- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The seminar also will be virtual. The Zoom link is https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/3661107142.
Stuligross researches nutrition and pesticide exposure and their comparative effects on the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria, and the yellow-faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii. Pollination ecologist Neal Williams, professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology, served as her major professor.
"I am doing a short postdoc with Neal Williams this fall, and in January I will start a postdoctoral research position with Nicole Rafferty at UC Riverside," Stuligross said.
"Anthropogenic environmental changes present multiple stressors that together impact biodiversity and ecosystem function," Stuligross writes in her abstract. "Among these, pesticide exposure and the loss of flowering plants are ubiquitous across contemporary landscapes and threaten the persistence of bee populations. In this dissertation, I explored the individual and combined effects of pesticide and floral resource stressors on bee behavior, reproduction, and population persistence, as well as a potential strategy for mitigating these impacts. I used a combination of manipulative field cage experiments and landscape studies to examine these stressors and their impacts at different scales.
"Because bees often experience pesticide and resource stressors simultaneously, I first examined the potential for interactive effects of these stressors, as well as their individual impacts on wild bees. I established a fully crossed design in field cages; nesting female Osmia lignaria, the solitary blue orchard bee, accessed wildflowers at high or low densities, treated with or without the common insecticide, imidacloprid. In Chapter 1, I showed that pesticide exposure and floral resource scarcity combined additively to dramatically alter multiple vital rates, including reduced reproduction and a male-biased offspring sex ratio. In Chapter 2, I quantified behavioral responses in the same experiment, revealing that the resource and pesticide stressors had differential impacts with consequences for bee populations and potentially for pollination services through individual behavioral changes. Limited floral resources required bees to make fewer, longer foraging trips as well as misidentify their nests more often upon return from these trips. Bees exposed to pesticides made shorter foraging trips and did not compensate for this by taking more trips, reducing their overall foraging activity. Pesticide exposure also interacted with age to affect antagonistic behavior."
"In Chapter 3, I examined the carryover effects of past pesticide exposure on wild bees. Using the offspring from the previous cage experiment with known pesticide exposure backgrounds, I re-established the field cages and released bees in a crossed design with pesticide exposure or no exposure in each year. Thus, some bees experienced pesticides over two generations and others not at all. Regardless of the past exposure history, pesticides in the second year reduced reproduction. For bees that were also exposed in the past, the exposure over two years additively impaired individual performance, leading to a nearly fourfold estimated reduction in bee population growth. Furthermore, even past exposure by itself, regardless of exposure in the second year, led to a decline in offspring production."
"In Chapter 4, I collaborated with Maj Rundlöf to investigate the potential for wildflower plantings to mitigate the negative effects of pesticide exposure in agricultural landscapes. We assessed the nesting and reproduction of O. lignaria and the bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii in replicate agricultural landscapes, half of which contained a wildflower planting next to the nest or colony. We collected pollen from foraging bees to determine resource use and pesticide residues. The wildflower plantings were a source of pesticide exposure, especially for O. lignaria, but also supported O. lignaria nesting. The landscape-level floral resources better predicted B. vosnesenskii colony success, but the local flower resources mitigated the negative effects of pesticides on their reproduction."
"These chapters together show that two common environmental stressors combine to negativel impact bees. They also reveal potential mechanisms underlying impacts of the stressors on reproduction and population growth. My dissertation highlights the importance of mitigating the negative effects of pesticides and floral resource limitation, especially in agricultural landscapes where the two stressors often co-occur. Finally, this work offers insight into how the stressors could be mitigated through an emerging strategy to diversity agricultural landscapes."
Stuligross received her bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies in 2014 in Indiana from Earlham College, Richmond, where she minored in biology and outdoor education. At UC Davis, she was awarded a 2017-22 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and a 2016-18 UC Davis Graduate Group in Ecology Fellowship.
Recognized nationally for her research, Stuligross scored second place in the Entomological Society of America's 2020 President's Prize competition. Her research posters also won the top award at the UC Davis Graduate Student Symposium in Ecology in both 2019 and 2021.
