Entomology Commons^™

Relative Contribution Of Neutral And Deterministic Processes In Shaping Fruit-Feeding Butterfly Assemblages In Afrotropical Forests, Kwaku Aduse-Poku, Freerk Molleman, William Oduro, Samuel K. Oppong, David J. Lohman, Rampal S. Etienne

Publications and Research

The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography has gained the status of a quantitative null model for explaining patterns in ecological (meta)communities. The theory assumes that individuals of trophically similar species are functionally equivalent. We empirically evaluate the relative contribution of neutral and deterministic processes in shaping fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages in three tropical forests in Africa, using both direct (confronting the neutral model with species abundance data) and indirect approaches (testing the predictions of neutral theory using data other than species abundance distributions). Abundance data were obtained by sampling butterflies using banana baited traps set at the forest canopy …

New State Records For Nearctic False Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae), Robert L. Otto, Ken D. Karns

Insecta Mundi

New state records for 49 species of Eucnemidae (Coleoptera) are reported throughout the United States and a single species is newly reported from Utah. Diagnostic remarks are offered for Xylophilus crassicornis Muona and distributional observations are discussed for Dirrhagofarsus lewisi. The importance of retaining by-catch from statewide, regional, and national surveys for future studies is also discussed.

Over the last five years, opportunities were presented on many occasions to identify more than 1500 Eucnemidae from four private collections and eight institutional collections. Most of the specimens recently studied and identifi ed came from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History as …

A New Subspecies Of Eupatorus Gracillicornis Arrow, 1908 From Southern Vietnam (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae), Sergey Moskalenko

Insecta Mundi

A new subspecies, Eupatorus gracillicornis prandii ssp. nov. (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae), from Southern Vietnam, is described and illustrated.

Eupatorus gracillicornis was described by G. J. Arrow (1908), the holotype was collected in Dong Van in North Vietnam (Dechambre 1975). This species is also distributed in India (Assam), Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Cambodia and Malaysia. Until recently, only one aberration and three subspecies had been described, in addition to the nominative subspecies. The aberration is E. gracillicornis ab. cinctus Endrödi (Endrödi 1985). The subspecies E. gracillicornis edai Hirasawa was described from the Dawna range, near the central border of Myanmar and …

Nemonychidae And Anthribidae Of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea), Julia Janicki, Daniel K. Young

Insecta Mundi

A statewide survey of Wisconsin’s Nemonychidae and Anthribidae (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) was conducted over one full (2012) and two partial (2011, 2013) fi eld seasons. Specimens were collected using a variety of techniques. Two species of the nemonychid genus Cimberis and 22 species of Anthribidae in 13 genera are now confi rmed. Generic and species-level keys for Wisconsin species are provided along with generic and species diagnoses. Species treatments also include a synonymy, a description, and information on natural history, phenology, distribution and collecting methods. Dorsal and lateral habitus images are also provided for most of the species.

(Download = low-res …

Descripción De Una Nueva Especie Del Genero Tetraleurodes Cockerell (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Y Clave Para Las Especies De México, Oscar Ángel Sánchez-Flores, Vicente Emilio Carapia-Ruiz, Oswaldo García-Martínez, José Angel Villarreal-Quintanilla, Antonio Castillo-Gutiérrez

Insecta Mundi

Se describe con medidas, dibujos e imágenes obtenidas con microscopio compuesto, una nueva especie de mosca blanca, Tetraleurodes dorsibandas Sánchez y Carapia sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) que se encontró alimentándose de Casimiroa edulis (Rutaceae) y Ehretia tinifolia (Boraginaceae) en Morelos y Oaxaca (México), respectivamente. La especie se diferencia de Tetraleurodes perileuca (Cockerell) por tener el raquis en forma de bandas, presentar estructuras en forma de mosaico irregular en la parte media de los segmentos abdominales y la presencia de setas cefálicas. Se proporciona una clave de las especies de México y se enlistan las especies del nuevo mundo.

