Entomology Commons^™

What’S Bugging You App, Elizabeth Sorensen

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

https://sorensen.github.io/dichotomous-key/#/

Welcome to “What’s Bugging You?”

This is a dichotomous key meant to help you identify the Order of the insect you’ve found. Each page will present you with 2 choices. Pick the one that matches your insect the best. If you pick the one you think is right, but the next one doesn’t seem right, that’s okay! Just go back and try again.

Along the way there will be help. Any words that are highlighted will give you a definition to explain what that word means. Pictures will be provided to help choose an option. These pictures may have …

Companion Animal Ectoparasites, Jennifer Furchak

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Fleas 3

Ticks 6 Brown Dog Tick 7 American Dog Tick 8 Black-legged Tick 9 Lone Star Tick 10 Gulf Coast Tick 11

Mosquitoes 13

Parasite Comparison 15

Control and Prevention 16

Active Ingredients 19

Integrated Pest Management 20

Resources for Pet Parents 21

References 22

Lesson Plan: Bug Basics, Kelsey Larsen

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Grades: Pre-K & Kindergarten

Time Frame of Instruction: 40-45 minutes

What Skill Are Being Taught? Through hands-on and listening activities, student should be able to: Identify common insects by sight and sound. Recognize difference between an insect and other bugs such as spiders, centipedes, etc. - Differences should include but not limited to the number of body parts & legs (main way to distinguish between an insect, spider, etc.)

Educational Components of Classroom Project: 1. Science: Students will learn the basics about insect biology and how to identify common “bugs” 2. Visual: Students will be able handle plastic bugs in …

Building An Integrated Pest Management Plan For A Unique Urban Farming Program, Jeff Coco

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

The summer of 2018 led to an opportunity with a local non-profit called Fleet Farming. This non-profit had different departments available for internships which included greenhouse and farming. I was familiar with the program in that I knew they farmed in people’s front yards, in ‘farmlettes’ that had been converted from lawns. I was most interested in the job description under farming that said “practicing IPM”. I had developed an interest in IPM when I took Dr. Tom Weissling’s class on the Management of horticultural crop insects in the Spring of 2018. I wanted more ‘hands on’ learning and this …

Spatial Repellency, Antifeedant Activity And Toxicity Of Three Medium Chain Fatty Acids And Their Methyl Esters Of Coconut Fatty Acid Against Stable Flies, Gwang H. Roh, Xiaaojie Zhou, Yansu Wang, Steven C. Cermak, James A. Kenar, Alexander Lehmann, Baoyu Han, David B. Taylor, Xiaopeng Zeng, Chung Gyoo Park, Gary J. Brewer, J.J. Zhu

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Stable flies are one of the most detrimental arthropod pests to livestock. With changing climates and agronomic practices, they expand their roles as pests and disease vectors as well. Their painful bites reduce livestock productivity, annoy companion animals, and interfere with human recreational activities. Current management technologies are unable to effectively control stable flies. The present study reports new results concerning the contact, spatial repellency, and toxicity of a bio-based product, coconut fatty acid and their methyl ester derivatives of free fatty acids of C8:0, C10:0 and C12:0 to stable flies.

RESULTS: Three medium chain fatty acid methyl esters …

The Genera Of Agaocephalini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) Of Colombia, With Description Of A New Species Of Lycomedes Breme, Jhon César Neita-Moreno, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The six genera of Agaocephalini in Colombia are distinguished in a dichotomous key and illustrated. Lycomedes enigmaticus Neita-Moreno and Ratcliffe, new species, is described and differentiated by character comparisons with other previously known Colombian species. Lycomedes lydiae Arnaud, 2012 is proposed as a new junior synonym of Lycomedes reichei Brême, 1844.

Los seis géneros de Agaocephalini en Colombia son incluidos e ilustrados en una clave dicotómica. Se describe Lycomedes enigmaticus Neita-Moreno y Ratcliffe, especie nueva y es diferenciada por comparación de caracteres con otras especies previamente conocidas de Colombia. Se propone Lycomedes lydiae Arnaud, 2012 como un nuevo sinónimo …

Bifenthrin Baseline Susceptibility And Evaluation Of Simulated Aerial Applications In Striacosta Albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Débora G. Montezano, Thomas E. Hunt, Dariane Souza, Bruno C. Vieira, Ana M. Velez, Greg Kruger, Sarah N. Zukoff, Jeff D. Bradshaw, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Striacosta albicosta (Smith) is a maize pest that has recently expanded its geographical range into the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Aerial application of pyrethroids, such as bifenthrin, has been a major practice adopted to manage this pest. Reports of field failure of pyrethroids have increased since 2013. Striacosta albicosta populations were collected in 2016 and 2017 from maize fields in Nebraska, Kansas, and Canada and screened with bifenthrin active ingredient in larval contact dose-response bioassays. Resistance ratios estimated were generally low in 2016 (1.04- to 1.32-fold) with the highest LC50 in North Platte, NE (66.10 ng/cm²) …

