Dr. Nilay Yapici (NBB, New Faculty)“Deciphering Neural Circuits that Control Food Intake”Foodintakeisahighlyregulatedbehaviorthatintegratestasteandhungercuestobalanceconsumptionwithmetabolicneeds.TostudythedynamicsoffoodintakeintheflyDrosophilamelanogaster,wedevelopedExpresso,anautomatedfeedingassaythatmeasuresindividualmeal-boutswithhightemporalresolutionatnanoliter scale.Fliesshoweddiscrete,temporallyprecisefoodintakethatwasregulatedbyhungerstateandsucroseconcentration.Weidentify12cholinergiclocalinterneurons(IN1)necessaryforthisbehavior.SucroseingestioncausedarapidandpersistentincreaseinIN1interneuronactivityinfastedfliesthatdecreasedproportionallyinresponsetosubsequentfeedingbouts.SucroseresponsesofIN1interneuronsinfedfliesweresignificantlysmallerandlackedpersistentactivity.WeproposethatIN1neuronsmonitorfoodintakebyconnectingsugar-sensitivetasteneuronsinthepharynxtoneuralcircuitsthatcontrolthedrivetoingest.Similarmechanismsformonitoringandregulatingingestionmayexistinvertebrates.

Dr. Itai Cohen (Physics, Keynote Speaker)“Flight of the Fruit Fly”Therecomesatimeineachofourliveswherewegrabathicksectionofthemorningpaper,rollitupandsetofftodobattlewithoneofnature’smostaccomplishedaviators- thefly.Ifhowever,insteadofswattingwecouldmagnifyourviewandexperiencetheworldinslowmotionwewouldbeprivytoaworld-classballetfullofgracefulfigure-eightwingstrokes,effortlesspirouettes,andastonishingacrobatics.Afterwatchingsuchamagnificentdisplay,whoamonguscoulddestroythisvirtuoso?Howdofliesproduceacrobaticmaneuverswithsuchprecision?Whatcontrolmechanismsdotheyneedtomaneuver?Moreabstractly,whatproblemaretheysolvingastheyfly?Despitepioneeringstudiesofflightcontrolintetheredinsects,roboticwingexperiments,andfluiddynamicssimulationsthathaverevealedbasicmechanismsforunsteadyforcegenerationduringsteadyflight,theanswerstothesequestionsremainelusive.InthistalkIwilldiscussourstrategyforinvestigatingtheseunansweredquestions.IwillbeginbydescribingourautomatedapparatusforrecordingthefreeflightoffruitfliesandourtechniquecalledHullReconstructionMotionTracking(HRMT)forbackingoutthewingandbodykinematics.Iwillthenshowthatthesetechniquescanbeusedtorevealtheunderlyingmechanismsforflightmaneuvers,wingactuation,andneuralcircuitsgoverningflightstability.Finally,Iwillcommentontheimplicationsofthesediscoveriesforinvestigationsaimedatelucidatingtheevolutionofflight.

The 6th Annual Entomology Symposium

Featuring faculty lectures by:

Presented by JUGATAE, Cornell’s Graduate Student Entomological Society

January 20, 2017Morrison Room, A106 Corson-Mudd Hall

9:30-4:00

6TH ANNUAL CORNELL ENTOMOLOGY SYMPOSIUMJanuary 20

th

, 2017

Morison Room, A106 Corson-Mudd Hall

Time Presenter Title

9:30 Opening Remarks

9:35 Nilay Yapici (NBB)New faculty speaker

Deciphering Neural Circuits that Control Food Intake

10:05 John McMullen Impacts of acetic acid on Drosophila performance and fitness

10:17 Joo Hyun Im Genes involved in internalizing pathogens in Drosophila are shaped by recentand recurrent positive selection

10:29 Silas Bossert The impact of GC bias on phylogenetic accuracy using targeted enrichmentphylogenomic data

10:41 Break

11:00 Leticia Smith Patterns of insecticide resistance conferred by the voltage-sensitive sodiumchannel mutations S989P+V1016G in Ae. aegypti

11:12 Juan Silva Characterization of the mechanisms of resistance to pyrethroids in a Colombianstrain of Aedes aegypti

