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Occurrence Of Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) On Birds In Northwestern Lower Michigan, 2011-2019, William C. Scharf, Lisa Aukland, Gary W. Shugart, Sarah A. Hamer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Abstract

Monitoring tick infestation of wildlife provides baseline tick

occurrence data that may have human or animal health implications. We collected 312 ticks of four species from 5,122 birds of 93 species while monitoring bird migration during 15 fall and spring seasons between 2011 and 2019 in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Twenty-seven of 93 bird species hosted ticks with an overall prevalence (=at least one tick) of 3.6% (185/5,122). Median burden was one tick/per infested bird with a range of 1-16 ticks per infested bird. Tick species collected were primarily Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (Packard) and Ixodes scapularis Say, with …

Temporal And Spatial Blood Feeding Patterns Of Urban Mosquitoes In The San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico, Matthew W. Hopken, Limarie J. Reyes-Torres, Nicole Scavo, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Zaid Abdo, Daniel Taylor, James Pierce, Donald A. Yee

Faculty Publications

Urban ecosystems are a patchwork of habitats that host a broad diversity of animal species. Insects comprise a large portion of urban biodiversity which includes many pest species, including those that transmit pathogens. Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) inhabit urban environments and rely on sympatric vertebrate species to complete their life cycles, and in this process transmit pathogens to animals and humans. Given that mosquitoes feed upon vertebrates, they can also act as efficient samplers that facilitate detection of vertebrate species that utilize urban ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed DNA extracted from mosquito blood meals collected temporally in multiple neighborhoods of …

Comparison Of Native And Non-Native Predator Consumption Rates And Prey Avoidance Behavior In North America And Europe, Ayse Gül Ünlü, John J. Obrycki, Roman Bucher

Entomology Faculty Publications

Novel predator–prey interactions can contribute to the invasion success of non-native predators. For example, native prey can fail to recognize and avoid non-native predators due to a lack of co-evolutionary history and cue dissimilarity with native predators. This might result in a competitive advantage for non-native predators. Numerous lady beetle species were globally redistributed as biological control agents against aphids, resulting in novel predator–prey interactions. Here, we investigated the strength of avoidance behavior of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) toward chemical cues of native lady beetles and non-native Asian Harmonia axyridis and European Coccinella septempunctata and Hippodamia variegata …

Reinstatement Of Andrena Vernalis Mitchell (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) From Synonymy With A. Ziziae Robertson, Zachary M. Portman, Ian G. Lane, Gabriella L. Pardee, Daniel P. Cariveau

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Andrena (Micrandrena) ziziae Robertson, 1891 (Andrenidae) is a well-known species found in a variety of habitats in the eastern and central United States and adjacent southern Canada. Andrena (Micrandrena) vernalis Mitchell, 1960 was described from five female specimens in the eastern United States and was synonymized with A. ziziae by Ribble in 1968. Recently collected specimens from throughout Minnesota have revealed that A. ziziae sensu Ribble is actually two species, one of which matches A. vernalis. Here, we reinstate A. vernalis as a valid species and describe the previously unknown male. We provide diagnostic characters …

Host-Use Patterns Of Canopy-Inhabiting Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) In A Lowland Rainforest In Southern Venezuela, Susan Kirmse, Paul J. Johnson

Insecta Mundi

The arboreal click beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in a lowland tropical rainforest in south­ern Venezuela was observed and collected by means of a tower crane for a full year. The evaluation of the elaterid assemblage is part of a general survey of Coleoptera associated with several canopy trees. The Elat­eridae represented the tenth most species-rich beetle family in the canopy of the crane plot and was therefore selected for a detailed analysis of host-use patterns. In total, 20 species of Elateridae with 402 adult indi­viduals were sampled, including seven singletons. Species were either flower visiting (Aeolus Eschscholtz and Cosmesus …

Ecology Of The Roseau Cane Scale (Nipponaclerda Biwakoensis, Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) In Coastal Louisiana, Leslie Alejandra Aviles Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

Common reed, Phragmites australis, is the dominant plant in the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), Louisiana. Phragmites australis stands reduce soil erosion from wave action, protect the oil infrastructure, and freshwater habitats. In the fall of 2016, widespread reed die-backs in the MRD were associated with outbreaks of an invasive scale Nipponaclerda biwakoensis (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae). Due to the recent detection of the scale, there was limited knowledge of its ecology in the adventive range, and its impacts on P. australis lineages. Therefore, the objectives of my thesis were to determine (1) the host specificity of the N. biwakoensis in important economic …