Egg Albumin As A Protein Marker To Study Dispersal Of Noctuidae In The Agroecosystem, C. S. Tavares, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, A. Valencia-Jimenez, Thomas E. Hunt, A. M. Vélez, E. J. G. Pereira

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Knowledge of dispersal and spatial dynamics of pest populations is fundamental for implementation of integrated pest management and integrated resistance management.This study evaluated 1) the effectiveness of egg white albumin protein to mark larvae and adults of two polyphagous and highly mobile pests, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (fall armyworm) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (corn earworm) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and 2) the sensitivity of polyvinylidene difluoride membrane (dot blot) in detecting albumin on marked insects. Laboratory and field experiments tested egg albumin as a protein marker, which was detected using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microplate, and dot blot. In the laboratory, …

Nebline, January 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2018 Extension highlights

Benefit to people

Teaching, growing and making a difference

36,520 youth engaged in 4-H programs

Extension’s volunteers worth nearly $700,000

New Year, new you: Nutrition tips to a healthier you

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Pesticide applicator 2019 training dates

Ag Estate and Succession Planning workshop, Jan. 23 & March 5

Successful Farmer Series

Upcoming green industry conferences

Extension’s 2019 Master Gardener trainings, two sites available

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

Sticky situation: Using glue boards to monitor pests

HEART OF 4-H Volunteer Award: Susan Bulling

IT’S TIME TO RE-ENROLL IN 4-H!

Meet 2018–2019 4-H Council …

Soil Fauna Accelerate Dung Pat Decomposition And Nutrient Cycling Into Grassland Soil, Kenneth S. Evans, Martha Mamo, Ana Wingeyer, Walter Schacht, Kent Eskridge, Jeff Bradshaw, Daniel Ginting

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Soil fauna play critical roles in various ecosystem functions and services, but empirical data measuring their impact on dung pat decomposition and subsequent nutrient cycling into rangeland soils are limited. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of soil fauna, using dung beetle as an indicator, on dung decomposition and subsequent translocation of dung nutrients into grassland soil over time. A field experiment was conducted early in the summer season and late in the summer season of 2014 and 2015. In each season, dung beetle abundance, changes in dung properties, and subsequent translocation of dung nutrients into …

Opda Regulates Maize Defense Against Aphids, Suresh Varsani, Sajjan Grover, Shaoqun Zhou, Kyle G. Koch, Pei-Cheng Huang, Michael V. Kolomiets, W. Paul Williams, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Gautam Sarath, Dawn S. Luthe, Georg Jander, Joe Louis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2019 American Society of Plant Biologists.

DOI:10.1104/pp.18.01472

Rnai Targeting Of Rootworm Troponin I Transcripts Confers Root Protection In Maize, Elane Fishilevich, Andrew J. Bowling, Meghan L. F. Frey, Po-Hao Wang, Wendy Lo, Murugesan Rangasamy, Sarah E. Worden, Heather E. Pence, Premchand Gandra, Shannon L. Whitlock, Greg Schulenberg, Eileen Knorr, Linda Tenbusch, Jamie R. Lutz, Stephen Novak, Ronda L. Hamm, Karl D. Schnelle, Andreas Vilcinskas, Kenneth E. Narva

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, is the major agronomically important pest of maize in the US Corn Belt. To augment the repertoire of the available dsRNA-based traits that control rootworm, we explored a potentially haplolethal gene target, wings up A (wupA), which encodes Troponin I. Troponin I, a component of the Troponin-Tropomyosin complex, is an inhibitory protein involved in muscle contraction. In situ hybridization showed that feeding on wupA-targeted dsRNAs caused systemic transcript knockdown in D. v. virgifera larvae. The knockdown of wupA transcript, and by extension Troponin I protein, led to deterioration of the …

P7 And P8 Proteins Of High Plains Wheat Mosaic Virus, A Negative-Strand Rna Virus, Employ Distinct Mechanisms Of Rna Silencing Suppression, Adarsh K. Gupta, Gary L. Hein, Satyanarayana Tatineni

