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Ecological traits have flourished in insect-based studies, resulting in a substantial and growing list of measurable traits. One trait that will likely become more attractive as data quality and curation improve is the diel patterns of insect activities. Diel patterns in ants can help better understand vital ecological processes such as competition and invasion biology. Because diel activity has the potential to be an informative trait in ants, we assessed the diel designations of foraging ants across the literature to quantify and assess the variation and sampling extent of this particular trait. We collected diel designations from 104 peer-reviewed scientific articles and quantified these data across important and documented ecological traits. We found that a disproportionate amount of solitary foraging ants were primarily diurnal foragers relative to ants that cooperatively forage. Our data show that diel patterns in foraging vary widely within and across ant genera. Importantly, we highlight the undersampling of this crucial ecological trait, which currently limits its utility. Our efforts highlight the importance of assessing an ecologically important trait’s landscape of reported data.

The immigrant pavement ant, Tetramorium immigrans Santschi is one of the most commonly encountered ants in the United States. The first introduction into the United States occurred from Europe in the beginning of the 19th century. Since then, the species has become well established and is prevalent in urban areas in the northern U.S. and parts of Canada. While the presence of immigrant pavement ants in the U.S. has been acknowledged for decades, the extent of its invasiveness and severity as a pest are not well characterized.

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Cryphalus lipingensis Tsai & Li, 1963 belongs to the bark beetle genus Cryphalus that contains more than 200 species. Five species of Cryphalus are distributed throughout the USA, mostly in northern latitudes. All American species live in dead twigs of conifers, and none of these species is considered an important pest. Cryphalus lipingensis does not occur in North America, but it is widespread in China. The reason for its importance is that it has been reported to colonize and kill American pine species planted in China, namely slash pine, Pinus elliottii, and as such poses a threat to US forests and forestry as a potential invasive pest.

Abstract We tested the immediate and delayed effects of a low-intensity prescribed fire on beetles, ants and termites inhabiting log sections cut from moderately decomposed pine trees in the southeastern United States. We also explored co-occurrence patterns among these insects. Half the logs were placed at a site scheduled for a prescribed fire while the rest were assigned to a neighboring site not scheduled to be burned. We then collected insects emerging from sets of logs collected immediately after the fire as well as after 2, 6, 26 and 52 weeks. The fire had little effect on the number of beetles and ants collected although beetle richness was significantly higher in burned logs two weeks after the fire. Both beetle and ant communities differed between treatments, however, with some species preferring either burned or unburned logs. We found no evidence that subterranean termites (Reticulitermes) were influenced by the fire. Based on co-occurrence analysis, positive associations among insect species were over two times more common than negative associations. This difference was significant overall as well for ant × beetle and beetle × beetle associations. Relatively few significant positive or negative associations were detected between termites and the other insect taxa, however.

The oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild, 1903), is a member of the family Pulicidae in the order Siphonaptera. Fleas are highly specialized insects that are demonstrably successful as ectoparasites of birds and mammals (Marquardt, et al. 2000). Of the nearly 2,500 species of fleas known from around the world (Triplehorn & Johnson 2005), few are as infamous as the oriental rat flea. This species is best known as the carrier of the plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) that was responsible for decimating large populations of people, including nearly a third of the human population of Europe, and influenced the trajectory of human history (Fasulo 2004). In addition to its role as a vector of the plague bacterium, this species can vector other pathogens and at least two tapeworm parasites of humans (Marquardt, et al. 2000; Gage 2005).

Prescribed fire is used globally as a habitat restoration tool and is widely accepted as supporting biotic diversity. However, in fire-prone ecosystems, research has sometimes documented post-fire reduction in ant diversity and accompanying changes in seed removal behavior. This is concerning because ants provide important ecosystem services that can aid in restoration efforts, including seed dispersal. In this study, we examined the immediate impacts of fire in the well-studied ant community of longleaf pine forests (LLP) in the SE USA. We surveyed seed-removing ant species in a LLP sandhill ecosystem to investigate the effects of prescribed fire and coarse woody debris (CWD), a nesting and foraging resource, on ant community composition and ant–seed interactions. Seed-removing ants comprised a significant portion of detected ant species (20 of 45); eight of these species are documented removing seeds for the first time. Following an experimentally applied low-intensity summer burn, decreases in seed remover detection were observed, along with reductions in the number of seeds removed, across both burned and unburned areas; neither prescribed fire nor proximity to CWD significantly influenced these factors. Together, these results show that seed-removing ant species constitute a substantial proportion of the LLP sandhill ant community and are relatively robust to habitat changes mediated by low-intensity prescribed burning during the growing season. Considering ant community resiliency to fire, we can infer that using prescribed fire aligns with the goals of restoring and maintaining biotic diversity in this fire-prone ecosystem.

