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Ecology And Phylogeny Of The Biting-Midge Genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Dustin Swanson

All Dissertations

Flies of the genus Culicoides are small, biting midges in the family Ceratopogonidae. These flies are of medical, veterinary, and economic importance because their blood-feeding behavior can cause stress to hosts and transmit disease agents. Despite the importance of these flies, little is known about their biology, especially the ecology of the immature stages and the phylogenetic relationships among taxa. The objectives of my study were to address these two areas of Culicoides biology.
Larval Culicoides were collected from aquatic habitats in four ecoregions of South Carolina, USA. Eleven ecological variables were recorded for each sample. Larvae were identified by …

Transmission Of Triticum Mosaic Virus And Its Impact On The Biology Of The Wheat Curl Mite Aceria Tosichella Keifer (Eriophyidae), And An Evaluation Of Management Tactics For The Wheat Curl Mite And The Wheat–Mite–Virus Complex, Anthony J. Mcmechan

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The wheat-mite-virus complex is an important production constraint to winter wheat production in the Great Plains, and consists of three viruses; wheat streak mosaic (WSMV), wheat mosaic (WMoV) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV). Synergistic interactions between these viruses have resulted in increased rates of replication and transmission of viruses, thus increasing the potential impact on wheat yields. The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer is the only known vector of the viruses within the wheat-mite-virus complex.

Currently, three colonies of WCM have been characterized by differential responses to mite resistant genes (biotypes) in wheat and differential transmission of WMoV. …

Parochlus Kiefferi (Garrett, 1925) In Nebraska (Diptera: Chironomidae), Barbara Hayford

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

A rare species of nonbiting aquatic midge, Parochlus kiefferi (Garrett, 1925), was discovered in Squaw Creek in the Pine Ridge of northwest Nebraska. Parochlus is a genus of midge found throughout the Southern Hemisphere and is only represented by this one species in the Northern Hemisphere. The typical North American species distribution of P. kiefferi includes high alpine and northern latitude streams, so the collection of P. kiefferi from a low elevation and low-latitude stream in Nebraska represents a range extension for the species. A survey for P. kiefferi from 83 samples from 53 stream sites in northern Nebraska yielded …

Ecology Of Tenodera Sinensis And Tenodera Angustipennis (Mantodea: Mantidae) In Eastern Virginia, Cory A. Gall

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

My study, conducted on the Wildlife Refuge located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, focused on the life history, ecology, and intra- and interspecies interaction of Tenodera sinensis and T. angustipennis. Field methods included capture-mark-recapture, species, sex, and developmental life stage identification, and recorded key developmental milestones. Also, to analyze food-limiting growth, a laboratory cohort was fed ad lib, with lab and field cohorts measured bi-weekly and their mean weekly growth was compared.

When compared to a lab cohort, Tsinensis field mantises were shown not to be growth limited by the abundance of prey. In 2011, the dates of several developmental stages …

The Milliped Genus Euryurus Koch, 1847 (Polydesmida: Euryuridae) West Of The Mississippi River; Occurrence Of E. Leachii (Gray, 1832) On Crowley’S Ridge, Arkansas, Rowland M. Shelley, Chris T. Mcallister, Henry W. Robison

Insecta Mundi

The milliped genus Euryurus Koch, 1847, and the species, E. leachii (Gray, 1832) (Polydesmida: Euryuridae), are recorded from three sites on the northern part of Crowley’s Ridge (Cross, Lee, and Poinsett counties), Arkansas, where the only prior familial records are of Auturus evides (Bollman, 1887). Coupled with the published locality of E. leachii in Phillips Co., at the southern extremity of the Ridge, the only known occurrences of both the genus and species in Arkansas and west of the Mississippi River are in this physiographic feature. The Arkansas population is geographically peripheral but anatomically intermediate between the two recognized subspecies, …

New Geographic Distribution Records For Centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha) In Arkansas, Including The First From Crowley's Ridge And The Grand Prairie, C. T. Mcallister, H. W. Robison, L. C. Thompson, M. B. Connior

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Oil-Mediated Mortality And Induced Behavioral Modifications Of Coastal Insects, Benjamin Jacob Adams

