Ann Fraser | Kalamazoo College (original) (raw)

Papers by Ann Fraser

Ants are formidable predators, yet a number of species engage in mutualistic associations with ne... more Ants are formidable predators, yet a number of species engage in mutualistic associations with nectar-producing hemipteran and lepidopteran insects. The mechanism by which mutualistic associations are initiated has received little attention and studies have been restricted to facultatively myrmecophilous insects that associate with a broad range of ants. Results indicate that tending is initiated via associative learning as ants are rewarded with honeydew from their trophobiotic partner. A minority of myrmecophiles, however, have obligate, species-specific associations with ants. Consequently, ants may instinctively recognize these partners as mutualists. To test this hypothesis, we compared tending and aggressive responses of one attendant and three non-attendant ant species toward caterpillars of an obligately ant-associated butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). We recorded interactions in the laboratory for 10 min at 0, 2 and 24 h after introducing nave ants to a final insta...

Great Lakes Entomologist

Biodiversity, often quantified by species richness, is commonly used to evaluate and monitor the ... more Biodiversity, often quantified by species richness, is commonly used to evaluate and monitor the health of ecosystems and as a tool for conservation planning. The use of one or more focal taxa as surrogates or indicators of larger taxonomic diversity can greatly expedite the process of biodiversity measurement. This is especially true when studying diverse and abundant invertebrate fauna. Before indicator taxa are employed, however, research into their suitability as indicators of greater taxonomic diversity in an area is needed. We sampled invertebrate diversity in old fields in southern Michigan using pitfall trapping and morphospecies designations after identification to order or family. Correlation analysis was used to assess species richness relationships between focal arthropod taxa and general invertebrate diversity. Relationships were assessed at two fine spatial scales: within sampling patches, and locally across four sampling patches. Cumulative richness of all assessed ta...

New Directions for Higher Education, 2015

ABSTRACT This chapter describes consortial efforts within the Great Lakes Colleges Association to... more ABSTRACT This chapter describes consortial efforts within the Great Lakes Colleges Association to share expertise and programming to build research skills throughout the undergraduate curriculum. Strategies to scaffold research skill development are provided from Allegheny College, Kalamazoo College, and The College of Wooster.

Southeastern Naturalist, Jan 1, 2004

We compared the efficacy and biases of pitfall trapping and Winkler extraction of sifted leaf lit... more We compared the efficacy and biases of pitfall trapping and Winkler extraction of sifted leaf litter for sampling the diversity of grounddwelling ants in native oak-hickory hardwood forest and cultivated pine stands on the Cumberland Plateau in southern Tennessee. Samples yielded 2,635 individuals from 23 species, 17 genera, and 4 subfamilies. According to estimates of expected species richness, our sampling effort inventoried at least 82% of the ant fauna likely to be captured by these methods at a given site. Litter sifting yielded more individuals, more species and more occurrences of most species than did pitfall traps, but neither method captured all species. Most myrmicine and all ponerine species showed a significant bias toward capture by litter sifting, whereas pitfall traps tended to be more effective at capturing large-bodied Camponotus ants and species that forage outside of prime daylight hours, when litter samples were collected. Large pitfalls (75 mm diameter) caught more species and more individuals than small pitfalls (25 mm diameter). The preliminary survey indicated that a change from native hardwood to cultivated pine reduced species richness and altered the assemblage of ant species present, but did not alter community diversity or abundance of ants. Larger scale surveys involving commercial pine plantations are needed for more accurate assessments of how this type of land use change affects local ant diversity and ecosystem functioning.

