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Rayor, Linda S.
Cornell Academic Staff
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Positions
- Senior Lecturer, Entomology (ENTOM), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
- Senior Research Associate, Entomology (ENTOM), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
Behavioral ecologist specializing in arthropod social behavior. Inspiring, prize-winning teacher who recognizes the importance of communicating the value of science to the public through outreach and Insectapalooza.
Research Areas
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- Research
- Publications
- Teaching
- Service
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Affiliations
other Cornell affiliations
Research
research activities
co-principal investigator on
submitted impact statement
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- Behavioural and molecular evidence for selective immigration and group regulation in the social huntsman spider, Delena cancerides (Araneae: Sparassidae). . Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 106. 2012
- Book Review: Spider Behaviour: Flexibility and Versatility. Edited by Marie E. Herberstein. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2011). Pp. xii+391. Price $55.00 paperback. . Animal Behaviour. 84:289-290. 2012
- Conflicting research on the demography, ecology, and social behavior of Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni). . Journal of Mammalogy. 93:1075-1085. 2012
- Do social spiders cooperate in predator defense and foraging without a web? Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology 65: 1935-1947. . Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 65:1935-1947. 2011
- Preferential prey sharing among kin not found in the social huntsman spider, Delena cancerides (Sparassidae). . Journal of Arachnology. 39:258-262. 2011
- Aliens among us: Nestmate recognition in the social huntsman spider, Delena cancerides . Insectes Sociaux. 56:223-231. 2009
- Kin discrimination in the amblypygid, Damon diadema. Journal of Arachnology. 36. 2008
- The effects of cardenolides in Pieris napi caterpillars on the predatory behavior of Polistes dominulus wasps. Journal of Chemical Ecology. 33:1177-1185. 2007
- Social behavior in amblypygids, and a reassessment of arachnid social patterns. Journal of Arachnology. 33:399-421. 2006
- Larval feeding experience influences adult generalist predators to accept chemically defended prey. . Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 104:193-201. 2002
- Age-related sequential web-building as an adaptive spacing strategy in the colonial spider Metepeira incrassata (Araneidae). Animal Behaviour. 59:1251-1259. 2000
- Effects of waxbloom variation in Brassica oleracea on foraging by a vespid wasp. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 97:161-166. 2000
- Transgenic pollen harms monarch larvae. Nature. 399:214. 1999
- Attack strategies of predatory wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae, Sphecidae) on colonial web-building spiders (Araneidae: Metepeira incrassata). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 69:67-75. 1996
- Ontogenetic shifts within the selfish herd: predation risk and foraging tradeoffs change with age in colonial web-building spiders. Oecologia. 95:1-8. 1993
- Social behavior and space use of young ground-dwelling squirrel species with different levels of sociality. Ethology, Ecology & Evolution. 3:185-205. 1991
- Trade offs in foraging success and predation risk with spatial position in colonial spiders. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 27:77-85. 1990
- Social organization and space use in the Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 22:69-78. 1988
- Hibernation in Gunnison's prairie dog. Journal of Mammalogy. 68:147-150. 1987
- Dynamics of a plague outbreak in Gunnison's prairie dog. Journal of Mammalogy. 66:194-196. 1985
- Predatory behavior of spitting spiders (Araneae: Scytodidae) and the evolution of prey wrapping. Journal of Arachnology. 13:231-241. 1985
- The effect of habitat quality on growth, age of first reproduction and dispersal in Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni). Canadian Journal of Zoology. 63:2835-2840. 1985
- First record of mantisfly (Neuroptera: Mantispidae) parasitizing a spitting spider (Scytodidae). Kansas Entomological Society. J56:578-580. 1983
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article
- Beneficial spiders in the garden. Fine Gardening Magazine 137:78. 2011
- Common Spiders of New York 2007
- Common Spiders of New York 2007
- Family Ties: Unexpected social behavior in an improbable arachnid, the whip spiders 2007
- Insectapalooza: practical suggestions for pulling off a large entomology outreach event 2007
- Comparability of dominance indices in captive pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) 1978
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booksection
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chapter
- Naturalist outreach practicum: inspiring a new generation of civically engaged biological outreach leaders. Extending our reach: Voices of Service Learning at Cornell. 49-53. 2007
- Effects of monarch larval host plant chemistry and body size on Polistes wasp predation. The Monarch Butterfly: Biology and Conservation. 39-46. 2004
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review
- Insectapalooza: practical suggestions for pulling off a large entomology outreach event 2007
- Naturalist outreach practicum: inspiring a new generation of civically engaged biological outreach leaders 2007
featured in archived article
Teaching
teaching overview
- I teach two experiential courses every two years and have the deserved reputation as an outstanding teacher. My courses provide important contributions to the CALS Biology Curriculum in two important ways: providing diversity training in organismal biology and providing courses with an exceptional component of experiential or service-learning (Spider Biology 215, Spider Biology 315, Naturalist Outreach Practicum, Insect Behavior) that have been productively integrated with my research program. I closely mentor and teach behavioral research skills to a large number of talented undergraduate students in my program. Within the last few years, I have won the 2007 CALS Innovative Teacher and Entomology Society of America Distinguished Achievement in Teaching Award (Eastern Branch).
