Interactions between large-scale and local factors influence seed predation rates and seed loss.

Herbivores often have highly variable impacts on plant fecundity. The relative contribution of different environmental factors operating at varying spatial scales in affecting this variability is often unclear. We examined how density-dependent seed predation at local scales and regional differences in primary productivity are associated with variation in the magnitude of pre-dispersal seed predation on (Lamiaceae).

Gut microbiota composition in the sympatric and diet-sharing and shaped largely by community assembly processes rather than regional species pool.

Clarifying the mechanisms underlying microbial community assembly from regional microbial pools is a central issue of microbial ecology, but remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the gut bacterial and fungal microbiome assembly processes and potential sources in and , two wild, sympatric insect species that share a common diet of waxberry. While some convergence was observed, the diversity, composition, and network structure of the gut microbiota significantly differed between these two host species.

The trade-off between investment in weapons and fertility is mediated through spermatogenesis in the leaf-footed cactus bug .

Males have the ability to compete for fertilizations through both precopulatory and postcopulatory intrasexual competition. Precopulatory competition has selected for large weapons and other adaptations to maximize access to females and mating opportunities, while postcopulatory competition has resulted in ejaculate adaptations to maximize fertilization success. Negative associations between these strategies support the hypothesis that there is a trade-off between success at pre- and postcopulatory mating success.

Phylogeography and population genetics of pine butterflies: Sky islands increase genetic divergence.

The sky islands of southeastern Arizona (AZ) mark a major transition zone between tropical and temperate biota and are considered a neglected biodiversity hotspot. Dispersal ability and host plant specificity are thought to impact the history and diversity of insect populations across the sky islands. We aimed to investigate the population structure and phylogeography of two pine-feeding pierid butterflies, the pine white () and the Mexican pine white (), restricted to these "islands" at this transition zone.

Turfgrass Cultivar Diversity Provides Associational Resistance in the Absence of Pest Resistant Cultivars.

Turfgrasses are ubiquitous in urban landscapes and can provide numerous ecosystem services. However, most warm season turfgrasses are produced, planted, and maintained as cultivar monocultures, which may predispose them to herbivore attack and reduce the services lawns provide. Though rarely done, host plant resistance can be used as a strategy to reduce herbivory and preserve beneficial services.