Meeting 1133 Minutes
Minutes from the 1133rd Meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club
President David Lubertazzi called the 1133rd meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club to order at 7:40 pm on Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 at MCZ 101. Approximately 14 members and guests were in attendance.
Old business: Jess Walden-Gray reported on the Club’s participation at the HMNH event “Insect Planet”. Andrea Golden mentioned possible summer field trips, to be discussed in April.
Cambridge Entomological Club President Dr. David Lubertazzi presented a talk entitled “Evolutionary Origins of Myrmecochory: Clues from Two Continents.”
Myrmecochory is a mutualism that provides food to ants and seed dispersal benefits to plants. Studies examining these interactions have provided important insights into ant biology, plant biology and a diversity of topics in ecology and evolutionary biology. Dave’s talk presented details about the natural history of two ant species, A. rudis in New England, and R. violacea in W. Australia. These two ant species play important roles in dispersing seeds within their native habitats.
A. rudis and R. violacea share several characteristics that make them good partners for plants. Both build shallow nests, and both are general scavengers known to collect certain elaiosome bearing seeds with which the ants are associated. Their nests are often found in dense concentrations and they tend to leave a few seeds in conditions suitable for germination. Taken together, these and other observations can contribute to insights into myrmecochory and its evolution.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 for discussion and refreshments.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrea Golden, CEC Secretary
Minutes from the 1133rd Meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club
President David Lubertazzi called the 1133rd meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club to order at 7:40 pm on Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 at MCZ 101. Approximately 14 members and guests were in attendance.
Old business: Jess Walden-Gray reported on the Club’s participation at the HMNH event “Insect Planet”. Andrea Golden mentioned possible summer field trips, to be discussed in April.
Cambridge Entomological Club President Dr. David Lubertazzi presented a talk entitled “Evolutionary Origins of Myrmecochory: Clues from Two Continents.”
Myrmecochory is a mutualism that provides food to ants and seed dispersal benefits to plants. Studies examining these interactions have provided important insights into ant biology, plant biology and a diversity of topics in ecology and evolutionary biology. Dave’s talk presented details about the natural history of two ant species, A. rudis in New England, and R. violacea in W. Australia. These two ant species play important roles in dispersing seeds within their native habitats.
A. rudis and R. violacea share several characteristics that make them good partners for plants. Both build shallow nests, and both are general scavengers known to collect certain elaiosome bearing seeds with which the ants are associated. Their nests are often found in dense concentrations and they tend to leave a few seeds in conditions suitable for germination. Taken together, these and other observations can contribute to insights into myrmecochory and its evolution.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 for discussion and refreshments.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrea Golden, CEC Secretary