LSU Master's Theses

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill affected over one thousand kilometers of the southeastern United States’ coast in the Gulf of Mexico especially Louisiana’s salt marshes. These marshes are a vital part of the state’s economy and coastal ecology; however, the insects residing in this area remain largely unstudied. The goal of my project was to answer specific questions arising from two ongoing investigations of the insects in the oiled marshes. I sampled insects using sweep nets and insect vacuums to determine the most efficient technique to use in the marsh, compared insects collected in oiled and non-oiled marshes, and completed …

Nepetalactones From Essential Oil Of Nepeta Cataria Represent A Stable Fly Feeding And Oviposition Repellent, J. J. Zhu, Dennis R. Berkebile, C. E. Dunlap, A. Zhang, D. Boxler, K. Tangtrakulwanich, R. Behle, Frederick P. Baxendale, Gary J. Brewer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), is one of the most serious pests to livestock. It feeds mainly on cattle and causes significant economic losses in the cattle industry. Standard stable fly control involving insecticides and sanitation is usually costly and often has limited effectiveness. As we continue to evaluate and develop safer fly control strategies, the present study reports on the effectiveness of catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) oil and its constituent compounds, nepetalactones, as stable fly repellents. The essential oil of catnip reduced the feeding of stable flies by >96% in an in vitro bioassay system, …

Management In A Neotropical Show Cave: Planning For Invertebrates Conservation, Thais Giovannini Pellegrini, Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira

International Journal of Speleology

Lapa Nova is a dolomitic cave about 4.5 km long located in northwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The cave experiences intense tourism, concentrated over a single period of the year, during the Feast of Our Lady of Lapa. In order to evaluate the impacts felt by the invertebrate community from this tourism, a new methodology was proposed. Four types of areas (intense visitation area, outlying visitation areas, moderate visitation areas and no-visitation areas) were sampled for invertebrates. There was one sampling prior and another on the last day of the 128^th feast, to evaluate the effects of visitation on …

Externally-Expressed Fluorescence Across Sexes, Life Stages, And Species Of Spiders, Erin Brandt

Dissertations and Theses

Although all spiders possess fluorophores in their hemolymph, the expression of external fluorescence is much more restricted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in externally-expressed fluorescence between sexes, life stages, and species of spiders. To approach this question, we developed novel instrumentation to capture fluorescence with photographs of our specimens. We paired these fluorescence measurements with spectrometer measurements to attempt to determine the role that fluorescence plays in the overall coloration in spiders. The study was divided into four sections. First, we examined how fluorescence varies in sexes and life stages in Misumena vatia, an ambush predator …

Distribution Of The American Milliped Genus Boraria Chamberlin, 1943: Introductions Of B. Stricta (Brölemann, 1896) In New York And B. Infesta (Chamberlin, 1918) In Connecticut; Indigenous Occurrence Of B. Profuga (Causey, 1955) In Louisiana (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)., Rowland M. Shelley, Chris T. Mcallister, Christopher M. Nagy, Mark E. Weckel, Roderick G. Christie, Paul Wilson, Allan Wilson

Insecta Mundi

The southern Appalachian millipeds Boraria stricta (Brölemann, 1896) and B. infesta (Chamberlin, 1918) (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae) have become established in Westchester Co., New York, and Hartford Co., Connecticut, respectively. Only three individuals are available for the latter, but B. stricta has established a reproducing population in southern New York state. This species is also recorded from Bland Co., Virginia, in the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province. Boraria profuga (Causey, 1955) comprises two allopatric populations, one in Montgomery Co., Arkansas, and the other in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. Distributional records and gonopod drawings are presented for these species plus B. deturkiana (Causey, …

Frequency Of Extended Diapause In Nebraska Populations Of Diabrotica Barberi Smith And Lawrence, Ryan W. Geisert

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study was conducted to measure the frequency of extended diapause in populations of the northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith and Lawrence from eastern Nebraska. Adult D. barberi collections were made during late summer 2008 and 2009 from eight sites each year (seven sites were consistent over years). Eggs were obtained from 12-20 females per site and were held on moist soil under appropriate temperature profiles to facilitate egg survival, diapause development, and diapause termination within and among years. Percentage egg hatch was recorded after the first and second year for the 2008 collection and after the first year …

