI), School of Veterinary MedicineContact information:
Louie Yang: (530) 754-3261 or lhyang@ucdavis.edu
Joanna Chiu: (530) 752-1839 or jcchiu@ucdavis.edu
--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
