Entomology Commons^™

The Effects Of Big Dune And Lava Dune Sand Composition On The Eggs And Larvae Of Pseudocotalpa Giulianii, Cosset Hernandez Pena, Mandy Mountain, Daniel B. Thompson

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Differences in the composition of aeolian sand at Big Dune and sand at Lava Dune that is mixed with basalt and various minerals may affect water retention and the development of insects that are specialized for living in sand environments. These two dunes, located in Nye County, Nevada, are home to the endemic dune scarab beetle, Pseudocotalpa giulianii (PSGU). The differences in sand type may influence the growth patterns of the eggs and larvae of this beetle species that hatches and develops to an adult within the sand. The purpose of this experiment is to test whether sand composition affects …

The Effects Of Habitat Isolation On Fine-Scale Genetic And Geographic Structure Of Populations Of Two Threatened Endemic Insects In Southern Nevada, Pseudocotalpa Giulianii And Icaricia Shasta Charlestonensis, Kristen Tovar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Assessing the role geographic isolation and ecological specialization have on phylogeographic patterns contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of a species and the processes that erode genetic diversity. I used mitochondrial and nuclear genomic sequences to assess whether habitat isolation has shaped the fine-scale patterns of present-day genetic structure and diversity in two threatened insect species endemic to southern Nevada. Pseudocotalpa giulianii (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae) is a dune obligate scarab beetle endemic to only two small, isolated sand dunes in Nye County, Nevada, with a usable habitat of less than 4.2 km sq that is impacted by on-going degradation. …

Growth Of Pseudocotalpa Giulianii Larvae In Sand From Different Dune Sources, Cosset Hernandez Pena, Mandy Mountain

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Pseudocotalpa giulianii (PSGU) is an endemic species known to inhabit two sand dunes in Nye County, Nevada: Big Dune Recreational Area and Lava Dune. Differences in sand properties between Big Dune and Lava Dune could impact survival and growth of the larvae of P. giulianii. Use of permitted off-road vehicles (ORV) in Big Dune can impact its habitats and cause disturbances to local populations, including the Giuliani Dune Scarab as ORV activity is correlated with changes in dune vegetation. Lava Dune has no permitted ORV activity, however, differences in sand composition, including eroded basalt, have the potential to influence the …

Non-Native Spiders Change Assemblages Of Hawaiian Forest Fragment Kipuka Over Space And Time, Julien Pétillon, Kaїna Privet, George K. Roderick, Rosemary G. Gullespie, Don K. Price

Life Sciences Faculty Research

We assessed how assemblages of spiders were structured in small Hawaiian tropical forest fragments (Hawaiian, kipuka) within a matrix of previous lava flows, over both space (sampling kipuka of different sizes) and time (comparison with a similar study from 1998). Standardized hand-collection by night was carried out in May 2016. In total, 702 spiders were collected, representing 6 families and 25 (morpho-)species. We found that the number of individuals, but not species richness, was highly correlated with the area of sampled forest fragments, suggesting that kipuka act as separate habitat islands for these predatory arthropods. Species richness was significantly lower …

Post-Eclosion Temperature Effects On Insect Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiles, Subhash Rajpurohit, Vladimír Vrkoslav, Robert Hanus, Allen G. Gibbs, Josef Cvačka, Paul S. Schmidt

Life Sciences Faculty Research

© 2020 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The insect cuticle is the interface between internal homeostasis and the often harsh external environment. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are key constituents of this hard cuticle and are associated with a variety of functions including stress response and communication. CHC production and deposition on the insect cuticle vary among natural populations and are affected by developmental temperature; however, little is known about CHC plasticity in response to the environment experienced following eclosion, during which time the insect cuticle undergoes several crucial changes. We targeted this crucial to …

Taxonomic Features And Comparison Of The Gut Microbiome From Two Edible Fungus-Farming Termites (Macrotermes Falciger, M. Natalensis) Harvested In The Vhembe District Of Limpopo, South Africa, Stephanie L. Schnorr, Courney A. Hofman, Shandukani R. Netschifhefhe, Frances D. Duncan, Tanvi P. Honap, Julie Lesnik, Cecil M. Lewis

Anthropology Faculty Research

Background Termites are an important food resource for many human populations around the world, and are a good supply of nutrients. The fungus-farming ‘higher’ termite members of Macrotermitinae are also consumed by modern great apes and are implicated as critical dietary resources for early hominins. While the chemical nutritional composition of edible termites is well known, their microbiomes are unexplored in the context of human health. Here we sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of gut microbiota extracted from the whole intestinal tract of two Macrotermes sp. soldiers collected from the Limpopo region of South Africa. Results …

Understanding How Honey Bee Flight And Senescence Are Connected Through Oxidative Stress., Joseph Margotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this dissertation was to exploit the tractability of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) to understand how the physiological and cellular mechanisms that determine the onset and duration of senescence are shaped by behavioral development and behavioral intensity. These data reveal how behavior can damage cells and consequently limit lifespan. The honey bee represents the ideal model to address these factors because age, behavior, functional senescence, and lifespan are easily manipulated independently of each other while in its natural environment. I determined if there was a cause-effect relationship between honey bee flight and oxidative stress by comparing damage …

Kinematic Analysis Of Axial Rotations And The Effects Of Stress Selection On Takeoff Flight Performance, Michael L. Brewer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The importance of flying insects cannot be understated; without them as pollinators, the great diversity of flowing plants could not have occurred. Flight requires a suite of highly derived morphological and physiological characteristics that may limit the evolutionary responses of other life history traits.

