Life Sciences Commons^™

Establishment Of Wildflower Islands To Enhance Roadside Health And Aesthetics, Walter Schacht, Judy Wu-Smart

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Wildflowers are crucial in the ecological function of the low-input roadside plant communities in terms of water andnutrient cycling, nutrient inputs such as nitrogen, total plant canopy cover, stand longevity, and provision of habitat for numerous small animals. Further, wildflowers provide critical foraging and nesting resources for birds, insects, and other wildlife. Unfortunately, habitat loss from agricultural and urban development has led to rapid population declines in wild bees and other pollinators across the US, thereby jeopardizing not only food production but also the sustainability of our natural landscapes (Kearns & Inouye, 1997). One way to mitigate wild bee decline …

Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae And Membracidae) From Madre De Dios Region, Peru, Chung-Ping Lin, Munetoshi Maruyama, Jo-Fan Wang, Paige E. Miller, Caroline S. Chaboo

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A list of treehoppers (Aetalionidae and Membracidae) is presented from Madre de Dios region at the southeastern Amazon basin in Peru. The treehopper specimens were collected as by-catch in a survey of the beetles in the Villa Carmen Biological Station and Los Amigos Biological Station. The list comprises 44 species, 31 genera, 16 tribes and 9 subfamilies. Ten genera are new records to Peru. The images of representative specimens of each identified species and genera are provided to facilitate the identification of the local treehopper fauna.

Resumen: Se presenta una lista de los membrácidos (Aetalionidae y Membracidae) de la región …

From Field To Film: Mosquito Surveillance And Survey Of Us Adults' Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Arthropod-Borne Disease Vectors, Justine Laviolette

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mosquito-borne disease is a public health challenge that warrants an active surveillance program for the identification of mosquito populations and the education of the public for prevention and protection against disease-transmitting arthropods. The communication of science to the public is necessary to prevent disease, change behavior, and promote a dialog between scientists and the public.

People are accustomed to high quality entertainment, which begs the question, “If we made science more entertaining, would the public be more interested?”

To address these issues, the objectives of this study are: 1) identify mosquito species and abundance at the US Meat Animal Research …

Individual Based Model To Simulate The Evolution Of Insecticide Resistance, William B. Jamieson

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Insecticides play a critical role in agricultural productivity. However, insecticides impose selective pressures on insect populations, so the Darwinian principles of natural selection predict that resistance to the insecticide is likely to form in the insect populations. Insecticide resistance, in turn, severely reduces the utility of the insecticides being used. Thus there is a strong economic incentive to reduce the rate of resistance evolution. Moreover, resistance evolution represents an example of evolution under novel selective pressures, so its study contributes to the fundamental understanding of evolutionary theory.

Insecticide resistance often represents a complex interplay of multiple fitness trade-offs for individual …

Notes On The Natural History Of Plesioclytus Morrisi Wappes And Skelley, 2015 And Plesioclytus Relictus Giesbert, 1993 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Kyle E. Schnepp

Insecta Mundi

The host plant and life history observations of Plesioclytus morrisi Wappes and Skelley and Plesioclytus relictus Giesbert (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Plesioclytini) are described for the first time. The host for both species is shown to be Polygonum polygamum Vent. (Polygonaceae). Observations also indicate that plants chosen for oviposition occur in open sand areas of scrub habitat.

A New Species Of Allomallodon Santos-Silva And Galileo, 2010 From Bolivia (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Macrotomini), James E. Wappes, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Allomallodon Santos-Silva and Galileo, 2010, A. bolivianus Wappes and Santos-Silva (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Macrotomini), is described from Bolivia and a key is provided to separate the three species now assigned to the genus.

Thopeutica Petertaylori, A New Tiger Beetle Species (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) From Mindanao, Philippines, Milton Norman D. Medina, Analyn A. Cabras, Jürgen Wiesner

Insecta Mundi

Thopeutica (Thopeutica) petertaylori Medina, Cabras and Wiesner (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), new species, is described from the Cagan river, New Bataan, Mindanao. It is characterized by the metallic ground colour of the elytra, prominent middle tooth in the labrum, and bottle-shaped aedeagus with apical hook.

