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Natural History Survey

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  • Snake fungal disease parallels white-nose syndrome in bats

  • Bobwhites nesting in a field of flowers.

    Bobwhites listen to each other when picking habitat

    Northern bobwhites are attracted to a habitat based on whether other bobwhites are present there, research led by Illinois Natural History Survey avian ecologist Michael Ward. This phenomenon, called conspecific attraction, could aid conservation efforts.

  • INHS waterfowl data used to set hunting seasons

    Aerial surveys conducted by INHS Waterfowl Ecologist Aaron Yetter are being used to help determine the waterfowl hunting seasons for the next 5 years. "Aerial waterfowl surveys conducted by Aaron Yetter of the Illinois Natural History Survey show limited numbers of ducks in the Upper and Lower Mississippi Area near the proposed start date of the North Zone season. The Upper Mississippi area, which includes Keokuk, Iowa, Nauvoo and the Keithsburg Refuge, showed 1,160 ducks on Oct. 11 and 2,335 ducks on Oct. 18, according to the 2010 survey. On Nov. 2, just days after the Central Zone opener, surveys showed 22,470 ducks in the area. The same movements are reflected in the Lower Mississippi region, which includes Swan Lake, Cannon Refuge and Shanks Refuge. On Oct. 11, there were 10,280 ducks counted. On Oct. 18, there were 35,555 ducks. On Nov. 2 there were 81,765 birds. On Nov. 16, there were 171,970. One reason hunters would favor an earlier start to the season would be to avoid the late-season freeze that often negates the final week or two of hunting."

  • Vector mosquitoes detected earlier than expected

    INHS Medical Entomologist Richard Lampman was featured on a News Channel 15 story about mosquitoes.  Because of all of the rain, the "nuisance" mosquito population is expected to be above average. The recent hot dry weather has resulted in "vector" or disease-carrying mosquito eggs being found earlier than expected this year.

  • Dr. Heads blogs as part of UK National Insect Week

    The Illinois Natural History Survey's insect systematist, Dr. Sam Heads, has been asked by the Royal Entomological Society to keep a blog as part of the UK National Insect Week. This is an outreach project aimed at raising the profile of entomology.

  • Positive tests for West Nile

    Mosquito samples from Morton Grove tested positive for West Nile Virus at the INHS Medical Entomology Lab.

  • High water may affect migrating wildlife

    An article in the July 10, 2009 edition of the "The Courier" (Lincoln, IL) written by Chris Young talks about the effect that the wet summer could have on Illinois plants and the migratory species that pass through IL in the autumn.

    Randy Smith, an INHS scientist at the Forbes Biological Field Station, says that the weeds that migrating species need may not be able to grow if the water levels don't recede. Without food for migrating animals, they might not stop over in Illinois.

    The entire article can be read on the NewsBank site with subscription access: High water makes habitat harder to find.

  • West Nile Virus confirmed in Evanston

    The Illinois Natural History Survey Medical Entomology Lab has reported the first positive tests for West Nile Virus this year from samples collected in Evanston. For more information, visit the Medical Entomology Program website.

  • Champaign Couunty mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile Virus

    Mosquito samples taken during the month of June have tested positive for the West Nile Virus (WNV). The samples were collected and processed by the Illinois Natural History Survey's medical entomology program, headed by Dr. Barry Alto. Interestingly, this is the first positive sample for WNV since October 2007. Since surveillance started this year in May, positive samples for WNV has been found in eight other counties throughout Illinois, including: Adams, Bureau, Cook, DuPage, Knox, LaSalle, Madison and St. Clair counties. The News-Gazette ran an article about the WNV sample in the July 8, 2009 edition. The article was titled, "Champaign mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile."

  • Japanese beetles thrive in human landscapes

    According to INHS entomologist Chris Dietrich, Japanese beetles are generalists and will eat approximately 300 different types of plants, which is not unusual for an introduced species. Human lawns make perfect habitat for the grubs which feed on the roots of grass, but killing the grubs will do little, as adults will fly in from other yards.

  • Corn rootworm on the rebound?

    After a couple of years with low levels of damage from Western Corn Rootworms, INHS Insect Behaviorist Joe Spencer and his colleagues have found significant damage to roots and a higher level of adult emergence compared to last year. For more information, visit Farms.com.

  • Team discovers how western corn rootworm resists crop rotation

  • Cave microbe produces compound that inhibits the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome

    A new study from INHS Mycologist Andrew Miller and grad student Daniel Raudabaugh has found that the yeast Candida albicans produces a compound: trans, trans-farnesol, that inhibits growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats.

