Digital Commons Network^™

Could The European Thanasimus Formicarius Outcompete The North American Thanasimus Dubius (Coleoptera: Cleridae) If Introduced To North America?, Robert A. Haack, Robert K. Lawrence

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A federal quarantine was enacted in the United States (US) in the fall of 1992 in response to discovery of the Eurasian pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda (L.) (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), in July 1992 in Ohio. The quarantine regulated movement of pine products (e.g., Christmas trees, nursery stock, and logs) at the county level from infested to uninfested US states. A classical biological program was considered for T. piniperda starting in 1995, focusing on the Eurasian clerid beetle Thanasimus formicarius (L.), an important predator of T. piniperda. Concerns were raised in 1996 that if T. formicarius were released in the …

Exotic Two-Spined Trap-Jaw Ants (Odontomachus Haematodus) In Urban Parks Of Hattiesburg, Mississippi: Recommended Sampling Methods And Notes On Nesting Biology, Caroline M. Marley, Vinny Halsey, Lila Blackburn, Kayla D. Stan, Kaitlin M. Baudier

Midsouth Entomologist

The two-spined trap-jaw ant, Odontomachus haematodus (Linnaeus), is native to South America and was introduced to the United States via Mobile, Alabama in the mid-twentieth century. Misidentification as a native congener for several decades has inhibited the study of the ecology of O. haematodus in its introduced range within the Gulf Coastal Plain. We conducted a multimethod survey to: 1) assess the abundance of O. haematodus across urban parks in Hattiesburg, MS, the northernmost published record in this species’ exotic range, 2) establish which sampling methodologies are most effective for conducting urban surveys of O. haematodus, and 3) study …

Climate-Driven Stochastic Modelling Of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Transmission In Uganda, P. G. Kpatchana, J. Aduda, K. M. Agboka

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a climate-sensitive tick-borne zoonosis that remains a significant public health concern in Uganda, where temperature and vapour pressure deficit influence tick ecology and consequently disease transmission. This study aimed to develop and analyse a climate-driven stochastic model for CCHF transmission among ticks, livestock, and humans under environmental variability in Uganda. A compartmental transmission model was formulated and extended into a stochastic differential equation framework by incorporating multiplicative environmental noise. Climate-dependent tick recruitment, development, and mortality were parameterized using district-level temperature and vapour pressure deficit data to capture spatial heterogeneity in transmission risk. Theoretical analyses based …

Contrasting Roles Of Downed Wood And Leaf Litter In Structuring Aphaenogaster Ants And Other Forest-Floor Arthropod Communities, Danielle E. Dolan

Great Lakes Center Masters Theses

Forest floors are dynamic and spatially heterogenous landscapes characterized by differing amounts of light, temperature, and moisture. Bounded substrates, like downed wood and leaf litter, add further complexity to this landscape. Specifically, downed wood is noted for its ability to retain a higher moisture level than the surrounding environment, and as such can serve as an ideal microhabitat for desiccation intolerant organisms (e.g., salamanders and eusocial insects). Here, I attempt to disentangle the relationship between forest floor arthropods and microhabitat selection (i.e., downed wood vs leaf litter) on a northeastern forest floor. The ant, Aphaenogaster picea, was chosen as my …

Role Of Developmental Plasticity In Tethered Flight Performance Of The Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera Dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), Thabang P. Moropa, Steve B.S. Baleba, Christopher W. Weldon

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study investigated the effect of nutrition on development of wings and adult body condition of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), an exotic pest of Asian origin and a species of economic importance in South Africa. Six host fruit types were used to rear B. dorsalis: mango, guava, orange, grapefruit, papaya and apple. One day after emergence, adults were used for tethered flight assessments using computerised flight mills. Additional flies were assessed in terms of wing morphology using geometric morphometrics, flight muscle mass, and lipid content. There were significant differences in the larval and pupal developmental time as well as larval and …

First Record Of Arrhenophagus Chionaspidis Aurivillius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) Parasitizing White Mango Scale In Kenya: Its Potential Distribution And Prospects In Biocontrol, Francis Obala, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Rehemah Gwokyalya, Shepard Ndlela, Ingo Grass, Georg Petschenka, Sunday Ekesi, Samira A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The white mango scale, Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is one of the most destructive pests of mango worldwide. Its current management in most of the invaded areas largely depends on the intensive use of chemical insecticides. Biological control using parasitoids represents one of the most effective and environmentally sustainable management options. However, in Kenya, one of Africa's leading mango-producing countries, no effective parasitoid species associated with A. tubercularis had previously been recorded. This study aimed to identify encyrtid parasitoids associated with A. tubercularis in Kenya, and to assess how bioclimatic factors influence their occurrence and habitat suitability. Mango leaves …

