Entomology Commons^™

Subspecific Designation For The Central Appalachian Mountains Population Of Argynnis (Speyeria) Atlantis (W. H. Edwards), Harry Pavulaan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The population of Argynnis atlantis of the central Appalachian Mountains, primarily on the Allegheny Plateau of West Virginia, has long been recognized by entomologists in the eastern United States as distinct from nominotypical populations of A. atlantis in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Larger size is often cited, but actual comparison of wing markings has not been done to date. This study applies RGB color analysis on a series of adults from both regions and looks at potential differences in wing markings which may distinguish them.

Erratum To Leblanc (2022): The Dacine Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) Of Oceania, Luc Leblanc

Insecta Mundi

After publication of Leblanc (2022), it was noticed that the wrong graph was used for the mean (±SE) daily captures of Dacus perpusillus (Drew) in cue-lure traps (Fig. 135). The author and the Insecta Mundi editorial staff apologize for this error. The intended version of Figure 135 is reproduced here. Insecta Mundi has also released a revised version of the Leblanc (2022) manuscript, with this error corrected. However, the revised version is not an official peer-reviewed article, and anyone wishing to reference the findings of Leblanc (2022) should cite the original manuscript or this erratum.

Revision Of Aneflomorpha Casey And Neaneflus Linsley (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Of The United States With An Illustrated Key To Species, Steven W. Lingafelter

Insecta Mundi

This paper presents a taxonomic review of the genus Boreocanthon Halffter, restored generic sta­tus, a group of ball-rolling (telocoprid) dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) endemic to North America. The genus, heretofore treated as a subgenus of Canthon, comprises 13 species, each keyed, diagnosed, illustrated and presented with information on distribution, relationships, and biology (*signifies restored generic combination): *Boreocanthon ateuchiceps (Bates, 1887); B. coahuilensis (Howden, 1966); *B. depressipennis (LeConte, 1859c); *B. ebenus (Say, 1823); *B. forreri (Bates, 1887); *B. integricollis (Schaef­fer, 1915); *B. lecontei (Harold, 1868); …

Review Of The Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) Of North America And The West Indies With Descriptions Of Two New Species Of Cybocephalus Erichson, Trevor Randall Smith

Insecta Mundi

The nineteen species of Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) occurring in North America and the West Indies (including Trinidad) are listed and keyed. Cybocephalus skelleyi new species and Cybocephalus edmondsoni new species are described, and Cybocephalus carrabeus T. R. Smith is found to be a new syn­onym of Cybocephalus geoffereysmithi T. R. Smith. Illustrations of morphological features, including detailed drawings of male genitalia, host records and distribution data, are provided.

The Referential Abbreviations Used By Linnaeus And Other Authors From 1758 Through 1779 For Describing Species Of Scarabaeoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera), Auke J. Hielkema

Insecta Mundi

A list of abbreviations regarding literature, collections and persons as used by early authors (1758–1779) of scarabaeoid beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) is given together with modern referrals to the Literature Cited. Notes regarding referential errors are included. Hyperlinks to all mentioned and freely online available publications are provided.

The Dacine Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) Of Oceania, Luc Leblanc

Insecta Mundi

A key, an annotated checklist with detailed distribution, biological and host information, and color photographic plates are provided for the 91 species of dacine fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacini) known to occur in Oceania. Dacus virgatus Coquillett, previously a synonym of Bactrocera psidii (Froggatt), is in­stead considered a junior synonym of B. facialis (Coquillett). The species originally described in 1971 as Dacus (Asiadacus) perpusillus Drew, later reassigned as Bactrocera (Sinodacus) perpusilla (Drew) and in re­cent years as Zeugodacus (Sinodacus) perpusillus (Drew) actually belongs to genus Dacus, and is transferred back to Dacus, …

The Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Ant-Mediated Seed Dispersal In Missouri, Eva M. Colberg

Dissertations

Many aspects of animal-mediated seed dispersal are vulnerable to disturbance, including partner identity and dispersal quantity and quality. This dissertation explores ant-mediated seed dispersal of the herb Sanguinaria canadensis in Missouri Ozark oak forests, where prescribed fire is a common land management tool. In Chapter 1, I test the definition of a keystone seed disperser using absolute and relative contributions of different ant species to the quantity and distance of seed dispersal, based on field observations of S. canadensis seed dispersal. I demonstrate that the ant Aphaenogaster rudis is better described as a numerically dominant rather than keystone seed disperser, …

