Digital Commons Network^™

A Deeper Meaning For Shallow-Level Phylogenomic Studies: Nested Anchored Hybrid Enrichment Offers Great Promise For Resolving The Tiger Moth Tree Of Life (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Nicolas J. Dowdy, Shannon Keating, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily M. Lemmon, William E. Conner, Clare H. Scott Chialvo, Susan Weller, Rebecca B. Simmons, Melissa S. Sisson, Jennifer M. Zaspel

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering the evolutionary relationships within many taxonomic groups. AHE probe sets have been developed for a variety of insect groups, though none have yet been shown to be capable of simultaneously resolving deep and very shallow (e.g., intraspecific) divergences. In this study, we present NOC1, a new AHE probe set (730 loci) for Lepidoptera specialized for tiger moths and assess its ability to deliver phylogenetic utility at all taxonomic levels. We test the NOC1 probe set with 142 individuals from 116 species sampled from all the major lineages of …

Molecular Gut-Content Analysis Of Adult Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Provides No Evidence Of Predation Of Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) In A Nebraska Corn Agroecosystem, Camila Oliveira-Hofman, Vinícius S. Victor, Lance Meinke, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to characterize the ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) community in Nebraska continuous cornfields and investigate the potential for predation of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, a key rootfeeding insect pest that is an annual management challenge in this system. Seven collection dates were conducted at five commercial cornfields in west central Nebraska during the growing season of 2014. In each field, carabids were sampled using five 24-h pitfall traps. Carabid specimens were placed in 95% ethanol in the field and stored at –20 °C to preserve DNA. After identification to the species level, DNA …

Using Publicly Available Data To Quantify Plant–Pollinator Interactions And Evaluate Conservation Seeding Mixes In The Northern Great Plains, Clint R.V. Otto, S. O'Dell, R. B. Bryant, N. H. Euliss Jr., R. M. Bush, Matthew D. Smart

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Concern over declining pollinators has led to multiple conservation initiatives for improving forage for bees in agroecosystems. Using data available through the Pollinator Library (npwrc.usgs.gov/pollinator/), we summarize plant–pollinator interaction data collected from 2012–2015 on lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private lands enrolled in U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs in eastern North Dakota (ND). Furthermore, we demonstrate how plant–pollinator interaction data from the Pollinator Library and seed cost information can be used to evaluate hypothetical seeding mixes for pollinator habitat enhancements. We summarize records of 314 wild bee and 849 honey bee (Apis mellifera …

Integration Of Plant Defense Traits With Biological Control Of Arthropod Pests: Challenges And Opportunities, Julie A. Peterson, Paul J. Ode, Camila Oliveira-Hofman, James D. Harwood

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Crop plants exhibit a wide diversity of defensive traits and strategies to protect themselves from damage by herbivorous pests and disease. These defensive traits may be naturally occurring or artificially selected through crop breeding, including introduction via genetic engineering. While these traits can have obvious and direct impacts on herbivorous pests, many have profound effects on higher trophic levels, including the natural enemies of herbivores. Multi-trophic effects of host plant resistance have the potential to influence, both positively and negatively, biological control. Plant defense traits can influence both the numerical and functional responses of natural enemies; these interactions can be …

Stress-Induced Changes In Abundance Differ Among Obligate And Facultative Endosymbionts Of The Soybean Aphid, Laramy S. Enders, Nicholas Miller

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bacterial endosymbionts can drive evolutionary novelty by conferring adaptive benefits under adverse environmental conditions. Among aphid species there is growing evidence that symbionts influence tolerance to various forms of stress. However, the extent to which stress inflicted on the aphid host has cascading effects on symbiont community dynamics remains poorly understood. Here we simultaneously quantified the effect of host-plant induced and xenobiotic stress on soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) fitness and relative abundance of its three bacterial symbionts. Exposure to soybean defensive stress (Rag1 gene) and a neurotoxic insecticide (thiamethoxam) substantially reduced aphid composite fitness (survival 9 reproduction) …

Short-Horned Grasshopper Subfamilies Feed At Different Rates On Big Bluestem And Switchgrass Cultivars, Muhammad Ullah, Fatima Mustafa, William W. Hoback, Mathew L. Brust, Kerri M. Farnsworth-Hoback, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Grasshopper species belonging to subfamilies Melanoplinae, Gomphocerinae and Oedipodinae were tested for their feeding rate on three types of grass. All grasshopper species were offered Shawnee and Kanlow cultivars of switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L. and big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii Vitman. The grasshoppers, Melanoplus femurrubrum and Melanoplus differentialis were also tested for their feeding on turgid or wilted leaves of the Shawnee cultivar of switchgrass. We found that M. differentialis consumed more switchgrass compared to big bluestem while M. femurrubrum and Arphia xanthoptera consumed the most Shawnee switchgrass. The M. differentialis consumed more turgid grass compared to wilted switchgrass. The feeding …

