Entomology Commons^™

Host Utilization Of The Endoparasitoid, Cotesia Glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) In Different Instars Of Pierls Brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), M. I. Ullah, Muhammad Arshad, S. Ali, Yasir Iftikhar, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) is a destructive pest of brassicaceous plants around the world. Biological control of this pest has attained much attention being environment friendly. Parasitism rate and growth of the endoparasitoid species, Cotesia glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was studied on first (L 1) and second (L2) larval instars of P. brassicae. Adult fresh mass and developmental time of the parasitoid was higher when it parasitized L1 than L2 of host larvae. Thus, host instars contributed significant variations to parasitoids adult mass accumulation during their development. Parasitized host caterpillars in L2 grew significantly larger than in L1 …

Battle In The New World: Helicoverpa Armigera Versus Helicoverpa Zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), José P. F. Bentivenha, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Edson L. L. Baldin, Alexandre Specht, Ivana F. Da Silva, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The corn earworm Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and the old world bollworm H. armigera (HuÈbner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are allopatric species and occur in important agricultural crops. In maize, both species tend to infest the ear. The introduction of H. armigera in Brazil has created a new scenario, where these Helicoverpa species might cohabit and interact with one another, affecting the prevalence of each species in the agroecosystem, integrated pest management, and insect resistance management. In this study, larval occurrence and proportion of these species in maize was assessed in three regions of Brazil during three crop seasons. Interaction between …

Amblypygids: Model Organisms For The Study Of Arthropod Navigation Mechanisms In Complex Environments?, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Eileen A. Hebets, Wulfila Gronenberg, Jacob M. Graving, Verner P. Bingman

Eileen Hebets Publications

Navigation is an ideal behavioral model for the study of sensory system integration and the neural substrates associated with complex behavior. For this broader purpose, however, it may be profitable to develop new model systems that are both tractable and sufficiently complex to ensure that information derived from a single sensory modality and path integration are inadequate to locate a goal. Here, we discuss some recent discoveries related to navigation by amblypygids, nocturnal arachnids that inhabit the tropics and sub-tropics. Nocturnal displacement experiments under the cover of a tropical rainforest reveal that these animals possess navigational abilities that are reminiscent, …

The Behavioral Ecology Of Amblypygids, Kenneth J. Chapin, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Arachnologists have uncovered tantalizing details about amblypygid behavioral ecology—the study of the fitness consequences of their behavior. Thus, it is the aim of this review to position Amblypygi as a useful system in which to investigate the principles of animal behavioral ecology. We synthesize amblypygid habitat preference and navigation modalities; predator, prey, parasite, parasitoid, cannibal, and commensal interactions; resource contests and territoriality; mating systems and mate choice; parental investment and sociality; and genetics and genomics as they relate to behavioral ecology. We present ideas for future research in each of these areas and discuss future directions for Amblypygi behavioral ecology …

Absence Of Mate Choice And Postcopulatory Benefits In A Species With Extreme Sexual Size Dimorphism, Marie Claire Chelini, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Most hypotheses related to the evolution of female-biased extreme sexual size dimorphism (SSD) attribute the differences in the size of each sex to selection for reproduction, either through selection for increased female fecundity or selection for male increased mobility and faster development. Very few studies, however, have tested for direct fitness benefits associated with the latter – small male size. Mecaphesa celer is a crab spider with extreme SSD, whose males are less than half the size of females and often weigh 10 times less. Here, we test the hypotheses that larger size in females and smaller size in males …

Evaluating Categories Of Resistance In Soybean Genotypes From The United States And Brazil To Aphis Glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Edison L. L. Baldin, Lia Marchi-Werle, Luiz E.R. Pannuti, Andre L. Lourencao, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), the soybean aphid, has become an important pest of soybeans, leading to significant yield losses in the United States. Host plant resistance is a viable alternative for managing A. glycines. The objectives of this study were to identify and categorize sources of resistance in soybean to A. glycines on genotypes from the United States and Brazil. An antixenosis assay was initially conducted with 8 genotypes to evaluate attractiveness to A. glycines. The selected soybean genotypes were further evaluated in a colonization assay to investigate the resistance of the genotypes at V1 (fully developed …

Drosophila Suzukii Infestation In Ripe And Ripening Caneberries, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Hannah Burrack

