14 • Marc A. Milne1, Marcelo Schwarz2
Size Matters: Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea) Pitcher Size Influences the Presence or Absence of Aedes albopictus Larvae
A vector of multiple arboviruses, the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, was recently found to develop inside the pitchers of the purple pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea, in a forested environment. In this study, larvae and pupae of Ae. albopictus were found in S. purpurea pitchers in a peridomestic habitat in central North Carolina. Evidence of direct oviposition on the inner sides of the pitchers was obtained by dissecting pitchers and examining the insides for eggs, which were then raised to adults. To determine if immature Ae. albopictus were present in pitchers of a certain size and distance from other mosquito-occupied pitchers, pitcher size and relative distance were measured and compared against the presence/absence of larvae and/or pupae through a logistic regression analysis. Very strong statistical evidence showed that larger pitcher openings (>~2 cm diameter) were much more likely to contain larvae and/or pupae and that closer pitchers were not significantly more colonized than more distant pitchers. These data, in combination with the presence of dead adult females in pitchers, suggest that the smaller diameter of some pitchers may prevent successful oviposition by gravid females.
1 Dept of Biology, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN; 2 Dept of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro NC
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15 • Amy M. Gutting1, Jennifer A. Zettler1, Lawrence W. Zettler2, Larry W. Richardson3
Mealybugs: An Old Threat Poses a New Risk to Native Epiphytic Orchids in South Florida
About one fourth of orchids in North America are found within three counties in south Florida, all in or near the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (FPNWR). During a survey in 2010, scales were found infesting native epiphytic orchids there. On a return visit in 2012, a novel discovery was made--the presence of the orchid mealybug Pseudococcus microcirculus in the nearby Fakahatchee Swamp. In California, this mealybug has been known to be a problematic pest of orchids in greenhouses. Until now, no published records have documented P. microcirculus on orchids in natural habitats, much less those in Florida. In 2013, the FPNWR was surveyed to identify the extent of the infestation. P. microcirculus was found on five endangered epiphytic orchid taxa, including the Florida clamshell orchid, Prosthechea cochleata var. triandra—which is endemic to south Florida. In addition, 3.3% (4 of 118 plants) of these infested clamshell orchids harbored yet another common greenhouse pest, Boisduval scale, Diaspis boisduvalii. In cultivation, feeding damage by scales and mealybugs weakens plants and can even cause death. It is unknown how the presence of these insects in the FPNWR will affect the long-term health of Florida’s endemic orchid populations.
1 Dept of Biology, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, GA; 2 Biology Dept, Illinois College, Jacksonville, IL; 3 US Fish and Wildlife Service, Naples, FL
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16 • Brian Scholtens1, Joe Culin2, John Snyder3, Tom P. Smith4
The Moths of Congaree National Park
From October 2009 to September 2010, we sampled moths in Congaree NP one weekend per month. Each month we placed traps, ran a light sheet, and, during the winter months used bait to attract moths. We recorded individual data on about 11,000 moths including over 1000 species. For the Macrolepidoptera groups (those with the best sampling coverage), we averaged about 240 species per month from April through September, with slight peaks in species diversity in June and September. Microlepidoptera show the same trend, but our summer sampling of these groups was less intensive. Our species totals are comparable to those from the Dominick collection at the Wedge Plantation. We recorded 173 state records.
1 College of Charleston, Charleston, SC; 2 Clemson Universtity, Clemson, SC; 3 Furman University, Greenville, SC; 4 Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Richmond, VA
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17 • Peter A. Van Zandt1, Benjamin Hunt1, Sarah Martin2, Grant Gentry3
Are Warm Bugs Early Bugs? The Impact of Birmingham’s Urban Heat Island on Moth Phenology
Several studies have used historical data to explore whether increasing temperatures over time correlate with advanced phenologies in a number of species, ranging from plants to insects. In our study, we substituted space for time to determine if urban heat islands (UHIs) produce a temperature change large enough to advance moth phenology relative to rural areas. UHIs occur in densly populated areas where significant amounts of vegetation have been replaced with urban building materials. The combined loss of evapotranspiration and addition of heat-retaining materials yield air temperatures 1-3 C warmer than surrounding rural air temperatures. We evaluated our prediction by studying 11 focal species found at three sites along an urban to rural gradient centered aroudn Birmingham, Alabama. Of the four focal species abundant enough to analyze, three appeared to emerge earlier at the urban site; however, differences were statistically significant for only one of three species. While higher urban temperatures appear to affect moth phenology, responses to this anthropogenic local climate change tended to vary among species. It is important to study the mechanisms and directions of phenological changes because many species rely on synchronous interactions with host plants and natural enemies. Therefore, differential responses of species may lead to phenological mismatches that impact species interactions. Studies like this that use space-for-time substitution may serve as models for larger scale, temporal climate change.
1 Birmingham-Southern College; 2 University of Florida; 3 Samford University
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18 • Tom J. Fink, Alina Suedbeck
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