Ephemeroptera (Insecta) In Cuba, Carlos Naranjo L., Janice G. Peters, Pedro López Del Castillo

Insecta Mundi

Systematic, faunistic and ecological aspects of the six families and 34 species and subspecies in the order Ephemeroptera currently recorded from Cuba are reviewed based primarily on a reference collection located at the Universidad de Oriente (Santiago de Cuba), collections at the Institute of Ecology and Systematics (Havana) and historic literature. A key to nymphs is included with photographs of significant features of many species. An annotated list of species is presented with comments on type localities, species ecology and distribution. The morpho- ecological types of the nymphs are updated according to current taxonomic changes, and indicator species of organic …

Two New Species And Two New Combinations In Saphenista Walsingham, 1914 From Western North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), John W. Brown

Insecta Mundi

Saphenista bartellae Brown, new species (TL: Colorado), and S. powelli Brown, new species (TL: California) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), are described and illustrated. Two other western North American species, S. latipunctana (Walsingham, 1879), new combination, and S. dilutana (Walsingham, 1879), new combination, are transferred to Saphenista based on morphology of the genitalia.

Lepidoptera Pests Of Sapodilla (Manilkara Zapota (L.) Van Royen) In South Florida, With Some Comments On Life History And Natural Control, Jose I. Martinez, Jonathan H. Crane, Jeff Wasielewski, Jacqueline Y. Miller, Daniel Carrillo

Insecta Mundi

Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota (L.) van Royen) is originally from the Neotropics, and has become one of the most important tropical crops in the last few decades. The major producers include India, Mexico, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Venezuela and Guatemala. It is also a minor crop in the United States, specifically South Florida. In 2015, it was reported that Florida growers suffered a loss of up to 80% of their production due to lepidopteran pests. We surveyed two sapodilla orchards weekly in South Florida for about six months. We collected 1,070 lepidopteran individuals (i.e., larvae, pupae and adults) belonging to seven …

Genus Olivensa Lane, 1965 In French Guiana, And Description Of A New Species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae), Pierre-Henri Dalens, Frédéric Robin

Insecta Mundi

Olivensa sonzognii Dalens and Robin, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) is described from French Guiana and compared to other local species. A new key for the genus Olivensa Lane, 1965 is proposed.

Using Adults To Monitor Rnai Susceptibility Of Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte, Field Populations, Matthew Welter

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is the most damaging corn pest in the U.S. Corn Belt, costing producers over $1 billion annually in control and damage costs. Currently, corn producers rely on three control strategies for WCR management: crop rotation, chemical insecticides, and transgenic corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) proteins. Populations of WCR have evolved resistance to all of these tactics, limiting effective control strategies for producers. RNA interference (RNAi), is the newest mode of action developed for WCR management. In July 2017, the first RNAi plant-incorporated protectant (PIP) corn product was approved for production …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of Entomology Incorporation In U.S. Secondary Science Instruction, Erin M. Ingram

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To encourage understanding and appreciation of insects, entomology education advocates have supported and encouraged K-12 teachers to integrate insects and insect-related content into formal science instruction. However, research examining how and why science teachers incorporate entomology into secondary science courses is limited.

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods research study was conducted to address this gap. The study was conducted in two phases. During the first phase, quantitative survey research was conducted with a representative sample of 254 U.S. secondary life science teachers. During the subsequent qualitative phase, follow-up interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 18 survey participants and an …

Transcriptional Responses Of Soybean Aphids To Sublethal Insecticide Exposure, Laramy S. Enders, Leslie C. Rault, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Blair Siegfried, Nicholas J. Miller

