The Asian Mango Flower Beetle, Protaetia Fusca (Herbst), And Euphoria Sepulcralis (Fabricius) In Florida And The West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Robert E. Woodruff

Insecta Mundi

The mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), an Asiatic pest of several commercial crops, was first found in Florida in 1985. All subsequent Florida specimens are recorded here, as well as the first documented records from the Bahamas and Barbados. Illustrations are provided and comparisons are made to the similar native Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius), which is also recorded for the first time from the Bahamas. Extensive host records and a bibliography (especially tracking P. fusca spread in Hawaii) are included.

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 18, No. 4, September 2006

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

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Host Preference Of The Chinch Bug, Blissus Occiduus, Thomas Eickhoff, Frederick P. Baxendale, Tiffany Heng-Moss

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The chinch bug, Blissus occiduus Barber (Hemiptera: Blissidae), is an important pest of buffalograss, Buchloë dactyloides (Nutall) Engelmann and potentially other turfgrass, crop, and non-crop hosts. Choice studies documented the number of B. occiduus present on selected turfgrasses, crops and weeds, and provided important insights into the host preferences of this chinch bug. Grasses with the most chinch bugs present included the warm-season turfgrasses B. dactyloides, zoysiagrass, Zoysia japonica Steudel, bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., and St. Augustinegrass , Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze. The other grasses tested, green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv, Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L., perennial …

Analyses Of Cry1ab Binding In Resistant And Susceptible Strains Of The European Corn Borer, Ostrinia Nubilalis (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Herbert A.A. Siquiera, Joel Gonzalez-Cabrera, Juan Ferre, Ronald Flannagan

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Cry1Ab toxin binding analysis was performed to determine whether resistance in laboratory-selected Ostrinia nubilalis strains is associated with target site alteration. Brush border membrane vesicles were prepared using dissected midguts from late instars of susceptible and resistant strains (Europe-R and RSTT) of O. nubilalis. Immunoblot analysis indicated that three different proteins bound to Cry1Ab toxin and were recognized by an anticadherin serum. In a comparison of resistant and susceptible strains, reduced Cry1Ab binding was apparent for all three bands corresponding to cadherin-like proteins in the Europe-R strain, while reduced binding was apparent in only one band for the RSTT …

Xenobiotic Response In Drosophila Melanogaster: Sex Dependence Of P450 And Gst Gene Induction, Gaelle Le Goff, Frederique Hilliou, Blair Siegfried, Sam Boundy, Eric Wajnberg, Luc Sofer, Pascaline Audant, Richard H. Ffrench-Constant, Rene Feyereisen

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The effect of xenobiotics (phenobarbital and atrazine) on the expression of Drosophila melanogaster CYP genes encoding cytochromes P450, a gene family generally associated with detoxification, was analyzed by DNA microarray hybridization and verified by real-time RT-PCR in adults of both sexes. Only a small subset of the 86 CYP genes was significantly induced by the xenobiotics. Eleven CYP genes and three glutathione S-transferases (GST) genes were significantly induced by phenobarbital, seven CYP and one GST gene were induced by atrazine. Cyp6d5, Cyp6w1, Cyp12d1 and the ecdysone-inducible Cyp6a2 were induced by both chemicals. The constitutive expression of several of the inducible …

Frozen Beetle Treats Are Environmentally Friendly, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

At my rural household, the most vexatious insect pest has got to be the ubiquitous Japanese beetle. Native to Japan, these pests have infested most of eastern North America, with isolated infestations appearing in some western states. One reason that Japanese beetles are so bad is that they deliver a double-whammy: the larvae (grubs) consume roots and are particularly destructive of turf and pasture grasses while the adults consume leaves and flowers of a wide variety of plants, leaving behind skeletonized versions of the plant parts consumed.