Minute Pirate Bug (Orius Insidiosus Say) Populations On Transgenic And Non-Transgenic Maize Using Different Sampling Techniques, Santiago A. Palizada, Bamphitlhi Tiroesele, Difabachew B. Kondidie, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Fatima Mustafa, Thomas E. Hunt, Pete L. Clark, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Steven R. Skoda, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the populations of minute pirate bug [Orius insidiosus (Say)] using visual, sticky cards and destructive sampling techniques in transgenic and non-transgenic maize in three locations in Nebraska (Mead, Clay Center. and Concord) United States of America. during 2007 and 2008 . All sampling methods revealed significant counts of O. insidiosus on CP4 EPSPS maize plus an insecticide application for control of first generation O. nubilalis at R2 (blister) sampling period. Similarly, visual observations of O. insidiosus on Cry1Ab x Cry3Bb1 x CP4 EPSPS maize yielded significantly higher mean adult counts at R2 (blister) …

Non Target Effect Of Cry1 Ab And Cry Ab X Cry3 Bb1 Bt Transgenic Maize On Orius Insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) Abundance, Santiago A. Palizada, Difabachew K. Belay, Bamphitlhi Tiroesele, Fatima Mustafa, Muhammad Ullah, Thomas Hunt, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, S. R. Skoda, Pete L. Clark, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Non-target effects of Cry1Ab x CP4 EPSPS and Cry1Ab+Cry3Bb1×CP4 EPSPS Bt transgenic new maize hybrids on insidious flower bugs [Orius insidiosus (Say)] was studied in Nebraska (Mead, C lay Center, and Concord) during 2007 and 2008. The Bt effect was compared to CP4 EPSPS maize (isoline), conventional maize, and insecticide applications of permethrin (Pounce® 1.5G) and bifenthrin (Capture® 2EC) to control first and second generations of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), respectively. Yellow sticky cards, visual observations, and destructive samplings were used to evaluate O. insidiosus abundance. The yellow sticky card data in 2007 showed that O. insidiosus abundance was lower …

Seasonal Population Dynamics Of The Potato Psyllid (Hemiptera: Triozidae) And Its Associated Pathogen “Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum” In Potatoes In The Southern Great Plains Of North America, John A. Goolsby, John J. Adamczyk Jr., J. M. Crosslin, Noel N. Troxclair, J. R. Ancisco, Gerhard G. Bester, J. D. Bradshaw, Edsel D. Bynum Jr., L. A. Carpio, Don C. Henne, Ankush Joshi, Joseph E. Munyaneza, Pat Porter, Phillip E. Sloderbeck, J. R. Supak, C. M. Rush, F. J. Willett, B. J. Zechmann, B. A. Zens

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), and its associated pathogen “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (Ca. L. solanacearum), the putative causal agent of zebra chip (ZC) disease in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), were sampled in commercial potato fields and untreated control plots for 3 yr in multiple locations in Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. Populations of the potato psyllid varied across years and across potato growing regions. However, the percentage of potato psyllids infected with Ca. L. solanacearum although variable across years, was consistently highest in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas (LRGV), the reported overwintering …

Nepetalactones From Essential Oil Of Nepeta Cataria Represent A Stable Fly Feeding And Oviposition Repellent, J. J. Zhu, Dennis R. Berkebile, C. E. Dunlap, A. Zhang, D. Boxler, K. Tangtrakulwanich, R. Behle, Frederick P. Baxendale, Gary J. Brewer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), is one of the most serious pests to livestock. It feeds mainly on cattle and causes significant economic losses in the cattle industry. Standard stable fly control involving insecticides and sanitation is usually costly and often has limited effectiveness. As we continue to evaluate and develop safer fly control strategies, the present study reports on the effectiveness of catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) oil and its constituent compounds, nepetalactones, as stable fly repellents. The essential oil of catnip reduced the feeding of stable flies by >96% in an in vitro bioassay system, …

