Entomology Commons^™

The Role Of Spiders In The Detrital Food Web Of An Eastern Deciduous Forest, Erin Elizabeth Hladilek

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Historically, terrestrial food web research has focused on describing the structure of aboveground grazing webs, and determining how interactions among plants, herbivores and higher trophic levels influence primary productivity. Detrital food webs however, play a significant role in regulation of ecosystem dynamics through direct impacts on decomposition. Unraveling the complex nature of detrital food web structure is critical to developing a better understanding of ecosystem function. Therefore the primary objective of this research was to describe the structure of the leaf-litter food web in a temperate deciduous forest, with emphasis on interactions between a community of generalist predators, the forest-floor …

Trophic Interactions Between Two Herbivorous Insects, Galerucella Calmariensis And Myzus Lythri, Feeding On Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum Salicaria, And Two Insect Predators, Harmonia Axyridis And Chrysoperla Carnea, Bethzayda Matos, John J. Obrycki

Entomology Faculty Publications

The effects of two herbivorous insects, Galerucella calmariensis Duftschmid and Myzus lythri L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), feeding on purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L. (Myrtiflorae: Lythraceae), were measured in the presence of two insect predators, Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). A greenhouse cage experiment examined the direct effects of these predators on these herbivores, and indirect effects of predation on aboveground biomass, defoliation, number of leaves, and internode length. Eight treatment combinations with G. calmariensis, M. lythri, H. axyridis and C. carnea were applied to caged L. salicaria. The experiment ended …

Prevalence And Association Of The Laboulbenialean Fungus Hesperomyces Virescens (Laboulbeniales: Laboulbeniaceae) On Coccinellid Hosts (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) In Kentucky, Usa, James D. Harwood, Carlo Ricci, Roberto Romani, Kevin M. Pitz, Alex Weir, John J. Obrycki

Entomology Faculty Publications

The laboulbenialean fungi occur throughout the world and are closely associated with a range of arthropods, including many coleopteran hosts. Throughout the summer of 2004, coccinellids were collected from a Bluegrass savanna woodland ecosystem, dominated by blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata and Chinkapin Oak Quercus muehlenbergii, and the adults were examined for the presence of Hesperomyces virescens using binocular and scanning electron microscopy. Over 80% of adult Harmonia axyridis, a species previously reported as having a persistent association with the fungus, were infected. No significant differences were observed in incidence on male and female hosts, however, the distribution of …

Influences Of Host Size And Host Quality On Host Use In A Seed-Feeding Beetle, Angela Rocío Amarillo-Suárez

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

For insects that develop inside discrete hosts both host size and host quality constrain offspring growth, influencing the evolution of body size and life history traits. This dissertation examines the effects of host size, host quality, and intraspecific competition on life history and associated traits of populations of the seed-feeding beetle S. limbatus adapted to different host plants, and quantifies population differences in phenotypic plasticity. Populations of the study correspond to divergent clades of the species phylogeography (Colombia and United States).

Clades compared differ genetically for all traits when beetles were raised in a common garden. Contrary to expectations from …

Comparative Genetic Studies Of Native And Introduced Coccinellidae In North America, Elliot S. Krafsur, John J. Obrycki, James D. Harwood

Entomology Faculty Publications

During the past four decades, several species of aphidophagous Coccinellidae became established in North America, including Coccinella septempunctata, Harmonia axyridis, Hippodamia variegata, and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata. After their establishment, unknown circumstances favoured a rapid increase in population densities and distribution of H. axyridis and C. septempunctata at localities hundreds and thousands of kilometers from their release sites. Propylea quatuordecimpunctata and Hippodamia variegata have spread more slowly after becoming established in northeastern North America. Comparative studies based upon allozyme variation in these four introduced species and in six native North American species of ladybird beetles revealed …

Quantifying Aphid Predation Rates Of Generalist Predators In The Field, James D. Harwood, John J. Obrycki

Entomology Faculty Publications

The community of predators within agroecosystems has the potential to restrict aphid populations, especially early in the season before exponential increases in density and prior to the arrival of specialist natural enemies. Although direct observations of predation, laboratory feeding trials and manipulative field studies have been used to estimate levels of biological control exerted by different species (or potentially negative interactions between them), it is often difficult to extrapolate results to naturally occurring interactions in the field.

