Life Sciences Commons^™

Regenerative Agriculture Effects On Invertebrate And Bird Communities And Insect-Provided Ecosystem Services, Alex Michels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conventional agricultural practices can have unintended consequences on the environment and wildlife. Insects and birds are declining at rapid rates around the world, and the current conventional agricultural paradigm is a major driver through habitat loss and the intensification of production. Invertebrates in agroecosystems provide services to both farmers and the rest of society. Regenerative systems may promote the functioning of an agroecosystem by influencing invertebrate abundance, diversity, and ecosystem services and mitigate bird and insect declines through conservation practices that increase soil health, reduce disturbances, and increase biological diversity. Here I address knowledge gaps of the effects of regenerative …

Evaluation Of Biotype 4 Aphis Glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Induced Susceptibility On Soybean And Soja, Jakob David Hicks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soybean aphids have been a significant pest of soybeans in North America since 2000. Before 2000, soybeans did not face significant insect pest pressure from any arthropods with piercing-sucking mouthparts. It is estimated that economic damage from soybean aphids range from $1billion to $4.7 billion annually. Research efforts focused on the identification of host plant resistance genes in soybean and discovered many resistant to Aphis glycines genes (i.e., Rag genes) in soybean. However, the adoption of commercially released Rag soybean cultivars has been limited. The prospect of management with Rag genes was further complicated by the identification of three virulent …

The Status Of Dakota Skipper (Hesperia Dacotae Skinner) In Eastern South Dakota And The Effects Of Land Management, Kendal Annette Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hesperia dacotae (Skinner, 1911) (Insecta: Lepidoptera), also known as Dakota skipper, is a northern Great Plains species of butterfly associated with tall or mixed grass prairies. Its range once extended from southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, to Iowa and Illinois. Now H. dacotae is only found in small isolated pockets in southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The species is often observed on alkaline prairies with poor soil not desirable for cultivation. Thus, many of the historical H. dacotae are used for pasturing cattle or as hay prairie. The loss of habitat …

Abundance And Diversity Of Grasshoppers And Their Ectoparasitic Mites In South Dakota, Erica Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In South Dakota, grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) are sporadic pests that can cause economic injury to rangeland and crops during outbreaks. It is important to know which grasshopper species are present as not all have the same potential to cause damage. USDA-APHIS conducts annual grasshopper surveys in western South Dakota rangelands, but the last published survey was in 1925. Of the potential biological control agents existing, grasshopper mites feed on grasshopper eggs and the larvae are ectoparasites of nymph and adult grasshoppers. Previous studies suggest that mite larvae reduce grasshopper fecundity and mobility, making them useful for integrated pest management of …

Maximizing Ecosystem Services Provided To The New Oil Crop Brassica Carinata Through Landscape And Arthropod Diversity, Shane Stiles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prairies, once spanning the Upper Midwest, have now largely been replaced by agriculture. The lack of resources available to pollinators in agricultural fields and the practices employed by farmers to maximize yield has led to a decline in insect and pollinator diversity. There is a need to better understand how ecosystem services provided by a diverse insect community scale to current farming practices as they relate to crop yield. We sought to explain how landscape heterogeneity relates to insect and pollinator diversity, as well as how insect diversity relates to crop yield across common farming practices. To evaluate how farming …

A Review Of The Genus Acrisis Foerster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) With A New Species From American Licorice And A Survey Of Aphid Parasitoids Of Soybean Fields In Eastern South Dakota, Abigail P. Martens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The diversity of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in South Dakota is largely unexamined despite these wasps providing innumerable important ecological and biological services and being an essential part of natural and agricultural ecosystems. A new species of Acrisis Foerster was reared and is described from the native prairie legume Glycyrrhiza lepidota (Nuttall) Pursh, a plant studied for its potential for conservation and remediation. A large insect guild of seed predators and their associated parasitoids and hyperparasitoids reported from G. lepidota provides a list of potential hosts associated with the new parasitoid species. The agriculturally significant legume soybean, Glycine max (L.) …

