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Articles 31 - 60 of 75
Full-Text Articles in Entomology
Mexican Rice Borer (Eoreuma Loftini) Pheromone Trap Efficacy And Role In Invasive Species Monitoring And Pest Management, Blake Emerson Wilson
Mexican Rice Borer (Eoreuma Loftini) Pheromone Trap Efficacy And Role In Invasive Species Monitoring And Pest Management, Blake Emerson Wilson
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an invasive pest of sugarcane, Saccharum spp.; rice, Oryza sativa; and other graminaceous crops along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Identification of E. loftini sex pheromones led to the development of pheromone baited traps. Studies were conducted to determine strategies for the use of E. loftini pheromone traps in invasive species monitoring and pest management. A two-year field study demonstrated that E. loftini pheromone traps attract males from distances of up to 100m. A behavioral assay observed that detection of the pheromone by E. loftini males occurs at ≈48m from the …
Ant Diversity And Community Structure In Coastal Dunes And Wetlands, Xuan Chen
Ant Diversity And Community Structure In Coastal Dunes And Wetlands, Xuan Chen
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
How do many species live in a certain place? How does species composition changes among habitats? And what mechanisms decide species distribution? These are fundamental questions in community ecology. I first investigated ant diversity in two coastal ecosystems (dunes and wetlands) in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and then used the distribution patterns to infer assembly processes that structure ant communities in coastal areas. Specifically, the following hypotheses are tested: (1) coastal systems support lower ant diversity due to the unsuitable environment; (2) species living near the seashore are a subset of those exist near inland; (3) deterministic processes are …
Impact And Management Of The Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) In Bioenergy Crop Agroecosystems, Matthew Travis Vanweelden
Impact And Management Of The Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) In Bioenergy Crop Agroecosystems, Matthew Travis Vanweelden
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an invasive stem borer pest of sugarcane, rice, corn, and sorghum, and poses a threat to the production of dedicated bioenergy feedstocks in the U. S. Gulf Coast region. Studies were conducted to assess insect-plant interactions between E. loftini and bioenergy and conventional cultivars of sugarcane and sorghum, including yield response, oviposition preference, and host suitability. In addition, the efficacy of select cultural and biological control tactics to manage E. loftini in these crops was assessed. Bioenergy sugarcane (energycane) and sweet sorghum exhibited reduced E. loftini injury; however, these crops …
Integrated Multiple-Tactic Management Of The Redbanded Stink Bug On Soybeans In Louisiana, Miyanda Nzala Moonga
Integrated Multiple-Tactic Management Of The Redbanded Stink Bug On Soybeans In Louisiana, Miyanda Nzala Moonga
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are major pests of soybeans in Louisiana and heavy infestations often lead to economic losses. The stink bug species complex has changed in the past decade with the prevalence of the invasive redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), which causes greater damage than other stink bug species. Moreover, control of the redbanded stink bug has been faced with challenges because it is less sensitive to recommended insecticides. Therefore, studies were conducted to evaluate different control options for P. guildinii. Among the studies conducted was the current status of egg parasitoids of stink bugs in Louisiana. Telenomus …
Research In Biological Control Of The Formosan Subterranean Termite, Cai Wang
Research In Biological Control Of The Formosan Subterranean Termite, Cai Wang
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is a worldwide distributed pest of wooden structures and living plants that causes huge economic losses. Compared to chemical pesticides, biological control may provide a more environmentally friendly and persistent method for the control of C. formosanus. In this research, a series of studies were conducted to understand the termite-pathogen interaction and to develop a feasible biological control strategy. In the first part of the research, the toxicity of Bt toxins expressed by genetically modified maize to termites was tested. Plant tissues or extracts of three commercially planted Bt maize and two non-Bt …
Evaluation Of Economic Injury Levels And Chemical Control Recommendations For Rice Stink Bug (Oebalus Pugnax) In Louisiana, Bryce Blackman
Evaluation Of Economic Injury Levels And Chemical Control Recommendations For Rice Stink Bug (Oebalus Pugnax) In Louisiana, Bryce Blackman
