Entomology Commons^™

Gregarine Parasites In Zygoptera Of Keith County, Ne, Anisha Kadubandi, B. Gage Kircher Ii, Scott L. Gardner

UCARE Research Products

Prevalence of Gregarine Protozoa Infection in Zygoptera Sourced from Varying Collection Sites in Keith County, Nebraska

B.G Kircher II, A. Kadubandi, and S.L. Gardner S. H.W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Cedar Point Biological Station, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Damselflies are ubiquitous flying insects of the order Odonata with thousands of species found around the world. The parasites associated with damselfly species are equally as ubiquitous, with the most common being gregarine protozoa and water mites, though other parasitic organisms such as trematodes are also found in these animals. Gaining an understanding of the relationships among hosts and …

Phenology And Dispersal Of The Wheat Stem Sawfly (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) Into Winter Wheat Fields In Nebraska, Chris T. Mccullough, Gary L. Hein, Jeff Bradshaw Dr.

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Historically, the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton was a pest in spring wheat-growing regions of the northern Great Plains. However, in the 1980s, it was found infesting winter wheat fields in Montana. Infestations were first detected in western Nebraska in the 1990s, and have since spread throughout the Nebraska Panhandle. Larval damage occurs from stem-mining, but stem girdling that results in lodged stems that are not harvested results in the greatest yield losses.The biology and phenology of the wheat stem sawfly are well described in the northern portion of its range, but they are lacking in Colorado, southeast Wyoming, …

Science At Engineer Cantonment, Hugh H. Genoways, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Carl R. Falk, Thomas E. Labedz, Paul R. Picha, John R. Bozell

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Conclusions

It is our contention that Thomas Say, Titian Peale, Edwin James, and their colleagues of the Stephen Long Expedition of 1819–1820 were heavily engaged in scientific research, which took the form of the first biodiversity inventory undertaken in the United States. This accomplishment has been overlooked both by biologists and historians, but it should rank among the most significant accomplishments of the expedition. The results of this inventory continue to inform us today about environmental, faunal, and floral changes along the Missouri River in an area that is known to be an ecotone between the deciduous forests of the …

An Engineer Cantonment Bestiary: The Art Of Titian Ramsay Peale, Hugh H. Genoways, Thomas E. Labedz

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Includes an overview of the work of American nature artist Titian Ramsay Peale as part of the Stephen H. Long Expedition, 1819-1820, at Engineer Cantonment in eastern Nebraska, USA.

Includes textual descriptions and/or reproductions of watercolors and lined drawings by Peale of banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanous), American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrothynchos), Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus/Falco lagopus), Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis tabida), Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos), Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea), Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus …

Characterization Of The Arthropod Communities And Aphid Feeding Behavior Associated With Perennial Warm-Season Grasses (Poaceae) Composition In Nebraska And Wisconsin, Kathryn M. Keller

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., along with two other perennial warm-season grasses, big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) and indiangrass, (Sorghastrum nutans L), compose a majority of the grasses found in North American tall grass prairies and have recently received attention as potential bioenergy feedstock. Limited research has been carried out on the relationship of arthropods on these three warm-season grasses in North America. Due to this limited research, the first objective of this research was to document the arthropods associated with switchgrass, big bluestem and indiangrass in Nebraska and Wisconsin over three sampling seasons. More than 10 arthropod orders …

Note On Ehrlichia Chaffeensis, Ehrlichia Ewingii, And “Borrelia Lonestari” Infection In Lone Star Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), Nebraska, Usa, Amanda C. Maegli, J. Dustin Loy, Roberto Cortinas

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae), is established in southeastern Nebraska yet the prevalence of tick-associated microorganisms is not known. An initial PCR-based analysis for Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Borrelia infection in host-seeking adult ticks collected in southeast Nebraska was conducted. A total of 251 adult ticks collected in six sites in southeast Nebraska were tested. E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, and Borrelia spp. were present, and the prevalence of each was approximately 1.6%. This study demonstrates that Ehrlichia spp. are present in Nebraska lone star tick populations.

