Entomology Commons^™

Differential Spatial Gradients Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Into Winter Wheat From A Central Mite-Virus Source, Abby R. Stilwell, Donald Rundquist, David B. Marx, Gary L. Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer, transmits three potentially devastating viruses to winter wheat. An increased understanding of mite movement and subsequent virus spread through the landscape is necessary to estimate the risk of epidemics by the virus in winter wheat. Owing to the small size of WCMs, their dispersal via wind is hard to monitor; however, the viruses they transmit produce symptoms that can be detected with remote sensing. The objective of this study was to characterize the spatial dispersal of the virus from a central mite-virus source. Virus infection gradients were measured spatially by using aerial …

Advances In Molecular Research On Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Sanjay Basnet, Shripat T. Kamble

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

With the resurgence and increase in infestations of the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), across the world, there has been renewed interest in molecular research on this pest. In this paper, we present current information on the biology, medical importance, management practices, behavior and physiology, and molecular research conducted on bed bugs. The majority of molecular studies are focused towards understanding the molecular mechanism of insecticide resistance. Bed bugs are hematophagous insects with no prior record of vectoring any disease organisms. An improved understanding of how bed bugs lack vector competency may provide information to prevent disease …

Evaluation Of Reference Genes For Real-Time Quantitative Pcr Analysis In Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardi (Barber), Saumik Basu, Adriano E. Pereira, Daniele H. Pinheiro, Haichuan Wang, Arnubio Valencia-Jimenez, Blair D. Siegfried, Joe Louis, Xuguo 'Joe' Zhou, Ana Maria Velez

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) is one of the most efficient, reliable and widely used techniques to quantify gene expression. In this study, we evaluated the performance of six southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (Barber), housekeeping genes (HKG), β-actin (Actin), β-tubulin (Tubulin), elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1α), glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), 40 S ribosomal protein S9 (RpS9) and ubiquitin-conjugating protein (Ubi), under different experimental conditions such as developmental stage, exposure of neonate and adults to dsRNA, exposure of adults to different temperatures, different 3^rd instar larva …

Insect Profiles, Eric Honerlaw

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Profiled species: Aerial Yellow Jacket • American Carrion Beetle • Black Imported Fire Ant • Blue Mud Dauber • Camel Cricket • Case Making Clothes Moth - Done • Colorado Potato Beetle • Dark Eyed Fruit Fly • Downy Yellow Jacket • Eastern Treehole Mosquito • European Hornet • Evergreen Bagworm • Four-Lined Silverfish • Fruit Fly • German Yellow Jacket • Gray Silverfish • Great Golden Digger Wasp2 • Ground Yellow Jacket • Hister Beetle • Kissing Bug • Larder Beetle • Larger Yellow Ant • Lesser House Fly • Margined Blister Beetle • Masked Hunter • Mason Bee …

New Biotechnological Approaches To Insect Pest Management And Crop Protection; Gene Editing Approach (Crispr-Cas System)., Anastacia Books

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Since its introduction into the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program over 20 years ago, the biotechnological approach for insect pest management, starting with transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), appeared to have revolutionized the concept of genetic manipulation approach in insect pest management and crop protection. Transgenic (Bt) crops have offered great benefits in insect management for crop protection but soon after its implementation, the technology started facing the major issue of insect resistance, leading researchers to start pursuing advancements in newer biotechnological approaches to insect pest management, such as Gene Editing (the RNA interference (RNAi); Gene Drives …

Buggin Out: Entomology 101 For High School Juniors And Seniors, Jonathan Wischmeyer

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Introduction I have been teaching Biology and Environmental Science for the past 20 years here at Summit High School. Over that time I have incorporated insects into some of my teaching practices where it was appropriate. As I have worked my way through the Entomology program at UNL I have found myself wanting to utilize insects more as educational tools.

