Entomology Commons^™

Redescription Of The Allomyia Renoa (Milne) Female And Association And Description Of The Male And Larva (Trichoptera: Apataniidae), David E. Ruiter, Donald R. Givens, Hiroyuki Nishimoto

Insecta Mundi

Allomyia renoa (Milne, 1935) (Trichoptera: Apataniidae) was described from six females. The male association is verified in this paper. The original type locality information is limited: “Reno, Nev., ‘78, Morrison”. An Allomyia Banks population found at Mount Rose in Washoe County, Nevada, was compared to the A. renoa type material and found to be the conspecific. Figures, descriptions and distribution of male, female, pupal and larval A. renoa are provided.

First Record Of Orsilochides Scurrilis (Stål) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) In The United States, With Notes On The Biology And Distribution Of U.S. Species Of Orsilochides Kirkaldy, A. W. Meeds, Joseph E. Eger Jr., S. D. Carnahan

Insecta Mundi

Orsilochides scurrilis (Stål) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) is reported from the United States for the first time based on a specimen collected in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. A key to separate the U.S. species of Orsilochides Kirkaldy is provided. In addition, host plant records and distribution of the other two species of Orsilochides that occur in the U.S., Orsilochides guttata (Herrich-Schäffer) and Orsilochides stictica (Dallas), are analyzed through a combination of digital photo records and museum specimens.

Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) Of The White Peach Scale, Pseudaulacaspis Pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) On Prunus Salicina Lindl. (Rosales: Rosaceae) In South Korea, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

Four aphelinid and one encyrtid parasitoid species (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) were collected from Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) infesting twigs and stems of Japanese plum tree (Prunus salicina Lindl.) in a survey conducted in 2020 in South Korea. These were identified as Aphytis proclia (Walker), Encarsia berlesei (Howard), Marietta carnesi (Howard), Pteroptrix orientalis (Silvestri) (Aphelinidae) and Arrhenophagus chionaspidis Aurivillius (Encyrtidae). In this paper, the list of parasitoid species of P. pentagona that occur on Japanese plum trees in South Korea is updated and a brief diagnosis and photographs of each species are provided.

The Rare Beetle Egg Parasitoid Platystasius Transversus (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae: Sceliotrachelinae), A New Genus And Species Record For Germany, Jessica Awad, Cristina Vasilița, Lars Krogmann

Insecta Mundi

Platystasius transversus (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is a rarely collected egg parasitoid of Leptura aurulenta Fabricius (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Four female specimens were found in Germany, a new country record for the genus and species. Illustrations, DNA barcodes, and an updated distribution are provided. We review its taxonomic history, biology, and ecological associations.

Wildflower Pollen Quality In Roadside Habitats, With Particular Emphasis On Hedera Helix, Aoife Mcmullin, Paul Hamilton

SURE_J: Science Undergraduate Research Journal

The quality of air is of more significance today than ever before. Human population growth and pollutants emitted through fossil fuel consumption put pressures on air quality. It is widely acknowledged that atmospheric pollutants negatively impact human health; the same is also true for the health of wildlife and plants exposed to these pollutants (Brunekreef & Holgate, 2002; EEA, 2019; Schiavoni, et al., 2017). Pollen and seed formation of flowering plants have been affected when grown in areas of poor air quality (Azzazy, 2016; Sénéchal, et al., 2015). The purpose of this research was to assess pollen of Hedera helix (ivy), a native ...

Insect Developmental Plasticity: The Role In A Changing Environment, Lindsey A. Barnes

The Cardinal Edge

Climate change has been recognized as a severe threat to biodiversity. In the rapidly growing collection of literature on the consequences of global change, researchers have recently noticed a dramatic decrease in insect populations in a wide range of habitats. Insects are extremely susceptible to climatic change, especially with regard to fluctuations in moisture and temperature. However, insects often exhibit phenotypic plasticity, where organisms will express different phenotypes when presented with a specific environmental stimulus. In developmental plasticity, environmental stimuli at the larval stage can determine adult phenotypes. This review focuses on case studies of developmental plasticity in insects, with ...

