Entomology Commons^™

Mating Behaviour, Mate Choice And Female Resistance In The Bean Flower Thrips (Megalurothrips Sjostedti), Adeyemi O. Akinyemi, Sevgan Subramanian, David K. Mfuti, Tom W. Pope, Amanuel Tamiru, William D.J. Kirk

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Many species of thrips (Thysanoptera) in the family Thripidae form mating aggregations, but the adaptive significance of these aggregations and the extent of male and female mate choice is poorly understood. We studied the mating behaviour of the bean flower thrips Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), which forms male aggregations and occurs across sub-Saharan Africa. We tested whether males choose mates by female age or mating status. No-choice mating bioassays with one male and one female were used to simulate the way males usually encounter only one female at a time in aggregations in the field. Virgin females violently resisted …

Response Of Roseau Cane (Phragmites Australis) To Two Biotic Stresses: Hyalopterus Pruni And Bipolaris Yamadae, Heather E. Cizek

LSU Master's Theses

Roseau cane (Phragmites australis) is considered an invasive plant because of its ability to replace native plant species. However, in Louisiana it plays an important role protecting coastal infrastructure and being part of the marsh ecosystem in the lower Mississippi River Delta. In recent years, Roseau cane has been affected by a die-off, a problem that has also been reported in some European countries. Possible biotic and abiotic factors that have been associated with the die-off include scale insects, climate change, pollution, salinity levels, and pathogens.

In this research, the individual and combined effect of a foliar disease …

Lily Leaf Beetle, Ann Mull, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

The lily leaf beetle (LLB) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an important pest from Eurasia that threatens native and cultivated true lilies (Lilium spp.) and fritillaries (Fritillaria spp.). It is also known as the red lily leaf beetle or scarlet lily beetle. LLB was first reported in North America in Montréal, Canada, in 1945 and in the U.S. in 1992 in Massachusetts, likely arriving via European shipments of lily bulbs. LLB has been detected in nine of the 10 Canadian provinces and 14 U.S. states, including the New England states, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Washington (EDDMapS, 2021). Based on LLB’s native distribution …

Nebline, Nov./Dec.2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Holiday Food Tips

Recipes of the Month

Traditions Rituals and Routines During a COVID-19 Holiday Season

Wise Use of Private Water and Wastewater Systems Can Make the Holidays More Peaceful

Dormant Lawn Seeding

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

4-H Thanks 2021 Sponsors

Farmland Trends and Lease Considerations for 2022 Workshop

Upcoming Early Childhood Trainings

Ag Society Annual Election & Meeting

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award, Jamie Wood

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award, Julia Plugge

Slime, Jelly Worms & Goo: Food Science 4-H Workshop, Dec. 4

Finger Knit 4-H Workshop, Dec. 11

2021 4-H Horse Awards Night

4-H Announcements …

Investigating Plant Tolerance For The Management Of Insect Pests In Rice, James Michael Villegas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most destructive and widespread insect pest of rice (Oryza sativa L., Poaceae) in the USA. This insect poses a global threat to rice production, having invaded rice-producing regions of Asia and Europe. Moreover, lepidopteran stemborers, particularly the invasive Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), are increasingly becoming problematic in Louisiana rice. Although insecticidal seed treatments have been widely used against weevils and stemborers, alternative management strategies are needed. Plants possess defense-related traits that both reduce injury from herbivores (resistance) and the amount of yield loss per …

Wildflower Pollen Quality In Roadside Habitats, With Particular Emphasis On Hedera Helix, Aoife Mcmullin, Paul Hamilton

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

The quality of air is of more significance today than ever before. Human population growth and pollutants emitted through fossil fuel consumption put pressures on air quality. It is widely acknowledged that atmospheric pollutants negatively impact human health; the same is also true for the health of wildlife and plants exposed to these pollutants (Brunekreef & Holgate, 2002; EEA, 2019; Schiavoni, et al., 2017). Pollen and seed formation of flowering plants have been affected when grown in areas of poor air quality (Azzazy, 2016; Sénéchal, et al., 2015). The purpose of this research was to assess pollen of …

