Life Sciences Commons^™

Lifecycle Of Greater Wax Moth Galleria Mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) And Its Control By Natural Products, Tahani A. Alzahrani, Hanan S. Alyahya, Shatha I. Alqurashi, Jazem A. Mahyoub

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture

The great wax moth (Galleria mellonella) is a major pest that affects honeybee colonies, causing serious damage to the honeycomb and disrupting beekeeping operations. This paper aims to review the life cycle of this insect and the natural control strategies used to manage its populations. This paper examines the different stages of growth of the great wax moth, including the stages of eggs, larva, pupae, and adults. The life cycle of this insect depends largely on environmental conditions, especially temperature, humidity and food quality, in addition, this paper focuses on natural control strategies, such as the use of plant extracts …

Annotated Checklist And Distribution Of The Jewel Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Of Idaho, Luc Leblanc, Emma L. Eakins

Insecta Mundi

An annotated checklist of the 102 species of Buprestidae (Coleoptera) known to be present in the state of Idaho is provided, with photographs and detailed distribution maps for each species. The checklist is based on label data from 7,506 museum specimens, 21 observations obtained from iNaturalist.org and Bug-Guide.net, and 63 distribution records from published literature. Buprestis consularis Gory is a new record for Idaho, formerly reported as Buprestis nutalli Kirby, which is not known to occur in the state. Obscure past records of Anthaxia retifera LeConte and Melanophila occidentalis Obenberger published in the literature are regarded as dubious and are …

Genomics-Based Taxonomic Refinement Of Emesis Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

Insecta Mundi

Expanded genomic sequencing of Emesis [Fabricius], 1807 (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae Grote, 1895) reveals additional taxonomic insights. As a result of this study, one subgenus and 10 species are proposed as new (type species or type localities in parenthesis): Sinuata Grishin, new subgenus (Emesis sinuatus Hewitson, 1877) of Exoplisia Godman and Salvin, 1886; Emesis (Mandania) mandaca Grishin, new species (Mexico: Oaxaca); Emesis (Mandania) mantunga Grishin, new species (Ecuador: Tungurahua); Emesis (Tenedia) hidalga Grishin, new species (Mexico: Hidalgo); Emesis (Tenedia) vera Grishin, new species (Mexico: Veracruz); Emesis (Tenedia) nica Grishin, new species …

The Millipede Genus Alocodesmus Silvestri, 1896 (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae: Batodesmini): Description Of A New Species From Colombia And The Identity Of A. Hanseni (Silvestri, 1898), Juan Romero-Rincon, Santiago Alvear

Insecta Mundi

The genus Alocodesmus Silvestri, 1896 (Polydesmida: Chelodesmidae: Batodesmini) currently comprises six valid species, three of which are recorded for Colombia, including A. danielae Romero-Rincon and Alvear, new species, from Yondó, Antioquia Department. Two species are known from Panama and one from Venezuela. The new species differs from its congeners by having a spoon-shaped prefemoral process that is ventrally extended forming a conspicuous concave space with branch Z being shorter than branches X and Y. The identity of A. hanseni Silvestri, 1898, previously of uncertain status, is revised, and the species is herein proposed as a new synonymy …

Three New Species Of Dichotomius Hope, 1838 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) From Mexico And Central America, Ángel Solís, Burt Kohlmann

Insecta Mundi

Three new species assigned to the satanas species-group of Dichotomius Hope (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) are described from North and Central America: Dichotomius pisuicas Solís and Kohlmann, new species, from the Caribbean slope of Honduras to Panama; D. lucifer Solís and Kohlmann, new species, from the Costa Rican and Panamanian Pacific rainforests; and D. chamuco Solís and Kohlmann, new species, from Mexico to Honduras. A description, diagnosis, images, and distributional map are presented for each species.

