Life Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Variability Of Spined Soldier Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Sampled From Distinct Field Sites And Laboratory Colonies In The United States, Fatima Mustafa, Muhammad Ullah, Kathleen M. Kneeland, Thomas A. Coudron, W. Wyatt Hoback, S. R. Skoda, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Say), is an important biological control agent of agricultural and forest pests; and it preys on eggs and larvae of lepidopteran and coleopteran species. Genetic variability among field samples collected from Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida and established laboratory colonies was examined using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism-Polymerase Chain Reaction (AFLP-PCR). Four AFLP primer pairs generated a total of 340 molecular markers for evaluation. Results from Analysis of Molecular Variance showed that the majority of the genetic variation occurred within populations (individuals from each sample site). Nei’s method indicated reduced genetic diversity in laboratory populations compared …

Population Occurrence And Pathogen Prevalence Of Lone Star (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks Collected From Southeast Nebraska, Amanda C. Maegli

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), has recently become established in Nebraska; therefore, local biology, ecology, and tick-borne disease risk are not known. Research was conducted to determine monthly questing activity, establishment, and pathogenic microorganisms associated with the lone star tick in Nebraska.

Lone star tick populations were collected from May through August, 2012 in six sites in southeast Nebraska using carbon dioxide (CO₂) traps. A total of 747 adults, 3,076 nymphs, and 1,289 larvae were collected. Total ticks collected and monthly activity were significantly different for each site.

A semi-randomized sample of 251 adult ticks were selected …

Effect Of The Insecticide Lambda-Cyhalothrin On Rice Spider Populations In Southern Brazil, Everton N. L. Rodrigues, Milton De S. Mendonça Jr., Leila L. Fritz, Elvis A. Heinrichs, Lídia Fiuza

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The adverse effect that insecticides have on spider populations is of major concern since these predators are a component in the biological control of rice insect pest populations. This study was designed to determine the effect of the pyrethroid insecticide Lambda-cyhalothrin on spider populations in rice fields. Treatments consisted of plots treated once with the insecticide and untreated plots (control). Spiders were sampled four times per crop year over a two-year period in each of three sites in the state of Rio Grande dol Sul, Brazil. Treatments were replicated four times. Sweep net sampling was conducted to sample the araneofauna. …

Impact Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus And Triticum Mosaic Virus On Transmission By Aceria Tosichella Keifer (Eriophyidae) And Virus Epidemiology In Wheat, Camila F. De Oliveira

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer, transmits a complex of viruses, Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) and Wheat mosaic virus (WMoV), to wheat, Triticum aestivum, in the Great Plains. Co-infection of wheat by these viruses is frequently observed, increasing disease severity and yield loss.

Current genetic work classifies WCM populations into two genotypes, Type 1 and Type 2. It has been shown that different mite genotypes are able to transmit viruses at varying rates. WCM-virus relations are very specific and can impact vector biology. In this study, the primary objective was to determine …

Toxic And Repellent Effects Of Pyrethroids Used In Orchards On The Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Erin M. Ingram

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Managed honey bee colonies provide valuable pollination services and are rented by fruit orchards to improve fruit quality and yield. The placement of colonies in this agricultural setting increases the possibility of exposure to pyrethroids used for broad-spectrum pest control in orchards. Although highly toxic to bees, pyrethroids are believed to pose a relatively low hazard due to their low application rates in the field as well as their contact repellent properties. Previous studies have noted a decrease in foraging visits following pyrethroid application possibly preventing bees from acquiring a lethal dose in the field.

This research quantified behaviors associated …

Adult Mortality And Progeny Production Assessment Of Callosobruchus Maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) Exposed To Sayan®, Adel Khashaveh

Adel Khashaveh

The insecticidal efficacy of Sayan®, an Iranian formulation of diatomaceous earth, was evaluated against adults of Cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) on cowpea. Sayan® was applied at the dose rates of 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 g/kg. One kg of cowpea was treated with appropriate dose rate and after one day, four samples of 50 g of each were taken as replication. Twenty five adults were introduced into each replication. The number of dead adults was counted after 24 and 72 h exposure. After mortality count, all surviving insects were removed and the samples retained under the same conditions …

Knockdown Of Selenocysteine-Specific Elongation Factor In Amblyomma Maculatum Alters The Pathogen Burden Of Rickettsia Parkeri With Epigenetic Control By The Sin3 Histone Deacetylase Corepressor Complex, Steven W. Adamson, Rebecca E. Browning, Khemraj Budachetri, José M.C. Ribeiro, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