Efficacies Of Habitat Management Techniques In Managing Maize Stem Borers In Ethiopia, Difabachew K. Belay, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Habitat management techniques to control maize stem borers were tested in eastern (Melkassa and Mieso) and western (Sibu-Sire) Ethiopia. These techniques consisted of using mixed cropping of maize with haricot beans at different maize:bean ratios and a ‘‘push–pull’’ (PP) strategy utilizing Napier grass as a trap plant around maize plots as the ‘‘pull’’ and Desmodium in between maize rows as a deterrent or ‘‘push’’. In Melkassa, pest infestations were too low for the cropping system to significantly affect pests, plant damage and yields while in Mieso, where the pest densities were high, intercropping of maize with beans at ratios of …

First Come, First Serve: “Sit And Wait” Behavior In Dung Beetles At The Source Of Primate Dung, Jennifer Jacobs, Ines Nole, Susanne Palminteri, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) compete intensively for dung resources, and most species forage in the understory. Here, we describe the unique behavior of one dung beetle species, Canthon aff. quadriguttatus (Olivier), associated with two species of monkeys from Peru. We observed this beetle species on the genital and anal regions of the brown titi monkey, Callicebus brunneus (Wagner), and subsequently falling with dung as the monkeys defecated. The same association was also observed with the bald-faced saki monkey, Pithecia irrorata irrorata (Gray). Using the “sit and wait” at the source behavior, C. quadriguttus may arrive first at the dung …

Biology And Phylogeny Of The Cassidinae Gyllenhal Sensu Lato (Tortoise And Leaf-Mining Beetles) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Caroline S. Chaboo

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A parsimony analysis was undertaken to test subfamily and tribal group concepts of Cassidinae (ca. 2000 genera, ca. 6000 species). An integrated account of their biology was synthesized from the primary literature. A detailed morphological study of adults, using Hemisphaerota palmarum Boheman as a model, formed the basis for evaluating characters previously utilized and for defining novel characters. The data matrix comprised 210 characters (from adults and immature stages, ecology and behavior), 6 outgroups, and 98 ingroup exemplar species (representing 94 genera and 39 of the 43 recognized cassidine tribes). Results support the monophyly of Cassidinae and place it as …

Oil-Soluble Dyes For Marking Spodoptera Frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Elis Christine Vilarinho, Odair Aparecido Fernandes, Celso Omoto, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Although various biological aspects of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) have been examined, adult movement and dispersal of this insect pest is not well understood. Release-recapture techniques by using marked insects is a useful approach for dispersal studies; however, the marking technique should not significantly affect insect biology or behavior. Therefore, the effect of different concentrations of oil-soluble dyes (Solvent Blue 35 [C.I. 61554], Sudan Red 7B [C.I. 26050], Sudan Black B [26150], Sudan Orange G [C.I. 11920], and Sudan I 103624 [C.I. 12055]) on development, mortality, and fecundity of S. frugiperda was evaluated. Dyes were added to artificial …

Salinity And Shade Preferences Result In Ovipositional Differences Between Sympatric Tiger Beetle Species, W. Wyatt Hoback, Douglas A. Golick, Tina Marie Svatos, Stephen M. Spomer, Leon G. Higley

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

1. Adult tiger beetles of the genus Cicindela often co-occur within a habitat but larvae do not. Larvae are sedentary and form usually permanent burrows at the site of oviposition where they require 1-3 years for development.

2. To test niche partitioning based on ovipositional preference, the behavior of two sympatric salt marsh tiger beetles, Cicindela circumpicta and C. togata (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), were examined.

3. In laboratory studies, female C. circumpicta and C. togata distinguished between experimental salinities, with the former preferring 4 parts per thousand (ppt) and the latter preferring 12 ppt. In the field, C. circumpicta larvae were …

Identification Of Muscidifurax Spp. By Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, David B. Taylor, Allen L. Szalanski

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the nuclear ribosomal ITS1 region was used to differentiate Muscidifurax (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) species which are parasitoids of filth fly pupae. Three restriction enzymes, Dpn 11, Mse I, and Taq I, produced restriction patterns which were diagnostic for the four species analyzed, M. raptor, M. raptorellus, M. uniraptor, and M. zaraptor. Seven other restriction enzymes were able to differentiate one or more of the species and can be used alone, or in combination with other enzymes, to verify identifications. No intraspecific variation was observed among the populations examined. The utility of the …

Use Of Rubidium To Label Lysiphlebus Testaceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), A Parasitoid Of Greenbugs (Homoptera: Aphididae), For Dispersal Studies, Odair A. Fernandes, Robert J. Wright, Karl H. Baumgarten, Z. B. Mayo

