Boston Flora

Tag: Cambridge Entomological Club

  • Tuesday, May 8, 7:30 pm – Herbivorous Insects: Studies in the Evolution of Diversity

    The public is invited to attend the May meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club on Tuesday, May 8 at 7:30 pm at Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, MCZ 101 in Cambridge. Profesor Douglas J. Futuyma of Stony Brook University, Department of Ecology and Evolution, will discuss Herbivorous Insects: Studies in the Evolution of Diversity. Questions about coevolution, ecological specialization, speciation, evolutionary rates, and diversity apply to many or most organisms, but are dramatically exemplified by herbivorous insects, which together with their host plants account for nearly half the described species of living organisms. Professor Futuyma will recount highlights of field and laboratory studies that he and his students have pursued in trying to answer some of these questions, and he will offer some tentative answers, while yet emphasizing that puzzling problems remain. For more information visit http://entclub.org.

    Image result for douglas futuyma evolution

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

    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.

    https://press.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/covers/9780691162683.png?itok=zcEMTMo0

  • Tuesday, November 14, 7:30 pm – Limacodidae Caterpillars and the Life of Harrison Dyar

    November’s meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club will be held Tuesday, November 14th, at 7:30 PM in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Oxford Street, Cambridge. Marc Epstein, Senior Insect Biosystematist at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, will be discussing Limacodidae Caterpillars and the Life of Harrison Dyar.

    When Marc Epstein began dissertation research on limacodid moths at the University of Minnesota, he soon sensed that Harrison G. Dyar had an “inordinate fondness” for them, although he was known for his work on many families of Lepidoptera, as well as mosquitoes. Epstein will take you on my journey of discovery, including an interview with his son about Dyar’s extensive tunnels beneath Washington, DC, an exploration of his double life, and other unusual attributes of his life. Epstein will also touch on his life in Boston with his mother, Eleonora Rosella Dyar, a well- known medium, his time at MIT and as a member of this club publishing not only his famous paper on geometric growth of caterpillars, known as “Dyar’s Law” in Psyche, but also other papers, including the life histories of over 60 geometrid moths! Dyar spent most of a decade in Boston (1882-1892), interrupted only by summers near Rhinebeck, New York, and extensive western collecting trips.

    A book signing will follow the talk.

    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, April 11, 7:30 pm – Chemical Ecology and Behavior of the Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Longhorned Beetle

    Emerald Ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis and the Asian longhorned Beetle (ALB) Anoplophora glabripennis, are considered to be two of the most serious invasive pests of deciduous trees in North America. Efficient monitoring traps are needed to detect and delimit new introductions and assess population densities of established infestations. Development of a monitoring trap for these pests are hindered by their complex sequence of mating behaviors.

    EAB and ALB mating involves host kairomones, male produced short range pheromones, female produced short range pheromones, female produced trail and cuticular contact pheromones, along with important visual cues. A Tuesday, April 11 Cambridge Entomological Club presentation by Dr. Damon Crook of the USDA will discuss the complex chemical ecology of these insects and show what electrophysiological and behavioral research is currently being done at the Otis USDA laboratory with regards to identifying and testing new potential attractants and traps.

    The lecture will take place at Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, MCA 101 in Cambridge. Parking permits are available: see www.entclub.org for details. Free and open to the public.

  • Tuesday, May 10, 7:30 pm – Coevolution in a Bee-Orchid Mutualism

    The next meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club will be held on Tuesday May 10 at 07:30 PM in in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 84 Oxford Street, Cambridge. Santiago Ramirez will present a talk entitled Coevolution in a Bee-Orchid Mutualism.  A short explanation on the topic: it’s all about the perfume.