Diversity And Ecology Of Host-Seeking Mosquitoes In Irrigated Agro-Ecosystems Of Clay County, Nebraska, Alister K. Bryson

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the United States, Nebraska has the third highest incidence of human West Nile virus (WNV). Since WNV was first detected in the state in 2002, 3,422 confirmed cases and 57 deaths have been reported. Irrigated agro-ecosystems, which have been associated with elevated WNV incidences in other states, are prevalent in Nebraska. The objectives of this investigation were to 1) characterize mosquito abundance and diversity in irrigated agro-ecosystems, and 2) evaluate associations of two primary vectors of WNV, Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens, with irrigation methods (sprinkler vs. surface) and crop type (corn vs. soybean). Investigations were conducted …

Population Occurrence And Pathogen Prevalence Of Lone Star (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks Collected From Southeast Nebraska, Amanda C. Maegli

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), has recently become established in Nebraska; therefore, local biology, ecology, and tick-borne disease risk are not known. Research was conducted to determine monthly questing activity, establishment, and pathogenic microorganisms associated with the lone star tick in Nebraska.

Lone star tick populations were collected from May through August, 2012 in six sites in southeast Nebraska using carbon dioxide (CO₂) traps. A total of 747 adults, 3,076 nymphs, and 1,289 larvae were collected. Total ticks collected and monthly activity were significantly different for each site.

A semi-randomized sample of 251 adult ticks were selected …

Ectoparasites Of The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis Virginiana), Raccoon (Procyon Lotor), And Striped Skunk (Mephitis Mephitis) From Keith County, Nebraska, Lance A. Durden, Dennis J. Richardson

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Six Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), nine raccoons (Procyon lotor) and one striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) collected from Keith County Nebraska were examined for ectoparasites. All three host species were parasitized by adults of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. Opossums were also parasitized by the flea Pulex simulans and the tiny fur mite Didelphilichus serri­fer; the latter species represents a new state record for Nebraska. Raccoons were also parasitized by P. simulans and by the lago­morph-associated flea Euhoplopsyllus glacialis affinis, whereas the skunk was also parasitized by the chewing louse Neotrichodectes …

Distribution And Diversity Of Ant Genera From Selected Ecoregions Across Nebraska, Jessica Jurzenski, Marc Albrect, W. Wyatt Hoback

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

We documented distribution and diversity of ant genera in four of the six level III ecoregions across Nebraska. We sampled ants using bait cards, pitfall traps, and by opportunistic sampling, including direct collection and in carrion-baited pitfall traps. We identified 22 genera from five subfamilies, which were further classified into six functional groups. In common with other Great Plains states, Formica Linnaeus and Lasius Fabricius occurred most frequently in our samples, and overall ant genus-level richness was comparable to surrounding states. We compared genera similarity using Jaccard’s similarity index within and between the High Plains (western-most) and Western Corn Belt …

Ecology Of Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) In Shelterbelts Of Southeastern Nebraska, Matthew W. Yans

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Shelterbelts in the agricultural landscape provide valuable habitat to a variety of animals that in turn may be hosts to ixodid ticks. The purpose of this study is to determine if shelterbelt associated factors influence tick ecology. In 2010 and 2011, ticks were collected from several shelterbelts in southeast Nebraska in Lancaster and Saunders counties. Four tick species were identified.

Adjacent land use, shelterbelt composition, and time of day were all factors which did not influence the number of questing ticks collected. Differences in relation to aspect and distance from the shelterbelt were significant. The east side had continually higher …

New Records Of Carrion Beetles In Nebraska Reveal Increased Presence Of The American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus Americanus Olivier (Coleoptera: Silphidae), Jessica Jurzenski, Daniel G. Snethen, Mathew L. Brust, W. Wyatt Hoback

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences

Surveys for the American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus Olivier (Silphidae), between 2001 and 2010 in Nebraska resulted in 11 new county records for this endangered species and 465 new county records for 14 other silphid species. A total of 5,212 American burying beetles were captured in more than 1,500 different locations. Using mark-recapture data, we estimated the population size of the American burying beetle (ABB) for six counties in the Sandhills. Blaine County (2003) had the largest population, with an estimated 56 ABBs per km² (1,338 ± 272 ABBs). The remaining estimates were between 2 and 36 ABBs per …

A Review Of The Genus Chortophaga (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Among Nebraska Populations: Questioning The Validity Of Chortophaga Australior Rehn And Hebard, Mathew L. Brust, W. Wyatt Hoback, Robert J. Wright

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Chortophaga australior Rehn and Hebard (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is considered a species distinct from Chortophaga viridifasciata (DeGeer). Collections across Nebraska have shown that the characters used to separate these two species are inconsistent and that the average state of these characters appears to be related to the time of the season during which the adults are collected. Until further study clarifies the status of C. australior, we suggest that its specific status be considered questionable.

