Entomology Commons^™

Molecular Evolution Of Glycoside Hydrolase Genes In The Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera), Seong-Il Eyun, Haichuan Wang, Yannick Pauchet, Richard H. Ffrench-Constant, Andrew K. Benson, Arnubio Valencia-Jimenez, Etsuko N. Moriyama, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Cellulose is an important nutritional resource for a number of insect herbivores. Digestion of cellulose and other polysaccharides in plant-based diets requires several types of enzymes including a number of glycoside hydrolase (GH) families. In a previous study, we showed that a single GH45 gene is present in the midgut tissue of the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). However, the presence of multiple enzymes was also suggested by the lack of a significant biological response when the expression of the gene was silenced by RNA interference. In order to clarify the repertoire of cellulose-degrading enzymes and related …

P-27 Factors Affecting Phonotactic Responses In Male Acheta Domesticus, Erik Thordarson

Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs

This research addresses some of the possible factors that affect male Acheta domesticus phonotactic responses to calls of males of the same species. The study examines cricket age and social interaction with females as possible factors affecting this behavior. Through logistic regression analysis, the study attempts to demonstrate a link between these factors and the responsiveness of the male crickets in the study. As the crickets aged, they responded to a wider range of syllable periods, which may imply that they follow a similar pattern of decreasing selectivity in their response with age as their female counterparts. The socialization aspect …

The Soldiers In Societies: Defense, Regulation, And Evolution, Li Tian, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

The presence of reproductively altruistic castes is one of the primary traits of the eusocial societies. Adaptation and regulation of the sterile caste, to a certain extent, drives the evolution of eusociality. Depending on adaptive functions of the first evolved sterile caste, eusocial societies can be categorized into the worker-first and soldier-first lineages, respectively. The former is marked by a worker caste as the first evolved altruistic caste, whose primary function is housekeeping, and the latter is highlighted by a sterile soldier caste as the first evolved altruistic caste, whose task is predominantly colony defense. The apparent functional differences between …

Molecular Detection Of Campylobacter Spp. And E. Coli O157:H7 Carried By Filth Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) Associated With Turkey Production Facilities, C. B. Cottone, A. L. Szalanski, T. Mckay, C. D. Steelman

Midsouth Entomologist

Filth flies (Diptera: Muscidae), such as those that breed in feces and other organic refuse, have been documented as being mechanical vectors of pathogenic bacteria including E. coli O157:H7, that cause hemorrhagic colitis in humans, and Campylobacter spp., which is the principal causative agent of human enteritis. Recently, a molecular diagnostic technique has been developed to identify filth flies that have been exposed to bacterial pathogens using PCR of insect DNA. We used this molecular diagnostic technique to screen over 5,000 adult filth flies for Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157:H7 from two Arkansas turkey facilities during 2002 and 2003. …

2013 Soybean Insect Losses In The Southern Us, F. R. Musser, A. L. Catchot Jr., J. A. Davis, D. A. Herbert Jr., G. M. Lorenz, T. Reed, D. D. Reisig, S. D. Stewart

Midsouth Entomologist

Survey-based soybean insect losses were collected following the 2013 growing season to provide a record of insect pressure and soybean management practices for the year. This survey has been conducted annually in all participating states for at least the last 3 years and has been conducted in Mississippi for 10 years. The 2013 survey represents more than 10 million soybean acres across the southern United States. Overall, the 2013 survey showed corn earworm to be the most costly insect pest in the region for the third consecutive year. The stink bug complex and soybean looper were the second and third …

Exposure Of Laboratory Mice To Bed Bug Bites And Salivary Gland Extract, Jerome Goddard, Kristine T. Edwards, Jung Keun Lee, Amanda Tardo, Monica Embers

Midsouth Entomologist

An animal model to study cutaneous reactions to bed bug biting is currently not available. This study was initiated to evaluate Swiss-Webster (outbred) mice as a model organism for research on reactivity to bed bug bites and bed bug salivary gland extract (SGE). In this study, 1-2 bed bugs were fed on each of eight mice in a location on their backs which had been shaved; eight mice were injected intra-dermally (ID) with SGE in a similar location, and four control mice had phosphate buffered saline (PBS) injected also in a similar location. This procedure was repeated 3 times using …

Nebline, March 2014

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Make a Difference -- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Survey Of Adult Dermacentor Variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected In Northern Mississippi For Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae, Jerome Goddard, Lauren Goltz, Kristine T. Edwards, Whitney Smith, Andrea Varela-Stokes

