Selected published articles and abstracts
5. Hazel, AM, J Mongold-Diers, S W Punyasena, MP Donovan, LM Hanks. 2017. Identifying floral hosts of cerambycid beetles using palynology. Envi. Entomol. (in prep)
4. Bolmin O, Duan C, Urrutia L, Abdullah A, Hazel AM, Alleyne M, Dunn AC, and Wissa A. 2017. A framework to design a self-righting robot inspired by the click beetle. Bioinspir. Biomim. (in review)
3. Smith CR, Blair PL, Boyd C, Cody B, Hazel A, Hedrick A, Kathuria H, Khurana P, Kramer B, Muterspaw K, Peck C, Sells E, Skinner J, Tegeler C, and Wolfe Z. 2016. Microbial community responses to soil tillage and crop rotation in a corn/soybean agroecosystem. Ecol Evol 6(22): 8075-8084.
2. Hazel, AM, J Mongold-Diers, S Punyasena, MP Donovan, and LM Hanks. 2016. Identifying floral hosts of cerambycid beetles using palynology. Entomol. Soc. Am., Int. Congr. Entomol. XXV, Orlando, FL. (abstract)
1. Hazel AM, Mongold-Diers J, Punyasena S, Donovan MP, and Hanks LM. 2016. Identifying floral hosts of cerambycid beetles using palynology. N. Cntl. Br. Meeting, Entomol. Soc. Am., Cleveland, OH. (abstract)
A framework to design a self-righting robot inspired by the click beetle
Click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) have evolved a jumping mechanism to right themselves when on their dorsal side, without using their legs. This paper describes and analyzes the click beetle jump stages based on high-speed video recordings and scanning electron micrographs of four beetle species. The body of the click beetle is considered as two masses entities linked by a hinge. Dynamic and kinematic models of the identified jump stages are developed. The models were used to calculate the hinge stiffness and the elastic energy stored in the body during the jump. The modeling results show agreement with the experimental values. The derived models provide a framework that can be used for the design of a click beetle inspired self-righting robot.
The Click Beetle Team
Entomology. Dr. Marianne “M” Alleyne and me.
Mechanical Engineering. BAM Lab: Ophelia Bolmin, Chengafang Duan, Luis Urrutia, and Dr. Aimy Wissa. Materials Tribology Lab: Ahmad Abdula and Dr. Alison C. Dunn.
Identifying the floral hosts of cerambycid beetles using palynology
There are an estimated 35,000 species of long-horned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambyicdae) in the world [1]. Most are woodborers during their larval stage and feed on the cambium, roots, or stems of trees, as well as healthy, stressed, dead, and decomposing wood [2]. Lovell suggested that cerambycids are among the most abundant anthophilous insects in eastern North America, particularly those in the subfamily Lepturinae, known as “flower longhorns” [3]. Palynivory by adult cerambycids is common in many species in the Lepturinae and sporadic in Cerambycinae [4]. In my thesis research, I quantified the distribution of pollen-feeding in adults of 21 species of long-horned beetles collected on flowers, with pheromone-baited panel traps, and at lights in east central Illinois. I deployed a simplified palynological method for extracting and quantifying pollen from the frass of these beetles. This research is in preparation to be published.
Xander Hazel 