Life Sciences Commons^™

Bark- And Wood-Infesting Insects (Coleoptera And Hymenoptera) And Associated Parasitoids Reared From Yellow Birch (Betula Alleghaniensis) In Ingham County, Michigan, Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Four species of bark- and wood-infesting borers (two Coleoptera and two Hymenoptera) and six parasitoid species (Hymenoptera) were reared from yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) one year after the trees were cut and left standing in a woodlot in Ingham County, Michigan in 1986–87. The borers were species of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) and Xiphydriidae (Hymenoptera), and hymenopteran parasitoid species of Aulacidae, Braconidae, Chalcididae, and Pteromalidae. Xiphydriophagus meyerinckii (Ratzeburg) (Pteromalidae) is a new Michigan state record. For the borers, yellow birch is a new host record for the cerambycid Sternidius alpha (Say) and the xiphydriid Xiphydria tibialis Say. Seasonal emergence data …

Bark- And Wood-Infesting Coleoptera And Associated Parasitoids Reared From Shagbark Hickory (Carya Ovata) And Slippery Elm (Ulmus Rubra) In Ingham County, Michigan, Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ten species of bark- and wood-infesting Coleoptera (borers) and five parasitoid species (Hymenoptera) were reared from shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) branches 1-2 years after tree death, and similarly, seven borers and eight parasitoids were reared from slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) branches one year after tree death in Ingham County, Michigan, in 1986-87. The borers were species of bostrichids, buprestids, cerambycids, and curculionids (including Scolytinae). The parasitoids were braconids, chalcidids, eurytomids, ichneumonids, and pteromalids. One new larval host record was recorded: the cerambycid Urgleptes querci (Fitch), being reared from U. rubra. This paper presents new Michigan …

Climate Warming’S Alteration Of Host-Parasite Dynamics, Ting-Hsuan Wu

Alpenglow: Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal of Research and Creative Activity

Parasites and pathogens have significant roles in host population control, and thus host-parasite interactions affect biodiversity. The important question reviewed in this paper is how changes in temperature due to climate change affect host-parasite interactions. There is mounting evidence that elevated temperatures have both beneficial and detrimental effects on parasites and independently on hosts. These independent changes result in altered host-parasite dynamics through various mechanisms. If elevated temperatures enhance parasite survival, risk of disease transmission among hosts is enhanced as well. This enhancement is dependent on temperature-induced shifts in the host lifecycle, as asynchrony in host and parasite development can …

Boxwood Dieback: Molecular Detection, In-Vitro Fungicide Efficacy, And Host Susceptibility For Managing A New Emerging Disease Caused By Colletotrichum Theobromicola, Harleen Kaur

LSU Master's Theses

Boxwood (Buxus spp. L) is one of the most common and widely planted perennial ornamentals in both home gardens and commercial landscapes. Grown for its evergreen, dark green foliage, boxwood cultivation dates back to 4000 BC in Egypt. Although considered hardy, boxwood is susceptible to several plant pathogens. Recently reported boxwood dieback, a fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum theobromicola, has been spreading at an alarming rate within the United States. Boxwood dieback consists of symptoms that resemble to those caused by Phytophthora root rot, Volutella blight, and some abiotic disorders and can be easily misdiagnosed in nurseries and …

Host Plant List Of The Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) In South Korea, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

The scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) are one of the most successful groups of plant-feeding arthropods. Most species of shade trees, fruit trees and ornamental shrubs are subject to scale insect attacks. Based on the review of the literature and survey results, the host plant list of the scale insects in South Korea was developed and updated. Herein, an updated list of 253 species of host plants in 71 families associated with scale insects is provided and 162 species in 15 scale insect families are listed.

