Entomology Commons^™

Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) Found On Dracaena And Ficus Plants (Asparagales: Asparagaceae, Rosales: Moraceae) From Southeastern Asia, Soo-Jung Suh, Khanxay Bombay

Insecta Mundi

A collaborative survey of the scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) found on dracaena and ficus plants in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam conducted in 2015 identified 49 species of scale insects belonging to 36 genera in six families (25 species on dracaena, 42 species on ficus). Of the species of scale insects that have been reported on dracaena and ficus plants in southeastern Asia in the ScaleNet database (Ben-Dov et al. 2015), 32% and 17% were species collected in this survey, respectively. Twenty-three species (47%) of scale insects have been intercepted at Korean ports of entry on imported dracaena and ficus …

A Review Of New World Laemophloeus Dejean (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae): 3. Nearctic Species, Michael C. Thomas

Insecta Mundi

The nine Nearctic species of Laemophloeus Dejean (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae) are reviewed, keyed, and illustrated. One species, L. apache Thomas, n. sp., is described as new. Two previously described species are synonymized: L. californicus Casey (= L. biguttatus (Say), n. syn.) and L. woodruffi Thomas (= L. fervidus Casey, n. syn.). A neotype is designated for L. biguttatus (Say), and lectotypes are designated for L. terminalis Casey and L. fervidus Casey. A checklist of the described world species is provided.

Bolivian Cerambycinae: New Anthophilous Species (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Robin O. S. Clarke

Insecta Mundi

New species of anthophilous Cerambycinae (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) are described from Bolivia: Molorchini, Merionoedopsis zamalloae sp. nov.; Heteropsini, Chrysoprasis azurearegina sp. nov., and C. maryhowardae sp. nov.; Rhopalophorini, Dihammaphora densiserrata sp. nov., D. dilmanappae sp. nov., D. espinotibia sp. nov., D. fosterorum sp. nov., D. paraperforata sp. nov., D. pilcomayoensis sp. nov., and Rhopalophora santacruzensis sp. nov. All species are illustrated and host flower records are provided.

Two New Species Of Corimbion Martins From Bolivia (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Neoibidionini), Antonio Santos-Silva, Maria Helena M. Galileo, James E. Wappes

Insecta Mundi

Two new species of Corimbion Martins, 1970 are described from Bolivia: Corimbion kuckartzi and Corimbion ledezmae. A previous key to the South American species of Corimbion (Martins 2009) is herein modified to include the new species. Dorsal, ventral and lateral habitus illustrations, as well as variation in color and dorsal pattern for C. kuckartzi, are also presented.

A New Species Of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae) From Chiapas, Mexico, Norman E. Woodley

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Paraberismyia Woodley (Diptera, Stratiomyidae, Beridinae), P. imitator, n. sp., is described from Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is compared to previously described species and diagnostic notes are presented for separation of Paraberismyia from Berismyia Giglio-Tos.

Speed And Resolution In The Age Of Technological Reproducibility, Shawn Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The rate of acceleration of the biologic and synthetic world has for a while now, been in the process of exponentially speeding up, maxing out servers and landfills, merging with each other, destroying each other. The last prehistoric relics on Earth are absorbing the same oxygen, carbon dioxide and electronic waves in our biosphere as us. A degraded .jpeg enlarged to full screen on a Samsung 4K UHD HU8550 Series Smart TV - 85” Class (84.5” diag.). Within this composite ecology, the ancient limestone of the grand canyon competes with the iMax movie of itself, the production of Mac pros, …

Habitat Eradication And Cropland Intensification May Reduce Parasitoid Diversity And Natural Pest Control Services In Annual Crop Fields, D. K. Letourneau, Sara G. Bothwell Allen, Robert R. Kula, Michael J. Sharkey, John O. Stireman Iii

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

California’s central coast differs from many agricultural areas in the U.S., which feature large tracts of monoculture production fields and relatively simple landscapes. Known as the nation’s salad bowl, and producing up to 90% of U.S. production of lettuces, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, this region is a mosaic of fresh vegetable fields, coastal meadow, chaparral shrubs, riparian and woodland habitat. We tested for relationships between the percent cover of crops, riparian and other natural landscape vegetation and the species richness of parasitic wasps and flies foraging in crops, such as broccoli, kale and cauliflower, and interpreted our results with respect …