Geocaching: A New Instructional Tool For Natural Resources Extension And Outreach, Jacob Smith, Dave Coyle, John Thomason, Todd Matthews, John J. Riggins

The Journal of Extension

Nonnative pests and pathogens severely affect forest health and are often spread in firewood. Our objectives were to create an extension education program using “Don’t Move Firewood”-themed geocaches and travel bugs which were placed near campgrounds across Mississippi, and to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of this outreach method. Interactions with caches and travel bugs were monitored over nearly one year and summarized to provide a measure of outreach success. With a one-time per-unit cost of $45.95 for caches and $6.75 for travel bugs, these tools provide ongoing, cost-effective educational approaches well suited to augment existing ...

The Regulation Landscape Of Mapk Signaling Cascade For Thwarting Bacillus Thuringiensis Infection In An Insect Host, Zhaojiang Guo, Shi Kang, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Neil Crickmore, Xuguo Zhou, Alejandra Bravo, Mario Soberón, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Host-pathogen interactions are central components of ecological networks where the MAPK signaling pathways act as central hubs of these complex interactions. We have previously shown that an insect hormone modulated MAPK signaling cascade participates as a general switch to trans-regulate differential expression of diverse midgut genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) to cope with the insecticidal action of Cry1Ac toxin, produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The relationship between topology and functions of this four-tiered phosphorylation signaling cascade, however, is an uncharted territory. Here, we carried out a genome-wide characterization of all the MAPK orthologs ...

Bee Assemblages Data [2021], Daniel A. Potter, Bernadette M. Mach

Entomology Research Data

Plant characteristics, sample sites, and non-native bee assemblages for a bee survey conducted in 2014-2017 by Bernadette Mach in the Daniel A. Potter lab at the University of Kentucky.

A Review Of The Nearctic Species Of Nematodes (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Macraulacinae: Nematodini) With A Description Of One New Species, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

The Nearctic species of Nematodes Berthold (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Macraulacinae: Nemato­dini) are reviewed. Four species are redescribed. One new species, Nematodes rugosipennis Otto (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) is described from Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma, USA. A key to species modified from Mu­ona (2000) is provided for all known species of Nematodes present in the Nearctic region.

While identifying false click beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods, I discovered a new species of Nematodes Berthold collected in Florida. Additional specimens of the new species were identified from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, California Department of Food and ...

A New Species Of Scirtes Illiger, 1807 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) From Virginia And South Carolina, U.S.A., Charles A. Springer, Deborah A. Waller

Insecta Mundi

Scirtes goodrichi Springer and Waller, a new species of Scirtes Illiger, 1807 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Scirtinae) from Virginia and South Carolina, is described and illustrated. Six species are now recognized for Scirtes in America north of Mexico: S. orbiculatus (Fabricius), S. tibialis Guérin-Méneville, S. oblongus Guérin-Méneville, S. plagiatus Schaeffer and S. goliai Epler. A taxonomic key to the six species of Scirtes is provided.

New Country Records, Annotated Checklist And Key To The Dacine Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae: Dacini) Of Bangladesh, Luc Leblanc, M. Aftab Hossain, Mahfuza Momen, Kajla Seheli

Insecta Mundi

Thirty-four species of dacine fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) were recorded in Bangladesh, based on field surveys carried out between 2013 and 2020. Five species are reported in Bangladesh for the first time: Bactrocera aethriobasis (Hardy), B. limbifera (Bezzi), B. melania (Hardy and Adachi), B. nigrifemorata Li and Wang, and Dacus jacobi David and Sachin. The attraction of B. nigrifemorata to cue-lure is a new male lure association. An annotated checklist and illustrated key to the species are provided.

Systematic field surveys of dacine fruit flies in Bangladesh have been ongoing since 2013, initially focused on rural farmland and village environments ...

Preliminary Inventory And General Aspect Of The Distribution Of Culicidae Species In The Steppe Region (M'Sila, Algeria), Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, Saliha Benhissen, Wafa Habbachi, Sarra Habbachi, Zakaria Hedjouli, Zihad Bouselama, Abdelkrim Tahraoui

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mosquitoes are important living organisms that participate in the different levels of food chains. However, many families include vector species capable to transmit viruses, bacteria and parasites to both humans and animals, threatening the public health. The goal of this work was to describe the biological diversity of mosquito species in different areas in M'sila; Algeria based on the ecological nature of their habitat. The breeding sites found were 18 distributed in five areas (Berhoum, Bou Saâda, El hamel, Hammam Dhalaa and M'sila). The inventory that was carried out from September to April every year from 2017 to ...

