Entomology Commons^™

Investigating The Viral Ecology Of Global Bee Communities With High-Throughput Metagenomics, David A. Galbraith, Zachary L. Fuller, Allyson M. Ray, Axel Brockmann, Maryann Frazier, Mary W. Gikungu, J. Francisco Iturralde Martinez, Karen M. Kapheim, Jeffrey T. Kerby, Sarah D. Kocher, Oleksiy Losyev, Elliud Muli, Harland M. Patch, Cristina Rosa, Joyce M. Sakamoto, Scott Stanley, Anthony D. Vaudo, Christina M. Grozinger

Biology Faculty Publications

Bee viral ecology is a fascinating emerging area of research: viruses exert a range of effects on their hosts, exacerbate the impacts of other environmental stressors, and, importantly, are readily shared across multiple bee species in a community. However, our understanding of bee viral communities is limited, as it is primarily derived from studies of North American and European Apis mellifera populations. Here, we examined viruses in populations of A. mellifera and 11 other bee species from 9 countries, across 5 continents and Oceania. We developed a novel pipeline to rapidly, inexpensively, and robustly screen for bee viruses. This pipeline …

Expression Of Resistance In Amaranthus Spp. (Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae): Effects Of Selected Accessions On The Behaviour And Biology Of The Amaranth Leaf-Webber, Spoladea Recurvalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Stephen T.O. Othim, Srinivasan Ramasamy, Ruth Kahuthia-Gathu, Thomas Dubois, Sunday Ekesi, Komi K.M. Fiaboe

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Spoladea recurvalis F. is a major pest moth of amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) flowers worldwide, with a potential of causing complete foliage loss under severe outbreaks. Chemical insecticides are uneconomical for resource-poor farmers and pose health and environmental risks. Host plant resistance (HPR) to insects is an effective, economical and environmentally friendly alternative that is poorly understood and largely unexploited among traditional leafy vegetables. A total of 35 amaranth accessions were evaluated for the expression of their antixenotic and antibiotic traits against S. recurvalis, focusing on their effects on the biology of the pest in comparison with a susceptible accession. The …

Field Pea Response To Seeding Rate, Depth, And Inoculant In West-Central Nebraska, Strahinja V. Stepanovic, Charles Burr, Julie A. Peterson, Daran Rudnick, Cody Creech, Rodrigo Werle

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Increased market demand and larger adoption of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) in semiarid west-central Nebraska has provided opportunities to replace summer fallow and diversify crop rotations. As a relatively new crop, its response to different seeding practices has not been evaluated in this eco-region. Field pea grain yield response to seeding depth (25, 50, and 75 mm), inoculation with Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae (yes and no rhizobia inoculant), and seeding rates (35, 50, 65, 75, 90, 105, and 120 plants m^–2) was investigated in 2015 and 2016 at five sites in Perkins County, NE. There were …

A Nonlethal Method To Examine Non-Apis Bees For Mark-Capture Research, Natalie K. Boyle, Amber D. Tripodi, Scott A. Machtley, James P. Strange, Theresa L. Pitts-Singer, James R. Hagler

All PIRU Publications

Studies of bee movement and activities across a landscape are important for developing an understanding of their behavior and their ability to withstand environmental stress. Recent research has shown that proteins, such as egg albumin, are effective for mass-marking bees. However, current protein mass-marking techniques require sacrificing individual bees during the data collection process. A nonlethal sampling method for protein mark-capture research is sorely needed, particularly for vulnerable, sensitive, or economically valuable species. This study describes a nonlethal sampling method, in which three non-Apis bee species (Bombus bifarius Cresson [Hymenoptera: Apidae], Osmia lignaria Say [Hymenoptera: Megachilidae], …

Swirski Mite Controlled-Release Sachets As A Pest Management Tool In Container Tree Production, Karla M. Addesso, Anthony L. Witcher, Donna C. Fare

