Digital Commons Network^™

The Parasitoid Complex Of Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma Disstria (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), In Eastern Wyoming Shelterbelts, G. A. Knight, R. J. Lavigne, M. G. Pogue

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A parasitoid complex affecting the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria, was investigated during 1978-79 in shelterbelts in eastern Wyoming. Egg parasitoids included five species: Ablerus clisiocampae, Ooencyrtus clisiocampae, Telenomus clisiocampae, Tetrastichus sp. 1 and Telenomus sp. Thirteen hymenopterous species and five dipterous species were reared from larvae and pupae of the forest tent caterpillar. The most common 5th-instar larval parasitoids were the tachinid flies, Lespesia archippivora and Archytas lateralis. Of the pupal parasitoids reared, 640/0 were Diptera and 36% were Hymenoptera. Four previously unrecorded parasitoids of M. disstria were reared: Cotesia alalantae, Macrocentrus irridescens, Pimpla sanguinipes erythropus, …

Polyploidy And Hybridization Have A Role In Plant Distribution In The United States: A Bioinformatics Study, Andrea Ortiz

Biology Theses

Introduction: Polyploidy is the doubling of a genome. Autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy are two different modes of genome duplication. These events are common in angiosperms and usually involve diploids and tetraploids, a resulting polyploid species. Both cytotypes exhibit competitive exclusion and environmental adaptation according to their spatial distributions. My research focuses on how abiotic environmental factors affect the range and the amount of range overlap of the taxon within the Callisia graminea and Allium canadense systems over time. Niche modeling determines whether there is substantial niche overlap between the Callisia graminea diploid and tetraploid, whether range shifts occur between the Callisia …

The Insects Of Treeholes Of Northern Indiana With Special Reference To Megaselia Scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) And Spilomyia Longicornis (Diptera: Syrphidae), Robert S. Copeland

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The aquatic insect community of treeholes in northern Indiana was surveyed from 1983-1986. Twenty-three species, representing three orders and nine families, were found. Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) was collected on several occasions from rotholes, the first member of this family from treeholes. Examination of puparia of Spilomyia longicornis (Diptera: Syrphidae) indicated that the larva of this species has been previously described, but incorrectly associated with the genus Xylata.

Terricolous Spiders (Araneae) Of Insecticide-Treated Spruce-Fir Forests In West-Central Maine, Daniel J. Hilburn, Daniel T. Jennings

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Spiders of 12 families, 42 genera, and at least 62 species were captured in linear-pitfall traps placed in insecticide-treated (Sevin-4-Oil®, Dipel 4L ®, Thuricide 16B®) and untreated spruce-fIr forests of west-central Maine. Species richness per family ranged from 1 (Theridiidae, Araneidae, Salticidae) to 19 (Erigonidae). Most trapped species were web-spinners (67.2%); most trapped individuals were hunters (75.2%). Lycosidae accounted for 66.1 % of all (n = 887) captured spiders. Total trapped spiders varied among insecticide treatments, sampling dates, and study sites. However, comparison of mean prespray and postspray trap catches indicated no significant reduction (ANOVA, ANCOVA, P 0.05) in terricolous …

Seasonal Occurrence Of Pine Root Collar Weevil, Hylobius Radicis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), In Red Pine Stands Undergoing Decline, Kenneth F. Raffa, David J. Hall

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A trapping scheme was devised for sampling the pine root collar weevil, Hylobius radicis, in mature red pine plantations in Wisconsin. Adult weevils were trapped throughout the 1986 field season, and the method appears sensitive enough to discern temporal and spatial trends. The number of weevils caught was higher in stands symptomatic of the general condition currently labelled Red Pine Decline and Mortality. In some stands there was a strong tendency for trap catches to be particularly high near certain trees. Seasonal trends and sex ratios were compared with published reports of H. radicis activity in Michigan.