A Longitudinal Study On Anopheles Mosquito Larval Abundance In Distinct Geographical And Environmental Settings In Western Kenya, Susan S. Imbahale, Krijn P. Paaijmans, Wolfgang R. Mukabana, Ron Van Lammeren, Andrew K. Githeko, Willem Takken

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: As the ecology of mosquito larvae can be complex there is need to develop a rational framework for undertaking larval ecological studies. Local environmental characteristics, such as altitude, climate and land use, can significantly impact on phenology and population dynamics of mosquito larvae, and indirectly affect the dynamics of mosquito-borne diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of implementing an integrated approach to larval source management under the distinct ecological settings. Methods. The study was conducted in two highland villages and one village, at a lower altitude, in the Lake Victoria basin, where malaria is …

Review Of Acanthocephala (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae) Of America North Of Mexico With A Key To Species, J. E. Mcpherson, Richard J. Packauskas Ph.D., Robert W. Sites, Steven J. Taylor, C. Scott Bundy, Jeffrey D. Bradshaw, Paula Levin Mitchell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A review of Acanthocephala of America north of Mexico is presented with an updated key to species. A. confraterna is considered a junior synonym of A. terminalis, thus reducing the number of known species in this region from five to four. New state and country records are presented.

Ixodes Affinis (Acari: Ixodidae) In Southeastern Virginia And Implications For The Spread Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, The Agent Of Lyme Disease, Robyn M. Nadolny, Chelsea L. Wright, Wayne L. Hynes, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Holly Gaff

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Ixodes affinis Neumann is a hard-bodied (ixodid) tick known to be a competent vector for Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, and agents of other human diseases (Keirans et al. 1999). Ixodes affinis has been reported in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and throughout coastal North Carolina (Clark et al. 1998, Harrison et al. 2010). Harrison et al. (2010) indicated that I. affinis was established throughout the coastal plain of North Carolina up to the Virginia border and suggested that I. affinis might occur in Virginia.

A Taxonomic Revision Of The New World Hypoponera Santschi, 1938 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Shawn Thomas Dash

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The New World taxa of the pantropic ant genus Hypoponera (Ponerinae: Ponerini) is revised for the first time. The 55 previously recognized taxa have been evaluated using morphological and, when possible, ecological and biogeographical data to resolve taxon validity and species limits. Currently I recognize 42 species of Hypoponera , a number of which are new. I propose the following taxonomic outline: Hypoponera agilis (Borgmeier), Hypoponera aliena (F. Smith), Hypoponera antoniensis (Forel) stat. nov., Hypoponera apateae sp. nov., Hypoponera capilosa sp. nov., Hypoponera clinei sp. nov., Hypoponera clavatula (Emery) [= fiebrigi (Forel) syn. nov., = neglecta (Santschi) syn. nov.], Hypoponera …

Phylogeographic Structure Of Teretrius Nigrescens (Coleoptera: Histeridae) Predator Of The Invasive Post Harvest Pest Prostephanus Truncatus (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)., B. A. Omondi, J. Van Den Berg, D. Masiga, F. Schulthess

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The invasive larger grain borer Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) is the most important pest of farm-stored maize in Africa. It was introduced into the continent from Mesoamerica in the late 1970s and by 2008 had spread to at least 18 countries. Classical biological control using two populations of the predator Teretrius nigrescens Lewis achieved long-term and cost effective control in warm-humid areas, but not in cool and hot-dry zones. The present study investigated the phylogenetic relationships between geographical populations of the predator. Ten populations of T. nigrescens were studied using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR), sequence analysis of …

Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals Detrital Resource Base Sources Of The Tree Hole Mosquito, Aedes Triseriatus, Michael G. Kaufman, Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski, Donald A. Yee, Steven A. Juliano, Peggy H. Ostrom, Edward D. Walker

