Entomology | Open Access Articles | Digital Commons Network™

Comparative Analysis Of Development And Survival Of Two Natal Fruit Fly Ceratitis Rosa Karsch (Diptera, Tephritidae) Populations From Kenya And South Africa, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Aruna Manrakhan, John Henry Daneel, Samira A. Mohamed, Khamis Fathiya, Sunday Ekesi

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Comparative analysis of development and survivorship of two geographically divergent populations of the Natal fruit fly Ceratitis rosa Karsch designated as C. rosa R1 and C. rosa R2 from Kenya and South Africa were studied at seven constant temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 33, 35 °C). Temperature range for development and survival of both populations was 15-35 °C. The developmental duration was found to significantly decrease with increasing temperature for C. rosa R1 and C. rosa R2 from both countries. Survivorship of all the immature stages of C. rosa R1 and C. rosa R2 from Kenya was highest over …

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An Integrative Approach To Unravel The Ceratitis Far (Diptera, Tephritidae) Cryptic Species Complex: A Review, Marc De Meyer, Hélène Delatte, Sunday Ekesi, Kurt Jordaens, Blanka Kalinová, Aruna Manrakhan, Maulid Mwatawala, Gary Steck, Joannes Van Cann, Lucie Vaníčková, Radka Břízová, Massimiliano Virgilio

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This paper reviews all information gathered from different disciplines and studies to resolve the species status within the Ceratitis FAR (C. fasciventris, C. anonae, C. rosa) complex, a group of polyphagous fruit fly pest species (Diptera, Tephritidae) from Africa. It includes information on larval and adult morphology, wing morphometrics, cuticular hydrocarbons, pheromones, microsatellites, developmental physiology and geographic distribution. The general consensus is that the FAR complex comprises C. anonae, two species within C. rosa (so-called R1 and R2) and two putatitve species under C. fasciventris. The information regarding the latter is, however, too limited to draw final conclusions on specific …

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Control Of Vegetable Pests In Benin - Farmers' Preferences For Eco-Friendly Nets As An Alternative To Insecticides, Faustin Vidogbéna, Anselme Adégbidi, Rigobert Tossou, Françoise Assogba-Komlan, Mathieu Ngouajio, Thibaut Martin, Serge Simon, Laurent Parrot, Kerstin K. Zander

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We investigated if eco-friendly nets (EFNs) are a viable and acceptable alternative to extremely high levels of insecticide use in vegetable production. Using a choice experiment, we found that vegetable producing farmers in Benin preferred all of the characteristics of EFNs except the higher labor requirements. The nets had been distributed in a trial phase for free but in the long run farmers would need to purchase the EFNs. The break-even point for investing in nets was found to vary with the lifespan of EFNs, their purchase price and potential health benefits from avoiding large quantities of insecticides. To break …

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Behavioral Responses Of Male Parasitic Wasps To Plant Cues: A Comparison Of Two Host-Plant Complex Sources Of Cotesia Congregata (Say), Megan Ayers

Theses and Dissertations

Prior exposure to plants cues can enhance assortative mating in insects. We hypothesized that, as previously reported for females, males of Cotesia congregata would display inherent responses to plant cues that could be modified by postemergence experience and further, that males originating from two different host-plant complexes (HPCs) would display different behavioral responses to these HPCs. In no-choice contact assays with a non-host plant, searching responses of males and females increased sharply at Day 2 and remained stable through Day 4. In no-choice assays with potential host plants, males searched longer on catalpa than tobacco; responses were not modified by …

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Responses Of The Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia Catalpae, And Its Primary Parasitoid, Cotesia Congregata, To Varying Levels Of Iridoid Glycosides In Catalpa, Jessica L. Bray