Continuing Progress Towards A Phylogeny Of Tachinidae, John O. Stireman Iii, James E. O'Hara, John K. Moulton, Pierfilippo Cerretti, Isaac S. Winkler, Jeremy D. Blaschke, Z. L. Burington

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Readers of this newsletter are likely familiar with our ongoing project to establish a framework phylogeny of world Tachinidae (see articles in The Tachinid Times 26 and 27). This collaborative project, involving myself, Jim O’Hara, Kevin Moulton, Pierfilippo Cerretti, Isaac Winkler and a long list of collaborating tachinidophiles was initiated in 2012 with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation. Our goal is to produce a robust phylogenetic framework of Tachinidae that can be used to inform tachinid taxonomy, systematics research, and the patterns of tachinid evolution. In previous issues of The Tachinid Times we summarized our progress to date …

The Impacts Of Water Availability On Macroinvertebrate, Ector Matias Martell

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In many regions around the world climate is changing and biotic communities are changing with it. In areas like the southwestern U.S., drought is one of the major sources of disturbance. Although droughts are an integral part of the natural hydrological cycles, they can have devastating effects on freshwater ecosystems when disrupted by extended periods of drought, resulting in changes to the structure and function of biotic communities. In this study, we surveyed four streams in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico from 2010 to 2014: Agua Chiquita, Rio Peñasco, Wills Creek, and the Sacramento River; These years encompassed an …

The Complexities Of Female Mate Choice And Male Polymorphisms: Elucidating The Role Of Genetics, Age, And Mate-Choice Copying, Kasey D. Fowler-Finn, Laura Sullivan-Beckers, Amy M. Runck, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Genetic, life history, and environmental factors dictate patterns of variation in sexual traits within and across populations, and thus the action and outcome of sexual selection. This study explores patterns of inheritance, diet, age, and mate-choice copying on the expression of male sexual signals and associated female mate choice in a phenotypically diverse group of Schizocosa wolf spiders. Focal spiders exhibit one of two male phenotypes: ‘ornamented’ males possess large black brushes on their forelegs, and ‘non-ornamented’ males possess no brushes. Using a quantitative genetics breeding design in a mixed population of ornamented/non-ornamented males, we found a strong genetic basis …

Octopamine Levels Relate To Male Mating Tactic Expression In The Wolf Spider Rabidosa Punctulata, Eileen A. Hebets, Matthew Hansen, Thomas C. Jones, Dustin J. Wilgers

Eileen Hebets Publications

In the wolf spider Rabidosa punctulata, upon encountering a female, males use one of two distinct strategies: (1) they court the female in an attempt to elicit a mating, or (2) they engage in a direct-mount tactic that involves extensive grappling with the female until a mating is achieved. The latter tactic appears more sexually aggressive, and both tactics come with the risk of being cannibalized. We explored the physiological mechanisms underlying this behavioral variation by assessing the relationship between circulating levels of the biogenic amine octopamine (OA), a neuromodulator suggested to play a role in “fight or flight” responses …

Functional Approach To Condition, Dustin J. Wilgers, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Animal signaling is commonly thought to be costly. Signaling costs can arise via a variety of avenues, including energy expenditure, predator attraction, and so on (reviews in Zuk and Kolluru, 1998; Kotiaho, 2001), and are predicted to increase with signal expression (e.g., size, amplitude, and intensity; Johnstone, 1997). Due to these costs, signaler condition, which is hypothesized to be a reflection of a signaler’s genetic quality, is expected to influence the level of signal expression one can afford (Zahavi, 1975), resulting in a positive correlation between signaler condition and signal expression – that is, condition-dependent signaling (Zahavi, 1977; West-Eberhard, 1979; …

Nutritional Physiology Of Life-History Trade-Offs: How Food Protein–Carbohydrate Content Influences Life-History Traits In The Wing-Polymorphic Cricket Gryllus Firmus, Rebecca M. Clark, Anthony J. Zera, Spencer T. Behmer

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Although life-history trade-offs result from the differential acquisition and allocation of nutritional resources to competing physiological functions, many aspects of this topic remain poorly understood. Wing-polymorphic insects, which possess alternative morphs that trade off allocation to flight capability versus early reproduction, provide a good model system for exploring this topic. In this study, we used the wing-polymorphic cricket Gryllus firmus to test how expression of the flight capability versus reproduction trade-off was modified across a heterogeneous protein–carbohydrate nutritional landscape. Newly molted adult female long- and short-winged crickets were given one of 13 diets with different concentrations and ratios of protein …