Effects Of Mass Death On Community Structure And Ecosystem Function, Abby Kimpton Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Death and decomposition are natural processes that are generally well-understood. However, large events of death, such as mass mortality events (MMEs) are increasing in frequency and their impacts on the ecosystem are largely unknown. These events may have both bottom-up effects from increased nutrient input as well as top-down effects from loss of an ecological functional group by the affected population. Different functional MMEs may result in different top-down effects, creating cascading effects. In Chapter 1, I test the hypothesis that scavenger and herbivore simulated MMEs generate novel bottom-up and top-down effects. Results indicate that MMEs have a significant effect …

Description, Diversity, And Phylogeography Of The North American Spider Beetle (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) Genus Coleotestudo, Robert Chambliss

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

A new genus, Coleotestudo, is proposed for the American species currently placed in the genus Niptus LeConte and are transferred herein. Two new species from Mexico are also described as C. potosi n. sp. and C. nahua n. sp. Distinguishing morphological characteristics for the North American Coleotestudo species are given. The combined set of morphological evidence, DNA sequence data, and a Western New World distribution strongly support the hypothesis that Coleotestudo does not share a recent common ancestor with N. hololeucus and both represent unrelated clades of spider beetles.

During the summer of 2021, Coleotestudo was collected mainly from …

A Review Of Host Plants For The Tortricid Tribe Grapholitini, With A Synopsis Of Host Utilization By Genus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), John W. Brown

Insecta Mundi

A database of larval host plants for the tortricid tribe Grapholitini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Ole­threutinae) is presented, and larval hosts are summarized for each genus. Food plants have been reported for over 400 of the approximately 1,644 described species of Grapholitini. Of the 81 genera currently as­signed to the tribe, at least one larval host has been reported for 51. Ninety-seven different plant families have been reported at least once for a species of Grapholitini, with the greatest number of grapholitines recorded from Fabaceae (168 species), followed by Fagaceae (43 species), Pinaceae (43), Sapindaceae (36), Rosaceae (30), Asteraceae (30), Euphorbiaceae (15), …

Synopsis Of The Tribe Amarotypini In New Zealand (Coleoptera: Carabidae), André Larochelle, Marie-Claude Larivière

Insecta Mundi

The tribe Amarotypini (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Migadopinae) is revised for New Zealand. Three genera and fourteen species are recognized.

Two genera and thirteen species are described as new: Amarophilus Larochelle and Larivière new genus, Amarophilus lomondensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarophilus otagoensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarophilus rotundicollis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarophilus wanakensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus fiordlandensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus glasgowensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus murchisonorum Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus simoninensis Larochelle and Larivière new species, Amarotypus takaheensis …

Whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Intercepted On Plant Product Imported To South Korea From 2013–2021, Suhyeon Lee, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

Current globalization and technological progress has facilitated and increased the international trade of plant products worldwide and has promoted the long-distance movement of immobile sucking pests such as whiteflies attached on plants. Therefore, being able to compile and update information on intercepted insect pests will help to improve the inspection procedures, to detect, identify and mitigate the damage caused by exotic invasive pests. Records of whiteflies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) intercepted on import plants from 2013 to 2021 in the Pest Information System (PIS) database of South Korea were analyzed. A total of 32 species belonging to 19 genera were intercepted on …

New Records Of Invasive Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Garlic Mustard In The Usa, Doris Lagos-Kutz, Rebecah Troutman, Glen L. Hartman

Insecta Mundi

Lipaphis alliariae Müller (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was identified from specimens collected in Lake County, Ohio, on the invasive garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (Brassicaceae). The identification was performed on apterous viviparae using morphological and molecular data. Body color and shape of the cauda discriminated L. alliariae and L. pseudobrassicae Davis. Measurements of morphological characters of both species were similar, but they have distinct characters distinguishing them from L. erysimi Kaltenbach. Neighbor-joining analysis of cytochrome oxidase 1 (Cox1) barcoding indicated a close relation­ship of the aphids that feed on Brassicaceae, and the range of pair-wise distances for Cox1 barcoding …