Bacterial Siderophore Production In Lechuguilla And Spider Caves, Carlsbad National Park (Ccnp) Carlsbad, New Mexico, Tammi R. Duncan

Biology ETDs

Lechuguilla and Spider caves, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, contain a rich microbial diversity. Despite oligotrophic conditions, the microorganisms in these caves have developed strategies to acquire essential nutrients. I hypothesized that cave bacteria use siderophores, a ferric iron chelating compound, to acquire iron for essential life processes. To understand the backdrop against which the cave bacteria would produce siderophores, I examined the bacterial physiological characteristics, determined whether cave bacteria have an ability to produce siderophores, and investigated a possible correlation between iron and manganese concentrations in cave deposits and siderophore production by bacteria cultured from the same site. I carried …

Mode And Rate Of Evolution Of Haemosporidian Mitochondrial Genomes: Timing The Radiation Of Avian Parasites, M. Andreína Pacheco, Nubia E. Matta, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Patricia G. Parker, Beatriz Mello, Craig E. Stanley Jr., Miguel Lentino, Maria Alexandra Garcia-Amado, Michael Cranfield, Sergei L. Kosakovsky Pond, Ananias A. Escalante

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Haemosporidians are a diverse group of vector-borne parasitic protozoa that includes the agents of human malaria; however, most of the described species are found in birds and reptiles. Although our understanding of these parasites’ diversity has expanded by analyses of their mitochondrial genes, there is limited information on these genes’ evolutionary rates. Here, 114 mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) were studied from species belonging to four genera: Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus, Hepatocystis, and Plasmodium. Contrary to previous assertions, the mtDNA is phylogenetically informative. The inferred phylogeny showed that, like the genus Plasmodium, the Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus genera are not monophyletic groups. Although …

Biology. Ecology, Larval Taxonomy, And Distribution Of Hydropsychidae (Trichoptera) In Wisconsin, Kurt L. Schmude, William L. Hilsenhoff

The Great Lakes Entomologist

About 43.000 larvae and 1800 adults of Hydropsychidae from Wisconsin were studied. These included Diplectrona modesta, Macrostemum zebratum, Parapsyche apicalis, Potamyia flava, eight species of Ceratopsyche, and 11 species of Hydropsyche, but because their larvae cannot be identified the nine species of Cheumatopsyche known from Wisconsin were not included. Keys were developed to separate larvae of species of Ceratopsyche and Hydropsyche that were collected in Wisconsin or are likely to occur here, and notes are provided to facilitate identification of closely related species. Two forms of Ceratopsyche morosa are distinguished, and the larva of Hydropsyche pIacoda is described. Most …

Language And Socioeconomics Predict Geographic Variation In Peer Review Outcomes At An Ecology Journal, C. Sean Burns, Charles W. Fox

Information Science Faculty Publications

Papers submitted by scientists located in western nations generally fare better in the peer review process than do papers submitted by scientists from elsewhere. This paper examines geographic variation in peer review outcomes (whether a manuscript is sent for review, review scores obtained, and final decisions by editors) for 3529 submissions over a 4.5 year period at the journal Functional Ecology. In particular, we test whether geographic variation in language and socioeconomics are adequate to explain most or are all of this variation. There was no relationship between the geographic regions of handling editors and the decisions to send …

Influence Of An Internal Parasite Control On Cattle Grazing Behavior And Production, Jace Stott

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Six herds of 45 to 90 cow/calf pairs grazing on upland range were used to examine the efficacy of an injectable extended release eprinomectin parasite control on production traits, activity behavior, and efficacy against internal parasitism. In 2016, treatment cows were given a subcutaneous injection of LongRange^tm. In 2017, all cows in the study were treated with a short acting Synanthic^tm treatment and only treatment cows were given an additional LongRange^tm treatment. In both 2016 and 2017, fecal egg counts were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in eprinomectin treated cows compared to control cows. Calf gains were 4.8 kg and 8.7 kg greater (P < 0.1) for the calves of dams treated with eprinomectin compared to calves of control cows in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Activity characteristics of cattle were inconclusive, with treated cows having lower (P < 0.01) grazing and traveling times compared to control cows in 2016, and more (P < 0.01) grazing and traveling in 2017.