Materials, Methods and Discussion The purpose of this final project is to design a semester worth of entomology curriculum for high school juniors and seniors attending Summit High School in Breckenridge Colorado. This class would be an elective with the …

Teaching Insetcs: A Four Lesson Plan To Introduce Insects To Kids, Heather Wilkins

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

This teaching guide is meant to be flexible for grades, time, and scope. The lesson plan is designed for grades 2 – 3, but with additional materials can be expounded on for higher grades or simplified for lower grades. It can be used by utilizing all the suggested materials, assignments, and supplements, or can be easily pared down if say you can’t find a book or don’t have internet access for videos. It is a compilation of videos, books, printable pages, interactive activities, and experiments to teach children using fun and interesting methods. It approaches insects with methods for kinetic, …

Mapping Insect Diversity In An Urban Landscape: Plants By Genus And Attracted Insect Families, Shelley Rekte

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

This project was based on observations at my residence located in the 68510 zip code of Lincoln, Nebraska. Keeping a journal of observations beginning April 26, 2019 and ending on September 28, 2019, I made entries at least twice a week. I often observed the area more than twice a week to check for different insects than what had been journaled. Journal entries were usually made during late morning to mid-afternoon, as this timeframe seemed to provide the most insect activity. Incidental observations were usually made early morning, and late afternoon to evening. In general, populations of insect families were …

High School Arthropod Display Case, Daniel Taylor

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Background: I teach at a high school in Northfield, Minnesota. I love teaching kids science and getting them excited about it. Unfortunately, I currently only teach chemistry and there are almost no elective science classes at our high school. I would love to get students interested in learning about entomology with me or on their own. Few students have ever been exposed to insect in a positive light ever before.

I have had some success at our school with entomological engagement. Each year during the zoology unit I go in to the biology classes as a “guest lecturer” and give …

The Beetle Chronicler, Chris Dunker, Kayla Wolf, Brett Ratcliffe

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

Longtime UNL entomologist names beetles for dragons

Gymnetis rhaegali, Gymnetis drogoni, Gymnetis viserioni, Ambyoproctus boondocksius, Cyclocephala nadanotherwon, Strategus longichomperus

University of Nebraska entomology professor Brett Ratcliffe, who also curates the Nebraska State Museum's beetle collection, shows elephant beetles, a member of the scarab beetle family, in his office in Nebraska Hall.

Unlike their namesakes, three species of scarab beetles newly described by University of Nebraska-Lincoln entomologist Brett Ratcliffe do not breathe fire. Or, at least, entomologists and field researchers haven't observed them doing so.

Nor do the scarabs have the thick, reptilian scales and leathery wings like the trio of …

Viral Prevalence Among Social Bees In Different Landscapes, Tugce Karacoban

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Honey bees and wild bees provide important pollination services to numerous crops and native plants. In recent years, declines in bee populations have highlighted the importance of the ecological services they provide and the need for more research into the reasons for their decline. Currently, many conservation efforts to mitigate bee losses include increasing forage and habitat, however, there is growing concern over the role interspecific pathogen transmission plays in bee decline. Viruses commonly found in honey bees may be transmitted and pose a threat to other bee species when bees come together at foraging sites. To elucidate the impact …

The Biological Significance And Utility Of Feeding By Dermestes Maculatus, Braymond Adams

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With their efficient feeding habits and tolerance to very low moisture and humidity, beetles in the Family Dermestidae are especially adapted to variable environments and habitats. Dermestid cultures have been in use since 1922 in cleaning tissue and flesh from bones, and proven benefit in multiple fields, including zoology, ornithology, and forensics. Dermestid feeding behaviors when coupled with known life stage and insect succession information aids in providing significant entomological evidence. However, the feeding activities of insects, like those of vertebrate scavengers and predators, change remains and may leave artifacts that can be sometimes be difficult to assign to a …

Nebline, November/December 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Youth Voice benefits youth, communities

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

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Hexapod Herald - Vol. 30, No. 4, November 2018

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Abstract: Welcome -- Faculty and Post-Doc News -- Student News -- University of Nebraska Service Awards -- Publications -- Blast from the Past -- Save the Dates -- Busy as a Bee -- Grants -- Meet an Online Student -- Bugfest