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Insecticides are a key tool in the management of many insect pests of agriculture, including soybean aphids. The selection imposed by insecticide use has often lead to the evolution of resistance by the target pest through enhanced detoxification mechanisms. We hypothesised that exposure of insecticide-susceptible aphids to sublethal doses of insecticides would result in the up-regulation of genes involved in detoxification of insecticides, revealing the genes upon which selection might act in the field. We used the soybean aphid biotype 1 reference genome, version 6.0 as a reference to analyze RNA-Seq data. We identified multiple genes with potential detoxification roles …

Designation Of A Neotype For Oeneis Melissa (Fabricius, 1775) And A Lectotype For Oeneis Polixenes (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae), Crispin S. Guppy

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The Oeneis melissa (Fabricius, 1775) “neotype” designations of Lukhtanov and Eitschberger (2000; 2001) do not meet several critical requirements of the ICZN and are therefore invalid. In addition, the locality data is too vague to be taxonomically useful, their “neotype” specimen is a specimen of the taxon generally known as O. melissa semplei, and acceptance of their specimen as neotype would change the meaning of the taxon Oeneis melissa. Hence, I reject their neotype designation. A neotype Oeneis melissa (Fabricius, 1775) is designated from Nain, Labrador with careful consideration of the Articles of the International Code of Zoological …

Changes To North American Butterfly Names, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Paul A. Opler, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

We obtained and analyzed whole genome shotgun sequences of all 845 species of butterflies recorded from Canada and the United States. Genome-scale phylogenetic trees constructed from the data reveal several nonmonophyletic genera and suggest improved classification of species included in these genera. Here, these changes are formalized and 2 subgenera are described: Amblyteria Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Goniloba exoteria Herrich-Schäffer, 1869, parent genus Amblyscirtes Scudder, 1872), and Coa Grishin, subgen. n. (type species Hesperia baracoa Lucas, 1857, parent genus Polites Scudder, 1872). Furthermore, we resurrect 3 genera and 2 subgenera from synonymy, change the rank of 6 currently used …

Nebline, Nov./Dec. 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Horse Program Grows Youth for Life

Thanksgiving Food Safety

Recipe of the Month

Successful Farmer Series Starts Jan. 10

Produce Safety Workshop, Nov. 19

Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

A New Can of Worms: Asian Jumping Worms

Use Caution to Avoid Deer-Vehicle Collisions

Reuse Your Fresh Cut Christmas Tree for Wildlife

Gifts For The Gardener

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

High-Quality Child Care Depends on Effective Family Engagement

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Beverlee Keller

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Dave Hattan

4-H Video Companion Animal Showmanship Contest Results

Outgoing 4-H Council Members

2019 4-H …

An Annotated Checklist Of The Scarabaeoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) Of The Guianas, Auke J. Hielkema, Meindert A. Hielkema

Insecta Mundi

A checklist of the Scarabaeoidea (except Passalidae) of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) is presented for the first time. Both recorded and potential species are included, the latter defined as being recorded from Brazil north of the Amazon/Rio Negro main channel or from Venezuela east of the Orinoco main channel. The checklist contains a total of 930 species and subspecies, with 265 validly recorded from Guyana (eight new country records), 388 from Suriname (146 new country records), 531 from French Guiana (four new country records) and 177 additional species recorded from contiguous areas of neighboring Brazil and Venezuela. …

Survival And Development Of Striacosta Albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Immature Stages On Dry Beans, Non-Bt, Cry1f, And Vip3a Maize, Débora G. Montezano, Thomas E. Hunt, Alexandre Specht, Priscila C. Luz, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Striacosta albicosta is a crop pest that causes economic damage in the United States and Canada. Only maize and dry beans are shown to be suitable hosts, since larval development is incomplete on other hosts. The objective of this study was to describe the developmental parameters of immature stages of S. albicosta feeding on dry beans, non-Bt, Cry1F, and Vip3A maize. For Vip3A, mortality was 100% after 24 h. Larvae feeding on non-Bt maize had the highest larval survival (70.6%) compared to the other hosts. Maize expressing Cry1F had higher survival (31.3%) than dry beans (26.0%). Larvae feeding on dry …

Fifty New Genera Of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera), Qian Cong, Jing Zhang, Jinhui Shen, Nick V. Grishin