Oecologia, Jan 1, 2001

We assessed the quality of different ant species as partners of the facultatively myrmecophilous ... more We assessed the quality of different ant species as partners of the facultatively myrmecophilous lycaenid butterfly Glaucopsyche lygdamus. We compared disappearance and parasitism rates of G. lygdamus larvae in the field, and development of non-feeding prepupae in the laboratory, when individuals were untended or tended by one of four ant species. Formica podzolica was the only ant species to provide a clear benefit to G. lygdamus, in the form of reduced larval parasitism relative to untended larvae. F. 'neogagates' (F. neogagates + F. lasioides) and Tapinoma sessile were essentially neutral partners, providing no significant cost or benefit for any of the parameters measured. Relative to untended individuals, association with F. obscuripes significantly increased larval disappearance and significantly decreased pupal mass. Thus, F. obscuripes may act as a parasite of the general association between G. lygdamus and ants under certain conditions. Ant species also differed in their persistence as tenders of G. lygdamus larvae once an interaction was established. Over the lifetime of a larva, F. podzolica and F. obscuripes usually remained as the attendant ant species on plants over consecutive census dates, while F. 'neogagates' and T. sessile were frequently replaced, most commonly by F. obscuripes. It remains to be determined if disappearance and developmental outcomes reported here reflect true fitness costs (i.e. reduced survivorship and lower reproduc-tive success) for G. lygdamus. The potential and limitations for specialization in association between G. lygdamus and high quality ant partners are discussed.

Australian Journal of Ecology, Jan 1, 1999

A comprehensive and critical review of all available literature on associations between Australia... more A comprehensive and critical review of all available literature on associations between Australian lycaenid butterflies and ants was undertaken to establish an accurate database of the partners involved. Collections and observations of lycaenids and ants were used to augment this review, resulting in a significant number of newly documented association (and non-association) records. Twenty published records considered to be erroneous or doubtful are noted, with justifications given for their deletion from the association database. In total, 265 different associations between lycaenids and ants, plus 65 non-attendance records are documented for Australia. Nearly 80% of the lycaenid species in Australia, for which the early stages are known, are recorded associating with ants and half of these are obligately ant-associated. Patterns of association are examined from the perspective of both lycaenids and ants, with a focus on ant systematics and ecology. Lycaenids are recorded with five ant subfamilies, including the first record of an association with the Pseudomyrmecinae. The Dolichoderinae, and to some extent the Formicinae, have a disproportionately high percentage of genera that associate with lycaenid butterflies. All ant species that tend lycaenids spend at least some portion of their time foraging on vegetation to collect plant and insect nectar. There is a robust relationship between the competitive status of ants within a community, and their frequency and degree of association with lycaenids. Obligate ant-association is accompanied by a high degree of specificity for ant partner, but two notable exceptions, Ogyris aenone and O. amaryllis are discussed. Facultative myrmecophiles tend to associate with a broad range of ants, although interactions with ecologically dominant ants are less frequent than might be expected based on the abundance of dominant ant species in Australian communities.

Journal of chemical ecology, Jan 1, 2003

Coupled gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) using antennae of adult ... more Coupled gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) using antennae of adult female Manduca sexta was employed to screen for olfactory stimulants present in headspace collections from four species of larval host plants belonging to two families: Solanaceae-Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato), Capiscum annuum (bell pepper), and Datura wrightii; and Martyniaceae-Proboscidea parviflora. Headspace volatiles were collected from undamaged foliage of potted, living plants. GC-EAD revealed 23 EAD-active compounds, of which 15 were identified by GC-mass spectrometry. Identified compounds included aliphatic, aromatic, and terpenoid compounds bearing a range of functional groups. Nine EAD-active compounds were common to all four host plant species: (Z )-3-hexenyl acetate, nonanal, decanal, phenylacetaldehyde, methyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol, geranyl acetone, (E)-nerolidol, and one unidentified compound. Behavioral responses of female moths to an eightcomponent synthetic blend of selected tomato headspace volatiles were tested in a laboratory wind tunnel. Females were attracted to the blend. A comparison of responses from antennae of males and females to bell pepper headspace volatiles revealed that males responded to the same suite of volatiles as females, except for (Z )-3-hexenyl benzoate. EAD responses of males also were lower for (Z )and (E)-nerolidol and one unidentified compound. Electroantennogram EAG dose-response curves for the 15 identified EAD-active volatiles were recorded.

