Entomology Commons^™

Effect Of Decreased Snowfall During An Atypical Winter On A Rare Butterfly’S Host Plant, Breelyn Gilbert

Biology Student Scholarship

In the Northeastern US, one result of climate change is decreased snowfall and earlier snowmelt. Such changes can alter the relationship between climate and the timing of cyclical biological phenomena— the phenology of organisms. This is especially concerning for species that interact with one another such as butterflies and their host plants. For this study, I focused on the host plant of the rare frosted elfin butterfly. The frosted elfin is a species of concern in RI, MA, and CT, among 8 other states, and they are a host plant specialist only laying eggs on yellow wild indigo (Baptisia …

The Effect Of Integrated Pest Management On Honey Bee Behavior And Colony Level Health, Kaitlyn Bresnahan

Biology Student Scholarship

Honey bees are the world’s most commercially valuable pollinators, and they face many threats. The greatest challenge facing honey bees is Varroa mites, which are parasitic mites that feed on bees’ fat bodies, killing bees and spreading diseases. While chemical treatments are available to stop the spread of mites, these treatments are insecticides, which are not ideal to put in a hive of insects. A popular organic method of mite management is using drone comb. Drone brood is preferentially chosen by mites for ovipositing and development because of its larger size and longer development time, so removing drone brood can …

Diversity Of Bees In Trees And Their Foraging Preferences On An Urban College Campus, Aidan Castricone

Biology Student Scholarship

Pollinators collect nutrients from blooming flowers; pollen provides proteins and fats, nectar provides carbohydrates. The few plants that bloom during early Spring are trees such as crabapple (Malus sp). Current research however, mainly focuses on pollinators that forage on the ground and overlooks pollinators foraging in the canopy of trees. Past research showed increased generalization of pollen foraging in bees as seasons move from spring to summer. Here I identified which bee species forage in the canopy on Providence College campus and will analyze the pollen collected using microscopy. This data can inform more specific research on diet breadth, …

Assessment Of Dna Concentration And Degradation From Extracted Bumble Bee Thorax Muscle 2023, Joel Lado, Ai Wen, Kenneth Elgersma

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the foundation of an organism's ability to develop, survive, and reproduce. High genomic DNA is imperative for many scientific studies and applications such as Biotechnology, Genetics, & Pharmaceuticals. The separation of genomic DNA once purified from other cellular components (RNA, protein) can be sequenced to study entire genomes, develop antibodies, and limit genetic mutations.

Although a very stable molecule, DNA is susceptible to degradation under normal cellular conditions to various factors. Hence it is essential to properly extract genetic material from bee specimens, to better understand their population genetics.

DNA often needs to be stored for …

Comparison Of Gut And Leg Pollen Composition In Female Halictus Ligatus With Flower Source, Sriya Kalala, Ai Wen

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

It is commonly believed by bee biologists that wild bees visit one single flower species during each trip to make nest provision. However, the exact foraging behavior is not clear and may vary in different species of bees, and therefore the pollination patterns have continued to be studied. When a bee undergoes the process of pollination, the majority of the pollen consumed by the bee passes through the digestive tract and remains undigested. However, when the pollen is digested and used as an energy source, the pollen grain digestion occurs in the midgut intestine within the bee instead of the …

Plains To Peaks: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Colorado Butterfly Communities And Altitude, Anna O. James, Kathryn Hokamp, Chris García-Hellmuth, Richard P. Reading

Western North American Naturalist

We compared butterfly communities of the Plains, Foothills, and Montane Zones of the Colorado Front Range and examined 3 groups of butterflies—blues (Polyommatinae species), fritillaries (Speyeria and Boloria spp.), and painted ladies (species Vanessa cardui)—for altitude shifts between 2014 and 2020. We conducted these analyses using data collected by volunteer butterfly monitors from the Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network, a group organized and run by Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. Monitors walked designated routes and counted all butterflies they saw, identifying each to the lowest possible taxonomic group they could. We sorted routes into the 3 altitude zones, organized …

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.

