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Hexapod Herald - Vol. 24, No. 1, February 2012

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

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Nebline, February 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Diamond Clover Program Helps Youth Plan and Achieve Goals

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

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Observations Of Oviposition Behavior Among North American Tiger Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) Species And Notes On Mass Rearing, Mathew L. Brust, C. Barry Knisley, Stephen M. Spomer, Kentaro Miwa

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

Although the larvae of a large number of North American tiger beetle species have been described, little information exists on the oviposition behavior of female tiger beetles at the species level. In this study, we found that the oviposition behavior varied widely among species, with some species utilizing more than one method. We found that, contrary to many references, several tiger beetle species did not oviposit from above the soil surface by inserting the ovipositor into the soil. Instead, several species oviposited by tunneling over 20 mm below the soil surface. In addition, we outline recently used successful protocols for …

Breeding Biology And Incremental Benefits Of Outcrossing For The Restoration Wildflower, Hedysarum Boreale Nutt. (Fabaceae), Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, James H. Cane

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Northern sweetvetch (Hedysarum boreale Nutt.) is an herbaceous perennial legume of the Rocky Mountains, USA, whose seed is desired for rehabilitating degraded plant communities. Through experimental pollinations, the necessity of pollinators was shown by the failure of autogamy, despite stigmas first becoming receptive in the bud in close proximity to the dehiscing anthers. Nonetheless, the species proved to be self-fertile, initiating as many fruits through selfing as outcrossing. Incremental benefits of outcrossing only later manifested in superior fruit development, seed maturation and seed germination. Farming of H. boreale can yield abundant viable seed if adequately visited by pollinating bees.

Economic Impact Of Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) On Dairy And Beef Cattle Production, David B. Taylor, Roger D. Moon, Darrell R. Mark

Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications

Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), are among the most damaging arthropod pests of cattle worldwide. The last estimate of their economic impact on United States cattle production was published 20 yr ago and placed losses at $608 million. Subsequently, several studies of effects of stable flies on beef cattle weight gain and feed efficiency have been published, and stable flies have become increasingly recognized as pests of cattle on pasture and range. We analyzed published studies and developed yield-loss functions to relate stable fly infestation levels to cattle productivity, and then estimated the economic impact of stable flies on cattle …

Seed Reduction In Prairie Cordgrass, Spartina Pectinata Link., By The Floret-Feeding Caterpillar Aethes Spartinana (Barnes And Mcdunnough), Jarrad R. Prasifka, D. K. Lee, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Allen S. Parrish, Michael E. Gray

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Insect damage to prairie cordgrass, Spartina pectinata Link., is conspicuously high in Illinois, where attempts to collect native seed show the majority of spikelets damaged with small holes. Dissection of spikes during summer reveals minute caterpillars boring though glumes and feeding on florets inside. In 2009–2010, panicles of prairie cordgrass from across its native range were used to estimate the percentage of insect-related damage and losses to seed production. Collections of caterpillars from panicles and stems were used to identify one floret-feeding species, estimate its distribution in the central USA, and assess its feeding patterns within spikes. Insect feeding damaged …

On-Plant Movement And Feeding Of Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Early Instars On Corn, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Thomas E. Hunt, Robert J. Wright, Gary L. Hein, Erin E. Blankenship

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith), has undergone a recent eastward expansion from the western United States Corn Belt to Pennsylvania and parts of Canada. Little is known about its ecology and behavior, particularly during the early instars, on corn (Zea mays L.). There is a narrow treatment window for larvae, and early detection of the pest in the field is essential. An understanding of western bean cutworm larval feeding and early-instar dispersal is essential to understand larval survival and establishment in corn. Studies were conducted in 2009 through 2011 in Nebraska to determine the feeding and dispersal of …

