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Articles 1 - 30 of 47
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Interactions Between Drought Tolerant Corn Hybrids And Plant Water-Stress On Weeds And Their Host Capability For Spider Mites, Mercy Adhiambo Odemba
The Interactions Between Drought Tolerant Corn Hybrids And Plant Water-Stress On Weeds And Their Host Capability For Spider Mites, Mercy Adhiambo Odemba
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
With climate change, it is predicted that more frequent high temperatures and drought severity will lead to an increase in damage caused by pests that thrive under these conditions. Spider mite outbreaks, for example, are associated with plant waterstress and there is evidence that some weeds are more resilient and adapted to drought than some crops, leading to major concerns for the management of these two pest types. Weeds directly compete with crops for limited resources, but what is unclear is which weeds harbor spider mites and whether they exacerbate the impact of spider mites on corn crops under water-stressed …
Summer 2024 Research Proposal: Swanberg Sanctuary Prairie Plant Community Characterization And Management Testing, Jillian Becksfort
Summer 2024 Research Proposal: Swanberg Sanctuary Prairie Plant Community Characterization And Management Testing, Jillian Becksfort
Scholar Week 2016 - present
Prairie management is an involved process that is focused on maintaining existing grassland plant and animal communities. Invasive species and the spread of woody shrubs and trees presents a real threat to the existing prairie. Woody stems can affect resources such as water access and nutrient availability, which may cause changes to the prairie’s unique plant communities. Management techniques like burning and mowing are commonly used to prevent woody stems from causing changes to the prairie ecosystem. The Sanctuary was restored to natural prairie habitat in 2008 and a list of planted species is available. However, no plant surveys have …
The Ag-Biota Project: A Preliminary Assessment Of Potential Indicators Of Biodiversity In Agricultural Grasslands, Gordon Purvis, A. Anderson, A. J. Helden, L. Kirwan
The Ag-Biota Project: A Preliminary Assessment Of Potential Indicators Of Biodiversity In Agricultural Grasslands, Gordon Purvis, A. Anderson, A. J. Helden, L. Kirwan
IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)
In compliance with European commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity within agricultural land is a primary objective of current agri-environmental measures. However, there is a widespread lack of information concerning the effectiveness of agri-environmental schemes in Europe, (Kleijn & Sutherland, 2003). In large part, this is due to uncertainties about selection of appropriate biological indicators of biodiversity (Buchs, 2003; Duelli & Obrist, 2003).
The Effects Of Anthropogenic Sensory Pollution On Arthropod Diversity And Pollinator Behavior, Sierra Dee Rodriguez, Jennifer N. Phillips Phd
The Effects Of Anthropogenic Sensory Pollution On Arthropod Diversity And Pollinator Behavior, Sierra Dee Rodriguez, Jennifer N. Phillips Phd
Masters Theses
Pollinators provide a key ecological function in terrestrial ecosystems, yet in recent years, they have encountered unprecedented declines, likely due to anthropogenic change. Light and noise pollution, which can interfere with the visual and auditory systems of animals that regulate daily behaviors, are important factors to consider when communities are encroached by human development. While many researchers have looked at how vertebrate species behaviorally react to human caused habitat degradation and sensory pollution, little is known about how invertebrates, including arthropod pollinators, are affected, and whether there is a negative cascading effect on the plants that they pollinate. This research …
Urbanization Affects Web Abundance And Aggregation Of A Funnel‑Weaving Spider, Agelenopsis Pennsylvanica (Agelenidae), Brandi J. Pessman, Madison Hays, Earl Agpawa, Eileen Hebets
Urbanization Affects Web Abundance And Aggregation Of A Funnel‑Weaving Spider, Agelenopsis Pennsylvanica (Agelenidae), Brandi J. Pessman, Madison Hays, Earl Agpawa, Eileen Hebets
Eileen Hebets Publications
Animals distribute themselves within habitats based on a variety of environmental conditions, including those impacted by urbanization. Suspected global declines in urban arthropod biodiversity have required that we examine how urban conditions affect the distribution of this ecologically important group. Throughout North America, funnel-weaving spiders (Agelenidae) are prevalent across urban habitats and actively choose sites to build webs. We compared Agelenopsis pennsylvanica abundance and distribution between two distinct urban habitats: an urban center (university campus) and an urban forest (city park). These urban habitats differed significantly in features like plant diversity and proximity to roads and highways. We searched along …