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. The little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger), is a problematic invasive species from Central and South America that has become established in numerous countries and on islands around the world. This species has been documented in the state of Florida since at least 1924, where it was first recorded in Miami (Wetterer and Porter 2003). As the common name little fire ant (LFA) suggests, stings are painful, especially in relation to their small size.

The Ligurian leafhopper, Eupteryx decemnotata (Rey), is an insect in the family Cicadellidae that has undergone a rapid range expansion in the last three decades. It is a potential pest of plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae), and its spread may be assisted by the commercial transportation of its host plants. Originally published on the Featured Creatures website at: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/VEG/LEAF/Ligurian_leafhopper.HTM

Contents: Introduction - Distribution - Description - Biology - Hosts - Damage - Management - Selected References Also available on the Featured Creatures website at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/wasps/Sirex_noctilio.htm

Vespa mandarinia Smith, commonly called the Asian giant hornet, is the largest hornet in the world. Its size and distinctive markings make it easily distinguishable from other Asian hornet species. Not only is the wasp occasionally life-threatening to humans, it can decimate a number of insect colonies, most notably wild and farmed honey bees. Vespa mandarinia is native to Japan and occurs in several countries in Asia. The first Vespa madarinia hornet detected in the United States was in Washington State in 2019. This 5-page fact sheet written by Caitlin Gill, Cameron Jack, and Andrea Lucky and published by the UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department describes the hornet, its biology, its predatory strategies, and its medical significance. The fact sheet also provides some strategies for management of this dangerous and destructive hornet. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1281

The European wool carder bee Anthidium manicatum (Linnaeus) is a solitary, cavity-nesting bee species in the family Megachilidae (tribe Anthidiini), a family whose members include the mason and leaf cutter bees. Wool carder bees are so named because the female bee scrapes and collects the soft downy hairs (trichomes) of fuzzy plants to use in building a nest for her young. Some consider male wool carder bees very charismatic and enjoy watching them chase after other bees that invade their territory, while others would call them bullies based on male bees’ aggressive tendencies toward other bees when defending floral resources. This species has been called the most widely distributed unmanaged bee in the world (Strange et al. 2011) because of its expansive native and non-native range. This document describes its synonymy, distribution, description, life cycle and biology, hosts, economic importance, and includes selected references. Available on EDIS at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1274 Also available on the Featured Creatures website at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/BEES/Anthidium_manicatum.html

Clarifying the population structure and introduction history of non-native species is essential to preventing and mitigating effects of invasion, yet the invasion history of many long-established non-native species remain poorly understood. This study characterized the population structure of one of the most commonly encountered urban ants in North America using public participant-collected specimens and double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq). Based on this genomic approach we confirm the identity of populations ranging across the continent as Tetramorium immigrans Santschi, and report low genetic diversity across its range, suggesting that this entire population resulted from the establishment of one single, or a few closely related ant colonies, approximately 200 years ago. The absence of strong population structure suggests that this ant's spread across North America has been repeatedly aided by human-assisted dispersal. We find no evidence of inbreeding in T. immigrans; this contrasts with the inbreeding and unicoloniality of many other invasive ants. These results demonstrate how collections-based public participatory science and emerging high-throughput sequencing techniques each have the potential to vastly improve the amount of data available to researchers. Together, these techniques can be deployed to address ecological and evolutionary questions, including questions about invasion biology, in non-model organisms. We suggest that this model is particularly well-suited for research on common taxa that are ecologically important but poorly understood.

