Research


My ORCID ID​ is: orcid.org/0000-0002-1456-3475
​

I am currently working on two topics:

  1. Diversity, phenology and ecology of coprophilous beetles in SE Michigan.
    • I started working on coprophilous Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae in SE-Michigan in 2012 and 2013 and published the results in 2014:
      • Wassmer T. 2014. Seasonal occurrence (phenology) of coprophilous beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Hydrophilidae) from cattle and sheep farms in southeastern Michigan, USA. Coleopterists Bulletin. 68(3):603-618. PDF
    • In June 2017, I started surveying the phenology and succession of coprophilous Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae on a mixed herd family farm in South Central Michigan over the entire year (including winter), collecting pitfall traps set for 48h and 72h hours, twice a month. The data are now evaluated and I submitted and published two papers:
      • Wassmer T. 2020. Phenological Patterns and Seasonal Segregation of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae) on a Cattle Farm in SE-Michigan, United States Throughout the Year. Front Ecol Evol. 8. doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.563532.
      • Wassmer T. 2020. Attractiveness of cattle dung to coprophilous beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and sphaeridiinae) and their segregation during the initial stages of the heterotrophic succession on a pasture in southeast Michigan. Journal of Insect Science. 20(3). doi:10.1093/jisesa/ieaa040
    • In 2019, I started a population ecology study of the iconic rainbow scarab Phanaeus vindex shown in the left panel of the above picture gallery. I continued the study throughout spring and summer 2021 and published the results this year.
      • Wassmer T, Armstrong E. 2023. Population structure of Phanaeus vindex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in SE Michigan. Journal of Insect Science. 23(4):2. doi:10.1093/jisesa/iead050.

  2. Remote surveying of fox and red squirrel activity in SE Michigan
    • From October 2011 until May 2015, I gathered 1353 days of data on the daily and seasonal activity patterns of individual fox squirrels using temperature-sensitive dataloggers (iButtons). The results were published in two papers:
      • Wassmer T, Refinetti R. 2016. Daily Activity and Nest Occupation Patterns of Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger) throughout the Year. PLoS ONE. 11(3): e0151249. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151249
      • Wassmer T, Refinetti R. 2019. Individual daily and seasonal activity patterns in fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) quantified by temperature-sensitive data loggers. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7:179. doi:10.3389/fevo.2019.00179
    • I contributed my data set to Roberto Refinetti and co-published a paper with him and other contributors comparing the behavioral chronotypes of 16 mammalian species:
      • Refinetti R, Wassmer T, Basu P, Cherukalady R, Pandey VK, Singaravel M, Giannetto C, Piccione G. 2016. Variability of behavioral chronotypes of 16 mammalian species under controlled conditions. Physiol Behav. 161:53-59. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.019 PDF
    • My students Ciara Ginn and Rosemary Hanna collected recordings of 3 squirrels using a combined light and temperature logger (Intigeo-C330, Migrate Technology Ltd., Cambridge, United Kingdom). We are evaluating and probably adding to these data.
    • In an ongoing camera trapping project started by my students Rosemary Hanna and Ciara Ginn in 2019, I plan to compare the activity patterns of co-occurring fox and red squirrels.
      • First results were presented by Noah Gascon (graduated May 2023) at the 2022 ESA & CSEE Joint Meeting in Montreal:
        Gascon N, Delclos K, Hanna R, Ginn C. 2022. Activity Patterns of Fox Squirrels Sciurus niger and American Red Squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Based on Camera Traps. In: 2022 ESA & CSEE Joint Meeting. Montreal.

  3. Decline of Insect Populations
In 2020, I joined a group of 96 sites across North America to study the population dynamics of flying insects in May, June and July captured in Malaise traps.
  1. First results were published in 2023:
    Dunn PO, Ahmed I, Armstrong E, Barlow N, Barnard MA, Bélisle M, Benson TJ, Berzins LL, Boynton CK, Brown TA, et al. 2023. Extensive regional variation in the phenology of insects and their response to temperature across North America. Ecology. 104(5):e4036. doi:10.1002/ecy.4036.



