Nutritional-ecology
Guides
Camponotus vicinus
Bicolored Carpenter Ant
Camponotus vicinus is a large, conspicuous carpenter ant distributed across western North America from Alaska to Mexico and east to Texas and Manitoba. Unlike many carpenter ants that nest in wood, this species typically nests in soil under stones and other objects, though it also uses fallen, decomposing logs in higher elevation conifer forests. It is a prominent scavenger and predator in terrestrial ecosystems and is one of the most abundant ground-dwelling arthropods in California's higher elevation conifer forests. The species belongs to a genetically diverse species complex with cryptic diversity, including localized populations of conservation interest such as an undescribed species endemic to the Channel Islands.
Exeristes comstockii
Exeristes comstockii is a parasitoid wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. Laboratory studies indicate it is a koinobiont parasitoid with documented host associations including Galleria mellonella and Lucilia sericata. Adult females require specific dietary components—amino acids, salts, and vitamins—for maximal fecundity. The species exhibits unusual fatty acid metabolism, directly incorporating host lipids rather than maintaining species-characteristic fatty acid profiles.
Rothschildia lebeau
Lebeau's Silk Moth, Forbes Moth
Rothschildia lebeau is a giant silkmoth in the family Saturniidae, distributed from the Lower Rio Grande Valley through eastern Mexico to Brazil. Adults are short-lived and do not feed, relying on fat reserves accumulated during larval development. The species exhibits a life history tradeoff between larval survival and adult body size based on host plant quality, with larger males showing higher mating success.
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