Frequency-dependent selection occurs when predators alter their prey choice to target abundant prey. We tested whether two species of insectivorous songbirds exhibited similar frequency-dependent selection behavior. House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) and Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) routinely occupy nest boxes established over 700 acres at Missouri Western State University. During the 2018 breeding season from April through July, House Wrens consumed more sentinel prey from the color station that had previously appeared in higher frequency after four days of training. Eastern Bluebirds did not consume more of the previously abundant prey color stations and neither species showed a preference when the abundant color was reversed for the second half of the experiment which may be explained by latency in switching previously learned behaviors. Consequently, House Wrens demonstrated an initial frequency-dependent foraging strategy, but the Eastern Bluebirds did not. These results indicate how generalist insectivores that nest in the same habitat differ in their foraging strategies and behaviors.

Honey bees are important for crop and wild flower pollination and are facing population decline due to several factors that may be mitigated through conservation efforts. The purpose of this study was to assess attitudes towards honey bees of adults visiting a honey bee information table at a University's weeklong pollinator event in the spring of 2019. Attitudes were assessed utilizing 12 statements scored on a 5-point Likert scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree. Relationships between demographics and attitudes were explored using chi-square test and Bonferroni correction. Attitudes towards honey bees were, overall, positive. Participants recognize the intelligence of honey bees and agree it is important to learn about honey bees, protect them, and that they are an important part of the environment. They disagreed that they felt fear when near a honey bee, and disagreed that it is better to kill a bee than be stung. Additionally, they disagreed that they would kill a honey bee found in their home. Participants strongly disagreed that honey bees are dangerous. Significant relationships were found between number of times a person was stung and attitudes towards learning about honey bees and whether a person felt that killing a honey bee is better than being stung. A significant relationship was also found between geographic location and importance of honey bees to the environment. This study highlighted the need to continue education and exposure of the public to honey bees in order to positively affect perceptions.

Hurricanes Irma and Maria were category 5 hurricanes that devastated parts of Central America in September 2017. Hurricane Irma passed northern Puerto Rico on September 6; Maria reached Puerto Rico as a category 4 hurricane on 20 Sep 2017. These hurricanes had devastating effects on the people living in Puerto Rico, but less is known about how the hurricanes impacted Puerto Rico's wildlife. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) provides a large ecological database covering all American states and Puerto Rico. NEON includes comprehensive information about fish species and environmental variables at multiple sites collected at time periods from late 2014 to present. Aquatic sample collection in Puerto Rico has been performed at Rio Guilarte and Rio Cupeyes. Data collection from these two sites occurred around the same time before the hurricanes in February 2017, and also occurred shortly after the hurricanes. Gambusia affinis (western mosquitofish), Xiphophorus hellerii (green swordtail), and Poecilia reticulata (guppy) were collected in Rio Guilarte. Agonostomus monticola (mountain mullet) was collected in Rio Cupeyes. The focus of this study was to determine if the hurricanes had an impact on the mean length of each fish species, which would suggest eco-evolutionary effects of hurricanes on fish populations. The results indicate that while all four species' lengths decreased, on average, only the decreases in green swordtail and mountain mullet were significant. Hurricanes, storms, and floods are happening at increasingly higher severity. This analysis identifies direct biological effects caused by severe short-term ecological disruptions on multiple fish species.

Recent studies indicate that virtual social networks have the ability to modulate emotional states and health of users for better or worse. One possible explanation between these inconsistent results may be related to the amount of time spent using social network sites. Therefore, we examined if patterns of social media use modulated responses to an acute laboratory stressor. Physiological (heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR)), psychological (perception of public speaking, mood, perceived social isolation) and behavioral (passive and active engagements) responses were compared in healthy college undergraduates before and after completing the Simulation Public Speaking Test (SPST). Lack of access to a phone was associated with elevated physiological arousal (i.e., increased HR, BP, RR; all p > 0.05) and subjects who reported high social media use (HSMU) that were not allowed access to their phones demonstrated potentiated stress responses compared with low social media users (LSMU; e.g., mean HSMU/No phone stress HR = 84.5 beats/min vs mean LSMU/No phone; stress HR = 69 beats/min; p > 0.05). Subjects with access to a phone responded differently to psychological assessments throughout the SPST based on amount of social media use. HSMUs demonstrated higher amounts of perceived social isolation and were less likely to interact with others around them compared with LSMUs. These results suggest that subjects reporting high social media use depended on their phone for “stress coping” more so than those reporting low social media use and that lack of access to a phone resulted in differential physiological, psychological and behavioral responses in HSMUs compared with LSMUs. Collectively, these data provide further insight into the interaction between psychosocial stress, social media use and health.

Zebrafish, Danio rerio, form shoals consisting of loosely aggregated individuals swimming in different directions. Shoal-mate composition in fish can be influenced by body size, shape, coloration, and pattern. The effect of transgenic body coloration on shoal-mate composition in wildtype D. rerio was examined. A test arena was divided into three equal sections with a wildtype zebrafish in the center compartment. For control trials, a wildtype shoal of seven individuals was placed in both side compartments. For experimental trials, one of the wildtype shoals was replaced with seven green transgenic fish. The number of visits made to each side and the time spent on each side were recorded. Control fish showed no significant difference (NSD) in the average number of visits to the left versus right side and NSD in the average time spent with either shoal. Experimental fish exhibited NSD between the average number of visits to the transgenic versus the wildtype shoal, but they spent significantly more time shoaling with the wildtype. Wildtype test fish consistently visited each side, which would enable assessment of shoal composition, but spent more time shoaling with phenotypically similar individuals, as predicted by the oddity effect. Previous studies show no significant preference by wildtype D. rerio for wildtype versus red transgenic conspecifics and indicate a more prominent role of striping pattern. This generates further questions about the influence of body coloration on shoal-mate preference. Future research could examine the effect of other transgenic colors on shoal-mate preference.