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by: Alireza Shokoohi, Robert Salerno and Leo Kerner
Native pollinators are the largely unsung heroes of our ecosystems, but they face an alarming risk that we've long underestimated. New research from Dr. Vera Krischik’s lab shows that the situation may be more dire than expected. Dr. Krischik is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Minnesota investigating the impact of neonicotinoid insecticide residues on pollinators such as wild bees and butterflies. Her research is crucial for understanding and protecting the lives of these beneficial insects that we often take for granted. By Amanda Brucchieri and Helen Craig
Imagine biking down a road, along the edge of a cornfield with stalks reaching far above your head. Drifting across your path, riding the breeze, is a monarch butterfly. It flutters and then glides as butterflies do, looking for the next patch of flowers to feed and rest. Bursting from this peaceful scene comes a team of scientists with nets, scopes, and chirping walkie-talkies. They are on a mission. They are tracking the same monarch that had just coasted by using radio telemetry. Professors Mike Raupp and Paula Shrewsbury team up with U.S. Department of Agriculture and Washington State University colleagues to help put to rest long standing uncertainty on whether or not adult Magicicada cicadas eat. Spoiler Alert! They do. See publication in the Journal of Insect Science for the “full” story on cicadas' newly confirmed feeding behaviors.
For even more check out news articles interviewing lead researcher James R Hepler: https://phys.org/news/2023-10-adult-periodical-cicadas.html https://www.sciencenews.org/article/debunk-periodic-cicada-myth-guts https://www.earth.com/news/do-periodical-cicadas-eat-when-theyre-above-ground/ Share further on facebook, X and with your other networks. Dr. Magdalene Ngeve and Postdoc Mentor (Dr. Maile Neel), as well as other fellow UMD and UMCES researchers, published a study in Ecology and Evolution. They examined how tropical storms Irene and Lee affected the genetic diversity of aquatic plants in the lower Hudson River Estuary. Researchers collected samples of Vallisneria americana Michx. (Hydrocharitaceae) before and after the storms. Checking DNA markers, they were surprised to find the plants as a whole were able to sustain genetic diversity. However, they celebrate these findings with caution. These plant populations were already small and reproduced mainly asexually relying on making exact copies of themselves, which doesn't add to genetic diversity. If more severe storms and human disturbances continue along the Hudson, these plants might struggle to recover. For a more complete understanding of long-term resilience, the authors would like to see more ongoing monitoring of genetic diversity and population size.
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