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Experiments were carried out from 2010 to 2013 to investigate multiple aspects of rice stink bug (RSB) integrated pest management (IPM): insecticide recommendations, sampling efficiency, treatment thresholds, farmer practices, and improved educational tools. The first objective of this research was to compare the efficacies of currently used insecticides with that of a new product from the neonicotinoid class of insecticides. Experiments were carried out in the laboratory, small field plots, and commercial fields across Louisiana. Results from efficacy trials showed that the neonicotinoid was comparable to pyrethroid products used most by rice producers in Louisiana. Conversely, in separate experiments the …
Evaluation Of Pyramided Bt Corn For Management Of Corn Earworm And Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Fei Yang
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, and corn earworm (CEW), Helicoverpa zea, are two target pests of pyramided Bt corn in the U.S. This study determined the susceptibility of the two pests to pyramided Bt corn and evaluated if a 95:5% seed mixture of Bt and non-Bt corn was an appropriate approach for providing refuge populations of CEW for resistance management. Firstly, susceptibility of 150 F2 two-parent families to three common pyramided Bt corn traits was examined using 7-day leaf tissue bioassays and whole plant tests. A few families survived the 7-day leaf tissue bioassays but progeny of the survivors …
Taxonomy And Systematics Of New Zealand Faronitae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Jong-Seok Park
Taxonomy And Systematics Of New Zealand Faronitae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Jong-Seok Park
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The New Zealand Faronitae was revised at the species level, and a phylogenetic study was performed based on morphological and molecular data. Eight new genera and 143 new species were discovered. Three new genera, “Brounea”, “Ahnea” and “Pseudoexeirarthra” were designated based on the species originally described in the genus Sagola. Five new genera, “Aucklandea”, “Chandlerea”, “Nunnea”, “Leschenea” and “Pseudostenosagola” were designated by new species. Three known genera, Exeirarthra, Stenosagola and Sagola were also revised at species level. Eighty four names were synonymized, two in Exeirarthra, four in Stenosagola and 78 in Sagola. Lectotypes of seven species, Sagola terricola Broun, S. …
Development Of Integrated Pest Management For Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea Saccharalis In Rice, Jaspreet Kaur Sidhu
Development Of Integrated Pest Management For Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea Saccharalis In Rice, Jaspreet Kaur Sidhu
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Rice is grown over an area of approximately 500,000 acres in Louisiana. The lepidopteran stem borer complex attacking rice in the southern U.S includes stalk borer Chilo plejadellus Zincken, sugarcane borer (SCB) Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini Dyar. With the increasing impact of stem borers in Louisiana, an urgent need exists to develop strategies for management. Currently, no IPM program is in place for stem borers in Louisiana rice and research has been initiated to develop an IPM program for these pests. The first objective of this research was focused on host plant resistance. For this …
Incorporating Neonicotinoid And Anthranilic Diamide Insecticides Into Integrated Pest Management Of Rice Water Weevil, Lissorhoptrus Oryzophilus, Srinivas K. Lanka
Incorporating Neonicotinoid And Anthranilic Diamide Insecticides Into Integrated Pest Management Of Rice Water Weevil, Lissorhoptrus Oryzophilus, Srinivas K. Lanka
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Seed treatments with chlorantraniliprole and thiamethoxam have been used for the management of rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus in the United States. Both insecticides being plant-systemic could potentially target multiple life stages of L. oryzophilus. The rational use of these chemicals as seed treatments in weevil management requires thorough understanding on targeted life stages of L.oryzophilus and, the relative persistence and potency of both chemicals. A series of greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted on weevils by culturing rice plants treated as seeds with different rates of chlorantraniliprole and thiamethoxam. Adult feeding assays on foliage from treated plants revealed divergent …
Agroecological Factors Impacting Stem Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Dynamics In Gulf Coast Sugarcane And Rice, Julien M. Beuzelin
Agroecological Factors Impacting Stem Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Dynamics In Gulf Coast Sugarcane And Rice, Julien M. Beuzelin
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Diatraea saccharalis (F.) and Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) are stem boring pests of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) crops in the Gulf Coast region. Studies were conducted to determine the role of agroecological factors, including predator disruptions, alternate hosts, and crop phenological conditions, on stem borer populations.