Triatomines: Trypanosomatids, Bacteria, And Viruses Potential Vectors?, Caroline Barreto Viera, Yanna Reis Praça, Kaio Luis Da Silva Bentes, Paula Beatriz Santiago, Sofia Marcelino Martins Silva, Gabriel Dos Santos Silva, Flávia Nader Motta, Izabela Marques Dourado Bastos, Jaime Martins De Santana, Carla Nunes De Araújo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Triatominae bugs are the vectors of Chagas disease, a major concern to public health especially in Latin America, where vector-borne Chagas disease has undergone resurgence due mainly to diminished triatomine control in many endemic municipalities. Although the majority of Triatominae species occurs in the Americas, species belonging to the genus Linshcosteus occur in India, and species belonging to the Triatoma rubrofasciata complex have been also identified in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and in the Western Pacific. Not all of Triatominae species have been found to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, but the possibility of establishing vector transmission …

Nebline, October 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Nebraska Extension’s CHIME program: Enhancing childcare professionals’ well-being with mindfulness

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Acarine Biodiversity In Ecuador: Two New Species Of Endoparasitic Chiggers (Acarina: Trombiculidae) From Terrestrial Andean Anurans, Ricardo Guerrero, Mario Humberto Yánez-Muñoz

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Two species of endoparasitic chiggers, Vercammenia neotropica n. sp. and Microtrombicula ecuadorensis n. sp., are described, both found in terrestrial anurans of the genus Pristimantis collected in the Andes of Ecuador. A new combination is proposed for Trombicula yorkei Sambon, 1928 as Microtrombicula yorkei (Sambon, 1928) n. comb., and Schoengastia lynni Ewing, 1942 is placed as incertae sedis. This is the first record of species of the genus Vercammenia in the Neotropical region.

Resumen

Dos especies de ácaros endoparásitos, Vercammenia neotropica n. sp. y Microtrombicula ecuadorensis n. sp., son descritas, ambas encontradas en anuros terrestres del género Pristimantis …

Nebline, September 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Septic systems need regular maintenance to function properly

Food & Health

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Wild, Native Bees And Managed Honey Bees Benefit From Similar Agricultural Land Uses, Elaine Evans, Matthew Smart, Dan Cariveau, Marla Spivak

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Although both managed and unmanaged bees are important pollinators of crops and wild plants, efforts to address questions about landscapes that best support pollinators often focus on either wild pollinators or honey bees. This study examined if there was concordance between the success of wild bee communities and managed honey bee colonies at sites varying in floral availability and disturbance level in a predominantly agricultural landscape. We also determined which agricultural land uses best supported wild bee communities. The study area in the state of North Dakota in Northern Great Plains in North America is home to understudied native bee …

Crop Pests And Predators Exhibit Inconsistent Responses To Surrounding Landscape Composition, Daniel S. Karp, Julie A. Peterson, 155 Other Co-Authors

Faculty Publications: Department of Entomology

The idea that noncrop habitat enhances pest control and represents a win–win opportunity to conserve biodiversity and bolster yields has emerged as an agroecological paradigm. However, while noncrop habitat in landscapes surrounding farms sometimes benefits pest predators, natural enemy responses remain heterogeneous across studies and effects on pests are inconclusive. The observed heterogeneity in species responses to noncrop habitat may be biological in origin or could result from variation in how habitat and biocontrol are measured. Here, we use a pest-control database encompassing 132 studies and 6,759 sites worldwide to model natural enemy and pest abundances, predation rates, and crop …

Nebline, August 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Nutrition Education Kits developed by Extension help LPS students learn about nutrition and physical activity

Food & Health

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Special pullout section: Lancaster County Super Fair 2018 Schedule & Map

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 30, No. 3, August 2018

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents: Congratulations -- Department Buzz -- Hutchins Nominated for USDA Undersecretary - Welcome -- Student News -- Publications -- Blast from the Past -- Grants

Characterization Of The Natural Enemy Community, With Emphasis On Entomopathogens, For Management Of Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera) In West Central Nebraska, Camila Oliveira-Hofman