Effects Of The Exotic Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis Invicta) On The Growth And Survival Of The Threatened Hooded Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia Minor), Edward Marques

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plants and insects are some of the most biodiverse groups in the world and are constantly interacting. One unique interaction that has been observed occurs between carnivorous plants and insects; some plant species are capable of capturing and digesting insects for nutrients. Despite preying on these insects, there are cases where such interactions can been viewed as mutualistic. For instance, a nectar reward is produced by the plant to attract insects, and during visitation insects may fall prey to these plants. Additionally, carnivorous myrmecophytic plants may receive an added indirect benefit in the form of reduced herbivory, since ants have …

Behavioral Responses Of Male Parasitic Wasps To Plant Cues: A Comparison Of Two Host-Plant Complex Sources Of Cotesia Congregata (Say), Megan Ayers

Theses and Dissertations

Prior exposure to plants cues can enhance assortative mating in insects. We hypothesized that, as previously reported for females, males of Cotesia congregata would display inherent responses to plant cues that could be modified by postemergence experience and further, that males originating from two different host-plant complexes (HPCs) would display different behavioral responses to these HPCs. In no-choice contact assays with a non-host plant, searching responses of males and females increased sharply at Day 2 and remained stable through Day 4. In no-choice assays with potential host plants, males searched longer on catalpa than tobacco; responses were not modified by …

Responses Of The Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia Catalpae, And Its Primary Parasitoid, Cotesia Congregata, To Varying Levels Of Iridoid Glycosides In Catalpa, Jessica L. Bray

Theses and Dissertations

The catalpa sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae, is a specialist on Catalpa trees, which produce iridoid glycosides (IGs). Whereas some trees are defoliated every year, others escape herbivory. Caterpillar populations are either heavily parasitized by the braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata, or remain unparasitized. We hypothesized that these patterns could be explained by variable IG concentrations among trees and insect responses to these chemicals. IG concentrations varied among trees. Percent defoliation was positively related to IG concentration. In comparisons of insect responses to relatively high or low IG concentrations, moths preferred to oviposit on trees with high IG concentrations. Caterpillars did …

Cold Hardiness And Deacclimation Of Overwintering Papilio Zelicaon Pupae, Caroline M. Williams, Nicolai Annegret, Brent J. Sinclair, Laura V. Ferguson, Mark A. Bernards, Jessica J. Hellmann

Biology Publications

Seasonally-acquired cold tolerance can be reversed at warm temperatures, leaving temperate ectotherms vulnerable to cold snaps. However, deacclimation, and its underlying mechanisms, has not been well-explored in insects. Swallowtail butterflies are widely distributed but in some cases their range is limited by low temperature and their cold tolerance is seasonally acquired, implying that they experience mortality resulting from deacclimation. We investigated cold tolerance and hemolymph composition of Anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) pupae during overwintering in the laboratory, and after four days exposure to warm temperatures in spring. Overwintering pupae had supercooling points around − 20.5 °C and survived …

Eight Legged Encounters, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

This program was funded in part by a National Science Foundation grant (DRL–1241482 to EAH). Material was developed in collaboration with Marie- Claire Chelini, Jessie Rose Storz, Cody Storz, and Malcolm Rosenthal. Steven Schwartz, Jason Stafstrom, Kathy French, Priscilla Grew, and Judy Diamond were all extremely helpful in grant writing, facilitating the first live event, and/or discussions. Pawl Tisdale (artist) was phenomenal to work with on all aspects of the project!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CLASSIFICATION & TAXONOMY STATIONS
I. WHAT IS AN ARTHROPOD? page 4 a. The goal of this station is to introduce the audience to some basic information …

Suitability Of Blue Ash (Fraxinus Quadrangulata) And Green Ash (F. Pennsylvanica) To Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis) And Its Larval Parasitoid Tetrastichus Planipennisi., Donnie "L. " Peterson

