Entomology Commons^™

Assessing The Risk Of Resistance Evolution, Adult And Larval Susceptibility, And Sublethal Effects After Exposure Of Corn Rootworms To Vacuolar Atpase-A And Snf7 Dsrnas, Adriano Elias Pereira

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Corn rootworms are Diabroticite beetles from the genus Diabrotica and include the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, and the northern corn rootworm, D. barberi Smith & Lawrence, as the most important pests in the U.S. Corn Belt. The southern corn rootworm (SCR), D. undecimpunctata howardi Barber, is considered a polyphagous plant pest and feeds in a wide variety of plants including peanuts, cucurbits, soybeans, and especially corn. Resistance to control methods including behavioral resistance to crop rotation and to corn hybrids expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner toxins in WCR has frequently been reported. SCR has been considered a …

Spatial And Temporal Spread Of Maize Stem Borer Busseola Fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Damage In Smallholder Farms, Frank T. Ndjomatchoua, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Christophe Plantamp, Pascal Campagne, Clément Tchawoua, Bruno P. Le Ru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The main purpose of this study was to understand the spatio-temporal spread of the maize stem borer Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in smallholder maize farms. The analysis carried out allowed the establishment of complementary sampling scheme and analysis that can be applied to investigate the propagation of stem borer damages and extended to other insect pests. This approach requires consideration of all plants point locations, the knowledge on the level of damage and its characterization. Results showed that there was a two-week interval between occurrence of the peaks of leaf damage and male adult moth abundance. The prior role …

Annotated Checklist And Biogeographic Composition Of The Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera) Of Trinidad, West Indies, Matthew Cock, Robert K. Robbins

Insecta Mundi

A revised annotated checklist for the butterfl y family Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera) of Trinidad is presented, updating nomenclature, and indicating synonyms from earlier lists and papers. The checklist includes 131 species of Lycaenidae, comprising 127 species of 49 genera of Eumaeini, Theclinae, and four species of three genera of Polyommatinae. There are more than 30 new island records. No lycaenid species is endemic to Trinidad, and the fauna consists primarily of widespread species (71%) that occur from Central America to the Amazon Basin. However, the primary biogeographic affi nity is the Amazon Region, where 94% of the Trinidad lycaenid fauna also …

Euotophorus Imeldae New Genus And New Species Of Mexican Aphodiini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae), Marco Dellacasa, Giovanni Dellacasa, Robert D. Gordon

Insecta Mundi

Euotophorus new genus and E. imeldae new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae) from Mexico are described and figured.

Parajulid Milliped Studies Xi: Initial Assessment Of The Tribe Gosiulini (Diplopoda: Julida), Rowland M. Shelley, Jamie M. Smith

Insecta Mundi

The parajulid milliped tribe Gosiulini (Diplopoda: Julida) comprises two genera – Gosiulus Chamberlin, with three projections on the posterior gonopod and two species in the southcentral/southwestern United States (US) [Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas], and monotypic Minutissimiulus Shelley, n. gen., with two projections, in Nuevo León, Mexico. Gosiulus conformatus Chamberlin occupies the plains/fl atlands of Texas, while its congener inhabits high elevations to the west in all four US states. Both are anticipated in Mexico (Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora), and G. conformatus is expected in southeastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, and the Oklahoma panhandle. The eastern boundary …

A New Species Of Psalidognathus Gray, 1831 From Peru (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), Taketsune Noguchi, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

Psalidognathus antonkozlovi (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), a new species from Peru, is described and illustrated. The new species is included in a previous key.