Selenocysteine is the 21st naturally-occurring amino acid. Selenoproteins have diverse functions and many remain uncharacterized, but they are typically associated with antioxidant activity. The incorporation of selenocysteine into the nascent polypeptide chain recodes the TGA stop codon and this process depends upon a number of essential factors including the selenocysteine elongation factor (SEF). The transcriptional expression of SEF did not change significantly in tick midguts throughout the blood meal, but decreased in salivary glands to 20% at the end of the fast feeding phase. Since selenoprotein translation requires this specialized elongation factor, we targeted this gene for knockdown by RNAi …

Molecular Cloning And Characterization Of A P-Glycoprotein From The Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), Lixia Tian, Jiaqiang Yang, Wenjie Hou, Baoyun Xu, Wen Xie, Shaoli Wang, Youjun Zhang, Xuguo Zhou, Qingjun Wu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Macrocyclic lactones such as abamectin and ivermectin constitute an important class of broad-spectrum insecticides. Widespread resistance to synthetic insecticides, including abamectin and ivermectin, poses a serious threat to the management of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), a major pest of cruciferous plants worldwide. P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a member of the ABC transporter superfamily, plays a crucial role in the removal of amphiphilic xenobiotics, suggesting a mechanism for drug resistance in target organisms. In this study, PxPgp1, a putative Pgp gene from P. xylostella, was cloned and characterized. The open reading frame (ORF) of PxPgp1 consists of 3774 …

National Park Service Cave Ecology Inventory And Monitoring Framework, Gretchen M. Baker, Steven J. Taylor, Shawn Thomas, Rick Olson, Kathy Lavoie, Marie Denn, Steven Thomas, Hazel Barton, Kurt Helf, Rene Ohms, Joel Despain, Jim Kennedy, David Larson

National Cave and Karst Management Symposium 2013

A team developed the Cave Ecology Inventory and Monitoring Framework for National Park Service (NPS) units. It contains information for NPS cave managers across the United States to determine how to inventory and monitor cave ecology. Due to the wide geographical scope of NPS caves and their many different types, the document does not prescribe exact protocols. Instead, it provides guidance for what types of inventory and monitoring are possible, a framework for deciding how to prioritize inventory and monitoring activities, and references to specific protocols that are already in place at NPS cave parks.

Keywords: cave ecology, cave microbiology, …

Dna Barcoding Distinguishes Pest Species Of The Black Fly Genus Cnephia (Diptera: Simuliidae), I. M. Confitti, K. P. Pruess, A. Cywinska, T. O. Powers, D. C. Currie

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Accurate species identification is essential for cost-effective pest control strategies. We tested the utility of COI barcodes for identifying members of the black fly genus Cnephia Enderlein (Diptera: Simuliidae). Our efforts focus on four Nearctic Cnephia species—Cnephia dacotensis (Dyar & Shannon), Cnephia eremities Shewell, Cnephia ornithophilia (Davies, Peterson & Wood), and Cnephia pecuarum (Riley)—the latter two being current or potential targets of biological control programs. We also analyzed one Palearctic species, Cnephia pallipes (Fries). Although Cnephia adults can be identified anatomically to species, control programs target the larval stage, which is difficult or impossible to distinguish morphologically. By using …

Water Stress Strengthens Mutualism Among Ants, Trees, And Scale Insects, Elizabeth G. Pringle, Erol Akc¸Ay, Ted K. Raab, Rodolfo Dirzo, Deborah M. Gordon

Ted K. Raab

Abiotic environmental variables strongly affect the outcomes of species interactions. For example, mutualistic interactions between species are often stronger when resources are limited. The effect might be indirect: water stress on plants can lead to carbon stress, which could alter carbon-mediated plant mutualisms. In mutualistic ant–plant symbioses, plants host ant colonies that defend them against herbivores. Here we show that the partners’ investments in a widespread ant–plant symbiosis increase with water stress across 26 sites along a Mesoamerican precipitation gradient. At lower precipitation levels, Cordia alliodora trees invest more carbon in Azteca ants via phloem-feeding scale insects that provide the …

Fluttering Beauty, Jonathan Jeffrey

SCL Faculty and Staff Publications

This article chronicles the efforts of Lillian Iona (Tyne) Pace (1925-2010) in getting the Viceroy butterfly designated as the Kentucky state butterfly.