    All are welcome to join us at 5:45 at the West Side Lounge for an informal pre-meeting dinner. Please note the change in location from past years.  The speaker explains his program:

    “Evolutionary biologists have long recognized the central role that species interactions play in the origin and maintenance of biological diversity. However, the ecological conditions and the genetic mechanisms whereby interacting lineages coevolve and adapt to one other remain poorly understood. My work investigates the genetic bases of coadaptation in a highly specialized plant-pollinator mutualism. Unlike the majority of insects, male euglossine bees do not produce their own pheromones, but instead gather and accumulate perfume compounds (terpenes) from the environment to present subsequently to females during courtship display. Male-gathered perfumes are species-specific, and thus likely mediate reproductive isolation among related bee lineages. A large diversity of orchid species from the American tropics has evolved the production of terpene-rich floral scents to attract male euglossine bees in exchange for pollination services. My research explores the mechanisms of coadaptation and reproductive isolation on both sides of this fascinating mutualism. On the bee side, my research aims to (1) characterize the diversity of perfume phenotypes across the phylogeny of euglossine bees, (2) investigate whether and how male perfume phenotypes mediate reproductive isolation among lineages, and (3) characterize the genetic and functional bases of sensory (olfactory) perception that control perfume specificity. On the orchid side, my work aims to (4) elucidate the ecological and chemical mechanisms of scent-mediated pollinator specificity, (5) determine whether and how divergent floral scent phenotypes promoted the evolution of reproductive isolation, and (6) characterize the genetic mechanisms that regulate scent production and differentiation among related orchid lineages. My research integrates approaches from multiple disciplines including evolutionary biology, genomics, molecular biology, chemistry and physiology to investigate how genetic toolkits are coopted to generate the intricate associations we observe between species in nature.”

    The meeting is free and open to the public.  Image from www.orchidspecies.com.

  • Tuesday, April 12, 7:30 pm – From Individuals, to Populations, to Communities, to Extinction: When Does Personality Matter?

    The next meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club will be held on Tuesday April 12 at 07:30 PM in in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street in Cambridge. Dr. Jonathan Pruitt, Assistant Professor at UC/Santa Barbara will expand our horizons outside of Insecta and into Arachnida, as he presents a talk entitled From Individuals, to Populations, to Communities, to Extinction: When Does Personality Matter?.

    All are welcome to join us at 5:45 at the West Side Lounge for an informal pre-meeting dinner.

    Consistent individual differences in behavior (aka ‘animal personality’) have received considerable attention in recent years because of their apparent ability to explain maladaptive behavior and to predict individual fitness in a variety of circumstances. In this talk Dr. Pruitt will explore how behavioral variation influences higher level ecological processes, including population demographics, species interactions and multilevel selection. He will use social spiders to address these topics.

    The meeting is free and open to the public. Parking permits are available.  See www.entclub.org for details.

  • Tuesday, December 8, 7:30 pm – Role of Floral Traits in Mediating Disease Transmission

    The next meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club will be held on Tuesday, December 8 at 7:30 PM in in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge. Lynn S. Adler, Professor of Biology at University of Massachusetts, Amherst,  will present a talk entitled Role of Floral Traits in Mediating Disease Transmission.

    All are welcome to join us at 5:45 at the West Side Lounge for an informal pre-meeting dinner. Please note the change in location from past dinners!

    Lynn’s work addresses how floral traits can affect bee pathogen loads and disease transmission. Although many researchers now study bee pathogens due to concerns about pollinator decline, we still know remarkably little about the role of plants in mediating bee diseases. In this talk she will demonstrate how nectar chemistry and pollen can affect bee gut pathogen loads, how transmission varies across plant species and consequences of plant variation for colony-level bee disease loads. The meeting is free and open to the public.  Image from www.nationofchange.org.

  • Tuesday, October 13, 7:30 pm – Small Carpenter Bees: What Insect Societies Tell Us

    The first Cambridge Entomological Club meeting of the 2015-16 year will be held on Tuesday October 13 at 07:30 PM. Please join them in in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, as Sandra Rehan will present a talk entitled “Comparative biology of Ceratina small carpenter bees: What early insect societies can tell us about the evolution of sociality”.