The year after Hurricane Rita storm surge flooded sugarcane in Louisiana, a 71% reduction in the predaceous Solenopsis invicta Buren was recorded. Even with a 2.4-fold increase in the number of insecticide applications used for D. saccharalis management in flooded fields, growers still incurred higher injury.
In two field …
Ecology And Chemical Ecology Of Plant-Insect Interactions In Rice: Implications For Pest Management, Jason Charles Hamm
Ecology And Chemical Ecology Of Plant-Insect Interactions In Rice: Implications For Pest Management, Jason Charles Hamm
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Induced resistance to the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus, was assessed in greenhouse and field experiments. The fall armyworm,Spodoptera frugiperda, and an elicitor, jasmonic acid, were used to induce resistance. The effect of these treatments on rice resistance to oviposition varied between cultivar used, but significantly fewer larvae were found on plants exposed to S. frugiperda and jasmonic acid on both cultivars tested. Application of jasmonic acid significantly reduced the number of L. oryzophilus larvae per plant, and represents the first example of elicitor-induced resistance in rice in field experiments. Oviposition by the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis, induced resistance to …
Redbanded Stink Bug, Piezodorus Guildinii (Westwood): Pest Status, Control Strategies, And Management In Louisiana Soybean, Joshua H. Temple
Redbanded Stink Bug, Piezodorus Guildinii (Westwood): Pest Status, Control Strategies, And Management In Louisiana Soybean, Joshua H. Temple
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), was identified as a pest of Louisiana soybean during 2000. Currently, this species has become established throughout Louisiana and into the soybean production regions of bordering states. Seasonal abundance, patterns of oviposition, and population dynamics of this species were surveyed in soybean during 2008-10. The redbanded stink bug comprised the largest percentage (54%) of the total stink bug complex collected at five survey sites followed by the southern green (27%), Nezara viridula L. and brown (7%) stink bugs, Euschistus servus L. Peak oviposition occurred during the (R5) soybean growth stage. Most (80%) egg …
Molecular Mechanisms Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Resistance In The Sugarcane Borer, Yunlong Yang
Molecular Mechanisms Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Resistance In The Sugarcane Borer, Yunlong Yang
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis, is a major target pest of transgenic corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins in many areas of the U.S. mid-southern region. A Cry1Ab-resistant (Cry1Ab-RR) strain of D. saccharalis has been developed from a single two-parent family-line. To examine the molecular mechanisms of the Cry1Ab resistance in this insect strain, cDNAs of five types of potential candidate genes related to Bt resistance were sequenced using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 5’ rapid amplification of cDNA end (5’ RACE). The Bt resistance candidate genes examined included three trypsins (DsTRYs), three chymotrypsins (DsCHYs), three aminopeptidases N …
Ecology And Systematics Of Coleoptera In Woody Debris Of Eastern North American Forests, Michael Leslie Ferro
Ecology And Systematics Of Coleoptera In Woody Debris Of Eastern North American Forests, Michael Leslie Ferro
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Dead wood is a largely unexplored reservoir of taxonomic diversity and its ecology is poorly known despite its use as fuel and its roles in the carbon cycle and healthy ecosystems. During this research 15 new species of dead wood associated rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) in the genus Sonoma Casey were discovered and described. Sonoma tolulae (LeConte) was redescribed. Taxonomic issues obfuscated the identity of another dead wood associate, Thoracophorus costalis (Erichson) (Staphylinidae: Osoriinae). Examination of holotypes resulted in the discovery of two nomenclatural synonyms: T. longicollis Motschulsky, and T. fletcheri Wendeler. An inexpensive emergence chamber used to collect insects …
Revision And Reclassification Of The Genera Of Phalacridae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), Matthew Gimmel
Revision And Reclassification Of The Genera Of Phalacridae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), Matthew Gimmel
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The family Phalacridae is monographed at the genus level using modern phylogenetic and classification methods. A morphological matrix of 106 characters and 2063 base pairs of aligned 18S rDNA sequence data were analyzed both separately and in a concatenated matrix, using maximum parsimony, Bayesian methods, and maximum likelihood. The phylogenetic hypotheses were used to construct a new subfamilial classification for the family. I recognize eight subfamilies, including two described as new: Biophytinae Guillebeau 1894, Eustilbinae Guillebeau 1892, Ochrolitinae Guillebeau 1894, Olibrinae Guillebeau 1892, Olibroporinae, subfam. nov., Olibrosominae, subfam. nov., Phaenocephalinae Matthews 1899, Phalacrinae Guillebeau 1892. Twenty-eight new generic synonymies are …
