February 4, 2018 - Boston Flora

Tuesday, February 13, 7:30 pm – Firefly Biology

February 4, 2018 by Boston Flora

This month’s Cambridge Entomological Club meeting will be held Tuesday, February 13th, at 7:30 pm in room 101 of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dr. Sara Lewis of Tufts University will present an illuminating talk on firefly biology. With over 2,000 species worldwide, the firefly beetles (family Lampyridae) boast remarkable diversity in life history and signalling modes. Their bioluminescent courtship is based on highly visible signals that are readily quantified and simulated, providing an attractive system for dissecting the key evolutionary process of sexual selection.

Studies of North American Photinus fireflies over the past decades have revealed that male mating success is determined primarily by female preference for conspicuous male flash traits. Yet sexual selection continues even beyond mating. During copulation, males transfer complex spermatophores that they manufacture within multiple reproductive accessory glands. Such nuptial gifts are widespread across the animal kingdom, though we are just beginning to unravel the biochemical composition and evolutionary trajectories of these cryptic sexually selected traits.

Meanwhile, these charismatic insects seem to be declining in many parts of the world. Among the major culprits are habitat loss, light pollution, overharvesting, and ecotourism. Here in the Anthropocene, bioluminescent talents can be hazardous to your health! Come hear little-known stories about how, for more than a century and continuing to the present day, fireflies have been exploited for their chemistry, beauty, and romance.

Fireflies are intricately woven into the fabric of human cultures, and their loss would be widely mourned. From a scientific perspective, we remain in the dark about many features of firefly biochemistry, behavior and evolution. In hopes of inspiring further inquiry, this talk will conclude by highlighting some fascinating, outstanding questions in firefly biology.

The talk is free and open to the public. The meeting is readily accessible via public transportation. Parking is available in the Oxford Street Garage with advance arrangement, or (usually but not always) at spaces on nearby streets. Everyone is also welcome to join us for dinner before the talk (beginning at 5:45 PM) at the Cambridge Common, 1667 Mass Ave., Cambridge.

Tuesday, February 13, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – A Field for Women’s Work

February 4, 2018 by Boston Flora

Each winter, Director William (Ned) Friedman and the Arnold Arboretum present the Director’s Lecture Series, featuring nationally recognized experts addressing an array of topics related to Earth’s biodiversity and evolutionary history, the environment, conservation biology, and key social issues associated with current science. The Director’s Lecture Series is open to current Arnold Arboretum members only; visit http://arboretum.harvard.edu for information on becoming a member. Lectures take place in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall. Parking will be available along the Arborway and in front of the Hunnewell Building on lecture nights.

On Tuesday, February 13 at 7 pm. Dava Sobel, author and science reporter, will speak on A Field for Women’s Work. In the late 19th century, botany was the science generally deemed acceptable for a woman to pursue. At the Harvard College Observatory, however, women were welcomed as computers, observers, and discoverers of new celestial phenomena. They attracted international attention as they created a taxonomy for the stars and found a way to measure distances across space. Dava Sobel, author of The Glass Universe, Galileo’s Daughter, and Longitude among others, will speak about the women of the Observatory, their careers devoted to the heavens, and their passions encompassing plants and all things natural.