Entomology Commons^™

Modeling Microorganism Transmission With Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches: An Inquiry Activity, Hillary Guzik, Kessler Mccoy-Simandle

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Students will test Madagascar hissing cockroach’s capacity as a vector for transmission of microorganisms. By comparing a cockroach exposed to human contact (handled by students) and a cockroach with limited exposure (not handled), students can assess the ability of cockroaches to transmit microorganisms from one location (hands) to another (agar plate where the microorganism will be grown). This will allow students to determine if the Madagascar hissing cockroach, the classroom pet, is a potential vector for microorganisms. Students then will be able to question and relate the concept of insects and objects as vectors for common pathogen transfer.

Transcriptional Analysis Of Defense Mechanisms In Upland Tetraploid Switchgrass To Greenbugs, Teresa Donze-Reiner, Nathan A. Palmer, Erin D. Scully, Travis J. Prochaska, Kyle G. Koch, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Jeffery D. Bradshaw, Paul Twigg, Keenan Amundsen, Scott E. Sattler, Gautam Sarath

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Aphid infestation of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has the potential to reduce yields and biomass quality. Although switchgrass-greenbug (Schizaphis graminum; GB) interactions have been studied at the whole plant level, little information is available on plant defense responses at the molecular level.

Results: The global transcriptomic response of switchgrass cv Summer to GB was monitored by RNA-Seq in infested and control (uninfested) plants harvested at 5, 10, and 15 days after infestation (DAI). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in infested plants were analyzed relative to control uninfested plants at each time point. DEGs in GB-infested plants induced …

Method Development For Monitoring Bean Leaf Beetle, Cerotoma Trifurcata (Forster) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Susceptibility To Thiamethoxam Seed Treatments On Soybeans, Chelsea L. Tietjen, Thomas Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, David A. Cassada, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The increased use of thiamethoxam seed treatments for controlling pests such as the bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), suggests the need for methods to measure and monitor the development of resistance to thiamethoxam. The objectives of this study were to develop a bioassay method that can be used to monitor bean leaf beetle susceptibility to thiamethoxam, and to quantify the relative concentrations of thiamethoxam and clothianidin in early growth stage soybean tissue treated with thiamethoxam as a seed treatment. Overwintered and F1 bean leaf beetles were collected from alfalfa and soybean fields and used in excised soybean …

Yield Response Of Tolerant And Susceptible Soybean To The Soybean Aphid, Lia Marchi-Werle, Renata Ramos Pereira, John C. Reese, Thomas Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is the most economically important soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] pest of North America. Multiple studies have identified soybean expressing antibiosis and/or antixenosis; however, soybean tolerance remains underexplored. Tolerance to soybean aphid injury was previously identified in soybean KS4202. This research examined the yield response of KS4202 infested with soybean aphid at specific plant stages and identified at what plant stage tolerance initiates. A preliminary study evaluated the yield parameters of the tolerant genotype at low (4000– 5500 cumulative aphid-days [CAD]) and high aphid pressure (7500–8500 CAD) at different growth stages (V1, V3, …

Reproductive Status Of Drosophila Suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Females Influences Attraction To Fermentation-Based Baits And Ripe Fruits, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Douglas R. Mcphie, Hannah Burrack

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive species that is a devastating pest of soft-skinned fruit crops. Although much effort has been directed toward developing traps and attractants to monitor for D. suzukii, current monitoring tools do not reliably predict fruit infestation. The objective of this study was to determine if D. suzukii females at different developmental stages are differentially attracted to monitoring traps with fermentation-based baits and ripe fruits. Females were collected on the surface of traps, within traps, and on ripe fruits during three experiments at field locations in North Carolina, USA, and were dissected to determine their reproductive …

Dr. Kenneth P. Pruess Obituary, Robert J. Wright, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Dr. Kenneth P. Pruess, age 84, of Lincoln, Nebraska, died 11 December 2016. Kenneth was Professor of Entomology Emeritus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was born 21 June 1932 in Troy, Indiana, to Elmer and Clara (Grass) Pruess. Kenneth graduated from Purdue University in 1954 and earned his M.S. in Entomology in 1955 and Ph.D. in 1957, both from The Ohio State University. His dissertation was titled “Studies on the Clover Root Borer, Hylastinus obscurus (Marsham).” He married Neva Currie on 15 June 1963. He worked at the University of Nebraska’s North Platte Experiment Station from 1957–1965, Entomology Department …

