Entomology Commons^™

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Used For Inter- And Intraspecific Differentiation Of Screwworms (Diptera: Calliphoridae), L. Alamalakala, Steven R. Skoda, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Morphologically, early immature stages of the economically important pest called screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), and non-pest secondary screwworms, Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), are nearly indistinguishable. Correct identification is crucial to the ongoing eradication and exclusion program protecting the United States, Mexico and Central America from reinvasion of screwworms persistent in South America and the Caribbean. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) polymerase chain reaction was used to differentiate populations of C. hominivorax and to discriminate them from C. macellaria. Ten primer pairs screened for interspecific discrimination of C. hominivorax from C. macellaria showed 52 discrete bands, allowing …

Efficacy And Safety Of Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) As A Novel Filth Fly Repellent, J. J. Zhu, X.-P. Zeng, D. Berkebile, H.-J. Du, Y. Tong, K. Qian

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is known for its pseudo-narcotic effects on cats. Recently, it has been reported as an effective mosquito repellent against several Aedes and Culex species, both topically and spatially. Our laboratory bioassays showed that catnip essential oil (at a dosage of 20 mg) resulted in average repellency rates of 96% against stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) and 79% against houseflies, Musca domestica (L.), respectively. This finding suggested that the application of repellent could be used as part of filth fly management. Further evaluations of catnip oil toxicity were conducted to provide a broad-spectrum safety profile of …

Lyophilization Of Spodoptera Frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae Yields High-Quality Dna For Use In Aflp Genetic Studies, Pete L. Clark, David J. Isenhour, Steven R. Skoda, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Claudia Gianni, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Agricultural research in the 21st century has become a collaborative effort. Research on crop pests like Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), commonly known as the fall armyworm (FAW), can involve international collaboration because it is a pest not only in the southern United States, but also in Latin and South America. Our interest to study the genetic variation of 24 subpopulations of FAW from the southern United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Argentina required insect collection procedures that preserve the integrity of DNA for molecular genetic analysis. The samples were collected primarily from maize (Zea mays L.), but also …

Video-Tracking And On-Plant Tests Show Cry1ab Resistance Influences Behavior And Survival Of Neonate Ostrinia Nubilalis Following Exposure To Bt Maize, Jarrad R. Prasifka, Richard L. Hellmich, Andre L. B. Crespo, Blair Siegfried, David W. Onstad

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

To examine how resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins influences movement and survival of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis [Hübner]) neonates, the responses of Cry1Ab-resistant , -susceptible, and hybrid (F1) larvae were examined using two different techniques. First, using an automated videotracking system, aspects of O. nubilalis movement were quantified in the presence of artificial diet incorporating 50% non-Bt or insect-resistant Cry1Ab maize tissue. Second, O. nubilalis dispersal and survival were measured 48–72 h after hatching on a Cry1Ab maize plant surrounded by two non-Bt maize plants. Video tracking indicated the presence of Cry1Ab tissue increased the total distance …

Oxalic Acid: A Prospective Tool For Reducing Varroa Mite Populations In Package Bees, Nicholas P. Aliano, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Abstract   Numerous studies have investigated using oxalic acid (OA) to control Varroa mites in honey bee colonies. In contrast, techniques for treating package bees with OA have not been investigated. The goal of this study was to develop a protocol for using OA to reduce mite infestation in package bees. We made 97 mini packages of Varroa-infested adult bees. Each package contained 1,613 ± 18 bees and 92 ± 3 mites, and represented an experimental unit. We prepared a 2.8% solution of OA by mixing 35 g OA with 1 l of sugar water (sugar:water = 1:1; w:w). Eight treatments …

Degree-Day Requirements For Eight Economically Important Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) In Nebraska Using Field Data, Mathew L. Brust, William Wyatt Hoback, Robert J. Wright