To investigate the complexities of maneuvering flight, I used high-speed videography to analyze wing and body motions in the HoverflySyritta pipiens(Order: Diptera) during horizontal turns called saccades. I characterized the saccades by calculating the instantaneous rotational velocities throughout the saccade, maximum rotational velocity, and the mean rotational velocity. I then compared the shape of the rotational …

Characterization Of Ips Pini Ipsdienol Dehydrogenase (Idol Dh), Heidi Pak, Claus Tittiger, William Welch

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Ipsdienol is an important pheromone component for pine engraver beetle, Ips pini. Ipsdienol is a ten carbon monoterpenoid secondary alcohol and ipsdienone is the corresponding ketone. We are characterizing the activity of recombinant IDOL DH produced in Sf9 (insect) cells. The enzyme has a high stereospecificity: (-) ipsdienol was found to be a substrate while (+)-ipsdienol was neither a substrate nor inhibitor. Closely related monoterpenoids, such as nerol, geraniol, and citral, were neither substrates nor inhibitors. Smaller compounds, such as 2-propanol, also failed to act as an inhibitor or substrate. This indicates the binding site of this enzyme is highly …

Role Of Ecdysone Signaling In Fat Body Remodeling, Marsha Kristel Bernardo, N. Bond, Allen G. Gibbs

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Climate change is fundamentally connected to animal development and survival, and the life history of an organism must be coordinated with predictable seasonal changes of the environment. Climate change affects the life cycle of plants, a major food source for insects. If photoperiod, the primary environmental queue that insects utilize to determine the proper emergence time, and food availability becomes out of sync, many populations of insects and other animals could be threatened. Understanding animal development can provide insight into this issue and could provide clues that may help the scientific community predict how insect populations may respond to climate …

Arid Climate Decomposition And Decay: A Taphonomic Study Using Swine, James William Munkres

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present project analyzes the taphonomic processes and variables involved in the decomposition and desiccation of animal remains in an arid/hyper-arid environment. The study and the derived data will assist in determining postmortem intervals for remains in modern contexts, inform judgments made regarding mortuary habits and techniques in archaeological contexts, and will improve our knowledge regarding taphonomic processes. Manner of deposition, the depositional surface/medium and arid-climate specific variables (temperature, water, insect activity, weathering, pH levels, and soil characteristics) were examined in this study. Reported observations are limited to the first ten months following death from early December through early October …

The Role Of Larval Fat Cells In Starvation Resistance And Reproduction In Adult Drosophila Melanogaster, Jerell Roland Aguila

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The intricate life cycle of holometabolous insects includes well-defined larval and adult stages associated with feeding and non-feeding periods. The larval stage is distinguished by prevalent feeding and is necessary for supporting the animal as it quickly grows. The larval stage also serves as the period for the animal to obtain adequate energy stores, primarily in the larval fat body, to fuel the animal through the non-feeding pupal and immature adult stages. Acquiring sufficient energy stores is paramount for the success of the adult animal. In fact, certain insects, such as silkworms and mayflies, do not feed as adults and …

Unlv Magazine, Michelle Mouton, Tony Allen, Afsha Bawany, Shane Bevell, Phil Hagen, Greg Lacour, Erin O'Donnell, Karyn S. Hollingsworth

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Experimental And Natural Variation In Hovering Flight Capacity In Bees, Hymenoptera: Apidae, Jason Thomas Vance

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In honey bees, the capacity for flight underlies many behaviors which impact fitness and longevity, such as the ability to forage or evade predators. However, flight capacity is not fixed across bees' lifespan, which is punctuated by a suite of physiological changes that accompany age and the transition from in-hive to foraging behaviors; thus, flight capacity may vary during periods of development, senescence, or in response to morphological damage such as wing wear. This dissertation describes the biomechanics and aerodynamics which contribute to the scope of honey bee flight performance, and investigates how age, behavioral development, and wing-wear affects flight …

Investigation Of Gene And Protein Expression Based On Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Aging, Flight Experience, And Behavior, Azucena A. Benito, G. E. Mancinelli, A. Ammons, Michelle M. Elekonich

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Honeybees undergo a process of adult behavioral development, spending their first 2-3 weeks working inside the constant environment of the hive. At about 3 weeks of age workers leave the hive as foragers who gather pollen and nectar. Previous research found that bees show an enormous decline in immunity as a result of their transition from regular hive jobs to more difficult foraging activities. Foragers can be forced to go back into hive-tasks, thus becoming “reverted nurses” which may also allow a reversal of immunosenescence. Understanding how this happens could prove to be useful because if there is flexibility in …

Odonates At The Clark County Wetlands Nature Preserve: A Look At Habitat And Relative Abundance, Erin Jolley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify the various species, relative abundance and habitat of dragonfly and damselfly larvae at the Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Preserve (WPNP). An accurate assessment of these insects can be useful in interpreting potential indications of environmental problems at the Wetlands. From this data, necessary improvements can be made to the dragonfly habitat as well as the habitat of other surrounding organisms. Habitat identification is considered especially important because it is "structured by instream and surrounding topographical features, and is a major determinant of aquatic community potential" (Southwood, 1977). For purposes of this …

Mosquito Population Dynamics During The Establishment Phase Of A Constructed Desert Wetland, April Newman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Nature Preserve at the Clark County Wetlands Park is a constructed wetland that has the potential to produce new mosquito habitat. This thesis evaluates the potential for the development of a mosquito problem at the newly constructed wetland system by assessing the population dynamics of mosquitoes within the Nature Preserve. Based on data collected from May 2001 through January 2002, I describe fluctuations in mosquito genus and relative abundance during the first summer through winter period of wetland development.