Soybean Aphid Biotype 4 Resistance In Soja And Soybean Plant Introductions, Sophia R. Conzemius

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, is a major pest to soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Host plant resistance is a management tactic that uses naturally occurring soybean plant defenses to limit soybean aphid pest damage. Virulent soybean aphid biotypes are able to successfully colonize on certain aphid resistant soybean. Soybean aphid biotype 4 is most virulent, overcoming all commercially available soybean aphid resistant soybeans (Rag1, Rag2, and Rag1+Rag2). Additional sources of resistance to avirulent biotypes have been identified in soja and soybean plant introductions (PIs). This study examined those resistant soja and soybean for resistance to the newly found soybean …

Insecticidal Seed And In-Furrow Treatment Recommendations For Soybean And Sunflower, Brady Hauswedell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the 2016 and 2017 growing season, field research experiments were replicated across South Dakota. Many times seed treatments are used prophylactic, which is neither good for the producers or the environment. Producers will be able to reduce production costs, if they only use a seed treatment when necessary. The purpose of the first experiment was to determine the effects of seed treatments in combination with planting date and seeding rate on soybean yield. To determine the effects, two years of field data from four eastern South Dakota locations were compared. Within each year and location we compared two planting …

The Cattle Dung Arthropod Community In Eastern South Dakota: Their Colonization, Impact On Degradation, And Response To Rangeland Management, Jacob Pecenka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cattle grazing operations are an important industry throughout the world and a vital component of the economy of the Northern Great Plains. Rangeland management is important to ensure that cattle grazing remains not only profitable but also environmentally sustainable. Conventionally managed rangeland systems that practice continuous grazing and repeated applications of chemicals such as avermectins pose a risk to the continuing productivity of rangelands. These practices have ecological consequences, primarily to the arthropod community that inhabits cattle dung pats. This diverse community works together to recycle dung pats and make the nutrients in dung accessible to the surrounding plant community, …

Interactive Effects Of Cover Crops, Invertebrate Communities And Soil Health In Corn Production Systems, Claire Lacanne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adoption of regenerative farming practices is gaining traction, but the costs and benefits are not often considered on a systems level. Encouraging biodiversity and soil health is the goal of many agricultural practices used in regenerative farming; regenerative systems employ practices which abide by the two main principles of increasing biodiversity and decreasing disturbance, with the goal of encouraging ecosystem functioning to minimize inputs and maximize the productivity of a farm. I examined the management of corn (Zea mays) fields across four states in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Regenerative systems in this study …

A Survey Of Non-Crop Plants As Alternative Hosts To Raspberries For Drosophila Suzukii (Spotted Wing Drosophila), Bennur Agbaba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The spotted wing fruit fly (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), is a pest of small fruit crops. Unlike most other Drosophila species, this insect can oviposit into ripe fruits, rendering them unmarketable. Drosophila suzukii is spreading quickly throughout the continental United States including South Dakota, and causing serious damage to horticultural crops, particularly those within the fruit industry. This study determines the D. suzukii host plant both commercial crops and native plants, and defines non-crop host plants by season in South Dakota. Further, it confirms the occurrence of the fly in southeastern South Dakota and identifies high-risk infestation areas …

Classifying And Mapping Native Grasslands Of South Dakota's Northern Prairie Coteau And Characterizing Habitat For Dakota Skipper Conservation, Diane M. Narem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Native tallgrass prairie is becoming increasingly rare due to conversion and degradation, putting pressure on endemic prairie species such as the federally threatened Dakota skipper butterfly (Hesperia dacotae). To develop a conservation plan for the butterfly in South Dakota, accurate vegetation classification, mapping, and characterization are critical. The objectives of this study were to 1) rank prairie condition, 2) classify and map upland prairie, 3) characterize and compare vegetation at Dakota skipper inhabited and formerly inhabited sites, and 4) identify potential Dakota skipper habitat within a 225 mi2 (58,275 hectares) study area of the SD Prairie Coteau. Condition metrics were …