Why The Delay In Recognizing Terrestrial Obligate Cave Species In The Tropics?, Francis G. Howarth
Why The Delay In Recognizing Terrestrial Obligate Cave Species In The Tropics?, Francis G. Howarth
International Journal of Speleology
“Nothing could possibly live there!” They believed. Indeed, until recently, few specialized cave- adapted animals were known from volcanic, tropical, or oceanic island caves, and plausible theories had been put forward to explain their absence. But assume nothing in science! One must illuminate, explore, and survey habitats before declaring them barren. Our understanding of cave biology changed dramatically about 50 years ago following the serendipitous discovery of cave-adapted terrestrial arthropods in Brazil and on the young oceanic islands of the Galápagos and Hawai‘i. These discoveries and subsequent studies on the evolutionary ecology of cave animals have revealed a remarkable hidden …
Costs And Benefits Of Integrating Poultry Into Cover Crop - Vegetable Rotations, Viktor Halmos
Costs And Benefits Of Integrating Poultry Into Cover Crop - Vegetable Rotations, Viktor Halmos
Theses and Dissertations--Entomology
Integrated livestock systems were once common leading up to the 20th century where livestock generated manure that was then used to fertilizer crop production in a closed- or semi-closed system. However, with the industrialization of agriculture in the mid to late 20th century, specialization drove simplified systems that segregated livestock from cropping systems. This segregation led to nutrient surpluses occurring in livestock operations, and nutrient demands in cropping systems creating a plethora of environmental issues. With the increased awareness of environmental issues, a renewed interest in integration has driven producers and researchers to experiment with integration again. For research, the …
Effects Of Forest Restoration On The Recovery Of Dead Wood, Associated Arthropods, And Insect-Mediated Wood Decomposition, Estefania Fernandez Barrancos
Effects Of Forest Restoration On The Recovery Of Dead Wood, Associated Arthropods, And Insect-Mediated Wood Decomposition, Estefania Fernandez Barrancos
Dissertations
Dead wood represents 8% of terrestrial carbon stocks and is an important source of habitat and food for decomposer and non-decomposer arthropods. However, anthropogenic disturbance reduces the amount of dead wood, putting at risk the presence of a habitat that is essential for many arthropods and other organisms that rely on it for food and shelter. Forest restoration aims to assist the recovery of ecosystems that have been damaged or destroyed and could be a means to recover both dead wood and its associated arthropod communities. This doctoral dissertation lies at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity loss and ecological …
Impact Of The Timing And Use Of An Insecticide On Arthropods In Cover-Crop-Corn Systems, Gabriela Inveninato Carmona, Emily Robinson, Julia Nogueira Duarte Campos, Anthony Justin Mcmechan
Impact Of The Timing And Use Of An Insecticide On Arthropods In Cover-Crop-Corn Systems, Gabriela Inveninato Carmona, Emily Robinson, Julia Nogueira Duarte Campos, Anthony Justin Mcmechan
Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications
Cover crops provide a habitat for pests and beneficial arthropods. Unexpected pest pressure in a cover-crop-to-corn system can occur and result in increased use of insecticides. Eight site-years of on-farm field studies were conducted in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of insecticide timing relative to cover-crop termination on arthropod activity in a cover-crop-to-corn system. The treatments consisted of (i) glyphosate to terminate the cover crop, (ii) glyphosate and pyrethroid tank mix to terminate the cover crop, and (iii) glyphosate to terminate the cover crop and pyrethroid application 25 days after the …
Rickettsial Pathogen Perturbs Tick Circadian Gene To Infect The Vertebrate Host, Supreet Khanal, Vikas Taank, John F. Anderson, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta
Rickettsial Pathogen Perturbs Tick Circadian Gene To Infect The Vertebrate Host, Supreet Khanal, Vikas Taank, John F. Anderson, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
Ixodes scapularis is a medically important tick that transmits several microbes to humans, including rickettsial pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum. In nature, these ticks encounter several abiotic factors including changes in temperature, humidity, and light. Many organisms use endogenously generated circadian pathways to encounter abiotic factors. In this study, we provide evidence for the first time to show that A. phagocytophilum modulates the arthropod circadian gene for its transmission to the vertebrate host. We noted a circadian oscillation in the expression of arthropod clock, bmal1, period and timeless genes when ticks or tick cells were exposed to alternate 12 h …
Systematics Of Eastern North American Podothrombium (Parasitengona: Podothrombiidae), Kelsey Lynn Cline
