- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The research appears in the February edition of the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
The fossil, from the Cretaceous geological period and now part of the American Museum of Natural History collection, “was an extremely cool find,” said Boudinot, who is researching evolutionary and comparative anatomy in Jena under a two-year Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship. He received his UC Davis doctorate in entomology in 2020.
Boudinot, the lead researcher and corresponding author of the paper, describes the fossil as a “relatively large piece of Kachin amber containing three wingless adult female ants plus a wingless pupa.”
“The key points are that there is a remarkable diversity of evolutionarily intermediate or ‘missing link' ants in the Cretaceous fossil record, and folks have basically assumed that they were eusocial because wingless females—presumptive workers—had been found,” Boudinot said. “The fossil we discovered cuts through the uncertainty because of the pupa; this is the first ever pupa found from Mesozoic fossils, and we confirmed through the use of cutting-edge technology (µ-CT) that it is from the same species as one of the adults. Because pupae are immobile, it is reasonable that she was dropped during transportation by the adult wingless female.”
“Importantly, the transport of larvae and pupae--termed “brood transport”--is a unique feature of ants among all Hymenoptera, and is a critical social behavior,“ Boudinot said. “This fossil is the first evidence of nursing by wingless females, very strongly indicating that advanced social organization had evolved before the origin of the modern ants in the Early Cretaceous.”
“Taken altogether, this fossil opens a totally new pathway for the study of arthropod evolution: Paleoanatomy and paleosociobiology. There is far more to learn from fossils than previously realized!”
The focal amber piece originated from a deposit in theHukawng Valley,Kachin State, northern Myanmar, dated near the Albian–Cenomanian boundary.
Co-authors are Adrian Richter and Rolf Georg Beutel, Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Julian Katzke, Roberto Keller and Evan Economo, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Japan; Júlio C M Chaul, Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil; and Shûhei Yamamoto of Hokkaido University Museum, Hokkaido University.
Yamamoto discovered the fossil, Richter and Katzke generated and rendered the µ-CT data, and Beutel, Chaul and Economo were integral for shaping the conclusions, Boudinot said. “The study also represents a breakthrough in the application of µ-CT technology for taxonomy, as we were able to make very precise comparisons among the fossilized individuals, allowing me to revise the classification of the genus †Gerontoformica.”
Globally, there are more than 14,000 described species of ants, Boudinot says "As a community, we usually throw around the figure 20,000 as our rough total estimate for three reasons: (1) there is an incredible diversity of ants in tropical ecosystems that have yet to be formally named, (2) modern sequencing technology is allowing us to gain deep insights into the population structure and relationships of living species, thus revealing considerable hidden species-level diversity, and (3) there are over a thousand subspecies names in the ant literature which need to be re-evaluated as these could actually represent proper species. There is a ton of work to do, and Phil Ward and folk are making tremendous progress!"
Regarding extinct species, Boudinot says here are "almost as many fossil ants described as non-avian dinosaurs! As of today, the number stands at about 746 fossil species; of these, only about 50 are described from Mesozoic fossil deposits. This small fraction is critical, however, as they are the key to understanding the patterns of early evolution in the ants!"
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Graduate students from the Jason Bond laboratory will showcase spiders, scorpions, centipedes and millipedes, while the Lynn Kimsey lab at the Bohart Museum will display specimens of the Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia (nicknamed "the murder hornet" by the news media); and specimens of the state insect, the California dogface butterfly, Zerene eurydice, and its host plant, California false indigo, Amorpha californica.
Bond is the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair in Insect Systematics, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and associate dean, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Kimsey, a UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology, directs the Bohart Museum.
"The arachnid/myriapod section of Biodiversity Museum Day will consist of some live specimens--a tarantula, trapdoor spider, scorpion, and some millipedes, and ethanol preserved specimens of arachnids/myriapods that are pretty common and/or well-known, and a small interactive station where people will be able to use props that mimic an insect flying into a web and learn more about the sensory structures that spiders have to detect those vibration," said doctoral candidate Lacie Newton of the Bond lab, coordinator of the exhibit.
The Bohart section will feature Professor Kimsey sharing her expertise on the Asian giant hornet, and Professor Fran Keller of Folsom Lake College, a Bohart scientist and UC Davis doctoral alumnus will join Bohart associate Greg Kareofelas, naturalist and photographer, in discussing the California dogface butterfly and its host plant.