The Digitization Of Eatonia, Peter M. Grant

Faculty Articles & Research

The June 2023 issue of The Mayfly Newsletter features this article written by Dr. Peter Grant about the digitization of Eatonia by SWOSU University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Phillip Fitzsimmons, and Digitization Technician, Ben Dressler.

Pathogenicity Of Multiple Providencia Species (Enterobacteriales: Morganellaceae) To The Mass-Reared Mexican Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae), Bacilio Salas, Hugh E. Conway, Don C. Vacek, Christopher Vitek, Erin Schuenzel

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens (Loew)) (Diptera: Tephritidae) represents a major threat to fruit production in the Western Hemisphere. Sterile insect technique is used to suppress and eradicate wild populations. Success of this control method necessitates weekly production of hundreds of millions of flies, their sterilization by irradiation, and their aerial release. Diet needed to produce large fly numbers are conducive to the spread of bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 3 rearing facilities and from multiple sources: eggs, larvae, pupae and spent diet, and were found to include some isolates identified to the genus Providencia (Enterobacteriales: Morganellaceae). We …

Revision, Description, And Diagnosis Of Adult And Larval Pycnopsyche Spp. (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) Using Morphological And Molecular Methods, Matthew Green

All Dissertations

The genus Pycnopsyche Banks, 1905 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) is the 2nd most species-rich genus of Nearctic Limnephilidae. Larvae and adults are ecologically diverse and widespread throughout eastern North America. Larvae construct cases from mineral or plant material and are frequently used by biomonitoring professionals at the species level to monitor trends in water quality. However, only two species of Pycnopsyche are currently separable as larvae, with diagnosis limited by the number of unknown larvae associated with known adults. Using morphological and molecular data, the phylogenetic relationships among Pycnopsyche species and species groups were inferred with Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses to …

Identifying Nocturnal Pollinator Diversity In Apple Orchards In Northwest Arkansas, Emily Brown

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Insects have an essential role in nature, largely in part to pollination. These animals allow for many plants to reproduce and are directly involved in many of the earth’s fruit and vegetable supply. Bees, along with many other diurnal pollinators have gained the attention of the public, which has sparked debates and change to protect them. Many nocturnal species have previously been disregarded due to the assumption that diurnal pollinators provide the only significant pollinations, although recent studies show otherwise. For example, a recent study in apples suggests that nocturnal insects increase fruit production and flower cluster pollination at comparable …

The Effects Of Habitat Isolation On Fine-Scale Genetic And Geographic Structure Of Populations Of Two Threatened Endemic Insects In Southern Nevada, Pseudocotalpa Giulianii And Icaricia Shasta Charlestonensis, Kristen Tovar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Assessing the role geographic isolation and ecological specialization have on phylogeographic patterns contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of a species and the processes that erode genetic diversity. I used mitochondrial and nuclear genomic sequences to assess whether habitat isolation has shaped the fine-scale patterns of present-day genetic structure and diversity in two threatened insect species endemic to southern Nevada. Pseudocotalpa giulianii (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae) is a dune obligate scarab beetle endemic to only two small, isolated sand dunes in Nye County, Nevada, with a usable habitat of less than 4.2 km sq that is impacted by on-going degradation. …

Population Genetics Among Rhipicephalus Sanguineus Ticks In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Bianca Liana Guerra

Theses and Dissertations

Rhipicephalus sanguineus is a common tick species in the lower Rio Grande Valley of both human and veterinary concern. Two lineages of R. sanguineus have been described across the United States known as the tropical and temperate lineage. Both lineages can be differentiated morphologically, genetically, biologically, and by vector competence. The species name for both lineages has not been well established therefore this thesis will utilize their widely used identification. Both lineages have been identified in Texas. While the distribution of these lineages has been well-defined in some regions across the world, recent studies have observed sympatric populations in certain …

Urbanization Affects Web Abundance And Aggregation Of A Funnel‑Weaving Spider, Agelenopsis Pennsylvanica (Agelenidae), Brandi J. Pessman, Madison Hays, Earl Agpawa, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Animals distribute themselves within habitats based on a variety of environmental conditions, including those impacted by urbanization. Suspected global declines in urban arthropod biodiversity have required that we examine how urban conditions affect the distribution of this ecologically important group. Throughout North America, funnel-weaving spiders (Agelenidae) are prevalent across urban habitats and actively choose sites to build webs. We compared Agelenopsis pennsylvanica abundance and distribution between two distinct urban habitats: an urban center (university campus) and an urban forest (city park). These urban habitats differed significantly in features like plant diversity and proximity to roads and highways. We searched along …