Distribution Of Genes And Repetitive Elements In The Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Genome Estimated Using Bac Sequencing, Brad S. Coates, Analiza P. Alves, Haichuan Wang, Kimberly K. O. Walden, B. Wade French, Nicholas J. Miller, Craig A. Abel, Hugh M. Robertson, Thomas W. Sappington, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Feeding damage caused by the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, is destructive to corn plants in North America and Europe where control remains challenging due to evolution of resistance to chemical and transgenic toxins. A BAC library, DvvBAC1, containing 109,486 clones with 104 ± 34.5 kb inserts was created, which has an ~4.56X genome coverage based upon a 2.58 Gb (2.80 pg) flow cytometry-estimated haploid genome size. Paired end sequencing of 1037 BAC inserts produced 1.17Mb of data (~0.05% genome coverage) and indicated ~9.4 and 16.0% of reads encode, respectively, endogenous genes and transposable elements (TEs). …

Splendid Hybrids: The Effects Of A Tiger Beetle Hybrid Zone On Apparent Species Diversity, Mathew L. Brust, W. Wyatt Hoback, Stephen M. Spomer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Nonexpert citizen groups are being used to monitor species to track ecosystem changes; however, challenges remain for proper identification, especially among diverse groups such as beetles. Tiger beetles, Cicindela spp., have been used for biological diversity monitoring because of their diversity and the ease of recognition. The finding of an apparent hybrid zone among Cicindela denverensis Casey, Cicindela limbalis Klug, and Cicindela splendida Hentz in central Nebraska prompted a detailed study of the biogeography of this species group within Nebraska, a test of characteristics that could be used by citizen scientists, and limited breeding experiments. This study suggests that while …

Bean Leaf Beetle And Soybean Aphid Control Using Foliar Treatments In A Certified-Organic Operation—Neely-Kinyon Trial, 2010-2011, Andrea Mckern

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Summary of Project

Goal: The goal of this project is to find effective management treatments for the bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata) and soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) for use in certified-organic soybeans. The bean leaf beetle is one of the major vectors of bean pod mottle virus, which causes seed staining and can cause a downgrading of the soybeans at market from food grade to feed grade. Feeding from the soybean aphid causes stunted plants, reduced pods and seeds, and can transmit viruses that cause mottling and distortion of the leaves and a reduced seed set. …

Nebline, January 2012

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: UNL Food Processing Center Provides Valuable Assistance to Food Manufacturers

Farm Views

Urban Agriculture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Environmental Focus

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

2011 Annual Report Special Pullout Section

Enabling Learning And Enhancing Education In Ipm In The Midst Of Dwindling Financial Resources: Why Open Access To Resources And Publishing Could Be A Strategic Step To Support Students Today And Tomorrow?, Ousmane Youm

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

When I was invited to join the editorial board of the journal Entomology, Ornithology & Herpetology (EOH), I read carefully the note coming with the invitation and also looked at the content and scope. Then two things came into my mind as I stopped a few minutes to reflect on a couple of issues: (1) how the new journal links and is relevant to Integrated Pest Management—IPM (for those who understand its definition)—and (2) the issue of open access and relevance in the current situation of an ailing global economy, particularly in the vulnerable developing nations.

In the latter, more …

A Review Of The Distribution Of Harposcelis Paradoxus Burmeister, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) With A New Country Record For Peru, Jochen-P. Saltin, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Harposcelis paradoxus Burmeister is a relatively rare lowland species that, for a long time, was known only from French Guiana (Blackwelder 1944; Endrödi 1966, 1985; Krajcik 2005). Males are more commonly collected than females and are now commonly available via the Internet from commercial dealers in the insect trade. At a body length of 40 mm, this is a remarkably large species for a member of the tribe Cyclocephalini. Males are distinctive because of their long, curved protibiae and anterior trochanter with a large, anteriorly projecting tooth. The genus can be identified in keys by Endrödi (1966, 1985), Ratcliffe (1985), …

Breeding Biology And Bee Guild Of Douglas’ Dustymaiden, Chaenactis Douglasii (Asteraceae, Helenieae), James H. Cane, Byron Love, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Douglas’ dustymaiden, Chaenactis douglasii (Hook.) Hook. & Arn., is a widespread, inconspicuous, short-lived perennial wildflower that blooms in early summer and is found in basin sagesteppe to upper montane areas throughout the U.S. Intermountain West. The species is proving practical to grow for seed and is expected to be used for western rangeland rehabilitation. Through manual pollination experiments, C. douglasii was found to be only weakly self-fertile; 15% of flowers from geitonogamy and autogamy treatments yielded filled achenes. In contrast, 57% of outcrossed flowers produced achenes filled with endosperm, with every capitulum yielding some fertile seeds. Freely visited flowers from …

Arthur F. Hagen Obituary, Robert J. Wright

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Arthur F. Hagen, 84, died Thursday, 26 July 2012 at the Community Hospital in Torrington, Wyoming.