- Arboretum and Public Garden
- UC Davis Bee Haven
- Bohart Museum of Entomology
- Botanical Conservatory
- California Raptor Center
- Center for Plant Diversity
- Department of Anthropology Museum
- Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology
- Nematode Collection
- Paleontology Collection
- Phaff Yeast Culture Collection
Admission and parking are free, but visitors must adhere to the COVID-19 Campus Ready guidelines. Masks will be required in accordance with campus policies, organizers said. Visitors can also sign up at the Conference Center for limited tours. The collections or museums offering tours:
- The Bohart Museum of Entomology, located in Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building, Crocker Lane, has scheduled tours at noon, 1 and 2. The Bohart houses a global collection of eight million insect specimens, and also a live "petting zoo" and gift shop. "People will sign up at the Convention Center and be chaperoned over approximately 15 minutes before the hour to the attend their tour," said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator. "Tours should last 30 to 45 minutes." Entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the Lepidoptera collection, will be discussing butterflies and moths.
- The UC Davis Bee Haven, located on Bee Biology Road, next to the Harry H.Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, west of the central campus, will offer tours at noon and 2. Established in the fall of 2009, the Bee Haven is a half-acre demonstration garden operated by the Department of Entomology and Nematology. "We'll focus on how best to observe and identify bees in the garden, as well as suggested bee plants that grow well in our area with low water," said Christine Casey, academic program management officer of the Bee Haven.
- The Arboretum and Public Garden will provide two 30-45 minute tours, "Climate-Ready Tree Project: Texas Tree Trials." Groups will leave the Conference Center at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The project mission is to see if trees from west and central Texas will do well in this climate. The project involved collecting seeds, propagating them and planting them in the Arboretum.
An Asian giant hornet from Blaine, Wash. This insect, nicknamed "murder hornet," will be discussed at the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day. (Photo by Allan Smith-Pardo, USDA) - The Phaff Yeast Culture Collection is planning self-guided tours of the UC Davis Brewery, used for teaching and research, according to Kyria Boundy-Mills, curator, Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Food Science and Technology.
Different yeast strains are used for different styles of beer. These include ale yeast strains, lager yeast strains, and Belgian beer strains that are hybrids of wild yeasts. UC Davis offers an undergraduate major in food science and technology, with an emphasis on brewing science. Training includes chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, quality assurance, engineering, sanitation, packaging, malting and crewing. The program currently includes 18 students studying for their bachelor of science degrees, and three students seeking their master of science degrees. - The Botanical Conservatory is technically not offering tours, says manager Ernesto Sandoval "but we will be open to the public so people can wander through at their own pace and we'll regulate the number of people in the greenhouse at any one time. They can see our revamped succulent and carnivore rooms as well as our Cacao, aka 'Chocolate Tree,' with fruits as well as coffee and a very happy vanilla plant all amongst an incredible diversity of plants from ferns to an assortment of orchids."
The UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day is traditionally held on the Saturday of Presidents' Day weekend. However, last year's event was virtual, and this year's event is centrally located in an exposition. For more information, access the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day website and/or connect with Instagram,Twitter, and Facebook.
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Bill Patterson, longtime butterfly collector and supporter of the University of California, Davis, is giving $1 million to the university's R.M. Bohart Museum of Entomology to help maintain its permanent insect collection. This gift will provide the museum with the necessary financial security to support its ever-growing collection.
“I hope my donation will help educate the community about the importance of butterflies and moths,” Patterson said, adding that with this gift, his aim is to benefit researchers and the museum's extensive collection of almost 8 million insect specimens.
Patterson has been a museum volunteer since 1993, contributing to the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity in California. He has also donated his personal foreign butterfly collection for student and research use. Patterson plans on supplying the rest of his collection, almost 40,000 butterflies and moths, to the museum in the future.
I believe scientifically valuable collections should not stay in private hands. The museum is the perfect place for my collection to be permanently protected and studied,” said Patterson, who lives in Sacramento with Doris Brown, his wife.
Lynn Kimsey, professor of entomology and the museum director since 1989, said their vast and diverse collection requires intense, hands-on labor.
“Bill's gift is a huge contribution and it's really sweet of him to give during our most challenging years,” Kimsey said. “It's going to give us working capital to support a much-needed full-time position, as well as ensure that we have essential supplies.”
Founded in 1946 by and named after the late Richard Bohart, a professor of entomology, the museum houses the seventh largest insect collection in North America. It also serves most of Northern California through its educational outreach programs and provides identification services across the nation.