Midsouth Entomologist

One of the primary tick vectors of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), Dermacentor variabilis (Say), is found throughout much of North America, including Mississippi, where numerous cases are reported annually. Although RMSF has long been documented in the US, it may be confused with other zoonoses, which sometimes delays treatment. Therefore, detailed documentation of the distribution and infection rates of this tick is important to public health officials. In this study, two sites in northern Mississippi, the Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and Wall Doxey State Park, were surveyed weekly by drag cloth for a one year period …

An Updated And Annotated Checklist Of The Larger Butterflies (Papilionoidea) Of Trinidad, West Indies: Papilionidae, Pieridae And Nymphalidae, Matthew J. W. Cock

Insecta Mundi

A revised checklist for the butterfly families Papilionidae, Pieridae and Nymphalidae of Trinidad (Trinidad and Tobago) is presented, bringing nomenclature in line with modern usage, indicating synonyms from earlier lists and adding new records since the last checklist was published in 1970. Migrant and vagrant species are provisionally recognised, and records considered incorrect are discussed. The checklist includes 204 species: 15 Papilionidae, 29 Pieridae and 160 Nymphalidae. The only taxonomic change is to treat Hamadryas feronia insularis (Fruhstorfer) as a synonym of H. f. feronia (Linnaeus), syn. nov., and not as a synonym of H. feronia farinulenta (Fruhstorfer).

A New Species Of Xylotrechus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Clytini) From Utah, Ronald L. Alten

Insecta Mundi

Xylotrechus rameyi, new species, (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is described from southern Utah. Comments on its biology including habitat, host plants and larval history are provided along with photographs of the holotype, allotype, the related species X. insignis LeConte, and the larval galleries and pupal chamber.

Insights Into The Development And Evolution Of Exaggerated Traits Using De Novo Transcriptomes Of Two Species Of Horned Scarab Beetles, Ian A. Warren, J. Cristobal Vera, Annika Johns, Robert Zinna, James H. Marden, Douglas J. Emlen, Ian Dworkin, Laura C. Lavine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Scarab beetles exhibit an astonishing variety of rigid exo-skeletal outgrowths, known as ‘‘horns’’. These traits are often sexually dimorphic and vary dramatically across species in size, shape, location, and allometry with body size. In many species, the horn exhibits disproportionate growth resulting in an exaggerated allometric relationship with body size, as compared to other traits, such as wings, that grow proportionately with body size. Depending on the species, the smallest males either do not produce a horn at all, or they produce a disproportionately small horn for their body size. While the diversity of horn shapes and their behavioural ecology …

No 1 2013 Eggplant Variety Trial, Rebecca Brown

University of Rhode Island Vegetable Production Research Reports

Descriptions of eggplant varieties trialed at the Gardiner Crop Research Farm of URI, Kingston, RI

No3 2013 Melon Variety Trial, Rebecca Brown

University of Rhode Island Vegetable Production Research Reports

Descriptions of melon varieties, including disease ratings, trialed at the Gardiner Crop Research Farm of URI, Kingston, RI

Gene Expression Profiling In Winged And Wingless Cotton Aphids, Aphis Gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Xiaowei Yang, Xiaoxia Liu, Xiangli Xu, Zhen Li, Yisong Li, Dongyan Song, Tian Yu, Fang Zhu, Qingwen Zhang, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

While trade-offs between flight capability and reproduction is a common phenomenon in wing dimorphic insects, the molecular basis is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the transcriptomic differences between winged and wingless morphs of cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii, using a tag-based digital gene expression (DGE) approach. Ultra high-throughput Illumina sequencing generated 5.30 and 5.39 million raw tags, respectively, from winged and wingless A. gossypii DGE libraries. We identified 1,663 differentially expressed transcripts, among which 58 were highly expressed in the winged A. gossypii, whereas 1,605 expressed significantly higher in the wingless morphs. Bioinformatics tools, including Gene Ontology, …

Revision Of The Genus Euagathis Szépligeti (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) From Thailand, With Description Of Three New Species, Cornelis Van Achterberg, Michael J. Sharkey, Eric G. Chapman

Entomology Faculty Publications

The species of the genus Euagathis Szépligeti (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) from Thailand are revised. Eight species are treated, three new species are described, i.e. Euagathis breviantennata sp.n., E. setosimaculata sp. n. and E. pallitarsis sp. n. Disophrys sogdiana Fahringer, 1937, D. chinensis Fahringer, 1937, and Euagathis sentosus Chen & Yang, 1995, are new junior synonyms of Euagathis chinensis (Holm‑gren, 1868). Euagathis guangxiensis (Chen & Yang, 2006) is a new combination. Lectotypes are designated for Disophrys sogdiana Fahringer, 1937, and D. chinensis Fahringer, 1937. A dichotomous illustrated key to species is presented; links to electronic interactive keys and to distribution …