11:24 Talya Shragai How local demographics affect abundance, distribution, and seasonal trends ofthe Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus in the Lower Hudson Valley, NY

11:36 Alexandra Amaro Using a CRISPR approach to validate potential seminal fluid proteins respon-sible for the female post-mating response in Aedes aegypti

11:48 Lunch break

1:00 Matt Boucher The Role of Insects as Vectors of Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora) in New YorkApple Orchards

1:12 Elizabeth Cieniewicz Identifying vectors of grapevine red blotch-associated virus

1:24 Tonya Bittner Capture and quantification of airborne spores of the gypsy moth pathogen, En-

tomophaga maimaiga, using modified pollen traps and quantitative PCR

1:36 Max Helmberger They’re safe and legal, but will entomopathogenic nematodes play ball?

1:48 Break

2:10 Kristen Brochu Microbial ecology of the bee brood cell: insights from the hoary squash bee,Peponapis pruinosa

2:22 Zoe Getman-Pickering Mycorrhizal fungi: Friend or Foe? The relationship between competition, her-bivory and fungal mutualists

2:34 Nelson Milano The effects of landscapes and farm practices of bumble bee colony performanceand success

2:46 Nick Aflitto Seasonality of fear? Temporal non-consumptive effects in an economicallyimportant predator-prey interaction

3:00 Itai CohenKeynote speaker

Flight of the Fruit Fly

4:00 Closing remarks

6th Annual Cornell Entomology Symposium Cornell University

Nilay Yapici - Deciphering Neural Circuits that Control Food Intake (Faculty Speaker, Neurobiology and Behavior Biology) Food intake is a highly regulated behavior that integrates taste and hunger cues to balance consumption with metabolic needs. To study the dynamics of food intake in the fly Drosophila melanogaster, we developed Expresso, an automated feeding assay that measures individual meal-bouts with high temporal resolution at nanoliter scale. Flies showed discrete, temporally precise food intake that was regulated by hunger state and sucrose concentration. We identify 12 cholinergic local interneurons (IN1) necessary for this behavior. Sucrose ingestion caused a rapid and persistent increase in IN1 interneuron activity in fasted flies that decreased proportionally in response to subsequent feeding bouts. Sucrose responses of IN1 interneurons in fed flies were significantly smaller and lacked persistent activity. We propose that IN1 neurons monitor food intake by connecting sugar-sensitive taste neurons in the pharynx to neural circuits that control the drive to ingest. Similar mechanisms for monitoring and regulating ingestion may exist in vertebrates. John McMullen - Impact of acetic acid on Drosophila performance and fitness (Graduate Student, Entomology, Douglas Lab) Acetic acid is a major fermentation product of microorganisms associated with Drosophila and rotting fruit. Mated females prefer to oviposit on substrate containing acetic acid, even though this compound is a positional deterrent for the flies. We predicted that the adult oviposition preference is correlated with superior fitness of the pre-adult stages, especially larvae, on substrate containing acetic acid. Contrary to our prediction, larval development time and adult size was not promoted by acetic acid, in either the presence or absence of a gut bacterium Acetobacter pomorum, and at high concentrations was even deleterious to the insects, even though acetic acid promoted feeding. Our data do not support the expectation that adult oviposition preference is coupled to offspring fitness under laboratory conditions, raising the possibility that our experiments have not included the appropriate selective factors. In particular, acetic acid may be a reliable cue for the presence of Acetobacter and related bacteria that may confer protection against deleterious mycelial fungi or nutritional benefits, such as provisioning of vitamins and other micronutrients. Joo Hyun Im - Genes involved in internalizing pathogens in Drosophila are shaped by recent and recurrent positive selection (Graduate Student, Entomology, Lazzaro Lab) Autophagy and phagocytosis are cellular mechanisms that recognize, internalize, and eliminate pathogens from the cellular interior and the extracellular space, respectively. These mechanisms, as a part of the immune system, defend the host from a wide range of ever-changing pathogens that evolve to escape, resist or compromise host immunity. This dynamic conflict may result in coevolution, leading to a recurrent positive directional selection on host genes. Therefore, we hypothesized that host phagocytosis and autophagy genes may have experienced more positive selection than other genes in the genome. To test this hypothesis, we curated phagocytosis, autophagy, and other canonical immune genes (together called ‘target genes’), as well as control genes that are matched with target genes by gene length and genome location in two Drosophila species and performed population genetic analyses. Results showed a strong, recent selection on a subset of autophagy genes and phagocytosis genes that are involved in expansion of autophagosome and internalization of pathogens. These genes do not overlap between the species, indicating that a selective pressure affected the two species differently. Survey of a recurrent selection also showed several autophagy genes and phagocytosis genes as potentially undergoing an adaptive evolution. In conclusion, our work illustrates that while there is no evidence of selection at the pathway level, several genes in these pathways may have experienced a recent or a long-term selection due to prevalent host-pathogen interactions. This is the first study to examine the evolution of non-receptor phagocytosis and autophagy genes involved in immune defense, providing a novel insight into the evolution of the innate immune responses. Silas Bossert - The impact of GC bias on phylogenetic accuracy using targeted enrichment phylogenomic data (Graduate Student, Entomology, Danforth Lab) The field of sequence based phylogenetic analyses is currently being changed by novel hybrid-based targeted enrichment methods, such as the use of Ultraconserved elements. Rather than analyzing relationships among organisms using a small number of genes, these methods now allow us to evaluate relationships with many hundreds to thousands of individual gene loci. However, the inclusion of thousands of loci does not necessarily overcome the long-standing challenge of incongruence among phylogenetic trees of different genes. A controversial factor that impacts the level of incongruence in phylogenomic data sets is the composition of GC content. CG rich gene regions are linked to higher recombination rates than AT rich alleles, substantially driven by a process known as GC biased