A Deeper Meaning For Shallow-Level Phylogenomic Studies: Nested Anchored Hybrid Enrichment Offers Great Promise For Resolving The Tiger Moth Tree Of Life (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Nicolas J. Dowdy, Shannon Keating, Alan R. Lemmon, Emily M. Lemmon, William E. Conner, Clare H. Scott Chialvo, Susan Weller, Rebecca B. Simmons, Melissa S. Sisson, Jennifer M. Zaspel

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering the evolutionary relationships within many taxonomic groups. AHE probe sets have been developed for a variety of insect groups, though none have yet been shown to be capable of simultaneously resolving deep and very shallow (e.g., intraspecific) divergences. In this study, we present NOC1, a new AHE probe set (730 loci) for Lepidoptera specialized for tiger moths and assess its ability to deliver phylogenetic utility at all taxonomic levels. We test the NOC1 probe set with 142 individuals from 116 species sampled from all the major lineages of …

Impacts Of Commercial Biopesticides On Crapemyrtle Bark Scale (Acanthococcus Lagerstroemiae) And Beneficial Insects, Giovana Matos Franco

LSU Master's Theses

The crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), is an important pest of crapemyrtles, Lagerstromia spp. (Myrtales: Lythraceae) since its damage results in an unpleasant aesthetic. Current CMBS management methods depend heavily on pesticides which impact on beneficial insects. Biopesticides show potential for pest control, host specificity, and low impact towards non-target organisms. The objectives of my thesis were to determine (1) if biopesticides are effective against CMBS infestations when applied in different seasons, and (2) their effects towards coccinellids known to attack CMBS.

To test the efficacy of selected biopesticides, treatments were delivered to potted plants or …

Ecological And Economic Benefits And Risks Of Using Botanical Insecticides In Tanzanian Farms, Lilia Garcia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Insect damage is a major concern for smallholder farmers in developing countries like Tanzania. Synthetic insecticides can tame infestations, however they can be expensive, inaccessible, and their misuse can threaten farmer health and ecological conditions. Botanical insecticides are cheap alternatives to treat infestations while preserving beneficial insects such as pollinators, predators, and parasitoids. This study assesses how both synthetic and botanical insecticides affect beneficial insects, crop yield and profit/costs. This study finds botanical insecticides slightly less harmful towards non-target insects. Botanical insecticides seldomly improve crop yields but usually result in a higher profit/lower cost. Due to high variation in ecological …

Insect Diversity And Association With Plants: A Case Study In Rural Areas Of Dhirkot, Azad Kashmir Pakistan, Abu Ul Hassan Faiz, Mehboob Ul Hassan, Mikhail F. Bagaturov, Majid Mahmood, Ghazal Tariq, Lariab Zahra Faiz

Journal of Bioresource Management

Insects play a vital role for proper functioning of forest ecosystem, including positive roles as pollinators, seed dispersers, genetic linkers and detrimental effects by feeding on and/or killing trees. The present study was conducted to find insect association with plants in rural areas of Dhirkot. The study was conducted from March, 2019 to September, 2019. The sampling was carried out by line transect method. Thirty transects were taken for sampling insects. Sixty-five species of insects in association with 150 plants were recorded.

Taxonomy And Systematics Of The New Zealand Pselaphini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Brittany Elin Owens

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The New Zealand (NZ) Pselaphini was revised at the species level, a phylogenetic analysis was performed using morphological data, and first steps were taken towards the construction of a molecular analysis of the tribe. Eight new genera and 33 new species were discovered from specimens collected from the NZ mainland, offshore islands, Chatham Islands and the Subantarctic Islands. Of the 13 species originally described in the genus Pselaphus by Thomas Broun during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, all were either reassigned to the genera Pselaphaulax and Pselaphogenius, or were placed into new genera. Three names …

Surveillance Of Culex And Aedes Mosquitoes In Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, William Noundou