Transcriptomic Dissection Of Sexual Differences In Bemisia Tabaci, An Invasive Agricultural Pest Worldwide, Wen Xie, Litao Guo, Xiaoguo Jiao, Nina Yang, Xin Yang, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Xuguo Zhou, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Sex difference involving chromosomes and gene expression has been extensively documented. In this study, the gender difference in the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci was investigated using Illumina-based transcriptomic analysis. Gender-based RNAseq data produced 27 Gb reads, and subsequent de novo assembly generated 93,948 transcripts with a N50 of 1,853 bp. A total of 1,351 differentially expressed genes were identified between male and female B. tabaci, and majority of them were female-biased. Pathway and GO enrichment experiments exhibited a gender-specific expression, including enriched translation in females, and enhanced structural constituent of cuticle in male whiteflies. In addition, a putative transformer2 …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 26, No. 1, February 2014

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Content: Welcome - Congratulations - Grants - Publications - Meet an Off-Campus Student - Faculty News - Bruner Club News - Blasts from the Past - Condolences (Dr. John (Jack) Campbell) - Retirement Receptions

Nebline, February 2014

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Garbology Uses Science to Teach Environmental Responsibility

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Home & Family Living

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Comparison Of Food-Based Attractants For Bactrocera Invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) And Evaluation Of Mazoferm - Spinosad Bait Spray For Field Suppression In Mango, Sunday Ekesi, Samira Mohamed, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Catches of Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta, & White (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Multi-lure traps baited with six commercial food-based attractants, Mazoferm E802, Torula yeast, GF-120, Hymlure, Biolure, and Nulure were compared in mango orchards in Kenya. In 2007, Mazoferm E802 and Torula yeast were the most effective attractants and captured 2.4-2.6 times more females and 3.4-4.0 times more males than the standard Nulure. All attractants captured more females than males (ranging from 63 to 74%). In 2008, Mazoferm E802 was the most effective bait capturing 5.6 and 9.1 times more females and males, respectively, than the standard Nulure. Among all the …

Expression Profiling In Bemisia Tabaci Under Insecticide Treatment: Indicating The Necessity For Custom Reference Gene Selection, Pei Liang, Yajie Guo, Xuguo Zhou, Xiwu Gao

Entomology Faculty Publications

Finding a suitable reference gene is the key for qRT-PCR analysis. However, none of the reference gene discovered thus far can be utilized universally under various biotic and abiotic experimental conditions. In this study, we further examine the stability of candidate reference genes under a single abiotic factor, insecticide treatment. After being exposed to eight commercially available insecticides, which belong to five different classes, the expression profiles of eight housekeeping genes in the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, one of the most invasive and destructive pests in the world, were investigated using qRT-PCR analysis. In summary, elongation factor 1α …

Population Variation In And Selection For Resistance To Pyrethroid-Neonicotinoid Insecticides In The Bed Bug, Jennifer R. Gordon, Mark H. Goodman, Michael F. Potter, Kenneth F. Haynes

Entomology Faculty Publications

Pyrethroid resistance in bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, has prompted a change to combination products that include a pyrethroid and a neonicotinoid. Ten populations of bed bugs were challenged with two combination products (Temprid SC and Transport GHP). Susceptibility of these populations varied, with the correlated response of the two products indicating cross resistance. We imposed selection on three populations using label rate Temprid, and then reared progeny from unselected and selected strains. All selected strains were significantly less susceptible to Temprid SC than unselected strains. Temprid selected strains were also less susceptible to Transport. The pyrethroid component of Temprid showed …

Plasmodium Falciparum Infection Increases Anopheles Gambiae Attraction To Nectar Sources And Sugar Uptake, Vincent O. Nyasembe, Peter E.A. Teal, Patrick Sawa, James H. Tumlinson, Christian Borgemeister, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Plasmodium parasites are known to manipulate the behavior of their vectors so as to enhance transmission [1-4]. From an evolutionary standpoint, behavior manipulation by the parasite should expose the vector to limited risk of early mortality while ensuring sufficient energy supply for both it and the vector [5, 6]. However, it is unknown whether this vector manipulation also affects vector-plant interaction and sugar uptake. Here, we show that the attraction of Anopheles gambiae s.s. to plant odors increased by 30% and 24% after infection with the oocyst and sporozoite stages of Plasmodium falciparum, respectively, while probing activity increased by 77% …

The Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Of Nebraska, Usa: New State Records, A Checklist Of Known Species, And Distribution Maps, Stephen M. Spomer

University of Nebraska State Museum: Entomology Papers

One hundred eighty-three species/subspecies of longhorn beetles are recorded from Nebraska, an increase of 19 species since 1971. The greatest number of recent discoveries have come from sites along the Missouri River, especially Indian Cave State Park in southeastern Nebraska, as well as the Pine Ridge at Chadron, Nebraska.