Art was born 4 February 1928 in Huron, South Dakota, the son of Merle and Leona (Geuther) Hagen. He grew up and received his early education in Huron and Armour, SD. Art entered the U.S. Navy, where he spent four years as an aviation electrician and was discharged in 1949. He married Marlene Halstead on 23 March 1954 in Wagner, SD. Art attended college at Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Colorado State University) where he received his B.S. in 1954 and his master’s …

The European Corn Borer And Bt Corn In The United States, Blair D. Siegfried, Richard L. Hellmich

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) has been a major pest of corn and other crops in North America since its accidental introduction nearly a hundred years ago. Wide adoption of transgenic corn hybrids that express toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis, referred to as Bt corn, has suppressed corn borer populations and reduced the pest status of this insect in parts of the Corn Belt. Continued suppression of this pest, however, will depend on managing potential resistance to Bt corn, currently through the high-dose refuge (HDR) strategy. In this review, we describe what has been learned with …

A Molecular Key For The Identification Of Blow Flies In Southeastern Nebraska, Upeka Samarakoon, Steven R. Skoda, Frederick P. Baxendale, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Immature blow flies (Calliphoridae) are typically the first colonizers of cadavers. Identification of the early instars using traditional, morphology-based keys is difficult because of their small size, similarity, and simplicity in external morphology. Information derived from molecular genetic data would augment the accurate identification of immature flies. Nine species of blow flies commonly found in southeastern Nebraska were used to examine the utility of molecular-based keys. Polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR–RFLP) were investigated with 10 common, inexpensive, restriction enzymes from an amplicon of approximately 1500 bp spanning the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene. A simple molecular taxonomic key, …

Nepetalactones From Essential Oil Of Nepeta Cataria Represent A Stable Fly Feeding And Oviposition Repellent, J. J. Zhu, Dennis R. Berkebile, C. E. Dunlap, A. Zhang, D. Boxler, K. Tangtrakulwanich, R. Behle, Frederick P. Baxendale, Gary J. Brewer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), is one of the most serious pests to livestock. It feeds mainly on cattle and causes significant economic losses in the cattle industry. Standard stable fly control involving insecticides and sanitation is usually costly and often has limited effectiveness. As we continue to evaluate and develop safer fly control strategies, the present study reports on the effectiveness of catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) oil and its constituent compounds, nepetalactones, as stable fly repellents. The essential oil of catnip reduced the feeding of stable flies by >96% in an in vitro bioassay system, …

Ipm Team Representatives, Clyde L. Ogg, Erin Bauer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Contents

Acknowledgments...................... iv
Preface...................... v
Introduction...................... 1
Chapter 1 – What is Integrated Pest Management...................... 3
Chapter 2 – Monitoring and Inspecting...................... 15
Chapter 3 – Injury and Action Levels...................... 37
Chapter 4 – Treatment Strategies...................... 41
Chapter 5 – How to Develop an IPM Program...................... 49
Chapter 6 – IPM for Ants...................... 59
Chapter 7 – IPM for Cockroaches...................... 69
Chapter 8 – IPM for Bed Bugs...................... 81
Chapter 9 – IPM for Fabric and Pantry Pests...................... 87
Chapter 10 – IPM for Fleas...................... 95
Chapter 11 – IPM for Flies...................... 101
Chapter 12 – IPM for Head Lice...................... …

Using Web-Based Key Character And Classification Instruction For Teaching Undergraduate Students Insect Identification, Douglas A. Golick, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Allen L. Steckelberg, David W. Brooks, Leon G. Higley, David Fowler

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the study was to determine whether undergraduate students receiving web-based instruction based on traditional, key character, or classification instruction differed in their performance of insect identification tasks. All groups showed a significant improvement in insect identifications on pre- and post-two-dimensional picture specimen quizzes. The study also determined student performance on insect identification tasks was not as good as for family-level identification as compared to broader insect orders and arthropod classification identification tasks. Finally, students erred significantly more by misidentification than misspelling specimen names on prepared specimen quizzes. Results of this study support that short web-based insect identification …