Genome-Wide Variation In Potyviruses, Deepti Nigam, Katherine Latourrette, Pedro F.N. Souza, Hernan Garcia Ruiz

Virology Papers

Potyviruses (family Potyviridae, genus Potyvirus) are the result of an initial radiation event that occurred 6,600 years ago. The genus currently consists of 167 species that infect monocots or dicots, including domesticated and wild plants. Potyviruses are transmitted in a non-persistent way by more than 200 species of aphids. As indicated by their wide host range, worldwide distribution, and diversity of their vectors, potyviruses have an outstanding capacity to adapt to new hosts and environments. However, factors that confer adaptability are poorly understood. Viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases introduce nucleotide substitutions that generate genetic diversity. We hypothesized that selection imposed by …

Gene Co-Occurrence Networks Reflect Bacteriophage Ecology And Evolution, Jason W. Shapiro, Catherine Putonti

Bioinformatics Faculty Publications

Bacteriophages are the most abundant and diverse biological entities on the planet, and new phage genomes are being discovered at a rapid pace. As more phage genomes are published, new methods are needed for placing these genomes in an ecological and evolutionary context. Phages are difficult to study by phylogenetic methods, because they exchange genes regularly, and no single gene is conserved across all phages. Here, we demonstrate how gene-level networks can provide a high-resolution view of phage genetic diversity and offer a novel perspective on virus ecology. We focus our analyses on virus host range and show how network …

Specialization And Trade-Offs In Plant-Feeding Insects, Daniel Peterson

Doctoral Dissertations

The immense diversity of life on Earth has been attributed to the partitioning of available resources into ecological niches, but it is not obvious what determines the niche size of each species. For example, most plant-feeding insects consume only one or a few closely-related host-plant species despite the advantages of having a broader diet. Many researchers have therefore suggested that the evolution of broad diets in plant-feeding insects must be constrained by genetic trade-offs between adaptations to alternative host-plants. Despite its intuitive feel, however, little empirical evidence in support of the trade-off hypothesis has emerged from decades of experimental studies …

Things Are Getting Hairy: Enterobacteria Bacteriophage Vb_Pcam_Cbb, Colin Buttimer, Hanne Hendrix, Hugo Oliveira, Aidan Casey, Horst Neve, Olivia Mcauliffe, R. Paul Ross, Colin Hill, Jean Paul Noben, Jim O'Mahony, Rob Lavigne, Aidan Coffey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

© 2017 Buttimer, Hendrix, Oliveira, Casey, Neve, McAuliffe, Ross, Hill, Noben, O'Mahony, Lavigne and Coffey. Enterobacteria phage vB_PcaM_CBB is a "jumbo" phage belonging to the family Myoviridae. It possesses highly atypical whisker-like structures along the length of its contractile tail. It has a broad host range with the capability of infecting species of the genera Erwinia, Pectobacterium, and Cronobacter. With a genome of 355,922 bp, excluding a predicted terminal repeat of 22,456 bp, phage CBB is the third largest phage sequenced to date. Its genome was predicted to encode 554 ORFs with 33 tRNAs. Based on prediction and proteome analysis …

Population Growth Rate Of Dry Bulb Mite, Aceria Tulipae (Acariformes: Eriophyidae), On Agriculturally Important Plants And Implications For Its Taxonomic Status, Agnieszka Kiedrowicz, Brian G. Rector, Suzanne Lommen, Lechosław Kuczyński, Wiktoria Szydło, Anna Skoracka

Faculty Publications: Department of Entomology

Dry bulb mite (DBM), Aceria tulipae, is an economically important mite with a worldwide distribution and a broad host range. As a generalist, it is the most important eriophyoid mite attacking bulbous plants such as garlic, onion and tulip. To date, DBM has been recorded on host plants belonging to the families Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Melanthiaceae and Asparagaceae. However, a precise understanding of DBM host range is lacking as it is largely based on casual records of mites on plants, some of which may include accidental hosts. Moreover, the possible existence of cryptic species has not been considered. In this …

Host Allometry Influences The Evolution Of Parasite Host-Generalism: Theory And Meta-Analysis, Josephine G. Walker, Amy Hurford, Jo Cable, Amy R. Ellison, Stephen J. Price, Clayton E. Cressler

