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Entomology

Open Access Theses

2015

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Eco-Evolutionary Factors Drive Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles, Which Intercept Plant Defense, Elizabeth K. Rowen Apr 2015

Eco-Evolutionary Factors Drive Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles, Which Intercept Plant Defense, Elizabeth K. Rowen

Open Access Theses

Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) mediate a wide variety of interactions in ecosystems. However, many volatile compounds are found across plant taxa, and some are exploited to attract natural enemies for biological control. Subtle changes in HIPV blends can produce profound changes in the behavior of predators, parasitoids and herbivores, and may also alter the defensive processes of neighboring plants. I investigated different ecological and evolutionary factors to understand how plant volatile emissions are affected by feeding guild, herbivore diet breadth and domestication. I meta-analyzed 109 studies and found that specialists induce more total volatiles than generalists. Domesticated species have stronger …


Potential Of Ozone Technology For German Cockroach (Bblattella Germanica (L.)) Management, Yanlin Tian Apr 2015

Potential Of Ozone Technology For German Cockroach (Bblattella Germanica (L.)) Management, Yanlin Tian

Open Access Theses

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica (L.)) are important urban pests that adversely impact human health. Previous studies indicated that ozone technology (ozone gas) can be used as a management tool to control insect pests in grain storage facilities, stored foods and some finished products. The goal of my study was to broaden the applicability of ozone from traditional stored grain pests to B. germanica. The first part of my study determined the concentration-time (CT) relationship of ozone required to achieve 100% mortality in various life stages (adults, nymphs and eggs) ofB. germanica. Results showed that eggs were the most ozone-tolerant …


Identification, Description, And Activity Of Proteins In The Tergal Glands Of The German Cockroach, Blattella Germanica (L.), Aaron Myers Jan 2015

Identification, Description, And Activity Of Proteins In The Tergal Glands Of The German Cockroach, Blattella Germanica (L.), Aaron Myers

Open Access Theses

German cockroaches are important urban pests that have been linked to asthma and serious allergic reactions in sensitized individuals. In this research project I, (i) identified different proteins expressed in the tergal glands of male German cockroaches, (ii) determined the expression levels of these proteins in different cockroach life stages and tissues, and (iii) investigated the role of the tergal gland alpha-amylase (BGTG-1) protein. ^ Four major tergal gland proteins were separated on denaturing polyacrylamide gels. With peptide sequencing two of these proteins were identified as alpha-amylase (BGTG-1) and Blattella germanica allergen 2 (Bla g 2). Both of these proteins …