A …

Comparative Transcriptomics Reveal Developmental Turning Points During Embryogenesis Of A Hemimetabolous Insect, The Damselfly Ischnura Elegans, Sabrina Simon, Sven Sagasser, Edoardo Saccenti, Mercer R. Brugler, M. Eric Schranz, Heike Hadrys, George Amato, Rob Desalle

Publications and Research

Identifying transcriptional changes during embryogenesis is of crucial importance for unravelling evolutionary, molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin patterning and morphogenesis. However, comparative studies focusing on early/embryonic stages during insect development are limited to a few taxa. Drosophila melanogaster is the paradigm for insect development, whereas comparative transcriptomic studies of embryonic stages of hemimetabolous insects are completely lacking. We reconstructed the first comparative transcriptome covering the daily embryonic developmental progression of the blue-tailed damselfly Ischnura elegans (Odonata), an ancient hemimetabolous representative. We identified a “core” set of 6,794 transcripts – shared by all embryonic stages – which are mainly involved …

Description Of A New Nearctic Species Of Tragosoma Audinet-Serville (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), With Species Validations, New Synonymies And A Lectotype Designation, Serge Laplante

Insecta Mundi

Tragosoma soror (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), a new Nearctic species, is described and compared to its North American congeners. Tragosoma harrisii LeConte, revised status, and Tragosoma spiculum Casey, revised status are both resurrected from synonymy and considered valid species distinct from T. depsarium (Linnaeus). The Mexican T. nigripenne Bates is confirmed as a valid species. Tragosoma chiricahuae Linsley, new synonym, is placed in synonymy under T. spiculum Casey, and T. sodale Casey, new synonym, T. parvicolle Casey, new synonym, and T. repens Casey new synonym are placed in synonymy under T. harrisii. Tragosoma repens is …

The Behavior Response Of Antlion Larvae To Alternating Magnetic Fields, Lindsey Wagner, Caleb L. Adams

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Mosquito Ecology, Arbovirus Dynamics, And Control, Cynthia Lord

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Field Evidence Challenges The Often-Presumed Relationship Between Early Male Maturation And Female-Biased Sexual Size Dimorphism, Marie Claire Chelini, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is often considered an epiphenomenon of selection for the increased mating opportunities provided by early male maturation (i.e., protandry). Empirical evidence of the adaptive significance of protandry remains nonetheless fairly scarce. We use field data collected throughout the reproductive season of an SSD crab spider, Mecaphesa celer, to test two hypotheses: Protandry provides fitness benefits to males, leading to female-biased SSD, or protandry is an indirect consequence of selection for small male size/large female size. Using field-collected data, we modeled the probability of mating success for females and males according to their timing of …

Two New Genera And Species Of Tiger Beetles From Baltic Amber (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae), Jürgen Wiesner, Kipling Will, Joachim Schmidt

Insecta Mundi

Two fossil tiger beetle species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Cicindelinae) are described from Eocene Baltic amber using light microscopic and X-ray microscopic techniques. Both species are considered representatives of the subtribe Iresina Rivalier, 1971 due to the shared combination of character states: glabrous head, six labral and four suborbital setae, and glabrous pronotum. Palaeopronyssiformia groehni Wiesner, Will, and Schmidt, new genus, new species, is characterized by a glabrous and furrowed head with six labral setae, large eyes, presence of two supraorbital setae on each side, mandibles with two teeth of the incisor region, and a glabrous and furrowed pronotum. Palaeoiresina cassolai Wiesner, …

First Record Of The Ligurian Leafhopper, Eupteryx Decemnotata Rey (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) In Pennsylvania, Claire Ciafre, Lawrence Barringer

Insecta Mundi

Eupteryx decemnotata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is reported from Pennsylvania for the fi rst time, a new state record.

Biological Aspects And Redescription Of The Weevil Revena Plaumanni Bondar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Marcoandre Savaris, Silvana Lampert, Germano H. Rosado-Neto, Fernando Willyan Trevisan Leivas, Paul Roberto Valle Da Silva Pereira

Insecta Mundi

Redescription of adult and observations of the weevil Revena plaumanni Bondar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), preying on seeds of the palm tree Butia eriospatha (Mart. ex Drude) Becc. (Arecaceae), as well as oviposition and larval behavior, pupation site, and adult emergence are reported for the fi rst time in Brazil. Photos of host plant, immature forms (egg, larva and pupa) and adult are given. Illustrations of male and female genitalia are also provided.