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) was identified as the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. In response to this very serious problem, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Public Health Department (LLCHD) reinforced their mosquito surveillance program, which constitutes one of the best available tools to fight against this serious threat to human health. The objectives of this study were to 1) expand knowledge of the activity and relative abundance of mosquito communities in understudied areas and 2) evaluate differences in mosquito communities by urban and rural location, especially focusing on known vector species. A total of 6 …

Surveillance Of Culex And Aedes Mosquitoes In Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska, William Noundou

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) was identified as the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States. In response to this very serious problem, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Public Health Department (LLCHD) reinforced their mosquito surveillance program, which constitutes one of the best available tools to fight against this serious threat to human health. The objectives of this study were to 1) expand knowledge of the activity and relative abundance of mosquito communities in understudied areas and 2) evaluate differences in mosquito communities by urban and rural location, especially focusing on known vector species. A total of 6 …

Molecular Gut-Content Analysis Of Adult Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Provides No Evidence Of Predation Of Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) In A Nebraska Corn Agroecosystem, Camila Oliveira-Hofman, Vinícius S. Victor, Lance Meinke, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to characterize the ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) community in Nebraska continuous cornfields and investigate the potential for predation of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, a key rootfeeding insect pest that is an annual management challenge in this system. Seven collection dates were conducted at five commercial cornfields in west central Nebraska during the growing season of 2014. In each field, carabids were sampled using five 24-h pitfall traps. Carabid specimens were placed in 95% ethanol in the field and stored at –20 °C to preserve DNA. After identification to the species level, DNA …

More Than Meets The Eye: A Taxonomic Revision Of The Nearctic Species In The Eye-Gnat Genus Amiota Loew (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Lance E. Jones

Dissertations and Theses

Thorough biotic inventories are still needed even in families as seemingly well-studied as fruit flies (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Drosophilidae have had an outsize effect on the history of biology because of their pivotal role in the study of genetics, development, and evolution. Even with more than a century of intensive study, large gaps remain in our understanding of diversity in this fly family, including well-studied areas such as North America. This thesis presents a taxonomic revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Amiota Loew. Twenty-three species are identified as being new to science for publication at a later date. This …

Association Of Landfall Atlantic Tropical Storms And Human Cases Of Locally Acquired West Nile Virus Infection In Florida, Jackson G. Mosley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

West Nile virus (WNv) is the most widely distributed flavivirus and considered a vector-borne pathogen of global significance. During the study period from 2002 to 2018, WNv had the highest incidence of locally acquired human cases when compared to any other mosquito borne illness in Florida with 373 cases documented during the study period. The purpose of the study is to determine if there is an association between Florida landfall tropical storms (LTS) and the incidence of locally acquired human WNv cases from 2002 through 2018. The study used a retrospective ecological study design guided by the epidemiological triad model …

The Effects Of Urbanization On Bee Communities Depends On Floral Resource Availability And Bee Functional Traits., Caleb J Wilson, Mary A Jamieson

Entomology Faculty Publications

Wild bees are important pollinators in many ecosystems threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. Urban development can reduce and degrade natural habitat for bees and other pollinators. However, some researchers suggest that cities could also provide refuge for bees, given that agricultural intensification may pose a greater risk. In this study, we surveyed bee communities at 15 farms and gardens across an urban-rural gradient in southeastern Michigan, USA to evaluate the effect of urbanization on bees. We examined how floral resources, bee functional traits, temperature, farm size, and the spatial scale of analysis influence bee response to urbanization. We found that urbanization …

Drivers Of Ant Composition, Richness, And Trophic Guilds In Neotropical Iron Ore Cavities, Rodrigo A. Castro-Souza, Thais G. Pellegrini, Marconi Souza-Silva, Rodrigo L. Ferreira

International Journal of Speleology

Subterranean habitats may be considered limiting for animal colonization, especially for ants, due to permanent darkness and mainly because of oligotrophic conditions. While not as deep as limestone caves, iron ore caves and other subterranean habitats may be more available for colonization because of their shallower depth. We use the richness and composition of ants to assess how differences in habitat structure affect the biodiversity and ecosystem function between cavities and surrounding epigean landscapes. We predicted that the distribution of ants would be different because of the variation in habitat structure and cavity conditions may act as a filter for …