Currently, Psalidognathus Gray, 1831 encompasses 10 species distributed from Costa Rica to northern South America (Monné 2016). The species can be included in two groups: the “modestus” group, species without a spine at the apex of the basal antennomeres; and the “friendii” group, species with a spine at the apex of the basal antennomeres. Santos-Silva and Komiya (2012) published a provisional study of the species of the “modestus” group, considering seven species in it. The key to …

Comparative Profiling Of Micrornas In The Winged And Wingless English Grain Aphid, Sitobion Avenae (F.) (Homoptera: Aphididae), Xiangrui Li, Fangmei Zhang, Brad Coates, Yunhui Zhang, Xuguo Zhou, Dengfa Cheng

Entomology Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short single-stranded non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, particularly during development. In this study, 345 miRNAs were identified from the English green aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.), of which 168 were conserved and 177 were S. avenae-specific. Quantitative comparison of miRNA expression levels indicated that 16 and 12 miRNAs were significantly up-regulated in winged and wingless S. avenae small RNA libraries, respectively. Differential expression of these miRNAs was confirmed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR validation. The putative transcript targets for these candidate miRNAs were predicted based on sequences from a model species Drosophila melanogaster and four aphid species …

Juvenile Hormone Regulation Of Female Reproduction In The Common Bed Bug, Cimex Lectularius, Hemant Gujar, Subba Reddy Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

To begin studies on reproduction in common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, we identified three genes coding for vitellogenin (Vg, a protein required for the reproductive success of insects) and studied their hormonal regulation. RNA interference studied showed that expression of Vg3 gene in the adult females is a prerequisite for successful completion of embryogenesis in the eggs laid by them. Juvenile hormone (JH) receptor, Methoprene-tolerant (Met), steroid receptor coactivator (SRC) and GATAa but not ecdysone receptor (EcR) or its partner, ultraspiracle (USP) are required for expression of Vg genes. Feeding and mating working through Vg, Met, SRC, EcR, and …

Microfabricated Sufaces For The Physical Capture Of Insects, Catherine Loudon, Robert Corn, Megan Szyndler, Kenneth F. Haynes, Michael F. Potter

Entomology Faculty Patents

Novel devices and methods of capturing, controlling and preventing infestation of insects using microfabricated surfaces are provided. In particular, a mechanism of insect capture inspired by the microstructures of the leaf surfaces of plants and the key features of those surfaces with respect to the capture and control of pests have been determined and engineered into a variety of microfabricated surfaces capable of reproducing the effectiveness of these physical capture methods.

Functional Value Of Elytra Under Various Stresses In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, David M. Linz, Alan W. Hu, Michael I. Sitvarin, Yoshinori Tomoyasu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Coleoptera (beetles) is a massively successful order of insects, distinguished by their evolutionarily modified forewings called elytra. These structures are often presumed to have been a major driving force for the successful radiation of this taxon, by providing beetles with protection against a variety of harsh environmental factors. However, few studies have directly demonstrated the functional significance of the elytra against diverse environmental challenges. Here, we sought to empirically test the function of the elytra using Tribolium castaneum (the red flour beetle) as a model. We tested four categories of stress on the beetles: physical damage to hindwings, predation, desiccation, …

Lessons From The Far End: Caterpillar Frass-Induced Defenses In Maize, Rice, Cabbage, And Tomato, Swayamjit Ray, Saumik Basu, Loren J. Rivera-Vega, Flor E. Acevedo, Joe Louis, Gary W. Felton, Dawn S. Luthe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Plant defenses to insect herbivores have been studied in response to several insect behaviors on plants such as feeding, crawling, and oviposition. However, we have only scratched the surface about how insect feces induce plant defenses. In this study, we measured frass-induced plant defenses in maize, rice, cabbage, and tomato by chewing herbivores such as European corn borer (ECB), fall armyworm (FAW), cabbage looper (CL), and tomato fruit worm (TFW). We observed that caterpillar frass induced plant defenses are specific to each host-herbivore system, and they may induce herbivore or pathogen defense responses in the host plant depending on the …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 28, No. 4, October 2016

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Content: Welcome New Students - Congratulations - ESA National Meeting//ICE Meeting News - Faculty News - Publications - Grants - Meet Buddy Roper, an Online Student - Student News - BugFest 2016

Nebline, October 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Legends of the Fall — Accidental and Occasional Invaders

