Entomology Commons^™

Impact Of Predators On Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae) In The Eastern And Western United States, Ryan Crandall

Masters Theses

Hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, native to Asia and the Pacific Northwest of North America (Pacific Northwest), has devastated eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) in a major portion of its range in the eastern U.S. After many years and much effort directed towards rearing and releasing biological control agents to manage HWA, one of these agents, Laricobius nigrinus, native to the Pacific Northwest, is now well-established in sites from the southern to the mid-Atlantic states of the eastern U.S. However, there have yet to be studies of its efficacy in lowering A. tsugae densities, and there has …

Defining Bee Pollinator Community Composition In Tennessee Soybean, Andrew L. Lawson

Masters Theses

Two planting dates of various soybean varieties were planted in Jackson and Knoxville, TN during 2018 and 2019 with the overall intent of surveying the diversity bee (Hymenoptera) genera in these agroecosystems and also to assess the potential for using late maturing soybean as a food resource for bees during the dearth of floral resources that often occurs during the fall. We also investigated how manipulating planting dates and soybean variety selection affected the occurrence of insect pests that occurred in the soybean.

Both active (netting) and passive (bee bowls and blue-vane traps) sampling were used to collect the bees, …

Influence Of Traditional And Dual-Use Cropping On Arthropods And Slugs In Soybean In Tennessee, Matthew L. Longmire

Masters Theses

Soybean is the number one agricultural crop in Tennessee for both number of hectares planted and economic value. Soybean, used in various products, is marketed globally. In recent years, Tennessee soybean growers have shown an increased interest in the use of cover crops with soybean. A cover crop is planted before the cash crop and can minimize some weeds, diseases, insects, and other pests. Traditionally, cover crops are terminated in the spring before cash crop planting. Traditional methods of cover cropping provide many benefits but can also produce some undesired results. Dual-use cover cropping is a newer method of cover …

Helicoverpa Zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larval Distribution On Different Bt Technologies And Evaluating Cotton Plant Tissue Assays For Resistance Monitoring, Dawson David Kerns

Masters Theses

Field trials were conducted in 2018 at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (WTREC) in Jackson, TN and in 2019 at locations in College Station, TX, Tillar, AR, and Jackson, TN. Non-Bt, Cry1Ac + Cry1F, and Cry1Ac + Cry2Ab cotton varieties were either treated with an insecticide or left untreated. After five days, cotton plants were mapped for signs of bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), feeding on floral structures (i.e., bolls, squares, flowers) and the physical presence of larvae. Bt technologies reduced the number of H. zea larvae and the amount of feeding injury, but no major differences in …

Effects Of Chemical Variation On Competition And Insect Communities Across Solidago Altissima Genotypes, Bryan Scott Foster Ii

Masters Theses

Individuals within a plant species can differ greatly from one another, especially regarding the range of chemical compounds produced. However, the functions of many of these chemicals are unknown, but likely include defenses against herbivores, attractants for pollinators and seed dispersers, as well as mechanisms for resource competition. To assess the effects of foliar chemical composition on interspecific plant competition and insect communities, I conducted a common garden and greenhouse experiment using 24 genotypes of the allelopathic species Solidago altissima for which the foliar chemistry had been characterized. Using these data and chemical profiles of S. altissima, I linked …

Effects Of Insect Opportunists On A Four-Level Trophobiotic System Involving Nectar-Producing Galls Of The Cynipid Wasp Disholcaspis Quercusmamma (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), Stephanie L. Smith

Masters Theses

The induction of plant galls is considered an adaptive life history trait found in many insect groups. The formation of galls provides several advantages to the gall maker, such as enhanced nutrition, favorable microclimate, and protection from natural enemies, including parasitoids, inquilines, and predators. Order Hymenoptera has many gall-making species, belonging to the gall wasp family Cynipidae. As an extended phenotype of the gall makers, some galls exhibit very sophisticated adaptive mechanisms involving multilevel species interactions. In particular, the oak galls of the Cynipid species Disholcaspis quercusmamma, found in much of Illinois, produce a palatable, sugary nectar-like secretion, attracting …