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a highly invasive vinegar fly that was first detected in the continental United States in 2008. Females use their saw-like ovipositor to lay eggs in soft-skinned fruits and severely threaten the viability of raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and strawberry production. In a recent study, females in no-choice laboratory bioassays laid eggs in ripening blueberries and blackberries. However, most of the eggs failed to develop, perhaps because the ripening process was interrupted in the prematurely-harvested fruit. We hypothesized that eggs laid in ripening fruit in a field may be able to complete development as the fruit continues …

Ovipositional Preference, Fidelity, And Fitness Of Drosophila Suzukii In A Co-Occurring Crop And Non-Crop Host System, Lauren M. Diepenbrock, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Hannah Burrack

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a devastating pest of soft-skinned fruits including blackberries and raspberries. Management of this pest is focused on preventing infestation in crops, but non-crop hosts may play an important role in enabling D. suzukii to persist in the absence of cultivated hosts. Drosophila suzukii may also infest fruits of both crop and non-crop hosts concurrently. Our goals were to determine whether (1) D. suzukii prefers to oviposit in cultivated blackberry, Rubus L. subgenus rubus Watson, or American pokeweed, Phytolacca americana, a non-crop host commonly found along field edges, (2) D. suzukii prefers to oviposit into the same …

Parental Rnai Suppression Of Hunchback Gene To Control Hemipteran Pests, Blair D. Siegfried, Kenneth E. Narva, Kanika Arora, Sarah E. Worden, Chitvan Khajuria, Elane Fishilevich, Nicholas P. Storer, Meghan Frey, Ronda L. Hamm, Ana Velez

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This disclosure concerns nucleic acid molecules and methods of use thereof for control of hemipteran pests through RNA interference-mediated inhibition of target coding and transcribed non-coding sequences in hemipteran pests. The dis closure also concerns methods for making transgenic plants that express nucleic acid molecules useful for the control of hemipteran pests, and the plant cells and plants obtained thereby.

Evolutionary Escalation: The Bat–Moth Arms Race, John M. Ratcliffe

Dartmouth Scholarship

Echolocation in bats and high-frequency hearing in their insect prey make bats and insects an ideal system for studying the sensory ecology and neuroethology of predator–prey interactions. Here, we review the evolutionary history of bats and eared insects, focusing on the insect order Lepidoptera, and consider the evidence for antipredator adaptations and predator counter-adaptations. Ears evolved in a remarkable number of body locations across insects, with the original selection pressure for ears differing between groups. Although cause and effect are difficult to determine, correlations between hearing and life history strategies in moths provide evidence for how these two variables influence …

Bivalent Carbamates As Novel Control Agents Of The Malaria Mosquito, Anopheles Gambiae, James M. Mutunga, Qiao Hong Chen, Dawn M. Wong, Polo C.H. Lam, Jianyong Li, Maxim M. Totrov, Aaron D. Gross, Paul R. Carlier, Jeffrey R. Bloomquist

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Widespread pyrethroid resistance has caused an urgent need to develop new insecticides for control of the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Insecticide discovery efforts were directed towards the construction of bivalent inhibitors that occupy both the peripheral and catalytic sites of the mosquito acetylcholinesterase (AChE). It was hypothesized that this approach would yield a selective, high potency inhibitor that would also circumvent known catalytic site mutations (e.g. G119S) causing target site resistance. Accordingly, a series of bivalent phthalimide-pyrazole carbamates were prepared having an alkyl chain linker of varying length, along with other modifications. The most active compound was (1-(3-(1,3-dioxoisoindolin-2-yl)propyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl methylcarbamate, 8a), …

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 …

Mevalonate-Farnesal Biosynthesis In Ticks: Comparative Synganglion Transcriptomics And A New Perspective, Jiwei Zhu, Sayed M. Khalil, Robert D. Mitchell, Brooke W. Bissinger, Noble Egekwu, Daniel E. Sonenshine, R. Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Juvenile hormone (JH) controls the growth, development, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects. For many years, the general assumption has been that JH regulates tick and other acarine development and reproduction the same as in insects. Although researchers have not been able to find the common insect JHs in hard and soft tick species and JH applications appear to have no effect on tick development, it is difficult to prove the negative or to determine whether precursors to JH are made in ticks. The tick synganglion contains regions which are homologous to the corpora allata, the biosynthetic source for JH in …