An Illustrated Id Guide To The Crayfishes Found In Nebraska Native And Non-Native, Steve Schainost

Nebraska Invasive Species Program

There are five crayfishes native to Nebraska. These are:

Orconectes immunis (papershell crayfish)

Orconectes virilis (northern crayfish)

Orconectes neglectus neglectus (ringed crayfish)

Cambarus diogenes (Devil crayfish)

Procambarus gracilis (prairie crayfish)

Three additional non-native crayfishes have also been found here:

Orconectes rusticus (rusty crayfish) [bait tanks and established in two ponds in Omaha]

Procambarus clarkii (red swamp crayfish) [bait tanks]

Procambarus acutus (White River crayfish) [bait tanks]

I will attempt here to provide a photographic guide to field identification, one species per page.

Seasonal Patterns Of Microhabitat Selection By A Sub-Tropical Whip Spider, Phrynus Longipes, In The Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico, Caroline A. Curtis, Christopher P. Bloch

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phrynus longipes (Pocock 1894) is a top predator among arboreal invertebrates in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico, but many aspects of its ecology remain poorly understood. We sampled four of the most abundant tree species in the Luquillo Mountains during the dry and wet seasons of 2008 to evaluate microhabitat preferences of this species. In the dry season, P. longipes occurred significantly less frequently on a palm, Prestoea acuminata var. montana (Arecaceae), than the other tree species. Carapace length and the diameter of the tree on which an individual was found were positively correlated, suggesting competition for substrates. Microhabitat …

Impact Of Impervious Surfaces On Water Quality By Measurement Of Macroinvertebrates In Rock Island And Moline, Illinois, Kara Noonan

Urban Watershed Project

Streams have been degrading in quality since the introduction of impervious surfaces. Water concentrations have been altered as sediment and other pollutants have been introduced from severe erosion from runoff. As the water continues to change, the biotic integrity becomes disturbed. More specifically, aquatic invertebrate populations begin to change. More organisms that can tolerate poor quality streams are thriving as organisms that can only tolerate high quality streams are beginning to run thin. This study strives to find a spatial relationship between impervious surfaces around Rock Island and Moline, Illinois and the water quality within the streams by looking at …

Male-Male Mounting And The Unreliability Of Body Size As A Character For Mate Choice In Male Japanese Beetles (Popillia Japonica Newman), Paul Switzer, Patrick Forsythe, Kipp Kruse

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Background: Same-sex pairing is common in many animal species. In many insects, same-sex pairing is often thought to be a result of poor sexual discrimination (i.e., a mistake), but few detailed studies of the mechanisms underlying the mistaken pairing have been conducted. Previous studies have found that in the field, a small proportion of Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) mating pairs consist of two males instead of a male and a female. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between body size, the tendency to mount other males, and the duration of these mounts, in laboratory experiments on male Japanese …

Insects And Humans Share A Complex History, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Cloning, Expression, Sequence Analysis And Homology Modeling Of The Prolyl Endoprotease From Eurygaster Integriceps Puton, Ravi Chandra Yandamuri, Ranjeeta Gautam, Charles Darkoh, Vanitha Dareddy, Mustapha El-Bouhssini, Beatrice A. Clack

Faculty Publications

Eurygaster integriceps Puton, commonly known as sunn pest, is a major pest of wheat in Northern Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. This insect injects a prolyl endoprotease into the wheat, destroying the gluten. The purpose of this study was to clone the full length cDNA of the sunn pest prolyl endoprotease (spPEP) for expression in E. coli and to compare the amino acid sequence of the enzyme to other known PEPs in both phylogeny and potential tertiary structure. Sequence analysis shows that the 5ꞌ UTR contains several putative transcription factor binding sites for transcription factors known to be …

Effectiveness Of Hand Removal For Small-Scale Management Of Japanese Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Paul V. Switzer, Ryan M. Cumming

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Hand removal is often recommended as a method for small-scale control of Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica Newman). In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of daily hand removal for controlling damage by Japanese beetles on grape plants. We also investigated whether the timing of the removal (at 0800, 1400, or 1900 hours, or at all 3 periods) inßuenced the effectiveness of the technique. We found that hand removal signiÞcantly lowered the number of beetles on, and consequently the damage to, grape plants relative to nonremoval controls. Of the single removal treatments, removal of beetles at 1900 hours was most effective, …