Life Sciences Commons^™

Analyzing The Effects Of Winter-Patch Grazing And Wildfire On Insect Order Hymenoptera In The Northern Great Plains, Kaitlin Schieuer

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

Pollinators are declining globally, threatening global crop production and the biological integrity of many ecosystems. Hymenoptera (the order containing ants, bees, and wasps) is one of the most important insect orders for pollination of a variety of plants, including many crops, and is important as biocontrol for crop pests, and other herbivorous insects. Land management practices affect plant community composition, which influences vegetation-dependent insects, and consequently affects their ecosystem services. Fire and grazing are common practices on working landscapes in the Great Plains. However, how these management techniques impact insect diversity, particularly Hymenopterans, in a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem, is poorly …

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 …

Eucosma Giganteana (Riley) And Sliphium Perfoliatum L., Morphological Variation In An Insect-Plant Association In Eastern South Dakota, Paul J. Johnson, Arvid Boe, Abigail P. Martens

Native Plant Focused Publications

Silphium perfoliatum L., cup plant, has potential as a new multi-purpose crop. It is pollinator-friendly and has biodiversity enhancement, conservation, economic, and medical potential. In eastern South Dakota, S. perfoliatum can produce more than 20 Mg (million grams) ha-1 of biomass and 0.09 Mg ha-1 of seed in agronomic plantings. The giant eucosma moth, Eucosma giganteana (Riley), is a major pest of agronomic S. perfoliatum in the region. We provide a summary of this insect and its association with its host. Our experimental objectives were to determine if the frequency of rhizome occupation by late instar larvae and if their …

South Dakota Aquatic Invertebrate Collection And Database, Ashlee Nilson, Nels H. Troelstrup Jr.

Oak Lake Field Station 30th Anniversary Retreat Presentations

No abstract provided.

Native Grass And Legume Biology And Establishment, Arvid A. Boe, P. J. Johnson

Oak Lake Field Station 30th Anniversary Retreat Presentations

No abstract provided.

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 …

Fates Of Ovules In Groundplum Milk-Vetch (Astragalus Crassicarpus Nutt.) In South Dakota, Arvid Boe, Paul J. Johnson

Native Plant Focused Publications

Groundplum milk-vetch (Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt.) is a native legume found on gravelly to sandy prairie uplands throughout central North America. The large and fleshy fruits, or pods, of this species were consumed by indigenous people and European settlers, and are cached by rodents. Our previous research on native legumes of the northern Great Plains indicated seed predation by insects, notably bruchid beetles belonging to the genus Acanthoscelides Schilsky, was a dominant factor determining viable seed production in natural and artificial plant assemblages. However, although we have studied the reproductive biology of several species of Astragalus L., none had fleshy pods. …

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 …

Non-Target Effects Of Clothianidin On Monarch Butterflies, Jacob R. Pecenka, Jonathan G. Lundgren

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) frequently consume milkweed in and near agroecosystems and consequently may be exposed to pesticides like neonicotinoids. We conducted a dose response study to determine lethal and sublethal doses of clothianidin using a 36-h exposure scenario. We then quantified clothianidin levels found in milkweed leaves adjacent to maize fields. Toxicity assays revealed LC₁₀, LC₅₀, and LC₉₀ values of 7.72, 15.63, and 30.70 ppb, respectively. Sublethal effects (larval size) were observed at 1 ppb. Contaminated milkweed plants had an average of 1.14 ±0.10 ppb clothianidin, with a maximum of 4 ppb in a …

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 …

Symptoms, Distribution And Abundance Of The Stem-Boring Caterpillar, Blastobasis Repartella (Dietz), In Switchgrass, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Jeffrey D. Bradshaw, Arvid A. Boe, Dokyoung Lee, David Adamski, Michael E. Gray

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

A potential pest of switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., was first detected in South Dakota in 2004, where death of partially emerged leaves was noted in a small proportion of tillers. Similar “dead heart” symptoms were observed in switchgrass in Illinois during 2008 and adults of a stem-boring caterpillar were collected and identified as Blastobasis repartella (Dietz). In 2009, a survey of the central United States was used to estimate the distribution and abundance of this insect. In eight northern states, B. repartella was consistently found in both cultivated plots and natural stands of switchgrass. In four southern states, B. repartella …

Seed Predators Of Canada Milk-Vetch And Their Parasitoids, Arvid Boe, Paul J. Johnson

Native Plant Focused Publications

Canada milk-vetch (Astragalus canadensis L.), North America’s most widespread species of Astragalus, is important for herbivores and granivores in natural ecosystems but suffers heavy seed losses to bruchids and curculionids. Our objectives were: (1) compile a species inventory and describe life histories of insects associated with seed production in Canada milk-vetch, and (2) determine frequencies of pod predation and primary parasitism in Canada milk-vetch. The seed predators were Acanthoscelides perforatus (Horn) and Tychius liljebladi Blatchley. Frequency of pod predation varied between two plant populations (46 and 70%) and between A. perforatus (37 %) and T. liljebladi (21 %). The primary …