Microplastics’ Effects On Painted Lady Butterfly Survivorship, Migratory Behavior, And Fecundity, Kaelin Ferland

Biology Student Scholarship

Kaelin Ferland ’23
Major: Environmental Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology

Human activity is affecting our planet at a microscopic level. In 2021, scientists first discovered microplastics in honeybees. Subsequent research has found that honeybee gut bacteria concentrations decrease because of microplastic ingestion, decreasing honeybee survivorship. The same might be true for other insect pollinators including butterflies. When butterflies visit flowers to feed, they simultaneously collect pollen on their wings. Due to the similar particulate structure of pollen and microplastics, it’s possible that butterflies collect microplastics in addition to food. We used painted lady butterflies to investigate if microplastics …

Diversity Of Bees In Trees On Urban College Campus, Aidan Castricone, Courtney Caccamo

Biology Student Scholarship

Aidan Castricone ’24, Major: Environmental Biology

Courtney Caccamo ’23 Majors: Environmental Biology and Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology

It is well known that insect pollinator populations are declining and a lack of nutrients (i.e flowering plants) may be contributing to this decline. Insect pollinators forage for pollen and nectar, which provides proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, from flowering plants. Current research on pollinator foraging behavior focuses on pollinators that forage on the ground thus overlooking those that forage in trees. Trees such as Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) and crabapple (Malus sp.) bloom in early Spring, even before …

Circadian Rhythms Effect On Brain Metabolism In Mutant Flies, Olivia Kozub

Biology Student Scholarship

Olivia Kozub ’23
Major: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass, Biology

All organisms have an internal clock that drives physiological processes known as circadian rhythms. Being able to predict the environment and prepare for it, rather than simply react, is so critical to survival that this ability has been conserved from single cell organisms all the way to humans. These rhythms can be measured at the gene level, the protein level, the cellular level, the tissue level, all the way to oscillations in behavior. Measuring the metabolic activity of normal fly brains at different times of day will chart the …

Use Of Resources By Adult Karner Blue Butterflies (Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis) In Michigan: Comparisons Of Nectar Selections On Native And Non-Native Species, Afafia Herweyer

Masters Projects

Abstract

The endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is at risk due to the decline of oak barrens and dry sand prairies, the butterfly’s sole habitat. Survival depends on effective conservation of remaining habitat and creation of new viable habitats. Successful management must consider resource needs for both larval and adult stages. Information on adult nectar requirements is limited (Grundel et al. 2000, Pickens & Root 2008). Sufficient nectar increases lifespan and fecundity of butterflies (Murphy et al. 1983, Hill & Pierce 1989, Fischer & Fielder 2001), and deters emigration. Encroachment of non-native nectar species into butterfly habitat warrants …

Analyzing Behavior In Flies Modeling Frontotemporal Dementia, Colin Mcnulty, Julia Bonavolonta, Connor Barber

Biology Student Scholarship

Colin McNulty ’24, Major: Biology

Julia Bonavolonta ’24, Majors: Biology and Spanish

Connor Barber ’24, Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Marla Tipping, Biology

In this project, the goal is to be able to study the behavioral differences in Drosophila melanogaster who model the neurological disease frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Flies modeling FTD are placed into multiple different tubes and loaded into an activity monitor; the same is done with control flies who do not model FTD. Over time, this machine tracks sleep cycles, movement, eating habits, and other behaviors. These results are filed into a computer where they then are then …

The Bellarmine Bee Bed: Organizing A Native Plant Garden Using Feedback From The Local Community, Kate Moran

Undergraduate Theses

Animal pollinators are the cornerstone of healthy ecosystems. Their survival is essential for the persistence of entire food chains: from the flowers they cross-pollinate directly, to the animals who depend on those plants for nutrition. The establishment of pollinator gardens—particularly ones that consist of native plants—is an effective way to enhance their biodiversity, abundance, and well-being.

