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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 …