The Regulation Landscape Of Mapk Signaling Cascade For Thwarting Bacillus Thuringiensis Infection In An Insect Host, Zhaojiang Guo, Shi Kang, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Neil Crickmore, Xuguo Zhou, Alejandra Bravo, Mario Soberón, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Host-pathogen interactions are central components of ecological networks where the MAPK signaling pathways act as central hubs of these complex interactions. We have previously shown that an insect hormone modulated MAPK signaling cascade participates as a general switch to trans-regulate differential expression of diverse midgut genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) to cope with the insecticidal action of Cry1Ac toxin, produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The relationship between topology and functions of this four-tiered phosphorylation signaling cascade, however, is an uncharted territory. Here, we carried out a genome-wide characterization of all the MAPK orthologs …

Nebline, September/October 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Youth Help Celebrate 150 Years of Lancaster County Fair

Farm to School Connections in Lancaster County

Recipe of the Month

Uses of Compost

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

GroBigRed Virtual Learning Series

Medically Important Spiders in Nebraska: The Black Widow and Brown Recluse

Herd Health Vaccinations

4-H Announcements for enrolled 4-H'ers or 4-H volunteers

4-H State Public Speaking Top Results

Eight Lancaster 4-H Clubs Receive Governor’s Ag Excellence Awards

Sam’s Club Donates $1,000 to 4-H Council

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Tim & Jenny Higgins

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: JJ & Amy Frink

Youth Science Day …

Identity And Population Density Of Thrips Hawaiiensis (Insecta: Thysanoptera) In Conventional “Magallanes” Pummelo Orchard In Carmen, Davao Del Norte, Philippines, Roderick Granada, Flor Ceballo, Pio Javier

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

A conventional “Magallanes” Pummelo orchard in Brgy. Minda, Carmen, Davao del Norte, Philippines was selected to assess thrips species composition, population density, and associated natural enemies. The insecticide treated pummelo orchard was situated adjacent to vast Cavendish banana plantations. Thrips were collected weekly from September 2017 to July 2018 from five different randomly selected flowering pummelo trees by destructive sampling and yellow sticky trap methods. Thrips were sorted and examined under the microscope. Findings of the study showed that Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan), (Thripidae: Thripinae) was the only species of thrips infesting “Magallanes” pummelo. This constitutes the first report in this …

Efficacy Study Of Selected Maize (Zea Mays L.) Genotypes Against The Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia Furnacalis (Guenée), Yoryncita Marfori, Merdelyn Caasi-Lit, Tonette Laude

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Laboratory and screen house studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of selected twenty-six maize varieties against Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Hierarchical tree based on resistance parameters clearly revealed that the twenty-six maize varieties are best classified into three groups, viz. resistant, intermediate, and susceptible. In laboratory test, the varieties RCS2, RCS4, RCS5, 'IPB Var13', Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 were consistently identified as highly resistant. Further examinations in stalk feeding assay showed that the resistant varieties had sharp decline in larval survival (LS) on the 2^nd to the 5^th day of larval feeding in …

Effects Of Patch Size, Fragmentation, And Invasive Species On Plant And Lepidoptera Communities In Southern Texas, James A. Stilley, Christopher A. Gabler

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

Simple Summary

Human land use has removed habitats, separated habitats into small and disconnected fragments, and introduced foreign species, which all harm wildlife. South Texas is highly diverse and home to many endangered species, but human disturbance threatens its wildlife. In south Texas, we poorly understand how different aspects of human land use influence wildlife diversity and abundance. We studied this by surveying plants and butterflies in 24 habitat fragments in south Texas that differed in size, shape, type, and land use history. Human disturbance was extensive, and foreign and weedy species were dominant in most habitats. Habitat types had …

Summer To Autumn Population Of Wild Eumaeus Atala On The Ft. Lauderdale Campus Of Nova Southeastern University, Alexandra M. Lens

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Eumaeus atala is an endangered tropical butterfly native to the Caribbean and some parts of Florida, USA. Following population reductions primarily due to habitat loss, E. atala populations are now increasing due to conservation efforts of its cycad host plants, especially Zamia integrifolia (coontie). The purpose of this study was to observe, document, and measure the population of wild E. atala on the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University where landscaping use of host plants supports a natural population of E. atala. Forty-four host plants located in two different sites were observed for 14 weeks. One site …

