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Cover Pages For Tgle Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cover pages for TGLE Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

Full Issue For Tgle Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Full issue for TGLE Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

The Modern Sisyphus Blows Leaves: Attitudes And Impacts Regarding Leaf Litter Removal On A Suburban Campus, A. C. Nony, M. R. Mcclung, M. L. Reid

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Leaf litter habitat disruption in suburban spaces stems from the prevalence of “lawn culture,” that is, the accepted societal norm that land immediately surrounding humans or meant for human recreational use should be clean, tidy, controlled, and aesthetically pleasing, above other considerations. When leaf litter on residential and recreational lawns is cleared, it removes vital habitat for organisms of several taxa, especially species that rely on litter as a moisture and temperature-controlled substrate for overwintering. We administered an opinion survey to students, staff, and faculty at Hendrix College, a highly residential and suburban campus in Conway, Arkansas, to assess views …

A Haplotype Reference Panel And Genotype Imputation Framework For The Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens), Peter Muchina, Johnson Kinyua, Fathiya Khamis, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Maria Altaf Satti, Grum Gebreyesus, Goutam Sahana, Zexi Cai

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Low-coverage whole genome sequencing (lcWGS) combined with genotype imputation provides a cost-efficient alternative to high-coverage sequencing for large-scale genotyping. Although widely implemented in human and livestock genomics, this strategy has not yet been systematically optimized for insects of industrial importance. The black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens ) is increasingly used in global waste bioconversion and sustainable protein production, but genomic resources remain limited. Here, we develop the first BSF haplotype reference panel, containing ∼29.8 million high-quality SNPs from 168 high-coverage genomes, and benchmark imputation performance using a validation experiment in which 33 high-coverage individuals were down-sampled to low coverage …

Resurgence Of Visceral And Cutaneous Leishmaniasis In Kajiado County, Kenya: A Coordinated Response And Entomological Survey, Damaris Matoke-Muhia, Barrack O. Owino, Steve Kiplagat, Hannah N. Mwangi, Johnstone M. Ingonga, Daniel Njenga, Benny B. Septer, Mwatela Kitondo, Daniel Mwiti, Charles Magiri, Hellen Nyakundi, Juliet Onditi, Sarah Weihl, Catherine Wenger, Abhay Satoskar, Jandouwe Villinger, Shaden Kamhawi, Joseph Ndungu, Richard Wamai, Daniel K. Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated emergence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in 2021, in Kajiado County in Kenya, representing a newly recognized region of endemic transmission. METHODS: The investigation involved community sensitization, medical camps, and entomological surveys across eight villages. We screened 100 individuals with indicative symptoms of leishmaniasis, and also carried out an entomological survey. RESULTS: We found 10 patients of VL, predominantly in children under 15. Of 22 suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases, eight were confirmed with Leishmania tropica. Entomological surveys identified 4781 sandflies, with Sergentomyia species being most abundant. DNA of Leishmania donovani was detected in multiple Sergentomyia species …

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

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

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

Observations Of Puddling Butterflies In Maryland, Usa, Aydin Örstan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Six butterfly species in four families were observed puddling on damp soil, scat and carrion in various locations in Montgomery County, Maryland and on small islands in the Potomac River. Four species preferred damp soil to nearby mud, but the reason for this behavior is unknown. The presence of butterflies on small islands in the Potomac River is documented for the first time.

Human Versus Machine: Can Generative Ai Anticipate Insect Biological Control Outcomes?, Kris A.G. Wyckhuys, Komivi S. Akutse, Divina M. Amalin, Salah Eddin Araj, Marie Joy B. Beltran, Ibtissem Ben Fekih, Paul André Calatayud, Lizette Cicero, Marcellin C. Cokola, Yelitza C. Colmenarez, Kenza Dessauvages, Thomas Dubois, Léna Durocher-Granger, José L. Fernández-Triana, Frederic Francis, Khalid Haddi, Rhett D. Harrison, Muhammad Haseeb, Natasha S.A. Iwanicki