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

High Plains wheat mosaic virus (genus Emaravirus), an octapartite negative-sense RNA virus, encodes two RNA silencing suppressors, P7 and P8. In this study, we found that P7 and P8 efficiently delayed the onset of dsRNA-induced transitive pathway of RNA silencing. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) revealed that only P7 protected long dsRNAs from dicing in vitro and bound weakly to 21- and 24-nt PTGS-like ds-siRNAs. In contrast, P8 bound strongly and relatively weakly to 21- and 24-nt ds-siRNAs, respectively, suggesting size-specific binding. In EMSA, neither protein bound to 180-nt and 21-nt ssRNAs at detectable levels. Sequence analysis revealed that …

Age- And Sex-Related Abc Transporter Expression In Pyrethroid-Susceptible And – Resistant Aedes Aegypti, Leslie C. Rault, Ellis J. Johnson, Scott T. O'Neal, Rui Chen, Sarah E. Mccomic, Daniel R. Swale, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Resistance mechanisms to synthetic insecticides often include point mutations and increased expression of genes encoding detoxification enzymes. Since pyrethroids are the main adulticides used against Aedes aegypti, which vectors pathogens such as Zika virus, understanding resistance to this insecticide class is of significant relevance. We focused on adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in the pyrethroid-resistant Puerto Rico (PR) strain of Ae. aegypti. We investigated the expression patterns of six ABC transporters previously characterized as differentially expressed in insecticide-challenged mosquitoes, or increased mRNA expression in pyrethroid-resistant Ae. aegypti, by comparing PR to the Rockefeller (Rock) susceptible strain. …

Susceptibility Of Corn To Stink Bug (Dichelops Melacanthus) And Its Management Through Seed Treatment, Paulo Roberta Da Silva, Ademar Novais Istchuk, Thomas E. Hunt, Cristina Schetino Bastos, Jorge Braz Torres, Karolayne Lopes Campos, Josemar Foresti

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

We determined the susceptibility of vegetative corn stages to Dichelops melacanthus damage, and how seed treatment can reduce damage and yield loss. Two field trials were carried out. In the first, corn plants were artificially infested with D. melacanthus male/female pairs at rate of 0.5 pair per plant at different vegetative stages and infestation periods lasting 7-28 days (V1-V3, V1-V5, V1-V7, V1-V9, V3-V5, V3-V7, V3-V9, V5-V7, V5-V9, and V7-V9), plus a control without infestation. In the second, corn plants were artificially infested at a rate of one male/female pair per plant at different vegetative stages and infestation periods (V1-V3, V1-V5, …

A New Pest Species Of Resseliella (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) On Soybean (Fabaceae) In North America, With A Description Of The Genus, Raymond Gagne, Junichi Yukawa, Ayman K. Elsayed, Anthony J. Mcmechan

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A new species, Resseliella maxima Gagne, is reported that feeds on the lower stems of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Fabaceae) in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota. It is described and illustrated and compared in detail with other Resseliella spp. DNA data support its status as a new species. A general description is given for Resseliella.

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Alters The Transcriptome Of Its Vector, Wheat Curl Mite (Aceria Tosichella Keifer), To Enhance Mite Development And Population Expansion, Adarsh K. Gupta, Erin D. Scully, Nathan A. Palmer, Scott M. Geib, Gautam Sarath, Gary L. Hein, Satyanarayana Tatineni

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus; family Potyviridae) is an economically important wheat virus that is transmitted by the wheat curl mite (WCM; Aceria tosichella Keifer) in a persistent manner. Virus–vector coevolution may potentially influence vector gene expression to prolong viral association and thus increase virus transmission efficiency and spread. To understand the transcriptomic responses of WCM to WSMV, RNA sequencing was performed to assemble and analyse transcriptomes of WSMV viruliferous and aviruliferous mites. Among 7291 de novo-assembled unigenes, 1020 were differentially expressed between viruliferous and aviruliferous WCMs using edgeR at a false discovery rate ≤0.05. …

Biotic Potential And Reproductive Parameters Of Spodoptera Frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Débora Goulart Montezano, Alexandre Specht, Daniel R. Sosa-Gomez, Vânia F. Roque-Specht, Juaci V. Malaquias, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Julie A. Peterson, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a native to the Americas and recently reported in Africa, Germany, the Netherlands and India, is a significant pest of many crop species. Although a widespread and important pest, information on its biology and development are incomplete and require detailed study. In this study, the biotic potential and reproductive parameters of S. frugiperda were evaluated under controlled conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10% RH and 14 hour photophase). The longevity, pre-, post- and oviposition periods, fecundity, and fertility of 30 pairs were evaluated. The longevity of …