Inter- And Intraspecific Identification Of The Screwworm, Cochliomyia Hominivorax, Using Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna-Polymerase Chain Reaction, Steven R. Skoda, James L. Figarola, Saowaluck Pornkulwat, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), is one of the most devastating arthropod pests of livestock in the Western Hemisphere. Early instars are very difficult to distinguish morphologically from several closely related blow fly species. Random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) markers were developed for identifying C. hominivorax from other wound inhabiting species. Forty decameric primers were screened; nine showed clear reproducible RAPD profiles suitable for distinguishing all life stages of C. hominivorax from 7 other species, including C. macellaria (Fabricius). The results from RAPD-PCR with field-collected samples of unknown first instars agreed with morphological identification that the …

Larval Survival And Plant Injury Of Cry1ab-Susceptible, -Resistant, And -Heterozygous Genotypes Of The Sugarcane Borer On Transgenic Corn Containing Single Or Pyramided Bt Genes, David S. Wangila, B. Rogers Leonard, Yaoyu Bai, Graham P. Head, Fangneng Huang

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Transgenic corn (Zea mays L.) products expressing multiple Bt proteins targeting a same group of insect pests have become commercially available in the U.S. The first commercialized pyramided Bt corn technologies for managing lepidopteran pests include Genuity® VT Triple Pro™ and Genuity® SmartStax™. In this study, larval survival and plant injury of Cry1Ab-susceptible (Cry1Ab-SS), -resistant (Cry1Ab-RR), and -heterozygous (Cry1Ab-RS) genotypes of the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis F., on five commercial corn hybrids were evaluated in a leaf tissue bioassay and two greenhouse trials during 2010–2011. The five hybrids included two non-Bt corn and three Bt corn hybrids representing three …

Mortality Impact Of Mon863 Transgenic Maize Roots On Western Corn Rootworm Larvae In The Field, T. L. Clark, D. L. Frank, B. W. French, Lance J. Meinke, D. Moellenbeck, T. T. Vaughn, B. E. Hibbard

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Mortality of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) due to feeding on MON863 transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) expressing the Cry3Bb1 protein was evaluated at three Missouri sites in both 2003 and 2004 and at one site each in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa in 2004. To do this, survivorship relative to survivorship on isoline maize (i.e., the same genetic background, but without Cry3Bb1) was evaluated. Comparisons were made using low (1650–2500 eggs/m) and high (3300–3500 eggs/m) western corn rootworm egg densities. Significantly fewer beetles were recovered from MON863 than from isoline maize. Emergence from MON863 as …

Using Sex Pheromone Traps In The Decision-Making Process For Pesticide Application Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda [Smith] [Lepidoptera: Noctuidae]) Larvae In Maize, Ivan Cruz, Maria De Lourdes Corrêa Figueiredo, Rafael Braga Da Silva, Ivana Fernandes Da Silva, Cristiane De Souza Paula, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major pest of maize and frequently demands control measures. The timing of insecticide application is a key factor in determining its efficiency, so an experiment was designed to investigate this. Application of insecticide was based on three criteria: (i) the number of trap-caught moths in a Delta-type trap with a commercial sex pheromone lure placed in the center of the target area, soon after plant emergence; (ii) the percentage of plants exhibiting pinhole-type damage (10% or 20%), and (iii) the percentage of plants exhibiting shot hole–type damage (10% or 20%) …

Comparative Toxicity Of Acaricides To Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Workers And Queens, Lizette Dahlgren, Reed M. Johnson, Blair D. Siegfried, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Acaricides are used to treat honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies to control the varroa mite (Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman), a worldwide threat to honey bee health. Although acaricides control a serious honey bee parasite and mitigate bee loss, they may cause harm to bees as well. We topically applied five acaricides, each with a different mode of action, to young adult queen and worker bees to generate dose-response curves and LD₅₀. Twenty-four hours after treatment, queens were found to be three times more tolerant of tau-fluvalinate and six times more tolerant of thymol than …

