SUSTAINING THE WORLD THROUGH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Entomology and Wildlife Ecology | Faculty

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Dr. Doug Tallamy


Education
  • Post-Doctoral Fellow in Entomology, University of Iowa, 1980–1981
  • Ph.D. Entomology, University of Maryland, 1980
  • M.S. Entomology, Rutgers University, 1976
  • B.S. Biology, Allegheny College, 1973
Regular Courses Taught
  • ENWC 444, Conservation of Tropical Ecosystems (Study abroad to Costa Rica), Winter
  • ENWC 450, Debates in Conservation Biology (Study abroad to Costa Rica), Winter
  • ENWC 620, Behavioral Ecology, Spring
  • ENWC 814, Advanced Ecology, Fall
Research Activities
  • Behavioral Ecology of Insects
  • Conservation of biodiversity
  • Impact of alien plants on native ecosystems
  • Plant-insect interactions

Professional Affiliations and Service

  • Chair, Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, 2002-present
  • Joint Faculty Appointment, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, 1982-present
  • Entomological Society of America
  • The International Union for the Study of Social Insects
  • The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
  • The International Heteropterists Society

Graduate Students

  • Ballard, Meg. In Progress. Ph.D. in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology
  • Cutting, Brian. In Progress. M.S. in Entomology
  • Ryan, William. In Progress. Ph.D. in Entomology and Wildlife Ecology
Click for Past Graduate Students (+/-)
  • Beal, Christy. 2011. Migrant and breeding bird use ornamental trees in managed landscapes. Ph.D. in Entomology and Widlife Ecology.
  • Reed, Erin. 2010. Bottom-up effect on top-down control in a suburban landscape. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Philips, Chris. 2009. Non-native plants reduce abundance, richness, and host specialization in lepidopteran communities. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Ali, Jared. 2006. Is male quality a self-referenced trait in spotted cucumber beetles, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi? M.S. in Entomology.
  • Brown, William P. 2006. On the community and abundance of Delaware forest birds. Ph.D. in Entomology and Applied Ecology.
  • Beal, Christy. 2006. New record of amphisexual care in an insect with exclusive paternal care: Rhynocoris tristis (Heteroptera: Reduviidae). M.S. in Entomology.
  • Zuefle, Marion. 2005. The impact of non-native woody plants on the native herbivorous insect community of northern Delaware. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Brodt, Jeremy. 2005. Why do females resist? : an analysis of female resistance behavior and cryptic female choice in the spotted cucumber beetle. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Walsh, Evelyn. 2004. The effect of free female mate choice on offspring fitness in spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi). M.S. in Entomology.
  • Stearns, Frank. 2004. The role of local adaptation and fitness trade-offs in the sympatric divergence of long term experimental study populations of Enchenopa treehoppers(hemiptera: membracidae). M.S. in Entomology.
  • Walsh, Evelyn. 2004. The effect of free female mate choice on offspring fitness in Spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi). M.S. in Entomology.
  • Jennings,Varryn. 2003. M.S. Entomology. Fenstermacker, Heidi. 2002. The effect of nonindigenous Norway maple (Acer platanoides) on an aquatic insect community. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Gillespie, Joseph. 2002. Inferring phylogenetic relationships among basal taxa of the leaf beetle Tribe Luperini through the analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Parr, Annika. 2001. Proximate factors regulating maternal care in the lace bug Gargaphia solani (Heteroptera, Tingidae). M.S. in Entomology.
  • Lomberk, Heather. 2001. Cucurbitacin phago stimulation of Diabroticite larvae. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Darlington, Mark. 2000. Subtle copulatory courtship conveys good genes benefits to spotted cucumber beetles. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Adams, Mike. 1999. M.S. Entomology.
  • Lei. 1996. M.S. Entomology.
  • Gothro, Peter. 1992. Effects of Cucurbitacin on the Pathogenicity of Metarhizium amisophae to the spotted cucumber beetle. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Baldivieso, Cynthia P. 1989. Kin recognition in Gargaphia lace bugs. M.S. in Entomology.
  • McCloud, Eric S. 1989. Induction of cucurbitacins: influence on squash beetle foraging behavior. M.S. in Entomology.
  • Hardin, Mark. 1987. An analysis of habitat mediated maternal and reproductive behavior in Gargaphia lace bugs. M.S. in Entomology.

Publications

2010

Burghardt, K. T., C. R. Philips, D. W. Tallamy, and K.J. Shropshire. 2010. Non-native plants reduce abundance, richness, and host specialization in Lepidoptera communities. Ecosphere 1:1–22.

Ali, J. G., and D. W. Tallamy. 2010. Females spotted cucumber beetles use own cuticular hydrocarbon signature to choose immunocompatible mates. Animal Behaviour 80:9–12

Tallamy, D. W., M. Ballard, and V. D. D’Amico. 2010. Can alien plants support generalist insect herbivores? Biological Invasions 12: 2285-2292.

