Biology Commons^™

Developing Methods To Survey, Collect, Process, And Screen Endemic Entomopathogenic Fungi Against The Asian Citrus Psyllid In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Jonathan Cisneros

Theses and Dissertations

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), vectors “Candidatus Liberibacter spp.”, the causative agent of Citrus Greening Disease. Managing ACP is imperative given the continuous increase in HLB positive trees. An aspect of integrated pest management (IPM) is the use of entomopathogenic fungi for the biological control of D. citri.

In order to identify endemic entomopathogenic fungi actively infecting D. citri, ACP were collected from local residential areas, surface sterilized, and plated on a semi-selective agar medium. Collection of over 9,300 samples from 278 sites throughout the LRGV led to the positive identification of …

Examining The Efficacy Of Cover Crops As An Integrated Pest Management Tool In Organic Farms In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Lili M. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) consists of a mix in subtropical and costal habitats, a combination that provides a favorable environment for the animals and plants that inhabit it. This is a problem for organic farmers as they refrain from using synthetic chemicals and therefore led them to seek other methods of dealing with insect herbivory. Of the many alternative methods available, we looked specifically at integrated pest management methods (IPM) to determine their efficacy in reducing insect herbivory among cash crops. Chapter II discusses an experiment performed in an organic farm in Edinburg, Texas consisting of a two-year …

Insect Mediated Species Interactions: Examining Methods To Improve Artificial Buzz Pollination And Testing The Effects Of Plant Based Bioactive Compounds On Herbivore Life-History Traits, Mandeep Tayal

Theses and Dissertations

Pollination and herbivory are two major interactions in insect-plant ecology. Specialized pollination systems such as buzz pollination where pollen grains have to be extracted by bees with special thoracic vibrations and indirect flight muscles, is observed in ~6% of all flowering plants. Breeding and research programs in these species demand artificial pollination, but natural buzz pollinators are unreliable for this purpose. To find an alternative, we tested the pollen extraction efficiency of using inexpensive electric toothbrush over tuning fork (another commonly used device) in two buzz-pollinated species (Tomato and Silverleaf nightshade) at different buzzing frequencies and multiple buzzing time intervals. …