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae),the western corn rootworm (WCR), is a major pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the United States and Europe. WCR management options comprise mainly transgenic hybrids, insecticide applications and crop rotation. WCR is highly adaptable to management practices and field-evolved resistance to transgenic corn, insecticides and crop rotation in the United States Corn Belt has been reported. Therefore, the motivation for this project was to look into alternative options for WCR management. The goal of this dissertation is to characterize the natural enemies from irrigated commercial cornfields in Nebraska and examine their …

Gut Symbiont Viability In Honey Bees Exposed To Agrochemical Stressors, Bryant Justin Gabriel

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The honey bee gut microbiome is essential for protecting this pollinator against abiotic and biotic stressors, including the prevention of harmful gut parasites and pathogens. Previous studies have not only demonstrated a linkage of bee gut dysbiosis to increased immunodeficiencies and pathogen sensitivities, but also report the maladaptation of the gut microbiome in bees exposed to agricultural and apicultural chemistries. There are few techniques available that allow for a simple and reliable analysis of the relative proportions of live and dead gut microbes in bees exposed to these chemistries. Previous techniques for measuring gut symbiont dysbiosis are temporally limited by …

Knowledge Of Pollinator Conservation And Associated Plant Recommendations In The Horticultural Retail Industry, Carter M. Westerhold, Samuel E. Wortman, Kim Todd, Douglas Golick

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Pollinating insects are integral to the health of all terrestrial ecosystems and agriculture worldwide. Urbanization can greatly reduce nutritional resources and habitat for pollinators. However, these losses can be mitigated through targeted landscape practices, such as planting nectar- and pollen-rich plants and managing pollinator habitat in urban areas, especially home landscapes. As homeowners attempt to conserve pollinators through horticultural practices, they often seek the advice and guidance of horticulture retail employees. The knowledge horticulture employees have about pollinators and the recommendations they provide to customers is largely unknown. A nationwide survey was developed and distributed with the objectives to 1) …

How Do Entomologists Use Insects To Determine Pmi, Johnnie Erskine

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

The use of forensic entomology is one of the fastest growing methods used to determine the cause of death by law enforcement personnel. This paperexplores and examines the various insects that are found on dead bodies during different time periods. The purpose of this paper is also to analyze and evaluate how forensic entomology is beneficial when compared to the other methods of forensic science that are used in crime investigations. Goff (2000) states, “anyone involved in death investigations quickly becomes aware of the connection between dead bodies and maggots.” (Goff, 2000). Insects are used to help with the recycling …

Competition Among Three Forensically Important Blow Fly Species (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Phormia Regina, Lucilia Sericata, And Chrysomya Rufifacies, Amber Macinnis

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The aim of this study was to use interspecific competition between three species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to determine if interspecific competition might explain the successional patterns. A replacement series model was used for three species of blowflies: Phormia regina, Lucilia sericata, and Chrysomya rufifacies. A total of 20 maggots were used for each treatment and the proportion of each species was varied. The graphic evidence and the relative crowding coefficient of P. regina versus L. sericata indicated a significant competitive advantage of P. regina. One of the life history traits of L. sericata is that it oviposits on …

Nebline, July 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Pretty things that sting

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

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Field Pea Response To Seeding Rate, Depth, And Inoculant In West-Central Nebraska, Strahinja V. Stepanovic, Charles Burr, Julie A. Peterson, Daran Rudnick, Cody Creech, Rodrigo Werle

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Increased market demand and larger adoption of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) in semiarid west-central Nebraska has provided opportunities to replace summer fallow and diversify crop rotations. As a relatively new crop, its response to different seeding practices has not been evaluated in this eco-region. Field pea grain yield response to seeding depth (25, 50, and 75 mm), inoculation with Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae (yes and no rhizobia inoculant), and seeding rates (35, 50, 65, 75, 90, 105, and 120 plants m^–2) was investigated in 2015 and 2016 at five sites in Perkins County, NE. There were …

Nebline, June 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Nebraska Pollinator Habitat Certification program

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

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