Performance Of Seed Treatments And In-Furrow At-Plant Insecticides For Protection Against Cry3bb1-Resistant Western Corn Rootworm, 2015, Jonas Victor De Macedo,, Kayla A. Mollet, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western corn rootworm is an important pest of corn that can compromise yield by feeding on plant roots during its larval stage. WCRW management has been complicated by the development of resistance in some regions, including Nebraska, to transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) traits, particularly the protein Cry3Bb1, which confers cross-resistance to mCry3A. A field trial was established to evaluate the efficacy of neonicotinoid seed treatments in combination with in-furrow insecticides on a corn hybrid expressing mCry3A Bt proteins against corn rootworm in an area with a history of rootworm resistance. The trial was conducted in a farmer’s field in …

Influence Of Calcareous Soil On Cry3bb1 Expression And Efficacy In The Field, David S. Wangila, Arnubio Valencia, Haichuan Wang, Blair D. Siegfried, Lance Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Greater than expected injury by western corn rootworm (WCR) (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) to Cry3Bb1 expressing maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) has been reported in southwestern Nebraska. Affected areas of some fields are often associated with high pH calcareous soils where maize growth is poor and iron chlorosis is common. As part of a comprehensive study to understand potential causes of unexpected injury, experiments were conducted during 2013 and 2014 to ascertain whether the calcareous soil conditions and associated poor maize growth negatively affect the expression of Cry3Bb1. Quantitative determination of Cry3Bb1 protein expression levels in root tissues …

Description Of The Female Of Hologymnetis Reyesi Gasca And Deloya (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), With New State Records For Mexico And A Bilingual Key To The Species Of Hologymnetis Martínez, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Hector Jaime Gasca-Alvarez, Cuauhtemoc Deloya

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The female of Hologymnetis reyesi Gasca and Deloya is described and illustrated for the first time based upon specimens from Estado de México, Mexico, new state record. The species is also herein reported from the state of Guerrero, new state record. A bilingual key in Spanish and English to all the species of Hologymnetis Martínez is presented and accompanied by maps showing distributions for all species in the genus.

Population Growth Rate Of Dry Bulb Mite, Aceria Tulipae (Acariformes: Eriophyidae), On Agriculturally Important Plants And Implications For Its Taxonomic Status, Agnieszka Kiedrowicz, Brian G. Rector, Suzanne Lommen, Lechosław Kuczyński, Wiktoria Szydło, Anna Skoracka

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Dry bulb mite (DBM), Aceria tulipae, is an economically important mite with a worldwide distribution and a broad host range. As a generalist, it is the most important eriophyoid mite attacking bulbous plants such as garlic, onion and tulip. To date, DBM has been recorded on host plants belonging to the families Liliaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Melanthiaceae and Asparagaceae. However, a precise understanding of DBM host range is lacking as it is largely based on casual records of mites on plants, some of which may include accidental hosts. Moreover, the possible existence of cryptic species has not been considered. In this …

Effect Of Metarhizium Anisopliae (Ascomycete), Cypermethrin, And D-Limonene, Alone And Combined, On Larval Mortality Of Rhipicephalus Sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae), Omar Francisco Prado-Rebolledo, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Roberto Lezama-Gutierrez, Luis Jorge Garcia-Marquez, Yureida B. Minchaca-Llerenas, Eduardo Morales-Barrera, Guillermo Tellez, Billy Hargis, S. R. Skoda, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The effect of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae Ma14 strain, D-limonene, and cypermethrin, alone and combined, on the mortality of Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille larvae was evaluated. Eight separate groups with 25 tick larvae were inoculated with the fungus, cypermethrin, and D-limonene, and four groups were used as untreated controls. The groups were inoculated with serial dilutions of each treatment material: for example, conidial concentrations were 1 x 10¹, 1 x 10², 1 x 10³, 1 x 10⁴, 1 x 10⁵, 1 x 10⁶, 1 x 10⁷, and …

Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Caelifera) And Plant Community Relationships On Indio Mountains Research Station, Hudspeth County, Texas, Sara Ebrahim Baqla

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An ecogeographic analysis of a grasshopper survey was conducted at eight sites on Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS) in the Chihuahuan Desert during September 2014 through December 2015. Five sites contained ephemeral water sources (earthen tanks), one had perennial water (spring system), and two were open desert. A total of 23 grasshopper species were identified, and six of those were new records for the property. The most species rich site was Echo Tank, with 14 grasshopper species. A UPGMA dendrogram showed Red Tank and Rattlesnake Tank, both wetland sites, to be the most similar (CBR = .84). A poisson model …