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The timing of application for the management of rangeland grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is critical, especially as insecticides become more specialized and the use of Insect Growth Regulators becomes more widespread. The general seasonal occurrence of adults of many grasshopper species has been well documented; however, their appearance varies widely between years. We analyzed sweep samples collected over the western two thirds of Nebraska from a 3-yr period and noted the occurrence of adults by region for eight species of rangeland grasshoppers. We analyzed occurrence based on degree-day accumulations for the region and developed estimates of degree-day requirements for these species. …

Western Corn Rootworm ( Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte) Population Dynamics, Lance Meinke, Thomas W. Sappington, David W. Onstad, Thomas Guillemaud, Nicholas Miller, Judit Komáromi, Nora Levay, Lorenzo Furlan, József Kiss, Ferenc Toth

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

1 The western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte is a major insect pest of field maize, Zea mays L. Larvae can cause substantial injury by feeding on maize roots. Larval feeding may destroy individual roots or root nodes, and reduce plant growth, stability, and yield. Costs associated with managing corn rootworms in continuous maize are annually one of the largest expenditures for insect management in the United States Corn Belt.

2 Even though D. virgifera virgifera has been studied intensively for over 50 years, there is renewed interest in the biology, ecology, and genetics of this species because of …

Mitochondrial Dna Variation And Range Expansion In Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): No Evidence For A Recent Population Bottleneck, Nicholas Miller, David L. Dorhout, Marlin E. Rice, Thomas W. Sappington

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a pest of both corn and dry bean crops. At the beginning of the 21st century, the species began to extend its range out of the Great Plains, eastward through the Corn Belt. This rapid range expansion is remarkable because the species distribution had been stable for at least the previous half century, despite the apparent abundance of suitable habitat (i.e., cornfields) immediately to the east. We hypothesized that if the western bean cutworm had to overcome a stable barrier to movement before starting the current range expansion, it probably …

Gene Expression Profiling Of Tolerant Barley In Response To Diuraphis Noxia (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Feeding, A. Gutsche, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Gautam Sarath, P. Twigg, Yuannan Xia, G. Lu, D. Mornhinweg

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Aphids are, arguably, the single most damaging group of agricultural insect pests throughout the world. Plant tolerance, which is a plant response to an insect pest, is viewed as an excellent management strategy. Developing testable hypotheses based on genome-wide and more focused methods will help in understanding the molecular underpinnings of plant tolerance to aphid herbivory. As a first step in this process, we undertook transcript profiling with Affymetrix GeneChip Barley Genome arrays using RNA extracted from tissues of tolerant and susceptible genotypes collected at three hours, three days and six days after Diuraphis noxia introduction. Acquired data were compared …

Efficacy Of Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments To Reduce Soybean Aphid Populations Under Field And Controlled Conditions In Nebraska, Leonardo C. Magalhaes, Thomas E. Hunt, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is native to Asia and was recently (2000) detected in North America. Since then, it has become a significant threat to U.S. soybean production. Although neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, have been suggested as a method of control, the season-long efficacy is still uncertain. Therefore, the use of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam seed treatments to control soybean aphid in Nebraska were examined. Soybean aphid populations were monitored weekly in an irrigated field study planted during the later half of the typical Nebraska planting window during 2005 and 2006. Imidacloprid and thiamethoxam …

Increased Survival Of Western Corn Rootworm On Transgenic Corn Within Three Generations Of On-Plant Greenhouse Selection, Lisa N. Meihls, Matthew L. Higdon, Blair D. Siegfried, Nicholas J. Miller, Thomas W. Sappington, Mark R. Ellersieck, Terrence A. Spencer, Bruce E. Hibbard

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

To delay evolution of insect resistance to transgenic crops producing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins, nearby ‘‘refuges’’ of host plants not producing Bt toxins are required in many regions. Such refuges are expected to be most effective in slowing resistance when the toxin concentration in Bt crops is high enough to kill all or nearly all insects heterozygous for resistance. However, Bt corn, Zea mays, introduced recently does not meet this ‘‘high-dose’’ criterion for control of western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera. A greenhouse method of rearing WCR on transgenic corn expressing the Cry3Bb1 protein was used in …

Platyceroidini, A New Tribe Of North American Stag Beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Lucaninae), M. J. Paulsen, David C. Hawks

Insecta Mundi

The tribe Platyceroidini is created to accommodate two genera of North American stag beetles, Platyceroides Benesh and Platyceropsis Benesh (Lucanidae: Lucaninae). These genera are removed from the tribe Platycerini Mulsant.

