Article
Ecology
Leslie E. Decker, Christopher S. Jeffrey, Kaitlin M. Ochsenrider, Abigail S. Potts, Jacobus C. de Roode, Angela M. Smilanich, Mark D. Hunter
Summary: Animals rely on a balance of endogenous and exogenous sources of immunity to mitigate parasite attack, which is increasingly urgent to understand under rapid environmental change. In herbivores, immunity is influenced by environmental conditions, such as the consumption of plants with toxic steroids providing external immunity. Changes in milkweed phytochemistry induced by elevated CO2 alter the balance between exogenous and endogenous immunity sources, potentially leading to a shift in immune function under future atmospheric conditions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
David G. James, Linda Kappen
Summary: The study focused on the migration of monarch butterflies in the Pacific Northwest, revealing that most migrate to coastal California for wintering, while some from eastern Washington and Idaho may have alternative winter destinations. The research also showed that monarchs affected by wildfire smoke and protozoan parasite infection can still successfully migrate.
Article
Zoology
Cecilia A. Sanchez, Isabella G. Ragonese, Jacobus C. de Roode, Sonia Altizer
Summary: This study examined the environmental persistence and thermal tolerance of a debilitating protozoan parasite that infects monarch butterflies. The findings show that warmer temperatures decrease parasite viability over time, different parasite genotypes exhibit variability in thermal tolerance, and there is no clear relationship between environmental persistence and within-host replication. The study also found that dormant spores can survive for many months under cooler conditions, but heat dramatically shortens the window of transmission for this butterfly parasite.
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Philip J. Lester, Mariana Bulgarella
Summary: The study investigated the latitudinal variation in monarch butterfly parasitism and wing deformities in New Zealand, revealing opposite latitudinal trends for parasite prevalence and wing deformities. The findings suggest that cold temperatures may independently affect parasite and butterfly development, with lower temperatures leading to wing deformities in butterflies. Environmental factors seem to influence insect populations through different pathways, with the prevalence of parasite infections impacting butterfly fitness in warmer regions and cold conditions causing fitness costs such as deformed wings at higher latitudes. Monarch butterflies may perform better in regions with optimal temperature conditions for both the butterflies and parasites.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Mitchell J. Kendzel, Sonia M. Altizer, Jacobus C. de Roode
Summary: In many species, migration can either increase or reduce parasite prevalence depending on migratory culling and dropout. The relationship between migration and infectious disease in monarch butterflies has been investigated, and it was found that migration can decrease parasite prevalence resulting in the loss of millions of monarchs. The remaining questions highlight the influence of migration on genetics, the interference of resident populations with migration, and the impact of infection on migratory cognition.
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ania A. Majewska, Andrew K. Davis, Sonia Altizer, Jacobus C. de Roode
Summary: Insect-pathogen dynamics in migratory monarch butterflies show variations influenced by insect abundance, climate, and parasite dynamics. OE infection in monarchs has negative effects on survival and flight performance. The infection prevalence and trends differ between eastern and western North American monarchs and are influenced by host breeding density. The migration process involves migratory culling of infected butterflies. OE infection poses a threat to the monarch population, and the role of human practices needs further examination.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Nancy Lawson, Richard I. Vane-Wright, Michael Boppre
Summary: The chemical defenses of monarch butterflies involve cardiac glycosides obtained from larval hostplants and pyrrolizidine alkaloids obtained by adults. While cardiac glycosides have received attention, pyrrolizidine alkaloids are largely ignored. Research suggests consideration of this insect-plant relationship for future study.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Olivia L. L. Cope, Luke N. N. Zehr, Anurag A. A. Agrawal, William C. C. Wetzel
Summary: Extreme heat events, which are increasing in frequency and intensity, can have varying consequences on insect communities depending on their timing. This study found that the timing of heat waves had multiyear, timing-specific effects on plant-insect communities, with early-season heat waves having more significant and persistent effects than late-season heat waves. The study also showed that heat waves following experimental herbivory had reduced consequences. Overall, the results highlight the complex and lasting ecological effects of extreme climate events, emphasizing the importance of considering timing.
Article
Ecology
Ruiping Luo, Benjamin Gilbert
Summary: Drought timing has significant impacts on plant and aphid populations, with just a few weeks' difference altering the effects of drought on plant growth and herbivore population density. Aphid herbivory can either mask or exacerbate the effects of drought on plants, and the timing of drought also influences whether plant and herbivore responses are parallel or divergent.