Patterson's lifelong hobby of collecting moths and butterflies began at age 6, when his mom gave him a butterfly net. Now in his early 80s and retired, he's still an avid collector.
“I remember always going to this great big bush in the field next door to my childhood home in 1951 and seeing all these little butterflies flying around,” Patterson said. “My father also had a collection of butterflies in the attic that I later added to my own.”
This childhood interest led Patterson to study entomology at the University of Arizona. He eventually made his way to UC Davis to work as a technician for Howard McKenzie, an entomology professor from 1958 to 1968, the year of McKenzie's death.
“I was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity in Arizona and founded a chapter in Davis. They needed people to fill up rooms in their house so some of my best memories in Davis were just living with the guys and getting to know this nice group of people,” Patterson said.
Patterson later earned his teaching credential at Sacramento State University and spent 15 years working as a math and science substitute teacher. He was also an active volunteer for the Sierra Club and the California Native Plant Society.
“I've seen what a great operation the Bohart Museum is, and the people here have been very helpful right from the start,” Patterson said. “I always feel welcomed and enjoy helping out in any way I can.”
Patterson's gift is part of UC Davis' $2 billion fundraising campaign, Expect Greater: From UC Davis, For the World, the largest philanthropic endeavor in university history. Together, donors and UC Davis are advancing work to prepare future leaders, sustain healthier communities, and bring innovative solutions to today's most urgent challenges.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Her seminar, open to all interested persons, begins at 4:10 p.m., Pacific Time. The host is Emily Meineke, assistant professor of urban and landscape entomology.
The Zoom link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/99515291076
"Key to protecting biodiversity in an uncertain future is understanding how populations will respond to future environmental change and incorporating this information into conservation strategies," Henry says in her abstract. "In this talk I will focus on 1) how changing precipitation regimes affect the phenology and population dynamics of subtropical species 2) the need to maintain historic disturbance regimes to increase population resilience to catastrophic hurricanes and 3) the importance of careful assessment of whether conservation strategies are working as intended. My studies of endangered butterflies and their host plants highlight mechanisms that link species life history to climate change responses and provide a framework for developing conservation strategies that are rooted in basic ecology."
Her research topics include the Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta), a threatened butterfly on the Oregon coast. She was featured in an Oregonlive.com news article, July 17, 2021.
"The silverspot once ranged from the Long Beach peninsula in southwest Washington to northern California," wrote Quenton Smith of Oregonlive.com. "But when it was first listed as endangered in 1980, its only known location were on two 'salt-spray' meadows overlooking the ocean near Rock Creek south of Yachats."
"Wild populations were subsequently discovered nearby at Brays Point, and on Mount Hebo, Cascade Head and the Clatsop Plains south of the Columbia River. Over the years the butterfly disappeared from the Clatsop Plains and Long Beach peninsula."
The Oregon silverspot once inhabited "suitable coastal habitat from northern California, through Oregon, into southern Washington," according to Wikipedia. 'It can now only be found in the wild at a few remaining sites in California and Oregon.] Conservation sites include Cascade Head and the Rock Creek Wilderness in Oregon. The butterfly can also be found at Mount Hebo and Clatsop Plains in Oregon and at Lake Earl in California."
On her website, Henry relates: "My research focuses on how rare species populations respond to environmental change – whether management or environmentally driven – and how to convert this knowledge into successful management strategies. To answer these questions, I use detailed natural history observations, local and landscape-scale experiments, and quantitative population models. In all of my work, I collaborate closely with land managers to answer questions that directly fill knowledge gaps that impede on the ground decision making. These collaborations allow me to directly translate my research results into improved conservation plans that increase the probability of successful endangered species recovery."
Henry obtained her doctorate in biology, ecology and evolution, from North Carolina State University, specializing in conservation and population biology. She wrote her dissertation on "Disturbance and Conservation of At-Risk Butterflies." She holds a master's degree in environmental science from WSU, where she specialized in conservation and restoration ecology. Her thesis: "A First Step Toward Successful Habitat Restoration and Reintroduction: Understanding Oviposiition Site Selection of an Imperiled Butterfly, Mardon Skipper." She is an alumnus of Willamette University, Salem, where she studied biology and Spanish.