Abstracts

gene conversion. As a result, high GC content is negatively associated with phylogenetic accuracy, but the extent to which this impacts incongruence among UCEs is basically unstudied. In this study, we investigate the impact of GC content on phylogeny reconstruction using in-silico captured UCE data for the corbiculate bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). The phylogeny of this group has been the subject of extensive study, and incongruence among gene trees turned out to be a major challenge, rendering the phylogenetic reconstruction so difficult. We conducted coalescent- and concatenation-based analyses of 810 individual gene loci from all 13 currently available bee genomes, including 8 corbiculate taxa. Both coalescent- and concatenation-based methods converged on a single topology of the corbiculates. In contrast to concatenation, the coalescent-based inferences depicted significant topological conflict on the branch involving the orchid bees (Euglossini) and honeybees (Apini). Partitioning the loci by GC content reveals decreasing support for the inferred topology with increasing GC, and strong support among loci which are rich in AT. Based on the results of this study, we report the first evidence of GC biased gene conversion among ultraconserved elements. Leticia Smith - Patterns of insecticide resistance conferred by the voltage-sensitive sodium channel mutations S989P+V1016G in Aedes aegypti (Graduate Student, Entomology, Scott Lab) Mosquitoes are the vectors of numerous human pathogens that kill or debilitate millions of humans each year. Aedes aegypti is a vector of four important human disease viruses: dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika. Because A. aegypti has a wide global distribution and thrives in urban environments, it poses a serious risk to human health. Pyrethroid insecticides, such as permethrin, are widely used for mosquito control, including A. aegypti. The extensive use of pyrethroids to control A. aegypti in the past decades has resulted in resistance that is now found worldwide. Insecticide resistance is a major obstacle to the control of medically significant arthropod pests and will directly impact the re-emergence of vector-borne diseases. To effectively manage the evolution of resistance it is important to know the levels of resistance conferred by specific mutations. I have created a strain of A. aegypti that contains two Vssc mutations, S989P+V1016G (IsoKDR), but has the same genetic background as the susceptible ROCK strain. Although this combination of mutations was shown to make VSSC less sensitive to pyrethroids in in vitro Xenopus oocyte expression studies, the in vivo levels of resistance conferred to pyrethroids was unknown. I will report on the patterns of cross-resistance conferred by the S989P+V1016G mutations to structurally diverse pyrethroids and DDT. The implications of these results to the control of A. aegypti will be discussed. Juan Silva - Characterization of the mechanisms of resistance to pyrethroids in a Colombian strain of Aedes aegypti (Graduate Student, Entomology, Scott Lab) The increased incidence of diseases (Zika, chikungunya, dengue and many others) transmitted by mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti in countries within the tropics highlights the need for a solution. In fact, the most intensive strategy to mitigate this problem is through insecticides and pyrethroids are the most common class being used. Pyrethroids exert their toxic effects by interacting with the voltage-sensitive sodium channel (VSSC) of the mosquitoes and enhances the depolarization of the membrane with lethal results. However, resistance to this class of insecticides occurs by point mutations in the Vssc gene and/or via detoxification by cytochrome P450-mediated monooxygenases (CYPs). In Latin America, there are mutations reported in Vssc. This project aims to characterize these mechanisms of resistance on a field-collected A. aegypti population from Colombia (La Mesa strain), where Zika and chykungunya cases are reported. For this reason, the goals of this project are to: (1) Identify the resistance/susceptibility status of La Mesa strain relative to the insecticide-susceptible Rockefeller strain through bioassays, (2) determine the presence of mutations based on other Latin American strains as well as to identify novel mutations present in Vssc. (3) Determine pyrethroid metabolism and expression of some CYPs which have been reported as overexpressed in other Latin American strains. The overall outcome will inform improvements in the control of disease transmission by this vector. Talya Shragai - How local demographics affect abundance, distribution, and seasonal trends of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus in the Lower Hudson Valley, NY (Graduate Student, Entomology, Harrington Lab) The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is a globally invasive vector of arboviruses like dengue and chikungunya that lays its eggs in man-made and natural containers. Currently, the southern part of New York represents one of the northern boundaries of their US range, yet little is known about the distribution or behavior of Ae. albopictus in this region and how landscape factors influence this species. In this study, we conducted container surveys in 400 homes in nine neighborhoods that spanned a range of median household income and percent impervious surface in