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) could transform evidence synthesis and revolutionize the global scientific enterprise, yet its agricultural applications are understudied. Here, we systematically assess the performance of three web-grounded AI engines (ChatGPT, ScholarAI and DeepSeek) in synthesizing the global literature on biological control of the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda, and benchmark their outputs against a recent, near-exhaustive human review. Though all engines rapidly screened vast literature corpora, they exhibited shortcomings in factual accuracy, reporting reliability and data consistency. In machine-run syntheses, natural enemy prevalence and performance data often diverged from published records while the level of agreement in enumerating top-performing …

A Taxonomic Overview Of The Apodemia Mormo Complex From A Genomic Perspective, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Genomic analysis of the Apodemia mormo group (Riodinidae Grote, 1895 (1827)) specimens across the range from southwestern Canada through much of the western USA and northwestern Mexico, complemented by phenotypic examination and photographs of live individuals to inspect eye color, partitions the complex into eight species, one of which is proposed as new: Apodemia (Apodemia) apache Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in USA: Arizona, Apache Co.), and three elevated from subspecies of A. mejicanus: Apodemia (Apodemia) maxima (Weeks, 1891), stat. rest., Apodemia (Apodemia) deserti W. Barnes & McDunnough, 1918, stat. nov., and Apodemia ( …

Sand Fly Endosymbionts In Kenya: Rickettsia And Wolbachia Associations With Leishmania And Detection Of Rickettsia Africae, Steve Kiplagat, Damaris Matoke-Muhia, Barrack O. Owino, David P. Tchouassi, Daniel K. Masiga, Gregory D. Hurst, Jandouwe Villinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

BACKGROUND: Sand flies are small hematophagous insects known as leishmaniasis vectors. Similar to most arthropods, they harbor nonobligate endosymbionts that may influence host adaptation and pathogen transmission, but these symbiont communities remain poorly characterized in Leishmania-endemic African sand flies. METHODS: We screened 1700 wild-caught phlebotomine sand flies (1266 females, 434 males) from Kenya's Baringo, Nakuru, and Kajiado counties, and 253 colony Phlebotomus duboscqi, for Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Cardinium, Arsenophonus, Microsporidia, and Leishmania by high-resolution melting analysis and sequencing of PCR products. RESULTS: In wild sand flies (Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia spp.), Wolbachia spp. were most common (8.5%, 145/1700), with particularly high …

Monitoring Butterflies In Big Spring Hollow, Utah, Using Transect Walks: Species Richness, Indices Of Abundance, Species Diversity, And Flight Periods, Alan R. Myrup

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Transect walks were used to collect data to determine species richness, indices of abundance, species diversity, and flight periods of butterfly species in Big Spring Hollow in the South Fork of Provo Canyon, Utah Co., Utah. Advantages and cautions are discussed for the use of this sampling method. A total of 26,493 butterflies were recorded from 232 transect walks during the 10 years of this study (2001–2005 and 2019–2023), with a mean annual total number of 2649.3 butterflies. A total of 86 butterfly species were identified along the Big Spring Hollow transect belonging to 5 families: 18 Hesperiidae, 19 Lycaenidae, …

Full Issue, Vol. 17

Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist

Transect walks were used to collect data to determine species richness, indices of abundance, species diversity, and flight periods of butterfly species in Big Spring Hollow in the South Fork of Provo Canyon, Utah Co., Utah. Advantages and cautions are discussed for the use of this sampling method. A total of 26,493 butterflies were recorded from 232 transect walks during the 10 years of this study (2001–2005 and 2019–2023), with a mean annual total number of 2649.3 butterflies. A total of 86 butterfly species were identified along the Big Spring Hollow transect belonging to 5 families: 18 Hesperiidae, 19 Lycaenidae, …

Insect Oil-Based Biorationals As Novel Alternative Against The Invasive Tomato Leafminer [Phthorimaea Absoluta] And Fall Armyworm [Spodoptera Frugiperda], Chrysantus M. Tanga, Lawrence O. Onyango, Peter Malusi, Sevgan Subramanian, Abdou Tenkouano, Dennis Beesigamukama

