Our goals with this dataset were to 1) isolate, culture, and identify two fungal life stages of Aspergillus flavus, 2) characterize the volatile emissions from grain inoculated by each fungal morphotype, and 3) understand how microbially-produced volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) from each fungal morphotype affect foraging, attraction, and preference by S. oryzae. This dataset includes that derived from headspace collection coupled with GC-MS, where we found the sexual life stage of A. flavus had the most unique emissions of MVOCs compared to the other semiochemical treatments. This translated to a higher arrestment with kernels containing grain with the A. flavus sexual life stage, as well as a higher cumulative time spent in those zones by S. oryzae in a video-tracking assay in comparison to the asexual life stage. While fungal cues were important for foraging at close-range, the release-recapture assay indicated that grain volatiles were more important for attraction at longer distances. There was no significant preference between grain and MVOCs in a four-way olfactometer, but methodological limitations in this assay prevent broad interpretation. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of how fungal cues affect the foraging ecology of a primary stored product insect. In the assays described herein, we analyzed the behavioral response of Sitophilus oryzae to five different blends of semiochemicals found and introduced in wheat (Table 1). Briefly, these included no stimuli (negative control), UV-sanitized grain, clean grain from storage (unmanipulated, positive control), as well as grain from storage inoculated with fungal morphotype 1 (M1, identified as the asexual life stage of Aspergillus flavus) and fungal morphotype 2 (M2, identified as the sexual life stage of A. flavus). Fresh samples of semiochemicals were used for each day of testing for each assay. In order to prevent cross-contamination, 300 g of grain (tempered to 15% grain moisture) was initially sanitized using UV for 20 min. This procedure was done before inoculating grain with either morphotype 1 or 2. The 300 g of grain was kept in a sanitized mason jar (8.5 D × 17 cm H). To inoculate grain with the two different morphologies, we scraped an entire isolation from a petri dish into the 300 g of grain. Each isolation was ~1 week old and completely colonized by the given morphotype. After inoculation, each treatment was placed in an environmental chamber (136VL, Percival Instruments, Perry, IA, USA) set at constant conditions (30°C, 65% RH, and 14:10 L:D). This procedure was the same for both morphologies and was done every 2 weeks to ensure fresh treatments for each experimental assay. See file list for descriptions of each data file.

Data were collected on the Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) from 2014-2018, near Nunn, Colorado as part of the common experiments in grazinglands for the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network. LTAR scientists seek to create new knowledge regarding sustainable management of grazinglands. This dataset on cattle foraging behavior and distribution provides new information towards understanding how management practices influence grazing livestock movements in space and time. The common experiment at CPER is called Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management (CARM) and is a ten-year ranch-scale (2,600-ha) social-ecological experiment designed to examine how adaptive rotations of a single large cattle herd among paddocks within a heterogeneous landscape during the growing season (collaborative, adaptive rangeland management; CARM) contrasts with continuous, season-long grazing of paddocks by small non-rotational herds (traditional rangeland management; TRM). Differences in movement patterns between the two treatments were examined with data collected from global positioning system tracking collars (Lotek 3300LR GPS) combined with activity sensors. These data were used to determine daily metrics of foraging behavior by steers in both treatments at five-minute intervals and include (1) location, (2) distance moved within 5 minutes, and (3) and grazing activity. These data are from the first half of the CARM experiment to support the publication, "Adaptive, multi-paddock, rotational grazing management alters foraging behavior and spatial grazing distribution of free-ranging cattle." Resources in this dataset: Resource Title: Data dictionary for foraging activity and location data for cattle File Name: DataDictionary_Template_nek.csv Resource Title: Foraging activity and location data for cattle in adaptive, multi-paddock, rotational grazing management File Name: CARMappended2014_2018.csv Resource Description: These data were used to determine daily metrics of foraging behavior by steers in both treatments at five-minute intervals and include (1) location, (2) distance moved within 5 minutes, and (3) and grazing activity. Resource Title: Foraging activity and location data for cattle in traditional grazing management File Name: TRMappended2014_2018.csv Resource Description: These data were used to determine daily metrics of foraging behavior by steers in both treatments at five-minute intervals and include (1) location, (2) distance moved within 5 minutes, and (3) and grazing activity.