A Study Of Horn Fly, Haematobia Irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), Target-Site Sensitivity, Susceptibility, And Resistance Management At Selected Sites In Louisiana, Cole David Younger
A Study Of Horn Fly, Haematobia Irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), Target-Site Sensitivity, Susceptibility, And Resistance Management At Selected Sites In Louisiana, Cole David Younger
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The purpose of the first study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of a mid-season avermectin pour-on to cattle for managing OP resistance in horn fly populations at the Rosepine Louisiana Agricultural Research Station. During an eight year study, ivermectin treatments were made three times (when the treatment threshold of less than five weeks of control was reached), and in the following years, the number of weeks of control increased to 9 to 10 weeks each time. The purpose of the second study was to test a two-year OP/one-year pyrethroid rotation strategy as a strategy for maintaining susceptibility …
Introduction And Establishment Of Cyrtobagous Salviniae Calder And Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) For The Control Of Salvinia Minima Baker (Salviniaceae), And Interspecies Interactions Possibly Limiting Successful Control In Louisiana, Katherine A. Parys
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Common salvinia, Salvinia minima Baker, is a floating aquatic invasive macrophyte that obstructs waterways and causes problems in wetlands across Louisiana and Texas. The salvinia weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands, has been released in over 14 countries around the world for the biological control of Salvinia spp. We successfully monitored the introduction and establishment of C. salviniae on S. minima in southern Louisiana between 2006 and 2010. Cyrtobagous salviniae significantly lowered the biomass of S. minima and increased the number of terminal buds damaged but had no significant impact on pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, surface temperature, percent of surface …
Contribution Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Cotton Cultivars And Insecticides To A Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J. E. Smith), (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) Management Strategy, Jarrod T. Hardke
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), response to cottons, Gossypium hirsutum L., expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins, Cry1Ac (Bollgard®), Cry1Ac + Cry2Ab (Bollgard II®), and Cry1Ac + Cry1F (WideStrike™), was evaluated in field and laboratory experiments. In field trials, larvae that were infested on selected fruiting forms (squares, white flowers, and bolls) of WideStrike™ plants had lower survivorship and caused less injury than larvae on non-Bt plants, regardless of fruiting structures. Bollgard® and Bollgard II® plants produced no consistent negative effects on fall armyworm survivorship and injury. In no-choice laboratory assays, Bollgard II® and WideStrike™ cotton tissue reduced …
Role Of Substrate Moisture, Relative Humidity And Temperature On Survival And Foraging Behavior Of Formosan Subterranean Termites, Bal Krishna Gautam
Role Of Substrate Moisture, Relative Humidity And Temperature On Survival And Foraging Behavior Of Formosan Subterranean Termites, Bal Krishna Gautam
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The Formosan subterranean termite is an important structural pest in the southern United States, especially Louisiana. Baiting systems and spot treatment with non-repellent delayed action termiticides are among the most eco-friendly control approaches. However, to achieve a desired success from these approaches requires a sophisticated knowledge of foraging behavior and food transfer system of these social insects. Moisture and temperature play a vital role in influencing the foraging behavior of these desiccation prone insects. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to understand the subtleties of foraging behavior of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki in relation to moisture, relative humidity and temperature. …
Molecular Mechanisms Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Resistance In The Sugarcane Borer, Yunlong Yang
Molecular Mechanisms Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Resistance In The Sugarcane Borer, Yunlong Yang
