Entomology Commons^™

Potential Interaction Between Pre- And Post-Emergence Herbicides And The Efficacy Of Insecticide And Fungicide Seed Treatments In Cotton, Cory Joseph Vineyard

Masters Theses

An apparent reduction in the performance of neonicotinoid seed treatments in controlling thrips, especially in cotton, has been observed, which has coincided with the increased use of both pre- and post-emergence herbicides to control glyphosate-resistant weeds. The objective of this research was to evaluate the potential interactions of both pre- and post-emergence herbicides on the efficacy of insecticide and fungicide seed treatments in cotton

Aldicarb along with imidacloprid and thiamethoxam seed treatments reduced thrips numbers compared with non-treated seed. However, thiamethoxam did not provide effective control. Some pre-emergence herbicide treatments reduced plant health. While there was evidence that thrips injury …

Phylogenetic Analysis And Revision Of The Nearctic Androprosopa Mik (Diptera: Thaumaleidae) With An Emphasis On The Western Species, Robert John Pivar

Masters Theses

The family Thaumaleidae, also known as seepage midges, is an uncommonly encountered, understudied family of aquatic Diptera compared to its sister group, the Simuliidae. The goal of this project was to assess species diversity of the Nearctic Thaumaleidae and determine relationships among them. The western Nearctic fauna of Androprosopa Mik is revised to include twenty-eight species, six of which are described as new to science. Descriptions of the adult males of A. apache, A. arnaudi, A. magnipelvim, A. rainierensis, A. sierra and A. uvas are provided. Redescriptions of all remaining species are also provided, as well …

Interactions Among Insect Defoliation, Insecticide Treatments, And Growth Rate In American And Hybrid Chestnuts, Ashley Elizabeth Case

Masters Theses

The American chestnut, Castanea dentata, was once one of the most useful and abundant canopy trees in eastern North American forests. Over the last 200 years, the species has been decimated by two exotic pathogens, Phytophthora cinnamomi and Cryphonectria parasitica, killing millions of trees and reducing surviving Castanea dentata to short-lived sprouts. Cryphonectria parasitica-resistance breeding programs are currently producing advanced backcross generations, which are being compared with pure American chestnut in field tests of growth performance and Cryphonectria parasitica resistance. The Asiatic oak weevil, Cyrtepistomus castaneus, has been identified as a common defoliator of chestnut seedlings in these …

Density-Dependent Survival In The Larval Stage Of An Invasive Insect: Dispersal Vs. Predation, Adam A. Pepi

Masters Theses

1. The success of invasive species is often thought to be due to release from natural enemies. This hypothesis relies on the assumption that species are regulated by top-down forces in their native range and implies that species are likely to be regulated by bottom-up forces in the invasive range. Neither of these assumptions has been consistently supported with insects, a group which include many highly destructive invasive pest species.

2. Winter moth (Operophtera brumata) is an invasive defoliator in North America that appears to be regulated by mortality in the larval stage in its invasive range. To …

The Greenhouse Effect: Decomposition Rates In Human Remains Wrapped In Plastic, Barbara R. Forman

Masters Theses

Determining an accurate estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) of human remains is important for several reasons. First, it is used to determine whether the individual is recently deceased, and therefore of medicolegal concern. If so, the estimated PMI is used in narrowing the possible identities of the deceased. PMI can also be used in excluding, or convicting, a murder suspect.

Though deviations may occur, it has been found that PMI can be calculated from the decomposition stages with reasonable accuracy (Galloway 1989, Megyesi 2001, Megyesi et al. 2005, Schiel 2008, Simmons et al. 2010). Some factors, such as low …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Benthic Invertebrate Communities In The Emory River, Watts Bar Reservoir, Tn, Suzanne Jane Young

Masters Theses

The release of fly ash at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant (KIF) on 22 December 2008 discharged approximately 4.1 million cubic meters of coal ash into the adjacent aquatic and terrestrial systems. Previous benthic invertebrate investigations conducted by TVA and collaborative researchers concluded that benthic invertebrates in the Emory River were at moderate risk from ash-related constituents, primarily arsenic, in ash-contaminated sediment that remained in the Emory River following extensive dredging efforts. These conclusions were based on the observation of statistically significant reductions in growth and biomass in laboratory toxicity tests with Emory River sediment. Benthic invertebrate …

A Molecular And Morphological Investigation Of The Springtail Genus Orchesella (Collembola: Entomobryomorpha: Entomobryidae), Catherine Louise Smith

Masters Theses

Chapter 1 is devoted to a molecular overview of the North American members of the springtail genus Orchesella using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. Both genes strongly support the presence of four major clades within Orchesella. Chapter 2 is a morphological revision of the species near Orchesella celsa Christiansen & Bellinger. Five new species are described based largely on chaetotaxonomical differences in. Chapter 3 is an investigation into the origins of United States populations of two introduced European members of the genus, Orchesella cincta Linnaeus and Orchesella villosa Linnaeus. Mitochondrial data between populations from the two continents indicates multiple introductions for …

Assessment Of Pityophthorus Juglandis Colonization Characteristics And Implications For Further Spread Of Thousand Cankers Disease, Jackson Audley

Masters Theses

Nonnative, invasive forest insect pests are a significant threat to the health of global forest resources. Thousand cankers disease, a recently described disease threatening walnuts, is the result of an invasive insect-pathogen complex in which the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman) is a vector to the associated fungal pathogen, Geosmithia morbida. Both are native to the southwestern U.S. into northern Mexico, however, have been found well beyond their historic range, and now threaten black walnut (Juglans nigra) in the eastern U.S. Beetles have likely been spread via the transport of infested walnut logs.

The goal …

Trapping Methods For Ixodid Ticks And Pathogen Associations Of Amblyomma Maculatum (Gulf Coast Tick) In Western Tennessee, Sarah Elizabeth Mays

Masters Theses

Ticks are vectors of disease agents and pests of humans and animals. Various methods are used for tick monitoring and pathogen surveillance to assess tick distributions, pathogen prevalence and control measures, such as monitoring the changing geographic distribution of the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. This project (1) compared the effectiveness of six trapping methods for the collection of hard (Ixodid) ticks in a typical grassland-forest habitat in southwestern Tennessee, and (2) examined pathogen associations of A. maculatum collected in western Tennessee.

To compare trapping methods across time and habitat types, a temporal study was conducted in 2013 and …

Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Assemblages In Three New York Pine Barrens And The Impacts Of Hiking Trails, Grace W. Barber

Masters Theses

Ants are ecologically important, environmentally sensitive, widespread, and abundant, yet ant assemblages of many habitats remain poorly understood. Ants in inland barrens of New York State (NY) barely have been studied, but the limited data suggest such habitats are likely to support uncommon ant species and high species density for the region. To increase knowledge of these assemblages, I systematically collected ants from three inland barrens systems in NY, to create species lists and measure species density. I also investigated how hiking trails — a common man-made disturbance — may be impacting ant assemblages in these early-successional, disturbance-dependent ecosystems. My …