Composition And Host-Use Patterns Of A Scarab Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Community Inhabiting The Canopy Of A Lowland Tropical Rainforest In Southern Venezuela, Susan Kirmse, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The adult scarab beetle fauna of the canopy in a lowland tropical rainforest in southern Venezuela was observed and collected by means of a 42 m-tall tower crane for a complete year. This first census of an entire Amazonian canopy scarab community was embedded within the interdisciplinary research project "Towards an understanding of the structure and function of a Neotropical rainforest ecosystem with special reference to its canopy" organized by the Austrian Academy of Science. The Scarabaeidae represented one of the most species-rich beetle families in the canopy of the crane plot and were therefore selected for a detailed analysis …

Soil Arthropod Abundance And Diversity Following Land Application Of Swine Slurry, Nichole R. Schuster, Julie A. Peterson, John E. Gilley, Linda R. Schott, Amy M. Schmidt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Soil arthropods play an important role in nutrient cycling and maintenance of soil structure, and their abundance and diversity provide an indication of the biological quality of soil. Land application of livestock manure provides crop nutrients and may also impact the soil arthropod community. This study was conducted to quantify soil arthropod abundance and diversity for a pe-riod of one year following swine manure application via broadcast or injec-tion. Arthropods were extracted from plot soil samples using Berlese funnels, identified and counted, and the QBS index (Qualità Biologica del Suolo) was calculated for each soil sample. Collembola (Hypogastruridae and Isotomi-dae) …

Effect Of Neem-Based Botanicals And Abamectin 1.8% Ec Against Phyllocnistis Citrella1 In Citrus Reticulata (Rutaceae) Nursery Plantations, Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Muhammad Afzal, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Omar Francisco Prado-Rebolledo, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, is an economically important insect pest of citrus in Pakistan, Mexico, the United States and many other citrus-producing countries. Extract of Azadirachta indica A. Juss at 5 and 7% and its oil at 1 and 1.5% concentrations were tested in comparison to synthetic insecticide abamectin 1.8% EC against P. citrella in nursery plantations of Citrus reticulata L. Control of all larval instars of citrus leafminer was good with application of abamectin and A. indica oil during fall 2015 and summer 2016. Abamectin suppressed 75-90% of P. citrella larvae both seasons. A. indica oil at greater …

Temperature Dependent Development Of Sugarcane Aphids Melanaphis Sacchari, (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Three Different Host Plants With Estimates Of The Lower And Upper Threshold For Fecundity, Michael A. De Souza, J. Scott Armstrong, W. Wyatt Hoback, Phillip G. Mulder, Sulochana Paudyal, John E. Foster, Mark E. Payton, Josephine Akosa

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) is a serious economic threat to grain sorghum across the U.S. sorghum belt. It can develop on multiple grass hosts but only appears to survive winter temperatures in Texas near the Mexican border, Florida and Louisiana. Because survival and reproduction of aphids is dependent on access to appropriate nutrition and temperatures at which metabolic processes are maintained, we evaluated the growth, reproduction and survival of sugarcane aphids at constant temperatures (5°C,10°C,15°C,20°C,25°C,30°C,35°C) on three known hosts, sorghum, Johnsongrass, and Columbus grass. Longevity, fecundity, number of female nymphs/d, reproductive period in d, and intrinsic rate of …

Keys To Adults Of All Genera And Larvae Of 19 Species Of Gymnetini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoninae) In The New World, With A Species Checklist And Descriptions Of Two New Genera And Species From Mexico And Mertinique, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Keys to adults of all 27 genera and larvae of 19 species in 10 genera of Gymnetini that occur in the New World are presented. Supplementing the key to adults is a checklist of all species, their synonyms, and all literature citations associated with the nomenclatural epithets. Two new genera, Gymnephoria Ratcliffe and Madiana Ratcliffe and Rome, with one new species each, are described from Mexico and Martinique, respectively.