A Battle Of Armies: Massive Attack Of Natural Enemies To The True Armyworm Mythimna Unipuncta (Haworth, 1809) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) In Forage Crops, Armando Falcon-Brindis, Raul T. Villanueva

Insecta Mundi

Understanding the interactions between plant-host-parasitoid plays a major role in insect pest management. Farmers in the southeastern United States rely on pasture systems for cattle milk and beef production, but the benefits of parasitoids and predators on major lepidopteran pests on pasture lands are still overlooked. Here, we aimed to identify and quantify the effect of parasitism on the true armyworm Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth, 1809) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) attacking teff grass Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter (Poaceae) and crabgrass Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. (Poaceae) in western Kentucky. In early August of 2023, 547 larvae of M. unipuncta were collected from experimental …

In Memoriam: Donald B. Thomas, Jr., January 26, 1949–November 10, 2024, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Joseph E. Eger Jr., David Rider

Insecta Mundi

We honor the life and contributions of Donald Byron Thomas, Jr. (January 26, 1949–November 10, 2024) with a short review of his professional life followed by three appendices listing his published papers, taxa described, and patronyms.

Erratum To Golovatch Et Al. (2025): Contributions To The Taxonomy Of The Neotropical Millipede Genus Iulidesmus Silvestri, 1895 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae: Catharosomatini), Sergei I. Golavatch, Juan Romero-Rincon, Nesrine Akkari, Santiago Alvear

Insecta Mundi

After publication of Golovatch et al. (2025), it was noticed that Figure 3 was accidentally omitted. The authors and the Insecta Mundi editorial staff apologize for this error. Figure 3 is reproduced here. Insecta Mundi has also released a revised version of the Golovatch et al. (2025) manuscript, with this error corrected. However, the revised version is not an official version of record, and anyone wishing to reference the findings of Golovatch et al. (2025) should cite the original manuscript or this erratum.

A New Species Of Leaf Litter Inhabiting Species Of Stevenaltica Konstantinov, Linzmeier And Savini From The United States (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), Amy L. Brown, Shawn M. Clark, Alexander S. Konstantinov

Insecta Mundi

A new species, Stevenaltica parvarotunda Bown, Clark, and Konstantinov (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is described from Ohio, U.S.A. This is the first report of this genus in North America. Brief comments are made regarding Exoceras Jacoby and Leptophysa Baly.

The Link Between Environmental Change And Invasive Species, Marion Murray, Meg Kast

All Current Publications

Climate change and invasive species represent two pressing environmental challenges facing our planet. Each poses a threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem stability, and together, they amplify the impacts of the other. As global temperatures rise and ecosystems are disrupted, new conditions are created that allow invasive species to spread more easily, establish themselves in new areas, and outcompete native species.

The First Australian Co-Invasion Of Euwallacea Fornicatus, Fusarium Sp. [Af18] And Graphium Euwallaceae, Melinda Moir, Monica Kehoe, Dominie Wright, Stefania Bertazzoni, Peter Scott, Cuiping Wang, Elsie Kinnaird, Brenda A. Coutts

Biosecurity Research Articles

As international trade and travel increase around the world, invasive species detections and incursions are increasing in frequency. Here we document the first detection and incursion within Australia by the Polyphagous shot-hole borer (PSHB), Euwallacea fornicatus (Eichhoff, 1868) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), an ambrosia beetle, and two of the associated fungal species; Fusarium sp. [AF18], and Graphium euwallaceae. All three exotic species were detected in a confined region within Perth, Western Australia, and represent a co-invasion. This multispecies incursion into one of the world’s most remote cities highlights the rapid increase in biological invasions globally and the pressures that urban, agricultural, …

The Enigmatic Samuel Aughey: Nebraska’S Pastor Naturalist, Hugh H. Genoways, Margaret R. Bolick, Mary Anne Andrei

Zea E-Books Collection

Samuel Aughey at age 39 became the first Professor of Natural Science at the new University of Nebraska in Lincoln, serving from 1871 to 1883. He was an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, with an addendum degree from Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College) in 1856 and an A.M. degree two years later. His early pastoral work was in Pennsylvania, but in 1864 he became a home missionary to a church in Dakota City, Nebraska. Aughey’s career at the university was marked with successes and honors, but also criticism and questions about his basic knowledge of the sciences. While …