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 25, No. 5, November 2013

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents: Welcome - Publications - Faculty News - Grants - Meet an Off-Campus Student - Student News - This 'n That - Calendar of Events - BUGFEST Success

The Biology And Taxonomy Of Head And Body Lice: Implications For Louse-Borne Disease Prevention, Denise L. Bonilla, Lance A. Durden, Marina E. Eremeeva, Gregory A. Dasch

Harold W. Manter Laboratory: Library Materials

Sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) are obligate blood-feeding ectoparasites of placental mammals including humans. Worldwide, more than 550 species have been described and many are specific to a particular host species of mammal. Three taxa uniquely parasitize humans: the head louse, body louse, and crab (pubic) louse. The body louse, in particular, has epidemiological importance because it is a vector of the causative agents of three important human diseases: epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. Since the advent of antibiotics and more effective body louse control measures in the 1940s, these diseases have markedly diminished in incidence. However, due …

Nebline, Nov.-Dec. 2013

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Family and Couple Strengths: Getting Connected, Staying Connected

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Apple Maggot, Diane Alston, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

Apple maggot is not currently a pest of commercial orchards in Utah, but it is regulated as a quarantine insect in the state. If it becomes established in commercial fruit production areas, its presence can inflict substantial economic harm through loss of export markets. Infestations cause fruit damage, may increase insecticide use, and can result in subsequent disruption of integrated pest management programs.

Shothole Borer, Ryan S. Davis, Michael Caron

All Current Publications

Shothole borers (Fig. 1) are bark beetles that may attack stressed or injured trees. They have a wide host range, including all fruit trees grown in Utah, quince, loquat, serviceberry, wild cherry, chokecherry, mountain ash, hawthorn and elm. In Utah, apple, cherry, pear, and hawthorn are preferred hosts.

Choreography Of Silk Spinning Behavior In Webspinners (Embioptera): Phylogenetic Signal Or A Microhabitat Dance?, Janice Edgerly-Rooks

Biology

Silk spinning defines the morphologically constrained embiopterans. All individuals spin for protection, including immatures, adult males and the wingless females. Enlarged front tarsi are packed with silk glands and clothed with ejectors. They spin by stepping with their front feet and releasing silk against substrates and onto pre-existing silk, often cloth-like. Spinning is stereotypical and appears to differ between species in frequency and probability of transition between two spin-step positions. This spinning choreography was assessed using thousands of spin-steps scored in the laboratory for 22 species to test (1) the body size hypothesis predicting that spinning would be more complex …

Identification And Developmental Profiling Of Micrornas In Diamondback Moth, Plutellaxylostella (L.), Pei Liang, Bing Feng, Xuguo Zhou, Xiwu Gao

Entomology Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small RNAs involved in various biological processes through negative regulation of mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level. Although miRNA profiles have been documented in over two dozen insect species, few are agricultural pests. In this study, both conserved and novel miRNAs in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., a devastating insect pest of cruciferous crops worldwide, were documented. High-throughput sequencing of a small RNA library constructed from a mixed life stages of P. xylostella, including eggs, 1st to 4th (last) instar larvae, pupae and adults, identified 384 miRNAs, of which 174 were P. xylostella specific. …

Transgenic Mosquitoes Expressing A Phospholipase A(2) Gene Have A Fitness Advantage When Fed Plasmodium Falciparum-Infected Blood, Ryan C. Smith, Christopher Kizito, Jason L. Rasgon, Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena

Ryan C. Smith

Genetically modified mosquitoes have been proposed as an alternative strategy to reduce the heavy burden of malaria. In recent years, several proof-of-principle experiments have been performed that validate the idea that mosquitoes can be genetically modified to become refractory to malaria parasite development. We have created two transgenic lines of Anophelesstephensi, a natural vector of Plasmodium falciparum, which constitutively secrete a catalytically inactive phospholipase A2 (mPLA2) into the midgut lumen to interfere with Plasmodium ookinete invasion. Our experiments show that both transgenic lines expressing mPLA2 significantly impair the development of rodent malaria parasites, but only one line impairs the development …

Life History Comparison Of Two Green Lacewing Species Chrysoperla Johnsoni And Chrysoperla Carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), Kaushalya G. Amarasekare, Peter W. Shearer

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

We investigated the life histories of two green lacewing species, Chrysoperla johnsoni Henry, Wells, and Pupedis from western North America, and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) from western Europe in the laboratory. There were both similarities and differences in their life history characteristics. C. johnsoni exhibited a significantly longer developmental time for egg, first instar, and pupal stage than C. carnea. C. carnea exhibited a significantly shorter egg to adult developmental time than C. johnsoni. Except for the pupal stage, the survival of all other life history stages was not species-specific. All C. carnea pupae were able to develop …

The Termite Digestome: Understanding The Digestive Physiology Involved In Lignocellulosic Biomass Degradation, Zachary John Karl

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to advance the understanding of lower termite digestive physiology and discover potential biocatalysts that can aid in the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. Various protein characterization and gene expression methods were used throughout this research in order to accomplish these objectives. The results of this dissertation indicate that: 1) termites and their symbionts act in a synergistic manner to degrade biomass in vitro, 2) the host fraction of the gut (i.e., foregut and midgut) is the likely site of glucose absorption, 3) the termite and its symbionts contribute specific enzymes to the digestive process, 4) …