Faculty Publications

1. Detritus that forms the basis for mosquito production in tree hole ecosystems can vary in type and timing of input. We investigated the contributions of plant‐ and animal‐derived detritus to the biomass of Aedes triseriatus (Say) pupae and adults by using stable isotope (¹⁵N and ¹³C) techniques in laboratory experiments and field collections.
2. Laboratory‐reared mosquito isotope values reflected their detrital resource base, providing a clear distinction between mosquitoes reared on plant or animal detritus.
3. Isotope values from field‐collected pupae were intermediate between what would be expected if a single (either plant or animal) detrital source dominated the …

Diversity And Distribution Of The Scarab Beetle Tribe Phanaeini In The Northern States Of The Brazilian Northeast (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), Conrad P. D. T. Gillett, Michael P. T. Gillett, James E. D. T. Gillett, Fernando Z. Vaz-De-Mello

Insecta Mundi

The fauna of Phanaeini of the northeast of Brazil was investigated through fieldwork in the States of Ceará, Maranhão and Piauí, and through study of preserved material from other states. Seven species of Phanaeini are newly recorded from these three states. Of these, two species are also new records for the northeast region: Phanaeus melibaeus Blanchard and an unidentified Dendropaemon Perty species. A total of 13 new state records are given for eight of the 15 species of Phanaeini recorded from the northeast to date, including three new state genus records. A key is provided for identification of all species. …

Program And Abstracts Of The 56th Annual Conference Of The Mississippi Entomological Association, October 27–28, 2009, Mississippi Entomological Association

Midsouth Entomologist

No abstract provided.

Illustrated Beetles Of Quail Ridge Reserve, Ann Donohue

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Introduction

The Quail Ridge Reserve is part of the University of California Natural Reserve System and is located in Napa County on a peninsula at the southern end of Lake Berryessa. The reserve is composed of land owned by the US Bureau of Land Management, US Bureau of Reclamation, Quail Ridge Wilderness Conservation, California Department of Fish and Game, and UC Regents. The University NRS continues to expand on the reserve as private property owners become willing to sell parcels, thereby increasing the size of this amazing protected wildlife and ecological study site.

Vegetation on Quail Ridge consists primarily of …

Natural History Of Belonuchus Nordmann Spp. And Allies (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) In Heliconia L. (Zingiberales: Heliconiaceae) Flower Bracts, J. H. Frank, R. Barrera

Insecta Mundi

Adults, and in some species larvae, of several members of Belonuchus Nordmann (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) and a few related genera seem to be to various degrees consistently associated with flower bracts of the genus Heliconia (Zingiberales: Heliconiaceae). They are predators and eat various dipterous and lepidopterous larvae in that habitat. Adults of at least Belonuchus cephalotes (Sharp) and Odontolinus fasciatus Sharp are able to immerse completely in water to capture larvae and/or pupae of mosquitoes (Culicidae).

Adults and larvae of Belonuchus satyrus Erichson, and adults of B. cacao Blackwelder and B. rufipennis (F.) were found in water-filled flower bracts of …

Diversity Of Interactions: A Metric For Studies Of Biodiversity, Lee A. Dyer, Thomas R. Walla, Harold F. Greeney, John O. Stireman Iii, Rebecca F. Hazen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Multitrophic interactions play key roles in the origin and maintenance of species diversity, and the study of these interactions has contributed to important theoretical advances in ecology and evolutionary biology. Nevertheless, most biodiversity inventories focus on static species lists, and prominent theories of diversity still ignore trophic interactions. The lack of a simple interaction metric that is analogous to species richness is one reason why diversity of interactions is not examined as a response or predictor variable in diversity studies. Using plant-herbivore-enemy trophic chains as an example, we develop a simple metric of diversity in which richness, diversity indices (e.g., …

Efficacies Of Habitat Management Techniques In Managing Maize Stem Borers In Ethiopia, Difabachew K. Belay, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Habitat management techniques to control maize stem borers were tested in eastern (Melkassa and Mieso) and western (Sibu-Sire) Ethiopia. These techniques consisted of using mixed cropping of maize with haricot beans at different maize:bean ratios and a ‘‘push–pull’’ (PP) strategy utilizing Napier grass as a trap plant around maize plots as the ‘‘pull’’ and Desmodium in between maize rows as a deterrent or ‘‘push’’. In Melkassa, pest infestations were too low for the cropping system to significantly affect pests, plant damage and yields while in Mieso, where the pest densities were high, intercropping of maize with beans at ratios of …