The main goal of this thesis is to construct a pollinator garden that maximizes the benefits for animal pollinators using feedback from local gardeners. A survey was used to gather information about the popularity and preferences of 40 flowering plants, and after analyzing the …

Influence Of Ambient Water Coloration On Habitat And Conspecific Choice In The Female Lake Malawi Cichlid, Metriaclima Zebra, Noori Choi, Nicolas Mathevon, Eileen A. Hebets, Marilyn Beauchaud

Eileen Hebets Publications

Female cichlid fish living in African great lakes are known to have sensory systems that are adapted to ambient light environments. These sensory system adaptations are hypothesized to have influenced the evolution of the diverse male nuptial coloration. In rock-dwelling Lake Malawi mbuna cichlids, however, the extent to which ambient light environments influence female sensory systems and potentially associated male nuptial coloration remains unknown. Yet, the ubiquitous blue flank coloration and UV reflection of male mbuna cichlids suggest the potential impacts of the blue-shifted ambient light environment on these cichlid’s visual perception and male nuptial coloration in the shallow water …

Development Of Host-Selective, Pcr-Inhibiting Oligos As A Tool To Investigate The Eukaryotic Symbionts Of Insect Hosts, Christian L. Weinrich

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Insects are hosts to diverse communities of other organisms. These communities can include microbes such as bacteria, yeast, and protists, as well as multicellular organisms such as nematodes and mites. The prokaryotic associates of many insects have been well-studied and are often investigated by amplifying and sequencing the gene for the 16S ribosomal subunit using universal primers.

However, the eukaryotic associates of many insects remain poorly characterized, and this is in part due to the difficulty in utilizing 18S (the eukaryotic analog for 16S) for eukaryote detection. Because the insect host is also a eukaryote and makes up the bulk …

Does The Genome Of A Putatively Specialist Moth (Schinia Gracilenta) Contain A Signal Of The Indigenous Cultivation Of Its Host Plant (Iva Annua), Wren Renquist

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

When one species depends on one another for survival, they may have shared demographic histories. Further, when symbionts have shorter life spans, their rate of evolution may be quicker than that of their hosts. For this reason, detecting a recent demographic signal in a symbiont’s genome may often be easier than directly studying the host.

Here I study the slender flower moth (Schinia gracilenta) and its host plant, sumpweed (Iva annua). Sumpweed is thought to have been cultivated in North American ca. 5000 BC - AD 1700 and its range may have been expanded during this time. I collected S. …

Polyploidy’S Impact On Plant-Herbivore Dynamics: Evidence From Experiments With Water-Lily Aphids And Greater Duckweed, Hannah R. Assour

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Polyploidy, or whole-genome duplication, is a widespread mutational process in plants with a myriad of phenotypic and genotypic consequences. In addition to consequences incurred by the plant, polyploidy can potentially cascade to alter species interactions. Yet, knowledge of whether ploidy-induced variation has effects on plant-herbivore dynamics is scarce. Here, we test whether aphid herbivores exhibit preference for a diploid or polyploid host cytotype and whether ploidy impacts plant resistance and tolerance to aphids, measured as aphid and plant performance respectively. To answer these questions, we evaluated aphid choice and compared the effects of the water-lily aphid (Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae) …

Evolution Of A Genus Of Gall Wasp Kleptoparasites, Guerin E. Brown

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Kleptoparasites do not directly parasitize their hosts but instead steal food and resources, reducing host fitness. Like direct parasites, kleptoparasites can be highly dependent on their hosts such that their evolutionary histories may be linked. Here, we study the evolution of a kleptoparasitic wasp genus, Synergus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), in relation to their hosts, oak gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipini). Ovipositing oak gall wasps induce the formation of galls on oaks (Fagaceae) that provide food and shelter to one or more developing gall wasps. Galls induced by different gall wasp species are diverse in size, shape, color, and location …

The Status Of Invasive Dusky Slug (Arion) Species In The Upper Great Lakes: A Molecular Approach, Olivia W. Hall

