2017 Poster Presentations

2017 Poster Session Presenters

Kathryn Hokamp - Houston Museum of Natural Science

Longevity of Captive Butterflies When training docents at the Cockrell Butterfly Center, the average life span of an adult butterfly is given as 14 days. We observed 295 butterflies in the Morpho and Caligo genera and found individuals living up to 100 days, suggesting that our institutional predictions, at least for those genera, were extremely incorrect. We started the second phase of the experiment on January 1, 2017, testing Heliconius melpomene and Idea leuconoe in addition to Caligo memnon and Morpho peleides, and preliminary data suggests longer lifespans than previously expected as well as spikes in mortality during high traffic periods at the center.

Kathryn Genovesi - Hopewell Valley Central High School

Capturing the Elusive Teenager: A Guide For Entomologists Biodiversity, the study of invertebrates and creating the next generation of scientists is vital to our planet’s survival. Getting teens involved with what each of you do on a daily basis is one of the best ways to encourage teens to get involved in the science. This presentation will explore how entomologists, and others, can capture the attention of teenagers and get them more involved. Based on my experiences from years of attending IECC and surveying other teens, this session will discuss what works, what doesn't, and how to better engage a diverse audience of teenagers.

Winnifred Wolfe

Arachnophobia and How to Overcome It After I watched Charlotte’s Web my heart grew for these tiny eight legged creatures. Spiders are furry and misunderstood. My goal is to go to as many classrooms as I can to get rid of people’s mean and exterminating fever. I have been doing that for the past 3 years in classrooms down in Burlington, Iowa. I recently went to one where the teacher loved spiders but was not sure about tarantulas. I hope I can help others overcome their fears. What do you think of them? If you do not like them I will fix that! Spiders are cool!

Tayler Schwartz - Disney's Animal Kingdom

The New Invertebrate Building at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Disney’s Animal Kingdom has exhibited invertebrates for many years, with approximately 85% of the collection living in a backstage area known as the Invert Trailer. In March 2016, the Ectotherm team gained access to the newly constructed Invert Building, which has allowed opportunities for creating varied, controlled climates to enhance husbandry and widen the array of species in the collection. This has facilitated breeding and self-sustainable population efforts, enabled increased participation in conservation projects, and created a new behind-the-scenes experience for guests. This presentation will showcase the facility’s upgrades and operation as well as highlight ongoing projects.

Melissa Loebl and Ellen Dickinson - California Science Center

Promoting Husbandry, Breeding, and Sustainability of the Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator) IN AZA-accredited institutions via the SWARM The Emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator) is currently listed on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), Appendix II, or in other words “a species to be watched”. A captive breeding program is an essential tool for the conservation and reintroduction for these declining arachnids. The California Science Center is committed to promoting the husbandry, breeding, and sustainability of the Emperor scorpion via the SWARM (Safety Web for Arthropod Reproduction and Management). We are in the process of organizing a visual identification with paint dots, acquiring and managing a larger population of captive Emperor scorpions. This will allow us to track individual’s medical histories, growth rates, parentage, and reproductive history. We can house multiple scorpions together while creating an ideal environment for successful breeding. We intend to present at the IECC conference next year our success and failures and future goals for the SWARM.

Konstantina Zografou - Temple University

Butterflies and climate change: Phenological responses from southeastern Pennsylvania, USA Phenological changes are among the most noticeable responses by wildlife to climatic warming, but such changes can vary greatly. Recent studies suggest species’ traits can predict responses to climate change. We examined temporal trends for fifteen butterflies– including the declining Regal Fritillary–considering species traits (e.g. larval diet breadth) at Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center (Pennsylvania). We provide strong evidence of phenological change over time and demonstrate the butterfly community is highly responsive to climate change. For poorly-studied butterfly communities, species traits can identify the most vulnerable species, and guide their management until scientific studies can be undertaken.

For information on presenting a poster please contact TITAG here.

Kathryn Hokamp - Houston Museum of Natural Science
Longevity of Captive Butterflies	When training docents at the Cockrell Butterfly Center, the average life span of an adult butterfly is given as 14 days. We observed 295 butterflies in the Morpho and Caligo genera and found individuals living up to 100 days, suggesting that our institutional predictions, at least for those genera, were extremely incorrect. We started the second phase of the experiment on January 1, 2017, testing Heliconius melpomene and Idea leuconoe in addition to Caligo memnon and Morpho peleides, and preliminary data suggests longer lifespans than previously expected as well as spikes in mortality during high traffic periods at the center.

Kathryn Genovesi - Hopewell Valley Central High School
Capturing the Elusive Teenager: A Guide For Entomologists	Biodiversity, the study of invertebrates and creating the next generation of scientists is vital to our planet’s survival. Getting teens involved with what each of you do on a daily basis is one of the best ways to encourage teens to get involved in the science. This presentation will explore how entomologists, and others, can capture the attention of teenagers and get them more involved. Based on my experiences from years of attending IECC and surveying other teens, this session will discuss what works, what doesn't, and how to better engage a diverse audience of teenagers.

Winnifred Wolfe
Arachnophobia and How to Overcome It	After I watched Charlotte’s Web my heart grew for these tiny eight legged creatures. Spiders are furry and misunderstood. My goal is to go to as many classrooms as I can to get rid of people’s mean and exterminating fever. I have been doing that for the past 3 years in classrooms down in Burlington, Iowa. I recently went to one where the teacher loved spiders but was not sure about tarantulas. I hope I can help others overcome their fears. What do you think of them? If you do not like them I will fix that! Spiders are cool!

Tayler Schwartz - Disney's Animal Kingdom
The New Invertebrate Building at Disney’s Animal Kingdom	Disney’s Animal Kingdom has exhibited invertebrates for many years, with approximately 85% of the collection living in a backstage area known as the Invert Trailer. In March 2016, the Ectotherm team gained access to the newly constructed Invert Building, which has allowed opportunities for creating varied, controlled climates to enhance husbandry and widen the array of species in the collection. This has facilitated breeding and self-sustainable population efforts, enabled increased participation in conservation projects, and created a new behind-the-scenes experience for guests. This presentation will showcase the facility’s upgrades and operation as well as highlight ongoing projects.

Melissa Loebl and Ellen Dickinson - California Science Center
Promoting Husbandry, Breeding, and Sustainability of the Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator) IN AZA-accredited institutions via the SWARM	The Emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator) is currently listed on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), Appendix II, or in other words “a species to be watched”. A captive breeding program is an essential tool for the conservation and reintroduction for these declining arachnids. The California Science Center is committed to promoting the husbandry, breeding, and sustainability of the Emperor scorpion via the SWARM (Safety Web for Arthropod Reproduction and Management). We are in the process of organizing a visual identification with paint dots, acquiring and managing a larger population of captive Emperor scorpions. This will allow us to track individual’s medical histories, growth rates, parentage, and reproductive history. We can house multiple scorpions together while creating an ideal environment for successful breeding. We intend to present at the IECC conference next year our success and failures and future goals for the SWARM.

Konstantina Zografou - Temple University
Butterflies and climate change: Phenological responses from southeastern Pennsylvania, USA	Phenological changes are among the most noticeable responses by wildlife to climatic warming, but such changes can vary greatly. Recent studies suggest species’ traits can predict responses to climate change. We examined temporal trends for fifteen butterflies– including the declining Regal Fritillary–considering species traits (e.g. larval diet breadth) at Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center (Pennsylvania). We provide strong evidence of phenological change over time and demonstrate the butterfly community is highly responsive to climate change. For poorly-studied butterfly communities, species traits can identify the most vulnerable species, and guide their management until scientific studies can be undertaken.