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A reliable method of labeling is needed to study dispersal of the braconid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson), an important biological control of greenbugs, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), on grain sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. The feasibility of using aqueous solutions of rubidium chloride (RbCl) applied as a foliar spray or soil drench to label greenbugs and L. testaceipes developing within greenbugs was studied. Laboratory and field studies were conducted to identify the minimal concentration of RbCl to assure labeling of greenbugs and wasps, persistence of Rb throughout the wasp's life span, mobility of Rb to unsprayed sorghum leaves, and feasibility of …

Effects Of Shelterbelts On The Aerial Distribution Of Insect Pests In Muskmelon, Mary Ellen Dix, Laurie Hodges, James R. Brandle, Robert J. Wright, Mark O. Harrell

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Sticky traps were used to measure how tree shelterbelts influence the abundance of crop insect pests and beneficial arthropods in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) plots in eastern Nebraska. Abundance of striped cucumber beetles {Acalymma vittatum Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)} , southern corn rootworms {Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)}, and northern corn rootworms {D. barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)} was similar in exposed and sheltered plots. Western corn rootworms {D. virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)} were significantly more abundant in exposed plots. More lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and ichneumonid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) were caught on traps …

Environmental And Edaphic Effects On Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Overwintering Egg Survival, L. D. Godfrey, Lance J. Meinke, Robert J. Wright, Gary L. Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, overwintering egg survival was studied at 3 soil depths (7.5, 15, and 30 cm), 3 soil textures (silty clay loam, loam, and sandy loam), and 2 surface residue treatments (with and without surface cover) at an eastern Nebraska site in 1989-1990 and 1990-1991. At a western Nebraska site, egg survival was evaluated at 3 soil depths (7.5, 15, and 30 cm), 2 surface residue regimes (with and without surface cover) within a fine sandy loam soil in 1989-1990. Overall, egg survival was low (30.0%) and intermediate (41.0%) at the eastern and western sites, …

Voltinism And The Induction Of Aestival Diapause In The Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa Decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Maurice J. Tauber, Catherine A. Tauber, John J. Obrycki, Brian Gollands, Robert J. Wright

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Field studies over 3 yr demonstrated that overwintering populations of the Colorado potato beetle in upstate New York and on Long Island are composed of adults from both the first and second summer generations. The two populations from the climatically different regions differ in their responses to environmental factors that influence voltinism. The critical photoperiod for aestival diapause induction is longer, and the induction of diapause by low temperature is greater, in the population from the cooler, inland locality (upstate New York) than in the population from the warm coastal area (Long Island). Under the long days of early summer, …

Resistance To The Rice Gall Midge Orseolia Oryzae In Rice, E. A. Heinrichs

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Orseolia oryzae, the rice gall midge is a major pest of rice in many areas of tropical Asia and is becoming an important pest in Africa. A chronological review of the progress made in various national programs on varietal resistance, sources of resistance and breeding for resistance is given. Many resistant varieties have been identified and have been utilized in breeding programs to develop high yielding varieties with multiple resistance to the gall midge and other insect pests and diseases. Mechanisms and inheritance of resistance in rice varieties are discussed. Rice varieties resistant in various countries and sources of resistance …

A Bibliography Of Varietal Resistance To The Rice Gall Midge, Orseolia Oryzae (Wood-Mason), P. K. Pathak, E. A. Heinrichs

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This bibliography contains 330 published and unpublished references for the period 1881-1981. References are arranged alphabetically by author and are also classified by country and by subjects (mass rearing, screening, evaluation and utilization of resistant varieties, breeding for and inheritance of resistance, and biotype variation). Tables list resistant varieties identified, varietal sources used in breeding programs, varieties which have been released for cultivation by farmers and biotype classification.

Seasonal Abundance And Distribution Of Benthic Fauna Within A Pond, Ellis L. Matheny, E. A. Heinrichs

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A Tennessee pond was sampled weekly from June 18 to August 20, 1968, to determine quantitative differences among benthic organisms in sampling depths and dates. Annelids (Oligochaeta), Chironomidae larvae, and Chaoboridae larvae were the dominant organisms collected. Preferred depths existed for each group of organisms. Chaoboridae and Chironomidae exhibited distinct seasonal variations in numbers, with the population decreasing throughout the summer. Chaoboridae were the most and Chironomidae the least numerous of the 3 groups.