2009

Tallamy, D. W. 2009. A call for backyard biodiversity. American Forests, Autumn:24–31.

Tallamy, D. W. and K. J. Shropshire. 2009. Ranking Lepidopteran use of native versus introduced plants. Conservation Biology 23: 941–947.

Click for Past Publications (+/-)

2008

Burghardt, K. T., D. W. Tallamy and W. G. Shriver. 2008. The impact of native plants on biodiversity in suburban landscapes. Conservation Biology 23:219–244.

2007

Tallamy, D. W. 2007. Bringing Nature Home: How Native plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens. Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. http://bringingnaturehome.net

Gillespie, J. J., D. W. Tallamy, E.G. Riley, and A.I. Cognato. 2007. Molecular phylogeny of rootworms and related galerucine beetles (Coleoptera:Chrysomelidae). Zoologica Scripta 37:195–222.

Jennings, V. H., and D. W. Tallamy. 2007. Composition and abundance of ground-dwelling Coleoptera in a fragmented and continuous forest. Environmental Entomology 35:1550–1560.

2006

Beal, C. A., and D. W. Tallamy. 2006. New record of amphisexual care in an insect with exclusive paternal care: Rhynocoris tristis (Heteroptera: Reduviidae). Journal of Ethology 24:305–307.

Brodt, J., D. W. Tallamy, and J. Ali. 2006. Female choice by scent recognition in the spotted cucumber beetle. Ethology 112: 300–306.

2005

Tallamy, D. W. 2005. Egg dumping in insects. Annual Review of Entomology 50:347–370.

Tallamy, D. W., B. E. Hibbard, T. L. Clark, J. J. Gillespie. 2005. Western Corn Rootworm, Cucurbits, and Cucurbitacins. Pp 67-93, in Stefan Vidal, Uli Kuhlmann, and Rich Edwards (eds.), Ecology and Management of Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte). CAB International, Wallingford, United Kingdom.

2004

Tallamy, D. W., E. Walsh, and D. Peck. 2004. Revisiting paternal care in the assassin bug, Atopozeluspallens (Heteroptera: Reduviidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 17:431–436.

Tallamy, D. W. 2004. Do alien plants reduce insect biomass? Conservation Biology 18: 1689–1692.

Tallamy, D. W., and R. Iglay. 2004. Maternal care in Compseuta picta, an African lace bug (Heteroptera: Tingidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 17:247–249.

Tallamy, D. W. 2004. Mate choice after intromission in Spotted Cucumber beetles. pp. 709-720 In Jolivet, P.H., Santiago-Blay, J.A., Schmitt, M. (Eds.), New Contributions to the Biology of Chrysomelidae. SPB Academic Publishing, Boston.

Gillespie, J. J., K. M. Kjer, E. R. Riley, and D. W. Tallamy. 2004. The evolution of cucurbitacin pharmacophagy in rootworms: insight from Luperini paraphyly. pp. 37–58 In Jolivet, P.H., Santiago-Blay, J.A., Schmitt, M. (Eds.), New Contributions to the Biology of Chrysomelidae, SPB Academic Publishing, Boston.

2003

Gillespie, J. J., K. M. Kjer, C. N. Duckett, and D. W. Tallamy. 2003. Convergent evolution of cucurbitacin-feeding and pharmacophagy in spatially isolated rootworm taxa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae; Galerucinae, Luperini). Molecular Phylogenetic Evolution 29:161–175.

2002

Tallamy, D. W., B. E. Powell, and J. A. McClafferty. 2002. Male traits under cryptic female choice in the spotted cucumber beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Behavavioral Ecology 13:511–518.

Tallamy, D. W., M. B. Darlington, J. D. Pesek, and B. E. Powell. 2002. Copulatory courtship signals male genetic quality in cucumber beetles. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 270:77–82.

Tallamy, D. W., E. L. Monaco, and J. D. Pesek. 2002. Hormonal control of egg dumping and guarding in the lace bug Gargaphia solani (Heteroptera: Tingidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 15:467–475.

Parr, A., D. W. Tallamy, E. L. Monaco, and J. D. Pesek. 2002. Proximate factors regulating maternal options in the eggplant lace bug Gargaphia solani (Heteroptera: Tingidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 15:495–511.

Smyth, R. R., D. W. Tallamy, J. A. A. Renwick, and M. P. Hoffmann. 2002. Effects of age, sex, and dietary history on response to cucurbitacin in Acalymma vittatum. Entomological Experimental Applications 104:69–78.

2001

Tallamy, D. W. 2001. Evolution of exclusive paternal care in arthropods. Annual Review of Entomology 46:139–165.