Natural History Of Cassida Sphaerula Boheman, 1854 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Cassidini) On Arctotheca Prostrata (Salisb.) Britten (Asteraceae: Arctotidinae) In South Africa, With A Checklist Of South African Cassidinae (Leaf-Mining And Tortoise Beetles), Sally Adam, Mariana Campos, Hugh D.C. Heron, C. L. Staines, Rob Westerduijn, Caroline Simmrita Chaboo

Insecta Mundi

The tortoise beetle, Cassida sphaerula Boheman, 1854 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Cassidini) is endemic to South Africa. Its endemic host, Arctotheca prostrata (Salisb.) Britten (Asteraceae) has been introduced in other countries where it is becoming invasive. Cassida sphaerula could provide a potential biocontrol of Arctotheca weeds as it spends the entire life cycle on this host. An intensive field study, with rearing, photography, and short films of C. sphaerula was conducted in its native habitat to document the life cycle. A checklist of Cassidinae genera in South Africa, along with 19 new host records for Cassidini species in South Africa are …

A New Phyllophaga (Listrochelus) Timida Group Species From Baja California Sur (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), William B. Warner

Insecta Mundi

Phyllophaga (Listrochelus) baja, new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), is de­scribed and illustrated. Its relationship to other species in the “timida group” is discussed.

Morón (2002) reviewed the Phyllophaga Harris (Listrochelus Blanchard) species near P. timida (Horn) and included a key to the eight known species of the “timida group.” Many species in this group are difficult to dis­tinguish from one another via external characters; however, the male genital shape is diagnostic for each. Here I describe a new species from Baja California Sur, Mexico, that falls within that group.

Bee Brains: Dissecting Pollinator Behavior And The Importance Of Plasticity In The Face Of Changing Environments, Rachel Brant

Dissertations

All organisms face environmental variability, and much of contemporary biological research aims to understand the mechanisms allowing organisms to adapt and survive in the face of change. Animals residing in urban habitats face particularly high levels of unpredictability and environmental fluctuation due to changes based upon human desire. Though urban areas are considered relatively novel habitats, numerous species have adapted to city life, mediated through behavioral and physiological plasticity. Native bee species show particularly high species richness and abundance in urban settings, but the mechanisms driving this pattern are poorly understood. In this dissertation, I explore how bees employ plasticity …

Origins Of High Latitude Introductions Of Aedes Aegypti To Nebraska And Utah During 2019, Andrea Gloria-Soria, Ary Faraji, Jeff Hamik, Gregory White, Shanon Amsberry, Matthew Donahue, Bryan Buss, Evlyn Pless, Luciano Veiga Cosme, Jeffrey R. Powell

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Aedes aegypti (L.), the yellow fever mosquito, is also an important vector of dengue and Zika viruses, and an invasive species in North America. Aedes aegypti inhabits tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world and in North America is primarily distributed throughout the southern United States states and Mexico. The northern range of Ae. aegypti is limited by cold winter months and establishment in these areas has been mostly unsuccessful. However, frequent introductions of Ae. aegypti to temperate, non-endemic areas during the warmer months can lead to seasonal activity and disease outbreaks. Two Ae. aegypti incursions were …

New Species, New Synonymies, A New Rank, And New Records In Desmiphorini, Saperdini, And Hemilophini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae), Antonio Santos-Silva, Robert A. Androw

Insecta Mundi

New information is presented for Neotropical Cerambycidae (Coleoptera). Dolichestola vittipennis Breuning, 1948 is synonymized with D. annulicornis Breuning, 1942, and the species is newly recorded from the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Dolichestola densepunctata Breuning, 1942 is newly recorded from Venezuela and Brazil, and the difference between it and D. annulicornis is reported. Mecas skillmani Santos-Silva and Androw, new species, is described from Mexico (Jalisco). Pannychella callicera (Bates, 1881) is illustrated, and notes on the genus and species are provided. Pannychis Thomson, 1864 is considered a genus different from Mecas LeConte, 1852, and notes on the genus …

A New Species Of Epeolus Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) From Western North America, Thomas M. Onuferko, Cory S. Sheffield