Effect Of Selected Insecticides On Calico Scale In Landscape Honey Locust Trees, 2024, Caleb J. Wilson, Zoë K. York

Entomology Faculty Publications

We evaluated the effect of selected insecticides on 6 mature Shademaster honey locust trees (Gleditsia triacanthos L., ‘Shademaster’) which were planted in 2 rows along a roadside on the University of Kentucky’s campus. We used a randomized complete block design where each tree represented a block, and within each tree, the effect of insecticides on scales was evaluated on separate labeled branches. All trees had been heavily infested with calico scale (CS) for multiple years. On each tree we sectioned off 11 randomly selected 30-cm branch sections with zip-ties. We applied treatments on 28 May 2024, when CS crawlers …

Biological Control Of Pests In Insect Collections, Henry Townes

The Great Lakes Entomologist

No Abstract Available

An Alternate Foodplant For Euphydryas Phaeton Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Irwin Leeuw

The Great Lakes Entomologist

No Abstract Available

The European Antecedents Of The Schmitt Box, Ronald Sterne Wilkinson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

No Abstract Available

Report Of A Native Foodplant For Haploa Confusa (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), Thomas J. Rosatti

The Great Lakes Entomologist

No Abstract Available.

A Review Of The Biology Of The Elm Spanworm (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), A. T. Drooz

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The elm spanworm is a serious defoliator of many species of broadleaved trees, particularly oaks, hickories, black walnut, and red maple. Its life history is reported herein, and the effects of various natural diets on its biology are included. Its different habits of oviposition in the North and South are compared, and early outbreaks are mentioned briefly. Evidence indicates that outbreaks terminate from either late spring frost or one of two recently described egg parasites.

Notes On The Biology And Damage Of Two Acrobasis Species (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) On Black Walnut In Michigan, Peter J. Martinat, William E. Wallner

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Acrobasis juglundis (Le Baron), and A. demotella Grote cause extensive damage to black walnut foliage and branchlets, and are potential threats to commercial production of walnut trees in Michigan. Both species are univoltine in Michigan and overwinter in hibernacula. lnstars 1-111 are morphologically indistinguishable between species and have similar feeding habits. In the spring, A. demotella was active about two weeks earlier, caused more damage. and was more abundant than A. juglandis. Five parasitoids were reared from A. juglandis including Trathala plesia (Cushman), a new record. No parasitoids were reared from A. denzotella.

Report Of New Trichoptera Records For Ohio, David B. Maclean, Bonnie K. Maclean

The Great Lakes Entomologist

New state records are given for 16 species of Trichoptera collected at four northeastern Ohio locations.

The Etymology Of The Beetle Name Lucanus Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), H. D. Cameron

The Great Lakes Entomologist

[excerpt]

The handsome European stage beetle Llrcunus cervus Linnaeus is so magnificent in its outlines as to have won the attention of no less a master of drawing than Albrecht Diirer. The spectacular antler-like porrect mandibles of the male assure this creature an important place in any picture book of remarkable insects, and have awakened the linguistic imagination for metaphor. In many of the European languages it is called the flying stag or stag beetle: French cerf vulante. German Hirschkafer, Italian cervo vulante, Dutch uliegende hert, Renaissance Latin scurabelaphus (from Latin scarrcbaeus and Greek elaphus "stag").? This designation can be …

A List Of The Fulgoroidea (Homoptera) Of Southern Illinois, S. W. Wilson, J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A list of the fulgoroids of southern Illinois is presented with information on their distributions within the state.

A List Of The Prey Species Of Podisus Maculiventris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A referenced list of the prey species of Podislrs maculicentris is presented.

The Distribution Of The Pentatomoidea In The Northeastern Quarter Of The United States (Hemiptera), J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The distributions of the pentatomoids occurring in the northeastern quarter of the United States as listed by Van Duzee in 1917 are updated.