2000

Tallamy, D. W., P. M. Gorski, and J. K. Burzon. 2000. The fate of male-derived cucurbitacins in spotted cucumber beetle females. Journal of Chemical Ecology 26:413–427.

Funk, D. H., and D. W. Tallamy. 2000. Courtship role reversal and deceptive signals in the long-tailed dance fly, Rhamphomyia longicauda. Animal Behaviour 59:411–421.

Tallamy, D. W. 2000. Sexual selection and the evolution of exclusive paternal care in arthropods. Animal Behaviour 60:559–567.

Tallamy, D. W. 2000. Maternal lace bugs: to care or not to care? Wings Spring:3–7.

Tallamy, D. W. 2000. Physiological issues in host range expansion. pp. 11-26, In Van Dreisch, R. Heard, T., McClay, A., and Reardon, R. (eds.) Proceedings of Session: Host-Specificity Testing of Exotic Arthropod Biological Control Agents – The Biological Basis for Improvement in Safety. International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds, Bozeman, Montana. July 4-14, 1999.

1999

Agrawal, A. A., P. M. Gorski, and D. W. Tallamy. 1999. Polymorphism in plant defense against herbivory: Constitutive and induced resistance in Cucumis sativus. Journal of Chemical Ecology 25:2285–2304.

Halaweish, F. T., D. W. Tallamy, and E. Santana. 1999. Cucurbitacins: A role in cucumber beetle nutrition? Journal of Chemical Ecology 25:2373–2383.

Tallamy, D. W., and W. P. Brown. 1999. Semelparity and the evolution of maternal care in insects. Animal Behaviour 57:727–730.

Tallamy, D. W. 1999. Child care among the insects. Scientific American 280:50–55.

Tallamy, D. W., C. A. Mullin, and J. L. Frazier. 1999. An alternate route to insect pharmacophagy: the loose receptor hypothesis. Journal of Chemical Ecology 25:1987–1997.

1998

Tallamy, D. W., D. P. Whittington, D. A. Fontaine, P. M. Gorski, and P. W. Gothro. 1998. Sequestered cucurbitacins and pathogenicity of Metarhizium anisopliae (Moniliales: Moniliaceae) on spotted cucumber beetle eggs and larvae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environmental Entomology 27:366–372.

Halaweish, F. T., and D. W. Tallamy. 1998. Tissue culture production of cucurbitacins. Planta 131:209–218.

Monaco, E., D. W. Tallamy, and R. K. Johnson. 1998. Chemical mediation of egg dumping in Gargaphia solani (Hemiptera: Tingidae). Animal Behaviour 56:1491–1495.

1997

Tallamy, D. W., J. Stull, N. P. Ehresman, P. M. Gorski, and C. E. Mason. 1997. Cucurbitacins as feeding and oviposition deterrents to Insects. Environmental Entomology 26:678–683.

Tallamy, D. W., and P. M. Gorski. 1997. The effect of long- and short-term cucurbitacin consumption on Acalymma vittatum fitness (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environmental Entomology 26:672–677.

Underwood, T. J., D. W. Tallamy, and J. D. Pesek. 1997. Bioluminescence in firefly larvae: a test of the aposematic display hypothesis. Journal of Insect Behavior 10:365–370.

Tallamy, D. W., P. M. Gorski, and J. Pesek. 1997. Intra- and interspecific genetic variation in the gustatory sensitivity of luperine rootworms toward cucurbitacins (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environmental Entomology 26:1364–1372.

Tallamy, D. W., and C. Schaefer. 1997. Maternal behavior in the Hemiptera: ancestry, alternatives and current adaptive value. pp. 94-115 In B. Crespi and J. Choe (eds). Social Behavior in Insects and Arachnids. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

1996

Frick, T. B., and D. W. Tallamy. 1996. Density and diversity of nontarget insects killed by suburban electric insect traps. Entomological News 107:77–82.

Tallamy, D. W. and J. D. Pesek. 1996. Carbon isotopic signatures of elytra reflect larval diet in Luperine rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environmental Entomology 25:1167–1172.

1995

McCloud, E. S., D. W. Tallamy, and F. T. Halaweish. 1995. Squash beetle trenching behavior: avoidance of cucurbitacin induction or mucilaginous plant sap? Ecological Entomology 20:51–59.

1994

Tallamy, D. W. 1994. Nourishment and the evolution of paternal care in subsocial arthropods. pp. 21-55 In Nourishment and Evolution in Insect Societies. J.H. Hunt and C.A. Nalepa (eds.). Westview, Boulder.

1993

Halaweish, F. T., and D. W. Tallamy. 1993. Quantitative determination of cucurbitacins by high performance liquid chromatography and high performance thin layer chromatography. Journal of Liquid Chromatography 16:497–511.