A New Genus And Species Of Brachynemurini From Venezuela (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Robert B. Miller

Insecta Mundi

Abstract. Stangeleon longipalpus Miller, new genus and species, is described and illustrated from Venezuela and compared with other genera of the Brachynemurini (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae).

Resumen. Se describe e ilustra Stangeleon longipalpus Miller, n. gen., n. sp., de Venezuela (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae, Brachynemurini).

Origins, Composition And Distribution Of The Bees Of Cuba (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), Julio A. Genaro

Insecta Mundi

The origins of the Cuban bee fauna are reviewed. This fauna began to form 40 million years ago during the Proto Antilles period, through ancestors that arrived in successive invasions from adjacent continental areas. The composition of the Antillean fauna has evolved continuously over millions of years until the present time. The native bee fauna of Cuba is represented by 89 species, contained in 29 genera and 4 families. The number of genera represented per family is as follows: Colletidae (3), Halictidae (8), Megachilidae (4), and Apidae (14). The Cuban apifauna contains four principal groups with distinct biogeographic histories: endemic …

Agrilinellus, New Genus And Four New Species Of Mexican Aphodiini (Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Marco Dellacasa, Giovanni Dellacasa, Robert D. Gordon

Insecta Mundi

Agrilinellus, new genus is created for Agrilinus azteca (Harold) (type species), A. chiapasensis (Galante, Stebnicka and Verdú), and A. ornatus (Schmidt). Four new species from Mexico are described: Agrilinellus abbonai, Agrilinellus antonioreyi, Agrilinellus nuriae, Agrilinellus oaxacaensis.

Enoclerus Knabi (Wolcott), A Junior Synonym Of Enoclerus Ichneumoneus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), John Leavengood, Jr.

Insecta Mundi

Enoclerus knabi (Wolcott) falls within the range of variation of E. ichneumoneus (Fabricius) and is hereby synonymized under that species.

A New Species Of The Genus Dendroleon Brauer From Mexico (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Lionel A. Stange

Insecta Mundi

Abstract. A new species of Dendroleon Brauer is described from Mexico and is included in a key to three species of North America. Diagnoses and distributional data are given for D. obsoletus (Say) and D. speciosus Banks.

Resumen. Una nueva especie de Dendroleon Brauer es descripta de México y está incluída en una clave para las tres especies de Dendroleon de Norte America. Se provee una diagnosis para D. obsoletus (Say) y D. speciosus Banks además de datos sobre distribución geográfica.

Synopsis Of The Oryctini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) From The Brazilian Amazon, Hector Jaime Gasca Alvarez, Claudio Ruy Vasconcelos Da Fonseca, Brett Ratcliffe

Insecta Mundi

The Oryctini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) is a large tribe of worldwide distribution with approximately 26 genera and 230 species. Fourteen genera and 113 species are found in the Neotropical region. Knowledge of the tribe in the Neotropics is fragmentary, necessitating further studies that address taxonomy, biology, and geographical distribution patterns. This study surveyed the Oryctini of the Brazilian Amazon. The composition of the group in the study area consisted of 7 genera, 18 species and 2 subspecies found in 7 states, 91 municipal districts, and approximately 167 specific localities. States with larger number of species are Amazonas and Pará, with …

New Trachysphyrus Haliday (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) In The Albomarginatus Species Group From Northwestern Argentina , Charles C. Porter