  4. Research projects originated by students
    • For the last 11 years, I supervised and mentored between 2-6 undergraduate senior research projects per year. Topics included, e.g., running-wheel activity of lab mice under various diet plans, prevalence of breast cancer and pesticide spraying in Northern Michigan. Until now, only one of these projects was published:
    • Smith O, Wassmer T. 2016. An ethogram of commonly observed behaviors of the endangered Bridled White-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus) in a Zoo Setting. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 128(3):647-653. PDF​​

  5. Editorial work
    • During my Sabbatical in the Fall 2018, I initiated, co-organized and co-edited a research topic for Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution with the title: "Ecology and Behaviour of Free-Ranging Animals Studied by Advanced Data-Logging and Tracking Techniques". We ended up with 23 outstanding articles for which I co-authored an editorial and that were published as an eBook:
      • Wassmer T, Jensen FH, Fahlman A, Murray DL. 2020. Editorial: Ecology and behaviour of free-ranging animals studied by advanced data-logging and tracking techniques. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 8(113). doi: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00113
      • Wassmer T, Murray D, Boutin S, Fahlman A, Jensen FH. 2020. Ecology and behaviour of free-ranging animals studied by advanced data-logging and tracking techniques. Frontiers Media SA. doi:10.3389/978-2-88963-792-8 PDF

  6. Previous Publications (Some PDFs provided - more on ResearchGate)
    • Wassmer T. 2004. Body temperature and above-ground patterns during hibernation in European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus L.). Journal of Zoology 262:281-288. PDF
    • Waßmer T. 1998. Die zeitliche Organisation des Winterschlafs beim europäischen Feldhamster (Cricetus cricetus L.). München, Germany: Herbert Utz Verlag.
    • Wassmer T, Wollnik F. 1997. Timing of torpor bouts during hibernation in European hamsters (Cricetus cricetus L.). Journal of comparative physiology. B, Biochemical, systemic, and environmental physiology 167(4):270-9. PDF
    • Waßmer T. 1995. Mistkäfer (Scarabaeidae und Hydrophilidae) als Bioindikatoren für die naturschützerische Bewertung von Weidebiotopen. Zeitschrift für Ökologie und Naturschutz 3(4):135-142.
    • Wassmer T. 1995. Selection of the spatial habitat of coprophagous bettles in the Kaiserstuhl area near Freiburg (SW-Germany). Acta Oecologica 16(4):461-478. PDF
    • Sowig P, Wassmer T. 1994. Resource partitioning in coprophagous beetles from sheep dung: phenology and microhabitat preferences. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere 121(2):171-192.
    • Waßmer T. 1994. Seasonality of coprophagous beetles in the Kaiserstuhl area near Freiburg (SW-Germany) including the winter months. Acta Oecologica 15(5):607-631.
    • Wassmer T, Himmelsbach R, Himmelsbach W. 1994. Dungbewohnende Blatthornkäfer (Scarabaeoidea) und Wasserkäfer (Hydrophilidae) aus dem Hessental bei Schelingen im Kaiserstuhl. Mitteilungen des Badischen Landesvereins für Naturkunde und Naturschutz 16:75-83.
    • Wassmer T, Sowig P. 1994. Die coprophagen Käfer der Schafsweide: "Flachsland" am Schönberg bei Freiburg. Veröffentlichungen für Natuschutz und Landschaftspflege in Baden-Württemberg 68/69:355-376.
    • Lyamin O, Wassmer T, Mukhametov LM. 1992. Behavioural sleep in a northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus. In: Evans PGH, editor. European research on Cetaceans, Proceedings of the annual conference of the European Cetacean Society. San Remo, Italy: European Cetacean Society. p. 245-249.