Mitochondrial Phylogenomics Of Hemiptera Reveals Adaptive Innovations Driving The Diversification Of True Bugs, Hu Li, John Moeller Leavengood Jr., Eric G. Chapman, Daniel Burkhardt, Fan Song, Pei Jiang, Jinpeng Liu, Xuguo Zhou, Wanzhi Cai

Entomology Faculty Publications

Hemiptera, the largest non-holometabolous order of insects, represents approximately 7% of metazoan diversity. With extraordinary life histories and highly specialized morphological adaptations, hemipterans have exploited diverse habitats and food sources through approximately 300 Myr of evolution. To elucidate the phylogeny and evolutionary history of Hemiptera, we carried out the most comprehensive mitogenomics analysis on the richest taxon sampling to date covering all the suborders and infraorders, including 34 newly sequenced and 94 published mitogenomes. With optimized branch length and sequence heterogeneity, Bayesian analyses using a site-heterogeneous mixture model resolved the higher-level hemipteran phylogeny as (Sternorrhyncha, (Auchenorrhyncha, (Coleorrhyncha, Heteroptera))). Ancestral character …

Effects Of A Prescribed Burn On The Adult Butterfly Assemblage Of A Coastal Grassland, J. Nicole Desha, Joseph Colbert, Kimberly M. Andrews, Scott Coleman, C. Tate Holbrook

Georgia Journal of Science

Coastal grasslands are globally threatened by development and natural succession. In the southeastern United States, these increasingly rare ecosystems are being managed using prescribed fire, but ecological responses to fire management are largely unknown, particularly among nontargeted species. We tested for short-term effects of controlled burning on the abundance and species richness of adult butterflies, which utilize coastal grasslands for nectaring resources and as migratory stopover sites. In February 2015, four plots of coastal grassland on Little St. Simons Island, GA were burned and paired with unburned (control) plots of equal size. Throughout the following summer-fall flight season, we conducted …

Six New Species And A New Country Record Of Coleoxestia Aurivillius, 1912 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae), Antonio Santos-Silva, James E. Wappes

Insecta Mundi

Six new species of Coleoxestia Aurivillius, 1912 (Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae, Cerambycini) are described: C. clarkei from Bolivia; C. chemsaki and C. eyai from Peru; C. fragosoi and C. rafaeli from Brazil; and C. hovorei from Ecuador. Coleoxestia rachelae Eya and Chemsak is also newly recorded from Peru (new country record). Dorsal, ventral and lateral illustrations along with illustrations of various other structures are provided for each of the new species. In some cases, existing key couplets by Eya and Chemsak (2005) or Martins and Monné (2005) are modifi ed to help separate a new species from similar existing species. A …

A Fourth Account Of Centipede (Chilopoda) Predation On Bats, T. Todd Lindley, Jesús Molinari, Rowland M. Shelley, Barry N. Steger

Insecta Mundi

With an incident in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, USA, Scolopendra heros Girard (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae) becomes the third centipede species known to prey on bats; S. gigantea Linnaeus and S. viridicornis Newport have been so documented in Venezuela and Brazil, respectively. The Texas predation was interrupted by the predator/prey pair’s falling around 15–20 m from the canyon wall and, perhaps also, by human presence where they landed. The centipede uncoiled and retreated to shelter under a nearby rock and, after initial immobilization, so did the bat.

Con un incidente en Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, Estados Unidos, Scolopendra heros Girard (Chilopoda: …

Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Subfamily Peloniinae Opitz (Coleoptera: Cleroidea: Cleridae). Part Viii. Systematics Of The Checkered Beetle Genus Chariessa Perty, Weston Opitz

Insecta Mundi

The New World genus Chariessa Forster (Coleoptera: Cleroidea: Cleridae) is revised and includes C. catalina Opitz, new species, C. elegans Horn, C. dichroa (LeConte), C. floridana Schaeffer, C. pilosa (Forster), C. texana Wolcott, C. ramicornis Perty, C. vestita (Chevrolat), and C. duponti (Spinola). Enoplium pilosa var. marginata Say is synonymized with Chariessa pilosa Forster. Lectotypes are designated for C. pilosa (Forster), C. ramicornis Perty, and C. vestita (Chevrolat). Available information indicates that Chariessa adult and immature individuals are predatory on lignicolous insects with a particular affinity for cerambycids and buprestids that infest species of oak. It is postulated …