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The past decades have witnessed a dramatic re-emergence of lepidopteran pests threatening global food security, yet their control remains heavily reliant on synthetic pesticides, posing persistent risks to human health and ecosystem integrity. We assess the pest control effects of insect oil-based biorationals as an eco-friendly alternative against invasive, Phthorimaea absoulta [i.e., formerly Tuta absoluta ] and Spodoptera frugiperda , focusing on its ovicidal, larvicidal, translaminar, and oviposition-repellent effects. Oil-based biorationals were prepared by mixing black soldier fly (BSF) frass extract with varying rates of insect (BSF) oil and neem oil (25, 50, and 100 μL mL⁻¹) and …

Drought × Herbivory Induce Leaf Trichomes In Soybean With Differential Impact On Its Major Herbivore Soybean Looper Chrysodeixis Includens, Manish Gautam, Karen Alanis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Trichomes have been well studied as a physical defense against stress. With climate change, stressors like drought and/or herbivory can have exacerbated effects on crop morpho-physiology. However, the interactive effects of such stressors on physical defenses like trichomes and their effects on herbivores is poorly understood. To examine this, soybean plants were exposed to a major herbivore, soybean looper (SBL) (Chrysodeixis includens Walker), under simulated drought conditions to examine the interactive effects of drought and herbivory (D × H) on leaf trichomes. Additionally, SBL growth traits were monitored under different leaf diet concentrations (10% and 20%) and trichome enriched diets …

Human-Mediated Dispersal And Breeding Reshape Global Genomic Patterns In Black Soldier Flies, Peter Muchina, Johnson Kinyua, Fathiya Khamis, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Rawlynce Bett, Geoffrey Ssepuuya, Dorothy Nakimbugwe, Mikkel-Holger S. Sinding, Grum Gebreyesus, Goutam Sahana, Zexi Cai

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Human activities, either intentional or unintentional, have significantly influenced the global distribution and genetic composition of many species. The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens; BSF) is a species native to North America that has rapidly gained commercial importance due to its bioconversion efficiency, upcycling organic waste into higher-value products. Through human-mediated dispersal associated with trade and insect farming, BSF has been introduced widely across the Old World, including Africa, where both wild and captive populations are now established. Despite its expanding global distribution, the demographic history and genomic consequences of these introductions remain poorly understood, particularly in Africa. This work …

Temporal Variation Of Benthic Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Two Upland Intermittent Streams In The Boston Mountains, R. J. Mccollough, K. B. Hecke

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Benthic aquatic macroinvertebrates are some of the most highly used organisms for biomonitoring and assessing stream health. However, biomonitoring is often done in one season, potentially missing important taxa and inaccurately reflecting the community as well as stream health. In addition, while road crossing effects have also been extensively researched the last few decades, these studies are also often conducted in one season, likely misrepresenting the community structure and the overall effects of the road crossing. The highly known River Continuum Concept (RCC) is often applied to these benthic aquatic macroinvertebrate communities. This study aimed to examine aquatic macroinvertebrate communities …

First Arkansas Records Of The True Bugs Lasiochilus Hirtellus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lasiochilidae) And Physopleurella Mundula (Anthocoridae)., S. W. Chordas Iii, R. Tumlison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We report 2 uncommon species of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Lasiochilus hirtellus (Lasiochilidae) and Physopleurella mundula (Anthocoridae), for the first time from Arkansas. This includes the first report of the family Lasiochilidae for Arkansas. Both species were captured in UV light traps set in Clark County. We discuss identification, provide digital images of the voucher specimens and include updated distribution maps (north of Mexico) for both species. With the addition of these 2 species, there are now a total of 7 anthocorid species, among the 3 bug families Lasiochilidae, Anthocoridae and Lytocoridae, known for Arkansas.

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Misconceptions About Bees, Kaitlin U. Campbell, Kathy Cabe Trundle, Rita Hagevik

All Current Publications

Bees are fascinating creatures that play a crucial role in pollination and ecosystem health. However, misconceptions about bees are widespread. Understanding the facts about bees helps us appreciate their significance and take appropriate action to protect them. This fact sheet dispels common myths about bees and explains the facts behind the misconceptions.

