Degree-day models for predicting adult Delia platura (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) spring flight and first emergence in New York State.

The seedcorn maggot, Delia platura (Meigen), is a pest affecting many crops, including corn. The early spring emergence of adults and belowground seed damage by maggots leave no room for rescue treatments during the short growing season in New York State. Degree-day (DD) models play a crucial role in predicting insect emergence and adult peak activity and are essential for effective pest management.

Larval pesticide exposure impacts monarch butterfly performance.

The long-term decline of monarch butterflies has been attributed to loss of their milkweed (Asclepias sp.) host-plants after the introduction of herbicide-tolerant crops. However, recent studies report pesticide residues on milkweed leaves that could act as a contributing factor when ingested as part of their larval diet.

Demographic response by a small epiphytic orchid.

Premise Of The Study: Biotic changes are an inevitable consequence of climate change. Epiphytes may be more susceptible to changes in climate variation, but data regarding responses to climate variability under field conditions are limited. We evaluated whether the abundance of demographic stages in the epiphytic orchid Lepanthes rupestris at the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico was associated with short-term changes in climate variation over an 8-yr period.