Sarah Douglass: Mussel Field Biologist – Population and Community Ecology (PACE) Lab

UBAP Malacologist Sarah Douglass was featured as a Woman in Science.

Read the article from the Prairie Research Institute

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3 days ago

This Saturday (May 16) the Traveling Science Center will be at Rockton Pelican Fest! Come on out to celebrate Migratory Bird Day with lots of bird and nature themed activities! ... See MoreSee Less

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INHS PACE Lab

1 week ago

Who loves mudpuppies?! 🤎Over the last couple of years, our search for the Salamander Mussel in Illinois also meant getting to know its host—the Mudpuppy, a fully aquatic salamander. Because Salamander Mussels are difficult to survey using conventional methods (more on that later!), we sampled mudpuppies as an alternative way to detect glochidia and help confirm mussel presence.Sarah Douglass and team recently wrapped up a grant-funded mudpuppy trapping project in east‑central Illinois, including the same site where Salamander Mussels were found in 2024. The exciting part? In November, we confirmed glochidia on mudpuppy gills. Can you spot those tiny “grains of salt”? 👀#AmphibianWeek ... See MoreSee Less

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INHS PACE Lab

2 weeks ago

Narrowleaf Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum) offers an interesting example of a mixed pollination and reproductive strategy in prairie systems. Blooming from May through July, its slender, trumpet-shaped flowers (up to ~4 cm long) range from pale to bright yellow and are well-suited to visitors with longer proboscides. Field observations indicate that butterflies and skippers are the most frequent visitors, and the floral morphology suggests the potential for occasional visitation by the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, particularly for nectar foraging.Despite these showy, open flowers, much of the plant’s reproductive output comes from smaller, cleistogamous (closed, self-pollinating) flowers that do not rely on pollinators. This dual strategy allows L. incisum to maintain seed production under variable pollinator availability, which can be especially important in dry, early-season prairie environments. The fruit develops into four small nutlets (~3 mm each), characteristic of the Borage family.KC’s nectar surveys found that flowers produce relatively high volumes (~3 µL per flower) with a sugar concentration of ~27%. These rewards are consistent with attracting energetically demanding foragers such as butterflies and hummingbirds, reinforcing the role of L. incisum as a meaningful nectar resource within early- to mid-season prairie plant–pollinator networks.Illinois Wildflowers Link: www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/fr_puccoon.html ... See MoreSee Less

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