Faculty Publications in the Biological Sciences

Parasites vary widely in the diversity of hosts they infect: some parasite species are specialists—infecting just a single host species, while others are generalists, capable of infecting many. Understanding the factors that drive parasite host-generalism is of basic biological interest, but also directly relevant to predicting disease emergence in new host species, identifying parasites that are likely to have unidentified additional hosts, and assessing transmission risk. Here, we use mathematical models to investigate how variation in host body size and environmental temperature affect the evolution of parasite host-generalism. We predict that parasites are more likely to evolve a generalist strategy …

Host Allometry Influences The Evolution Of Parasite Host-Generalism: Theory And Meta-Analysis, Josephine G. Walker, Amy Hurford, Jo Cable, Amy R. Ellison, Stephen J. Price, Clayton E. Cressler

Faculty Publications in the Biological Sciences

Parasites vary widely in the diversity of hosts they infect: some parasite species are specialists—infecting just a single host species, while others are generalists, capable of infecting many. Understanding the factors that drive parasite host-generalism is of basic biological interest, but also directly relevant to predicting disease emergence in new host species, identifying parasites that are likely to have unidentified additional hosts, and assessing transmission risk. Here, we use mathematical models to investigate how variation in host body size and environmental temperature affect the evolution of parasite host-generalism. We predict that parasites are more likely to evolve a generalist strategy …

Biology And Ecology Of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, Acanthococcus Lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), Zinan Wang

LSU Master's Theses

The crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), is an exotic pest on crapemyrtles, Lagerstroemia spp. (Myrtales: Lythraceae). Because of its recent arrival in the US, little is known about its biology and ecology. The purpose of my thesis was to improve the knowledge about A. lagerstroemiae in four aspects involving its thermal tolerance, physiological adaptations to cold temperatures, temperature-dependent development and host range. Thermal tolerance was determined to understand how temperature extremes constrain the distribution of A. lagerstroemiae in the US. Results suggested that A. lagerstroemiae can tolerant high heat, but its potential distribution to the northern US …

Evolutionary Interpretations Of Mycobacteriophage Biodiversity And Host-Range Through The Analysis Of Codon Usage Bias, Laura A. Esposito, Swati Gupta, Fraida Streiter, Ashley Prasad, John J. Dennehy

Publications and Research

In an genomics course sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), undergraduate students have isolated and sequenced the genomes of more than 1,150 mycobacteriophages, creating the largest database of sequenced bacteriophages able to infect a single host, Mycobacterium smegmatis, a soil bacterium. Genomic analysis indicates that these mycobacteriophages can be grouped into 26 clusters based on genetic similarity. These clusters span a continuum of genetic diversity, with extensive genomic mosaicism among phages in different clusters. However, little is known regarding the primary hosts of these mycobacteriophages in their natural habitats, nor of their broader host ranges. As such, it …

Global Spread Of Wheat Curl Mite By Its Most Polyphagous And Pestiferous Lineages, A. Skoracka, B. Rector, L. Kuczyński, W. Szydło, G. Hein, R. French

Faculty Publications: Department of Entomology

The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella, is an important pest of wheat and other cereal crops that transmits wheat streak mosaic virus and several other plant viruses. Wheat curl mite has long been considered a single polyphagous species, but recent studies in Poland revealed a complex of genetically distinct lineages with divergent host-acceptance traits, ranging from highly polyphagous to host-specific. This diversity of WCM genotypes and host-acceptance phenotypes in Europe, the presumed native range of WCM, raises questions about the lineage identities of invasive WCM populations on other continents and their relationships to European lineages. The goals of …

Elucidating The Factors That Modulate The Distribution Of Avian Haemosporida Parasites Across A Community Of Hosts, Matthew Christopher Ikaika Medeiros

Dissertations

Parasites are heterogeneously distributed across host species, host populations, and host individuals within populations. A primary aim of infectious disease ecology seeks to uncover the factors that drive this heterogeneity. At a fundamental level, host infection is determined by exposure and susceptibility to a pathogen. My dissertation explores how evolutionary and ecological forces associated with these fundamental determinates of infection shape variation in parasite host breadth and host infection status. Here, I focus on a community of vector-borne avian Haemosporida parasites among suburban birds of Chicago, IL. These parasites exhibit strong variation in their distribution among available hosts, and provide …

