Fralin Life Sciences Institute

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/25796
Note: In 2019, the Biocomplexity Institute became part of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute.

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Browsing Fralin Life Sciences Institute by Subject "0608 Zoology"

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    Apheloria polychroma, a new species of millipede from the Cumberland Mountains (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)
    Marek, Paul E.; Means, Jackson C.; Hennen, Derek A. (Zootaxa, 2018-01-25)
    Millipedes of the genus Apheloria Chamberlin, 1921 occur in temperate broadleaf forests throughout eastern North America and west of the Mississippi River in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. Chemically defended with toxins made up of cyanide and benzaldehyde, the genus is part of a community of xystodesmid millipedes that compose several Müllerian mimicry rings in the Appalachian Mountains. We describe a model species of these mimicry rings, Apheloria polychroma n. sp., one of the most variable in coloration of all species of Diplopoda with more than six color morphs, each associated with a separate mimicry ring.
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    The Influence of Southwestern Virginia Environmental Conditions on the Potential Ability of Haemaphysalis longicornis, Amblyomma americanum, and Amblyomma maculatum to Overwinter in the Region
    Whitlow, Amanda Marie; Schürch, Roger; Mullins, Donald E.; Eastwood, Gillian (MDPI, 2021-11-06)
    Ticks are susceptible to environmental conditions and, to ensure survival during winter conditions, they adopt a wide variety of physiological and behavioral adaptations including utilization of a suitable niche with insulation (e.g., leaf coverage). To investigate the potential overwintering survival of three tick populations emerging within Appalachian Virginia (Haemaphysalis longicornis, Amblyomma americanum, and Amblyomma maculatum), both a laboratory experiment assessing super-cooling points and a two-factor (elevation and insulation coverage) field experiment assessing overwintering survivability were conducted across a natural southwestern Virginian winter (2020–2021). Dermacentor variabilis adults were included in this study as an example of a well-established species in this region known to overwinter in these conditions. Our study indicated that A. americanum and H. longicornis wintering tolerance is based on life stage rather than external factors such as insulation (e.g., leaf litter) and elevation. Amblyomma maculatum was more likely to survive without insulation. The ability to withstand the extreme temperatures of new regions is a key factor determining the survivability of novel tick species and is useful in assessing the invasion potential of arthropod vectors.