Theses and Dissertations

The catalpa sphinx, Ceratomia catalpae, is a specialist on Catalpa trees, which produce iridoid glycosides (IGs). Whereas some trees are defoliated every year, others escape herbivory. Caterpillar populations are either heavily parasitized by the braconid wasp, Cotesia congregata, or remain unparasitized. We hypothesized that these patterns could be explained by variable IG concentrations among trees and insect responses to these chemicals. IG concentrations varied among trees. Percent defoliation was positively related to IG concentration. In comparisons of insect responses to relatively high or low IG concentrations, moths preferred to oviposit on trees with high IG concentrations. Caterpillars did …

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Analyses Of Volatiles Produced By The African Fruit Fly Species Complex (Diptera, Tephritidae), Radka Břízová, Lucie Vaníčková, Mária Faťarová, Sunday Ekesi, Michal Hoskovec, Blanka Kalinová

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Ceratitis fasciventris, Ceratitis anonae and Ceratitis rosa are polyphagous agricultural pests originating from the African continent. The taxonomy of this group (the so-called Ceratitis FAR complex) is unclear. To clarify the taxonomic relationships, male and female-produced volatiles presumably involved in pre-mating communication were studied using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) followed by multivariate analysis, and gas chromatography combined with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD). GC×GC-TOFMS analyses revealed sex specific differences in produced volatiles. Male volatiles are complex mixtures that differ both qualitatively and quantitatively but share some common compounds. GC-EAD analyses of male volatiles revealed that the antennal …

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Description Of Third Instar Larvae Of Ceratitis Fasciventris, C. Anonae, C. Rosa (Far Complex) And C. Capitata (Diptera, Tephritidae), Gary J. Steck, Sunday Ekesi

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Third instar larvae of members of the Ceratitis FAR complex, including Ceratitis fasciventris (Bezzi), Ceratitis anonae Graham, and Ceratitis rosa Karsch are described and compared with those of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Diagnostic characters, such as presence vs. absence of a secondary tooth on the mandibles, previously used to separate C. capitata from C. rosa, are shown to vary in each species. Significant variation in diagnostic morphological characters among populations of C. rosa from east and south Africa is documented; however, the differences are not simply congruent with the R1 and R2 designations based on other studies. Quantitative measures of numerous …

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Cuticular Hydrocarbons Corroborate The Distinction Between Lowland And Highland Natal Fruit Fly (Tephritidae, Ceratitis Rosa) Populations, Lucie Vaníčková, Radka Břízová, Antonio Pompeiano, Sunday Ekesi, Marc De Meyer

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The cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs) and morphology of two Ceratitis rosa Karsch (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations, putatively belonging to two cryptic taxa, were analysed. The chemical profiles were characterised by two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. CHs of C. rosa that originated from the lowlands and highlands of Kenya comprised of n-alkanes, monomethylalkanes, dimethylalkanes and unsaturated hydrocarbons in the range of the carbon backbone from C14 to C37. Hydrocarbons containing C29, C31, C33 and C35 carbon atoms predominated in these two populations. 2-Methyltriacontane was the predominant compound in both populations. Quantitative differences in the distribution of hydrocarbons of different chain lengths, …

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Butterfly And Floral Community Dynamics At A Native Prairie Agrofuel Research Site, Benjamin J. Hoksch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Agrofuel production in the Midwest has historically relied upon monoculture food crops (Zea mays and Glycine max) that do little to support biodiversity or maintain soil and water quality. The University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center is investigating the feasibility of establishing and harvesting diverse mixes of native prairie vegetation for use as a sustainable agrofuel. In 2009 48 research plots were established on three soil types, on land with a >30 year history of row crop production in Black Hawk County, IA. Each plot was seeded with one of four native prairie agrofuel crops: (1) Switchgrass1, (2) Grasses5 …

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Density And Diversity Of Bees In The Midwestern Agricultural Landscape: Influence Of Surrounding Agricultural Land Use And Biofuel Candidate Crops, Andrew J. Ridgway, Ai Wen, Kenneth Elgersma