the Lower Hudson Valley region of New York. Across 2000 containers surveyed we found 141 positive for Ae. albopictus immatures. Positive containers were present from the first survey in April, peaked in early August, declined sharply in late August, and plateaued through the last survey in November. Presence of organic material, shading, and water temperature were best predictors of positive containers. Neither impervious surface or median household income were predictive of the number of positive containers within a site, but high impervious surface and low median income were both correlated with greater degrees of spatial clustering of positive containers. Finally, seven surveys were conducted north of the reported range boundary, in which four sites had containers positive for Ae. albopictus. Alexandra Amaro - Probing the functional role of Aedes aegypti male-derived seminal fluid proteins in female mosquitoes using CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutants (Post-Doc, Entomology, Harrington Lab) The mosquito Aedes aegypti transmits viruses causing illnesses such as yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika in humans. These infections negatively impact the health of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Options for effective therapeutics and preventative vaccines are limited. Thus, vector control is essential for reducing the incidence of these, and newly emerging, diseases. New approaches for vector control are needed, such as targeting mosquito mating for population reduction or as a strategy for deploying beneficial transgenes into wild populations. During mating, male mosquitoes transfer seminal fluid proteins (SFPs), in addition to sperm, to females. These male-derived SFPs make the female refractory to mating with a subsequent male, an effect that is seen after mating and also upon injection of SFPs in the absence of mating. In addition, Ae. aegypti SFPs are thought to stimulate females’ egg development and oviposition, increase females’ immune response, and potentially induce changes in the females’ host-seeking behavior. Despite the important post-mating effects of SFPs, the individual SFP(s) responsible for the refractory phenotype, as well as other post-mating responses have not yet been identified. To identify SFP(s) critical for inducing female post-mating responses, we use a protein fractionation approach followed by genetic analysis. Protein homogenates from male accessory glands were separated by size-exclusion chromatography and fractions injected into unmated females. Effects of these injections on females’ time from blood feeding to oviposition, total clutch size, survival, and subsequent mating refractory behavior was measured. Active fractions were then subjected to LC/MS-MS mass spectrometry to identify their components. Six SFPs that were enriched in fractions that induced refractory behavior are top candidates for the refractoriness-regulating SFP. To determine which one(s) induce this post mating response, we employ a CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach. We are generating male mosquitoes in which we have individually deleted a given candidate SFP. We are testing for SFP-induced responses of Ae. aegypti females that were injected with accessory gland homogenates from homozygous mutant males. To date, we have generated deletions for four candidate SFPs; results from their bioassays will be presented. Matt Boucher - The Role of Insects as Vectors of Fire Blight (Erwinia amylovora) in New York Apple Orchards (Graduate Student, Entomology, Leob Lab) Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) is a devastating bacterial disease of apple, causing severe damage and economic loss in the Northeast, where over 20% of the nation’s apples are produced. To date, growers depend on streptomycin applications to control the disease, but this method is not sustainable due to occurrences of, and continued risk for, antibiotic resistance. Though insects have long been implicated as vectors of fire blight, little is known about the mechanisms driving their dissemination of this disease. Our goal is to identify key potential vectors in the field and then study the molecular and behavioral aspects of the pathogen-vector interaction in the lab. From May 2016 through September 2016, we sampled an experimentally infected orchard using yellow sticky cards and timed observation sampling, focusing on insects previously suggested as vectors of fire blight (bees, hoppers, and flies). To date, we have completed analysis on four hopper species, three of which tested positive for fire blight. Of note is a high positive rate for speckled leafhopper (Paraphlepsius spp.), which was not previously implicated as an apple pest but does vector bacterial diseases to other tree fruits. While sample processing is ongoing, our data suggests that several insects may be capable of disseminating fire blight, creating the potential for synergistic interactions between vectors. Elizabeth Cieniewicz - Identifying vectors of grapevine red blotch-associated virus (Graduate Student, Plant Pathology, Fuchs Lab) Red blotch disease is a viral disease of Vitis species, associated with Grapevine red blotch-associated virus (GRBaV). The genome of GRBaV is comprised of single stranded, circular DNA (3,206 nt), and is the sole member