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of 1-Octen-3-Ol And Carbon Dioxide Chemoattractants With Mosquitoes And Bloodmeal Analysis Of Culex Mosquito Spp. In Lancaster County, Nebraska, Julianne N. Matczyszyn

Dissertations and Student Research in Entomology

The purpose of mosquito-borne disease surveillance is to assess the risk of pathogen transmission by assessing mosquito populations and the prevalence of disease pathogens in those populations. West Nile virus (WNV) is an important mosquito-borne virus in Nebraska, and can be transmitted by several mosquito species found in Lancaster County, Nebraska, including Culex pipiens L., Culex salinarius Coquillett, Culex restuans Theobald, Culex tarsalis Coquillett, Culex territans Walker, and Culex erraticus Dyar & Knab. These species are ornithophilic, yet many studies indicate a shift in host feeding to mammalian in late summer months. One-octen-3-ol (octenol) can be isolated …

Modulators Of Symbiotic Outcome In Sinorhizobium Meliloti, Matthew B. Crook

Theses and Dissertations

Microorganisms interact frequently with each other and with higher organisms. This contact and communication takes place at the molecular level. Microbial interactions with eukaryotes can be pathogenic or mutualistic. One of the best-studied symbioses is the complex interaction between nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria, termed rhizobia, and legumes. This symbiosis culminates in the elaboration of a new organ, the root nodule. Many of the molecular signals exchanged between the host plant and the invading rhizobia have been deduced, but there is still much that remains to be discovered. The molecular determinant of host range at the genus level of the plant host …

Open Field Host Selection And Behavior By Tamarisk Beetles (Diorhabda Spp.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) In Biological Control Of Exotic Saltcedars (Tamarix Spp.) And Risks To Non-Target Athel (T. Aphylla) And Native Frankenia Spp., Patrick J. Moran, C. Jack Deloach, Tom L. Dudley, Joaquin Sanabria

Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty

Biological control of invasive saltcedars (Tamarix spp.) in the western U.S. by exotic tamarisk leaf beetles, Diorhabda spp., first released in 2001 after 15 years of development, has been successful. In Texas, beetles from Crete, Greece were first released in 2004 and are providing control. However, adults alight, feed and oviposit on athel (Tamarix aphylla), an evergreen tree used for shade and as a windbreak in the southwestern U.S. and México, and occasionally feed on native Frankenia spp. plants. The ability of tamarisk beetles to establish on these potential field hosts was investigated in the field. In …

Host Specificity Of Divergent Populations Of The Leaf Beetle Diorhabda Elongata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), A Biological Control Agent Of Saltcedar (Tamarix Spp.), Lindsey R. Milbrath, C. Clark Deloach

Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty

The leaf beetle, Diorhabda elongata (Brullé) sensu lato, was released in 2001 for the classical biological control of exotic saltcedars, a complex of invasive Tamarix species and hybrids. It did not establish at sites south of 37°N latitude where summer daylengths are below the critical photoperiod of the northern-adapted populations of the beetle that were released. Therefore, we assessed the host specificity of four D. elongata populations collected from more southern latitudes in the Old World (Tunisia, Crete, Uzbekistan, and Turpan, China). All populations were similar to each other and the previously released populations of D. elongata in their …

Nf05-633 Soybean Rust: How Great Is The Threat For Nebraska?, Loren J. Giesler

Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension

Soybean rust is a serious foliar disease that has caused significant crop losses in other parts of the world. It was first detected in the United States in November 2004 and has since been identified in several southeastern states. The fact that wind-borne spores principally spread soybean rust suggests it will be a seasonal problem in Nebraska.

This NebFact discusses the symptoms, life cycle, host range, potential impact on soybean production, and management of soybean rust in the state of Nebraska.