Bayesian Multivariate Modelling Of Lone Star (Amblyomma Americanum) Tick Life Stage Abundance And Temporal Trends To Inform Public Health Risk In Virginia, Thabo Lephoto, Henry Mwambi, Oliver Bodhlyera, Holly Gaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The increasing abundance of ticks poses a growing public health concern due to heightened human exposure to tick bites. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum: Ixodida: Ixodidae), a common human-biting species in the United States, has expanded its range in recent years. However, how its different life stages vary across time, habitats, and locations remains insufficiently understood. We analyzed tick abundance data collected in southeastern Virginia between 2009 and 2018, focusing on larval, nymphal, and adult life stages. A Bayesian multivariate modelling framework was used to examine seasonal patterns, habitat effects, spatial variation, and biological links between life stages. Two …

Are There Enough Bees? Assessing Pollen Limitation In Native Eastern Washington Prairie Forbs, Alejandro Torres

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Prairie ecosystems in eastern Washington have been severely degraded due to agricultural intensification, urbanization, and habitat fragmentation, leaving less than 0.1% of native prairie intact. As a result, these ecosystems have become some of the most endangered in the United States. One group of essential pollinators is the bees, which facilitate plant reproduction and contribute to the long-term persistence of restored plant communities. However, despite the presence of at least 257 native bee species in the region, the impacts of habitat fragmentation and restoration on pollinator activity and plant-pollinator networks remain poorly understood. For this study, we worked across Eastern …

Moth Assemblages Of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Kimberly Anne Steese

Masters Theses

"Moths (Lepidoptera) are ecologically important insects that function as herbivores, pollinators, prey resources, and indicators of ecosystem integrity. Despite their ecological significance, moth communities in the Missouri Ozarks remain poorly documented, particularly within military-managed landscapes. This thesis examined patterns of moth diversity, assemblage structure, and environmental drivers at Fort Leonard Wood (FLW), Missouri, while also assessing the distribution and genetic diversity of species within the genus Papaipema.

Field surveys were conducted from 2019 through 2021 across prairie, savanna, forest, and restoration habitats at FLW using UV bucket traps, sheet trapping, and targeted larval surveys. Across all sampling efforts, 29,116 individual …

Comparing Machine Learning, Deep Learning, And Reinforcement Learning Performance In Culex Pipiens Predictive Modeling, Wei Yin, Sanad H. Ragab, Michael G. Tyshenko, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Tamer Oraby

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Several machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods have been used to predict the presence of species in classification problems. Another set of methods, called reinforcement learning (RL), has been used in training agents to perform various tasks, but not in predicting species distribution. Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae), commonly known as the common house mosquito, is a globally distributed species prevalent in temperate and subtropical regions. They serve as a primary vector for West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne pathogen that affects humans and other animals. The study objective is to compare the performance of logistic regression, random forest …

Initial Changes In Ground Beetle (Carabidae: Coleoptera) Assemblages After Creating Gaps Of Varying Sizes In Mature Northern Hardwoods Forests In Wisconsin, Robert A. Haack, Robert E. Acciavatti, Toby R. Petrice, Robert L. Davidson, Terry F. Strong

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Managers of northern hardwood forests in the Great Lakes region create gaps in the forest canopy of various sizes during harvesting to achieve different silvicultural objectives. Single-tree harvesting favors recruitment of shade-tolerant tree species by creating small gaps in the canopy, whereas group selection creates larger gaps that can favor shade-intolerant tree species. We evaluated changes in carabid beetle abundance and diversity in harvest-created gaps of five sizes (gap diameters of 6, 10, 20, 30, and 46 m) and uncut forests in northern Wisconsin where sugar maple (Acer saccharum) was the dominant tree species. Gaps were cut during …

The Distribution Of Some Soil Arthropods In A Manipulated Ecosystem, James H. Shaddy, James W. Butcher

The Great Lakes Entomologist

[Excerpt] Soil cultivation practices and agricultural utilization affect soil animal populations in various ways. Gisin (1955) and Schalk (1968) concluded that the effect was minimal. Others observed a deleterious effect (Karg, 1956; Sheals, 1956; Strebel, 1957; Aleinikova and Utrobina, 1975; Edwards and Lofty, 1975). However, some soil animals appear to be benefited (Aleinikova and Utrobina, 1975; Edwards and Lofty, 1975). The effects of cultivation and many other factors have been discussed thoroughly in reviews by Christiansen (1964), Burges and Raw (1967), Butcher, et al. (1971), Ghilarov (1975), and Wallwork (1976).