  • Mowing dry detention basins makes mosquito problems worse, team finds

  • Statewide bird survey shows changes in bird diversity and distribution

  • Western corn rootworm webinar

    INHS Behavioral Entomologist Joe Spencer recently presented a webinar on Western Corn Rootworm, a longtime pest of corn crops in the United States. INHS scientists have been studying WCR, and ways to control them, for over 100 years. This webinar presents a review of WCR biology, the history of corn rootworm as a pest species and the WCR's adaptation to crop rotation that began in Illinois. The use of Bt-transgenic corn for rootworm management is introduced along with assumptions about WCR behavior in refuge and Bt corn. Data on WCR behavior and mating in several different configurations of refuge and Bt- corn are presented to illustrate how the placement of refuge affects the biology and ecology of mating WCR beetles.

  • Decades-old amber collection offers new views of an ancient world

  • Japanese beetles spreading westward

    INHS Entomologist and Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey coordinator Kelly Estes was interviewed about the spread of Japanese Beetles westward. Their ability to spread in a given year is dependent on fluctuating populations, which can be affected by rainfall. The best way to get rid of them is collecting them in a bucket of hot soapy water.

  • Getting the scoop on Illinois mussels

    Rob Kanter, who writes Environmental Almanac spent the day with INHS field biologists as they both looked for, and relocated, some Illinois mussels. Kanter's article also discusses sampling techniques and the life-cycle of this animal. 

  • Engineering students help INHS researchers

    INHS researchers tapped into the innovative nature of engineering students to design systems that would help address questions about North American River Otters. As part of their senior design projects, 4 groups of students set out to tackle different problems. One device, the Otter Print Shooter, is a pressure and motion sensitive camera encased in clear box, under ground. When an otter steps on the box, the print shooter takes a photo of the paw. Otter paw prints are believed to have unique patterns, similar to fingerprints. The Otter Stalker System wirelessly connects multiple trail cameras, thereby increasing the field of view, allowing the researchers to capture more of the behavior of river otters.

  • INHS Scientists participate in BioBlitz

    INHS scientists gathered with colleagues to document as many species as possible in a 24 hour period in a Bio-blitz at Salt Lick Point Soil and Water Reserve. A videographer documented the event for WSIU.

  • INHS scientists help reconstruct prairie on U of I campus

    INHS Botanists have been involved in prairie reconstructions on the U of I campus. Currently, the area along Florida Ave and Orchard is being reconstructed, after having been designated a "No-Mow-Zone." According to Botanist Jamie Ellis, their approach to ecological restoration "is evolving and emerging" as they adapt to new challenges. One of the big challenges is that it's a large area that was lawn grass for a long time. Additionally, prairie plants can be slow to take hold in a new area.

  • Study of bird lice shows how evolution sometimes repeats itself

  • Drought takes a toll on monarchs

    INHS Entomologist Michael Jeffords was interviewed about the current state of monarch butterflies in Illinois. "Last year’s drought had a twofold effect. Fewer monarchs were produced in the Midwest, and those that were had a tough time migrating to Mexico as they had a thousand miles of virtually nectarless landscape to cross in Texas and northern Mexico," Jeffords said. For additional information on Monarchs, check out this INHS species spotlight.

  • Multi-state team relocates endangered mussels ahead of construction project

    Illinois scientists worked with others from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commision, the US Fish and WIldlife Service, and state agencies from Ohio and West Virginia to relocate federally endangered mussels from the Alleghany River in Forest County Pennsylvania. Approximately 3,900 federally endangered riffleshell and clubshell mussels were gathered from the Alleghany River to be relocated to sites in Illinois and Ohio in advance of the removal and reconstruction of the Hunter Station Bridge.  According to INHS malacologist Kevin Cummings, more than 70% of the 300 species of North American mussels are endangered or threatened with the greatest threat being loss of habitat. "Of the 300 species of mussels living in North America, 98 percent of them live in free-flowing rivers. And if you look at a map of large rivers in the United States, there are very few free-flowing rivers left.  [Mussels] are a great indicator species and, when they start to wink out, you know you have an (environmental) issue."

  • 1000 more endangered mussels released in Illinois rivers

    Over the course of a week, 1000 endangered mussels were collected from under a bridge construction site in Pennsylvania, packed for safe transport, quarantined, marked, measured, and released into new sites in Vermilion County, Illinois. This is the third relocation from Pennsylvania to Illinois as part of the Species Survival Plan for two endangered mussels, the northern riffleshell and the clubshell. Read the entire story from the U of I News Bureau, INHS, and the News Gazette.