Technique For: Determination Of Insect Prey Selection By Insectivorous Bats, Merrill Tawse

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Utilizing Fecal Pellet Analysis to Determine Prey Selection by Insectivorous Bats: For my Graduate Project I examined culled exoskeleton parts from bat fecal pellets (guano) to determine identifications of the insects preyed upon by a group of bats to their order and often family levels. Culled insect parts were permanently fixed on microscope slides and viewed under a dissection microscope to determine identifications and to quantify the percentage composition that they represented in the bat’s diet. Comparisons were made of prey selected by the different bat species that were foraging at the same location and at the same time. Comparisons …

Beginning Beekeeping Handbook, Paul Timm, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Why Honey Bees?

Where Do I Begin?

Honey Bee Biology and Behavior

Key Seasonal Hive Activities and Responsibilities

Developing and Adding Value to a Product

Marketing Your Product

Writing a Business Plan

Additional Resources

WHY HONEY BEES? It is a question that many people ask me. I ponder this question from time to time, reflecting back upon my own decision to enroll in a beekeeping course during my last undergraduate semester of college. I had no previous experience with honey bees nor did I know anyone that kept bees. Other than divine providence and a desire to learn about an …

Imaging The Oocysts In The Midgut Of The Mosquito, Hillary Guzik

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

● Learn how to dissect the midgut from the mosquito ○ Protocol on how to conduct the dissection ● Produce a portfolio of high end microscopy images of the oocysts inside of the midgut ○ Using Leica SP5 Point Scanning Confocal (Analytical Imaging Facility at Einstein College of Medicine) ○ Reconstruct the oocyst in 3D ○ To further be used in Dr. Kami Kim’s research ● Develop an image analysis protocol to automatically count each individual oocyst ○ Using Volocity analysis software (PerkinElmer) ○ Gather total counts and area measurements of individual oocysts ○ Written for future use ○ To …

Entomology 101: Introduction To Entomology, Brian Kelly

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

The goal of this particular project is to create an entry-level curriculum for Entomology to present to the local university / community college. My Bachelor’s Degree was obtained from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). The higher institutions of learning in the city of Colorado Springs (to include Pikes Peak Community College, or PPCC, as well) lack any courses relating to Entomology. UCCS has a strong presence in the city and is growing by leaps and bounds, currently enrolling about 13,000 students and expanding its degree programs. PPCC has several campuses around town, and offers many elective courses …

Rapid And High Throughput Molecular Identification Of Diverse Mosquito Species By High Resolution Melting Analysis., Yvonne Ukamaka Ajamma, Enock Mararo, David Omondi, Thomas Onchuru, Anne W.T. Muigai, Daniel Masiga, Jandouwe Villinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Mosquitoes are a diverse group of invertebrates, with members that are among the most important vectors of diseases. The correct identification of mosquitoes is paramount to the control of the diseases that they transmit. However, morphological techniques depend on the quality of the specimen and often unavailable taxonomic expertise, which may still not be able to distinguish mosquitoes among species complexes (sibling and cryptic species). High resolution melting (HRM) analyses, a closed-tube, post-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method used to identify variations in nucleic acid sequences, has been used to differentiate species within the Anopheles gambiae and Culex pipiens complexes. We …

Fruit Fly Species Composition, Distribution And Host Plants With Emphasis On Mango- Infesting Species, Ivan Rwomushana, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Mango is the most widely cultivated fruit tree in tropical and sub-tropical Africa. However, the sustainability of this lucrative business is threatened by infestations of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) that annually inflict heavy economic losses on the industry. The nutritional quality of different fruit species can influence the survival and fecundity of adult fruit flies. This host-insect interaction determines the species composition, distribution and abundance of the major frugivorous tephritids. The economic impact of fruit fly pest species includes direct yield losses and the loss of export markets due to quarantine restrictions implemented to prevent the entry and establishment of …

Role Of Microsatellite Markers In Molecular Population Genetics Of Fruit Flies With Emphasis On The Bactrocera Dorsalis Invasion Of Africa, Fathiya M. Khamis, Anna R. Malacrida