Interactions Among Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Yellow Foxtail, And Corn, M. M. Ellsbury, K. R. Banken, S. A. Clay, F. Forcella

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Field studies at sites with two contrasting soil types investigated effects from the presence of yellow foxtail [Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. and Schult.], established in bands parallel to corn rows, on western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) survival, corn root injury, lodging, biomass production, and yield. Results suggested that the presence of foxtail as an alternate host inßuenced the degree and progression of corn rootworm damage and adult emergence in a givenlocality. Rootworm adults emergedlater from foxtail band areas and had smaller head capsule size than did individuals from areas without foxtail, consistent with earlier Þndings that foxtail in …

Diversity And Dominant Species Of Ground Beetle Assemblages (Coleoptera: Carabidae) In Crop Rotation And Chemical Input Systems For The Northern Great Plains, Michael M. Ellsbury, Janine E. Powell, Frank Forcella, W, David Woodson, Sharon A. Clay, Walter E. Riedell

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Dominant carabid species present in crops and crop rotation sequences commonly used in the northern Great Plains were assessed as an initial step toward the management of carabids as natural control agents. Ground beetle populations were determined by pitfall trapping in 4 crop rotation treatments maintained under high, managed, and low levels of chemical fertilizer and pesticide inputs. Diversity and species richness among crops, rotations, and input levels were compared using 3 indices—the Shannon-Weaver Index, relative diversity, and the Hierarchical Richness Index (HRI). Four carabid species, Cyclotrachelus altemans (Casey), Poecilvs lucublandus Say, Harpalns pensylvanicus (DeGeer), and Bembidion quadrimaculatum L., comprising …

Geostatistical Characterization Of The Spatial Distribution Of Adult Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Emergence, M. M. Ellsbury, W. D. Woodson, S. A. Clay, D. D. Malo, J. Schumacher, D. Clay, C. G. Carlson

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Geostatistical methods were used to characterize spatial variability in western ( Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) and northern ( Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence) corn rootworm adult emergence patterns. Semivariograms were calculated for adult emergence density of corn rootworm populations in fields of continuous corn and rotated (corn/soybean) corn. Adult emergence densities were generally greater for northern corn rootworms than for western corn rootworms. The spatial structures of the adult rootworm emergence were aggregated as described by spherical spatial models for western corn rootworm and exponential models for northern corn rootworm. Range of spatial dependence varied from 180 to 550 m …

Leafy Spurge Biological Control Using Black Dot Flea Beetles And Deleterious Rhizobacteria: Final Report Submitted To South Dakota Department Of Agriculture Weed And Pest Control, Sharon A. Clay, Mark A. Brinkman, Robert J. Kramer, Jan J. Jackson, Nels H. Granholm

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Size of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L) roots and their location in the soil profile are important factors relating to survival offirst-instar black dot flea beetle (Aphthona nigriscutis Foudras) larvae. First-instar larvae must find leafy spurge roots between 1 to 4 mm diam in the first 2 days after hatching from eggs for survival. In field studies, we ddermined that most flea beetle larvae reside within 7.6 em ofthe soil surface. Their location in the upper areas ofthe soil profile allows accessibility to desirable size roots, however the larvae are more susceptible to freezing temperatures in this region. Overall, there …

Life History Studies, Host Records, And Morphological Description Of Genitalia Of Eurytoma Tylodermatis Ashm. (Hymenoptera : Eurytomidae) From South Dakota, Burruss Mcdaniel, Arvid A. Boe

Native Plant Focused Publications

Eurytoma tylodermatis Ashm. was found to be parasitic on Acanthoscelides perforatus (Horn) in seed pods of Canada milk- vetch {Astragalus canadensis L.). Observations on larval behavior and frequency of parasitism are discussed. Male and female genitalia of E. tylodermatis are illustrated.

A New Bruchophagus From Glycyrrhiza Lepidota Pursh In The Northern Great Plains (Hymenoptera : Chalcidoidea : Eurytomidae), Burruss Mcdaniel, Arvid A. Boe

Native Plant Focused Publications

A new species, Bruchophagus grisselli McDaniel and Boe, which infests seeds of Glycyrrhiza lepidota Pursh (American licorice), is described and illustrated. It's known from South Dakota and North Dakota in the USA. A field study at 8 sites showed that B. grisselli has a wide distribution throughout the Dakotas.

Squash Bugs Of South Dakota, Burruss Mcdaniel

Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletins (1939-2011)

The family Coreidae is best known because of the destructive habit of the squash bug, Anasa tristis, on squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and other members of the cucurbit family in the United States. The family, represented by various species, is found throughout the world. However, only 13 species are found in South Dakota. Lethierry and Severin (1894) supplied us with the earliest and most complete catalog of these bugs. They listed 1,320 species and divided them into 29 subfamilies. Van Duzee (1917), in his catalog of the Hemiptera of America north of Mexico, listed 125 species which he divided among 48 …

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.