Invertebrate Predators Of Michigan Lepidoptera, M. C. Nielson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

[Excerpt]

For many years this author has been actively collecting Michigan Lepidoptera and generally observing insects in the field. Almost every season some predation of Lepidoptera by insects and their allies is seen. Unfortunately, many early observations went unrecorded in my field notebooks, but since the late 1950's I have made notations of these interesting encounters.

Preferred Plants And Nectar Collecting Times For Honey Production, David Macfawn, Jennifer M.K. O'Keefe, Sophie Warny, Carol Wymer, June Rampy Ponder

Clemson Extension Publishing

This book addresses three important questions for South Carolina beekeepers – which plants are bees in South Carolina using for nectar forage, when bees collect nectar from those plants, and how can understanding nectar foraging habits inform beekeepers as they work to gather specific types of premium honey? In 2021, the South Carolina Beekeeper’s Association, led by David MacFawn, designed and implemented a statewide pollen study, the first in any state in over fifty years, to answer these questions. Informed by data gathered from 19 apiaries across the state, this book contains the results of that study, including large-scale melissopalynological …

The Distribution Of The Pentatomoidea In The Northeastern Quarter Of The United States (Hemiptera), J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The distributions of the pentatomoids occurring in the northeastern quarter of the United States as listed by Van Duzee in 1917 are updated.

Diversity And Activity Of Ground-Dwelling Spiders (Araneae) In Four Sub-Communities In A Degraded Oak Woodland At The Chicago Botanic Garden, Cook County, Illinois, James F. Steffen, Michael L. Draney

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ground-dwelling spiders were sampled using pitfall traps over a twelve-month period from four sub-communities within a 40-ha oak woodland complex in northern Cook County, Illinois. Mesic and dry mesic oak woodland, mesic upland forest, buckthorn dominated mesic oak savanna and a mesic woodland control, where no restoration management is planned, were sampled. Fifty-five species within 44 genera and 18 families were trapped. The results suggest negative correlations between non-native spider abundance and spider species richness. Also, phenology of the various species indicates that a year-round inventory is necessary to adequately sample ground-dwelling spider assemblages. Possibilities of using Bathyphantes concolor (Wider) …

Simulation Of The Effects Of Stand Factors On Spruce Budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), W. P. Kemp, J. P. Nyrop, G. A. Simmons

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A model was developed to simulate the life history of instar-I through instar-I1 spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens). Particular emphasis was given to the redistribution phases during spring and fall and the factors affecting budworm survival. Analyses included the effects of aggregated stand types, temperature, cloud cover, open areas, and the species distribution, on redistribution mortality. Of those stand factors examined, open area and non-host percentages were the most important in regulating redistribution survival.

A Checklist Of Illinois Centipedes (Chilopoda), Gerald Summers, J. A. Beatty, Nanette Magnuson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Records for 45 centipede species occurring in Illinois are given with a brief discussion of general habitat features and the effects of certain environmental factors on specific distribution patterns. The chilopod fauna of Illinois includes species from southeastern, western, and northern physiographic regions and represents a richer mixture of chilopod species than is found in any adjacent state.

Instar Head Widths, Individual Biomass, And Development Rate Of Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma Disstria (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), At Two Densities In The Laboratory, Jocelyn M. Muggli, William E. Miller

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Two colonies of forest tent caterpillar were reared at different densities on trembling aspen foliage in an environment chamber programmed for natural temperatures. Based on direct observation of molting, both colonies underwent five instars which overlapped negligibly in head width. Instar head widths were relatively stable between colonies, but individual biomass was sensitive to the different densities. Instars 3-5 in the less dense colony were heavier than those of the more dense by factors of 1.3-1.9. Development to 10-20% of larvae spinning cocoons took 40 days in the less dense colony and 45 days in the more dense. Size of …

Maggot Mass Effect On The Development And Survival Of Forensic Blow Flies, Akomavo Fabrice Gbenonsi

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Forensic entomology scientists use blow flies' developing patterns to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI). However, larval aggregations produce metabolic heat, resulting in complex microclimates that may change growth timetables. This study investigates how larval density and associated temperature changes affect the development and survival of two forensically essential blow fly species, Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina.