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Frequency And Time Pattern Differences In Acoustic Signals Produced By Prostephanus Truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) And Sitophilus Zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) In Stored Maize, A. W. Njoroge, H. Affognon, C. Mutungi, B. Rohde, U. Richter, O. Hensel, R. W. Mankin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Frequency spectra and timing patterns of brief, 1-10 ms broadband sound impulses produced by movement and feeding activities of Prostephanus truncatus and Sitophilus zeamais last instars and adults in maize were investigated to find spectral and temporal pattern information useful for distinguishing among these species and stages. The impulse spectra were categorized into five different types of frequency patterns (profiles), designated Broadband, HighF, MidF1, MidF2 and LowF to indicate differences in their peak energies and broadness of frequency range. Groups (trains) of three or more closely spaced impulses, termed bursts, were observed to occur frequently in all recordings, as has …

Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Development On Rice Fractions And Oviposition Preference, Brook A. Hale

Student Theses and Dissertations

The red flour beetle (RFB), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), is a stored-product insect commonly found in rice mills. To understand how RFBs develop on different types of rice fractions occurring in a rice mill, I conducted three studies. I examined egg to adult development on nine rice fractions (rough rice, rice hulls, paddy rice dust, brown rice, rice bran, milled broken kernels, milled whole kernels, milled rice dust and rice flour) and identified brown rice, bran, milled kernels and rice flour were best for development. A second study examined neonate adult development using rice fractions and temperature as variables and found …

Description Of New Ceratitis Species (Diptera: Tephritidae) From Africa, Or How Morphological And Dna Data Are Complementary In Discovering Unknown Species And Matching Sexes, Marc De Meyer, Maulid Mwatawala, Robert S. Copeland, Massimiliano Virgilio

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This paper describes five new Ceratitis species from the eastern and southern parts of the Afrotropical Region: C. (Pterandrus) quilicii De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) pallidula De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) taitaensis De Meyer & Copeland sp. nov.; C. (Ceratalaspis) sawahilensis De Meyer & Virgilio sp. nov.; and C. (Ceratalaspis) flavipennata De Meyer & Virgilio sp. nov. Their relationships with closely allied species within their respective subgenera are discussed where appropriate, and diagnostic characters are given. DNA barcodes are provided for all new species. In addition, the hitherto unknown male of C. …

The Spatial Distribution And Density Of The Emerald Ash Borer Infestation In Rock Island And Moline, Il, Kendall Smith, Victoria Lason, Tierney Brosius, Michael Reisner

Celebration of Learning

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Copleoptera: Buprestidae) is a destructive colonizer of ash trees that arrived in the United States in 2002. Since then, EAB has been detected in 22 states and two Canadian provinces, and has proven to be a complicated management issue for many cities including Rock Island. The purpose of this study was to determine the spatial distribution and density of the EAB infestation in Rock Island, Ill and to identify potential correlations between host larval densities and visual symptoms. A continuation of spatial distribution was determined through a tree survey examining specific species …

Female Adult Aedes Albopictus Suppression By Wolbachia-Infected Male Mosquitoes, James W. Mains, Corey L. Brelsfoard, Robert I. Rose, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

Dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses are pathogens with an increasing global impact. In the absence of an approved vaccine or therapy, their management relies on controlling the mosquito vectors. But traditional controls are inadequate, and the range of invasive species such as Aedes albopictus (Asian Tiger Mosquito) is expanding. Genetically modified mosquitoes are being tested, but their use has encountered regulatory barriers and public opposition in some countries. Wolbachia bacteria can cause a form of conditional sterility, which can provide an alternative to genetic modification or irradiation. It is unknown however, whether openly released, artificially infected male Ae. albopictus can …

A Revision Of The Genus Rhinolaemus Steel (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), Michael C. Thomas

Insecta Mundi

The genus Rhinolaemus Steel is revised. A new island and a new country record are presented for the type species, R. maculatus Steel. A new species, R. niueensis Thomas, new species, is described from Niue, and Rhinolaemus tuberculatus (Grouvelle), new combination, is transferred from Laemophloeus (sens. lat.). The members of the genus are illustrated and a key to their identification is presented.

