Entomology Commons^™

Effects Of Melatonin On Heartbeat And Possible Identification Of A Melatonin Receptor In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tricia L. Vankirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this manuscript is a literature review that serves as an introduction to the entire dissertation. Chapter 2 examines the effects of the melatonin injection on heart rate and rhythmicity in Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S (wild-type) pupae and pupae bearing a variety of heart mutations. Chapter 3 investigates further the possible mechanisms of melatonin’s ability to increase heart rhythmicity without significantly affecting heart rate. A melatonin antagonist, luzindole; a high-affinity melatonin agonist, 2-iodomelatonin and RNAi techniques are used to identify a possible melatonin receptor in Drosophila melanogaster.

An appendix contains a previously published manuscript detailing experiments performed at the …

Evolution And Phylogeny Of The Parasitoid Subfamily Phasiinae (Diptera: Tachinidae), Jeremy Daniel Blaschke

Doctoral Dissertations

The first molecular phylogenetic analysis of the agriculturally important parasitoid subfamily Phasiinae (Diptera: Tachinidae) is presented, estimated from 128 worldwide taxa (80 genera) and approximately 7.6 kilobases of nuclear data. Special emphasis is placed on taxa with controversial taxonomic placement. The resultant phylogenetic tree is used to reconstruct ancestral character states, trace the evolution of significant adaptive traits within the Tachinidae, and test hypotheses about the classification of Phasiinae. Subfamily placements of the taxa Eutherini, Epigrimyiini, Litophasia, Strongygastrini, and Parerigonini are confidently resolved, the former three within Dexiinae and the latter two within Phasiinae. Due to sparse molecular evidence, …

The Wings Of Bombyx Mori Develop From Larval Discs Exhibiting An Early Differentiated State: A Preliminary Report, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh, K. P. Gopinathan

Madhuri Kango-Singh

Lepidopteran insects present a complex organization of appendages which develop by various mechanisms. In the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori, a pair of meso- and meta-thoracic discs located on either side in the larvae gives rise to the corresponding fore- and hind-wings of the adult. These discs do not experience massive cell rearrangements during metamorphosis and display the adult wing vein pattern. We have analysed wing development in B. mori by two approaches, viz., expression of patterning genes in larval wing discs, and regulatory capacities of larval discs following explantation or perturbation. Expression of Nubbin is seen all over the presumptive …

The Wings Of Bombyx Mori Develop From Larval Discs Exhibiting An Early Differentiated State: A Preliminary Report, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh, K. P. Gopinathan

Amit Singh

Lepidopteran insects present a complex organization of appendages which develop by various mechanisms. In the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori, a pair of meso- and meta-thoracic discs located on either side in the larvae gives rise to the corresponding fore- and hind-wings of the adult. These discs do not experience massive cell rearrangements during metamorphosis and display the adult wing vein pattern. We have analysed wing development in B. mori by two approaches, viz., expression of patterning genes in larval wing discs, and regulatory capacities of larval discs following explantation or perturbation. Expression of Nubbin is seen all over the presumptive …

Employing Limited Next Generation Sequence Data For The Development Of Genetic Loci Of Phylogenetic And Population Genetic Utility, Lauren Evenstone

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Massively parallel high throughput sequencers are transforming the scientific research by reducing the cost and time necessary to sequence entire genomes. The goal of this project is to produce preliminary genome assemblies of calliphorid flies using Life Technologies’ Ion Torrent sequencing and Illumina’s MiSeq sequencing. I located, assembled, and annotated a novel mitochondrial genome for one such fly, the little studied Chrysomya pacifica that is central to one hypothesis about blow fly evolution. With sequencing data from Chrysomya megacephala, its forensically relevant sister species, much insight can be gained by alignments, sequence and protein analysis, and many more tools …

Genetic Variation And Species Distribution Of Subterranean Termites In The Southeastern U.S. Focusing On Family Structure And The Invasive Formosan Subterranean Termite, Mark Allan Janowiecki

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work applies molecular genetic tools to distinguish the identity and understand the biology of termites, particularly Reticulitermes Holmgren and Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the southeastern U.S. Termites are important economic pests costing billions of dollars annually to Americans but also are important wood decomposers in natural settings. Molecular tools are essential for species identification because of the morphological ambiguities among species. The cryptic nest structure of subterranean termites which prevents adequate sampling makes molecular genetic tools essential to examine an entire colony.

A molecular diagnostic technique was created to differentiate Coptotermes formosanus, an invasive species in the …

The Complexities Of Female Mate Choice And Male Polymorphisms: Elucidating The Role Of Genetics, Age, And Mate-Choice Copying, Kasey D. Fowler-Finn, Laura Sullivan-Beckers, Amy M. Runck, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Genetic, life history, and environmental factors dictate patterns of variation in sexual traits within and across populations, and thus the action and outcome of sexual selection. This study explores patterns of inheritance, diet, age, and mate-choice copying on the expression of male sexual signals and associated female mate choice in a phenotypically diverse group of Schizocosa wolf spiders. Focal spiders exhibit one of two male phenotypes: ‘ornamented’ males possess large black brushes on their forelegs, and ‘non-ornamented’ males possess no brushes. Using a quantitative genetics breeding design in a mixed population of ornamented/non-ornamented males, we found a strong genetic basis …

Primer Efficacy In The Dna Barcoding Of Spiders, Rhennetta Jo Bork

Honors Program Theses

DNA barcoding is the process of amplifying a 650 base pair segment of the sequence of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase (COI), and amplifying this gene with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It is used to help identify and distinguish animal species and also to help determine genetic differences in species. DNA barcoding can be especially useful when working with spiders since they tend to be very small and hard to distinguish. However, achieving a DNA barcode can be difficult and thus techniques to improve the method of DNA barcoding can be helpful. This research looked into the different …