Interspersed Denuded Zone (Idz): How Patchy Leaf Litter Dynamics In A Buckthorn-Invaded Urban Woodland Can Affect Microarthropod Species Richness, Angela Stenberg

DePaul Discoveries

Biodiversity loss may serve as a key diagnostic of the Anthropocene. An important driver of this loss is by means of invasive species. In this study of a forest preserve in Chicago, Illinois we examined Interspersed Denuded Zones (IDZs for short), which are areas of patchy leaf litter in invaded forests caused in this case by the rapid decomposition of litter from buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). We characterized the leaf litter mass in IDZs and enumerated litter-inhabiting microarthropod populations. We found that plots of high buckthorn density are associated with IDZs: there was significantly less leaf litter mass in …

Nebline, August 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

The Myths & Facts of Head Lice

Coping with Picky Eating

Recipes of the Month

6 Common Composting Questions

Garden Guide: Things to do this Month

Tips for a Fun and Educational Day at the Fair

Kissing Bugs in Nebraska

Lancaster County Super Fair, July 29-Aug. 7, 2021

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award

4-H Teen Council Invites New Members

4-H Gold Tournament Fundraiser, Oct. 3

4-H’ers Test Family and Consumer Science Skills at Life Challenge

4-H Clover College: 48 Workshops of Hands-on Learning!

4-H’ers Test Their Knowledge of Animals and Decision-Making Skills at PASE

4-H District Horse Results

4-H Announcements …

Farmer Perceptions And Willingness To Pay For Novel Livestock Pest Control Technologies: A Case Of Tsetse Repellent Collar In Kwale County In Kenya, Beatrice W. Muriithi, Nancy G. Gathogo, Gracious M. Diiro, Michael M. Kidoido, Michael Nyangánga Okal, Daniel K. Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse-transmitted Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) is one of the most important constraints to livestock development in Africa. Use of trypanocides has been the most widespread approach for the management of AAT, despite the associated drug resistance and health con-cerns associated with drug metabolites in animal products. Alternative control measures that target tsetse fly vectors of AAT, though effective, have been hard to sustain in part because these are public goods applied area-wide. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and partners have developed and implemented a novel tsetse repellent collar (TRC) applied on animals to limit contact of …

Enfermedad De Los Mil Cancros Del Nogal, Claudia Nischwitz, Marion Murray, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Mil cancros es una enfermedad recientemente reconocida de los nogales, causada por un hongo (Geosmithia morbida) que se transmite por el escarabajo de la ramita del nogal (Pityophthorus juglandis). El escarabajo es endémico de la región autóctona del nogal de Arizona (Arizona, Nuevo México y Chihuahua, México), y fue identificado por primera vez en Utah en 1988.

Barrenador Grande Del Durazno, Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

El barrenador grande del durazno (orden Lepidóptera, familia Sesiidae) es originario de América del Norte, donde las cerezas y ciruelas silvestres son sus huéspedes nativos. Es una plaga esporádica en los frutales de hueso o carozo de Utah, pero si no se controla, puede ser lo suficientemente grave como para causar la pérdida del árbol.

Plagas De Orugas De Vegetales Del Género Brassica, Marion Murray, Diane G. Alston, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Los cultivos de Brassica albergan muchas plagas de insectos diferentes, inclusive varias especies de orugas. Los tres más comunes en Utah son la palomilla dorso de diamante (Plutella xylostella), la oruga de la col (Trichoplusia ni), y el gusano importado de las coles (Pieris rapae).