Bumble Boosters: Doing Science As A Community Of Learners, Douglas A. Golick, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bumble bees are an excellent organism for engaging high school students in research. They are a recognizable insect and an important pollinator, and much remains to be discovered about the biology of many species. Bumble Boosters was a teaching and research project funded by the Nebraska Lottery’s Educational Innovation Fund. The project began in June 1999 and ended in June 2002.

Pesticide Use On Crops In Nebraska - 1987, Maurice Baker, Nancy Peterson, Shripat T. Kamble

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

This is the third and most comprehensive study of pesticide use on crops in Nebraska. The first was completed in 1978 and the second one in 1982. The first study indicated that approximately 25 million pounds (11.34 million kg) of active ingredients were used on the major crops in Nebraska. This increased to approximately 30.2 million pounds (13.7 million kg) in 1982. The USDA requires accurate information to meet their responsibilities. Thus, this survey was undertaken to determine: 1) the use of pesticides on crops, pasture and rangeland and 2) to identify pest management practices.

Distributions, Densities, And Relative Abundances Of Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) In A Nebraska Sandhills Prairie, Anthony Joern

Entomology Papers from Other Sources

Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) represent a conspicuous and often important component of grassland systems (Odum et al. 1962, Smalley 1960, Sinclair 1975, Van Hook 1971, Wiegert 1965). Often, assemblages of grasshoppers are quite diverse and may, on occasion, consume a large fraction of the available vegetation (Hewitt 1977, Hewitt et al. 1976, Mitchell and pfadt 1974). As such, grasshoppers have the potential of being very important in the nutrient and energy flow in grassland ecosystems. However, to understand the impact of grasshoppers at the ecosystem level requires that the densities and fluctuations of populations as well as the species composition of …

Bionomics Of Insects Associated With Corn In The Nebraska Sandhills, J. L. Wedberg, J. B. Campbell, T. J. Helms

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

Investigations were conducted in the Nebraska Sandhills to determine the impact of transition from grassland to irrigated corn on selected insect species, to identify indigenous species that may be economically important to corn production, and to provide a point of reference for future development of pest management programs for irrigated corn.

Seasonal Abundance Of The European Corn Borer Ostrinia Nubilalis (Hbn.) Within The North Central United States, R. E. Hill, H. C. Chiang, A. J. Keaster, W. B. Showers, G. L. Reed

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

Annual changes in corn borer populations in the North Central States were measured as a phase of a Regional Project, NC-20, entitled "Factors Influencing Corn Borer Populations" in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Ohio over a period of years. Standardized procedures were followed to estimate the seasonal abundance of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hbn.), under cropping procedures in different locations within the North Central States. The primary purpose of the present bulletin is to present results for the 1965 to 1969 period and to compare these results with the previous 10 years and thus attempt to analyze …

An Annotated List Of Grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae) From The Eleven Panhandle Counties Of Nebraska, A. F. Hagen

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

A description of the study area is presented indicating the ecological niches that exist in the Nebraska Panhandle. Seventy-five species of grasshoppers are listed from the 11 Panhandle counties. Twenty-one occur in the subfamily Acridinae, 29 in Oedipodinae, 24 in Cyrtacanthacridinae and 1 in Romaleinae. Ecological, taxonomic and distributional data are presented.

European Corn Borer, Ostrinia Nubilalis (Hbn.) Populations In Field Corn, Zea Mays (L.) In The North Central United States, R. E. Hill, A. N. Sparks, C. C. Burkhardt, H. C. Chiang, M. L. Fairchild, W. D. Guthrie

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

A long-range study of the annual changes in corn borer populations in the North Central States was started in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska in 1955 and in Missouri and Ohio in 1956. This investigation was a phase of a broader Regional Project, NC-20, entitled "Factors Influencing Corn Borer Populations" and was undertaken to measure by standardized procedures the seasonal changes in abundance of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hbn.), under cropping procedures in different locations within, the North Central States. Much valuable information has been accumulated on the abundance and effects of various physical and biotic factors on …

The Bumblebees Of Nebraska, Wallace E. Laberge, Morgan C. Webb

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

The purpose of this paper is to provide a ready means of identifying bumblebees found in Nebraska. It is for both amateur and professional entomologists. Included are an annotated list of the bumblebees found in Nebraska, artificial keys for species determination, a glossary for those not acquainted with the terminology used in the keys, a list of flower preferences and biological notes pertaining to bumblebees in Nebraska. The keys for identification include a few species of bumblebees which have not yet been collected in Nebraska but which may occur in the state.