Host Specificity Of The Leaf Beetle, Diorhabda Elongata Deserticola (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) From Asia, A Biological Control Agent For Saltcedars (Tamarix: Tamaricaceae) In The Western United States, C. Jack Deloach, Phil A. Lewis, John C. Herr, Raymond I. Carruthers, James L. Tracy, Joye Johnson

Publications from USDA-ARS / UNL Faculty

Four species of saltcedars, Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb., Tamarix chinensis Lour., Tamarix parviflora DC., and T. canariensis Willd. and their hybrids, are exotic, invasive small trees from Asia that cause great damage to riparian ecosystems of the western United States. They displace native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat (including that of many endangered species), increase soil salinity and wildfires, lower water tables, reduce water available for agriculture and municipalities, and reduce recreational use of affected areas. Phytophagous insects are abundant on saltcedar in the Old World and we selected Diorhabda elongata Brullé deserticola Chen as the top candidate biological control agent …

Species Specific Odds Of Occurrence Of Blackspot Among Fish From The Maple River In Western Iowa, John W. Mellen

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Odds ratio analysis was used to evaluate the relative likelihood of occurrence of blackspot (Neascus pyriformil, Chandler) infections among 14 species of fish collected from the Maple River in Buena Vista and Ida Counties in western Iowa. Prevalence estimates ranged from 0% to 47.4% with a mean prevalence of 11.9%. The rank ordering of odds ratios of infection allowed the species to be categorized as those with risks greater than, less than, and not different from average risk to infection within the Maple River sample. The species with the largest odds ratio was the bluntnose minnow, (Pimephales notatus) (odds ratio …

Phylogenetic Relationships In Phoradendreae (Viscaceae) Inferred From Three Regions Of The Nuclear Ribosomal Cistron. Ii. The North American Species Of Phoradendron, Vanessa E. T. M. Ashworth

Aliso: A Journal of Systematic and Floristic Botany

A parsimony analysis based on sequences from the ITS region and two partitions of the 26S subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA was used to infer phylogenetic relationships among the North American species of Phoradendron. A strongly supported clade united all but one of the species typically lacking cataphylls, a character used previously to distinguish the northern species from those of Central and South America. The divergent placement of P. californicum relative to the members of this "northern" clade confirmed the hypothesis that species lacking cataphylls are polyphyletic. Four of five species parasitic on conifers formed a well-supported clade. However, a …

G97-1330 Apple Scab, Diane A. Merrell, Donald Steinegger

Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension

Apple scab, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequallis, occurs worldwide wherever apples are grown. Scab is one of the most important diseases of apples and crabapples in Nebraska.

This NebGuide discusses the apple scab disease, its symptoms, disease cycle, and cultural and chemical control. Varieties of apples and crabapples are listed according to their degree of resistance.

Leaf Freckles And Wilt Of Corn Incited By Corynebacterium Nebraskense Schuster, Hoff, Mandel, Lazar, 1972, M. L. Schuster

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

The new bacterial disease Leaf Freckles and Wilt (LFW) of corn (Zea mays L.) was first observed in 1969 on two farms in southcentral Nebraska. Since then it has spread to other areas in the state. LFW is a serious disease on farms in six Nebraska counties (Clay, Custer, Dawson, Furnas, Hall and Phelps) and has been found in isolated cases in at least 28 other counties. In 1971 LFW was found in a seedcorn field in western Iowa, in 1973 in two Kansas counties, and in 1974 in South Dakota and Colorado. Because of its explosive nature, several …

G74-202 Wheat Soil-Borne Mosaic Disease (Revised October 2001), John E. Watkins

Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension

Host range, symptoms, disease cycle, and control options for wheat soil-borne mosaic disease are discussed.

Wheat soil-borne mosaic virus affects wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growing primarily in central, eastern and west central Nebraska. This disease occurs annually; however, its effect on crop production in Nebraska varies from year to year due to variety selection, cropping practices and environmental conditions favoring disease development. In years when spring temperatures remain cool for extended periods, the virus remains active in infected plants, enhancing symptom development and increasing yield loss. The virus reduces tillering and affects kernel weights and test weights.