Over 100 investigations have utilized gut-content analysis to estimate aphid predation rates by predators. Throughout the last century, gut dissection, which enables the …

Building Web-Based Interactive Keys To The Hymenopteran Families And Superfamilies, Katja Chantre Seltmann

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Traditionally manufacturing job shops either have a process layout or a product layout. The advantages of one type of layout tend to be a disadvantage for the other. Hybrid cellular constructs represents a novel fusion of process and product layouts. In this thesis, hybrid cellular constructs specifically Hybrid Flow Shops and Reoriented andamp; Reshaped Cells are clearly described in terms of their structure, key features, and modes of operation. An engineering procedure is illustrated by cases and particular manufacturing circumstances where each concept would be most useful are identified. This thesis then defines the lean practices that are compatible with …

Quantitative Analysis Of Hemocyte Morphological Abnormalities Associated With Campoletis Sonorensis Parasitization, Matthew W. Turnbull, Stacy B. Martin, Bruce A. Webb

Entomology Faculty Publications

Endoparasitoids of arthropods evoke host cellular immune responses that result in hemocytic encapsulation of the endoparasitoid, unless these responses are disrupted by the parasite. Our interest has focused on mutualistic viruses found in some hymenopteran endoparasitoids that disrupt hemocyte function and prevent encapsulation. Specifically, the Campoletis sonorensis polydnavirus interacts with wasp factors to suppress immunity via expression of intracellular and secreted viral proteins. To study the roles of specific parasitization-associated factors on immunocyte morphology, fluorescence microscopy was used to visualize the actin cytoskeleton in infected and uninfected cells, or after treatment with C. sonorensis ovarian proteins or plasma from infected …

Inhibitory Properties Of Microplitis Croceipes Teratocyte Secretory Products And The Recombinant Protein Tsp14 On Protein Synthesis, Francis Anthony Diluna

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Microplitis croceipes is a solitary endoparasitic wasp that oviposits in the hemocoel of Heleothis virescens larvae. Upon parasitization, the host larvaes physiology is altered; resulting in a compromised immune system and a decrease in the production of some vital proteins resulting in a terminal post-wandering prepupal state. Teratocytes, cells derived from the extraembryonic serosa of the parasitic wasp, mimic symptoms of parasitization when injected into host larvae, independent of other factors like polydnavirus and venom. Some of the inhibition of protein synthesis can be attributed to proteins secreted by the teratocytes (teratocyte secretory proteins or TSP). A fraction of TSP …

Ovipositional Behavior Of The 12-Spotted Lady Beetle, Coleomegilla Maculata: Choices Among Plant Species And Potential Factors Influencing Those Choices, Marisa Lynn Griffin

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Coleomegilla maculata is a beneficial coccinellid commonly found in sweet cornfields in Kentucky. Previous work on C. maculata has shown an ovipositional preferencefor the weed Acalypha ostryaefolia, compared to three selected weed species and corn. Also, predation of C. maculata egg clusters on A. ostryaefolia was less compared toclusters on corn and the presence of A. ostryaefolia led to higher densities of C. maculata larvae on corn.

I determined C. maculata ovipositional preference among weed species in fieldtests using nine common weeds. I also examined ovipositional preference using just A.ostryaefolia and Abutilon theophrasti. I assessed the roles of …

Viral And Insect Genes That Inhibit The Immune System And Methods Of Use Thereof, Bruce A. Webb, Liwang Cui

Entomology Faculty Patents

Viral, endoparasitoid and/or host genes that specifically inhibit the immune response of insect pests, useful for broadening the host range of insect viruses. Symbiont viruses of insect pests are genetically modified to express immune-suppressing proteins or biologically active fragments thereof and, optionally toxins, to increase the virus host range and/or improve the efficacy of insect pathogens.

Automated Adjustable Interval Insect Trap, Yongbiao Liu, Kenneth F. Haynes

Entomology Faculty Patents

An automated, adjustable-interval insect trap includes a plurality of individual cards having a surface coated with insect adhesive to capture insects. The cards are received on trays having wheels that engage a series of four parallel guide rails. By operation of a positioning mechanism, the trays carrying the cards are moved along the guide rails, one at a time, into an insect capturing position for a selected time interval. The positioning mechanism includes a timer, a drive motor, an axle operatively connected to the drive motor and a series of spaced fan plates mounted on the axle at longitudinally spaced …

Silk Clipping Insects On Corn, Lee H. Townsend, Morris J. Bitzer

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Silk clipping insects like the corn rootworm beetle and the Japanese beetle feed on the green silks of corn plants and are most active during the plant's flowering stage. Damage from these insects can cause reduced kernel set and yield if significant silk clipping occurs during the critical pollination period. This publication has been prepared to help you evaluate corn fields during this period and to help you determine whether insecticide application is necessary to protect the corn silks from these beetle populations during pollination.