Entomology Commons^™

Insecticide Resistance Management Approaches And Naturally Derived Toxicants For The Control Of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda, Sarah Mccomic

LSU Master's Theses

Spodoptera frugiperda, the fall armyworm (FAW), is a major agricultural pest causing billions of dollars in damage annually to staple crops. Agricultural losses stemming from this pest continues to increase as resistance to commercialized insecticide classes evolves and spreads. Considering this, novel chemistries with new modes of action as well as novel resistance management strategies need to be developed to achieve continued control of FAW populations. This project consisted of two main goals. First, we aimed to develop a neurophysiological assay to enable a more precise understanding of pyrethroid and organophosphate resistance at the level of the nerve. We …

The Collection Of Baseline Data On Insect And Plant Communities Across Multiple Salinity Zones Within Louisiana's Tidal Marshes, Benjamin G. Aker

LSU Master's Theses

Tidally influenced coastal marshes provide numerous important ecosystem services, but these habitats are experiencing extreme habitat loss. Louisiana’s coastal marshes in particular are vulnerable to land loss resulting from both anthropogenic and natural causes, but especially to subsidence and relative sea-level rise. In response, the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority has outlined and is currently implementing the largest ever attempt at habitat restoration. A major component of this habitat restoration attempt is the use of freshwater and sediment diversions to increase the input of low salinity water, sediment, and nutrients needed to slow marsh loss and build land. Coastal …

Ecology Of The Roseau Cane Scale (Nipponaclerda Biwakoensis, Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) In Coastal Louisiana, Leslie Alejandra Aviles Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

Common reed, Phragmites australis, is the dominant plant in the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), Louisiana. Phragmites australis stands reduce soil erosion from wave action, protect the oil infrastructure, and freshwater habitats. In the fall of 2016, widespread reed die-backs in the MRD were associated with outbreaks of an invasive scale Nipponaclerda biwakoensis (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae). Due to the recent detection of the scale, there was limited knowledge of its ecology in the adventive range, and its impacts on P. australis lineages. Therefore, the objectives of my thesis were to determine (1) the host specificity of the N. biwakoensis in important economic …

Characterizing The Epidemiology Of Bluetongue And Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus In Louisiana, Michael Edward Becker

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Bluetongue virus (BTV) and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (EHDV) are arthropod-borne viruses (Reoviridae; Orbivirus) transmitted by biting midges in the genus Culicoides. These viruses cause hemorrhagic disease and induce serious morbidity and mortality rates in wild and captive deer. Cattle are normally asymptomatic but serve as the reservoir/amplifying host for these viruses and play an important role in the transmission cycle. The objectives of this study were to characterize the epidemiology of these viruses as they relate to white-tailed deer and cattle, evaluate different trap types for collecting Culicoides midges, and determine if these viruses can be detected …

Impacts Of Commercial Biopesticides On Crapemyrtle Bark Scale (Acanthococcus Lagerstroemiae) And Beneficial Insects, Giovana Matos Franco

LSU Master's Theses

The crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), is an important pest of crapemyrtles, Lagerstromia spp. (Myrtales: Lythraceae) since its damage results in an unpleasant aesthetic. Current CMBS management methods depend heavily on pesticides which impact on beneficial insects. Biopesticides show potential for pest control, host specificity, and low impact towards non-target organisms. The objectives of my thesis were to determine (1) if biopesticides are effective against CMBS infestations when applied in different seasons, and (2) their effects towards coccinellids known to attack CMBS.

To test the efficacy of selected biopesticides, treatments were delivered to potted plants or …

Larval Survival And Movement Of The Fall Armyworm And Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) In Seed Blends Of Non-Bt And Pyramided Bt Corn: Implications For Resistance Management, Marcelo Dimase

LSU Master's Theses

A seed blend refuge has been used in the U.S. Corn Belt for Bt corn insect resistance management (IRM). The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (F.), and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) are major target pests of Bt corn in the Americas. One major concern for the use of a seed blend refuge is that larval movement of insects among non-Bt and Bt plants could affect its efficacy for resistance management. To address this concern, field and greenhouse trials were conducted to determine 1) if seed blend refugia could provide comparable levels of susceptible S. frugiperda (aabb) as structured refugia and …

The Effects Of Oral And Venereal Transmission Of Deformed Wing Virus On Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Queen And Colony Health, Sarah Lang

LSU Master's Theses

Honey bees are important pollinators necessary for the production of many foods. Managed honey bee colonies have been experiencing high levels of colony loss over the last decade due to a combination of different factors. Parasites, pathogens, and queen failure are repeatedly reported as major causes for colony loss, but there is little research exploring the relationship between honey bee viruses and queens. Deformed wing virus, a major honey bee virus, has a worldwide distribution, is extremely prevalent, and can infect all castes and life stages. Honey bee queens can be infected with the virus through multiple transmission routes …

Taxonomy And Systematics Of The New Zealand Pselaphini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Brittany Elin Owens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The New Zealand (NZ) Pselaphini was revised at the species level, a phylogenetic analysis was performed using morphological data, and first steps were taken towards the construction of a molecular analysis of the tribe. Eight new genera and 33 new species were discovered from specimens collected from the NZ mainland, offshore islands, Chatham Islands and the Subantarctic Islands. Of the 13 species originally described in the genus Pselaphus by Thomas Broun during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, all were either reassigned to the genera Pselaphaulax and Pselaphogenius, or were placed into new genera. Three names …