Edward B. Mondor

Rising atmospheric CO₂ levels may alter behavioral dynamics that mediate species interactions, a largely overlooked dimension of ecosystem functioning. Aphids offer a tractable model for examining these modifications, as their primary protection from natural enemies relies on the alarm pheromone (E)-β-farnesene (Eβf). Facultative aphid endosymbionts like Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa complicate this dynamic by modifying parasitoid resistance and associated behaviors, yet their interaction with elevated CO₂ remains largely unexplored. Using a single clone of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), we investigated how CO₂ levels and H. defensa D3 status, independently and interactively, altered Vicia faba L. plant size, aphid fecundity, and aphid dispersal responses to Eβf. Here we show that dry shoot weights of bean plants grown under elevated CO₂ increased, compared to those grown under ambient conditions. Irrespective of CO₂ level, however, aphids harboring H. defensa produced significantly more offspring, and dispersed at significantly higher rates in response to Eβf than symbiont-free individuals. Under the standardized Eβf assay, the difference in dispersal between H. defensa-harboring aphids and those that were symbiont-free was large under ambient CO₂ (59% vs. 9%) and smaller under elevated CO₂ (23% vs. 12%). Thus, elevated CO₂ reduced symbiont-associated differences in dispersal under standard assay conditions in this aphid clone with implications for tri-trophic interactions, biological control efficacy, and symbiont prevalence under future atmospheric conditions.

Going beyond the classroom, this study emphasized the well-being and support of educators, shifting focus from the traditional emphasis on students. Leveraging the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) dataset, this study identified preceding factors and salient qualitative themes based on available coroner/medical examiner and police reports of primary and secondary educator suicides in the United States. Factors related to having a job-related problem among educators who died by suicide included the COVID-19 pandemic, age, being male, being married, teaching special education, experiencing depressed mood, financial problems, and/or the presence of criminal-legal problems (n = 1655). Additionally, qualitative themes extracted among those with a job-related problem preceding suicide (n = 136) included conduct-related issues or related investigations, the COVID-19 pandemic, financial strain, teaching-related issues, employment changes, and mental health problems. The findings of this study are connected to self-efficacy theory and teacher identity, and to broader global challenges among educators. We provide policy recommendations based on our findings for this important occupational group.

Color vision plays a critical role in Diptera behavior, particularly in the detection of oviposition sites. Necrophagous Diptera, like the Calliphoridae, are of forensic importance because the larvae are commonly used to estimate minimum postmortem intervals of human remains. To better understand which species are present, flies are routinely sampled in different habitats using baited traps; however, the influence of trap color on capture efficiency remains poorly understood. In this study, baited bottle traps painted clear, blue, red, and yellow were deployed in wooded habitats to collect adult dipterans. Overall captures were dominated by Lucilia coeruleiviridis (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Clear traps consistently captured a greater diversity of Calliphoridae, Muscidae, and Sarcophagidae. In contrast, yellow traps captured the fewest individuals overall, while red and blue traps yielded intermediate numbers. Dipteran composition in red and yellow traps, however, differed from those in clear traps. Collectively, these results indicate that clear baited traps are more effective for sampling adult necrophagous Diptera, whereas yellow baited traps may be less suitable. Additional investigation is warranted to characterize the complex interactions between visual and olfactory cues underlying attraction and oviposition site selection in necrophagous dipterans.

Forensic entomologists use insect development, especially in blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). Since insect activity is driven mainly by temperature, understanding geographic and seasonal variation in community composition is critical. In the southeastern United States, approximately 10 blow fly species dominate, generally classified as “summer-active” or “winter-active” flies. We studied their presence and abundance during winter/spring and summer/fall transitions across the Georgia Fall Line (GFL), a major geophysical boundary separating the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Here we show that community structure was shaped more by regional biogeography and seasonal transitions, than by current temperature. Three species; Calliphora livida, Lucilia coeruleiviridis, and Cochliomyia macellaria accounted for over 70% of seasonal variation. Fly communities differed sharply across the GFL and shifted between seasonal transitions. Recognizing these geographic and temporal patterns can help forensic entomologists produce more accurate mPMI estimates in death investigations.

Medicolegal forensic entomology relies largely on blow fly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) activity to estimate a minimum postmortem interval (mPMI). The prevailing assumption, that blow flies are inactive at night, leads to the exclusion of nocturnal colonization from mPMI estimates. Artificial light at night (ALAN), however, especially from the increasing use of light emitting diode (LED) streetlights, may alter this innate behavior. Baited traps were deployed at two sites: one natural site that was dark at night (unlit) and one undeveloped but with infrastructure site that was LED-illuminated at night (lit). Samples were collected during daytime and nighttime periods. A total of 1,544 blow flies representing seven species were collected. Only six flies (0.4% of the total) were captured at night, four in unlit and two in lit environments, indicating minimal nighttime activity. These results suggest that, under current conditions, ALAN is unlikely to induce nocturnal blow fly behavior and impact mPMI estimations. Further research across diverse taxa and environments is needed to better understand the effects of ALAN on insects of forensic importance.

Educators are facing unprecedented pressures inside and outside of the classroom. While much has been learned about the wellbeing of primary and secondary students, educators' health and welfare remains less studied. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of educator suicide in the United States, addressing gaps in the literature by exploring demographic risk factors, temporal dynamics, and methods. The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) was used to investigate suicide characteristics in primary and secondary educators from 2018 to 2021. Suicides were significantly higher in male, white, and unpartnered educators. Males died by suicide at older ages than female educators. Educators were more likely to die by suicide during school hours (9 a.m.−3 p.m.) and less likely in the early morning hours (12−6 a.m.). Suicides peaked on Monday and were lower on weekends compared to weekdays, suggesting occupation‐related influences. There was no significant difference in suicides by month, year, or by season. Educators were more likely to die by suicide using firearms than other methods. These findings offer school practitioners empirical evidence to develop targeted prevention strategies, enhance intervention timing, and provide appropriate support for at‐risk groups to enhance the well‐being of educators.

Altered atmospheric composition, associated with climate change, can modify herbivore population dynamics through CO ₂ and/or O ₃ ‐mediated changes in plant quality. Although pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum genotypes exhibit intraspecific variation in population growth in response to atmospheric composition, the proximate mechanisms underlying this variation are largely unknown. By rearing single (green, pink) and mixed (green + pink) pea aphid genotypes on red clover Trifolium pratense at the Aspen Free Air CO ₂ and O ₃ Enrichment (Aspen FACE) site, we assessed whether: (i) elevated CO ₂ and/or O ₃ concentrations alter aphid growth and development and (ii) individual aphid growth rates predict aphid population densities. We showed that growth and development of individual green and pink aphids were not influenced by CO ₂ and/or O ₃ concentrations when reared as individual or mixed genotypes. Individual growth rates, however, did not predict population densities. Reared as a single genotype, green pea aphid populations decreased in response to elevated CO ₂ concentrations, but not in response to elevated CO ₂ + O ₃ concentrations. Pink pea aphid populations reared as a single genotype were unaffected by augmented CO ₂ or O ₃ . Populations of mixed genotypes, however, were reduced under elevated CO ₂ concentrations, irrespective of O ₃ concentrations. Herbivore population sizes may not readily be predicted from growth rates of individual organisms under atmospheric conditions associated with global climate change.