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Epeolus Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apidae)—E. emiliae Onuferko and Shef­field, new species—is described from North America west of the Great Plains. It is morphologically most similar to Epeolus autumnalis Robertson, 1902, a species known exclusively from east of the Rocky Moun­tains. DNA barcode sequences from representatives of E. autumnalis and E. emiliae share a barcode index number (i.e., BIN: BOLD:AAF2361), but the two species exhibit marked and consistent differences in integu­ment coloration and the patterns of pubescence on the metasoma, and their distributional ranges, based on known specimens, show no overlap. This discovery increases …

A New Species Of Neostenoptera Meunier (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Winnertziinae) From Hawai‘I, John D. Plakidas, Nhu H. Nguyen, Michael L. Ferro

Insecta Mundi

A new paedogenetic midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Winnertziinae: Heteropezini) from O‘ahu Island, Hawai‘i, Neostenoptera hawaiiensis Plakidas, Nguyen, and Ferro, new species, is described and illus­trated. A key to all species in the genus is provided. Specimens were emergent from deadwood gathered at Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Neostenoptera appalachiensis Plakidas and Ferro were collected from the same set of samples in Hawai‘i, and additional specimens are reported from Georgia and South Carolina, three new state records. The discovery of two paedogenetic midges in Hawai‘i poses a unique set of questions as to their possible mode of arrival on an …

Three New Species Of Cautethia Grote (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) From The Lucayan Archipelago And Keys To West Indies Species, Jacqueline Y. Miller, Deborah L. Matthews, Riley J. Gott

Insecta Mundi

. Five species of Cautethia Grote (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) occur in the Lucayan (Bahamas) Archipelago, three of which are new to science. Cautethia simoni Miller, Matthews, and Gott, new species, is described and illustrated from Mayaguana Island, Bahamas, and Providenciales and Grand Turk of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Cautethia gossi Miller, Matthews, and Gott, new species, is described and illustrated from Great Inagua, Bahamas. Cautethia geraceorum Miller, Matthews, and Gott, new species, is described from San Salvador Island. Diagnoses are provided and new island records are reported for the two previously described Bahamas species, Cautethia grotei Edwards …

Tomoxia Bucephala A. Costa (Coleoptera: Mordellidae), A Palearctic Tumbling Flower Beetle Established In North America, R. F. C. Naczi, Robert A. Androw, John Rosenfeld

Insecta Mundi

Tomoxia bucephala A. Costa (Coleoptera: Mordellidae), a Palearctic tumbling flower beetle native to Europe, Asia, and northernmost Africa, is now known from North America. The first known occurrences were in 2015 in Essex and Union counties, New Jersey, U.S.A. and in 2019 in Passaic County, New Jersey, all in the New York City metropolitan area. An additional collection documents the species in 2016 from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The multiple occurrences, the large distance between those in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and multiple detections in natural areas indicate T. bucephala is established in North America and …

Disturbance Ecology Of The Sonadora River Rock Pool Insect Assemblage At Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, Patrick Gilkey

Master's Theses

Freshwater rock pools can serve as habitat for aquatic insects. Flash-flooding can have profound effects on insect communities in streams and rivers, but these effects have not been studied on freshwater rock pools. The goal of this thesis was to describe ecological patterns of the Sonadora River rock pool insect community at the Luquillo Experiment Forrest, Puerto Rico, specifically in response to intense flash-flooding, and then perform experiments to elucidate possible processes to explain those patterns. The rock pools contained primarily three taxa of Dipteran (true-fly) larvae, in order of decreasing abundance, 1) a newly discovered species of ceratopogonid (biting …

Wild Bees Respond Differently To Sampling Traps With Vanes Of Different Colors And Light Reflectivity In A Livestock Pasture Ecosystem, Roshani S. Acharya, Joan M. Burke, Timothy Leslie, Kelly Loftin, Neelendra K. Joshi

Entomology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wild bees are important pollinators and monitoring their abundance and diversity is necessary to develop conservation protocols. It is imperative to understand differences in sampling efficiency among different trap types to help guide monitoring efforts. This study used a new vane trap design to collect bees in a livestock pasture ecosystem and examined the impact of six different vane colors on wild bee sampling. We recorded 2230 bees comprising 49 species and five families. The most abundant species were Augochlorella aurata (25.8%), Lasioglossum disparile (18.3%), Lasioglossum imitatum (10.85%), Agapostemon texanus (10.8%), Melissodes vernoniae (9.9%) and Halictus ligatus (4.7%). Traps with …

First Host Record For The Spider Wasp Cryptocheilus Severini Banks (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West, James P. Pitts, Cecilia Waichert

Insecta Mundi

The first host record for the North American spider wasp Cryptocheilus severini Banks (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México is introduced with pertinent observation information. The genus Cryptocheilus Panzer in North America is briefly described, its nesting habitat and prey transport outlined, and host specificity detailed.