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis, is a major target pest of transgenic corn expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins in many areas of the U.S. mid-southern region. A Cry1Ab-resistant (Cry1Ab-RR) strain of D. saccharalis has been developed from a single two-parent family-line. To examine the molecular mechanisms of the Cry1Ab resistance in this insect strain, cDNAs of five types of potential candidate genes related to Bt resistance were sequenced using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 5’ rapid amplification of cDNA end (5’ RACE). The Bt resistance candidate genes examined included three trypsins (DsTRYs), three chymotrypsins (DsCHYs), three aminopeptidases N …
Categorization And Indentification Of Mechanisms Of Sugarcane Resistance To The Sugarcane Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Waseem Akbar
Categorization And Indentification Of Mechanisms Of Sugarcane Resistance To The Sugarcane Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Waseem Akbar
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Sugarcane in Louisiana is colonized and sometimes heavily infested by two aphid species, the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), and the yellow sugarcane aphid,Sipha flava(Forbes). Melanaphis sacchari, the main vector of sugarcane yellow leaf virus, is distributed throughout Louisiana’s sugarcane-growing regions. Five cultivars representing 90% of the commercial acreage in Louisiana (LCP 85-384, HoCP 91-555, Ho 95-988, HoCP 96-540,L 97-128) were evaluated for resistance to aphids in the greenhouse. Antibiosis was the primary category of resistance to both aphid species. Based on the intrinsic rate of natural increase, L 97-128 and HoCP 91-555 were comparatively susceptible and resistant cultivars, respectively. …
Resistance To Bacillus Thuringiensis In Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea Saccharalis (F.), Xiaoyi Wu
Resistance To Bacillus Thuringiensis In Sugarcane Borer, Diatraea Saccharalis (F.), Xiaoyi Wu
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a dominant corn stack boring pest and a major target of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-corn in many areas of the mid-southern region of the United States. A Cry1Ab-resistant strain of D. saccharalis, capable of survival on commercial Bt corn plants, was established using an F2 screening procedure. Larval survival of Cry1Ab-resistant, -susceptible, and -heterozygous genotypes was evaluated on five non-Bt and seven Bt field corn hybrids at two plant stages. During the vegetative stages, all seven Bt corn hybrids were highly efficacious against the three genotypes, while 8-18% of the heterozygous genotype survived on …
Survival, Growth, And Behavior Of Helicoverpa Zea (Boddie) And Heliothis Virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) On Genetically Engineered Cotton Expressing The Vip3a Insecticidal Protein, Padma Latha Bommireddy
Survival, Growth, And Behavior Of Helicoverpa Zea (Boddie) And Heliothis Virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) On Genetically Engineered Cotton Expressing The Vip3a Insecticidal Protein, Padma Latha Bommireddy
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Larval behavior, survivorship, and injury potential of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.), was evaluated on cotton plants genetically engineered to express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins, Vip3A and Vip3A +Cry 1Ab (VipCot™). Larvae (2-d-old) of both species were infested on plant terminals of vegetative or flowering stage cotton plants. Regardless of species, more larvae migrated from the plant terminals of Vip3A and VipCot plants compared to larvae infested on a conventional non-Bt cotton line (Coker 312). Larval (2-d-old) survivorship on VipCot™ plant structures was generally lower than that on similar structures of the Vip3A cotton line. …
Novel Methods For The Control Of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), Thomas Michael Mascari
Novel Methods For The Control Of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), Thomas Michael Mascari
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
In arid and semi-arid parts of the Old World, Phlebotomus paptasi is a significant biting pest of man and is the primary vector of Leishmania major, the causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). Phlebotomus papatasi exhibits a close association with the burrowing rodents that serve as the reservoirs of L. major. Rodent burrows are considered to be the primary habitat of immature P. papatasi in ZCL foci, and sand fly larvae have been observed feeding on rodent feces. In laboratory studies, five insecticides (diflubenzuron, novaluron, methoprene, pyriproxyfen, or ivermectin) were incorporated into the diet of Syrian hamsters and evaluated …
Detection Of West Nile Virus Activity In Male And Female Mosquitoes, And Evaluation Of Host-Utilization Patterns Of Mosquitoes, In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Andrew James Mackay
Detection Of West Nile Virus Activity In Male And Female Mosquitoes, And Evaluation Of Host-Utilization Patterns Of Mosquitoes, In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, Andrew James Mackay
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
