The Price Lab at Salisbury University is working on several projects to document Maryland insects, including scarab beetles, ants, and pollinators of concern.
The superfamily Scarabaeoidea comprises ~ 35,000 species worldwide, comprising 10 % of all known beetles. In the United States alone, there are over 1,500 species (Kriska and Young 2002; Ratcliffe and Paulsen 2008). Scarabaeoid beetles are prominent members of the entomofauna and have been reported as important biocontrol agents, agricultural pests, and biological indicators.
Current research goals:
Examine Scarab biodiversity in urban environments.
Examine mammal-dung beetle associations using the dung of different mammal guilds.
Several students in my lab have worked on the biodiversity and conservation of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
Salisbury University Campus
Isabella Garrison is using pitfall traps and baits to examine ant community dynamics on the Salisbury University Campus.
Maya Feick is collecting ants and taking behavioral observations on herbaceous plants on the SU Campus.
Assateague Island
Denise Manole, Abigail Wilson, and Lien Miller examined the ant biodiversity on Assateague Island using pitfall Trap Transects and hand collection methods. Denise also examined the stable isotopes of some common species of ants to determine their feeding preferences and diet. Stable Isotopes will allow us to determine where these ants fit into the ecological food web in this unique ecosystem.
E.A. Vaughn Wildlife Management Area
Brett Mann and Emily Rowe examined the biodiversity of ants in the E.A. Vaughn Wildlife Management Area using Burlese Funnels and hand collection methods. They also examined ant foraging preferences on both deciduous and evergreen trees. See Price CV for publications.
We are currently exploring the forensically relevant insects attracted to pork liver bait at the Pemberton Historical Park. The main focus is to determine the diversity and abundance of flies (and other insects) that arrive during the first 48 hours of a crime scene.
This research is a collaboration among several institutions, including Salisbury University, The Salisbury Zoological Park, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and The Smithsonian Natural History Museum. We have several research projects underway.
I have students working on a Maryland Pollinators of Concern website. This research highlights those species of global, but more specifically, state concern. We have completed the Butterflies webpage, and volunteers are now working on the bees. Please visit our site for more information. https://sites.google.com/view/mdpollinatorsofconcern
© 2021 Price Lab for Entomology, Dana L. Price