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Microsatellites, also referred to as short tandem repeats (STRs) or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are short sequences of tandem repeats of 1-6 bp in length in clusters of less than 150 bp flanked by sections of non-repetitive unique sequences that are scattered throughout the nuclear genome. These markers are co-dominant and hypervariable, revealing many alleles per locus; they are inherited in Mendelian fashion making them useful for detecting genetic variability within species. Once isolated and characterized, microsatellites can also be used in closely related taxa. Microsatellites can be amplified, even from highly degraded DNA, and are very simple to score. …

Fruit Fly Nutrition, Rearing And Quality Control, Samira A. Mohamed, Fathiya M. Khamis, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tephritid fruit flies are recognized worldwide as an important threat to the horticultural industry. Most of the species belonging to this group are highly polyphagous attacking several important fruits and vegetables. They cause direct damage through larval feeding and indirect losses are associated with quarantine restrictions. The increasing awareness of the damage caused by these fruit flies to the horticultural industry has created a demand for the development of control measures based on integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and the sterile insect technique (SIT). However, success of the majority of these control methods largely depends on the ability to establish …

Spatial Separation Of Semiochemical Lurem-Tr And Entomopathogenic Fungi To Enhance Their Compatibility And Infectivity In An Autoinoculation System For Thrips Management, David K. Mfuti, Sevgan Subramanian, Rob Whm Van Tol, Gerrie L. Wiegers, Willem J. De Kogel, Saliou Niassy, Hannalene Du Plessis, Sunday Ekesi, Nguya K. Maniania

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

BACKGROUND: The effect of spatial separation of the semiochemical Lurem-TR, which has been found to inhibit conidia of entomopathogenic fungi when put together, on the persistence of conidia of Metarhizium brunneum and M. anisopliae was evaluated in the greenhouse and field in order to develop an autodissemination strategy for the management of Megalurothrips sjostedti on cowpea crop. Influence of spatial separation of the semiochemical on thrips attraction and conidial acquisition by thrips from the autoinoculation device was also investigated in the field. RESULTS: Persistence of conidia of M. brunneum and M. anisopliae increased with distance of separation of Lurem-TR. Direct …

Upper Thermal Limits Differ Among Component Species In A Host-Parasitoid-Hyperparasitoid System, Kanchan A. Joshi

Theses and Dissertations

Among the predicted impacts associated with global climate change, warming is of special interest because the rates of physiological processes are temperature-dependent. Insects and other ectotherms are likely to be affected due to their limited ability to control body temperature. In this study, I measured the tolerance to extreme high temperatures, i.e., critical thermal maximum (CT_max), of component species in a tri-trophic system, including an herbivore (Manduca sexta), a primary larval parasitoid (Cotesia congregata) and a hyperparasitoid (genus Silochalcis). For wild insects, the parasitoid had the lowest CT_max, the hyperparasitoid had …

Fruit Fly Species Composition, Distribution And Host Plants With Emphasis On Vegetable-Infesting Species, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Ivan Rwomushana

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Vegetable crops hold a key position in smallholder agricultural production systems in Africa due to the number of farmers involved, income generation, employment opportunities, and enhancement of food and nutritional security. In many developed countries, demand for vegetables continues to grow due to increased awareness of the nutritional benefits, thereby stimulating increased domestic production and also imports from Africa. However, many pests threaten the productivity of the vegetable sector. Key amongst these are tephritid fruit flies that inflict both direct and indirect losses; alien invasive species are often responsible for severe ecological and economic impacts. The highly invasive and polyphagous …

Plant Resting Site Preferences And Parity Rates Among The Vectors Of Rift Valley Fever In Northeastern Kenya, Samwel O. Arum, Christopher W. Weldon, Benedict Orindi, Caroline Tigoi, Francis Musili, Tobias Landmann, David P. Tchouassi, Hippolyte D. Affognon, Rosemary Sang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Mosquito lifespan can influence the circulation of disease causing pathogens because it affects the time available for infection and transmission. The life-cycle of mosquitoes is determined by intrinsic and environmental factors, which can include the availability of hosts and suitable resting environments that shelter mosquitoes from extreme temperature and desiccating conditions. This study determined the parity rates (an indirect measure of survival) and plant resting preference of vectors of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in northeastern Kenya. Methods: Resting mosquitoes were trapped during the rainy and the dry season using a Prokopack aspirator from vegetation, whereas general adult populations were …