Human Risk Of Infection With Borrelia Burgdorferi, The Lyme Disease Agent, In Eastern United States, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser, Anne Gatewood Hoen, Paul Cislo, Robert Brinkerhoff, Sarah A. Hamer, Michelle Rowland, Roberto Cortinas, Gwenaël Vourc’H, Forrest S. Melton, Graham J. Hickling, Jean I. Tsao, Jonas Bunikis, Alan G. Barbour, Uriel Kitron, Joseph Piesman, Durland Fish

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The geographic pattern of human risk for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the tick-borne pathogen that causes Lyme disease, was mapped for the eastern United States. The map is based on standardized field sampling in 304 sites of the density of Ixodes scapularis host-seeking nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi, which is closely associated with human infection risk. Risk factors for the presence and density of infected nymphs were used to model a continuous 8 km × 8 km resolution predictive surface of human risk, including confidence intervals for each pixel. Discontinuous Lyme disease risk foci were identified in …

Morphological Characterization And Molecular Mediated Genetic Variation Of Thief Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Ralph B. Narain, Shripat T. Kamble, Thomas O. Powers

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The morphological characterization and molecular genetic variation were determined in populations of thief ants, Solenopsis molesta (Say). The genetic variations were elucidated using mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mDNA) sequences of cytochrome oxidase I. DNA from thief ants was extracted with Qiagen’s Gentra PUREGENE DNA Isolation Kit using their solid tissue protocol. Polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were run on the extracted DNA using primers Lep-F1 (forward) and Lep-R1 (reverse). The DNA products were concentrated and purified by Microcon Centrifugal Filter Unit YM-100. Purified DNA samples were sequenced at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS) DNA Sequencing Core Facility. The sequences were …

Inbreeding-Stress Interactions: Evolutionary And Conservation Consequences, David H. Reed, Charles W. Fox, Laramy S. Enders, Torsten N. Kristensen

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The effect of environmental stress on the magnitude of inbreeding depression has a long history of intensive study. Inbreeding-stress interactions are of great importance to the viability of populations of conservation concern and have numerous evolutionary ramifications. However, such interactions are controversial. Several meta-analyses over the last decade, combined with omic studies, have provided considerable insight into the generality of inbreeding-stress interactions, its physiological basis, and have provided the foundation for future studies. In this review, we examine the genetic and physiological mechanisms proposed to explain why inbreeding-stress interactions occur. We specifically examine whether the increase in inbreeding depression with …

Susceptibility Of Cry1ab Maize-Resistant And -Susceptible Strains Of Sugarcane Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) To Four Individual Cry Proteins, Liping Zhang, Fangneng Huang, B. Rogers Leonard, Mao Chen, Thomas Clark, Yu Cheng Zhu, David S. Wangila, Fei Yang, Ying Niu

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a major target of Bt maize in South America and many areas of the US mid-south region. Six laboratory strains of D. saccharalis were established from six single-pair F2 families possessing major resistance alleles to Cry1Ab maize hybrids. Susceptibility of the six strains was evaluated on diet treated with each of four purified trypsin-activated Bt proteins, Cry1Ab, Cry1Aa, Cry1Ac, and Cry1F. Bt susceptibility of the six strains was compared with that of known Cry1Ab-susceptible and -resistant strains of D. saccharalis. At least two of the six strains demonstrated a similar level (>526-fold) …

Using Video-Tracking To Assess Sublethal Effects Of Pesticides On Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera L.), Bethany S. Teeters, Reed M. Johnson, Marion D. Ellis, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Concern about the role of pesticides in honey bee decline has highlighted the need to examine the effects of sublethal exposure on bee behaviors. The video-tracking system EthoVisionXT (Noldus Information Technologies) was used to measure the effects of sublethal exposure to tau-fluvalinate and imidacloprid on honey bee locomotion, interactions, and time spent near a food source over a 24-h observation period. Bees were either treated topically with 0.3, 1.5, and 3 μg tau-fluvalinate or exposed to 0.05, 0.5, 5.0, 50, and 500 ppb imidacloprid in a sugar agar cube. Tau-fluvalinate caused a significant reduction in distance moved at all dose …