All NMU Master's Theses

I update the distribution of two cryptic slug species, Arion fuscus and Arion subfuscus, in the Upper Great Lakes of the United States using molecular identification methods. Arion fuscus has not previously been reported in the literature in this region, and Arion subfuscus has previously been reported as abundant. However, all previous distribution studies were determined using visual identification tools, which can result in misidentification between cryptic species. To molecularly re-examine these distribution maps, I used a mitochondrial ribosomal subunit 16S PCR amplification and subsequent SSpI and MfeI restriction enzyme digest to identify slug specimens. I collected slugs in …

Greenbug Feeding-Induced Resistance To Sugarcane Aphids In Sorghum, Heena Puri, Edith Ikuze, Jessica Ayala, Isabella Rodriguez, Rupesh R. Kariyat, Joe Louis, Sajjan Grover

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Plants are attacked by multiple insect pest species and insect herbivory can alter plant defense mechanisms. The plant defense responses to a specific herbivore may also contribute to the herbivore growth/survival on plants. Feeding by one insect species can modulate the plant defenses, which can either facilitate or hamper the colonization of subsequent incoming insects. However, little is known about the effect of sequential herbivory on sorghum plants. In this study, we demonstrate that a specialist aphid, sugarcane aphid (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari) grows faster on sorghum than a generalist aphid species, greenbug (GB; Schizaphis graminum). We also determined …

The Known And Unknowns Of Aphid Biotypes, And Their Role In Mediating Host Plant Defenses, Neetu Khanal, Christopher Vitek, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Insect species are subjected to disparate selection pressure due to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Management practices including the heavy use of chemical insecticides and introduction of insect-resistant plant cultivars have been found to accelerate these processes. Clearly, natural selection coupled with human intervention have led to insect adaptations that alter phenotypes and genetic structure over time, producing distinct individuals with specialized traits, within the populations, commonly defined as biotypes. Biotypes are commonly found to have better fitness in the new environment and, in the case of aphids, the most commonly studied system for biotypes, have the ability to successfully …

Quantitative Study Of Aphid Natural Enemies In Central Oklahoma Canola Fields, Norman C. Elliott, Kristopher L. Giles, Kristen A. Baum, Sarah Elzay

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Winter canola (Brassica napus L.) is planted in late September through October in central Oklahoma and harvested in June. Three aphid species typically infest canola fields in central Oklahoma: cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L.; green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer); and turnip aphid, Lipaphis pseudobrassicae (Davis). Predatory insects and spiders and hymenopteran parasitoids that prey on aphids are present in canola fields in central Oklahoma. We used a D-vac suction device to sample aphids and natural enemies in a total of 23 canola fields in central Oklahoma in early November and mid-March of three growing seasons. During the three …

Transforming Entomology To Adapt To Global Concerns: 2021 Student Debates, Patricia Prade, Ramandeep Kaur Sandhi, Sarah Elzay, Katherine Arnold, Victoria Pickens, Andrew Freedman, Dashae Dillard, Sean Gresham, Ashley Morris, Daniela Pezzini, Seum O. Oladipupo, Elijah P. Carroll, Richard O. Murphy, Festus K. Ajibefun, Luis M. Mendez, Katherine Carroll, Jasleen Kaur, Lillie M. Rooney, Kendall Stacey, Yasmin Tavares, Jared E. Dyer, Na Xie, Jason Bielski, John Schepis, Kayleigh C. Hauri, John J. Ternest, Jacob Pecenka, Scott W. Gula, Natalie Constancio, Emily Rampone, Mario Luppino, Dowen Jocson, Stephen Onayemi, Emily Rendleman

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The 2021 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were held at the Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The event was organized by the Student Debates Subcommittee (SDS) of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC). The theme of the 2021 Student Debates was “Transforming Entomology to Adapt to Global Concerns”, with 3 topics. Each topic had an unbiased introduction and 2 teams. The debate topics were (i) Nonnative insect introduction is an ethical approach for counteracting proliferation and overpopulation of consumers, (ii) What is the best technology to control undesirable insect pests in urban and agricultural settings? and (iii) …