Differences in grazing behaviors based on time within pasture at different times …

The Growth And Survival Of Early Instars Of Bellura Obliqua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) On Typha Latifolia And Typha Angustifolia, J. M. Penko, D. C. Pratt

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Larvae of the noctuid moth Bellura obliqua are frequently encountered on Typha latifolia, but less commonly on Typha angustifolia. Experiments were conducted to compare the growth and survivorship of early B. obliqua instars on the two species of cattail. In short-term growth chamber experiments there were no significant differences in the survivorship, relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR), or the efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) between first-instar larvae reared on leaves of the two species. Third-instar larvae fed stems, however, had a greater RGR and higher ECI when reared on T. lalifolia. Differences in growth …

Effects Of Aprons On Pitfall Trap Catches Of Carabid Beetles In Forests And Fields, Marc E. Epstein, Herbert M. Kulman

The Great Lakes Entomologist

This study compared the efficacy of three types of pitfall traps in four forest and two field habitats. Two traps had aprons and one did not. The two apron traps were the same except for a gap between the trap and the plywood-apron, allowing captures from above or below. Traps were placed in a split-plot design and had three replicates of the three trap types per habitat. The traps were emptied each week from May to September. ANOVA's were performed on 12 trapped species separately over habitats, weeks, and the in- teractions between them. The nonapron trap captured over 40% …

Predatory Insects And Spiders From Suburban Lawns In Lexington, Kentucky, Stephen D. Cockfield, Daniel A. Potter

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Predatory arthropods were caught in pitfall traps in suburban lawns in Lexington, Kentucky. The relative abundance of species of Lycosidae, Carabidae, and Staphylinidae was compared in Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue turf. Nine species of Lycosidae were collected from both the bluegrass and tall fescue lawns. More species or phena of Carabidae were collected from bluegrass than from tall fescue turf. More than 40 species or phena of staphylinids were collected from each grass habitat. Both Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue are inhabited by an abundant and diverse array of predatory arthropods.

Effect Of A Hay Mulch And Of A Companionate Planting On Cabbage Pest Populations, W. S. Cranshaw

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cabbage crop environments were modified by either use of a hay mulch or intercrop- ping with "companionate" plants (nasturtium, thyme, and rosemary). A temporary reduction in egg and larval numbers of imported cabbageworm (Artogeia rapae L.) occurred on mulched plots. This effect disappeared later in the season as the plants grew large and coyered the mulch. On some interplanted plots, temporary increases in cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni Hubner) larvae and decreases in imported cabbageworm eggs were noted. Hov.'Cver. on most dates, there was no effect of interplanting on pest populations. The general lack of effects on cabbage insect pests …

Shrubs Facilitate Recruitment Of Caragana Stenophylla Pojark: Microhabitat Amelioration And Protection Against Herbivory, Li-Na Xie, Hong-Yu Guo, Zhe Liu, Christopher A. Gabler, Wei-Zhong Chen, Song Gu, Cheng-Cang Ma

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Key message

Mature Caragana stenophylla shrubs facilitated intraspecific sapling establishment by two mechanisms: microhabitat amelioration and protection against herbivory. Facilitation was mediated by climate, grazing, and sapling age.

Context

Pre-existing shrubs could facilitate sapling establishment of woody plants; however, how these facilitation vary across abiotic and biotic stress gradients and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Aims

The aim of this study is understanding the facilitation of shrub on sapling establishment and how the two underlying mechanisms, microhabitat amelioration and protection against herbivory, vary across climatic aridity gradients, grazing gradients, and sapling age.

Methods

We conducted field sowing experiments to examine …

Bibliographic Guide To The Terrestrial Arthropods Of Michigan, Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Papers dealing with distribution, faunal extensions, and identification of Michigan insects and other terrestrial arthropods are listed by order, and cover the period of 1878 through 1982.

Status And Management Of Pyrethroid Resistance In The Predatory Mite, Amblyseius Fallacis (Acarina: Phytoseiidae), B. A. Croft

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Low levels of (5-15 fold) resistance to synthetic pyrethroid (SP) insecticides occur in unexposed apple orchard populations of the predatory mite, Amblyseius fallacis Garman. Permethrin resistance in one strain has been elevated 60--500 fold by selections in green- houses. Multiple resistances to DDT and azinphosmethyl are present and cross-resistance to SP-related compounds is generic at 10--250 fold. Permethrin resistance appears due to both hydrolytic esterase and knock down resistance mechanisms. Permethrin resistance appears to be polygenic and more recessive than dominant; it is unstable in the presence of high densities of susceptible immigrant types, but is reasonably stable in the …