A Contribution On The Neglected Milliped Genus Apheloria Chamberlin 1921 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae/-Inae: Apheloriini): Neotype Designation And Description Of Julus Virginiensis Drury 1770., Rowland M. Shelley, Gary Phillips, Jamie M. Smith

Insecta Mundi

A trimaculate male of the diplopod genus Apheloria Chamberlin (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae/-inae: Apheloriini) from 1.3 km (0.8 mi) west of McKenney, Dinwiddie County (Co.), Virginia, is designated the Neotype of Julus virginiensis Drury 1770, thereby stabilizing the earliest name for a North American milliped and authenticating its prior assignment to this taxon. The existing concept of Apheloria is accepted in the absence of a revisionary treatment, and a modern description of A. v. virginiensis with gonopod drawings and color photos is provided. Drury’s original account and his letter to the Virginian who sent him the original specimens are quoted verbatim to …

A Revision Of Phlegoninae (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae), With Descriptions Of A New Genus And Four New Species, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

A primitive subfamily of false click beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Phlegoninae) distributed primarily in the Neotropical region is revised. Euryphlegon gen. nov. is described from Belize in Central America. New species include: Phlegon chiriquiensis sp. nov. (Panama), Phlegon panamensis sp. nov. (Panama), Euryphlegon jacqueschassaini sp. nov. (Panama) and Euryphlegon parallelus sp. nov. (Belize). Phlegon herculeanus (Lacordaire) stat. res. is resurrected from synonymy with Phlegon buqueti Laporte. One new combination is proposed: Euryphlegon degallieri (Muona) (Phlegon). Based on a number of observed external character traits, Euryphlegon is placed in Orodotini Muona, 1993 within Macraulacinae Fleutiaux, 1922. …

Description Of A New Genus Of Primitive Ants From Canadian Amber, With The Study Of Relationships Between Stem- And Crown-Group Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Leonid H. Borysenko

Insecta Mundi

A detailed study of the holotype of Sphecomyrma canadensis Wilson, 1985 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Canadian amber has led to the conclusion that the specimen belongs to a new genus, here named Boltonimecia gen.n. Since the taxonomy of stem-group ants is not well understood, in order to find the taxonomic position of this genus, it is necessary to review the classification of stem-group ants in a study of their relation to crown-group ants. In the absence of data for traditional taxonomic approaches, a statistical study was done based on a morphometric analysis of antennae. Scape elongation is believed to play an …

Review Of Carelli, A., And M.L. Monné, 2015. Taxonomic Revision Of Phygopoda Thomson, 1864 And Pseudophygopoda Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2007 (Insecta: Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Robin O. S. Clarke

Insecta Mundi

The taxonomic history of the rhinotragine genera Phygopoda Thomson, 1864 and Pseudophygopoda Tavakilian and Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2007 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) are discussed, and evidence is presented to suggest that some recent taxonomic changes made by Carelli and Monné (2015) were unjustified. Consequently, Phygopoda nigritarsis Gounelle, 1911 is moved to the genus Neophygopoda Melzer, 1933, creating the new combination Neophygopoda nigritarsis, the genera Panamapoda Clarke, 2014 and Paraphygopoda Clarke, 2014 are revalidated, and the species Paraphygopoda viridimicans (Fisher, 1952) and Paraphygopoda nappae Clarke, 2014 are also revalidated.

The Interommatidial Bristle Variability Of Diptera, Kimberly Palmer

Honors College Theses

Insects of the order Diptera are a popular biological model for understanding morphological trait evolution. One area of particular interest is the development of the compound eyes. While the development of ommatidia and photoreceptors has been thoroughly studied in this case, little attention has been paid to the interommatidial bristles (IOBs) present on the eyes of some dipteran families. A preliminary survey suggested that these bristles exhibit high variability among IOB families on multiple taxonomic levels and are not uniformly present or absent in any suborder of the Diptera. To confirm this observation, I conducted a literature search to …