Influence Of Cultural Practices On The Sunflower Seed Weevil In South Dakota, Joe V. Gednalske

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate cultural methods for sunflower seed weevil control. Procedures examined included the influences of tillage methods, crop rotation, date of planting, hybrid maturity, and degree-day units in emerging seed weevil populations. Tillage practices done as both fall and spring treatments including discing, chisel plowing, nobel blading, and moldboard plowing were examined for their effect on larval position in the soil, time of adult weevil emergence, and the number of adults emerging from the soil. Crop rotations were investigated for possible influence on weevil mortality and time of adult emergence. Sunflower planting date and …

Assessment Of The Impact Of The European Corn Borer At Three Locations In South Dakota, David R. Raemisch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) varies as an

economically significant pest in South Dakota from south to north. In

the northern part of the state the European corn borer (ECB) is limited

to one generation per year. In contrast, there are localized sites

along the Missouri River in southern South Dakota which usually

experience a substantial second brood population. Infestation by

either first or second brood ECB occurs at different stages in the

developmental sequence of the corn plant. As such, each brood must be

considered separately when assessing relationships between yield loss

and ECB larval cavities within the …

First Year Corn Damage - Northern Corn Rootworm Ovipositional Studies, Thomas W. Hedrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors involved in first year corn damage by corn rootworm beetles and to sample small grain stubble for adult dispersion and oviposition.

Western Corn Rootworm Sex Pheromone; Field Trapping Studies, Michael J. Lockwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of monitoring field populations of the NCR and WCR beetles with pheromone baited sticky traps. Predictions of CRW infestations in corn fields on a single field basis have yet to be achieved. The objectives of this study were: 1. To determine the effects of trapping procedures on CRW beetle trap catch variability: trap design, trap height, pheromone age, pheromone concentration and beetle density. 2. To determine the impact of environmental factors on daily trap catch variability: temperature (OC), wind speed (m/sec), and relative humidity (%) taken at hourly intervals. 3. …

Color And Light Intensity Preferences Of Four Species Of Alate Cereal Aphids, Donald A. Dickmann

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Color and light intensity preferences of 4 species of alate cereal aphids, the English grain aphid, Macrosiphum avenae (Fab.); oat bird-cherry aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.); corn leaf aphid, R. maidis (Fitch); greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani); were tested under controlled conditions. No significant differences in color response were found between post-teneral (flight-active) and flight-exhausted alates of any species. Macrosiphum avenae, R. maidis, and S. graminum showed a distinct preference for yellow; R. padi usually preferred green. Alates of all species preferred high light intensities to low within the range tested (350-3500 ft-c). Preferred colors (yellow and green) were more important than …

Corixidae (Water Boatmen) Abundance And Contribution To Littoral Zone Fish Forage In Lake Poinsett, South Dakota, Richard Lee Applegate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Corixids were sampled each week in littoral zone areas of Lake Poinsett during the open water seasons, April-October, in 1970, 1971, and 1972. Fish were sampled each week in littoral zone areas in 1970 and food habits studies were conducted to determine if fish predation would influence corixid population dynamics. Seven genera and 15 species of the family Corixidae were collected. Major indigenous species were Palmarcorixa buenoi Abbott, Trichocorixa borealis Sailer, Cenocorixa dakotensis (Hungerford), and Sigara conocephala (Hungerford). Species migrating to Lake Poinsett in the fall to overwinter were Sigara alternata (Say), S. solensis (Hungerford), S. bicoloripennis (Walley), Hesperocorixa vulgaris …

The Eriophyoidea Of South Dakota, Magdalena Lopez Briones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents the results of the taxonomic investigation of the Eriophyoidea in South Dakota. Information is given on the morphology, discussion of variation within a population, distribution, damage in host plants, economic importance and techniques of collecting and preparing specimens. There are 42 previously described species included in this study. Of the 48 species studied, six are new. Species described are: Aculops maximilianae, Diptacus pengsonae, Eriophyes arceosae, Eriophyes taylori, Tegonotus lindenus, and Tetra mcdanieli.