Ants are formidable predators, yet a number of species engage in mutualistic associations with ne... more Ants are formidable predators, yet a number of species engage in mutualistic associations with nectar-producing hemipteran and lepidopteran insects. The mechanism by which mutualistic associations are initiated has received little attention and studies have been restricted to facultatively myrmecophilous insects that associate with a broad range of ants. Results indicate that tending is initiated via associative learning as ants are rewarded with honeydew from their trophobiotic partner. A minority of myrmecophiles, however, have obligate, species-specific associations with ants. Consequently, ants may instinctively recognize these partners as mutualists. To test this hypothesis, we compared tending and aggressive responses of one attendant and three non-attendant ant species toward caterpillars of an obligately ant-associated butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras (Lycaenidae). We recorded interactions in the laboratory for 10 min at 0, 2 and 24 h after introducing nave ants to a final insta...

Great Lakes Entomologist

Biodiversity, often quantified by species richness, is commonly used to evaluate and monitor the ... more Biodiversity, often quantified by species richness, is commonly used to evaluate and monitor the health of ecosystems and as a tool for conservation planning. The use of one or more focal taxa as surrogates or indicators of larger taxonomic diversity can greatly expedite the process of biodiversity measurement. This is especially true when studying diverse and abundant invertebrate fauna. Before indicator taxa are employed, however, research into their suitability as indicators of greater taxonomic diversity in an area is needed. We sampled invertebrate diversity in old fields in southern Michigan using pitfall trapping and morphospecies designations after identification to order or family. Correlation analysis was used to assess species richness relationships between focal arthropod taxa and general invertebrate diversity. Relationships were assessed at two fine spatial scales: within sampling patches, and locally across four sampling patches. Cumulative richness of all assessed ta...

New Directions for Higher Education, 2015

ABSTRACT This chapter describes consortial efforts within the Great Lakes Colleges Association to... more ABSTRACT This chapter describes consortial efforts within the Great Lakes Colleges Association to share expertise and programming to build research skills throughout the undergraduate curriculum. Strategies to scaffold research skill development are provided from Allegheny College, Kalamazoo College, and The College of Wooster.

Southeastern Naturalist, Jan 1, 2004

We compared the efficacy and biases of pitfall trapping and Winkler extraction of sifted leaf lit... more We compared the efficacy and biases of pitfall trapping and Winkler extraction of sifted leaf litter for sampling the diversity of grounddwelling ants in native oak-hickory hardwood forest and cultivated pine stands on the Cumberland Plateau in southern Tennessee. Samples yielded 2,635 individuals from 23 species, 17 genera, and 4 subfamilies. According to estimates of expected species richness, our sampling effort inventoried at least 82% of the ant fauna likely to be captured by these methods at a given site. Litter sifting yielded more individuals, more species and more occurrences of most species than did pitfall traps, but neither method captured all species. Most myrmicine and all ponerine species showed a significant bias toward capture by litter sifting, whereas pitfall traps tended to be more effective at capturing large-bodied Camponotus ants and species that forage outside of prime daylight hours, when litter samples were collected. Large pitfalls (75 mm diameter) caught more species and more individuals than small pitfalls (25 mm diameter). The preliminary survey indicated that a change from native hardwood to cultivated pine reduced species richness and altered the assemblage of ant species present, but did not alter community diversity or abundance of ants. Larger scale surveys involving commercial pine plantations are needed for more accurate assessments of how this type of land use change affects local ant diversity and ecosystem functioning.