Geographic Biases In Bee Research Limits Understanding Of Species Distribution And Response To Anthropogenic Disturbance, Mary A. Jamieson, Adrian L. Carper, Caleb J. Wilson, Virginia L. Scott, Jason Gibbs

Entomology Faculty Publications

Habitat loss and degradation due to agricultural intensification and urbanization are key threats facing wild pollinators, especially bees. However, data on the distribution and abundance of most of the world's 20,000+ bee species is lacking, making it difficult to assess the effects of anthropogenic disturbance through time. Moreover, there are geographic biases in the study of bees creating gaps in our understanding of species distributions and regional patterns of diversity. Research efforts are often focused around cities or field stations associated with universities and other research institutions. In this perspectives paper, we provide examples of geographic bias in knowledge regarding …

The Trichoptera Of Panama X. The Quebrada Rambala Drainage, With Description Of 19 New Species Of Microcaddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae), Steven C. Harris, Brian J. Armitage

Insecta Mundi

The Quebrada Rambala drainage is found immediately south and south-southeast of the town of Chiriqui Grande and east of Rambala on the Caribbean coast. It is one of two tributaries of the Rio Margarita watershed, a small, lowland drainage with elevations up to 180 m. During the 2014-2017 period, collections of caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera), employing both UV-light and Malaise traps, were made at two locations on Quebrada Rambala proper, and four locations on its unnamed tributary, all on a land area of approximately 1 ha. As a result, 127 species of caddisflies were identified, including 59 species of microcaddisflies. A …

Ectoparasite Presence In Select Northcentral Kansas Bat Species, Elizabeth Schumann

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Working with other graduate students on a grant given to Fort Hays State University, from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, I looked at presence and species of ectoparasites on bat species. The main goal of our grant was to quantify and qualify the status of the northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) in the state of Kansas, and to record data on any bycatch. I worked on our grant in the summer field seasons of 2016 and 2017, May to October, as described by the Indiana bat protocol.

Bats were captured by using mist nets set over …

Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis Of Amino Acids In Biological Tissues: Applications In Forensic Entomology, Food Authentication And Soft-Biometrics In Humans, Mayara Patricia Viana De Matos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work we demonstrate the power of compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) to analyze proteinaceous biological materials in three distinct forensic applications, including: 1) linking necrophagous blow flies in different life stages to their primary carrion diet; 2) identifying the harvesting area of oysters for food authentication purposes; and 3) the ability to predict biometric traits about humans from their hair.

In the first application, we measured the amino-acid-level fractionation that occurs at each major life stage of Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) blow flies. Adult blow flies oviposited on raw pork muscle, beef muscle, or chicken liver. Larvae, pupae …

Do Saproxylic Curculionids Affect The Fitness Of Co-Occurring Cerambycids?, Sheila R. Heath

Dissertations and Theses

Saproxylic insects sometimes coexist in incredibly high numbers under bark and share common resources. Thus, interactions between species are possible and could even explain their coexistence. This study investigates evidence of negative or positive effects of curculionid beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) that coexisted in dead tree branches in Costa Rica. Co-occurrence analysis and generalized regressions were used to test associations between cerambycid and curculionid species. Three cerambycid species that each co-occurred with a curculionid species were selected to measure fitness. Fitness measures of the cerambycid were compared with abundance of the co-occurring curculionid to assess the …

The Evolution Of Diet Breadth In Melissodes Bees (Apidae: Eucerini), Karen W. Wright

Biology ETDs

The relationship between phytophagous insects and their host plants has interested scientists since Darwinian times. Using modern phylogenetic inference, we are able to investigate these patterns using, not only the phylogenies of the insects, but the evolutionary relationships among the plants they feed on as well. The relationships between bees and the plants they pollinate were traditionally seen as mutualistic and were treated separately from the research investigating the antagonistic relationships between phytophagous insects and their host plants. However, recent phylogenetic studies have made great progress including bee-host relationships in with the larger body of work on phytophagous insects.