Systematics Of Eastern North American Podothrombium (Parasitengona: Podothrombiidae), Kelsey Lynn Cline
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Velvet mites of the genus Podothrombium Berlese, 1910 are found worldwide with only two described species known from North America, both occurring on the west coast. The present study describes five new species occurring in the east, from both larval and post-larval stages. Species hypotheses are supported with morphology and analysis of mitochondrial (barcoding region of COI) and nuclear genes (D2-3 expansion regions of 28S rDNA). Specimens are incorporated from the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), allowing our dataset to span most of North America. Therefore, we were able to raise the number of Podothrombium in North America from …
The Biodiversity Of Deadwood-Associated Arthropods In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Isabelle Ong
The Biodiversity Of Deadwood-Associated Arthropods In The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Isabelle Ong
Honors Theses
A biodiversity hotspot is a location that has significantly elevated levels of biodiversity including many species found nowhere else, and which is also in danger of losing much of this diversity. By identifying biodiverse regions, conservation efforts can be targeted to those locations where they are likely to have the most beneficial impacts. We looked at deadwood associated arthropods within the Southern Appalachian Mountains to examine centers of biodiversity. Nine logs were sampled, three of which were located in Bankhead National Forest and six were located in the Great Smoky Mountains. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the mitochondrial …
Fly On The Wall: Comparing Arthropod Communities Between Islands With And Without House Mice (Mus Musculus), Wieteke A. Holthuijzen
Fly On The Wall: Comparing Arthropod Communities Between Islands With And Without House Mice (Mus Musculus), Wieteke A. Holthuijzen
Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations
Invertebrates are key to island ecosystems but impacts from invasive mammalian predators are not well documented or understood. Given this knowledge gap, we studied terrestrial arthropod communities in the presence of a common invasive rodent (house mice, Mus musculus) on a subtropical atoll—Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (MANWR). Here, invasive mice recently began to attack and depredate nesting seabirds, prompting a mouse eradication. Although eradication planning efforts are underway, uncertainty remains regarding the ecosystem’s response to mouse removal. As part of a pre-eradication investigation, we conducted a baseline survey of MANWR’s arthropod community structure and diversity, comparing islands with and …
Conservation Of Terrestrial Salamanders Through Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Management In Eastern Hemlock Forests Within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jonathan Lawrence Cox
Conservation Of Terrestrial Salamanders Through Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Management In Eastern Hemlock Forests Within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jonathan Lawrence Cox
Masters Theses
Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae; HWA), an invasive aphid-like arthropod, was first documented on the east coast of the United States in the 1950s. HWA is an herbivore which primarily feeds at the needle base of hemlock tree species (Pinaceae: Tsuga). With no evolutionary defenses and few biotic controls, the eastern and Carolina hemlock (Tsuga canadensis and Tsuga carolinensis) serve as the primary diet of HWA in eastern North America. The invasive pest began to spread rapidly throughout the hemlock’s range causing defoliation and death of the trees within 4 – 10 years. With the …
The Role Of Microhabitats In Structuring Cave Invertebrate Communities In Guatemala, Gabrielle S.M. Pacheco, Marconi Souza Silva, Enio Cano, Rodrigo L. Ferreira
The Role Of Microhabitats In Structuring Cave Invertebrate Communities In Guatemala, Gabrielle S.M. Pacheco, Marconi Souza Silva, Enio Cano, Rodrigo L. Ferreira
International Journal of Speleology
Several studies have tried to elucidate the main environmental features driving invertebrate community structure in cave environments. They found that many factors influence the community structure, but rarely focused on how substrate types and heterogeneity might shape these communities. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess which substrate features and whether or not substrate heterogeneity determines the invertebrate community structure (species richness and composition) in a set of limestone caves in Guatemala. We hypothesized that the troglobitic fauna responds differently to habitat structure regarding species richness and composition than non-troglobitic fauna because they are more specialized to live …
Investigation Of An Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial And Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Perry Archival C. Buenavente, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce
Investigation Of An Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial And Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Perry Archival C. Buenavente, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Elevation is an important determinant of ecological community composition. It integrates several abiotic features and leads to strong, repeatable patterns of community structure, including changes in the abundance and richness of numerous taxa. However, the influence of elevational gradients on microbes is understudied relative to plants and animals. To compare the influence of elevation on multiple taxa simultaneously, we sampled phytotelm communities within a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mindanaoensis) along a gradient from 400 to 1200 m a.s.l. We use a combination of metabarcoding and physical counts to assess diversity and richness of bacteria, micro-eukaryotes, and arthropods, and …
Do Beetles Have Experiences? How Can We Tell?, Matt Cartmill
Do Beetles Have Experiences? How Can We Tell?, Matt Cartmill
Animal Sentience
We attribute consciousness to other humans because their anatomy and behavior resembles our own and their verbal descriptions of subjective experiences correspond to ours. Nonhuman mammals have somewhat humanlike behavior and anatomy, but without the verbal descriptions. Their sentience is therefore open to Cartesian doubt. Robot "minds" lack humanlike behavior and anatomy, and so their sentience is generally discounted no matter what sentences they generate. Invertebrates lack both neurological similarity and language. Although it may be safest in making moral judgments to assume that some invertebrates are sentient, cogent reasons for thinking so must await an objective causal explanation for …
Investigation Of An Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial And Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Perry Archival C. Buenavente, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce
Investigation Of An Elevational Gradient Reveals Strong Differences Between Bacterial And Eukaryotic Communities Coinhabiting Nepenthes Phytotelmata, Kadeem J. Gilbert, Leonora S. Bittleston, Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Perry Archival C. Buenavente, David J. Lohman, Naomi E. Pierce
Publications and Research
Elevation is an important determinant of ecological community composition. It integrates several abiotic features and leads to strong, repeatable patterns of community structure, including changes in the abundance and richness of numerous taxa. However, the influence of elevational gradients on microbes is understudied relative to plants and animals. To compare the influence of elevation on multiple taxa simultaneously, we sampled phytotelm communities within a tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes mindanaoensis) along a gradient from 400 to 1200 m a.s.l. We use a combination of metabarcoding and physical counts to assess diversity and richness of bacteria, micro-eukaryotes, and arthropods, and compare the …
Ethical Considerations For Invertebrates, Scarlett R. Howard, Matthew R.E. Symonds
Ethical Considerations For Invertebrates, Scarlett R. Howard, Matthew R.E. Symonds
Animal Sentience
Mikhalevich & Powell (2020) have built on the discussion about which species deserve inclusion in animal ethics and welfare considerations. Here, we raise questions concerning the assessment criteria. We ask how to assess different species for their ability to fulfill the criteria, which criteria are most important, how we quantify them (absolute or on a continuum), and how non-animals such as fungi and plants fit into this paradigm.
The Diversity And Distribution Of Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) Along An Outdoor – Indoor Habitat Gradient: Preliminary Findings From Piedmont Virginia, William Kish, Sujan Henkanaththegedara
The Diversity And Distribution Of Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) Along An Outdoor – Indoor Habitat Gradient: Preliminary Findings From Piedmont Virginia, William Kish, Sujan Henkanaththegedara
Virginia Journal of Science
Although the United States supports a considerable diversity of spiders, some aspects of spider habitat use and niche specialization are poorly documented. Specifically, little attention has been given to explore how urban development affects the diversity and abundance of arthropods. We sampled spiders along an outdoor – indoor habitat gradient at Longwood University to understand the impact of urbanization on species diversity and abundance. We found 50 taxa of spiders belonging to 43 genera and 16 families. Overall, the most abundant spider family across three sampling sites was Araneidae (orb-weavers; 18.2%) followed by Lycosidae (wolf spiders; 14.8%), Salticidae (jumping spiders; …
An Inordinate Fondness For Beetles: A Study Of Insect Species Diversity And Abundance In Mazumbai Forest Reserve Versus Nearby Agricultural Areas, Emma Weisner