Open Access Theses

Emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis ) is a primary pest that has killed tens of millions of North American ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. The larval parasitoid Tetrastichus planipennisi was introduced from China as part of a classical biological control program for long-term EAB management. The high mortality rates of ash trees greatly reduce the number of EAB hosts and may make it difficult for parasitoids to persist. However, blue ash ( F. quadrangulata ) is relatively resistant and appears to be able to survive EAB infestation. If natural enemies can attack EAB in infested blue ash they …

Dangerous Mating Systems: Signal Complexity, Signal Content And Neural Capacity In Spiders, Marie E. Herberstein, Anne E. Wignall, Eileen Hebets, Jutta M. Schneider

Eileen Hebets Publications

Spiders are highly efficient predators in possession of exquisite sensory capacities for ambushing prey, combined with machinery for launching rapid and determined attacks. As a consequence, any sexually motivated approach carries a risk of ending up as prey rather than as a mate. Sexual selection has shaped courtship to effectively communicate the presence, identity, motivation and/or quality of potential mates, which help ameliorate these risks. Spiders communicate this information via several sensory channels, including mechanical (e.g. vibrational), visual and/or chemical, with examples of multimodal signaling beginning to emerge in the literature. The diverse environments that spiders inhabit have further shaped …

Multimodal Sensory Reliance In The Nocturnal Homing Of The Amblypygid Phrynus Pseudoparvulus (Class Arachnida, Order Amblypygi)?, Eileen A. Hebets, Alfonso Aceves-Aparicio, Samuel Aguilar-Argüello, Verner P. Bingman, Ignacio Escalante, Eben J. Gering, David R. Nelson, Jennifer Rivera, José Ángel Sánchez-Ruiz, Laura Segura-Hernández, Virginia Settepani, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Jay A. Stafstrom

Eileen Hebets Publications

Like many other nocturnal arthropods, the amblypygid Phrynus pseudoparvulus is capable of homing. The environment through which these predators navigate is a dense and heterogeneous tropical forest understory and the mechanism(s) underlying their putatively complex navigational abilities are presently unknown. This study explores the sensory inputs that might facilitate nocturnal navigation in the amblypygid P. pseudoparvulus. Specifically, we use sensory system manipulations in conjunction with field displacements to examine the potential involvement of multimodal—olfactory and visual—stimuli in P. pseudoparvulus’ homing behavior. In a first experiment, we deprived individuals of their olfactory capacity and displaced them to the opposite side of …

The Role Of Chemical Attractants In The Use Of Tick Traps For Life Stages Of Tick Species Ixodes Scapularis, Dermacentor Variabilis And Amblyomma Maculatum, Pamela C. Kelman

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Amblyomma maculatum, Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis are three of the hard-bodied ticks found in the United States. This study explored three aspects of the appetence process of these tick species: attraction, desiccation survival, and locomotive activity. The first portion of this work was to improve one of the standard methods used for collecting ticks from the environment, the tick trap. To determine the attractants needed to capture all life stages of the three chosen species of ticks in the field using tick traps, a series of experiments were conducted using laboratory-reared larval, nymphal and adult A. maculatum, I. scapularis …

Population And Demographic Structure Of Ixodes Scapularis Say In The Eastern United States., Joyce M. Sakamoto, Jerome Goddard, Jason L. Rasgon

CALS Publications

INTRODUCTION: The most significant vector of tick-borne pathogens in the United States is Ixodes scapularis Say (the blacklegged tick). Previous studies have identified significant genetic, behavioral and morphological differences between northern vs. southern populations of this tick. Because tick-borne pathogens are dependent on their vectors for transmission, a baseline understanding of the vector population structure is crucial to determining the risks and epidemiology of pathogen transmission. METHODS: We investigated population genetic variation of I. scapularis populations in the eastern United States using a multilocus approach. We sequenced and analyzed the mitochondrial COI and 16S genes and three nuclear genes (serpin2, …

Use Of Macroinvertebrates In Bioassessment Of Land Use And Water Quality In Northern Mongolia, Oyunchuluun Yadamsuren

All Dissertations

Land-use practices in Mongolia lead to habitat degradation and consequently affect the structure and function of biological communities. There is no accepted bioassessment technique for determining the ecological consequences of habitat degradation on biological communities and water quality in Mongolia, such that a monitoring and management program suitable for Mongolia is sorely needed. Both a trait-based approach and the North American Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP) metrics were tested with macroinvertebrates to determine the performance and applicability of these approaches for predicting general ecological responses of freshwater and terrestrial communities to habitat variation due to overgrazing and mining in northern Mongolian …