Assessment Of Intra And Interregional Genetic Variation In The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, Plethodon Cinereus, Via Analysis Of Novel Microsatellite Markers, Alexander C. Cameron

Biology

The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) has long-served as a model system in ecology, evolution, and behavior, and studies surveying molecular variation in this species have become increasingly common over the past decade. However, difficulties are commonly encountered when extending microsatellite markers to populations that are unstudied from a genetic perspective due to high levels of genetic differentiation across this species’ range. To ameliorate this issue, we used 454 pyrosequencing to identify hundreds of microsatellite loci. We then screened 40 of our top candidate loci in populations in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio—including an isolated island population ~ 4.5 km off the …

Correct Identity Of The Oak Twig Pruner (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), D. C. L. Gosling

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

The oak twig pruner is a cerambycid of minor economic importance which is generally common through most of eastern North America. The adult beetles oviposit on living twigs of oak and other hardwoods, and the larvae bore within the twig, subsequently pruning it from the tree. Haldeman (1847) identified this borer as Elaphidion villosus (Fabricius), a species later placed in the genus Elaphidionoides by Linsley (1963). This identification has been accepted and followed by Baker (1972), Craighead (1923, 1950), Duffy (1960), Knull (1946). Linsley (1963), and many other authors.

Resource Partitioning By Two Species Of Stream Mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae), William O. Lamp, N. Wilson Britt

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We compared the phenology of nymph development, food type, and habitat selection of two stream mayflies, Stenacron interpunctatum (Say) and Stenonema pulchellum (Walsh) in Big Darby Creek, Ohio. Both species, which grow principally from autumn through early spring, emerged from the stream throughout the summer. The nymphs consumed the same sizes and types of food particles from deposits on stones, mostly in the form of detritus. As a result of morphological and behavioral adaptations, S. pulchellum lived on stones in swift water whereas S. interpunctatum lived on stones in a slower current.

Trophic Roles Of Tadpoles In Tropical Australian Streams, Katrin Schmidt, Melanie L. Blanchette, Richard G. Pearson, Ross A. Alford, Aaron M. Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Tadpoles can be abundant consumers in stream ecosystems, and may influence the structure and function of streams through their feeding activities and interactions with other organisms. To understand the contribution of tadpoles to stream functioning, and the potential impact of their loss, it is necessary to determine their diets and how they might influence food-web structure. Using gut-content analysis and stable-isotope analysis of N and C, we determined the main food sources and trophic positions of tadpoles of five native frog species, invertebrates, and fish in upland and lowland Australian Wet Tropics streams. Omnivory was prevalent among the tadpoles and …

Incidence And Location Of Eastern Pineshoot Borer Damage In Some Scotch Pine Christmas Tree Plantations In Michigan (Lepidoptera: Olethreutidae), M. Mckeague, G. Simmons

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A survey of Christmas tree farms in Michigan revealed that 26% of the Scotch pine Christmas trees have one or more shoots injured by the eastern pineshoot borer, Eucosma gloriola Heinrich. Most attacks occurred on lateral branches in the top half of the tree. Only 2% of the observed trees had pineshoot borer injury on the terminal leader. Control except for normal shearing, was not recommended for most plantations.

On The Feeding Habits Of Phasganophora Capitata (Plecoptera: Perlidae), William P. Kovalak

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Gut contents of 230 nymphs of Phasganophora Capitata (Pictet) from the Pigeon River, Otsego County, Michigan were analyzed in relation to season, current velocity, time of day, predator size and prey abundance. Diet changed seasonally, related in part to seasonal changes in prey abundance. The diet of large and small nymphs was similar except that small nymphs ate smaller individuals. At lower current velocities capitata fed primarily on mayflies whereas at higher current velocities they fed primarily on caddis and dipterans.