Comparison Of Mosquito Abundance, Distribution, And Parity Between A High And A Low Prevalence Site For La Crosse Encephalitis In Eastern Tennessee, Sabra Lee Scheffel

Masters Theses

A three-year investigation of the seasonal distribution, abundance and diversity of mosquitoes at a high and a low prevalence area for La Crosse (LAC) encephalitis was conducted in eastern Tennessee, USA. We identified a high LAC prevalence site (Knox County) from which two cases of LAC encephalitis were confirmed, one in 1997 and the other in 2000, and an ecologically similar low prevalence site (Blount County) with no confirmed LAC cases. Mosquitoes were collected at each site using 2 Center for Disease Control (CDC) miniature light traps baited with carbon dioxide, 1 Omni-directional Fay trap baited with carbon dioxide, 2 …

Comparative Efficiency Of Six Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Traps, David B. Taylor, Dennis Berkebile

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Five adhesive traps and the Nzi cloth-target trap were compared to determine their trapping efficiency and biases for stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae). Two configurations of the BiteFree prototype trap, constructed of polyethylene terephthalate, were most efficient for trapping stable flies, whereas the EZ trap was least efficient. The two Alsynite traps, Broce and Olson, were intermediate to the BiteFree prototype and EZ traps. All adhesive traps collected a ratio of approximately two males for each female. Approximately 50% of the flies collected on the adhesive traps, both male and female, were blood fed, and 20% were vitellogenic. …

Coordinated Diabrotica Genetics Research: Accelerating Progress On An Urgent Insect Pest Problem, Thomas W. Sappington, Blair D. Siegfried, Thomas Guillemaud

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Diabrotica spp. (western, northern, and Mexican corn rootworms) represent the main pest complex of continuous field corn, Zea mays (L.), in North America. The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, also has become the main pest of continuous corn in Central and Southeastern Europe since its introduction near Belgrade 15–20 years ago, and it represents a major risk to Western Europe. It has already caused economic losses in Eastern Europe, and Western countries such as France have committed large expenditures for containment and/or eradication.

Rootworm larvae feed on corn roots, and damaged plants are more susceptible to drought and …

Effects Of Aphid (Homoptera) Abundance And Surrounding Vegetation On The Encounter Rate Of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), And Nabidae (Hemiptera) In Alfalfa, James C. Kriz, Stephen D. Danielson, James R. Brandle, Erin E. Blankenship, Geoff M. Henebry

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Predaceous insect encounter rate was measured in 21 southeast Nebraska alfalfa fields through weekly sweep net sampling during 2002-03. The most frequently encountered predaceous insect families were Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Nabidae (Hemiptera), and Chrysopidae (Neuroptera). The study used multiple regression analysis to examine the effect of aphid abundance and the surrounding vegetative patch composition on predaceous insect abundance. In 2002, Hippodamia parenthesis Say was encountered more frequently in fields with lower aphid abundances, and Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, Coccinella septempunctata L., and Nabis americoferus Carayon were encountered more frequently in fields with higher aphid abundances. In 2003, Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer was encountered …

Validity Of Western Bean Cutworm Growing Degree Day Model In Iowa, Bryon Van Ballegooyen

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Objective The goal of this project was to determine the validity of the western bean cutworm, Richia albicosta (Noctuidae), growing degree day (GDD) model developed at the University of Nebraska with western bean cutworm flight and weather data collected in Iowa. The completed project will show if the current GDD model holds up when compared with data collected in Iowa from 2003 to 2005. The project will also show if more data needs to be collected and analyzed to further test the current GDD model.