Stuligross and her colleague, Maj Rundlöf, are the co-first authors of "Flower Plantings Support Wild Bee Reproduction and May Also Mitigate Pesticide Exposure Effects," published in May 2022 in the Journal of Applied Ecology. She was the lead author of "Past Insecticide Exposure Reduces Bee Reproduction and Population Growth Rate," published in November 2021 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and also the lead author of "Pesticide and Resource Stressors Sdditively Impair Wild Bee Reproduction," published in September 2020 in The Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Stuligross has also co-authored a number of other research publications, most recently:
- "A Meta-Analysis of Single Visit Pollination Effectiveness Comparing Honeybees and Other Floral Visitors," American Journal of Botany
- "Impact of 'Nonlethal' Tarsal Clipping on Bumble Bees (Bombus vosnesenskii) May Depend on Queen Stage and Worker Size," Journal of Insect Conservation
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The seminar, both in-person and virtual, will begin at 4:10 p.m. The Zoom link is
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882849672
“With increased global trade and transport, anthropogenic movement of non-indigenous, pestiferous species is becoming more coming,” Dupuis writes in his abstract. “Effective management and prevention of these invasions relies on accurate species identification and geographic pathway analysis (that is, what is it and where did it come from?) However, many of these pests belong to highly diverse groups of closely related species that are difficult or impossible to delimit using traditional taxonomic methods, and traditionally used molecular markers have proven ineffective for these tasks. Here, I will present ongoing efforts to use genomic data to inform and develop molecular diagnostic tools for the highly diverse and economically damaging true fruit flies of the family Tephritidae. These efforts combine foundational phylogenomics and population genomics with highly applied uses of these data for phytosanitary purposes, with the ultimate goal of providing highly sought after tools to regularly agencies such as USDA-APHIS."
Dupuis received his bachelor's degree in biology in 2009 from Northern Michigan University and his doctorate in systematics and evolution in 2016 from the University of Alberta. His research interests include insect systematics, speciations, evolution, genomics, phylogenomics and population genomics.
“We are broadly interested in insect speciation and systematics and use an integrative approach to study these phenomena with a large emphasis on genomic approaches,” he writes on his website.
He served as the lead author of research, "Range-Wide Population Genomics of the Mexican Fruit Fly: Toward Development of Pathway Analysis Tools," published in May 2019 in the journal Evolutionary Applications.
The Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens, is very serious pest of various fruits, particularly citrus and mango, in Mexico and Central America. "The USDA estimates that the Mexfly causes $1.44 billion worth of damage in a 5-year time span, mostly to citrus farms," according to Wikipedia. "They are frequently designated as an invasive species in Southern California and Arizona and pose a serious threat to Florida's grapefruit agriculture."
Emily Meineke, assistant professor of urban landscape entomology, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, coordinates the department's seminars for the 2022-23 academic year. All 11 seminars will take place both person and virtually at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesdays in Room 122 of Briggs Hall except for the Nov. 9th and Dec. 7th seminars, which will be virtual only, she said. (See list of seminars)
For further information on the seminars or technical difficulties with Zoom, contact Meineke at ekmeineke@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Benson (1905-1992), internationally known for her entomology and horticulture illustrations, served as scientific illustrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Entomology and the Smithsonian Institution. Later, as a resident of Davis, she engaged in other projects, including working for UC Davis entomologists. Much of her work appears in campus buildings, including Briggs Hall, home of the Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and the Bohart Museum of Entomology. (See research story on Mary Foley Benson by forest entomologist Malcolm Furniss)
Tunic is a freelance curator and researcher. A graduate of the University of Belgrade and University of the Arts in Belgrade, Serbia, he holds degrees in both art history and cultural management. He anticipates receiving his master's degree from UC Davis in June 2023.
"A few months later, my art history department granted me the opportunity to do an internship there and I have been diving deep into the life and work of Mary Foley Benson since the spring quarter of 2022. It's really like detective work! I have been surrounded by insects, books and artworks for this whole time--which sounds great in my world--and I am thankful for the whole Bohart Museum team for making this possible."