Biology And Ecology Of False Wireworms In South Dakota (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Carrol Otto Calkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

False wireworms were important pests of wheat on the Great Plains during the early 20th century. Until recently, they were of little importance; however, they are now occasionally appearing in damaging proportions. The purpose of studying the biological and ecological aspects of these insects in South Dakota was to understand the factors responsible for their demise and the circumstances that could affect the recurrence of damaging populations. The more common species of false wireworms found in South Dakota during this study were Eleodes suturalis (Say), E. opaca (Say), E. hispilabris (Say), E. tricostata (Say), E. extricata (Say), E. obsoleta (Say), …

A Survey Of The Insect Fauna Of Canada Thistle, Cirsium Arvense, In South Dakota; And Studies Relating To Biological Control By Ceutorhynchus Litura And Cassida Rubiginose, Lance Jerome Nearman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A total of 121 indigenous insect taxa representing 9 orders, 64 families, 103 genera and 118 species was collected from Canada thistle (Compositae: Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) in South Dakota during 1970 through 1973. This survey identified the major phytophagous and entomophagous insect fauna associated with this noxious weed. The common phytophagous species observed feeding on thistle were all polyphagous and failed to control Canada thistle below the economic level. Field cage releases of adult Ceutorhynchus litura (F.) weevils were made on a thistle infested pasture site located in east central South Dakota during 1972-1973. Ninety-nine weevils were released in …

Biology Of The Flea Beetle, Altica Carduorum Guer. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) On Canada Thistle, Cirsium Arvense (L.) Scop., In South Dakota, Burton Danis Schaber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A laboratory colony of Altica carduorum Guer. was established from a stock colony of 50 adult beetles. They had an average previposition period of 7 days when exposed to a regular cycle of 16 hr. of light (24° C) and 8 hr. of darkness (12.75° C). Under these conditions, females laid an average of 259.3 ± 9.7 eggs, and longevity averaged 100 days. The eggs are laid on the underside of leaves along edges of leaf veins throughout June. Adults fed and overwintered in the soil, and some beetles emerged the following spring and laid viable eggs. Laboratory studies indicate …

The Biology Of Geomylichus Gaomydis N. Sp. (Acari: Listrophoridae) From The Plains Pocket Gopher, Geomys B. Bursarius (Shaw), Charles Campbell Coffman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Geomylichus geomydis n. sp. is an obligate ectoparasite and associated with it on Geomys b. bursarius were large numbers of four other major ectoparasite species and small numbers of eight miscellaneous acarine taxa. Descriptions and measurements of life cycle stages of Geomylichus geomydis n. sp. are given. Geographical and host distribution records are also included. Seasonal population numbers of Geomylichus geomydis n. sp. and the other four major ectoparasite species were analyzed. Infestation rates for G. geomydis n. sp. were determined for seasons of the year and sexes and ages of the host. A least-squares analysis of variance was used …

The Effect Of Allopurinol (4-Hydroxypyrazolo(3,4-D) Pyrimidine) On Uric Acrid Metabolism In Differential Grasshoppers (Melanoplus Differentialis) And Armyworms (Pseudoletia Unipuncta), Henry C. Schroeder, Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Allopurinol, a potent inhibitor of xanthine oxidase in humans, was incorporated in the diets of differential grasshopper nymphs and adults and armyworm larvae. Uric acid contents of whole body homogenates decreased by highly significant rates. Feces uric acid decreased by highly significant rates in grasshopper nymphs and adults. Allopurinol also caused highly significant increases in mortality and inhibition of metamorphosis in study insects. These effects were not reversible by the addition of purine and pyrimidine bases, inosine, oxypurines, or uric acid. The effects were reversed by discontinuing application of allopurinol. Crude xanthine oxidase, assayed by measuring the reduction of NAD …