Also published as part of the Featured Creatures collection: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/BENEFICIAL/LEPS/Caloptilia_triadicae.html Tallow Leaf Roller (suggested common name) Caloptilia triadicae (Davis) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1256

The rusty spider wasp, Tachypompilus ferrugineus, is a large, reddish orange wasp with conspicuous iridescent blue to violet wings. Aptly named, the rusty spider wasp specializes in hunting large spiders which it paralyzes and provides for its offspring to consume. These eye-catching wasps can be seen perusing loose soil for spider burrows, nectaring at flowers, or dragging large spiders back to their nests. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1247

The giant burrowing mayfly, Hexagenia limbata (Serville, 1829) (Figure 1) is one of the most widespread mayflies in North America and is well known for its importance in ecosystem health and water quality monitoring. The mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) are an ancient lineage of aquatic insects originating more than 300 million years ago (Merritt and Cummins 2008). Within this order, the burrowing mayflies of the family Ephemeridae are well-known for their importance in fly fishing and their massive synchronized mating flights. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1244 Also published on the Featured Creatures website: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/AQUATIC/mayfly.html

Praying mantids are charismatic insects that are considered beneficial to humans because of their insectivorous lifestyle and because of their aesthetic appeal. Despite this, many praying mantid species remain understudied. One species that occurs in the southeastern United States is the grass-like mantid, Thesprotia graminis (Scudder) (Figure 1). This small, cryptic mantid species is light brown to green in color and can easily blend in with pine needles and grass, making it difficult to detect in its natural habitat. Although this mantid may be mistaken for a stick insect (Order: Phasmatodea), especially when its forelegs are held directly in front of the body and it resembles a blade of grass, the raptorial forelimbs reveal the insect’s true identity. There are 14 Neotropical species within the genus Thesprotia, all of which occur in South America except Thesprotia graminis (Rondon et al. 2007). The type specimen for this species is a male that was collected in Gainesville, Florida. It is vouchered in the entomology collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This document is also available on the Featured Creatures website at http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1235

The flower thrips, Frankliniella tritici (Fitch) (Figure 1), is one of the most abundant species of flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in the eastern United States (Reitz 2008). The official common name established by the Entomological Society of America for this species is flower thrips, although the name flower thrips is often applied generically to the numerous species in the genus Frankliniella that inhabit flowers. For this reason, it is frequently referred to as the eastern flower thrips, presumably for its distribution in the eastern United States. Several species in the genus Frankliniella are considered economic pests and cause damage to a wide variety of crops through feeding and oviposition (Childers 1997). Several species are able to vector orthotospoviruses (or tospoviruses), including Tomato spotted wilt virus. However, Frankliniella tritici is not a vector of Tomato spotted wilt virus and is considered a pest of secondary importance (de Assis Filho 2005). Frankliniella tritici may, however, be confused with other similar Frankliniella species in Florida such as Frankliniella bispinosa and Frankliniella occidentalis which are capable vectors of Tomato spotted wilt virus (Riley et al. 2011). This document is also available on the Featured Creatures website at http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1236

Includes: Introduction - Synonymy - Distribution - Description - Life Cycle - Biology- Management - Natural Enemies - Selected References Also published on the Featured Creatures website at: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/BEES/Augochlora_pura.html

The delta flower beetle, Trigonopeltastes delta (Forster), is a member of the scarab beetle family Scarabaeidae, in the subfamily Cetoniinae. This subfamily is commonly known as flower or fruit chafers because their diet consists mostly of decomposing fruits or pollen (Cave and Ratcliffe 2008). Trigonopeltastes delta belongs to the tribe Trichiini, which contains mostly flower-frequenting species. Although this species is commonly encountered where it occurs, many details of its life cycle and its potential economic importance remain poorly studied. Like many other cetoniines, the delta flower beetle has bright colors and distinctive patterns that distinguish it from other similar species. Includes: Introduction - Etymology and Synonymy - Distribution - Description and Life Cycle - Hosts - Economic Importance - Selected References. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1214 Also published at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/BENEFICIAL/BEETLES/delta_flower_beetle.html

The forked fungus beetle, Bolitotherus cornutus (Panzer), is a cryptic horned beetle in the family Tenebrionidae that is found throughout much of eastern North America. The most distinctive feature of the forked fungus beetle is a pair of forward-facing horns that emerge from the thorax of the adult male (Figure 1). Males use these horns in competitions with rivals for access to reproductive opportunities with females. These beetles spend most of their lives on or within shelf fungi that grow on decaying logs. The fascinating life history of the forked fungus beetle makes this insect an excellent model for studying behavior, population dynamics, and sexual selection.