The Role Of Resource Predictability In The Metapopulation Dynamics Of Insects, Byju Nambidiyattil Govindan

Open Access Dissertations

The metapopulation paradigm has emerged as an important tool to understand the dynamics of species living in fragmented landscapes. In this dissertation, I investigate the unpredictable nature of resource availability for species living in human-dominated heterogeneous and dynamic landscapes in the context of its consequences for long-term regional persistence of species. In particular, I test theoretical advancements in metapopulation ecology following a two-pronged approach - via experiments in the lab and observations in the field - using insects. In chapter 1, I introduce the concept of metapopulation ecology in the context of its relevance for dynamics of species living in …

Management Of Potato Leafhopper And Maple Spider Mite On Nursery Grown Maples, Julia Prado Beltran

Open Access Dissertations

Potato leafhopper Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) and maple spider mite Oligonychus aceris (Shimer) (Acarina: Tetranychidae) are important pests of maple trees. Investigations determined how insecticide use and fertilization impacted the abundance of E. fabae and O. aceris on `Red Sunset' red maple and `Autumn Blaze' Freeman maples. Bifenthrin applications directed against leafhoppers reduced damage to both cultivars, but increased O. aceris on Autumn Blaze. Using a threshold of one leafhopper per branch to trigger pesticide applications protected Red Sunset maples from leafhopper injury. It also prevented outbreaks of O. aceris on Autumn Blaze because few trees reached this density. …

Genetic Engineering Of Black Cherry (Prunus Serotina) For Reproductive Sterility And Insect Pest Resistance, Ying Wang

Open Access Dissertations

Black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) is one of the most valuable hardwoods for high- end cabinetry, furniture, architectural millwork, paneling, and veneer. However, the damage caused by cambial-mining insect pests triggers gummosis in black cherry, a non-specific defense response in which resinous gum is deposited at the site of injury. The gum defects dramatically decrease the yield of high-quality black cherry lumber, and the value can be reduced by as much as 90%. The goal of this project was to optimize the transformation and in vitro rooting system, and to develop transgenic black cherry for reproductive sterility and insect pest …

Ozonation Systems As A Non-Chemical Alternative For Stored Grain Protection, Carlos A. Campabadal

Open Access Dissertations

The use of ozone as a non-chemical alternative in stored grain protection was studied by conducting scale-up demonstrations using a fixed bed ozonation system and developing a semi-continuous counterflow and a continuous flow ozonation treatment system. The objectives of this research were to determine the efficacy of ozonation to control insect pests without affecting end-use quality; to prove the concept of the semi-continuous counterflow ozonation system to ozonate grain at a faster rate and quantify its effect on mold growth reduction; to evaluate the efficacy of a modified screw conveyor for pest control by treating grain in a continuous-flow ozonation …

Nebline, October 2013

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Volunteering for 4-H is Rewarding and Fun, While Benefiting Youth

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Biotic Potential And Reproductive Parameters Of Spodoptera Eridania (Stoll) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) In The Laboratory, Débora G. Montezano, Alexandre Specht, Daniel Ricardo Sosa-Gómez, Vânia F. Roque-Specht, Neiva M. Barros

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Biotic potential and reprodutcive parameters of Spodoptera eridania (Stoll) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in the laboratory: This study aimed to evaluate the biotic potential and reproductive parameters of Spodoptera eridania (Stoll, 1782) under controlled conditions (25 ± 1°C, 70 ± 10% RH and 14 hour photophase). The longevity, pre-, post- and oviposition periods, fecundity and fertility of 15 couples was evaluated. The longevity of females (10.80 days) was not significantly higher than those of males (9.27 days). The mean durations of the pre, post and oviposition periods were 2.067, 0.600 and 8.133 days, respectively. The mean fecundity per female was 1,398 eggs …

Maternal Territoriality Achieved Through Shaking And Lunging: An Investigation Of Patterns In Associated Behaviors And Substratevibrations In A Colonial Embiopteran, Antipaluria Urichi, Khaaliq A. Dejan, John M. Fresquez, Annika M. Meyer, Janice Edgerly-Rooks

Biology

Substrate vibration communication is displayed by a variety of insects that rely on silk for shelter. Such signaling is often associated with territoriality and social interactions. The goal in this study was to explore the use of substrate vibration by subsocial insects of the little-studied order Embi-optera (also known as Embiidina). Antipaluria urichi (Saussure) (Embioptera: Clothodidae) from Trinidad and Tobago, a large embiopteran, exhibits maternal care and facultatively colonial behavior. Previous observations suggested that they were aggressive while guarding eggs but gregarious when not. Egg-guarders in particular have been observed shaking and lunging their bodies, but to date these putative …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 25, No. 4, September 2013

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents: Welcome - Grants - Congratulations - Publications - Faculty News - Student News - This 'n That