Outcomes The outcomes of the project show that the previously developed GDD model for western …

Sp678 Forest Management Strategies To Minimize The Impact Of The Gypsy Moth, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

Use of silviculture to manage gypsy moth effects gives foresters additional tools for developing integrated pest management programs. Silvicultural actions should be taken prior to gypsy moth outbreaks to reduce or minimize the potential damage that arises in stands vulnerable to gypsy moth. Three approaches to reduce stand susceptibility to gypsy moth are applicable. First, change the stand composition by reducing the proportion of favored species and increasing the number of non-favored species in the stand. This can be accomplished through intermediate thinning treatments. The percentage of favored species that remain should be less than 30 percent of total composition. …

Sp503-H Beech Scale, A Potential Threat In The Landscape, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Forestry, Trees, and Timber

The beech scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger) was first found in the U.S. in Massachusetts and Maine in the 1930s. This European insect feeds on American and European beech by inserting its long, needle-like, piercing-sucking mouthparts (or stylets) through the smooth bark, where the scale remains stationary throughout its life. This persistent feeding can stress the tree, especially during drought conditions, and reduce the overall vigor and quality of beech. However, it is this insect’s association with two species of fungi, Nectria galligena (a native fungus) and Nectria coccinea var. faginata (an introduced European fungus), that can cause mortality …

Effect Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Cry3bb1 Protein On The Feeding Behavior And Longevity Of Adult Western Corn Rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Timothy M. Nowatski, Xugou Zhou, Lance J. Meinke, Ty Vaughn, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The first transgenic corn hybrids expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry3Bb1 protein to control corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.) larvae were registered for commercial use in 2003. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Cry3Bb1 protein in combination with a cucurbitacin bait on adult feeding and longevity of both organophosphate-resistant and -susceptible western corn rootworms, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). In choice and no-choice tests, possible repellency to the Bt protein was quantified by comparing beetle consumption of cellulose disks treated with three concentrations of Bt in combination with a feeding stimulant (Invite EC) to disks treated …

Two Species Of Cecidomyiidae Predacious On Citrus Rust Mite, Phyllocoptruta Oleivora, On Florida Citrus, Raul T. Villanueva, Raymond Gagne, Carl Childers

USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Larvae of two undescribed species of Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were found preying upon Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) (Acari: Eriophyidae) on Florida citrus. Identifications to genus were made from adults reared in the laboratory. The two species had distinctive larval coloration. One larval type was completely yellow and was identified as Feltiella n. sp., while the second larval type had an orange color with a transverse white band close to the mouthparts. The latter cecidomyiid was identified as belonging to a genus near Lestodiplosis in the broad sense. Feltiella n. sp. (n = 17) and the species near the genus Lestodiplosis ( …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 18, No. 3, June 2006

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

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Odonates At The Clark County Wetlands Nature Preserve: A Look At Habitat And Relative Abundance, Erin Jolley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the various species, relative abundance and habitat of dragonfly and damselfly larvae at the Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Preserve (WPNP). An accurate assessment of these insects can be useful in interpreting potential indications of environmental problems at the Wetlands. From this data, necessary improvements can be made to the dragonfly habitat as well as the habitat of other surrounding organisms. Habitat identification is considered especially important because it is "structured by instream and surrounding topographical features, and is a major determinant of aquatic community potential" (Southwood, 1977). For purposes of this …

Microbial Decomposition Of Skeletal Muscle Tissue (Ovis Aries) In A Sandy Loam Soil At Different Temperatures, David O. Carter, Mark Tibbett

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the effect of temperature (2, 12, 22 °C) on the rate of aer­obic decomposition of skeletal muscle tissue (Ovis aries) in a sandy loam soil incubated for a period of 42 days. Measurements of decomposition processes included skeletal muscle tissue mass loss, carbon dioxide (CO₂) evo­lution, microbial biomass, soil pH, skeletal muscle tissue carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content and the calcula­tion of metabolic quotient (qCO₂). Incubation temperature and skeletal muscle tissue quality had a significant effect on all of the measured process rates with 2 °C …

Pb1522-Preparing For Honey Bee Emergencies In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Insects, Pests, Plant Diseases and Weeds

Life-threatening, bee-related situations are rare, but they do occur. Some situations require immediate response, while others are less serious, requiring an operator to answer a question or refer the call elsewhere.

Uncertainty causes delay that may cost the victim’s life. A response must be made quickly, because a person could receive hundreds of stings in a few minutes.