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Oviposition-Deterrent And Repellent Effects Of Synthetic Plant-Derived Compounds On The Pulse Beetle, Callosobruchus Chinensis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae), Akki Suma, M Rajadurai, Ac Lokesh, Mb Anusha, S Krishna Kumar

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major stored pest of pulses (Fabaceae) in India. While effective control of this widespread and destructive insect pest is essential, continuous insecticide use poses environmental concerns, thereby necessitating alternative, eco-friendly control methods. This study evaluated the oviposition-deterrent effects of 7 synthetic compounds (linalool, guaiene, citral, estragole, 4-nonanone, alloaromadendrene, and citronellal) on C. chinensis. Linalool showed the strongest suppression of egg-laying at higher concentrations, with the lowest egg count at 500 ppm compared to the control, followed by citral, citronellal, and guaiene. Linalool was also effective in suppressing egg hatching at …

Nebline, June/July 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H embryology will crack 50 years of chicks hatching in local classrooms, Vicki Jedlicka

Simple ways to eat more fruits and veggies every day, Alyssa Havlovic

Recipe of the month: Crunchy veggie wraps

Annual flowers for sunny locations, Mary Jane Frogge

Garden guide: Things to do this month, Mary Jane Frogge

2025 Gro Big Red

It’s time for private well maintenance, Becky Schuerman

Monitoring pastures for improving management and productivity, John Nelson

Why play is your child's most important work, Hayley Jackson Perez

Keep an eye out for some common caterpillars, Kait Chapman

Lancaster County Super Fair

Upcoming babysitting trainings …

Elucidating The Functions Of Gut Microbiota From Two Edible Dung Beetle Species: Implications For Waste Management And Food Industry, Syombua S. Mwanza, Cynthia M. Mudalungu, John Mark Makwatta, James Kabii, Njogu M. Kimani, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Dung beetle larvae are consumed globally, yet their gut microbiota across different geographical locations remains largely unexplored. This study examined the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota of two edible dung beetle species, Cetonia aurata and Rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes sp.), from three sites in Kenya. Using advanced molecular techniques, bacterial and fungal communities were sequenced. The most abundant bacterial phyla in C. aurata were Firmicutes (42.10%) and Bacteroidota (32.50%), while Oryctes sp. had higher levels of Proteobacteria (35.00%), Actinobacteriota (11.40%) and Desulfobacterota (7.40%). Fungal communities were dominated by Lecanoromycetes (92.60%) in Oryctes sp. and Saccharomycetes (92.60%) in C. aurata. …

An Eco-Epidemiological Model For Malaria With Microsporidia Mb As Bio-Control Agent, Charlène N.T. Mfangnia, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Berge Tsanou, Jeremy Keith Herren

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Microsporidia MB is an endosymbiont which naturally infects Anopheles mosquitoes. Due to its ability to block Plasmodium transmission, it shows potential as a bio-based agent for the control of malaria. Its self-sustainability is promising, as it can spread through both vertical and horizontal transmissions. However, its low prevalence in mosquito populations remains a challenge. We develop an eco-epidemiological mathematical model describing the co-dynamics of Microsporidia MB (within mosquito population) and malaria (within human population). The model is used to assess the potential of Microsporidia MB-infected mosquitoes on the control of malaria infection. The results on the basic reproduction numbers, the …

Desert Locust (Schistocerca Gregaria) Flour As An Emerging Functional Ingredient For Baking Flavorful And Nutritious Whole Wheat Bread, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Antonny M. Nzomo, Paul N. Ndegwa, Sunday Ekesi, Fathiya M. Khamis, Komivi S. Akutse, George Ong'amo, Brian O. Ochieng, Margaret Kababu, Dennis Beesigamukama, Shaphan Y. Chia, J․Ghemoh G. Changeh, Sevgan Subramanian, Thomas Dubois, Segenet Kelemu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Increasing interest in consuming insects is accelerating the expansion of the fortified snacks market. However, there is limited knowledge of the drivers of consumers to appreciate the role of desert locust [DL] Schistocerca gregaria Forskål as emerging functional ingredient for use in the food industry. Here, we evaluated the nutrient profile and functional properties of wheat breads fortified with powder from captive mass reared DL. The crude protein values of processed DL meal fed on three different food plants ranged between 40 and 56 %. The specific volume and firmness of the breads correlated positively and negatively, respectively, with incremental …