Entomology Commons^™

Evaluation Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Transgenic Field Corn For Management Of Louisiana Corn Pests, Boris A. Castro

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Efficacy of Bt corn hybrids expressing an insecticidal delta-endotoxin through different transformation events was evaluated in Louisiana. Efficacy levels were determined for southwestern corn borer (SWCB), Diatraea grandiosella Dyar; sugarcane borer (SCB), Diatraea saccharalis (F.); corn earworm (CEW), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie); and fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). Insect (neonates and third instars) susceptibility was evaluated on Bt and non-Bt corn plants (V6 and R1 stages) in field plots and plant tissue in laboratory studies. Bt corn hybrids with MON810 and CBH351 transformation events sustained significantly (P < 0.05) less injury caused by SWCB, SCB, and FAW during infestations at mid-whorl stage. SWCB, SCB, and CEW infestations during silking stage were significantly reduced in Bt hybrids with the MON810 event. However, CEW infestations …

Litter And Ground Dwelling Spiders Of Mixed Mesophytic Forest In Southeast Louisiana, Joyce Fassbender

LSU Master's Theses

During Pleistocene glaciation much of the southeastern United States was covered with mixed mesophytic hardwood forest. These forests are composed predominantly of magnolia, holly, and beech with a mixture of other tree species, such as oak and hickory, and a distinct understory. Remnants of mixed mesophytic hardwood forests occur in the southern United States and are important refugia for disjunct and habitat-restricted species. In Louisiana, the mixed mesophytic forest habitat is found mostly in West Feliciana Parish, particularly in the area around St. Francisville. I chose two sites to conduct a study of spider diversity in litter habitats of disturbed …

Rickettsial Infection In Dermacentor Variabilis (Acari : Ixodidae) Inhibits Transovarial Transmission Of A Second Rickettsia, Kevin R. Macaluso, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Shane M. Ceraul, Abdu F. Azad

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examined the ability of ticks to maintain multiple species of spotted fever group rickettsiae via transovarial transmission. Using a capillary feeding method, previously established Rickettsia montana- and Rickettsia rhipicephali-infected cohorts of Dermacentor variabilis (Say) were exposed to R. rhipicephali and R. montana, respectively, in two reciprocal challenge experiments. Eggs collected from individual females, for two successive generations, of each cohort were assessed for rickettsial infection by polymerase chain reaction for each challenge experiment. Assessment of the eggs from challenged ticks identified that both R. montana- and R. rhipicephali-infected ticks were refractory to their …

Resistance Of The Tick Dermacentor Variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) Following Challenge With The Bacterium Escherichia Coli (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae), Shane M. Ceraul, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In addition to a soluble response, many invertebrates control bacterial infections by means of phagocytosis or melanotic encapsulation. In some insects, Escherichia coli growth is reported to be inhibited by aggregation/encapsulation. Soluble and phagocytic responses to bacterial challenge have been reported in ticks, but evidence of an aggregation/encapsulation response was reported only for inanimate (araldite) implants. Ticks were challenged by direct inoculation of bacteria into the hemocoel cavity. By plating, no viable E. coli were detected 6 h postinoculation. A direct fluorescence assay (DFA) revealed aggregated bacteria 1 h postinoculation. Furthermore, DFA showed aggregated bacteria at 6, 24, and 48 …

Improving Management Of Nuisance Midges (Chironomidae: Diptera) In Perth (Western Australia) Wetlands Based On Their Response To Temperature And Seditment Type, Kirsty Suffell

Theses : Honours

The eutrophication of wetlands has created ideal breeding and growth conditions for certain species of Chironomidae (midge). In urban areas, high abundances can cause adult midges to become a nuisance to nearby residents. The shallow and often eutrophic wetlands of Perth (Western Australia) provide ideal conditions for the growth of certain Chironomid species, resulting in common nuisance problems. To control nuisance plagues a range of management options are available, including light traps, biological controls, insect growth regulators and pesticides. In Australia, Abate00 is the only registered pesticide for the control of midges. Little is known about the life histories of …

Geostatistical Analysis Of The Small-Scale Distribution Of European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Larvae And Damage In Whorl Stage Corn, Robert J. Wright, Terry A. Devries, Linda J. Young, Keith J. Jarvi, Ronald C. Seymour

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The small-scale spatial distribution of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), larvae and damage in whorl stage corn, Zea mays L., was characterized using geostatistics. Spatial distribution of O. nubilalis larval feeding damage was studied at Clay Center, North Platte, and Concord, NE, during June-July 1992-1994, and spatial distribution of O. nubilalis larvae and damage was studied at Clay Center in June 1997. Semivariograms were calculated to model the change in spatial correlation with increasing distance between samples. Spatial distribution of larval damage during 1992-1994 was best described using a spherical model. Damage was spatially correlated among plants at distances …

Registration Of N547 Maize Germplasm Line, Nora E. D'Croz-Mason, John E. Foster, Stephen C. Mason

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

N547 germplasm line (Reg. no. GP-367, PI 615526) was released by the Agriculture Research Division, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, on 24 Aug. 1999. N547 is a yellow endosperm maize inbred germplasm with resistance to stalk and shank tunneling damage caused by the second generation of the European corn borer (ECB) Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner).