Development Of Anchor Loci To Map A Bt Resistance Factor In The Domesticated Silkworm, Bombyx Mori, Marc Chatenay-Lapointe

Senior Honors Projects

The BT toxin is an insecticide produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, and millions of acres of genetically modified crops expressing this agent have been planted. However, with such widespread use, there is a great potential for pests resistant to this toxin to develop. An understanding of how BT resistance operates and is inherited is central to ensuring continued use of the transgenic crops. Bombyx mori, the domesticated silkworm, is the model organism for the Lepidoptera, an order of insects containing many important agricultural pests. Screening shows that BT resistance is present in some silkworm strains, and linkage group 15 …

Pyemotes Herfsi (Acari: Pyemotidae), A Mite New To North America As The Cause Of Bite Outbreaks, Alberto B. Broce, Ludek Zurek, James A. Kalisch, Robert Brown, David L. Keith, David Gordon, Janis Goedeke, Cal Welbourn, John Moser, Ronald Ochoa, Eduardo Azziz-Baumgartner, Fuyuen Yip, Jacob Weber

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

High incidences of red, itching, and painful welts on people in the midwestern United States led to the discovery of a European species of mite, Pyemotes herfsi (Oudemans) (Acari: Pyemotidae), preying on gall-making midge larvae on oak leaves. The mites' great reproductive potential, small size, and high capacity for dispersal by wind make them difficult to control or avoid.

Phylogenetic Approach To The Study Of Triatomines (Triatominae, Heteroptera) = Abordagem Filogenética Em Triatomíneos (Triatominae, Heteroptera), Ester Tartarotti, M. T. V. Azeredo-Oliveira, C. R. Ceron

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Abstracts

Triatomines are insects belonging to the Hemiptera order, Heteroptera suborder, Reduviidae family and Triatominae subfamily. All members of this subfamily are hematophagous. Triatomines evolved from Reduviidae predators and they are probably polyphyletic in origin. The combination of anatomical, physiological and ethological factors observed in this group, as well as the plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters that differentiate the five tribes and fourteen triatomine genera reinforce the polyphiletic hypotesis. However if we consider the five groups of triatomines, the Rhodniini, Cavernicolini, Bolboderini, Linshcosteini and Alberproseniini tribes constitute monophyletic groups, while the Triatomini tribe is considered polyphyletic. The New World is the …

Biological Control Methods For Damping-Off Of Tomato Seedlings Caused By Pythium Myriotylum, Miranda Marshall Clark

Masters Theses

Pythium damping-off has the potential to cause severe loss in greenhouse and field grown tomatoes. Species of Pythium are found in soils from all climates, and capable of surviving for long periods without a host. Infectious structures of Pythium species are motile, and therefore able to travel through irrigation water and runoff. Pythium myriotylum thrives in warm, humid environments such as that of the Southeastern United States, and was thus chosen for this study. Currently, no tomato varieties with resistance to damping-off are available. In addition, the agriculture industry is striving for sustainable and biological methods of control of plant …

Genetic Diversity Of Sclerotinia Homoeocarpa Delineated By Aflp And Vegetative Compatibility, Renae Erin Devries

Masters Theses

Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F.T. Bennett is the causal agent of dollar spot disease that infects turfgrasses of golf courses in Tennessee as well as around the world. Dollar spot taints the uniformity and aesthetic value of putting greens, therefore causing a serious problem on golf courses. Isolates were collected from across Tennessee and northern Mississippi and tested for fungicide resistance by Pamela Baird. Genetic diversity between the isolates was investigated by vegetative compatibility, conserved gene sequences, and AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) to reveal associations with fungicide resistance. Vegetative compatibility tests were completed by pairing six tester strains with Tennessee and …