Insecta Mundi

Genomic sequencing and analysis of worldwide skipper butterfly (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) fauna points to imperfections in their current classification. Some tribes, subtribes and genera as they are circum­scribed today are not monophyletic. Rationalizing genomic results from the perspective of phenotypic characters suggests two new tribes, two new subtribes and 50 new genera that are named here: Ceratrichiini Grishin, trib. n., Gretnini Grishin, trib. n., Falgina Grishin, subtr. n., Apaustina Grishin, subtr. n., Flattoides Grishin, gen. n., Aurivittia Grishin, gen. n., Viuria Grishin, gen. n., Clytius Grishin, gen. n., Incisus Grishin, gen. n., …

David Lee Keith Obituary, Robert J. Wright

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

David Lee Keith, Retired professor and extension entomologist at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL), dedicated husband, father, and friend, passed away at age 78 in Lincoln, Nebraska, on 4 February 2019 due to complications from diabetes.

Dynamic Evolution In The Key Honey Bee Pathogen Deformed Wing Virus: Novel Insights Into Virulence And Competition Using Reverse Genetics, Eugene V. Ryabov, Anna K. Childers, Dawn Lopez, Kyle Grubbs, Francisco Posada-Florez, Daniel Weaver, William Girten, Dennis Vanengelsdorp, Yanping Chen, Jay D. Evans

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The impacts of invertebrate RNA virus population dynamics on virulence and infection out- comes are poorly understood. Deformed wing virus (DWV), the main viral pathogen of honey bees, negatively impacts bee health, which can lead to colony death. Despite previ- ous reports on the reduction of DWV diversity following the arrival of the parasitic mite Var- roa destructor, the key DWV vector, we found high genetic diversity of DWV in infested United States honey bee colonies. Phylogenetic analysis showed that divergent US DWV genotypes are of monophyletic origin and were likely generated as a result of diversification after a genetic …

Nebline, October 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Groundwater Protection: It’s Up to Everyone

The Nutritional Power of Pumpkins

Recipe of the Month

Sulfur Deficiency in Corn

Planting Garlic in the Fall Vegetable Garden

Composting Demonstrations

I Spy a Spider: Common Spiders Around the Home

Invasive Species: American Bullfrog

Plant Spring Bulbs for Pollinators

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Become a Master Gardener

Chatting With Babies Helps Brain Development

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Kelsey Ebke

4-H Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Sept. 29

4-H Specialty Clubs Invite New Members

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

State Fair 4-H Top Results

Lancaster County 4-H Quilt of Valor Presented …

Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments Of Soybean Provide Negligible Benefits To Us Farmers, Spyridon Mourtzinis, Christian H. Krupke, Paul D. Esker, Adam J. Varenhorst, Nicholas J. Arneson, Carl A. Bradley, Adam M. Byrne, Martin I. Chilvers, Loren Giesler, Ames Herbert, Yuba R. Kandel, Maciej J. Kazula, Catherine Hunt, Laura E. Lindsey, Sean Malone, Daren S. Mueller, Seth Naeve, Emerson Nafziger, Dominic D. Reisig, William J. Ross, Devon R. Rossman, Sally Taylor, Shawn P. Conley

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides worldwide and are typically deployed as seed treatments (hereafter NST) in many grain and oilseed crops, including soybeans. However, there is a surprising dearth of information regarding NST effectiveness in increasing soybean seed yield, and most published data suggest weak, or inconsistent yield benefit. The US is the key soybean-producing nation worldwide and this work includes soybean yield data from 194 randomized and replicated field studies conducted specifically to evaluate the effect of NSTs on soybean seed yield at sites within 14 states from 2006 through 2017. Here we show that across the …

Transcriptome And Gene Expression Analysis Of Three Developmental Stages Of The Coffee Berry Borer, Hypothenemus Hampei, Daniel D. Noriega, Paula L. Arias, Helena R. Barbosa, Fabricio B.M. Arraes, Gustavo A. Ossa, Bernardo Villegas, Roberta R. Coelho, Erika V. S. Albuquerque, Roberto C. Togawa, Priscila Grynberg, Haichuan Wang, Ana M. Vélez, Jorge W. Arboleda, Maria F. Grossi-De-Sa, Maria C.M. Silva, Arnubio Valencia-Jiménez