This fact sheet supercedes EENY-266/IN545 (originally published as DPI Entomology Circular 217), by H. H. Weems. Jr.

This EDIS publication is an alternate version of a page published first on the Featured Creatures website. The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. This 4-page fact sheet that discusses the ebony jewelwing was written by Alfred Runkel, Nathan Burkett-Cadena, and Andrea Lucky, and published by the UF Entomology and Nematology Department, November 2017. EENY-693/IN1193: Ebony Jewelwing, Black-Winged Damselfly (suggested common names) Calopteryx maculata (Beauvois, 1807) (Insecta: Odonata: Calopterygidae) (ufl.edu)

Originally published on the Featured Creatured website at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/robust_crazy_ant.htm Includes: Introduction - Taxonomy - Synonymy - Distribution - Description - Biology - Life Cycle - Economic Importance - Selected References.

This EDIS publication is an alternate version of a page published first on the Featured Creatures website. The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. This 5-page fact sheet that discusses the winter ant was written by Jason L. Williams and Andrea Lucky, and published by the UF Entomology and Nematology Department, February 2017. EENY-675/IN1168: Winter Ant, False Honey Ant Prenolepis imparis (Say) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) (ufl.edu)

This EDIS publication is an alternate version of a page published first on the Featured Creatures website. The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. This 4-page fact sheet that discusses the fiery searcher beetle was written by Ann Marie Carias and Andrea Lucky, and published by the UF Entomology and Nematology Department, May 2017. EENY678/IN1173: Fiery Searcher, Caterpillar Hunter Calosoma scrutator (Fabricius 1775) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Carabidae) (ufl.edu)

This EDIS publication is an alternate version of a page published first on the Featured Creatures website. The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. This 5-page fact sheet that discusses the Hypothenemus eruditus species of the bark beetle was written by Yin-Tse Huang, Jiri Hulcr, Andrew J. Johnson, and Andrea Lucky, and published by the UF Entomology and Nematology October, July 2016. EENY-664/IN1147: A Bark Beetle Hypothenemus eruditus Westwood (1836) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) (ufl.edu)

Insects are possibly the most taxonomically and ecologically diverse class of multicellular organisms on Earth. Consequently, they provide nearly unlimited opportunities to develop and test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses. Currently, however, large-scale studies of insect ecology, behavior, and trait evolution are impeded by the difficulty in obtaining and analyzing data derived from natural history observations of insects. These data are typically highly heterogeneous and widely scattered among many sources, which makes developing robust information systems to aggregate and disseminate them a significant challenge. As a step towards this goal, we report initial results of a new effort to develop a standardized vocabulary and ontology for insect natural history data. In particular, we describe a new database of representative insect natural history data derived from multiple sources (but focused on data from specimens in biological collections), an analysis of the abstract conceptual areas required for a comprehensive ontology of insect natural history data, and a database of use cases and competency questions to guide the development of data systems for insect natural history data. We also discuss data modeling and technology-related challenges that must be overcome to implement robust integration of insect natural history data.

This EDIS publication is an alternate version of a page published first on the Featured Creatures website. The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. This 5-page fact sheet that discusses the giant honey bee was written by Cameron J. Jack, Andrea Lucky, and James D. Ellis, and published by the UF Entomology and Nematology Department, February 2016. EENY646/IN1119: Giant Honey Bee Apis dorsata Fabricius (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae) (ufl.edu)

This EDIS publication is an alternate version of a page published first on the Featured Creatures website. The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. This 3-page fact sheet that discusses the paper wasp was written by Lizzie Paulus and Andrea Lucky, and published by the UF Entomology and Nematology Department, November 2015. EENY640/IN1112: Paper Wasp, Red Wasp (Suggested Common Names) Polistes carolina (L.) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Vespidae) (ufl.edu)