Microbial Communities Associated With Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Larvae And Their Developmental Substrates, Erin Scully, Kristina Friesen, Brian Wienhold, Lisa M. Durso

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bacteria are essential for stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)) larval survival and development, but little is known about the innate microbial communities of stable flies, and it is not known if their varied dietary substrates influence their gut microbial communities. This investigation utilized 454 sequencing of 16S and 18S amplicons to characterize and compare the bacterial and eukaryotic microbial communities in stable fly larvae and their developmental substrates. The microbial community of the third-instar stable fly larvae is unambiguously distinct from the microbial community of the supporting substrate, with bacterial communities from larvae reared on different substrates more similar …

A Comparison Of Honey Bee-Collected Pollen From Working Agricultural Lands Using Light Microscopy And Its Metabarcoding, M. D. Smart, R. S. Cornman, D. D. Iwanowicz, M. Mcdermott-Kubeczko, J. S. Pettis, M. S. Spivak, C. R.V. Otto

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Taxonomic identification of pollen has historically been accomplished via light microscopy but requires specialized knowledge and reference collections, particularly when identification to lower taxonomic levels is necessary. Recently, next-generation sequencing technology has been used as a cost-effective alternative for identifying beecollected pollen; however, this novel approach has not been tested on a spatially or temporally robust number of pollen samples. Here, we compare pollen identification results derived from light microscopy and DNA sequencing techniques with samples collected from honey bee colonies embedded within a gradient of intensive agricultural landscapes in the Northern Great Plains throughout the 2010–2011 growing seasons. We …

Parameters For Successful Parental Rnai As An Insect Pest Management Tool In Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera, Ana Maria Vélez, Elane Fishilevich, Natalie Matz, Nicholas P. Storer, Kenneth E. Narva, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Parental RNAi (pRNAi) is an RNA interference response where the gene knockdown phenotype is observed in the progeny of the treated organism. pRNAi has been demonstrated in female western corn rootworms (WCR) via diet applications and has been described as a potential approach for rootworm pest management. However, it is not clear if plant-expressed pRNAi can provide effective control of next generation WCR larvae in the field. In this study, we evaluated parameters required to generate a successful pRNAi response in WCR for the genes brahma and hunchback. The parameters tested included a concentration response, duration of the dsRNA …

Insect And Plant-Derived Mirnas In Greenbug (Schizaphis Graminum) And Yellow Sugarcane Aphid (Sipha Flava) Revealed By Deep Sequencing, Haichuan Wang, Chi Zhang, Yongchao Dou, Bin Yu, Yunfeng Liu, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Guoqing Lu, Michael Wachholtz, Jeffery D. Bradshaw, Paul Twigg, Erin Scully, Nathan Palmer, Gautam Sarath

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Schizaphis graminum (green bug; GB) and Sipha flava (yellowsugarcane aphid; YSA) are two cereal aphid species with broad host ranges capable of establishing on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and several switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) cultivars. Switchgrass and sorghum are staple renewable bioenergy crops that are vulnerable to damage by aphids, therefore, identifying novel targets to control aphids has the potential to drastically improve yields and reduce losses in these bioenergy crops. Despite thewealth of genomic and transcriptomic information available from a closely related model aphid species, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), similar genomic information, including the …

Fitness Costs Associated With Cry1f Resistance In The European Corn Borer, J. L. Petzold-Maxwell, Blair D. Siegfried, R. L. Hellmich, C. A. Abel, B. S. Coates, Terrence A. Spencer, R. J. Horikoshi, Aaron J. Gassmann

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Crops producing insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely planted to manage insect pests. Bt crops can provide an effective tool for pest management; however, the evolution of Bt resistance can diminish this benefit. The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis H€ubner, is a significant pest of maize and is widely managed with Bt maize in the Midwest of the United States. When Bt crops are grown in conjunction with non-Bt refuges, fitness costs of Bt resistance can delay the evolution of resistance. Importantly, fitness costs often vary with ecological factors, including host-plant genotype and diapause. In …

Farmers’ Perspectives On Resistance In Western Corn Rootworm To Crw-Bt Corn In Midwest Usa, David A. Andow, Robert Wright, Erin W. Hodgson, Thomas E. Hunt, Ken Ostlie

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Resistance in western corn rootworm to transgenic corn hybrids was first confirmed in 2011 in Midwestern USA, and threatens their continued use. Farmers are often the first line of resistance detection, so their understanding and attitudes toward this issue are critical for improving resistance management. We conducted telephone focus groups during 2013 with farmers who had experienced rootworm resistance. There were four stages in dealing with unexpected rootworm injury: Awareness of a problem, diagnosis, confirmation, and recommendations. Most farmers discovered the problem themselves, but this usually happened too late in the growing season to limit yield loss. Once aware of …

Obituary And Bibliography Of Norm Penny (1946-2016), An “Entomologist’S Entomologist”, Robert L. Zuparko, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The section “Remembrances of Norm Penny” was authored by BCR, and the remaining sections by RLZ. Fabio Penny and Rachel Diaz-Bastin made valuable additions to the text.