  • Western corn rootworm developing resistance to rotation

    INHS Behavioral Entomologist Joe Spencer is looking at rotation-resistant western corn rootworms, which are causing severe injury to crops. Crops modified to resist infestation by insects and crop rotation are some of the methods to control injurious insects, but some rootworms have developed resistance to these mechanisms. Repeated use of the modified corn year after year has given the rootworms time to adapt. Producers are encouraged to watch their fields for injury. This story was reported in InvestorPlace and the Bulletin.

  • Champaign County confirms West Nile in samples

    Richard Lampman, an INHS entomologist, was interviewed by the Daily Illini about West Nile's appearance in Champaign County. Lampman said that this summer's hot, dry weather was perfect for the spread of mosquitoes.

  • Endangered mussels released in Illinois streams

    Endangered riffleshell and clubshell mussels collected in Pennsylvania earlier this summer have begun being relocated into Illinois Rivers. The mussels were placed, one by one into the gravel of their new stream. Each mussel has a rice sized transponder attached to its shell to identify it, enabling scientists to non-invasively monitor their progress in their new environment.

  • Researchers move endangered mussels to save them

  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Ph.D. candidate Nicholas Antonson prepares a nest box to accommodate a prothonotary warbler nest.

    Cowbird chicks do best with two warbler nest mates – not four, not zero, study finds

    A new study seeks to understand the strategies cowbird chicks use to survive in prothonotary warbler nests when they hatch with different numbers of warbler nestlings. The study reveals that a cowbird chick does better with two than with four or zero warbler nest mates. 

  • U of I Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society, advised by Dr. Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, receives honor

    The University of Illinois Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society has been selected from over 20 universities as the 2007-2008 North Central Section Student Chapter of the year. The group is advised by INHS researcher Dr. Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, and the membership has several students associated with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

  • INHS seeks principal research scientist and director

    The Illinois Natural History Survey seeks a principal research scientist who will develop and manage a research program, while also serving as director of INHS, providing leadership, direction, and overall administration for the development, coordination, and implementation of scientific research and service programs undertaken and provided by INHS.

  • INHS Scientists survey for Invasive Species

    The Illinois Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program is a joint effort between several state and federal agencies to safeguard our nations food and environmental security from invasive pests that threaten our production and ecological systems. This program focuses on state surveys of harmful or economically significant exotic plant pests, diseases, and weeds that have eluded first-line of defense inspections.Illinois CAPS coordinator Kelly Estes discusses the current and upcoming surveys, including new techniques for monitoring.

  • Gail Kampmeier helps Darwin Core to get ratified

    Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) announced the official ratification of Darwin Core as a TDWG standard. Darwin Core is one of four TDWG standards. Gail Kampmeier, INHS entomological researcher, served as the Review Manager for the Darwin Core project since February 2009. She fostered a peer and public review of the standard, including many discussions and updating of the draft standard. To learn more about the Darwin Core standard, please visit this website. Information on the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) can be found here at this website.

  • Illinois river otters still exposed to chemicals banned decades ago

  • Banned chemicals persist in river otters

    INHS researchers Samantha Carpenter and Nohra Mateus-Pinilla recently published a paper in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. Carpenter, Mateus-Pinilla, and University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory researchers, analyzed liver tissue samples from 23 river otters looking at 20 organohalogenated compounds used in agriculture and industry. Read stories from the Red Orbit and News Room America.

  • Culling maintains low prevalence of Chronic Wasting Disease in deer populations

    INHS Wildlife Epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla and postdoctoral researchers Mary Beth Manjerovic and Michelle Green conducted research on the effectiveness of culling deer to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is a 100% fatal disease in deer, likened to Mad Cow Disease. Their paper compared the culling strategy used in Illinois to the two different management strategies used in Wisconsin over a decade. Listen to the interview on Focus 580.

  • Targeted culling of deer controls disease with little effect on hunting

  • Tari Tweddale to give lecture at GIS Day

    Tari Tweddale, GIS/Remote Sensing Specialist and Illinois Gap Analysis Project Coordinator at the Illinois Natural History Survey, will present a seminar called, "GIS in Conservation Biology: Modeling Vertebrate Species Distribution in the Illinois GAP Analysis Project " at GIS Day at Illinois State University. The full line-up of presenters can be found in this Word document which will download to your computer.