"As my dissertation concluded, I secured funding from both the National Science Foundation and Everglades National Park to continue my research evaluating the interacting effects of multiple disturbances on population dynamics," Henry writes on her website. "In early 2021, as my previous funding was wrapping up, I was recruited back to Washington State University to lead a research effort that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different management strategies for Oregon silverspot butterflies."
Nematologist Shahid Siddique, assistant professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, coordinates the weekly seminars. For any technical issues regarding the Zoom seminar, contact Siddique at siddique@ucdavis.edu.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Academic Senate, acknowledging that the University of California “has a long tradition of service to the state and the people of California” and that “faculty members use their expertise in teaching, research, and professional competence to make unpaid contributions to local, statewide, national, or international public arenas,” annually singles out an exceptional faculty member who “continues the tradition and demonstrate the commitment of UC Davis to public service.”
“Distinguished Professor Walter Leal helped to address the critical need for accurate and accessible COVID-19 information,” according to the Academic Senate notice. “He conceptualized, organized, and moderated four COVID-19 symposia for the public. Through meticulous research, he brought together physicians, former patients, and public health experts to provide the most up-to-date information early in the pandemic, including highlighting equity gaps in treatment.”
“Professor Leal dedicated much of his sabbatical time to developing valuable public resources, thus providing high-quality information during a time of rampant misinformation,” the Academic Senate related. “He also champions global learning, putting long-term efforts into global collaborations to enhance education.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom's issued a stay-at-home order on March 19, 2020, and the following day, UC Davis Chancellor Gary May told the campus community: “Most of our employees should already be at home where the governor wants you to be, and where we want you to be, for the sake of your own health and to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.”
“On March 22 came the first reported death from COVID in Yolo County,” wrote Hammock, who holds a joint appointment with the Department of Entomology and Nematology and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. “On April 23, Distinguished Professor Walter Leal, as a timely service to the UC Davis community and the general public, organized and moderated the first of his COVID-19 symposiums. What Dr. Leal did, and did so well in the throes of the raging pandemic, was to help the UC Davis community and the general public understand a disease that would go on to claim the lives of nearly 800,000 Americans. Two weeks prior to each symposium, he worked daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., reading the scientific literature, interviewing experts, lining up the speakers; gathering relevant questions from the public, and generally, taking care of all the logistics."
You Are My Heroes. The webinars drew scores of comments. “You are my heroes,” wrote one viewer. “This [the symposium] gave me a sense of hope and calmed my anxiety like nothing else. Part of what has been so hard is all the disinformation and complete lies and contradictions that are happening daily. To hear people, real doctors and scientists who are knowledgeable talk about what is going on and why is so appreciated! I learned so much; wish you were the ones leading [our] government through this! Having a family zoom tonight to relay the info! I (offer) much gratitude to UC Davis! My husband says ditto.”
Professor Leal's plans for a single webinar quickly grew to three more to meet the growing demand of information and translation.
“Few are aware that Dr. Leal interrupted his sabbatical leave to complete his mission,” Hammock pointed out. “Personally, this was not unusual. Having known Dr. Leal for more than two decades, I am fully aware of how altruistic and dedicated he is. He firmly believes that a primary mission of a land-grant university is to serve the public.”
A native of Brazil and fluent in three languages, Leal was educated in Brazil, Japan and the United States, pursuing the scientific fields of chemical engineering, agricultural chemistry, applied biochemistry, entomology and chemical ecology. After serving in a leadership capacity in Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries for five years, he joined the Department of Entomology faculty in 2000. Leal chaired the department from 2002 to 2013 before accepting an appointment as a professor of biochemistry with the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.
Widely known for his research, teaching and mentorships, Leal is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, American Association for the Advancement of Science, California Academy of Sciences, Royal Entomological Society and the Entomological Society of America (ESA). The UC Davis Academic Senate named him the recipient of its 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award for Undergraduate Teaching, and the Pacific Branch of ESA presented him with its 2020 Award of Excellent in Teaching.
A Treasured Note. Leal treasures a handwritten note from a 12-year-old boy, who (according to his mother) was struggling with autism. “Dear Scientist, I hope you can make the vaccine for the coronavirus and to make us live forever,” the boy wrote. “And you can do it. We believe in you. Love XX.”
His mother updated the UC Davis professor in the fall of 2021: “ (XX) wanted me to tell you that he feels so much safer now that he has the vaccine! He is so thankful for all the scientists working so hard to find a solution to make the world safer and continue researching to prevent additional variant outbreaks. He is back in school full time now and is enjoying being able to be with his teachers and classmates.”