The …

Consequences Of Shade Management On The Taxonomic Patterns And Functional Diversity Of Termites (Blattodea: Termitidae) In Cocoa Agroforestry Systems, Ambele C. Felicitas, Bisseleua D.B. Hervé, Sunday Ekesi, Komivi S. Akutse, Christian T.C.L. Djuideu, Marie J. Meupia, Olubukola O. Babalola

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Termites have gained importance as major pests in cocoa agroforests. Proper identification of termite species and knowledge on their functional diversity are the first steps in developing environmentally compatible management strategies. We tested the hypothesis that patterns of termite species richness in different cocoa agroforests is related to responses by termite functional groups to changes in shade management. We compared termite assemblages under five cocoa agroforestry systems in Cameroon to assess the impact of shade on termite taxonomic and functional group diversity. Sampling was done using a modified standardized transect method. Two 30 × 30 m quadrates each divided into …

Toxicity Of Formulated Insecticide Mixtures To Apis And Non-Apis Bees, Joseph Edward Belsky

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates ecotoxicology of new insecticide mixtures to Apis and non-Apis bees. Previous studies have demonstrated the acute and sub-lethal toxicity of individual active ingredient insecticides to honey bees and to a lesser extent non-Apis bees. However, the contact toxicity of formulated premix insecticides containing multiple active ingredients to bees has not been thoroughly assessed. To address this void, laboratory studies simulating exposure to four premix insecticides under different field-realistic scenarios were conducted for two bee species.

Honey bee, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus) contact exposure was examined by simulating three scenarios: (1) when bees continuously forage in a field and …

Vector Competence Of Aedes Bromeliae And Aedes Vitattus Mosquito Populations From Kenya For Chikungunya Virus, Francis Mulwa, Joel Lutomiah, Edith Chepkorir, Samwel Okello, Fredrick Eyase, Caroline Tigoi, Michael Kahato, Rosemary Sang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Kenya has experienced outbreaks of chikungunya in the past years with the most recent outbreak occurring in Mandera in the northern region in May 2016 and in Mombasa in the coastal region from November 2017 to February 2018. Despite the outbreaks in Kenya, studies on vector competence have only been conducted on Aedes aegypti. However, the role played by other mosquito species in transmission and maintenance of the virus in endemic areas remains unclear. This study sought to determine the possible role of rural Aedes bromeliae and Aedes vittatus in the transmission of chikungunya virus, focusing on Kilifi and …

Prediction Of Insect Pest Distribution As Influenced By Elevation: Combining Field Observations And Temperature-Dependent Development Models For The Coffee Stink Bug, Antestiopsis Thunbergii (Gmelin), Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Christian W.W. Pirk, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Fabrice Pinard, Saliou Niassy, Gladys Mosomtai, Régis Babin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The antestia bug, Antestiopsis thunbergii (Gmelin 1790) is a major pest of Arabica coffee in Africa. The bug prefers coffee at the highest elevations, contrary to other major pests. The objectives of this study were to describe the relationship between A. thunbergii populations and elevation, to elucidate this relationship using our knowledge of the pest thermal biology and to predict the pest distribution under climate warming. Antestiopsis thunbergii population density was assessed in 24 coffee farms located along a transect delimited across an elevation gradient in the range 1000–1700 m asl, on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Density was assessed for three …

Seasonal Phenology, Distribution And Treatments For Polyphagotarsonemus Latus (Banks) On Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries (Rubus L. Subgenus Rubus) In Arkansas, Jessica Anne Lefors

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Worldwide, blackberries (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus) are an economically important crop. In 2007, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) (broad mites), were first reported damaging primocane-fruiting blackberries in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Since this time, broad mite damage to blackberries and yield loss has been reported in many states and countries. Despite the increasing reports of this blackberry pest, little is known about their population dynamics, and few treatments are available. Growers with broad mite populations need a pest management program to minimize yield loss. Therefore, there was a need to develop sampling techniques, describe broad mite seasonal phenology in blackberry fields, and determine efficacy …

Epizooic Diatoms On The Cerci Of Ephemeroptera (Caenidae) Naiads, Daniel E. Wujek

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Using scanning electron microscopy, epizooic diatoms were observed growing on the cerci of Caenis amica Hagen naiads (Ephemeroptera, Caenidae). Meridion circulare (Greville) C. Agardh was the most abundant, followed by Synedra rumpens Kützing, then Cocconeis pediculus Ehrenberg. Other diatom species observed from substrates in Cedar Creek, Isabella County, Michigan were not observed on the cerci. No diatoms were observed on Ephemerellidae naiads.