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This study investigates how human disturbance of ecosystems alters insect diversity and abundance, specifically exploring how insect communities inside Mazumbai Forest Reserve in Tanzania differ from insect communities in agricultural areas near the reserve. Following methods of previous studies on the effect of disturbance on insect populations (Bellamy et al. 2018; McLaughlin & Mineau 1995; Perry et al. 2016), this research utilizes pitfall traps and yellow bowl traps in multiple locations throughout the two study areas to catch insects, which are then identified to their specific order. The collected data support the hypothesis that insect order diversity and abundance vary …
Olfactory Learning Capabilities Of Paraphrynus Laevifrons, John Perez
Olfactory Learning Capabilities Of Paraphrynus Laevifrons, John Perez
Honors Theses
Amblypygids, a species of nocturnal arachnids from the tropics and subtropics are incredibly intelligent and are able to not only navigate through difficult tropical terrain but also, it is believed, possess olfactory learning capabilities that aid in navigation and recollection of environments. It is hypothesized that through sensitive olfactory receptors on their antenniform legs and highly developed mushroom bodies, Amblypygi can not only learn smells but also learn to associate smells with certain stimuli such as a crevice to take refuge in. To test this hypothesis, Paraphrynus laevifrons, a species of amplypygid was subjected to four different learning treatment groups …
Arthropod Diets In Chihuahuan Desert Snakes, Victor Manuel Parga
Arthropod Diets In Chihuahuan Desert Snakes, Victor Manuel Parga
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
Over the past century, studies in herpetology regarding snake diets have been commonly focused on those species that feed or specialize in vertebrate prey items. For those that feed primarily on invertebrates however, little work has been done in determining diet specializations and comparing diets within a community of species. This Thesis focuses on small species of snakes that feed primarily on arthropods in a Chihuahuan Desert community, and will investigate if these are diet generalists or specialists. To this end, stomach contents were examined from preserved specimens of the following species: Rena humilis and Rena dissecta (Leptotyphlopidae), Gyalopion canum …
Molecular Candidates For Blocking The Transmission Of Vector-Borne Diseases, Ashish Naresh Vora
Molecular Candidates For Blocking The Transmission Of Vector-Borne Diseases, Ashish Naresh Vora
Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations
Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) require urgent attention as they have a high mortality rate, with 700,000 people dying in a year as of 2017. So far, extremely few reliable vaccination strategies and solutions have emerged. Transmission blocking vaccines are one among many solutions available to manage the control of VBDs. These require identification of both vector and pathogen molecules that play important roles in the transmission, dissemination and establishment of VBDs. Our strategy is to characterize these candidates that play important roles in vector-host-pathogen interactions. This manuscript presents two such studies identifying the participation of two arthropod molecules in vector-host-pathogen interactions. …
Prey Availability Affects Territory Size, But Not Territorial Display Behavior, In Green Anole Lizards, Chelsea M. Stehle, Andrew C. Battles, Michelle N. Sparks, Michele A. Johnson
Prey Availability Affects Territory Size, But Not Territorial Display Behavior, In Green Anole Lizards, Chelsea M. Stehle, Andrew C. Battles, Michelle N. Sparks, Michele A. Johnson
Biology Faculty Research
The availability of food resources can affect the size and shape of territories, as well as the behaviors used to defend territories, in a variety of animal taxa. However, individuals within a population may respond differently to variation in food availability if the benefits of territoriality vary among those individuals. For example, benefits to territoriality may differ for animals of differing sizes, because larger individuals may require greater territory size to acquire required resources, or territorial behavior may differ between the sexes if males and females defend different resources in their territories. In this study, we tested whether arthropod abundance …
Breeding Season Avian Community Composition And Prey Availability In Eucalyptus And Slash Pine Plantations Of Southwestern Louisiana, Elizabeth J. Messick
Breeding Season Avian Community Composition And Prey Availability In Eucalyptus And Slash Pine Plantations Of Southwestern Louisiana, Elizabeth J. Messick
