The Xerces Society is thrilled to announce the two winners of the 2016 Joan Mosenthal DeWind Awards. From among the exceptional applications we received, the following two students were selected:
*Paola Olaya-Arenas – Purdue University* *Non-target effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on monarch butterflies* Monarch butterflies are undergoing a long-term population decline. Although different factors are hypothesized to cause this decline, one potential factor is the exposure of their milkweed host plants to neonicotinoid insecticides when growing in close proximity to agricultural fields. Neonicotinoids are a relatively new class of pesticides that were recently associated with the decline of widespread butterflies inhabiting farmland in England and result in lethal and sublethal effects on insects feeding on nectar, pollen, and leaves. Evaluating the effect of neonicotinoids in the monarch–milkweed system will help guide restoration efforts that aim to protect monarchs and other Lepidoptera specialized on milkweed. *Cameron Thomas – Washington State University Vancouver, School of Biological Sciences* *Factors associated with ant tending in Fender’s blue butterfly (Plebejus icarioides fenderi): assessing an understudied and potentially significant mutualistic relationship* Fender’s blue butterfly, *Plebejus icarioides fenderi *(Macy), survives in remnant prairie habitat in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Research involving habitat restoration has focused primarily on how invasive vegetation affects the adult stage, but recent work suggests ant tending of caterpillars may significantly increase population growth rate. In this project, we will systematically document ant tending and associated biotic and abiotic factors in Fender's blue larvae by its ant mutualists with a specific focus on the vegetation gradient among nine sites. Results aim to inform restoration efforts relative to vegetation structure during the larval phase, a stage that may be more significant for conservation of this butterfly than previously documented. The DeWind committee and the board and staff of the Society congratulate Paola and Cameron and thank all the applicants for their outstanding efforts in invertebrate conservation. The DeWind Awards are given to individuals engaged in studies or research leading to a university degree related to Lepidoptera research and conservation, and working or intending to work in that field. Joan Mosenthal DeWind was a pioneering member of the Xerces Society. A psychiatric social worker by profession, she was also an avid butterfly gardener and an accomplished amateur lepidopterist. Her contributions of time, organizational expertise, and financial support were essential to the growth and success of the Xerces Society over the past 40 years. Joan also had a keen interest in young people, supporting what became the Young Entomologists’ Society. In Joan’s memory, Bill DeWind established a student research endowment fund in her name. For more information on the DeWind Award, visit http://www.xerces.org/joan-dewind-award/ and read our blog post on this year’s winners here http://www.xerces.org/blog/investing-in-the-future-of-lepidoptera-conservation/ . *Candace Fallon* Conservation Biologist Endangered Species Program *The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation * *Protecting the Life that Sustains Us* 628 NE Broadway, Suite 200, Portland, OR, 97232 USA Tel: (503) 232-6639 ext. 118 | Fax: (503) 233-6794 *xerces.org* <http://www.xerces.org/> *Facebook* <http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Xerces-Society/193182577358618> *E-newsletter* <http://www.xerces.org/enewsletters/> *Twitter <https://twitter.com/xerces_society>*