Norman Dale Penny, collection manager emeritus in the Department of Entomology at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, and past president of the Pacifi c Coast Entomological Society, died of a stroke on July 10, 2016. That weekend he and his wife were near Quincy, in Plumas County, California, collecting Mecoptera for DNA retrieval to help elucidate the phylogeny of the group. After collecting his targeted species, he suffered a severe …

Using Publicly Available Data To Quantify Plant–Pollinator Interactions And Evaluate Conservation Seeding Mixes In The Northern Great Plains, Clint R.V. Otto, S. O'Dell, R. B. Bryant, N. H. Euliss Jr., R. M. Bush, Matthew D. Smart

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Concern over declining pollinators has led to multiple conservation initiatives for improving forage for bees in agroecosystems. Using data available through the Pollinator Library (npwrc.usgs.gov/pollinator/), we summarize plant–pollinator interaction data collected from 2012–2015 on lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private lands enrolled in U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs in eastern North Dakota (ND). Furthermore, we demonstrate how plant–pollinator interaction data from the Pollinator Library and seed cost information can be used to evaluate hypothetical seeding mixes for pollinator habitat enhancements. We summarize records of 314 wild bee and 849 honey bee (Apis mellifera …

Thiamethoxam Toxicity And Effects On Consumption Behavior In Orius Insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) On Soybean, Carolina Camargo, Thomas Hunt, Loren J. Giesler, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Neonicotinoid residues can be present in soybean vegetative tissue, prey insects, and flower tissues, possibly making them toxic to pollinators and natural enemies. Baseline information on the toxicity of neonicotinoids to beneficial insects other than pollinators through multiple routes of insecticide exposure is limited. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the toxicity of thiamethoxam to the hemipteran predator, Orius insidiosus Say, exposed to residues through treated vegetative tissue and insect prey, and 2) to evaluate the effect of thiamethoxam on the abundance of this predator species in soybean fields. Predators were exposed to thiamethoxam in soybean leaves …

Atp-Sensitive Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Modulators Alter Cardiac Function In Honey Bees, Scott T. O'Neal, Daniel R. Swale, Jeffrey R. Bloomquist, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

ATP-sensitive inwardly rectifying potassium (KATP) channels couple cellular metabolism to the membrane potential of the cell and play an important role in a variety of tissue types, including the insect dorsal vessel, making them a subject of interest not only for understanding invertebrate physiology, but also as a potential target for novel insecticides. Most of what is known about these ion channels is the result of work performed in mammalian systems, with insect studies being limited to only a few species and physiological systems. The goal of this study was to investigate the role that K_ATP channels play in …

Atp-Sensitive Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Regulation Of Viral Infections In Honey Bees, Scott T. O'Neal, Daniel R. Swale, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Honey bees are economically important pollinators of a wide variety of crops that have attracted the attention of both researchers and the public alike due to unusual declines in the numbers of managed colonies in some parts of the world. Viral infections are thought to be a significant factor contributing to these declines, but viruses have proven a challenging pathogen to study in a bee model and interactions between viruses and the bee antiviral immune response remain poorly understood. In the work described here, we have demonstrated the use of flock house virus (FHV) as a model system for virus …

Weight Of Evidence Evaluation Of A Network Of Adverse Outcome Pathways Linking Activation Of The Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor In Honey Bees To Colony Death, Carlie A. Lalone, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Judy Wu-Smart, Rebecca Y. Milsk, Keith Sappington, Kristina V. Garber, Justin Housenger, Gerald T. Ankley

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Ongoing honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses are of significant international concern because of the essential role these insects play in pollinating crops. Both chemical and non-chemical stressors have been implicated as possible contributors to colony failure; however, the potential role(s) of commonly-used neonicotinoid insecticides has emerged as particularly concerning. Neonicotinoids act on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the central nervous system to eliminate pest insects. However, mounting evidence indicates that neonicotinoids also may adversely affect beneficial pollinators, such as the honey bee, via impairments on learning and memory, and ultimately foraging success. The specific mechanisms linking …