Insecta Mundi

Abstract. Three new species of the albomarginatus species group of the genus Trachysphyrus (T. fidalgoi, T. riojanus, and T. tmetus) are described from the Subandean Desert (Monte) of Northwest Argentina. A key is given to these and to the five described species also known from Neotropic Argentina in the semiarid Prepuna, Subandino, and Chaco Serrano as well as in such wetter habitats as the Chaco Húmedo and Selva Tucumano-Boliviana (Yungas). Four additional species occur in Neantarctic Chile from Santiago south to Magallanes with overlap into the Nothofagus forests of southwest Argentina (Neuquén, Río Negro). Several species have been …

New Phycitiplex Porter (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) From Subandean Desert In Northwest Argentina  , Charles C. Porter

Insecta Mundi

Abstract. Six new species of Phycitiplex (P. obscurior, P. tricinctus, P. unicinctus, P. peralta, P. trichroma, and P. lepidus) are described from material taken by Malaise trap in a humid ravine at Santa Vera Cruz in the Subandean Desert (Monte) of La Rioja Province (Argentina). These are keyed along with several closely related described species. Except for P. eremnus from central Chile, this genus is known only from the semiarid Chaco and Subandean biogeographic provinces in the northern half of Argentina. The only available host record is of Phycitiplex doddi (Cushman) reared from larvae of Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg), …

The Genus Cotinis Burmeister In The Eastern United States, With Description Of A New Species From The Florida Keys, Including A Checklist Of The Genus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Robert E. Woodruff

Insecta Mundi

In the eastern United States, the genus Cotinis Burmeister previously contained only C. nitida (L.), the common economic pest known as the "Green June Beetle". A new species from the Florida Keys, Cotinis aliena, is here described and illustrated. A checklist is provided for the genus, which includes 27 valid New World species, and 44 synonyms.

South American Melolonthinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Classification And Nomenclature: Some Problems And Solutions, Andrew B. T. Smith

Insecta Mundi

Classificatory changes are made for some taxa of New World Melolonthinae based on the examination of specimens (including type specimens) and a reevaluation of some of the characters used to justify previous classification decisions. Blepharotoma angustata (Blanchard) (new combination) is transferred from the genus Aplodema Blanchard. The Neotropical members of the genus Heteronyx Guérin-Méneville are transferred to the genus Blepharotoma resulting in the following new combinations: Blepharotoma boliviana (Moser), Blepharotoma corumbana (Moser), Blepharotoma cuyabana (Moser), Blepharotoma heynei (Moser), and Blepharotoma schencklingi (Moser). The genus Blepharotoma is transferred from the tribe Liparetrini to the tribe Sericoidini. The genus Aplodema and the …

Ecological Niche Of The 2003 West Nile Virus Epidemic In The Northern Great Plains Of The United States, Michael Wimberly, Michael B. Hildreth, Stephen P. Boyte, Erik Lindquist, Lon Kightlinger

United States Public Health Resources

Background: The incidence of West Nile virus (WNv) has remained high in the northern Great Plains compared to the rest of the United States. However, the reasons for the sustained high risk of WNv transmission in this region have not been determined. To assess the environmental drivers of WNv in the northern Great Plains, we analyzed the county-level spatial pattern of human cases during the 2003 epidemic across a seven-state region.
Methodology/Principal Findings: County-level data on WNv cases were examined using spatial cluster analysis, and were used to fit statistical models with weather, climate, and land use variables as predictors. …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 20, No. 5, November 2008

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents:
Congratulations
Welcome
Grants
Publications
Insect Science Open House
Meet a Distance Student
Student News
Travel
Faculty News
From the Office

Mortalités, Effondrements Et Affaiblissements Des Colonies D’Abeilles, Julie Chiron, Anne-Marie Hattenberger

Entomology Papers from Other Sources

Depuis plusieurs dizaines d’années, une diminution notoire des populations de pollinisateurs a été signalée dans de nombreux pays par les professionnels et les scientifiques. L’enjeu économique et écologique représenté par la perte de ces individus a déterminé la mise en oeuvre de nombreuses études sur le sujet. Plusieurs hypothèses de facteurs de risques ont été avancées pour tenter d’expliquer ce phénomène. En France, notamment, les apiculteurs ont alerté les pouvoirs publics quant à un effet potentiel de certains traitements phytopharmaceutiques à usage agricole sur la vitalité des colonies d’abeilles domestiques (Apis mellifera), entraînant la décision par le Ministre …

