Entomology Commons^™

Habitat Assessment Of Ozark Glades Using Selected Epigeal Predatory Arthropods, Austin Key Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epigeal predatory arthropods were collected with pitfall-style traps in nine sandstone glades of varying ecological stages, and management histories, in the Ozarks of Northern Arkansas over three years. These sites were categorized into three Site Types; Intact, high quality glades; Degraded, forest-encroached glades, and Restored glades which had received woody vegetation removal and burning. Collections of ground spiders (Gnaphosidae), predatory ground beetles (Carabidae), and the sole species of scorpion present in the Ozarks, Centruroides vittatus, were reported on as well as the applicability of arthropod collection methods for glade habitat assessment. Habitat characteristics were recorded for each site and analyzed …

Systematics Of Eastern North American Podothrombium (Parasitengona: Podothrombiidae), Kelsey Lynn Cline

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Velvet mites of the genus Podothrombium Berlese, 1910 are found worldwide with only two described species known from North America, both occurring on the west coast. The present study describes five new species occurring in the east, from both larval and post-larval stages. Species hypotheses are supported with morphology and analysis of mitochondrial (barcoding region of COI) and nuclear genes (D2-3 expansion regions of 28S rDNA). Specimens are incorporated from the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), allowing our dataset to span most of North America. Therefore, we were able to raise the number of Podothrombium in North America from …

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 …

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 …

Survey Of Ticks And Tick-Borne Pathogens Associated With Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) In Arkansas, Haylee Campbell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Feral hogs (Sus scrofa L.) are an invasive species throughout the southeast United States and found in every Arkansas county. As feral hogs invade new habitat, they can disrupt ecosystems, damage agriculture systems, and bring ticks and tick-borne pathogens with them. There are no surveys of the tick species parasitizing the Arkansas feral hog populations or the pathogens they carry. This is a public health concern because feral hogs occupy often same geographical regions as humans and livestock and can harbor over 45 animal diseases and parasites. The ticks carried by feral hogs can carry tick-borne pathogens that can cause …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Deacue Fields

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 22 2021, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Featured Faculty Mentor And Student Explore The Dynamics Of This Research Relationship, Alejandro Rojas, Evan Buckner

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Faculty Editor, Beth Kegley

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Aedes Albopictus Prevalence Across Arkansas, Alyssa N. Jones, Eric C. Lovely, Douglas G. Barron

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Aedes albopictus is a well-known vector species of mosquito that is responsible for the transmission of many arboviruses such as Zika, chikungunya, and dengue. The objective of this study was to quantify spatial and temporal variation of Ae. albopictus prevalence in Arkansas. We used egg abundance as a proxy for mosquito prevalence. Across 2 years, we worked with the Arkansas Department of Health to collect mosquito eggs using oviposition traps. Eggs were desiccated, counted, and later rehydrated in rearing chambers and raised through adulthood for species determination (>99% Ae. albopictus). We determined mean egg abundance by month, year, …

Isolation Of Metarhizium Guizhouense And Metarhizium Robertsii Strains From Soil-Exposed Amblyomma Americanum (Acarina: Ixodidae) From Northwest Arkansas, Usa, Allen Szalanski

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acarina: Ixodidae), is the most abundant tick species found in Arkansas and is involved in the trans-mission of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. When not feeding, most non-nidicolous tick species shelter in the soil and leaf litter where they may be exposed to and potentially infected with entomopathogenic fungi that reside naturally in the soil. Entomopathogenic fungi in the genus Metarhizium Sorokīn (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) have shown promise as biological control agents of ticks. Here, the first study to isolate and identify Arkansas-derived isolates of Metarhizium from A. americanum ticks is presented. We …

Confirmation Of New Crapemyrtle Bark Scale (Acanthococcus Lagerstroemiae) Hosts (Spiraea And Callicarpa) Through Dna Barcoding, Allen Szalanski

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS; Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae Kuwana) is an invasive insect that was first discovered in the United States in 2004. The polyphagous feeding habit of CMBS has allowed it to infest a wide range of plant species beyond its primary host, Lagerstroemia. Using molecular approaches, we studied the genetic relationships between CMBS specimens and their hosts from different geographic locations. Naturally occurring CMBS infestations were confirmed on American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana L.), a native plant species in the United States, and spirea (Spiraea L.). The new infestation of CMBS found on Spiraea raises the alarm that other economically important …

Identification Of Reticulitermes Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) In The Eastern United States Using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats, Allen Szalanski

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the eastern United States, there are nine species of subterranean termites in three genera: Reticulitermes (six species), Coptotermes (two species), and Prorhinotermes (one species). These species serve as important ecological players by decomposing cellulose material, and some are important structural pests. Many of these species are difficult to discriminate morphologically and require examining the reproductive or soldier castes, which can be difficult to collect. While some genetic tools have been developed for species identification, they are often expensive and time-consuming. To help facilitate identification, we developed a more cost-effective and rapid genetic method to identify Reticulitermes species by screening …

Effects Of Temporal Variation On Ambient Light In Northwest Arkansas, Ashlyn Anderson

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

An animal’s life success is determined solely by its fitness, which makes choosing a mate one of its most important life decisions. Natural selection plays a big part in an animal’s phenotype, but so does sexual selection. Even though females are usually thought to be the choosier sex, in many species or seasons males are also choosy. Male mate preference is an understudied topic compared to female mate preference and therefore, even less is known about the outcomes of a male’s prior mating experience’s influence on future mating experiences. Therefore, I dove deeper into this topic with the highly studied …