Oecologia, Jan 1, 2001

We assessed the quality of different ant species as partners of the facultatively myrmecophilous ... more We assessed the quality of different ant species as partners of the facultatively myrmecophilous lycaenid butterfly Glaucopsyche lygdamus. We compared disappearance and parasitism rates of G. lygdamus larvae in the field, and development of non-feeding prepupae in the laboratory, when individuals were untended or tended by one of four ant species. Formica podzolica was the only ant species to provide a clear benefit to G. lygdamus, in the form of reduced larval parasitism relative to untended larvae. F. 'neogagates' (F. neogagates + F. lasioides) and Tapinoma sessile were essentially neutral partners, providing no significant cost or benefit for any of the parameters measured. Relative to untended individuals, association with F. obscuripes significantly increased larval disappearance and significantly decreased pupal mass. Thus, F. obscuripes may act as a parasite of the general association between G. lygdamus and ants under certain conditions. Ant species also differed in their persistence as tenders of G. lygdamus larvae once an interaction was established. Over the lifetime of a larva, F. podzolica and F. obscuripes usually remained as the attendant ant species on plants over consecutive census dates, while F. 'neogagates' and T. sessile were frequently replaced, most commonly by F. obscuripes. It remains to be determined if disappearance and developmental outcomes reported here reflect true fitness costs (i.e. reduced survivorship and lower reproduc-tive success) for G. lygdamus. The potential and limitations for specialization in association between G. lygdamus and high quality ant partners are discussed.

Australian Journal of Ecology, Jan 1, 1999

A comprehensive and critical review of all available literature on associations between Australia... more A comprehensive and critical review of all available literature on associations between Australian lycaenid butterflies and ants was undertaken to establish an accurate database of the partners involved. Collections and observations of lycaenids and ants were used to augment this review, resulting in a significant number of newly documented association (and non-association) records. Twenty published records considered to be erroneous or doubtful are noted, with justifications given for their deletion from the association database. In total, 265 different associations between lycaenids and ants, plus 65 non-attendance records are documented for Australia. Nearly 80% of the lycaenid species in Australia, for which the early stages are known, are recorded associating with ants and half of these are obligately ant-associated. Patterns of association are examined from the perspective of both lycaenids and ants, with a focus on ant systematics and ecology. Lycaenids are recorded with five ant subfamilies, including the first record of an association with the Pseudomyrmecinae. The Dolichoderinae, and to some extent the Formicinae, have a disproportionately high percentage of genera that associate with lycaenid butterflies. All ant species that tend lycaenids spend at least some portion of their time foraging on vegetation to collect plant and insect nectar. There is a robust relationship between the competitive status of ants within a community, and their frequency and degree of association with lycaenids. Obligate ant-association is accompanied by a high degree of specificity for ant partner, but two notable exceptions, Ogyris aenone and O. amaryllis are discussed. Facultative myrmecophiles tend to associate with a broad range of ants, although interactions with ecologically dominant ants are less frequent than might be expected based on the abundance of dominant ant species in Australian communities.

Journal of chemical ecology, Jan 1, 2003

Coupled gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) using antennae of adult ... more Coupled gas chromatography with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) using antennae of adult female Manduca sexta was employed to screen for olfactory stimulants present in headspace collections from four species of larval host plants belonging to two families: Solanaceae-Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato), Capiscum annuum (bell pepper), and Datura wrightii; and Martyniaceae-Proboscidea parviflora. Headspace volatiles were collected from undamaged foliage of potted, living plants. GC-EAD revealed 23 EAD-active compounds, of which 15 were identified by GC-mass spectrometry. Identified compounds included aliphatic, aromatic, and terpenoid compounds bearing a range of functional groups. Nine EAD-active compounds were common to all four host plant species: (Z )-3-hexenyl acetate, nonanal, decanal, phenylacetaldehyde, methyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol, geranyl acetone, (E)-nerolidol, and one unidentified compound. Behavioral responses of female moths to an eightcomponent synthetic blend of selected tomato headspace volatiles were tested in a laboratory wind tunnel. Females were attracted to the blend. A comparison of responses from antennae of males and females to bell pepper headspace volatiles revealed that males responded to the same suite of volatiles as females, except for (Z )-3-hexenyl benzoate. EAD responses of males also were lower for (Z )and (E)-nerolidol and one unidentified compound. Electroantennogram EAG dose-response curves for the 15 identified EAD-active volatiles were recorded.