Tallamy, C. P., and D. W. Tallamy. 1993. The effect of relatedness on Gargaphia egg dumping behavior. Animal Behaviour 45:1239–1241.

Halaweish, F. T,. and D. W. Tallamy. 1993. A new cucurbitacin profile for Cucurbita andreana: a candidate for cucurbitacin tissue culture. Journal of Chemical Ecology 19:1135–1141.

Tallamy, D. W., and F. T. Halaweish. 1993. The effects of age, prior exposure, sex, and reproductive activity on sensitivity to cucurbitacins in southern corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environmental Entomology 22:925–932.

1992

Hardin, M. R., and D. W. Tallamy. 1992. Effect of predators and host phenology on the maternal and reproductive behaviors of Gargaphia lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 5:177–192.

1991

DeHeer, C. J., and D.W. Tallamy. 1991. Cucumber beetle larval affinity to cucurbitacins. Environmental Entomology 20:775–788.

Tallamy, D. W., and M. J. Raupp (eds). 1991. Phytochemical Induction by Herbivores. John Wiley, New York.

Tallamy, D. W., and E. S. McCloud. 1991. Squash beetles, cucumber beetles, and inducible cucurbit responses. pp. 155-181. In Phytochemical Induction by Herbivores, D.W. Tallamy and M. J. Raupp (eds). John Wiley, New York.

1990

Tallamy, D. W., and L. A. Horton. 1990. Costs and benefits of the egg dumping alternative in Gargaphia lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae). Animal Behavior 39:352–360.
1988 Kendra, P. E., R. R. Roth, and D. W. Tallamy. 1988. Conspecific brood parasitism in the house sparrow. Wilson Bulletin 100:80–90.

1986

Tallamy, D. W. 1986. Age specificity of "egg dumping" in Gargaphia solani (Hemiptera: Tingidae). Animal Behaviour 34:599–603.

Tallamy, D. W., and T. K. Wood. 1986. Convergence patterns in subsocial insects. Annual Review of Entomology 31:369–390.

Tallamy, D. W. 1986. Behavioral adaptations in insects to plant allelochemicals. In Molecular Mechanisms in Insect-Plant Associations, L. B. Brattsten and S. Ahmad (eds). p. 273–300. Plenum Press, New York.

Tallamy, D. W., and H. Dingle. 1986. Genetic variation in the maternal defensive behavior of Gargaphia solani (Hemiptera: Tingidae). In Evolutionary Genetics of Invertebrate Behavior, M. D. Huettel, ed., p. 135–143. Plenum Press, New York.

1985

Tallamy, D. W. 1985. Squash beetle feeding behavior: an adaptation against induced cucurbit defenses. Ecology 66:1574–1579.

Tallamy, D. W. 1985. "Egg Dumping" in lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 17:357–362.

1984

 Tallamy, D. W. 1984. Insect parental care. BioScience 34: 20–25.

1983

Tallamy, D. W. 1983. Equilibrium biogeography and its application to insect host-parasitoid systems. American Naturalist 121:244–254.

1982

Tallamy, D. W. 1982. Age specific maternal defense in Gargaphia solani (Hemiptera: Tingidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 11:7–11.

Tallamy, D. W., and R. F. Denno. 1982. Life history trade-offs in Gargaphia solani (Hemiptera: Tingidae); the cost of reproduction. Ecology 63:616–620.

1981

Tallamy, D. W., and R. F. Denno. 1981. Maternal care in Gargaphia solani (Hemiptera: Tingidae). Animal Behaviour 29:771–778.

Tallamy, D. W., and R. F. Denno. 1981. Alternative life history patterns in risky environments: an example from lace bugs. In Insect Life History Patterns: Geographic and Habitat Variation, R. F. Denno and H. Dingle, ed., pp. 129–148. Springer-Verlag, New York.

Denno, R., R. Raupp, and D W. Tallamy. 1981. Organization of a guild of sap-feeding insects: equilibrium vs. non-equilibrium coexistence. In Insect Life History Patterns: Geographic and Habitat Variation, R. F. Denno and H. Dingle, eds., p. 141–182. Springer-Verlag, New York.

1980

Denno, R. F., M. J. Raupp, D. W. Tallamy, and C. F. Reichelderfer. 1980. Migration in heterogeneous environments: differences in habitat selection between the wing-forms of the dimorphic planthopper, Prokelisia marginata (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Ecology 61:859–867.

1979

Tallamy, D. W., and R. F. Denno. 1979. Responses of sap-feeding insects (Homoptera-Hemiptera) to simplification of host plant structure. Environmental Entomology 8:1021–1028.

1978

Tallamy, D. W., E. J. Hansens, and R. F. Denno. 1976. A comparison of malaise trapping and aerial netting for sampling a horsefly and deerfly community. Environmental Entomology 5:778–792.