Male Remating Success And The Frequency Of Copulatory Plugs In The Green Lynx Spider Peucetia Viridans (Araneae, Oxyopidae), Martina G. Ramirez, Angelik C. Achekian, Catherine R. Coverley, Rachel M. Pierce, Sarah S. Eiman, Melissa M. Wetkowski

Biology Faculty Works

Peucetia viridans males were allowed to mate with three virgin females and most matings resulted in live spiderlings, even when males lacked palpal paracymbial processes. Among females, the presence of copulatory plugs was inconsistent, and when present, their condition was not uniform; broken-off male paracymbia were often found in epigynal orifices. There was no size effect in a male’s ability to completely plug a female’s genital orifices, as well as no significant change in the pattern of plug production over consecutive mating trials. Among mated, field-collected females, the presence of plugs and paracymbia was variable, with females from some sites …

The Transition Zone: Impact Of Riverbanks On Emergent Dragonfly Nymphs. Implications For Riverbank Restoration And Management, Kirsten Hope Martin

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The use of riprap in the restoration and stabilization of riverine landscapes is an issue of concern for many ecologists. While current methods of bank stabilization, especially those involving the placement of rocks (riprap) along the waterline, are effective in controlling erosion their presence changes habitat components (slope, substrate composition, near-shore river velocity) at the river-land interface. The additional impacts of river current, water temperature, soil composition, slope, and water level fluctuation, may further imperil emerging nymphs. The purpose of this research is to document the effects of riprap, location (upriver or downriver of hydroelectric intake/outtake facilities), water level fluctuation, …

Contributions To The Faunistics Of Odonata In Thailand, Michael L. Ferro, Robert W. Sites, Akekawat Vitheepradit

Insecta Mundi

Distribution and habitat information are provided for 1578 adult specimens of Odonata representing 127 species in 70 genera and 16 families that were collected from 143 locations throughout Thailand. Of the species collected, 25 (20%) were represented by a single specimen, and 40 (31%) were collected from a single location. Collections were made at 49 lentic and 85 lotic sites, and an average of 6.9 and 6.6 species were collected at each site in each habitat, respectively.

Species Composition, Seasonal Activity, And Aggregations Of Dung Beetles On Cattle Pastures In Arkansas, Justin George Fiene

Student Theses and Dissertations

The species composition, seasonal activities, and aggregations of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) were monitored from April 2007 to September 2008 using ten dung-baited pitfall traps operated weekly at a site in northeastern Arkansas. Collections comprised 236,880 beetles, representing 22 species including Colobopterus erraticus L. and Onthophagus taurus Schreber, which are new state records. Labarrus pseudolividus Balthasar comprised 97.7 % of the total trap catch, with the majority being collected in June, July and August 2007 which involved two separate mass occurrences during that time. Colonizing dung beetles expressed strong intraspecific aggregation, while interspecific aggregation, though present, were typically of …

The Ants Of South Carolina, Timothy Davis

All Dissertations

The ants of South Carolina were surveyed in the literature, museum, and field collections using pitfall traps. M. R. Smith was the last to survey ants in South Carolina on a statewide basis and published his list in 1934. VanPelt and Gentry conducted a survey of ants at the Savanna River Plant in the 1970's. This is the first update on the ants of South Carolina since that time.
A preliminary list of ants known to occur in South Carolina has been compiled. Ants were recently sampled on a statewide basis using pitfall traps. Two hundred and forty-three (243) transects …

Review Of The Natural History Of The Handsome Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Endomychidae), F. W. Shockley, K. W. Tomaszewska, J. V. Mchugh

Insecta Mundi

The literature pertaining to natural history of Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) is reviewed. One hundred fungal host records are provided for 32 endomychid species. Twenty-three records of endomychid yeast endosymbionts are compiled. Summaries are also presented for feeding preferences, interactions with natural enemies, non-lethal symbiotic relationships, and pest activity within the family. Unusual endomychid behaviors and habitats are reviewed, with particular attention to gregariousness and defensive strategies within Endomychidae.