ABSTRACT Host utilization patterns of female mosquitoes, and WNV infection rates in male and female mosquitoes, were examined in East Baton Rouge Parish to identify potential vectors of West Nile virus (WNV). A total of 244,374 female mosquitoes were collected between November 2002 and October 2004 and tested by viral isolation. Additionally, 131,896 female mosquitoes were tested by VecTest in 2003, and 167,175 female mosquitoes were tested by RT-PCR in 2004. West Nile virus was isolated from 17 of 36 mosquito species assayed by virus isolation, WNV antigens were detected in 9 of 27 species tested by VecTest, and WNV …
Culture-Independent Identification Of Gut Bacteria In Fourth-Instar Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta Buren, Larvae, Albert Hon-Yu Lee
Culture-Independent Identification Of Gut Bacteria In Fourth-Instar Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta Buren, Larvae, Albert Hon-Yu Lee
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Red imported fire ants (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta Buren, are medical, urban, and agricultural pests from South America. Fourth-instar larvae are used by the colony to digest solid food and then regurgitate it for consumption by workers and queens. Larvae are an ideal source of investigations of obligate endosymbiotic bacteria possibly involved in nutrient distributions. I attempted to first identify what bacteria species are in the guts of larvae followed by antibiotic and microscopy work to further study their roles in the ants. The composition of the bacterial community in fire ant larvae was described with culture-independent methods utilizing 16S rDNA …
Detection Of The Bloodmeal Origin Of Mosquitoes Collected At Alligator Farms, And West Nile Virus Activity In Mosquitoes Collected From Alligator Farms, Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Sites, And Larval Habitats, Isik Unlu
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
A three year study was conducted to determine if testing mosquitoes collected in modified sentinel chicken boxes for West Nile Virus (WNV) or testing sentinel chickens for WNV antibody would detect WNV activity prior to reports of human cases in East Baton Rouge (EBR) Parish, Louisiana. In one year we also compared the effectiveness of CDC light traps, gravid traps, and sentinel chicken box traps for collecting WNV positive mosquitoes. In all three years, we detected WNV activity in mosquito collections from sentinel chicken box traps prior to the onset of human cases, while there were no seroconversions in the …
Population Ecology Of Pseudacteon Tricuspis Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae), An Introduced Parasitoid Of The Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis Invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Louisiana, Donald Charles Henne
Population Ecology Of Pseudacteon Tricuspis Borgmeier (Diptera: Phoridae), An Introduced Parasitoid Of The Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis Invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Louisiana, Donald Charles Henne
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Aspects of the population ecology of a parasitoid (Pseudacteon tricuspis) of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) in Louisiana were studied. The spatio-temporal abundance patterns, dispersal, population spread, aggregation, direct mutual interference and functional response characteristics of this parasitoid were studied to address deficiencies in our knowledge about phorid flies, particularly Pseudacteon parasitoids. This endoparasitoid was discovered to manipulate host ant behavior in ways that benefit its own survival. Laboratory experiments to gain insights into behavioral and functional responses revealed that fly aggregations were density-dependent and interference was not significant when 1-3 females were simultaneously confined with hosts, although …
Biology And Chemical Ecology Of The Sugarcane Beetle And Integrated Pest Management Of Sweet Potato Soil Insects In Louisiana, Tara Parker Smith
Biology And Chemical Ecology Of The Sugarcane Beetle And Integrated Pest Management Of Sweet Potato Soil Insects In Louisiana, Tara Parker Smith
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Host plant preference and chemical ecology of the sugarcane beetle, Euetheola humilis were evaluated in greenhouse and laboratory studies. Sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, was significantly preferred over all other plant species evaluated in a host plant preference test. Corn, Zea mays, and sugarcane, Saccharum spp., were the next most chosen plant species in the study. In olfactometer experiments, sugarcane beetles responded significantly more to beetle injured and mechanically injured roots vs. uninjured roots. Male and female beetles were also significantly more attracted to female conspecifics. Differences were not detected between sweet potato cultivars in olfactometer trials. Cultivar preference studies suggested …