N547 was derived by selfing a selected full-sib family from MBITA, a tropical population developed by CIMMYT, Mexico. MBITA was created to recombine sources of resistance to temperate and subtropical stalk borers. These insects included ECB, southwestern corn borer (SWCB) Diatraea grandiosella …

Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna Markers For Discriminating Cochliomyia Hominivorax From C. Macellaria (Diptera: Calliphoridae), S. R. Skoda, Saowaluck Pornkulwat, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), is one of the most important pests of livestock in the Western Hemisphere. During early immature stages it is morphologically very similar (first instars are virtually indistinguishable) to the secondary screwworm, C. macellaria (Fabricius). Here, the utility of the random amplified polymorphic DNA–polymerase chain reaction (RAPD–PCR) was explored as a technique for developing molecular genetic markers for these two species. Of the 120 arbitrary primers screened, 21 primers produced markers that were further investigated. Seven of the 21 primers produced clear and reproducible markers that were tested with DNA of five individuals from four populations …

Life History Response Of Mediterranean Fruit Flies To Dietary Restriction, James R. Carey, Pablo Liedo, Lawrence G. Harshman, Ying Zhang, Hans-Georg Müller, Linda Partridge, Jane-Ling Wang

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate medfly longevity and reproduction across a broad spectrum of diet restriction using a protocol similar to those applied in most rodent studies. Age-specific reproduction and age of death were monitored for 1,200 adult males and 1,200 females, each individually maintained on one of 12 diets from ad libitum to 30% of ad libitum. Diet was provided in a fixed volume of solution that was fully consumed each day, ensuring control of total nutrient consumption for every fly. Contrary to expectation and precedence, increased longevity was not observed at any level of …

Food Pulses Increase Longevity And Induce Cyclical Egg Production In Mediterranean Fruit Flies, James R. Carey, Pablo Liedo, Lawrence G. Harshman, X. Liu, Hans-Georg Müller, Linda Partridge, Jane-Ling Wang

Lawrence G. Harshman Publications

1. Inasmuch as virtually all studies on mortality and reproduction in insects are conducted under conditions in which food availability is constant, little is known about the demographic response of insects to variable food environments. For example, it is not known if and to what extent the life expectancy of insects subjected to shortages of high-quality food will increase and/or whether this increase is associated with major decreases in lifetime reproduction.

2. Therefore cohorts of 100 individual female medflies were subjected to different sets of conditions of protein availability (interspersed with sugar-only diets) including ad libitum sugar-only (no protein), ad …

Description Of The First-Instar Larva Of Geocharidius (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechitae) With A Discussion Of The Phylogeny Of The Subtribe Anillina, Vasily V. Grebennikov

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This paper describes the first-instar larva of Geocharidius Jeannel, a species from Mexico, which is the second record of an Anillina (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechitae) larva; previously described was a species of the European genus Typhlocharis. Larvae of these two genera share ten synapomorphic characters, which support the monophyletic origin of Anillina. Sister-group relationships of Anillina with Tachyina + Xystosomina are proposed on the basis of three shared larval synapomorphies: seta LA5 of ligula absent; coronal suture in first-instar larvae very short or absent; second- third-instar larvae have none or one secondary seta on lateral sides of stipes and labium and …

Density Effects Of The Banana Weevil, Cosmopolites Sordidus (Germar), On Its Oviposition Performance And Egg And Larval Survivorship, Clifford S. Gold, Godfrey H. Kagezi, Pontiano Nemeye, Philip E. Ragama

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The influence of banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar)(Coleoptera: Curculionidae), population density on oviposition rates and larval survivorship was studied in the laboratory at the Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute in Uganda. This study was undertaken to elucidate the relationship between density-dependent factors and rates of banana weevil increase in the field. Oviposition substrates (corm pieces) were offered to a range of densities of weevils maintained in buckets. Mean oviposition rates per female at densities of 10, 20 and 40 females per bucket were 29, 37 and 53%, respectively, lower than that at a density of 5 females. Nevertheless, total oviposition for …

Mosquito Population Dynamics During The Establishment Phase Of A Constructed Desert Wetland, April Newman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Nature Preserve at the Clark County Wetlands Park is a constructed wetland that has the potential to produce new mosquito habitat. This thesis evaluates the potential for the development of a mosquito problem at the newly constructed wetland system by assessing the population dynamics of mosquitoes within the Nature Preserve. Based on data collected from May 2001 through January 2002, I describe fluctuations in mosquito genus and relative abundance during the first summer through winter period of wetland development.