Agronomic Potential Of Using Precipitated Calcium Carbonate On Early Plant Growth And Soil Quality In The Intermountain West - Greenhouse Studies, Gary W. Hergert, Murali K. Darapuneni, Abdullah M. Aqeel, Robert G. Wilson, Robert M. Harveson, Jeff D. Bradshaw, Rex A. Nielsen

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Storage and management of large piles of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) from sugarbeet processing are a challenge in the western US. Potential uses of this product on surrounding agricultural lands in western NE, eastern WY and northeast CO requires an evaluation of chemical and agronomic impacts of PCC on soils and crop growth. A preliminary greenhouse study was conducted in Scottsbluff, NE using 10 soils from the 3 states. Soils were mixed with 11, 22, 33 and 44 Mg ha^-1 rates of PCC to test the early plant growth of sugarbeet, corn, and dry bean in addition to determining …

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Is A Determinant For Vector Transmission By The Wheat Curl Mite, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Anthony J. Mcmechan, Gary L. Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus; family Potyviridae), is transmitted by the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer). The requirement of coat protein (CP) for WSMV transmission by the wheat curl mite was examined using a series of viable deletion and point mutations. Mite transmission of WSMV was completely abolished with deletions comprising CP amino acids 58–100. In contrast, the amino-proximal (amino acids 6–27 and 36–57) and carboxy-terminal (14 amino acids) regions of CP were expendable for mite transmission. Mutation of aspartic acid residues at amino acid positions 289 or 326 (D289A or D326A) at the …

Acute-Contact And Chronic-Systemic In Vivo Bioassays: Regional Monitoring Of Susceptibility To Thiamethoxam In Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Populations From The North Central United States, Matheus G.P.M. Ribeiro, Thomas E. Hunt, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The risks associated with soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in the North Central soybean systems has fostered the adoption of prophylactic chemical control practices, such as planting seeds treated with neonicotinoid insecticides, especially thiamethoxam. Consequently, there is a concern that increased selection pressure imposed on the arthropod–pest complex by this insecticide may lead to resistance. Therefore, in vivo bioassays were conducted to determine the susceptibility of soybean aphid to thiamethoxam among North Central U.S. populations. Concentration-mortality data were collected using contact glass-vial and detached-leaf systemic bioassays. The results of these experiments indicate that both bioassays were reliable to …

A New Species Of Golofa Hope, 1837 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) From Peru, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Stéphane Le Tirant

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A new species of Golofa Hope is described from Peru along with supporting illustrations and a diagnosis.

Se describe una nueva especie de Golofa Hope de Peru soportado por ilustraciones y diagnosis.

Sublethal Effects Of Vatpase-A And Snf7 Dsrnas On Biology Of Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardi Barber, Adriano E. Pereira, Ana María Vélez, Lance J. Meinke, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference is a powerful tool against corn rootworm. Adults and neonates of southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), were exposed to the LC₅₀ of vATPase-A and Snf7 double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), and the effects on female fecundity, egg viability, male fitness as measured by sperm viability and mating capacity, larval recovery along with dry weight, and instar determination 10 d after exposure to dsRNA, were determined. Significant reductions were observed for a number of parameters in dsRNA-exposed rootworms relative to control treatments. Female fecundity and larval recovery were significantly reduced after exposure to both dsRNAs. In …

Evaluation Of Smartstax And Smartstax Pro Maize Against Western Corn Rootworm And Northern Corn Rootworm: Efficacy And Resistance Management, Graham P. Head, Matthew W. Carroll, Sean P. Evans, Dwain M. Rule, Alan R. Willse, Thomas L. Clark, Nicholas P. Storer, Ronald D. Flannagan, Luke W. Samuel, Lance Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Cases of western corn rootworm (WCR) field-evolved resistance to Cry3Bb1 and other corn rootworm (CRW) control traits have been reported. Pyramid products expressing multiple CRW traits can delay resistance compared to single trait products. We used field studies to assess the pyramid CRW corn products, SmartStax (expressing Cry3Bb1 and Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1) and SmartStax PRO (expressing Cry3Bb1, Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 and DvSnf7), at locations with high WCR densities and possible Cry3Bb1 resistance, and to assess the reduction in adult emergence attributable to DvSnf7 and other traits. Insect resistance models were used to assess durability of SmartStax and SmartStax PRO to WCR resistance.

Results: …