This study examined how larval density and associated thermal profiles affect the development of both blow fly species. Using a split-plot design, we tested four larval densities at 25°C and 30°C, with temperature gradients measured via thermocouple at four mass positions three times …

Contribution To The Knowledge Of Cave-Dwelling Fauna From The Prokletije Mountains, Joanna Kocot-Zalewska, Iwona Słowińska, Paweł Domagała, Jakub Bienias, Dominik Szymański, Dawid Szymański, Hubert Szymański, Paweł Sienkiewicz, Andrzej Józef Woźnica

International Journal of Speleology

The article presents the results of the study on invertebrate fauna inhabiting caves in the Prokletije Mountains. This mountain range is located on the border of Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo. During the expeditions to Albania in 2021 and to Montenegro in 2022–2023, 17 caves and one bauxite mine were visited altogether. All the studied caves are located very high, above 1,700 m a.s.l., where the temperature inside is low, and several are filled with ice or snow. During the Albanian expedition 102 arthropods have been collected altogether. Among these were 19 beetles (Coleoptera), 44 flies (Diptera), three crickets (Orthoptera), five …

Fire And Mammal Herbivory On Arthropods In The Protected Savannas: A Systematic Review, Ludzula Mukwevho, Mduduzi Ndlovu, Frank Chidawanyika

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Protected areas in the savannas are key global reserves for biological diversity, including arthropods. Fire and mammal herbivory disrupts the diversity of biological organisms that alternately affects the functioning of the ecosystem. The study presents a global synthesis review of arthropod responses to varying intensities of fires and mammal herbivory in the protected savannas. We hypothesise that the intensity of predetermined fires and mammal herbivory has cascading impacts on abundance, species richness and diversity of terrestrial arthropods in the protected savannas. A minimum selection criteria was used to collate relevant literature from electronic databases of previous studies performed in the …

Impacts Of Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus Frontalis Zimmerman) On Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.) Canopy And Water Use In The Homochitto National Forest, Mississippi, Usa, Sasha Goodnow, Yun Yang, Hui Liu, Ashley Schulz

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Abiotic and biotic forest disturbances can have many impacts to forest ecosystem services, including to forest water use. Studies on impacts to forest evapotranspiration have been conducted on the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in western North America, but not on the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), which is a native pest of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), in the southeastern United States. Stressed pine trees produce pheromones that attract southern pine beetles and, with enough stressed trees, beetle populations can quickly grow to epidemic levels and attack healthy trees, which results in widespread tree mortality. …

Lateral Dispersal Of Adult Trichoptera: Flight Distance And Traveling Pattern, Peilin Tan

All Theses

Trichoptera species (caddisfly) are usually used as bio-indictors for surface water quality due to their sensitivity to environmental changes, and if assessing water quality with light-trapped adults, knowing their travelling patterns will improve the accuracy of such assessments. To investigate how far a caddisfly will migrate from their emerging stream, three streams in South Carolina with different widths (Wildcat Creek 1.2 m, Brasstown Creek 11.2 m and Chattooga River 26.95 m) were selected for this study with light traps placed at three distances (0 m, 50 m, 100 m) from the streams. How long and when? Both species richness and …

A Five-Year Study Of The Ground-Dwelling Beetles (Coleoptera) From A Grassland And An Adjacent Woods In Southern Québec (Canada), Claire Levesque, Gilles-Yvon Levesque

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We present results of the first long-term study on spatiotemporal variations in the composition and structure of ground-dwelling beetle assemblages from a grassland and adjacent woods in eastern Canada. It is the third part of an investigation on the beetle biodiversity using diverse methods between 2006 and 2012. During the entire snow-free season (April/May to October) in 2006–2010, we collected by pitfall trapping 67694 individuals representing 386 Coleoptera species and morphospecies belonging to 35 families in southern Québec. Adventive species represented at least 51.9% of individuals. Carabidae and Staphylinidae were the most abundant families and had the highest species richness …