Ec1507 Revised 1949 New Insecticides For The Control Of Grasshoppers In Nebraska, Ephriam Hixson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Extension circular 1507 Revised 1949 discusses new insecticides for the control of grasshoppers in Nebraska.

Ec1506 Corn Rootworm Control In Nebraska, Ephriam Hixson, Martin H. Muma, Roscoe E. Hill

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Extension circular 1506 discusses corn rootworm control in Nebraska.

The Mosquitoes Of Nebraska, H. Douglas Tate, Doris B. Gates

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

A survey of mosquitoes in Nebraska was conducted by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station during 1942 and 1943. The object of the study was to determine the species, relative abundance, seasonal occurrence, and principal breeding places of mosquitoes in representative areas of the state. This report presents the results of the survey, and, in addition, some records and observations made in Nebraska by other workers during and previous to initiation of the project.

Control Of The Chinch Bug In Nebraska, M. H. Swenk, H. D. Tate

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The chinch bug, Blissus leucopterus (Say), is one of the most injurious insect pests of cereal crops in the United States. Although some damage by it has occurred over a wide area in the United States, the greatest injury has been in the Corn Belt. The years in which the chinch bug appears in destructive abundance come irregularly in cycles of varying duration, and the length of these cycles is largely controlled by the direct or indirect effects of weather upon the bugs. Continued dry weather favors them, while very wet weather brings about their destruction. During the last seven …

Fifty Years Of Achievement In Agricultural Investigation, R. T. Prescott

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

In Nebraska, a hustling frontier state in 1887, the legislature hesitated not at all in taking advantage of the provisions of the Hatch Act, and now that fifty years have elapsed since the Station was founded, seventy-five years since the Land Grant College Act was passed and the U. S. Department of Agriculture established, and almost twenty-five years since the Agricultural Extension Service was added, it seems worth while to present a general summary of achievement within the state. The main object will be to show some of the important things that have been learned through the investigations of the …

A Key To The Nebraska Cutworms And Armyworms That Attack Corn, Don B. Whelan

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

The following key to the Nebraska cutworms and armyworms injurious to corn is based upon structural characters supplemented in some instances by color. Not all of the species in this key have been found in Nebraska; some are included because they are to be found in near-by states to such an extent that they probably are present in this state.

Infection Experiments With Spindle Tuber And Unmottled Curly Dwarf Of The Potato, R. W. Goss

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

It is probable that more than one insect species are capable of spreading some of the potato virus diseases. This conclusion was also indicated by repeated observations in the dry-land section of western Nebraska. While aphids are abundant and are probably the chief vectors of potato virus diseases in the more humid sections of the country, they are usually scarce in the western upland plains area and are not present in large enough numbers to account for the rapid spread of spindle tuber and unmottled curly dwarf which sometimes occurs. It was therefore considered advisable to determine the common potato …

The Pine Tipmoth In The Nebraska National Forest, M. H. Swenk

Historical Research Bulletins of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station

On May 8, 1911, Mr. Smith Riley, the District Forester, with headquarters at Denver, in a letter to Acting Supervisor Pierce at Halsey, requested that the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station take up energetically the investigation of the pine tipmoth in the Nebraska National Forest. This request being presented to the Department by Mr. Pierce later in the month resulted in the presentation of the problem to the Experiment Station Council as a proposed Station project. The project was approved on May 31, 1911, and the expenses of the investigations of 1911 and 1912 that are reported upon in this bulletin …

The Chinch Bug And Its Control, M. H. Swenk

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

During the last half century there have been five separated and well-marked chinch bug outbreaks, or periods of serious damage, in Nebraska, and we are now approaching the climax of a sixth such period. As to just how serious this present outbreak will be in 1925 no one can now say, because no one can exactly forecast the weather conditions of the summer, but the present situation is sufficiently menacing to make advisable the issuing of this circular, which aims to give the essential information concerning the chinch bug as a Nebraska pest, and the locally applicable means of control.