of a putative new genus Grablovirus in the family Geminiviridae. GRBaV has been detected in all major grape-growing regions of the United States and in Canada, likely as a result of the dissemination of infected propagation and planting material. While within-vineyard spread has not been observed in most areas, spread is documented in California, likely due to transmission by insect vector. The three cornered alfalfa treehopper (Spissistilus festinus) transmits GRBaV under greenhouse conditions, but its epidemiological significance is not yet known. To identify insect vector(s) of GRBaV, a census of hemipteran insects feeding on GRBaV-infected grapevines in a selected California vineyard was performed in 2015 and 2016. Of more than 50 species screened in 2015 only four species- including S. festinus- consistently carry genetic elements of GRBaV. All four candidate vectors are phloem-feeders and are considered non-pests or very minor pests of grapevine. Identifying vectors of GRBaV and understanding their significance in the vineyard will inform proper management strategies to minimize spread of GRBaV. Tonya Bitter - Tracking the Entomophaga maimaiga “death cloud” (Post-Doc, Entomology, Hajek Lab) Entomophaga maimaiga Humber, Shimazu and Soper is an important fungal pathogen controlling gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.), which causes defoliation and economic losses in the eastern United States. This fungus can actively eject infective spores (conidiospores) after host death, and this spore type is more likely to be involved in the long-distance spread of the pathogen compared to the long-lived soilborne azygospores (resting spores) that are also produced. Long-distance spread of E. maimaiga has been documented, but little is known about the aerobiological factors that promote spread. The goal of this study was to develop effective field collection methods to measure the quantity of E. maimaiga conidiospores being deposited over space and time. We investigated gypsy moth outbreaks with epizootics in Pennsylvania in June and July of 2016. We applied highly specific and sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods previously developed for E. maimaiga resting spores to detect conidiospores deposited within wet-cup spore traps with a non-toxic preservative. Using four-day time periods beginning with third instars and continuing through pupation, we detected variable amounts of target DNA that had fallen from the air. The amounts of DNA detected corresponded to spore counts from 0 to 62 spores. DNA quantity was negatively correlated with the distance to the nearest defoliation in the previous year (an indicator of high gypsy moth population density, and therefore a potential source of spores). We also obtained site-specific weather data from PRISM Climate Group (Oregon State University, http://prism.oregonstate.edu). DNA quantity was not correlated with the sum of local rainfall one day before and during the trapping period. Rainfall can affect aerobiology on both the beginning/production side and the end/wet deposition side of the spreading process, so more fine-scaled data is needed to tease out the effect of rainfall. Conidial DNA declined over the period, largely due to the pupation of gypsy moth larvae, as pupae are not common sources of conidiospores. This preliminary study develops methods that will be useful in future studies, and eventually could contribute to predictive modeling of epizootics of E. maimaiga. Max Helberger - They’re safe and legal, but will entomopathogenic nematodes play ball? (Graduate Student, Entomology, Wickings Lab) School athletic fields present a unique challenge for turfgrass managers. The need for an even, attractive, and playable surface must be balanced with public pressure and legal requirements to reduce or eliminate pesticide use in public areas used by children. Alternative pest management tools thus must be considered and evaluated. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are one such tool, one of very few legal for use in New York State. EPNs are minute worms that parasitize and kill soil-dwelling insects, and are sold commercially and can be applied to soil as an aqueous spray in the same manner as a chemical pesticide. We tested the EPNs Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora against third-instar grubs of the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica in a field bioassay in high- and low-foot-traffic areas of two soccer fields. EPNs had modest efficacy in optimal soils. In addition, S. feltiae was much more effective in low-traffic areas than in high-traffic areas. Future studies will investigate EPN potential to control more susceptible first- and second-instar grubs. Kristen Brochu - Microbial ecology of the bee brood cell: insights from the hoary squash bee, Peponapis pruinosa (Graduate Student, Entomology, Danforth Lab) Solitary, ground-nesting bees, which comprise the vast majority of bees in the world, store a mixture of nutrient-rich pollen and nectar in brood cells excavated from the soil. The semi-liquid provision mass represents a rich store of resources in the form of carbohydrates (primarily from nectar), proteins (primarily from pollen), and diverse plant secondary compounds. This provision mass not only sustains the larval bee, but it can also be host to a diverse microbial fauna, although their role in this mini-ecosystem is largely unknown. Bee health is known to be influenced