Changes In Ground Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Species Assemblages After Removal Of Red Pine (Pinus Resinosa) Overstory On Dry Sand Prairie Sites In Michigan, Robert A. Haack, Toby Petrice, Robert L. Davidson, Robert E. Acciavatti

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) species assemblages were studied at sites on the Huron-Manistee National Forests in Newaygo County, Michigan. The goal was to monitor changes in carabid diversity on areas where mature red pine (Pinus resinosa Sol. ex Aiton) was removed during the 1996-1997 winter and compare with carabid diversity at nearby natural dry sand prairie sites, natural oak-pine barrens, and uncut red pine stands. The red pine had been planted on dry sand prairie sites during 1940-1950. Sampling with pitfall traps occurred during May-August in both 1996 and 1997, but only July-August in 1999. Overall, 16,259 carabid specimens …

A New Genus Of Horn-Like Tetrigids (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tetrigidae) From South America, Daniela Santos Martins Silva, Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira

Insecta Mundi

A new pygmy unicorn genus, Brazitettix Silva, new genus, and two new species, Brazitettix roraimae Silva, new species and Brazitettix paulista Silva, new species (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tetrigidae) are described in Brazil. This new genus is a unique tetrigid taxon in the American continent due a notched-long and elevated head projection. The morphology of this taxon resembles Rostella Hancock, 1913 and Dravidacris Bhaskar and Kasalo, 2022 that are currently comprised into Cleostratini, an artificial group that contains biogeographic distant taxa with distinct morphological head projection.

Resumen

Un nuevo género de tetrígidos, Brazitettix Silva, nuevo género, y dos nuevas especies, …

Long Time No See: New Reports Of Legua Rosea Amédégnato And Poulain, 1986 (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Romaleidae: Romaleinae: Leguini), A Rare Arboreal Grasshopper From Brazil, Daniela Santos Martins Silva, Renan Da Silva Olivier, Larissa Lima De Queiroz, Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira, Jardel Boscardin, Guilherme Rabelo D’Angelis

Insecta Mundi

The genus Legua Walker, 1870 comprises only two known species from Central America and Brazil, with a notable scarcity of collected specimens. Herein, we provide a new contribution to our knowledge of the distribution of Legua rosea Amédégnato and Poulain, 1986 (Romaleinae: Leguini), that has a restricted distribution in Brazil, based on entomological collection data and social media information. Our records emphasize the importance of natural history collections and new tools for biodiversity studies.

ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:17E0802B-A389-4983-AC74-21B51197F557

First Record Of The Invasive Chenopodium Aphid, Hayhurstia Atriplicis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), In Colombia, Takumasa Kondo, Roberto Rosero, Jackeline Gaviria

Insecta Mundi

The chenopodium aphid, Hayhurstia atriplicis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is reported for the first time in Colombia. The aphid was found on the aerial parts of the quinoa plant, Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (Amaranthaceae), especially on the leaves, in five municipalities in the department of Cauca, Colombia. Brief information on its natural enemies, distribution and biology is provided. This is the only aphid in Colombia known to cause malformations on the leaves of quinoa plants. In South America, this aphid has been found previously only in Ecuador, where it was reported for the first time in 2023 based on specimens collected …

Phylogenomics Of Tetraopes Longhorn Beetles Unravels Their Evolutionary History And Biogeographic Origins, Nayeli Gutiérrez‑Trejo, Matthew H. Van Dam, Athena W. Lam, Gonzalo Martínez‑Herrera, Felipe A. Noguera, Thomas J. Weissling, Jessica L. Ware, Víctor H. Toledo‑Hernández, Frederick W. Skillman Jr., Brian D. Farrell, Oscar Pérez‑Flores, Lorenzo Prendini, James M. Carpenter

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Tetraopes longhorn beetles are known for their resistance to milkweed plant toxins and their coevolutionary dynamics with milkweed plants (Asclepias). This association is considered a textbook example of coevolution, in which each species of Tetraopes is specialized to feed on one or a few species of Asclepias. A major challenge to investigating coevolutionary hypotheses and conducting molecular ecology studies lies in the limited understanding of the evolutionary history and biogeographical patterns of Tetraopes. By integrating genomic, morphological, paleontological, and geographical data, we present a robust phylogeny of Tetraopes and their relatives, using three inference methods with …