Testing Flowering Perennial Plants In A Bermudagrass (Cynodon Spp.) Lawn, Paige Elizabeth Boyle, Michelle Wisdom

Horticulture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most pollinating insects require a season-long succession of floral resources to fulfill life-cycle requirements. Incorporating forbs into turfgrass sites may create a season-long sequence of flowers to support foraging pollinators. However, persistence of forbs in warm-season turfgrasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) may be affected by the competitive nature of the turfgrass and routine management practices such as mowing. A 2-year study was conducted to evaluate seven forbs (Bellis perennis L., Lotus corniculatus L., Prunella vulgaris L., Trifolium fragiferum L. ‘Fresa’, Trifolium repens L. ‘Durana’ and ‘Resolute’, Trifolium subterraneum L.) for persistence and ability to produce floral resources …

The Discovery Of Metarhizium Anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin Isolates From Arkansas And Their Pathogenicity To Amblyomma Americanum L., Austin Goldsmith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The lone star tick Amblyomma americanum L. is the most abundant tick in Arkansas and has been implicated as a vector of many important disease-causing pathogens. Many species of entomopathogenic fungi have been isolated from several species of ticks, with some of these fungi being utilized for tick biocontrol. However, few studies have assessed the pathogenicity of entomopathogenic fungi to A. americanum. The objectives of this study were to: isolate and identify native Arkansas isolates of entomopathogenic fungi from wild A. americanum ticks exposed to soil and to compare the pathogenicity of one isolate (Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin isolate Savoy …

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 21 2020, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Faculty And Managing Editors, Beth Kegley, Gail Halleck

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From Division Of Agriculture Communications, Fred Miller

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Deacue Fields

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Additive And Dominance Effects Of A Mutant Glutathione S-Transferase Gene On Anthocyanin Content In Muscadine Grape (Vitis Rotundifolia), Autumn Brown, Margaret Worthington, Aruna Varanasi, Lacy Nelson, Renee T. Threlfall, Luke R. Howard

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

The skin color of muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) is typically classified as black or bronze. A glutathione S-transferase, VrunGST4, has been identified as a candidate gene for berry skin color in muscadine grapes. A molecular marker was developed within VrunGST4 to distinguish between muscadine genotypes (cultivars and selections) with bronze (T:T), heterozygote black (C:T), and homozygote black (C:C) berries. The objectives of this study were to determine whether there was a correlation between berry skin color and total anthocyanin content and to calculate additive and dominance effects of VrunGST4 in determining total anthocyanins in the berries of two biparental F1 …

The Biofiltration Ability Of Asparagus Densiflorus To Remove Sulfur Dioxide From The Indoor Atmosphere, Rhiannon De La Rosa, Mary Savin

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Sulfur dioxide is an inorganic compound (IC) and air pollutant that causes health risks in humans. The buildup of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in enclosed indoor spaces is, therefore, a concern to human health, especially since the average person spends 90% of his/her time indoors. This study focused on decreasing SO2 concentration in a cost-effective and simple way—by using botanical biofiltration, or the uptake of pollutants by plants. Research in biofiltration has focused mostly on the remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOC). However, research has also shown that plant species that remediate VOC efficiently also have the potential for efficient IC …

Population Structure Of The Drywood Termite Incisitermes Schwarzi (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) In The Carribbean: Evidence Of Arthropogenic Dispersal Of Termites., Allen Szalanski

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The drywood termite Incisitermes schwarzi is distributed from Florida through the Caribbean Basin to northern South America, yet the processes shaping its geographic structure remain poorly understood. We analyzed mitochondrial 16S and COII gene sequences from 17 colonies collected across 13 countries to assess genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and isolation by distance. Concatenated sequence analyses revealed 0.3–9.1% divergence for 16S and 0.6–10.0% for COII, with most haplotypes unique to individual locations. Phylogenetic reconstruction supported I. schwarzi as a monophyletic lineage and identified geographically structured clades corresponding broadly to regional groupings within the Caribbean and mainland Americas. Isolation-by-distance analyses showed a …

The Functional Conservation Of Frazzled In Insects, Benjamin Wadsworth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Axons in the developing embryo receive and react to signals that direct their growth to reach target tissues at specified locations. The signal pathways that direct midline crossing of axons during embryonic development have been comprehensively examined in the past years using the Drosophila ventral nerve cord or the spinal cord as a model system. A number of these signaling mechanisms are conserved, however disparities have been found between species in general strategy or the molecular signals controlling the response of axons to guidance cues.

The Netrin-Frazzled pathway has been shown to aid in midline crossing of axons in the …

The Impact Of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith), Feeding And Mechanical Defoliation On Growth And Yield Of Rice, Oryza Sativa (L.), Layton Denman Mccullars

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), (FAW) is a serious pests of many crops, and can be observed feeding throughout the entire growing season on rice, Oryza sativa, (L.). A new defoliation based threshold would help rice growers and consultants make more economically sound decisions for FAW. Work from this thesis focuses on determining the amount of damage caused by FAW feeding at different growth stages and effective insecticide seed treatments for controlling this pest.

Field plots were mechanically defoliated to determine grain yield loss across multiple growth stages and defoliation percentages. Results indicated that defoliation in late vegetative …