by environmental factors, such as pesticides, floral resource quality, and habitat degradation, but the microbial community associated with bees is just beginning to be explored. Understanding the interactions between bees and their microbial community represents an important first step in identifying previously overlooked factors underlying bee health. We are currently investigating the community of microbes in nests of an abundant, widespread, economically important ground-nesting, solitary bee, the hoary squash bee, Peponapis pruinosa (Apidae). We are assessing the diversity and stability of the microbial community associated with these nests as well as the possible environmental sources of these microbes. Zoe Getman-Pickering - Mycorrhizal fungi: Friend or Foe? The relationship between competition, herbivory and fungal mutualists (Graduate Student, Entomology, Thaler Lab) Plants must deal with the constant stresses of nutrient limitations and attacks by herbivorous insects. As both defense and competition for resources are metabolically costly, plants must develop strategies to balance the two. They often rely on the mutualistic endosymbiont arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to help provide them with nutrients. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (hereafter AMF) grow within plant roots and out into the soil where they find nitrogen, water, and phosphorus that they provide to the plant in trade for photosynthate. Recent research has shown that these mutualists may also confer protection against disease and herbivores. There is currently a debate as to whether this protection is due purely to the increased nutrition (giving plants more metabolic resources to allocate to defense) or whether the fungus also alters plant defensive hormones. I conducted a set of greenhouse experiments to test the effect of the mycorrhizae Rhizophagus irregularis on tomato defense in the presence and absence of competition and at different nutrient levels. I found that mycorrhizae, rather than acting as a mutualist, suppressed plant defenses such as protease inhibitors. The negative effects were lower in the presence of competition. When fertilizer was applied to mimic the nutritional affect of mycorrhizal fungi, plants with fertilizer and plants with mycorrhizae had very the different levels of defenses despite similar rates of growth. It is likely that AMF is altering plant defensive chemistry to change plant-insect interactions beyond the effects of simple nutrient addition. The benefits of mycorrhizae are highly context-dependent based on levels of competition and herbivory. It is therefore important to study mycorrhizae in a multi-species context. Nelson Milano - The effects of landscapes and farm practices of bumble bee colony performance and success (Graduate Student, Entomology, McArt Lab) Pollinators required for the reproduction of a variety of plant species (cultivated and wild) and thus are economically important and have a strong influence on ecosystem function. They are exposed to three major environmental factors (habitat loss, pesticides and pathogens), which can reduce their populations, especially when encountered simultaneously. Here we examined how landscapes and farm practices affect the performance of the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens). We placed commercially-reared bumble colonies in four landscapes (natural, sub-urban, agricultural: organic and agricultural: conventional) around the Finger Lakes region (Ithaca, Geneva, Syracuse and Rochester) and assessed their performance by recording their weight and counting the numbers worker cells, drone cells, queen cells and gynes were recorded weekly. We also collected composite wax and individual bee samples for pesticide, pathogen and parasite analysis. Preliminary results show that bumble bee colonies placed in sub-urban landscapes had significantly lower colony growth (weight increase from beginning to end) than those in the other three landscapes. In addition, colony growth, number of bees, worker cells, drone cells, queen cells and gynes did not differ significantly among the three other landscapes. The low colony growth in sub-urban landscapes may have been due to low floral resources, high pathogen prevalence and or exposure to pesticides commonly used on lawns and gardens. Research this winter and spring will focus on analyzing samples to determine pesticide, pathogen and parasite profiles in each landscape and site. Nick Aflitto - Seasonality of fear? Temporal non-consumptive effects in an economically important predator-prey interaction (Graduate Student, Entomology, Thaler Lab) Many studies show a strong influence of predator cues (i.e. visual, chemical and acoustic) on the traits and behavior of prey, collectively termed non-consumptive effects (NCEs). However, most of these studies are conducted in artificial environments for short periods of time. Thus, NCE research in natural and agricultural systems is lacking, especially those investigating temporal and spatial effects of predator cues. These factors are important to increase our understanding of how predator cues impact prey in nature and to inform biological control strategies. Here, we show how predator odors alone can reduce plant damage and herbivore oviposition in an agricultural setting with temporally-dependent variation. The study system consisted of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Chrysomelidae:

Coleoptera) as the prey and Podisus maculiventris (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) as the predator in a potato field (Solanum tuberosum, cv Yukon gold). Potato damage was initially reduced by 41% by predator odor treatments, an effect that weakened over the growing season. An early-season effect of predator odors on prey oviposition was also observed, where treatment plots initially contained 56% fewer egg clutches. No measurable spatial effect of the predator odor was observed. This study highlights the dynamic nature of non-consumptive effects and contributes to the limited literature on the prolonged effects of predator cues in the environment. Itai Cohen - Flight of the Fruit Fly (Keynote Speaker, Physics) There comes a time in each of our lives where we grab a thick section of the morning paper, roll it up and set off to do battle with one of nature’s most accomplished aviators - the fly. If however, instead of swatting we could magnify our view and experience the world in slow motion we would be privy to a world-class ballet full of graceful figure-eight wing strokes, effortless pirouettes, and astonishing acrobatics. After watching such a magnificent display, who among us could destroy this virtuoso? How do flies produce acrobatic maneuvers with such precision? What control mechanisms do they need to maneuver? More abstractly, what problem are they solving as they fly? Despite pioneering studies of flight control in tethered insects, robotic wing experiments, and fluid dynamics simulations that have revealed basic mechanisms for unsteady force generation during steady flight, the answers to these questions remain elusive. In this talk I will discuss our strategy for investigating these unanswered questions. I will begin by describing our automated apparatus for recording the free flight of fruit flies and our technique called Hull Reconstruction Motion Tracking (HRMT) for backing out the wing and body kinematics. I will then show that these techniques can be used to reveal the underlying mechanisms for flight maneuvers, wing actuation, and neural circuits governing flight stability. Finally, I will comment on the implications of these discoveries for investigations aimed at elucidating the evolution of flight.