Barcoding Us Ants: Ozarks Region - Research Highlight, Megan Woltz

The Confluence

Ants are species diverse, widespread, and critically important to their environments. For many ant species, we do not have clear data on their ranges. Barcoding US Ants is a citizen science project run by the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to collect and sequence DNA from ants from around the country (CSHL, 2020). The sequences are submitted to GenBank, the DNA sequence database (NIH 2020). We formed one of the Ozarks Region teams for the Barcoding US Ants project, contributing ants from riparian forests and grassy meadows in the St. Charles, MO area. We collected 8 ant ...

Summer To Autumn Population Of Wild Eumaeus Atala On The Ft. Lauderdale Campus Of Nova Southeastern University, Alexandra M. Lens

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Eumaeus atala is an endangered tropical butterfly native to the Caribbean and some parts of Florida, USA. Following population reductions primarily due to habitat loss, E. atala populations are now increasing due to conservation efforts of its cycad host plants, especially Zamia integrifolia (coontie). The purpose of this study was to observe, document, and measure the population of wild E. atala on the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University where landscaping use of host plants supports a natural population of E. atala. Forty-four host plants located in two different sites were observed for 14 weeks. One site (Baseball ...

Stable Hydrogen Isotopes Of Aquatic-Emergent Versus Terrestrial Insects In Southern Ontario, Celina Y. Tang

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Aquatic-emergent insects are vectors of both contaminants and nutrients, linking the aquatic system to the terrestrial system. Aquatic-emergent insects are high in omega-3 fatty acids that benefit terrestrial aerial insectivores, such as bats and birds. With aerial insectivores on a decline, a contributing factor could be a decrease in the quality of insects. We collected insects from lakeshore and inland locations in Southern Ontario. Insects sampled included bees, wasps, ants, beetles, caddisflies, craneflies, dragonflies, marchflies, mayflies, midges, other flies, and true bugs. Insects’ wings and powdered bodies were then analyzed for stable hydrogen isotopes (d²H) in order to ...

High Tunnel Pest Management - Caterpillars, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

In Utah high tunnel production, there are various caterpillar pests (larvae of moth and butterfly species) that cause economic damage to crops. Common caterpillar pest species found in Utah include hornworms, tomato fruit worms, imported cabbage worms, diamondback moths, cabbage loopers, armyworms, and cutworms. Various weed species growing inside or outside high tunnels can attract and harbor caterpillar pests. Managing caterpillar pests in high tunnels involves various mechanical, chemical, biological, and cultural control practices.

Interspersed Denuded Zone (Idz): How Patchy Leaf Litter Dynamics In A Buckthorn-Invaded Urban Woodland Can Affect Microarthropod Species Richness, Angela Stenberg

DePaul Discoveries

Biodiversity loss may serve as a key diagnostic of the Anthropocene. An important driver of this loss is by means of invasive species. In this study of a forest preserve in Chicago, Illinois we examined Interspersed Denuded Zones (IDZs for short), which are areas of patchy leaf litter in invaded forests caused in this case by the rapid decomposition of litter from buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). We characterized the leaf litter mass in IDZs and enumerated litter-inhabiting microarthropod populations. We found that plots of high buckthorn density are associated with IDZs: there was significantly less leaf litter mass in these invaded ...

Persistence Of The Exotic Mirid Nesidiocoris Tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) In South Texas, Gabriela Esparza-Diaz, Thiago Marconi, Carlos A. Avila, Raul T. Villanueva

Entomology Faculty Publications

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the U.S and is located in the southernmost part of Texas. In October 2013, we detected an exotic plant bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) occurring in the region. Nesidiocoris tenuis has zoophytophagous habits; however, in the absence of insect prey, it feeds on its plant hosts. After its morphological and genetic identification, this study monitored the population of N. tenuis in its introduction phase in commercial fields and corroborated its establishment in research fields for three years. Populations of N. tenuis were high during ...

Temperatures Influence Susceptibility To Insecticides In Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes, Wendy S. Salinas, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Christopher Vitek

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors for several arboviruses, including dengue, Zika virus and chikungunya virus. The primary method of controlling these diseases is controlling the vector population, often with insecticides. Insecticide resistance may impact the success of these efforts. We tested the effect of variable temperature exposures on susceptibility to insecticides by exposing adult A. aegypti and A. albopictus to different temperatures and tested their susceptibility to insecticides. We hypothesized that adults maintained at high temperatures would show increased susceptibility to insecticides relative to lower temperatures. Colony mosquitoes were hatched, reared to adulthood and then maintained ...