Optimizing Egg Recovery From Wild Northern Corn Rootworm Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Adriano E. Pereira, Dalton C. Ludwick, Julie Barry, Lance J. Meinke, Daniel J. Moellenbeck, Mark R. Ellersieck, Jordan D. Reinders, Ryan W. Geisert, Keiran Hyte, Amanda Ernwall, Kyle J. Paddock, Bruce E. Hibbard

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is one of the most important insect pests in the U.S. Corn Belt. Efforts to obtain eggs from wild northern corn rootworm populations using techniques developed for other rootworm species have been unsuccessful due to lack of oviposition. In 2016, we evaluated four oviposition media in choice tests within each of three female densities in 30.5 × 30.5 × 30.5 cm BugDorm cages. The number of eggs laid per female was significantly affected by female density and the interaction of female density × oviposition media, but oviposition was relatively …

Chlorothalonil Exposure Alters Virus Susceptibility And Markers Of Immunity, Nutrition, And Development In Honey Bees, Scott T. O'Neal, Alison M. Reeves, Richard D. Fell, Carlyle C. Brewster, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Chlorothalonil is a broad spectrum chloronitrile fungicide that has been identified as one of the most common pesticide contaminants found in managed honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis mellifera L.), their food stores, and the hive environment. While not acutely toxic to honey bees, several studies have identified potential sublethal effects, especially in larvae, but comprehensive information regarding the impact of chlorothalonil on adults is lacking. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to a field relevant level of chlorothalonil on honey bee antiviral immunity and biochemical markers of general and social immunity, as well as …

Community Composition, Abundance, And Phenology Of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Soybean In The North Central Region Of The United States, Daniela Pezzini, Christina D. Difonzo, Deborah L. Finke, Thomas Hunt, Janet J. Knodel, Christian H. Krupke, Brian P. Mccornack, Andrew P. Michel, Christopher R. Philips, Adam J. Varenhorst, Robert J. Wright, Robert Koch

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are an increasing threat to soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae) production in the North Central Region of the United States, which accounts for 80% of the country’s total soybean production. Characterization of the stink bug community is essential for development of management programs for these pests. However, the composition of the stink bug community in the region is not well defined. This study aimed to address this gap with a 2-yr, 9-state survey. Specifically, we characterized the relative abundance, richness, and diversity of taxa in this community, and assessed phenological differences in abundance of herbivorous and predatory stink …

Sublethal Effects Of The Insecticide Pyrifluquinazon On The European Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae), James M. Wilson, Troy D. Anderson, Thomas P. Kuhar

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Pyrifluquinazon (PQZ) is an Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) Group 9 insecticide that has recently been registered for use in the United States for control of soft-bodied sucking insect pests. Although it has been classified as practically nontoxic to honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), based on acute contact bioassays, additional information on sublethal effects of this insecticide on honey bees is lacking. Using a combination of laboratory assays with video movement tracking software and near-field evaluations of colonies foraging in a high-tunnel experiment, we determined that, when fed PQZ at a concentration of 84 mg active ingredient (ai)/liter …

Will Whitcomb: Entomologist And Old-School Naturalist, John R. Ruberson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

It’s a great pleasure and privilege to reflect on the life and career of Dr. Willard Hall Whitcomb. I tend to agree with Norm Leppla’s assessment that “Dr. Willard Whitcomb, without a doubt, was the most colorful entomological character I have ever known.” I knew Will chiefly by scientific reputation before briefly meeting him in 1988 for the first time. My first significant interactions with Will came in 1994 while I was with the University of Georgia in Tifton, and we tossed ideas back and forth until his death in 2002. However, I never felt that I knew the man …

Wheat Stem Maggot (Diptera: Chloropidae): An Emerging Pest Of Cover Crop To Corn Transition Systems, Gabriela Inveninato Carmona, Jennifer M. Rees, Ronald C. Seymour, Robert J. Wright, Anthony J. Mcmechan

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The wheat stem maggot (Meromyza americana Fitch) (WSM) is a minor pest of wheat, rye, and other grasses. In 2017, growers in Nebraska reported dead center whorls and excessive tillering in early-season cornfields that followed wheat or rye terminated after planting corn. A survey was conducted to evaluate the risk factors for this insect in cover crop to corn transition systems. In each field, management practices and the percentage of injured plants were recorded. Symptomatic corn plants were collected from each field and dissected to determine larval and plant characteristics. In a few cases, small patches of a field …

Ecophysiological Determinants Of Sexual Size Dimorphism: Integrating Growth Trajectories, Environmental Conditions, And Metabolic Rates, Marie-Claire Chelini, John P. Delong, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) often results in dramatic differences in body size between females and males. Despite its ecological importance, little is known about the relationship between developmental, physiological, and energetic mechanisms underlying SSD. We take an integrative approach to understand the relationship between developmental trajectories, metabolism, and environmental conditions resulting in extreme female-biased SSD in the crab spider Mecaphesa celer (Thomisidae). We tested for sexual differences in growth trajectories, as well as in the energetics of growth, hypothesizing that female M. celer have lower metabolic rates than males or higher energy assimilation. We also hypothesized that the environment in …