Bionomics Of Mallophaga Of Sharp-Tailed Grouse In South Dakota, Major L. Boddicker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ecologies of chewing lice (Insecta:Mallophaga) which parasitize sharp-tailed grouse, Pedioecetes phasianellus, were studied in southwestern South Dakota from 1964 to 1967. Five hundred twenty-eight hens, cocks and chicks were collected and examined for louse damage. Louse populations were monitored each month from December, 1964, to September, 1967. Five louse species which infested grouse in the study area were Goniodes nebraskensis Carriker, Amyrsidea megalosoma Overgaard, Lagopoecus perplexus Kellogg and Chapman, Goniocotes chrysocephalus and Lipeurus maculosis Clay. Goniodes nebraskensis fed on feather parts and skin debris and was found to have seasonally fluctuating populations. Cocks carried peak populations of 250 lice/host …

An Ecological Study Of Coleoptera Succession In Bovine Manure With Emphasis On Natural Enemies Of The Face Fly (Musca Autumnalis De Geer) In Eastcentral South Dakota, Howard Kessler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The frequency and succession patterns of coleopterous species in cattle dung were determined for two localities in eastcentral South Dakota during 1969 and 1970. Thirty-nine species of beetles were screened as potential predators of the face fly, Musca autumnalis De Geer, a pest of cattle and horses; and 1 Coleoptera, 1 Hymenoptera and 1 nematode were screened as parasites of the same host. Succession studies of insects inhabiting bovine manure revealed that four families of Coleoptera were recovered from the manure and, in descending order of abundance, were Hydrophilidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae, and Histeridae. The hydrophilids were first to invade freshly …

A Two Year Study Of Potential Resistance In The Adult Western Corn Rootworm In South Dakota, John M. Wirtz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera Le Conte, and the northern corn rootworm Diabrotica longicornis Say, are major pests affecting corn in South Dakota. Jones (1968) considered the rootworm the number one corn pest in South Dakota and estimated that the rootworm caused fifty percent of all insect damage done to corn. Prior to 1961 the northern corn rootworm was the predominant species causing damage in South Dakota. The western corn rootworm is presently the predominant species (Nearman, 1968). Cultural and chemical control methods have been used to control corn rootworms in the past with varying degrees of success. Crop …

The Influence Of Various Stress Conditions On Cholinesterase Levels Of Cattle Treated With An Organophosphorus Insecticide, Mitchell J. Wrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Six-to 8-months-old Hereford heifers categorized as grubby or grub-free calves were used for this research. Forty calves were purchased in 1968 and also in 1969. The grubby calves were obtained from Highmore, South Dakota, an area where calves have a history of heavy grub infestations of both Hypoderma bovis (L.) and Hypoderma lineatum (de Villers). The grub-free calves were purchased in Fargo, North Dakota. Calves raised in this area seldom are infested with cattle grubs. Specified groups of calves were subjected to 30 minutes of continuous exercise or the withholding of feed and water for 24 hours prior to treatment …

Field Population And Flight Activity Of Three Hippodamia Species In Eastern South Dakota, Gene Allen Olson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-four coccinellid species, excluding the genus Scymnus, were collected in eastern South Dakota during the 1969-70 growing seasons. Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, H. tredecimpunctata L., and H. parenthesis (Say), were the most abundant species found in alfalfa and small grains. Reproduction of H. convergens and H. tredecimpunctata occurred in alfalfa, oats, spring and winter wheat, and corn. Field observations indicated that the reproductive cycle required approximately 2½ weeks. The pea aphid, Macrosiphum pisi (Harris), the English grain aphid, M. avenae (Fabricius), and the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), appeared to be suitable food for these 3 Hippodamia species; the brown …

A Study Of The Heel Flies, Hypodermia Lineatum Devillers And Hypoderma Novis Degeer, In South Dakota, John A. Lofgren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The heel flies or ox-warble flies and their larvae, commonly called cattle grubs or warbles, are among the most troublesome and costly insect pests of livestock producers in South Dakota. These parasites attack cattle almost exclusively although they may occur at times in other domestic and in wild animals. Infestations in man have been recorded, but these cases are quite rare. This work deals only with the occurrence of the parasites in cattle.