Pre-Management Assessment Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates In A Small, Sedimentary Drainage Area Of The Maumee And Lake Erie Basin, W. P. Mccafferty

The Great Lakes Entomologist

In order to establish baseline data adjunct to the research and development of soil conservation practices for sediment reduction in the Maumee River and Lake Erie, the aquatic macroinvertebrates of Black Creek and adjacent areas in northeastern Indiana were studied from 1974-1975. A total of 90 species of Insecta and Crustacea were taken, 69 from Black Creek. Species diversity indices ranged from 1.04 to 2.75 in two downstream locations and were generally reflective of stressed conditions related to channelization and sedimentation from the agrarian drainage area. Benthic species from the adjacent Maumee River potentially contribute in part to population maintenance …

An Analysis Of The Shore Beetle Communities Of Some Channelized Streams In Northwest Ohio (Coleoptera), Paul M. Holeski, Robert C. Graves

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The present shore beetle communities of some northwest Ohio streams channelized between 1937 and 1973 were studied. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were made to determine the effects of channelization on the community and the results are discussed. Ninety species, chiefly Carabidae, Heteroceridae and Staphylinidae, were collected; at least 20 not previously reported from Ohio. In addition, some species associations are noted.

Observations On The Biology Of The Oak Twig Pruner, Elaphidionoides Parallelus, (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) In Michigan, D. C. L. Gosling

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

The oak twig pruner, Elaphidionoides parallelus (Newman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is rather common in southern Michigan where it attacks living oaks and other hardwoods. The damage it inflicts is rarely serious, but it may be considered a pest insect if only for the nuisance it creates for those who must clean up the often numerous small branches pruned from street, lawn, and park trees.

Intraspecific Variation In Taxonomic Characteristics Of The Mayfly Potamanthus Myops (Walsh), Robert J. Lord, Peter G. Meier

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Data collected from an ecological study of the mayfly Potamanthus rnyops (Walsh) in Michigan showed intraspecific variability in taxonomic characteristics that have been employed by previous investigators for species separation. Nymphal dorsal maculation patterns varied considerably within a single population. Also, the ratio of mandibular tusk length to head length increased with successive nymphal instars. Certain adult taxonomic characteristics, particularly relative male imago eye size and distance of separation, were either too poorly defined or too variable to be conclusive in species identification.

Feeding Habits Of Wisconsin's Predominant Lotic Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, And Trichoptera, Theodore J. Shapas, William L. Hilsenhoff

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Feeding habits of nymphs or larvae of 101 species of Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera collected from Wisconsin's streams were determined by examining foregut contents. The percent by volume of animal, live vascular plant, filamentous algae, diatom, and detrital material recovered is reported. Plecoptera in the suborder Filipalpia were herbivoredetritivores, and most in the suborder Setipalpia were carnivores. Exceptions were Isoperla bilineata (Say), an omnivore, and Isoperla signata (Banks) and I. slossonae (Banks), both detritivore-herbivores. Except for omnivore Ephemerella cornuta Morgan, Ephemeroptera were detritivore-herbivores. Feeding habits of Trichoptera larvae were diverse. Species of Rhyacophilidae, Polycentropodidae, and Phyrganeidae were all carnivores, while …

Remotely Piloted Aircraft: Forest And Ecology Applications, Curtis Edson

TechTalks

In the summer of 2017 three new research projects were started using remotely piloted aircraft (drone) to collect forest and ecological data. In Michigan Technological University's research forest (Ford Forest) we began a forest biomass study by collecting imagery, including visible spectrum from a drone, as well as hyperspectral and LiDAR imagery from a human pilot aircraft; in the Hiawatha National Forest we collected visible and near-infrared (NIR) imagery for invasive species remediation and coastal wetlands mapping; and in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta Canada we collected visible and NIR imagery in support of an ongoing ecological study observing interactions …

A Taxonomic And Ecological Study Of The Asilidae Of Michigan, Norman T. Baker, Roland L. Fischer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Seventy-two species of Asilidae have been recorded from Michigan. An additional seven which may occur are included. Keys to subfamilies, genera and species are given. Two subfamilies and twenty-five genera are represented. A discussion of specific identification, habitat, and distribution is given where possible.

The Laphria canis complex, index complex, and aeatus complex are discussed. One new species, Laphria calvescenta is described. Laphria disparella has been raised from synonymy. Machimus virginicus was removed from Asilus sensu-latu and placed in the genus Machimus.