Searching Response Of A Wandering Spider To Potential Cues Associated With Lepidopteran Eggs, Rosa Isela Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz), a wandering spider, has been frequently observed feeding on the eggs of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), an important cotton pest. Wandering spiders are known to feed mainly on mobile prey, thus mechanisms used by these spiders to locate sessile prey remain understudied. Vibratory and visual are among the main cues used by spiders to identify prey. However, other sensory modalities such as chemoreception may be used but are poorly understood. This study investigated the types of cues utilized by C. inclusum to locate and identify H. zea eggs as prey. Results show that C. inclusum responds positively to …

Comparative Pollen Foraging Of Africanized And European Honeybees In A Non-Agricultural Environment, Ruben Ruiz

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

With the advent of the Africanized honeybee, ways to differentiate it from the European honeybee have been greatly sought in attempts to better understand the role of Africanized bees in pollination. Pollen collecting strategies for both honeybee subspecies have been explored in attempts to exploit their pollinating capabilities. This project examined pollen collected by honeybees from feral and managed European and Africanized colonies in a relatively isolated site. Paired European and Africanized honeybee colonies were used to obtain pollen foragers. Through acetolysis (series acidified Acetic Anhydride washings); the collected pollen from the individual foragers was treated and observed with light …

Assessing Risk Of Resistance To Aerial Applications Of Methyl-Parathion In Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Michael A. Caprio, Tim Nowatski, Blair Siegfried, Lance J. Meinke, Robert J. Wright, Larry D. Chandler

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

We validated a stochastic model of the evolution of resistance to adulticidal sprays of methyl-parathion in western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, populations in Nebraska. The population dynamics predicted by the model resembled that reported for field populations, and time until control failures occurred closely matched reports by commercial crop consultants. We incorporated uncertainty about the values used for 18 model parameters by replacing default values with random draws taken from a normal distribution. One parameter, the initial resistance allele frequency, was no longer measurable because of the evolution of resistance. We therefore proposed five candidate initial allele frequencies …

Inheritance Of Resistance To The Cry1ab Bacillus Thuringiensis Toxin In Ostrinia Nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Analiza P. Alves, Terrence A. Spencer, B.E. Tabashnik, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Laboratory selection with Cry1Ab, the predominant Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin in transgenic corn, Zea mays L., produced >1000-fold resistance in two laboratory strains of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner). We tested the offspring of various crosses to determine the mode of inheritance of resistance to Cry1Ab. Patterns of inheritance of resistance were similar in the two resistant strains. The progeny of reciprocal F₁ crosses (resistant male x susceptible female and vice versa) responded alike in bioassays, indicating autosomal inheritance. The median lethal concentrations (LC₅₀ values) of F₁ were intermediate between the resistant and susceptible parents, indicating …

Effect Of Investigator Disturbance In Experimental Forensic Entomology: Succession And Community Composition, G. D. De Jong, W. W. Hoback

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Carrion insect succession studies have historically used repeated sampling of single or a few carcasses to produce data, either weighing the carcasses, removing a qualitative subsample of the fauna present, or both, on every visit over the course of decomposition and succession. This study, conducted in a set of related experimental hypotheses with two trials in a single season, investigated the effect that repeated sampling has on insect succession, determined by the number of taxa collected on each visit and by community composition. Each trial lasted at least 21 days, with daily visits on the first 14 days. Rat carcasses …

Creating & Evaluating Artificial Domiciles For Bumble Bees, Douglas A. Golick, Marion D. Ellis, Brady Beecham

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Most biologists agree that the availability of suitable nesting sites is a limiting factor for bumble bee populations (Free, 1959). Bumble bees always select areas with preexisting insulation for nesting. Fur-lined abandoned rodent dens are especially attractive, but occasionally, abandoned man-made materials are inhabited. It is not rare to find multiple dead queens in a nest indicating that they have fought for ownership.

Despite our knowledge of bumble bee nest site selection, most efforts to attract bumble bees to artificial domiciles have been met with limited success (Fye & Medler, 1954; Hobbs et al.,1960). Creating and evaluating artificial domiciles provides …