Tunic has been working independently and collaborating with various art and education initiatives since 2012. He is a co-founder of Trans-Cultural Dialogues (as part of Cultural Innovators Network), Kustosiranje/About and Around Curating, and Street Art Walks Belgrade. He collaborates with art professionals, researching fields such as contemporary art, curatorial practices, street art and graffiti, science fiction, art appropriation, cultural diversity, experiential learning, independent cultural scene and self-management. His work has been published in a number of magazines and journals.
Since 2018, Tunic has been a contributing editor for Not Afraid of the Ruins, especially contributing to the open call Local Science Fictions (2019) and the forthcoming NAOTR anthology (2022). More about his work is at http://srdjantunic.wordpress.com/
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Christine Casey, academic program management officer of the Bee Haven, will teach the classes. The $50 registration fee for each class covers a light breakfast and course materials. Proceeds will support the operation of The Haven.
The first class, on "I Planted a Bee Garden," will take place Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the Bee Haven, located on Bee Biology Road, next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility. Topics will cover turf removal and weed control, best bee plants for new gardeners, and turf vs. bee garden maintenance. Enrollment is limited to 25. To register, access
http://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/870.
The second class, "Pruning the Bee Garden," will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 5. "Bee gardens are all about flowers, and pruning The Haven's plants is an essential part of creating ample flowers for our bees," Casey said. Topics will include pruning techniques and strategies for many plant types; the science and biology of pruning; and practice pruning techniques in The Haven. To register, access
https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/871.
UC Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño of the Department of Entomology and Nematology serves the faculty director of the half-acre garden, planted in the fall of 2019 under the direction of interim department chair Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology. Häagen-Dazs was the primary donor. (See timeline and history of the garden.)
The garden features art projects by the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, co-founded and co-directed by the duo of entomologist/artist Diane Ullman, professor and former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology, and self-described "rock artist" Donna Billick of Davis. A 200-pound ceramic-mosaic bee sculpture, Miss Bee Haven by Billick anchors the garden.
The Haven is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free. For more information access the website, Facebook page, Casey's Bee Gardener blog on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources website, the Instagram account or the Twitter account.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
It was the first special event of the fall season.
Scientists answered questions about such wasps as the Asian giant hornet (aka "murder hornets"), pteromalids, and fig wasps and also fielded questions about other insects, including butterflies, moths, beetles, cockroaches, and Jerusalem crickets.
The Bohart Museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology, is located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane. It houses a global collection of eight million insect specimens. It also is home to a live “petting zoo,” comprised of Madagascar hissing cockroaches, stick insects and tarantulas; and an insect-themed gift shop, which includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, jewelry, books, posters and other items. The gift shop is open all year-around and is also online.
The Bohart Museum is open to the public Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m., except holidays. (See schedule). More information is available on the website at https://bohart.ucdavis.edu or by contacting bmuseum@ucdavis.edu.
Upcoming special events, all free and family friendly:
Saturday, Oct. 15, 1 to 4 p.m.
Insects, Art & Culture
Visitors will learn about insects through the lenses of art and culture. This event is part of Spirit Week (Oct. 10-16) for Aggie students, parents and alumni, but all are welcome.
Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
Special Talk: Plants, Insects and Art: Mary Foley Benson's Scientific Illustrations
Location: Teaching and Learning Complex (TLC) Building, 482 Hutchison Drive, UC Davis campus
This event is part of Spirit Week for Aggie students, parents and alumni, but all are welcome. Srdan Tunic, a candidate for a master's degree in art history and a Bohart associate, will be highlighting the scientific illustrations of Mary Foley Benson (1905-1992), formerly of the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Entomology and the Smithsonian Institution and who later worked for UC Davis entomologists. Much of her work appears on campus. (See research story on the artist by Malcolm Furniss)
Sunday, Nov. 6, 1 to 4 p.m.
Dragonflies Rule!
Dragonflies are described as "the ultimate predator both in the water and the air." Visitors will meet scientists and natural historians who will share information on the world of dragonflies.
Several activities are featured on the daily (Monday through Friday) Bug Squad blog:
- How Do You Say 'Insect' in the Turkish Language?
- It Took Gall to Make a Ghost
- Learning About Wasps and Other Insects