The tea shot-hole borer is an Asian ambrosia beetle introduced to Florida in the early 2000s. In Florida it does not have any known economic impact, but it is a serious pest of tea around the world and is one of the few ambrosia beetles that can infest healthy plants. The tea shot hole borer has a symbiotic relationships with the ambrosia fungus Fusarium ambrosium (Gadd & Loos), which is also a weak plant pathogen. This 4-page fact sheet includes a diagnosis section with guidance for avoiding misidentification. Written by You Li, Andrea Lucky, and Jiri Hulcr, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2015.

Xyleborus affinis is one of the most widespread and common ambrosia beetles in the world. It is also very common in Florida. Like other ambrosia beetles, it bores tunnels into the xylem of weakened, cut or injured trees and farms gardens of symbiotic fungus for food. Females lay eggs in the fungus-lined galleries and larvae feed exclusively on the fungi. Recent studies have shown that Xyleborus affinis can vector the fungus responsible for laurel wilt disease, which is lethal to numerous species of trees in the Lauraceae family. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Lanette Sobel, Andrea Lucky, and Jiri Hulcr, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2015. (Photo credit: Juri Hulcr, UF/IFAS) EENY 627/IN1094: An Ambrosia Beetle Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff (1868) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) (ufl.edu)

The pavement ant is one of the most commonly encountered ants in the United States. Since first introduced from Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the ant has become well established and is prevalent in urban areas in the northern U.S. and parts of Canada. However, the extent of their invasiveness and severity as a pest is not well characterized. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Tyler Vitone and Andrea Lucky, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, September 2014. EENY600/IN1047: Pavement ant Tetramorium caespitum (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) (ufl.edu)

This species of Cotesia has been widely used as a model system in insect physiology. It has also been used to examine insect learning in host-parasitoid-plant interactions. It is an important natural enemy of the tobacco hornworm, a detrimental pest species that feeds on many plants in the Solanaceae (tobacco, pepper, tomato, etc.) family. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Christopher D. Crockett, Andrea Lucky, Oscar E. Liburd, and Karen M. Kester, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, July 2014. EENY598/IN1042: A Parasitoid Wasp Cotesia congregata (Say) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (ufl.edu)

The evolution of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is increasingly well-understood due to recent phylogenetic analyses, along with estimates of divergence times and diversification rates. Yet, leading hypotheses regarding the ancestral habitat of ants conflict with new findings that early ant lineages are cryptic and subterranean. Where the ants evolved, in respect to habitat, and how habitat shifts took place over time have not been formally tested. Here, we reconstruct the habitat transitions of crown-group ants through time, focusing on where they nest and forage (in the canopy, litter, or soil). Based on ancestral character reconstructions, we show that in contrast to the current consensus based on verbal arguments that ants evolved in tropical leaf litter, the soil is supported as the ancestral stratum of all ants. We also find subsequent movements up into the litter and, in some cases, into the canopy. Given the global importance of ants, because of their diversity, ecological influence and status as the most successful eusocial lineage on Earth, understanding the early evolution of this lineage provides insight into the factors that made this group so successful today.

The belly button is one of the habitats closest to us, and yet it remains relatively unexplored. We analyzed bacteria and arachaea from the belly buttons of humans from two different populations sampled within a nation-wide citizen science project. We examined bacterial and archaeal phylotypes present and their diversity using multiplex pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA libraries. We then tested the oligarchy hypothesis borrowed from tropical macroecology, namely that the frequency of phylotypes in one sample of humans predicts its frequency in another independent sample. We also tested the predictions that frequent phylotypes (the oligarchs) tend to be common when present, and tend to be more phylogenetically clustered than rare phylotypes. Once rarefied to four hundred reads per sample, bacterial communities from belly buttons proved to be at least as diverse as communities known from other skin studies (on average 67 bacterial phylotypes per belly button). However, the belly button communities were strongly dominated by a few taxa: only 6 phylotypes occurred on >80% humans. While these frequent bacterial phylotypes (the archaea were all rare) are a tiny part of the total diversity of bacteria in human navels (