Article
Parasitology
Tolulope S. Babalola, Jacobus C. de Roode, Scott M. Villa
Summary: The study investigates the effects of parasites on coercive mating behavior in animals using monarch butterflies and their parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha as a model system. The results show that parasite infection reduces male mating success, mainly due to infected males attempting to mate less frequently. However, the parasites do not influence male mate choice. These findings highlight the vulnerability of mating dynamics in coercive systems to parasites.
JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maiara Menezes, Juliana Deo Dias, Guilherme O. Longo
Summary: This field experiment demonstrates that plastic pollution has a negative impact on benthic fish feeding in coral reefs, and fish barely interact with plastic debris.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
R. P. de Farias, L. E. N. da Costa, E. C. P. de Arruda, A. F. M. de Oliveira, T. Cornelissen, K. Mehltreter
Summary: Host plant selection by herbivores is influenced by a complex array of cues, including leaf traits and previous leaf damage. The study on Cyathea phalerata investigated the effects of a galling insect on repellent or attractant cues for sawfly feeding and the role of leaf size on herbivory levels. Results showed differences in nutritional quality, phenolic concentration, and C/N ratio between galled and non-galled leaf samples, but chewer damage did not differ significantly.
Article
Ecology
Luke E. Painter, Robert L. Beschta, William J. Ripple
Summary: The recruitment of aspen saplings increased as elk browsing decreased after the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park in 1995-96. The results support the idea of a trophic cascade benefiting aspen, countering claims that recent aspen recovery has been exaggerated.
Article
Plant Sciences
B. Fuchs, K. Saikkonen, A. Damerau, B. Yang, M. Helander
Summary: Glyphosate residues in soil have a longer persistence and can affect rhizosphere microbes, which in turn can have detrimental effects on crops and non-target plants. The impact of ubiquitous glyphosate residues on mutualistic microbes in aboveground plant parts is not well explored.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mar Sobral, Luis Sampedro, Isabelle Neylan, David Siemens, Rodolfo Dirzo
Summary: As plants develop, they may reallocate their antiherbivore defense traits due to changing costs and benefits. Herbivory triggers genome methylation in targeted plants and their offspring, leading to direct induction of physical defenses in progeny by mother plants with effects lasting from seedling to reproductive stages. Transgenerational priming was observed in physical and chemical defenses, particularly in adult plants, indicating differences in transgenerational plasticity in response to herbivore offense across plant life stages.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Leslie E. Decker, Abrianna J. Soule, Jacobus C. de Roode, Mark D. Hunter
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Mark D. Hunter, Mikhail Kozlov
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Biology
Kristel F. Sanchez, Naomi Huntley, Meghan A. Duffy, Mark D. Hunter
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Huijie Gan, Donald R. Zak, Mark D. Hunter
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ruchi Sharma, Menglian Zhou, Mark D. Hunter, Xudong Fan
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amanda R. Meier, Mark D. Hunter
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elena L. Zvereva, Mark D. Hunter, Vitali Zverev, Oksana Y. Kruglova, Mikhail V. Kozlov
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2019)
Review
Biology
Jacobus C. de Roode, Mark D. Hunter
CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wen-Hao Tan, Tarik Acevedo, Erica Harris, Tiffanie Y. Alcaide, James R. Walters, Mark D. Hunter, Nicole M. Gerardo, Jacobus C. de Roode
Article
Ecology
Leslie E. Decker, Mark D. Hunter
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Abrianna J. Soule, Leslie E. Decker, Mark D. Hunter
JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Leslie E. Decker, Christopher S. Jeffrey, Kaitlin M. Ochsenrider, Abigail S. Potts, Jacobus C. de Roode, Angela M. Smilanich, Mark D. Hunter
Summary: Animals rely on a balance of endogenous and exogenous sources of immunity to mitigate parasite attack, which is increasingly urgent to understand under rapid environmental change. In herbivores, immunity is influenced by environmental conditions, such as the consumption of plants with toxic steroids providing external immunity. Changes in milkweed phytochemistry induced by elevated CO2 alter the balance between exogenous and endogenous immunity sources, potentially leading to a shift in immune function under future atmospheric conditions.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Amanda R. Meier, Mark D. Hunter
Summary: This study investigated the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on predator-herbivore interactions through a field experiment. The results showed that the availability of AMF in soils had pervasive and complex effects on the dynamics between predators and herbivores.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Abigail S. Potts, Mark D. Hunter
Summary: Phenotypic variability in a population of common milkweed is influenced more by environmental factors than genetic factors, as indicated by a lack of correlation in trait expression between maternal lines from different environments. Genotype-by-environment interactions were observed for most resistance traits, highlighting the importance of environmental conditions in shaping phenotypic variation in milkweed populations.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)