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The increased demand for wood products related to industries such as bioenergy and paper has resulted in a need for a consistent supply of raw materials. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) plantations have the potential to boost wood production for pulpwood and biomass feedstocks. Species characteristics such as rapid, indeterminate growth, coppice regrowth, resistance to disease and insects, and tolerance of a range of environmental conditions make these species successful short-rotation woody crops (SRWCs). Camden white gum (Eucalyptus benthamii), a more cold tolerant species, has made management of eucalyptus plantations viable in southern portions of the United States such …
Variation In Alkaloid Defenses Of The Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio Lead To Differences In Avaoidance By Arhtropods, Sarah Bolton
Variation In Alkaloid Defenses Of The Dendrobatid Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio Lead To Differences In Avaoidance By Arhtropods, Sarah Bolton
Masters Theses
Conspicuously colored dendrobatid frogs sequester alkaloid-based defenses from dietary arthropods, resulting in considerable alkaloid variation among populations. Although alkaloids act as a defense against predation, relatively little is known about how alkaloid variation is perceived and functions as a defense against predators. Throughout its geographic range, previous studies have found the dendrobatid frog Oophaga pumilio to have particularly variable alkaloids, and that differences in these alkaloids are associated with differences in toxicity to laboratory mice. Although toxicity is one measure of alkaloid variation, predator avoidance of dendrobatids might simply be due to the bitter or unpalatable nature of alkaloid defenses. …
The Mitogenome Of The Bed Bug Cimex Lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Jonathan Foox, Jeffrey A. Rosenfeld, Mercer R. Brugler, Darryl Reeves, Joshua B. Benoit, Warren Booth, Grant Robison, Michael Steffen, Zoe Sakas, Subba R. Palli, Coby Schal, Stephen Richards, Apurva Narechania, Richard H. Baker, Louis N. Sorkin, George Amato, Christopher E. Mason, Mark E. Siddall, Rob Desalle
The Mitogenome Of The Bed Bug Cimex Lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Jonathan Foox, Jeffrey A. Rosenfeld, Mercer R. Brugler, Darryl Reeves, Joshua B. Benoit, Warren Booth, Grant Robison, Michael Steffen, Zoe Sakas, Subba R. Palli, Coby Schal, Stephen Richards, Apurva Narechania, Richard H. Baker, Louis N. Sorkin, George Amato, Christopher E. Mason, Mark E. Siddall, Rob Desalle
Publications and Research
We report the extraction of a bed bug mitogenome from high-throughput sequencing projects originally focused on the nuclear genome of Cimex lectularius. The assembled mitogenome has a similar AT nucleotide composition bias found in other insects. Phylogenetic analysis of all protein-coding genes indicates that C. lectularius is clearly a member of a paraphyletic Cimicomorpha clade within the Order Hemiptera.
A Checklist Of Natural Enemies Of Diaphorina Citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) In The Department Of Valle Del Cauca, Colombia And The World, Takumasa Kondo, Guillermo González F., Catherine Tauber, Yoan Camilo Guzmán Sarmiento, Andrés Felipe Vinasco Mondragon, Dimitri Forero
A Checklist Of Natural Enemies Of Diaphorina Citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) In The Department Of Valle Del Cauca, Colombia And The World, Takumasa Kondo, Guillermo González F., Catherine Tauber, Yoan Camilo Guzmán Sarmiento, Andrés Felipe Vinasco Mondragon, Dimitri Forero
Insecta Mundi
In recent years, populations of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), have increased in rural citrus orchards and urban backyard gardens. In order to find biological control options for D. citri, a search for natural enemies was conducted in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The collections were carried out in citrus orchards in rural areas and house gardens and street trees in urban areas. Natural enemies were collected from D. citri found on Citrus spp. and Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack (Rutaceae). A total of 16 species of natural enemies of D. citri distributed in …
Arthropod Abundance And Diversity In Restored Longleaf Pine Savannas At Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve, Cara B. Nighohossian
Arthropod Abundance And Diversity In Restored Longleaf Pine Savannas At Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve, Cara B. Nighohossian
University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
The objective of this study is to determine whether changes in arthropod community structure in restored longleaf pine savannas corresponds to differences in vegetation structure often associated with burn frequency. Longleaf pine savannas are fire-maintained ecosystems characteristic of the southeastern United States and have experienced severe declines (around 97%) since European settlement. Changes in fire regime have been instrumental in the declines. Restoration of these ecosystems has involved reinstitution of periodic burnings to promote and maintain vegetative characteristics of the savannas. This study investigates trends in arthropod communities from areas heavily invaded by hardwood shrubs against those dominated by longleaf …