Animal Taxa Threatened By Adverse Fire Regimes In Western Australia: A Synthesis And Outlook, Tim S. Doherty, Mark G. Allen, Karlene Bain, Stephen Beatty, Allan H. Burbidge, Renee A. Catullo, Sarah Comer, Ben Corey, Saul J. Cowen, Robert A. Davis, Martin A. Dziminski, J. Anthony Friend, Bruce Greatwich, Mark S. Harvey, Hannah Killian, Michael E. Klunzinger, Damian C. Lettoof, Nicola J. Mitchell, Melinda Moir, Harry A. Moore, David L. Morgan, Ian J. Radford, Michael J. Rix, Tom Vigilante, Adrian F. Wayne, Corey Whisson, Nicole Willers, Matthew R. Williams

Natural Resources Research Articles

Adverse fire regimes threaten biodiversity, potentially leading to population declines and increased extinction risk. Understanding how varying fire regimes affect threatened species is essential for effective ecosystem management, including in Western Australia where diverse ecosystems are exposed to wildfires, Indigenous burning, and prescribed fire. We compiled and synthesised data on the threat of adverse fire regimes to threatened animal taxa in Western Australia. Using a threat classification scheme, we ranked adverse fire regimes as having either no, low, medium, high, or unknown impact on each taxon. A total of 212 taxa were reviewed, 153 (72%) of which are considered fire-threatened: …

Multi-Omics Comparison Of Two Emerging Storage Pests (Necrobia Rufipes And Tribolium Castaneum) Of Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae Product, Inusa Jacob Ajene, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Komivi S. Akutse, Samantha W. Karanu, Fathiya M. Khamis

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The black soldier fly (BSF) larvae is a rich and promising source of alternative protein that continues to increasingly gain global traction as a functional ingredient for sustainable livestock and fish production. The key setback to postharvest processing of stored BSF larvae (BSFL) products is the significant damage caused by two notable storage pests (Tribolium castaneum and Necrobia rufipes). Here, we present a comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial genomes and gut microbiome profiles of T. castaneum and N. rufipes. The study mitogenomes were similar in size and structure to other coleopteran mitogenomes. The gut microbiome profiles of the two …

Species-Specific Manipulation Of Microbially-Derived Volatiles By Burying Beetle Parents, Stephen T. Trumbo

EEB Articles

1. Hosts and microbes interact in dynamic relationships that can alter the volatile profile emitted by the microbial community. The extent to which closely related species diverge in these relationships is not well known.

2. Burying beetles associate with a rich microbial community that is present on their breeding resource, a small vertebrate carcass. Prior work demonstrated that Nicrophorus orbicollis manage the microbial community during parental care to alter the volatile profile emanating from the nest, reducing cues for competitors that would usurp the resource.

3. The present study extended this work to N. marginatus to first determine the distinctive …

The Ecological Consequences Of Horizontal Transmission Of Symbionts, Bibek Singh Parajuli

Biology Dissertations

Most multicellular organisms depend on their microbial symbionts for various functions, such as digestion, nutrient supplementation, pesticide degradation, and defense. While many insects acquire their symbionts vertically from their parents, thousands of species of true bugs (Hemiptera) across different families acquire their microbial symbiont, Caballeronia, from the environment each generation. Acquiring symbionts from the environment (horizontal transmission) has various ecological consequences for the host. In this study, I used the bug-Caballeronia model 1) to understand whether the free-living symbionts benefit from association with multicellular hosts, 2) to evaluate whether host specialization on symbiont strains varies across taxonomic levels, …

Effect Of Environmental Conditions On German Cockroach (Blattella Germanica) Behavior And Survival, Allison Lopina

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.) remain one of the most challenging indoor pests to manage, due to resistance to many commonly used insecticides, and necessary contact/interaction with common management tactics. As such, it is critical to fully understand their aggregation, movement, and longevity, such that treatments can be optimally placed to result in maximal efficacy. The first part of this study explored the effects of multiple factors (harborage width, harborage materials, heat, resource-harborage distance) on initial site selection, and how environmental modifications and infestation density impact harborage site switching. The second half of the study aimed to explore the …