Insectos Cara De Gato, Diane G. Alston, Marion Murray, Celina Wille

All Current Publications

Hay una serie de insectos con el hábito alimenticio de perforar y succionar que pueden causar deformidad y lesiones del tipo cara de gato en los frutales de pepita y hueso, como la chinche ligus, la chinche hedionda y la chinche del boxelder. La lesión cara de gato es causada cuando la chinche se alimenta agujerando los botones florales y la fruta. El resultado son depresiones, deformidades y cicatrices desagradables en la fruta. El nombre “cara de gato” proviene de la forma distorsionada de la fruta que se asemeja a las mejillas fruncidas de un gato. Además de los insectos …

Characterization Of Resistance To Two Crambid Stem Borers Among Louisiana Sugarcane Cultivars, Leonardo D. Salgado

LSU Master's Theses

Cultivar resistance is a key management strategy for the stem borer complex (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Louisiana sugarcane, but mechanisms of resistance are not well understood. This research evaluated the potential mechanisms of cultivar resistance to Diatraea saccharalis and Eoreuma loftini among commercial sugarcane cultivars and experimental clones through a series of field screenings, greenhouse trials, and diet incorporation assays. The stem borer resistant standard HoCP 85-845 and cultivar L 01-299 were among the cultivars with the lowest borer injury levels in both field and greenhouse trials. Cultivars HoCP 00-950, L 12-201, and HoCP 14-885 were among the most heavily injured …

Nocturnal Pollination In Fruit Agriculture, Stephen Robertson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Insect pollination in agriculture provides as much as 35% of the global food supply and contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy each year. In the past 30 years, reports of declining populations of managed and wild bees, notably the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) and a wide array of bumble bees (Bombus spp.), have raised concerns about the stability and outlook of agriculture. At the same time, agricultural dependence on insect pollinators is increasing as greater percentages of land being converted to pollinator-dependent crops, such as soy and oil palm, than pollinator-independent crops, such as grains …

Establishment Of Pollinator Habitat Within A Livestock Pasture Ecosystem, Roshani Sharma Acharya

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pollinators are important for fertilization, setting fruits, and seed development of more than 78% of the flowering plants that provide food for human beings and other species. Use of pollinators to maximize crop production is a proven agricultural practice; however, it has been less explored in livestock forage production systems. This study investigated pollinator abundance and diversity in pastures using different sampling methods and determined the impact of different pasture management practices on insect pollinators in a livestock pasture ecosystem. In Chapter 2, utility of four different colors of pan trap (blue, green, yellow, and purple) for sampling bees in …

Nebline, July 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Smart Techniques Conserve Water in Your Yard

Building a Healthy Community: What Lincolnites Say

Recipe of the Month

Saving and Sing and Storing Garden Seeds

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Naturally Occurring Elements in Groundwater: Last in a Series - Uranium

UNL East Campus Discovery Days

Nebraska 4rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day

Ants in the Home & Landscape

Lawn Care and Young Children: Creating a Safe and Fun Place to Play

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Marti Thomson

Summer Programming 4-H Interns

4-H Announcements for 4H'ers and Volunteers

Extension News

Extension Calendar

First Report Of The Lanzones Scale Insect, Unaspis Mabilis Lit & Barbecho (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), Infesting Cacao, Theobroma Cacao L. [Research Note], Ireneo L. Lit Jr., Barbara L. Caoili, Merdelyn T. Caasi-Lit, Cristian C. Lucanas, Kristine O. Abenis, Vanessa Kate I. Alvarez, Romnick A. Latina

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The lanzones scale insect, Unaspis mabilis Lit & Barbecho (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is reported to infest cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) in Brgy. Nalook, Kalibo, Aklan. Despite minor morphological differences, analysis of DNA barcode region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) generated from the cacao-infesting scale insects (GenBank Accession Number MN114100.1) matched the DNA barcodes obtained from a complementary study (GenBank Accession Number MN114099), and hence, supported the species identity based on morphological characters. Notes on the distribution, host plant association and insights on possible control measures were provided.