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Coffee production is a global industry valued at approximately 173 billion US dollars. One of the main challenges facing coffee production is the management of the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, which is considered the primary arthropod pest of coffee worldwide. Current control strategies are inefficient for CBB management. Although biotechnological alternatives, including RNA interference (RNAi), have been proposed in recent years to control insect pests, characterizing the genetics of the target pest is essential for the successful application of these emerging technologies. In this study, we employed RNA-seq to obtain the transcriptome of three developmental stages of the …

Nebline, September 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Read for Resilience Program Helps Young Children Cope After a Disaster

Breakfast — Don’t Leave Home Without It!

Recipe of the Month

Grazing Calves on Annual Forages

Sheet Composting Requires No Turning

Composting Demonstrations

Prepared, Not Scared. Be Ready for Disasters

Plant Asters for Fall Color

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

The Lowdown on Lyme Disease

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Brenda Nepper

4-H Teen Council Invites New Members

Support 4-H by Dining at Chipotle on O Street, Sept. 16

New Horticulture 4-H Club Meeting, Sept. 19

4-H Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Sept. 29

Interested in Joining 4-H? Come …

Bacteria-Mediated Modification Of Insecticide Toxicity In The Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Sara S. Scates, Scott T. O'Neal, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The incidence of mosquito-borne disease poses a significant threat to human and animal health throughout the world, with effective chemical control interventions limited by widespread insecticide resistance. Recent evidence suggests that gut bacteria of mosquitoes, known to be essential in nutritional homeostasis and pathogen defense, may also play a significant role in facilitating insecticide resistance. This study investigated the extent to which bacteria contribute to the general esterase and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (P450)-mediated detoxification of the insecticides propoxur and naled, as well as the insecticidal activity of these chemistries to the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Experiments conducted using …

Dual Biological Control: Characterization Of Fungi And Bacteria To Control Granary Weevil And Fungal Pathogens Of Stored Grain, Gülçin Ercan

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

Cereals are main food sources for humans and animals. However, during storage, cereal grains can be infested by insects and fungi. One of the most important insect storage pests is Sitophilus granarius (L., Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Adults and larvae can cause serious grain losses. In addition to insect pests, fungal pathogens may also invade the grain and cause economic loss, including contamination with mycotoxins, which threaten mammal health by causing serious disease. The most common mycotoxigenic grain fungi are species that belong to the genera Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Currently, the most commonly used management strategies for insect and …

Promoting Bee Communities Through Habitat Enhancements On Public And Private Lands In Nebraska, Kayla A. Mollet

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wild and managed bees are the most effective pollinators, accounting for about 80% of the pollination of flowering plants and 75% of fruits, nuts, and vegetables in the United States (USDA, 2019; USFWS, 2019). An estimated 4,000 species of bees reside in North America, the majority of which are wild and unmanaged. Wild bee communities are critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems, as they sustain native flora that provides soil stability and habitat for other wildlife. In a changing landscape, floral enhancements on privately and publicly-owned lands may have great impact for improving habitat for pollinators across the United States. Planting …

Nebline, August 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Kids Eat Right Month

Food Safety Tips for Electric Multi-Cookers

Recipe of the Month

Soybean Management Field Days

Landlord–Tenant Cash Rent Workshop, Aug. 21

Fall is Best for Control of Tough Weeds

Free Water Screening for Nitrates

Include Pets in Your Emergency Plan

Going Batty: Bugs on Bats

Make Your Yard a Greener Place

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Tips for a Fun and Educational Day at the Fair

Upcoming Early Childhood Trainings

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Susan Holland

4-H’ers Test Family and Consumer Science and Entrepreneurship Skills at Life Challenge

4-H’ers Test Their Knowledge of Animals …