The genus Cryptocheilus Panzer (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) comprises medium to rather large species of average stoutness (Townes 1957). The six Nearctic species of Cryptocheilus are all closely related (Townes 1957). In the Old World this genus is much richer, with 24 species and structural diversity that can present problems in identification from other …

Elevated Substitution Rates Among Wolbachia-Infected Mosquito Species Results In Apparent Phylogenetic Discordance., James E. Russell, Michael Saum, Rebekah Williams

Georgia Journal of Science

As one of the most widely distributed bacterial cytoplasmic symbionts on earth, Wolbachia pipientis Hertig serves as a model organism for the understanding of host-symbiont interactions. Many mosquito species are infected with Wolbachia strains that induce a form of reproductive manipulation called cytoplasmic incompatibility, in which infected females gain a reproductive advantage over uninfected females in mixed infection populations. The selective advantage of cytoplasmic incompatibility often results in a population sweep of Wolbachia and co-transmitted mitochondrial genomes. Mitochondrial evolution and phylogenetic inferences drawn from mitochondrial gene sequences are thus potentially compromised by reproductive manipulating symbionts, like Wolbachia. Our initial …

Sodium Mediates Developmentally Plastic Responses In Plants And Herbivores, Luis Santiago-Rosario

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sodium plays a crucial role in organismal performance, trophic-level interactions, and eco-evolutionary dynamics. For plants, sodium impacts osmoregulation, growth, and water uptake. For animals, sodium is essential influencing osmoregulatory processes, muscle and neural development, and blood regulation. My dissertation aims to disentangle why sodium mismatch affects resource-consumer interactions and its influence on morphological and behavioral plasticity. First, I identified how sodium impacts plant performance and sodium accumulation strategies. I initially focused my research on understanding how increasing substrate sodium affects plant growth and tissue sodium accumulation strategies in controlled settings using a systematic review approach. I found that saltier plants …

Understanding How Whole Genome Duplication In Plants Impacts Herbivore-Plant Interactions, Anne Curé

Dissertations - ALL

Herbivory by insect herbivores is a strong selective force in many communities. Although herbivore-plant interactions have been a focus of interest for decades, we are still exploring how large-scale genetic changes in the host plant alters their interactions with insect herbivores. One such prevalent change in plants is whole-genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidy, but we are still learning how WGD affects ecological interactions. In particular, studies of herbivory on polyploids have primarily focused on established polyploid plant populations. Although this approach has yielded exciting results that suggest WGD affects insect herbivores feeding on polyploids, this approach also confounds the effects …

Investigation Of Dna Variability And Phylogenetic Relationships Of Perlesta (Plecoptera: Perlidae) In Mississippi, James C. Valentine, Mac H. Alford

Master's Theses

The genus Perlesta Banks, 1906 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) consists of 35 species, 33 native to the United States and Canada and two native to China. For over a century these small, brown stonefly adults and freckled yellow nymphs have gone by the name of the type species of the genus, Perlesta placida, but taxonomic work in the genus since 1989 has resulted in the recognition of additional species. These species were mostly recognized and described using morphological characteristics, but two areas that are lacking include (1) linking nymphs to adults and (2) phylogenetic analysis of all species occurring in Mississippi …

Trophish: Building A Global Database Of Freshwater Trophic Interactions, Jacob M. Ridgway

Honors Thesis

Freshwater management and research frequently use the trophic data of freshwater fishes. Despite this fact, it is difficult to perform a simple search of dietary information for any one fish species. FishBase represents, to our knowledge, the largest compilation of freshwater dietary information to date. However, it excludes a large portion of the ecological literature due to its development taking place prior to the creation of most modern scientific search engines. Our project (TroPhish) is building upon FishBase by digitizing approximately 130 years of data from the fish predation literature. Data from the primary and grey (e.g. theses, dissertations, reports) …