  • Native fauna gather at Emiquon

    After stocking native fishes in the restored Emiquon wetland just two years ago, the number of birds stopping there has dramatically increased. Dr. Joshua Stafford, Director of Illinois Natural History Survey's Forbes Biological Field Station, gave a report to the 2009 Governor's Conference on the Management of the Illinois River, where he said that the Coot numbers at the wetland went from 30,000 the first year to almost 60,000 the next. More information about the Emiquon wetland restoration can be found in the October 23, 2009 Peoria Journal Star article called "Experiment wildly successful" or the same article can be read at the NewsBank site.

  • The threat of invasive species

    INHS Affiliate and former director of the Illinois River Field Station was featured on CBS Sunday Morning in a story about invasive species. On the Asian Carp, Sass stated "We've seen explosive population growth, a population that has almost doubled every year. We're fairly confident we have the highest wild densities of Asian carp anywhere in the world." David Lodge of Notre Dame says studies estimate that invasive species cost the US Economy on the order of at least $120 billion annually. There are 30 federal agencies involved in the fight against invasive species, with about $1.5 billion spent annually. Education and prevention are key to warding off the invasive species.

  • Mike Ward to give program in Ringwood, Tuesday Nov. 2

    INHS Ornithologist Mike Ward will be presenting on his work studying the birds of Illinois and talk about the trends in bird populations they have found. The program will be at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park Conservation Area, Rt 31 and Harts in Ringwood. The new book, Illinois Birds: A Century of Change, will be available soon!

  • Emerald ash borer quarantine area expanded

    The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey program posted that Champaign and Vermilion Counties have been added to the Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Area.

  • Is there enough food in the Great Lakes to support Asian Carp?

    In a press release issued by Illinois Indiana SeaGrant, INHS Aquatic Ecologists Walter Hill and Sandra Cooke suggest that due to other invasive species in the Great Lakes, Asian Carp may not find enough food to thrive. However, Hill does not see their results as a reason to relent on efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. "Given the potential consequences to Great Lakes ecosystems if these filter feeders do prove capable of establishing reproducing populations, efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes must not be lessened." Another story discusses some of the methods being used to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes, including an experiment being led by Blake Ruebush and Greg Sass on a Sound-Bubble-Strobe-Light-Barrier.

  • Waterfowl counts higher than average

    INHS Waterfowl Ecologist Aaron Yetter conducts weekly aerial surveys and on Nov 13 found more waterfowl than average for this time of year. Yetter counted 305,310 ducks along the Illinois River compared to the10-year average of 234,434 birds for this same week and 356,735 ducks on the Upper Mississippi River compared to the 10-year average of 226,801 birds. "It looks like we got a big push of new mallards. We also have well above average numbers of pintails, gadwalls, lesser scaup and other species," Yetter said.

  • Small mosquitos more likely to carry dengue virus

    Research conducted by Dr. Barry Alto, and others, found that small mosquitos are more likely to carry the dengue virus than larger mosquitos. The study fed mosquitos dengue infected blood, and found that the smaller mosquitos had a higher rate of infection when tested. This research was published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. An article discussing the work was also picked up by UPI. Dr. Alto is the director of the Medical Entomology Program at the Illinois Natural History Survey, a division of the University of Illinois' Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability. The full text of the UPI article can be viewed on NewsBank: Small mosquitoes are likely virus carriers and the abstract of the paper can be viewed on the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene site: Size Alters Susceptibility of Vectors to Dengue Virus Infection and Dissemination

  • Waterfowl numbers better than last year

    Aerial surveys this November showed 20 times more ducks on Lake Chautauqua than during the same period last year. The Green-winged Teal made up the majority of those waterfowl, with conditions on the lake this year being favorable. INHS Waterfowl Biologist Randy Smith said, "Green-winged teal like it when the water is so shallow that they can stand up, just an inch or two deep with lots of vegetation." This year's surveys have found that Lake Chautauqua has more than one third of all the ducks at the 16 sites sampled in the Lower Mississippi River Valley.

  • Aaron Yetter elected Secretary of the North Central Section of The Wildlife Society for 2009

    Aaron Yetter has been elected Secretary of the North Central Section of The Wildlife Society for 2009. The states represented in the North Central Section, one of eight sections in the country, are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. More information about the mission of The Wildlife Society, and the purpose of its sections, can be found on the organization's homepage.

  • Bald Eagles "making an impressive comeback"

    INHS Ornithologist Mike Ward was contacted about the increase in eagle sightings in the area. According to Ward, there were fewer than 20 eagle nests in Illinois in the 80s, whereas during the last spring bird count, there were an estimated 200 eagle nests.