Undergraduate Student Work

Recent trends in land management practices have led to dramatic population decline in bees and other insect pollinators (Cameron et al. 2011). Concerns about “Colony Collapse Disorder” in domestic honeybees, for example, have received widespread high-profile attention in the scientific community. While concerns have centered mainly on the domestic honeybee, native bees also provide indispensable, cost-free pollination services to crops production. Despite the value of native bee species, little is known about them in the Midwest region, and recent studies suggest their populations may be in decline specifically due to a lack of native vegetation in this highly agricultural landscape. …

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Primer Efficacy In The Dna Barcoding Of Spiders, Rhennetta Jo Bork

Honors Program Theses

DNA barcoding is the process of amplifying a 650 base pair segment of the sequence of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase (COI), and amplifying this gene with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It is used to help identify and distinguish animal species and also to help determine genetic differences in species. DNA barcoding can be especially useful when working with spiders since they tend to be very small and hard to distinguish. However, achieving a DNA barcode can be difficult and thus techniques to improve the method of DNA barcoding can be helpful. This research looked into the different …

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Walnut Husk Fly, Diane Alston, Marion Murray, James Barnhill

All Current Publications

Walnut husk fly (Order Diptera, Family Tephritidae; Fig. 1) is the most common insect pest of walnuts in Utah. Husk fly larvae (maggots) tunnel in walnut husks, causing them to soften and decay, and stain the shell (Fig. 2). Damaged husks are difficult to remove. If husk fly infestation occurs early in kernel development, nuts may shrivel, darken, become moldy, and drop from the tree (Fig. 3).

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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 …

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Full-Text Articles in Entomology

Comparative Analysis Of Development And Survival Of Two Natal Fruit Fly Ceratitis Rosa Karsch (Diptera, Tephritidae) Populations From Kenya And South Africa, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Aruna Manrakhan, John Henry Daneel, Samira A. Mohamed, Khamis Fathiya, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Control Of Vegetable Pests In Benin - Farmers' Preferences For Eco-Friendly Nets As An Alternative To Insecticides, Faustin Vidogbéna, Anselme Adégbidi, Rigobert Tossou, Françoise Assogba-Komlan, Mathieu Ngouajio, Thibaut Martin, Serge Simon, Laurent Parrot, Kerstin K. Zander

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Behavioral Responses Of Male Parasitic Wasps To Plant Cues: A Comparison Of Two Host-Plant Complex Sources Of Cotesia Congregata (Say), Megan Ayers

Theses and Dissertations

Responses Of The Catalpa Sphinx, Ceratomia Catalpae, And Its Primary Parasitoid, Cotesia Congregata, To Varying Levels Of Iridoid Glycosides In Catalpa, Jessica L. Bray

Theses and Dissertations

Analyses Of Volatiles Produced By The African Fruit Fly Species Complex (Diptera, Tephritidae), Radka Břízová, Lucie Vaníčková, Mária Faťarová, Sunday Ekesi, Michal Hoskovec, Blanka Kalinová

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Description Of Third Instar Larvae Of Ceratitis Fasciventris, C. Anonae, C. Rosa (Far Complex) And C. Capitata (Diptera, Tephritidae), Gary J. Steck, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Cuticular Hydrocarbons Corroborate The Distinction Between Lowland And Highland Natal Fruit Fly (Tephritidae, Ceratitis Rosa) Populations, Lucie Vaníčková, Radka Břízová, Antonio Pompeiano, Sunday Ekesi, Marc De Meyer

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Butterfly And Floral Community Dynamics At A Native Prairie Agrofuel Research Site, Benjamin J. Hoksch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Density And Diversity Of Bees In The Midwestern Agricultural Landscape: Influence Of Surrounding Agricultural Land Use And Biofuel Candidate Crops, Andrew J. Ridgway, Ai Wen, Kenneth Elgersma

Undergraduate Student Work

Primer Efficacy In The Dna Barcoding Of Spiders, Rhennetta Jo Bork

Honors Program Theses

Walnut Husk Fly, Diane Alston, Marion Murray, James Barnhill

All Current Publications

Integrated Multiple-Tactic Management Of The Redbanded Stink Bug On Soybeans In Louisiana, Miyanda Nzala Moonga

LSU Doctoral Dissertations