A Cis-Acting Mutation In The Pxabcg1 Promoter Is Associated With Cry1ac Resistance In Plutella Xylostella (L.), Jianying Qin, Fan Ye, Linzheng Xu, Xuguo Zhou, Neil Crickmore, Xiaomao Zhou, Youjun Zhang, Zhaojiang Guo

Entomology Faculty Publications

The molecular mechanisms of insect resistance to Cry toxins generated from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) urgently need to be elucidated to enable the improvement and sustainability of Bt-based products. Although downregulation of the expression of midgut receptor genes is a pivotal mechanism of insect resistance to Bt Cry toxins, the underlying transcriptional regulation of these genes remains elusive. Herein, we unraveled the regulatory mechanism of the downregulation of the ABC transporter gene PxABCG1 (also called Pxwhite), a functional midgut receptor of the Bt Cry1Ac toxin in Plutella xylostella. The PxABCG1 promoters of Cry1Ac-susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant strains were …

Black Soldier Fly-Composted Organic Fertilizer Enhances Growth, Yield, And Nutrient Quality Of Three Key Vegetable Crops In Sub-Saharan Africa, Abel O. Anyega, Nicholas K. Korir, Dennis Beesigamukama, Ghemoh J. Changeh, Kiatoko Nkoba, Sevgan Subramanian, Joop J.A. Van Loon, Marcel Dicke, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Worldwide, French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and kales (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) are considered economically important food crops. There is a rapid decline in their yield due to severe soil degradation. Thus, high commercial fertilizer inputs are crucial, though they remain expensive and inaccessible to resource poor farmers. We investigated the comparative performance of composted black soldier fly frass fertilizer (BSFFF), conventionally composted brewer's spent grain (BSG), commercial organic fertilizer (Evergrow), and mineral [nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK)] fertilizer on growth, yield, N use efficiency, and nutritional quality (crude protein, crude fiber, crude fats, ash, …

Nebline, June 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Choosing Quality Child Care: Guidance For Parents

Eastern Carpenter Bees

Eating for Brain Health

Recipe of the Month

Naturally Occurring Contaminants, Part 4 of a Series — Arsenic

Efficiency Is Key To Profit On Stocker Cattle

Common Grub Control Questions

Garden Guide: Things to do This Month

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Jen & Jesse Metcalf

4th Graders Learn About “Farm to Fork” During Virtual Ag Festival

Statewide 4-H Companion Animal Challenge Results

Extension News

Extension Calendar

STEM Zoom Workshops in June

Seeking Lancaster County Fair Historic Memorabilia and Stories

Could Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J. E. Smith) Invasion In Africa Contribute To The Displacement Of Cereal Stemborers In Maize And Sorghum Cropping Systems, Girma Hailu, Saliou Niassy, Timon Bässler, Nathan Ochatum, Christoph Studer, Daisy Salifu, Mawufe K. Agbodzavu, Zeyaur R. Khan, Charles Midega, Sevgan Subramanian

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), which has recently invaded the African continent, has become a new threat to cereal production. Being an invasive pest with certain competitive advantages, the impact of FAW on other lepidopteran pests is unclear. This study assessed the infestation of FAW and cereal stemborers on maize and sorghum under mono-cropped systems that are adjacently placed in five districts in Uganda. Data on maize and sorghum infestation cereal stemborers and FAW was collected at 6, 9 and 16 weeks after planting (WAP), to determine intensity and severity. Cereal stemborer infestations on maize at 6, …

Nebline, May 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Building Health Equity in Lincoln: Extension Launches Health Equity Coalition

Recipe of the Month

Intensive Gardening Techniques

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

Naturally Occurring Elements in Groundwater--Part 3 of a Series — Fluoride

Cash Rent Survey

Preparing for the Inevitable: Japanese Beetles

Challenge Accepted! Children Thrive Outside

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Rusty & Heidi Hanley

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

Clover College: June 15–18, 2021

EXTENSION CALENDAR

4-H’ers Qualify for State Speech & PSA Contest

4-H Horse Stampede Results

The Influence Of Singlet Oxygen And Loss Of Function Of Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 In The Chloroplast On Aphid Resistance In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Hillary Donna Fischer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fatty Acid Desaturase 7 (FAD7) is a chloroplast-localized enzyme that alters the fatty acid content of photosynthetic membranes, and that negatively regulates plant defenses against aphids. Previous studies in the model organism Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have shown that loss-of-function mutations in FAD7 decrease population growth of the green peach aphid (GPA; Myzus persicae Sulzer). This study further characterized the effects of a fad7 null mutant on aphids, and investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including singlet oxygen (1O2), in plant responses to aphid resistance in fad7 as well as in wild type plants and a mutant with heightened …