Effects Of Calyx Fluid From A Population Of Cotesia Sesamiae (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) On The Immune Response Of Its Host Busseola Fusca Fuller (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Moses B. Mochiah, Adele J. Ngi-Song, William A. Overholt, M. Botchey

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Busseola fusca Fuller is one of the major lepidopteran stemborers of maize and sorghum in Africa. Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an indigenous, gregarious larval endoparasitoid that attacks mid- to late-instar stemborer larvae, which is reported to be one of the most important larval parasitoids of B. fusca in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous work has shown that two biotypes of C. sesamine occur in Kenya which express differential abilities to develop in B. fusca. A biotype from western Kenya successfully develops in B. fusca, while a biotype from the eastern coastal area does not. We treated fourth-instars …

Effect Of Temperature On The Development Of Orius Albidipennis Reuter, A Predator Of The African Legume Flower Thrips, Megalurothrips Sjostedti Trybom, L. M. Gitonga, B. Löhr, W. A. Overholt, J. K. Magambo, J. M. Mueke

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The effects of temperature on the development of Orius albidipennis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), reared on its prey, Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), were studied in the laboratory. Nymphal mortality was 87, 48 and 38% at 20, 25 and 30 °C, respectively. With the exception of first-instar nymphs, percentage mortality was lowest at 25 °C. Pre-oviposition period and longevity decreased with an increase in temperature. Mean daily and total fecundity were 2.1 and 76.4 respectively at 25 °C. The mean developmental period from oviposition to adult eclosion was 27.7, 14.1 and 10.9 days at 20, 25 and 30 °C respectively. There …

Predicting The Distribution Of Chilo Partellus (Swinhoe) And Its Parasitoid Cotesia Flavipes Cameron In Ethiopia Using Correlation, Step-Wise Regression And Geographic Information Systems, G. Emana, W. A. Overholt, E. Kairu, L. Macopiyo, G. Zhou

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The recent development of geographic information systems (GIS) provides new avenues for analysing spatial patterns in insect populations. Field survey data, along with GIS and statistical models were used to predict the distribution of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Ethiopia. The results obtained suggested that the distributions of Ch. parlellus and Co. flavipes were affected by rainfall and temperature. The predicted distributions of Ch. parlellus and Co. flavipes were similar. Validation of predicted values is discussed. © 2002 ICIPE.

Comparative Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Aqueous Neem Extract And Dipel 2x On Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella Linn., On Cabbage In Kenya, S. Okoth, C. K.P. Ogol, M. Basimike, M. Varela

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The efficacy of neem kernel cake powder water extract (NKCP-WE) and Dipel 2x (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki) in controlling the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella Linn. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), on cabbage was evaluated in screenhouse experiments. All concentrations of NKCP-WE tested were larvicidal and plants treated with 25 and 50 g/l NKCP-WE retained larvicidal activity for up to 2 weeks after application. The efficacy of 25 and 50 g/l NKCP-WE and 0.5 g/l Dipel 2x was compared by observing DBM development on the treated plants and yields of those plants. Dipel 2x-treated plants had less DBM larval infestation than the neem-treated …

Comparative Development And Population Growth Of An Exotic Stemborer, Chilo Partellus (Swinhoe), And An Ecologically Similar Congener, C. Orichalcociliellus (Strand) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Jacob C. Mbapila, William A. Overholt, Hosea Y. Kayumbo

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Studies were conducted to determine the effect of temperature and diet on the development of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Chilo orichalcociliellus (Strand) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Developmental times of C. partellus and C. orichalcociliellus for the egg, larval and egg-adult life stages were inversely related to temperature. The larval developmental period of C. orichalcociliellus reared on artificial diet was longer than the developmental period on natural diet. Chilo partellus had a higher intrinsic rate of natural increase than C. orichalcociliellus at all diet/temperature combinations except natural diet at 31°C. © 2002 ICIPE.

Evidence Of Adaptation Of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (L.), To Pea, Pisum Sativum L., Bernhard Löhr, Ruth Gathu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

A strain of diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), adapted to peas was detected in 1999 in the export vegetable growing area south of Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The pea strain (DBM-P) was compared in laboratory studies to the normal crucifer strain (DBM-C). Whereas DBM-P performed comparably well on kales and peas, the cabbage strain (DBM-C) suffered heavy mortality on peas. Out of the 250 DBM-C first instars, only six reached adult stage on pea. In addition, larval development was prolonged by five days on peas as compared to kale, and larval growth …

Comparative Life Table Statistics Of Exochomus Flaviventris Reared On The Cassava Mealybug, Phenacoccus Manihoti, Fed On Four Host Plants, B. P. Le Rü, A. Mitsipa

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The demographic statistics of the ladybird Exochomus flaviventris Mader (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were investigated under laboratory conditions on the cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), reared on four host plants with different levels of antibiotic resistance to the mealybug: two cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz, Euphorbiaceae) varieties, Incoza and Zanaga, Faux-Caoutchouc (FC) (hybrid of M. esculenta x M. glaziovii Muel. Arg.) and water weed (Talinum triangulare Jack, Portulacacae). Preimaginal mortality, mean oviposition time and total fecundity of female ladybirds were strongly affected by the host plant even though there was no linkage with antibiotic resistance. The net reproduction rates R o …