- Naturalist Outreach Practicum {Entom 3350, 3 credits} is an interdisciplinary experiential course on how to do effective scientific outreach in environmental biology. The course teaches the college students to communicate science with passion and clarity. Students comprise the 'Naturalist Outreach Speakers Bureau' to provide science-inquiry based biology presentations to K-12 classes and community groups. In 2010, the students and I gave 306 presentations reaching over 4200 people in individual talks and another 3000 in larger outreach events (Insectapalooza). http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/public/IthacaCampus/ExtOutreach/Outreach
- Spider Biology [Entomology 2150, 2 credits] is an introduction to the diversity, behavior, ecology, physiology, and natural history of spiders and other arachnids (scorpions, harvestmen, amblypygids, etc.). Although primarily a lecture course, Spider Biology emphasizes experiential learning with field trips and two full day open laboratories with hands on projects.
- Spider Biology {Entom 3150, 3 credits} is an in-depth introduction to the diversity, behavior, ecology, physiology, and natural history of spiders and other arachnids. In addition to the shared lectures with 2150 Spider Biology, student in 3150 learn to identify spiders for a synoptic collection and debate original research papers . Experiential learning is vital to comprehension, so all students participate in full day open laboratories with extensive displays and hands on activities, two field trips, projects with live arachnids, and active discussion.
teaching activities
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral Level Thesis Research - Spring 2013
- ENTOM-3350: Naturalist Outreach Practicum - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-3360: Naturalist Outreach in Biology - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral Level Thesis Research - Fall 2012
- BIONB-3250: Insect Behavior - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-3250: Insect Behavior - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-8900: Master's Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral Level Thesis Research - Spring 2012
- ENTOM-2150: Spider Biology: Life on a Silken Thread - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-3150: Spider Biology - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-3350: Naturalist Outreach Practicum - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-3360: Naturalist Outreach in Biology - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-7070: Individual Study for Graduate Students - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-7090: Teaching Entomology - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-8900: Master's-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2011
- ENTOM-9900: Doctoral-Level Thesis Research - Fall 2011
Service
outreach overview
- The Naturalist Outreach Speakers Bureau acts as a ‘speakers bureau’ to send Cornell undergraduates and graduate students to local classrooms and community groups to talk about the environmental science. By presenting lively, well-grounded, age-appropriate, science-inquiry based presentations, we help open the world of backyard biology to young people, enrich local 2nd – H.S. science instruction, and simultaneously train Cornell students to communicate effectively about science. The Naturalist Outreach Speakers Bureau is a response to the national need for attracting students into science, for scientists who can communicate the value of their work to the public, and the need to enhance appreciation for the environment.
service to the profession
- International Union for the Study of Social Insects Member 1998 -
- Sigma Xi Member 1990 -
- American Arachnological Society Member 1983 -
- Animal Behavior Society Member 1980 -
- International Society for Arachnology Board of Advisors 2007 - 2013
- Entomological Society of America Member 2003 - 2009
- International Society for Behavioral Ecology Member 2008
- Naturalist Outreach Speakers Bureau Director & Teacher 2005 - 2008
- International Society for Behavioral Ecology Co- Organizer and Host of meetings 2008
- American Arachnological Society, Marketing Committee Committee Member 2004 - 2005
- Spider Outreach Program: Eight-legged Ambassadors of Science Education Director & Teacher 1998 - 2004
- Planning Committee for International Society for Behavioral Ecology meetings be hosted by Cornell in 2008 Member - 2003
- Animal Behavior Society, Public Affairs Committee Committee Member 2000 - 2002
- Animal Behavior Society, Public Affairs Committee Chairperson 1996 - 2000
reviewer or editor for
event host
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Behavioral Ecology, University of Kansas 1987
- B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Colorado 1978
awards and honors
Other
college
- CALS
name prefix
- Dr.