Cercyonis Pegala Agawamensis (Satyridae): A New Butterfly Subspecies From The Coastal Salt Marshes Of The Northeastern United States Of America, Matthew D. Arey, Alex Grkovich

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

A new subspecies of the Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) from the New England coastline in the northeastern region of the United States is described on the basis of phenotype, behavior, habitat, seasonality, flight period, and phenology. Agawamensis is univoltine as in all pegala. The newly described subspecies occurs almost entirely in coastal salt marshes and estuarine meadows, quite atypical as understood for Cercyonis pegala. The newly described subspecies agawamensis predominately prefers and occurs within large open salt marshes but can also be found in similar habitat along smaller tidal rivers, coastal inlets and streams

A Case Of Sympatric Celastrina Ladon (Cramer), Celastrina Lucia (W. Kirby) And Celastrina Neglecta (Edwards) (Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) In Northern Virginia, With Additional Records Of C. Lucia In Virginia, Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

A case of fully sympatric Celastrina ladon, C. lucia, and early spring brood C. neglecta is documented at a site in northern Virginia. Observations indicate that all three species occupy the same habitat, fly during the same flight period and utilize the same hostplant with no evidence of hybridization. C. ladon and C. lucia are obligate univoltines while C. neglecta is multivoltine. A later flight (second brood) of Celastrina neglecta at the same site utilizes eriophyid mite-induced leaf galls on the very same host tree species. Additional Virginia records of C. lucia are documented.

Larval Host Plants Of Enodia Anthedon, Satyrodes Appalachia And S. Eurydice In Vermont, Usa, David J. Hoag

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Field observation and captive rearing was used to clarify larval host plant use in Enodia anthedon, Satyrodes appalachia, and S. eurydice in Vermont, USA. In nature S. appalachia larvae were found on Carex lacustris, C. lupulina, C. gracillima, and C. tuckermanii. Enodia anthedon in nature was found to oviposit on grass and on Carex lacustris. Larvae of E. anthedon were found on C. lacustris and C. lupulina. In captivity, all but two E. anthedon larvae chose Carex over grass. Both E. appalachia and E. anthedon …

Divergent Transcriptional Responses To Low Temperature Among Populations Of Alpine And Lowland Species Of New Zealand Stick Insects (Micrarchus)., Luke T Dunning, Alice B Dennis, Brent J Sinclair, Richard D Newcomb, Thomas R Buckley

Biology Publications

In widespread and genetically structured populations, temperature variation may lead to among-population differentiation of thermal biology. The New Zealand stick insect genus Micrarchus contains four species that inhabit different thermal environments, two of which are geographically widespread. RNA-Seq and quantitative PCR were used to investigate the transcriptional responses to cold shock among lowland and alpine species to identify cold-responsive transcripts that differ between the species and to determine whether there is intraspecific geographical variation in gene expression. We also used mitochondrial DNA, nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA and transcriptome-wide SNPs to determine phylogeographic structure and the potential for differences in genetic …

Obligate Male Death And Sexual Cannibalism In Dark Fishing Spiders, Steven Schwartz, William E. Wagner, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Male dark fishing spiders (Dolomedes tenebrosus Araneae, Pisauridae) always die during their first and only copulation, making all males monogynous. Such obligate male death can be adaptive if it facilitates sexual cannibalism, and if sexual cannibalism results in male reproductive benefits, such as an advantage in sperm competition through reduced female remating. We first conducted an experiment to determine the extent to which D. tenebrosus (1) males are cannibalized by females and (2) females engage in remating, both of which are prerequisites for several adaptive hypotheses of male self-sacrifice. We then conducted an experiment to test the hypothesis that …

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Tree Preference And Intersite Movement At California Overwintering Sites, Jessica Lynn Griffiths

Master's Theses

Managing Monarch butterfly overwintering groves: making room among the eucalyptus

Proper management and conservation of the coastal California overwintering sites used by western Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) is critical for continued use of these sites by monarchs. Many management efforts are currently concentrating on eucalyptus-only sites because of the prevailing notion that monarchs prefer eucalyptus over native tree species. Yet, whether a preference exists or not has never been tested. Herein, we test the “eucalyptus preference” hypothesis with data from five overwintering sites comprised of blue gum eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and at least one other native tree …