Mosquito Host Choices On Livestock Amplifiers Of Rift Valley Fever Virus In Kenya, David P. Tchouassi, Robinson O.K. Okiro, Rosemary Sang, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, David Scott Mcvey, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Animal hosts may vary in their attraction and acceptability as components of the host location process for assessing preference, and biting rates of vectors and risk of exposure to pathogens. However, these parameters remain poorly understood for mosquito vectors of the Rift Valley fever (RVF), an arboviral disease, and for a community of mosquitoes. Methods: Using three known livestock amplifiers of RVF virus including sheep, goat and cattle as bait in enclosure traps, we investigated the host-feeding patterns for a community of mosquitoes in Naivasha, an endemic area of Rift Valley fever (RVF), in a longitudinal study for six …

Megastigmus Seed Chalcids (Hymenoptera, Torymidae) Radiated Much More On Angiosperms Than Previously Considered. I- Description Of 8 New Species From Kenya, With A Key To The Females Of Eastern And Southern Africa, Alain Roques, Robert S. Copeland, Laurent Soldati, Olivier Denux, Marie Anne Auger-Rozenberg

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

A survey of seed chalcids from woody plants in Kenya revealed 12 species belonging to the genus Megastigmus Dalman, 1820, and has increased to 16 the number of Megastigmus species presently recorded from the Afrotropical Region, of which at least 13 are seed feeders. A key to female Megastigmus of the Afrotropical Region is provided. Eight new species are described from morphological evidence: M. lanneae Roques & Copeland, M. laventhali Roques & Copeland, M. ozoroae Roques & Copeland, and M. smithi Roques & Copeland in seeds of species of the family Anacardiaceae, M. copelandi Roques & Copeland and M. grewianae …

Active Aggregation Among Sexes In Bean Flower Thrips (Megalurothrips Sjostedti) On Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata), Saliou Niassy, Sunday Ekesi, Nguya K. Maniania, Benedict Orindi, Gerald B. Moritz, Willem J. De Kogel, Sevgan Subramanian

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Male sexual aggregations are a common territorial, mating-related or resource-based, behaviour observed in diverse organisms, including insects such as thrips. The influence of factors such as plant substrate, time of day, and geographic location on aggregation of thrips is uncertain, therefore we monitored the dispersion of male and female bean flower thrips (BFT), Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), on cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabaceae), over three cowpea growth stages and across three cowpea-growing areas of Kenya. Our results indicated that for all the crop growth stages, the density of BFTs varied over the time of day, with higher densities …

Determination Of Pesticide Residues In Honey: A Preliminary Study From Two Of Africa’S Largest Honey Producers, Janet Irungu, Suresh Raina, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: The presence of pollutants in honey can influence honey bee colony performance and devalue its use for human consumption. Using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), various clean-up methods were evaluated for efficient determination of multiclass pesticide contaminants in honey. The selected clean-up method was optimized and validated and then applied to perform a preliminary study of commercial honey samples from Africa. Results: The most efficient method was primary-secondary amine (PSA) sorbent which was significantly different from the others (P <0.05; average recovery ~94 %) and was applied to analyze 96 pesticide residues in 28 retail honey samples from Kenya and Ethiopia. From our preliminary data, a total of 17 pesticide residues were detected at ~10-fold below maximum residue limit (MRL) established for food products except for malathion which was detected at almost 2-fold above its acceptable MRL. Conclusions: A highly efficient approach for determining pesticide residues in honey with good recoveries was developed. All residue contaminants were detected at levels well below their acceptable MRLs except malathion suggesting that the retail honey analyzed is safe for human consumption. Although PSA clean-up method was selected as the most efficient for cleaning honey samples, omitting the clean-up step was the most economical approach with potential applicability in the food industry.

Some Key Elements On Entomophagy In Africa: Culture, Gender And Belief, S. Niassy, H. D. Affognon, K. K.M. Fiaboe, K. S. Akutse, C. M. Tanga, S. Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Edible insects are a natural renewable food resource and, within the context of food security could be one solution for Africa. Although, entomophagy is still being practiced in Africa, there is a degree of rejection in certain milieu due to negative images associated with insects and poor awareness efforts. In order to understand the key elements that govern entomophagy in Africa, we conducted an online survey on edible insects in African countries and documented the importance of insects, cultures and believes associated to their use. We eventually looked at gender participation in entomophagy. Study showed that insect consumption can be …