A New Species Of Neostenoptera (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Winnertziinae) From Eastern North America, John D. Plakidas, Michael L. Ferro

Insecta Mundi

A new species of paedogenetic gall midge, Neostenoptera appalachiensis sp. nov., (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Winnertziinae: Heteropezini) from the eastern United States is described and illustrated, and pertinent collection and biological data are also provided. It is compared to its congeners, N. kiefferi (Meunier), a subfossil described from African copal, and N. congoensis Gagné, from the Congo. This rare, exciting discovery is the first record of the genus Neostenoptera in the New World.

While conducting research in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) (North Carolina and Tennessee, USA) (Ferro et al. 2012), MLF collected numerous unidentifi able fl ies as bycatch from …

Provisional Revision Of The Genus Epimelitta Bates, 1870 And Associated Genera, With A Brief Synopsis Of The Genus Acorethra Bates, 1873 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Robin O.S. Clarke

Insecta Mundi

Abstract. Epimelitta Bates, 1870 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) is redescribed with two species: Epimelitta scoparia (Klug, 1825) and Epimelitta rufiventris Bates, 1870; Epimelitta meliponica Bates, 1870 syn. nov. and Epimelitta acutipennis Fisher, 1947 syn. nov. are considered junior synonyms of E. scoparia. Exepimelitta gen. nov. is described with five species: Exepimelitta mimica (Bates, 1873), Ex. nigerrima (Bates, 1892), Ex. consobrina (Melzer, 1931) (= Epimelitta nigerrima var. flavipubescens Fisher, 1947, syn. nov.), Ex. lestradei (Peñaherrera-Leiva and Tavakilian, 2003) and Ex. windsori sp. nov. Charisia Champion, 1892 is revalidated and redescribed with six species: Charisia euphrosyne (Newman, 1840), C. mneme (Newman, 1841), …

Sybra Alternans (Wiedemann) (Lamiinae: Apomecynini): An Asian Cerambycid Established On Easter Island, Chile, José Mondaca, Francisco Ramírez, Sergio Rothmann

Insecta Mundi

Seven specimens of Sybra alternans (Wiedemann) (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Apomecynini) were captured with a UV light trap and by beating branches of trees in the urban area of Easter Island (Chile) during 2011–2016, representing the fi rst record of the species in this Chilean insular territory, but not continental Chile. Sybra alternans is native to Southeast Asia and has been introduced accidentally to Hawaii and Florida in the United States of America. Data are presented from the literature on this species’ distribution, host plants, and biological information.

Resumen. Siete ejemplares de Sybra alternans (Wiedemann) (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae: Apomecynini) fueron capturados con una …

Taxonomic Supplement (2001 To 2015) To The Catalogue Of New Zealand Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera), André Larochelle, Marie-Claude Larivière

Insecta Mundi

A supplement to the “Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): catalogue” published by Larochelle and Larivière (2001; Fauna of New Zealand 43), is provided. A total of 99 genera and 547 species and subspecies belonging to 21 tribes and 8 subfamilies of Carabidae (including Cicindelini and Rhysodini), is recorded for New Zealand. Endemism is high, with 93% of the species and subspecies as well as 62% of the genera recorded from this country only. Changes to the 2001 catalogue are documented. The synonymy and type locality of taxa described between 2001 and 2015 are also provided.

Delayed Emergence Of Trachykele Blondeli Blondeli (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Joshua P. Basham, Jason B. Oliver, Claire E. Herzog

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Prolonged emergence of Trachykele blondeli blondeli Marseul (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is reported from kiln-dried and subsequently painted wood in this report. The specimen emergence is a new record for Florida. Because the specimen did not emerge from host plant material grown in Florida, it is likely that its origin was exterior to Florida. Because of delayed and prolonged emergence capability in Buprestidae, as well as specimen survival of wood preservation processes like kiln drying, the current report does indicate a concern for redistribution of non-indigenous buprestid species to new areas.