    The small carpenter bees, genus Ceratina, offer important insights into the early stages of social group formation. Small carpenter bees provide a unique opportunity to study the evolution and maintenance of social behavior in a group benefitting from detailed life history studies and a well-established phylogeny. Ceratina are globally-distributed and species range from solitary to complex societies; solitary species are typically found in temperate environments and social groups are recurrent in tropical regions. Sandra’s data highlights the importance of molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography for understanding the relative roles of phylogenetic inertia and regional ecology on the evolution of social behavior. Moreover, maternal care is a key precursor for the evolution of eusociality. Maternal investment is often determined, in part, by the quality and quantity of food provided to the offspring. Such maternal manipulation of nutrients, during development in particular, can influence the activation of hormones, nutrient storage, and social interactions of offspring once development is complete. The small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, is native to New England and this species is of special interest because of its prolonged maternal care and mothers who produce a special class of small daughters that help raise their siblings. Sandra examines nutritional, developmental and behavioral variation among offspring to determine the role of maternal manipulation and social environment on offspring care and worker behavior in incipient insect societies.

    The meeting is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided and you are also welcome to join them at 5:45 PM for an informal pre-meeting dinner at West Side Lounge Restaurant.

  • Tuesday, May 12, 7:30 pm – Ant Plant Mutualisms

    May’s meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club will be held Tuesday May 12th at 7:30 PM in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Oxford Street, Cambridge. John Boyle of Harvard University and President of Cambridge Entomological Club will be presenting the 2015 Presidential Address and telling us about Ant Plant Mutualisms. Please note this is the last meeting until October.

    Mutualistic symbioses between ants and plants are a common feature of the tropics. Hundreds of different plants throughout the world have evolved cavities in which ant colonies can live, and even special organs that provide food for the ants. In return, the ants protect their trees against the encroachment of other plants and against herbivores–even herbivores as large as giraffe and elephant!

    In John’s talk for the CEC, he will present some of the diversity of ant-plant mutualisms, and also discuss his own research into one particular ant-plant, the whistling-thorn acacia, Vachellia drepanolobium. This ant-plant is unusual in that four different ant species compete for space on the tree, and all four ant species appear to cheat on the tree in different ways: some prune off its flowers, others tend sap-sucking scale insects, and so on. He will discuss his research on the colony-level underpinnings of this wide diversity in ant behavior.The meeting is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided and you are also welcome to join us at 6:00 pm for an informal pre-meeting dinner at Cambridge Common.  Image from www.baraza.wildlifedirect.org.

  • Tuesday, March 10, 7:30 pm – The Reintroduction of the American Burying Beetle to Nantucket

    March’s Cambridge Entomological Club meeting will be held Tuesday, March 10th at 7:30 PM in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Oxford Street in Cambridge. Andrew Mckenna-Foster (pictured below,) the Director of Natural Sciences at the Maria Mitchell Association, will be telling us about The Reintroduction of the American Burying Beetle to Nantucket Island.

    The federally endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae) is the largest of North America’s carrion beetles. Its historical range covered 35 states in the eastern temperate areas of North America, but today, populations remain in only eight states and it is possibly one of the rarest beetle species in the United States. The range of ABBs on the east coast is particularly limited, only surviving naturally on Block Island, RI. In 1994, 48 N. americanus were released on Nantucket Island, MA in a large collaborative effort to build a second east coast population. “As we observed how this new population was settling in on the island, we have adapted our monitoring and reintroduction methodology to efficiently boost the number of wild beetles. After a peak in capture numbers in 2011 (212 beetles), we entered a phase of testing whether the species can survive on the island with little to no assistance. I will talk about what we have learned concerning dispersal, winter survival, reproduction, and ultimately, the probable fate of this population.”

    The meeting is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided and you are also welcome to join us at 6:00 pm for an informal pre-meeting dinner at Cambridge Common.