Mapping The Distribution Of The Common House Mosquito (Culex Pipiens) In The City Of Spokane: Mosquito Breeding Sites And Blood Meal Analysis, Oluwapelumi Hannah Sonoiki

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Mosquitoes in the genus Culex are the primary vectors of West Nile virus (WNv) in the United States, with Culex pipiens and Culex tarsalis serving as the dominant species in Spokane. In urban environments, catch basins and other artificial water bodies that collect stagnant and polluted water provide favorable breeding habitats for Culex pipiens. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution and seasonal dynamics of Culex larvae in Spokane. We examined 303 randomly selected catch basins in the summer of 2025, and at each site we recorded the presence or absence of water, water depth, and mosquito larval …

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

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

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

Short Term Trends In Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Downstream Of Iron Gate Dam Before And During Klamath Dam Removal, Rosa Cox

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Dam removals are increasingly being used to restore connectivity and ecological function to rivers degraded by impoundments, yet the short-term ecological impacts of large-scale dam removals remain poorly understood. In 2023-2024, four hydroelectric dams were removed from the Klamath River in Northern California and southern Oregon, mobilizing large volumes of fine sediments stored in reservoirs.  This study evaluated short-term trends in benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities within the first ~90 km downstream of the Klamath dam removal project reach by comparing benthic kick net, invertebrate drift, and juvenile salmonid diet samples before (2022-2023) and during (2024) dam removal at paired mainstem …

Factors Affecting Diet Selection In Sheep Fed Endophyte-Infected Toxic Fescue, Jordan Thomas, Ronelson Stinfil, Kenneth P. Coffey, Christine C. Nieman, Derico Setyabrata, Shawna Weimer

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire) infected with toxin‑producing fungi can induce fescue toxicosis in grazing ruminants, reducing performance and altering forage intake. Chemical compounds in red clover (Trifolium pratense), such as biochanin A, have been proposed to mitigate these effects by improving palatability and blood vessel relaxation. This study examined whether the inclusion of ground red clover (GRC), either alone or in combination with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), affected voluntary diet selection in lambs offered toxic fescue. Thirty‑three lambs were housed individually and assigned randomly to one of four diets: (1) toxic …

Preventing Coccus Longulus Infestation, Nicholas Wellls

Honors College Theses

In the Armstrong greenhouse, the Coccus longulus scale insect is a prevalent problem on a specific species of Begonia known as Begonia ‘Richmondensis’. Inside the greenhouse there are several types of begonias with very similar characteristics to the Richmondensis begonia. However, none of these other begonias are infested by C. longulus, despite similar leaf thickness and environmental conditions such as humidity and light. This project examined whether differences in the chemical composition of the Begonia leaves can explain this pattern. Results were not statistically significant, but they showed that the chemicals had a noticeable impact on the scale, and …

Limitations Of Reproductive Manipulation By Bacterial Endosymbionts In A Spider Host, Jordyn D. Proctor

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts are common in arthropods. Many of these bacteria manipulate host reproduction to favor the production of infected females, thereby increasing bacterial prevalence in the host population, even if cost is incurred to the host. However, there are also many factors that may inhibit symbionts’ ability to spread in host populations, including environmental constraints, symbiont-imposed costs on the host, interactions with co-infecting bacteria, or host biology. I explored two aspects of symbiont biology within a spider host, Mermessus fradeorum (Linyphiidae), which has varying combinations of up to five different bacterial endosymbionts in local populations: Rickettsiella, Tisiphia …

Impacts Of Livestock Dewormers On Dung Beetle Foraging Choices Across Spatial Scales, Madison L. Kluge

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Dung beetles provide ecosystem services in pasture systems but are vulnerable to chemical residues in livestock dung. Parasiticides containing macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are used to control parasites in livestock and are excreted unmetabolized in dung, exposing non-target organisms to these compounds. We used a multi-scale approach to examine whether ML residues alter dung beetle foraging ecology. At the field scale, we assessed dung beetle abundance and community composition using traps baited with dung from untreated cattle and cattle treated with ivermectin, moxidectin, or eprinomectin across eight farms and natural areas. At a smaller scale, we conducted behavioral assays to quantify …