Rapid Museum, Gary Barwin

The Goose

Poetry by Gary Barwin

Nebline, September 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: 4-H Youth Showcase Projects, Develop Skills at the Super Fair

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events

Multiple Lines Of Evidence From Mitochondrial Genomes Resolve Phylogenetic Relationships Of Parasitic Wasps In Braconidae, Qian Li, Shu-Jun Wei, Pu Tang, Qiong Wu, Min Shi, Michael J. Sharkey, Xue-Xin Chen

Entomology Faculty Publications

The rapid increase in the number of mitochondrial genomes in public databases provides opportunities for insect phylogenetic studies; but it also provides challenges because of gene rearrangements and variable substitution rates among both lineages and sites. Typically, phylogenetic studies use mitochondrial sequence data but exclude other features of the mitochondrial genome from analyses. Here, we undertook large-scale sequencing of mitochondrial genomes from a worldwide collection of specimens belonging to Braconidae, one of the largest families of Metazoa. The strand-asymmetry of base composition in the mitochondrial genomes of braconids is reversed, providing evidence for monophyly of the Braconidae. We have reconstructed …

Molecular Comparison Of Cattle Fever Ticks From Native And Introduced Ranges, With Insights Into Optimal Search Areas For Classical Biological Control Agents, John A. Goolsby, F. D. Guerrero, John F. Gaskin, K. G. Bendele, P. Azhahianambi, D. Amalin, M. Flores-Cruz, J. Kashefi, Alexis Racelis

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Cattle fever ticks, the southern cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), and cattle tick, Rhipicephalus annulatus (Say), are livestock pests endemic to Mexico and invasive along the Texas-Mexico border. Resistance to acaricide, alternate wildlife hosts, and pathogenic landscape-forming weeds present challenges for sustainable eradication of this pest in the U.S. Classical biological control is being explored as a strategy to control cattle fever ticks, especially on alternate hosts such as nilgai antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus (Pallas), and white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann). Molecular genetic tools were used to compare populations of cattle fever ticks from native and introduced ranges to provide insights …

Developmental Biology And Demographic Parameters Of Antestia Bug Antestiopsis Thunbergii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), On Coffea Arabica (Rubiaceae) At Different Constant Temperatures, Abdelmutalab Gesmalla Ahmed, Lucy Kananu Murungi, Regis Babin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The antestia bug Antestiopsis thunbergii (Gmelin 1790) is a major coffee pest in East Africa. Nymphs and adults feed on all vegetative and fruiting parts of the coffee tree leading to yield reduction and poor quality of coffee beans. Our study aimed to characterize the developmental biology and provide life table parameters for A. thunbergii reared in the laboratory. The biology of A. thunbergii was studied at four constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35°C with 80±5% RH and a photoperiod of L:D 12:12. Complete development of A. thunbergii from egg to adult occurred between 20 and 30°C, while …

Chemical Parameters And Bacterial Communities Associated With Larval Habitats Of Anopheles, Culex And Aedes Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) In Western Kenya, Thomas Ogao Onchuru, Yvonne Ukamaka Ajamma, Marion Burugu, Martin Kaltenpoth, Daniel Masiga, Jandouwe Villinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aquatic larval habitat conditions influence the development, fitness and vectorial capacity of mosquitoes. In turn, human activities can influence these conditions and shape mosquito vector distribution, thus affecting pathogen circulation and transmission. We measured environmental factors (chemical and microbial) in mosquito larval habitats and evaluated their potential as predictors for the occurrence of different mosquito species in an arbovirus and malaria endemic region of western Kenya.We found significantly greater proportions of Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae in ammonium and phosphate rich habitats, suggesting that fertilizer usage could potentially increase aquatic habitat suitability and Aedes vectored disease transmission. Anopheles gambiae larval habitats …