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Adoption of biological control tools in woody ornamental nursery production has lagged behind other agriculture fields. One of the major obstacles to adoption is lack of information on the efficacy of various biological control agents in nursery production systems. The predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii, sold commercially as “swirski mite,” is a generalist predatory mite that has recently been adopted as a generalist control for a wide range of mite and insect pests, including thrips (Thripidae), whiteflies (Aleyrodidae), eriophyid mites (Eriophyidae), broad mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus), and spider mites (Tetranychidae). A controlled-release sachet formulation of swirski mite was evaluated …

Nebline, June 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Nebraska Pollinator Habitat Certification program

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

and other extension news and events

Assessing Natural Infection With Zika Virus In The Southern House Mosquito, Culex Quinquefasciatus, During 2016 In Puerto Rico, Donald A. Yee, Rebeca De Jesus Crespo, Fiona F. Hunter, Fengwei Bai

Faculty Publications

The epidemic of Zika in the Western hemisphere has led to intense investigations of all species important in the transmission of Zika virus (ZikV), including putative mosquito vectors. Although evidence points to Stegomyia (= Aedes) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes as the primary vectors in nature among humans, there remains the possibility that other common mosquito species may be implicated in the rapid spread of the virus. Herein, field-caught Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) collected during June 2016 in different neighbourhoods in San Juan, Puerto Rico were examined for the presence of natural infection with ZikV. Stegomyia aegypti (= Aedes aegypti) …

Feeding Behavior Of Aphis Glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) On Soybeans Exhibiting Antibiosis, Antixenosis, And Tolerance Resistance, E. L.L. Baldin, Mitchell D. Stamm, José P. F. Bentivenha, Kyle G. Koch, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is a serious pest of soybean in North America. Plant resistance is a valuable tool for the management of this pest, and a better understanding of the interactions between aphid and soybeans expressing varying levels and different categories of resistance can assist in the development of aphid resistant or tolerant genotypes. The electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique was used to evaluate the feeding behavior of A. glycines (biotype 1) on 4 soybean genotypes: (1) ‘Dowling’ (contains Rag1 gene and exhibits antibiosis); (2) PI 200538 (contains Rag2 gene and exhibits antixenosis); (3) KS4202 (exhibits tolerance); and …

Minerals Content Of Extruded Fish Feeds Containing Cricket (Acheta Domesticus) And Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia Illucens) Fractions, F. G. Irungu, C. M. Mutungi, A. K. Faraj, H. Affognon, C. Tanga, S. Ekesi, D. Nakimbugwe, K. K.M. Fiaboe

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Animal food sources provide human beings with minerals considerably in adequate quantities. Fish is an indispensable reliable source of nutrients, as aquaculture is a sector that is fast growing and which provides 50% of the world’s fish production. However, fish production is hampered by the increasing costs of feeds due to the ever rising cost of fish meal, an integral component of fish feeds. Substituting fish meal with cheap, yet highly nutritious ingredients in fish feeds is therefore paramount. This study investigated the effects of substituting fish meal with adult cricket meal (ACM) and black soldier fly meal (BSFM) on …

Prediction Of Insect Pest Distribution As Influenced By Elevation: Combining Field Observations And Temperature-Dependent Development Models For The Coffee Stink Bug, Antestiopsis Thunbergii (Gmelin), Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Christian W.W. Pirk, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Fabrice Pinard, Saliou Niassy, Gladys Mosomtai, Régis Babin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The antestia bug, Antestiopsis thunbergii (Gmelin 1790) is a major pest of Arabica coffee in Africa. The bug prefers coffee at the highest elevations, contrary to other major pests. The objectives of this study were to describe the relationship between A. thunbergii populations and elevation, to elucidate this relationship using our knowledge of the pest thermal biology and to predict the pest distribution under climate warming. Antestiopsis thunbergii population density was assessed in 24 coffee farms located along a transect delimited across an elevation gradient in the range 1000–1700 m asl, on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Density was assessed for three …

When It Looks And Walks Like An Ant, Fiona R. Cross, Robert R. Jackson

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Some jumping spiders (family Salticidae) bear a striking resemblance to ants, a dangerous type of prey, both in terms of their appearance and in terms of how they move. Recent research has taken important steps toward determining whether predators categorize these spiders as ants on the basis of the way they move.