Natural Enemies Partially Compensate For Warming Induced Excess Herbivory In An Organic Growth System, Orsolya Beleznai, Jamin Dreyer, Zoltán Tóth, Ferenc Samu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Predators can limit prey abundance and/or levels of activity. The magnitudes of these effects are contingent on predator and prey traits that may change with environmental conditions. Aberrant thermal regimes could disrupt pest suppression through asymmetric effects, e.g. heat-sensitive predator vs. heat-tolerant prey. To explore potential effects of warming on suppressing pests and controlling herbivory in a vegetable crop, we performed laboratory experiments exposing an important pest species to two spider predator species at different temperatures. Heat tolerance was characterised by the critical thermal maxima parameter (CTM50) of the cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata), wolf spider (Tigrosa helluo …

Life-Shortening Wolbachia Infection Reduces Population Growth Of Aedes Aegypti, Eunho Suh, David R. Mercer, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

Wolbachia bacteria are being introduced into natural populations of vector mosquitoes, with the goal of reducing the transmission of human diseases such as Zika and dengue fever. The successful establishment of Wolbachia infection is largely dependent on the effects of Wolbachia infection to host fitness, but the effects of Wolbachia infection on the individual life-history traits of immature mosquitoes can vary. Here, the effects of life-shortening Wolbachia (wMelPop) on population growth of infected individuals were evaluated by measuring larval survival, developmental time and adult size of Aedes aegypti in intra- (infected or uninfected only) and inter-group (mixed with …

Onciderini Thomson, 1860 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) Types Of The Museum Of Comparative Zoology (Mcz), With A Brief History Of The Coleoptera Collection, Eugenio H. Nearns, Gareth S. Powell

Insecta Mundi

The primary types of Onciderini Thomson, 1860 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), Harvard University, are catalogued and illustrated. Data on the original combination, current name, gender, and type locality are verified and presented. There are 19 primary types of Onciderini including seven in Oncideres Lacordaire, 1830; two in Hesychotypa Thomson, 1868; and two in Hypsioma Audinet- Serville, 1835. Of the 19 primary types, 18 were described by L. S. Dillon and E. S. Dillon. A brief history of the Coleoptera collection at the MCZ is also presented.

New Anthophilous Host Associations For Adult Acmaeodera Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Species From The Western United States And Texas, Richard L. Westcott, Delbert A. La Rue

Insecta Mundi

New anthophilous host associations are presented for adults of 42 species and two subspecies in the buprestid genus Acmaeodera Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), mostly from Arizona and Nevada. Acmaeodera reflexa Barr is reported for the fi rst time from Arizona.

Una Nueva Especie Del Género Eugnosta Hübner, De Chile (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Danilo E. Cepeda

Insecta Mundi

Una nueva especie del género Eugnosta Hübner, E. lankinae n.sp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), es descrita para la Provincia de Elqui, Chile. Se entregan los caracteres morfológicos del adulto y las fi guras de la genitalia masculina. Además se discute su posición sistemática con dos especies congéneres Neotropicales.

A new species of the genus Eugnosta Hübner, E. lankinae n.sp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is described from the Elqui Province in Chile. Male adult morphology, including genitalia, are fi gured. The systematic position in relation to two closely related Neotropical species is discussed.

A New Species Of Dipropus Germar (Coleoptera: Elateridae) From Florida, With Taxonomic And Morphological Notes And A New Key To The Species Of The Eastern United States, Blaine Mathison, Paul J. Johnson

Insecta Mundi

Dipropus tequesta Johnson new species (Coleoptera: Elateridae) is described from southern Florida. Dipropus fuscus (LeConte) is a new synonym of D. soleatus (Say), and D. granosus (Fall) is a new synonym of D. asper (LeConte). The flightless female of D. asper is described and provides the first report of brachyptery and endogean habits in Dipropus. A key to the species of the eastern United States and a new checklist of species for the country are provided.

Review Of The Sub-Saharan Africa Species Of Dignomus And Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Bostrichoids (Coleoptera: Bostrichoidea: Ptinidae), Amelia Lesbeth Smith

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nine described species of Dignomus Wollaston, 1862. Study and dissection of specimens has led me to the hypothesis that there are nine undocumented species in this region. Descriptions and images of the new species are presented and discussed, along with a compiled list of all described species from the Sub- Saharan region. The probable biology as geographic distributions for members of the genus are also given.

Additionally, a phylogenetic analysis of 95 species of bostrichoids using CO1 molecular data was done with a focus on the origins of Dignomus and Pseudomezium. parsimony and bayesian analyses …