Genetic Variability Of The European Corn Borer, Ostrinia Nubilalis, Suggests Gene Flow Between Populations In The Midwestern United States, Jeffrey T. Krumm, Thomas E. Hunt, Steven R. Skoda, Gary L. Hein, Donald J. Lee, Pete L. Clark, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a widely distributed and serious economic pest to corn production in the U.S. Genetic variability of O. nubilalis was studied in 18 sub-populations in the upper Midwestern United States using amplified fragment length polymorphism. The relatively low GST values indicate that more variation exists within populations than between populations. High gene flow (Nm) values were indicated across the entire O. nubilalis population; the lowest degree of gene flow was in the northern samples (Nm = 1.96) and the highest degree of gene flow was in the southern samples (Nm = …

Nebline, Nov./Dec. 2008

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Make a Difference: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
2008 Crop Year in Review
Preserve Grain Quality with Aeration Management
Estimating Corn Drydown Time
It’s Not Easy Being Green During Nebraska’s Winters
Put on an Extra Blanket (Winter Mulching)
Avoid Stacking Firewood Next to House
The Keys to a Perfect Thanksgiving Meal
$tretch Your Food Dollar During the Holiday Season
Healthy Eating: Easy as Pie—Turkey Pot Pie
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ Notes—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Keep Kitchen and Bathroom Clean During Guest Season
Skip the “Humbug!” 10 Tips to Relieve Holiday Stress
Housecleaning Ergonomics: How to …

Does Repeated Burial Of Skeletal Muscle Tissue (Ovis Aries) In Soil Affect Subsequent Decomposition?, David O. Carter, Mark Tibbett

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The repeated introduction of an organic resource to soil can result in its enhanced degradation. This phenomenon is of primary importance in agroecosystems, where the dynamics of repeated nutrient, pesticide, and herbicide amendment must be understood to achieve optimal yield. Although not yet investigated, the repeated introduction of cadaveric material is an important area of research in forensic science and cemetery planning. It is not currently understood what effects the repeated burial of cadaveric material has on cadaver decomposition or soil processes such as carbon mineralization. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a laboratory experiment using ovine ( …

Review Of The West Indian Species Of Efferia Coquillett (Diptera: Asilidae): Part 1. Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, And Jamaica, Aubrey G. Scarbrough, Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert

Insecta Mundi

The genus Efferia Coquillett from the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Jamaica is reviewed. The fauna now totals 16 species with 6 new species described (Ef. bellardii n. sp., Ef. bromleyi n. sp., Ef. hinei n. sp., Ef. insula n. sp., Ef. pina n. sp., and Ef. vinalensis n. sp.). Cuba has the greatest diversity with 10 species, Jamaica 3, the Bahamas 2, and the Cayman Islands 1. Efferia stylata (Fabricius) is removed from the species list of these West Indian islands. The wings of Ef. caymanensis Scarbrough and Ef. bromleyi, spermathecae of Ef. bromleyi, Ef. cubensis (Bromley), Ef. …

Taxonomic Review Of The Neotropical Tetragonoderus Quadriguttatus Assemblage (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cyclosomini) With Description Of T. Deuvei, New Species, And New West Indian And Nearctic Locality Records, Danny Shpeley, George E. Ball

Insecta Mundi

The Tetragonoderus (Peronoscelis) quadriguttatus assemblage is a postulated monophyletic part of the intersectus complex. This assemblage is characterized against a background that includes review of a classification of the genus and comparison, in the form of a key, to other unrelated Western Hemisphere genera that share elongate tibial spurs with Tetragonoderus Dejean. The principal, easily observed feature that unites the three members (T. laevigatus Chaudoir, 1876; T. deuvei, new species (type locality: Cuijaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil), and T. quadriguttatus Dejean) of the quadriguttatus assemblage is the four-spotted elytra (two spots per elytron). These species are treated in detail, …