Population Genetics And Bumble Bee Conservation: Saving Species By Thinking Small, Cady Greenslit

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Pollinators have experienced a severe decline over the last few decades, and this includes bumble bee populations (g. Bombus). Bumble bees are important native pollinators, and here I investigate the health of local populations with molecular tools. The field of conservation genetics has created useful methodology for investigating the health and informing management strategies of threatened populations. This work investigates and describes the applications of population genetics, which uses span across the board. These applications are then brought back into the context of bumble bee conservation, and how they fit into the experimental plan I originally designed. I designed …

Molecular Gut Content Analysis Of Different Spider Body Parts, Nuria Macías-Hernández, Kacie J. Athey, Vanina Tonzo, Owen S. Wangensteen, Miquel Arnedo, James D Harwood

Entomology Faculty Publications

Molecular gut-content analysis has revolutionized the study of food webs and feeding interactions, allowing the detection of prey DNA within the gut of many organisms. However, successful prey detection is a challenging procedure in which many factors affect every step, starting from the DNA extraction process. Spiders are liquid feeders with branched gut diverticula extending into their legs and throughout the prosoma, thus digestion takes places in different parts of the body and simple gut dissection is not possible. In this study, we investigated differences in prey detectability in DNA extracts from different parts of the spider´s body: legs, prosoma …

New Species Of Elateridae (Coleoptera) From Madre De Dios, Peru, With New Taxonomic Changes And Distribution Records, P. J. Johnson, Hannah K. Boyd, Caroline S. Chaboo

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The Elateridae fauna of Peru is updated with species new to science, new country records and new taxonomic combinations from the Madre de Dios region. Ten species representing eight genera are described as new: Conoderus wachiperi new species (Agrypninae, Oophorini) Cosmesus aca new species (Elaterinae, Pomachilini), Dipropus amarakaeri new species and Dipropus losamigos new species (Elaterinae, Ampedini, Dicrepidiina), Esthesopus machiguenga new species (Cardiophorinae), Glyphonyx peruanus new species (Elaterinae, Adrastini), Lissomus carmen new species (Lissominae), Paradonus kosnipata new species (Negastriinae), and Pomachilius qusqu new species and Pomachilius wayqecha new species (Elaterinae, Pomachilini). Aeolus platynotus Candèze is changed to Conoderus platynotus (Candèze) …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Photoperiod Hippodamia Convergens, John J. Obrycki

Lady Beetle Research Data

Photoperiodic induction of adult diapause in North American populations of the lady beetle Hippodamia convergens

Hippodamia Variegata Development At Ld, John J. Obrycki

Lady Beetle Research Data

Reproductive diapause in North American populations of the introduced lady beetle Hippodamia variegata

Hippodamia Variegata Sensitive Stage Pre-Oviposition Period, John J. Obrycki

Lady Beetle Research Data

Reproductive diapause in North American populations of the introduced lady beetle Hippodamia variegata

Photoperiod Hippodamia Variegata, John J. Obrycki

Lady Beetle Research Data

Reproductive diapause in North American populations of the introduced lady beetle Hippodamia variegata

Photocatalytic Degradation Of Dimethoate In Bok Choy Using Cerium-Doped Nano Titanium Dioxide, Xiangying Liu, Yu Li, Xuguo Zhou, Kun Luo, Lifeng Hu, Kailin Liu, Lianyang Bai

Entomology Faculty Publications

Dimethoate, a systemic insecticide, has been used extensively in vegetable production. Insecticide residues in treated vegetables, however, pose a potential risk to consumers. Photocatalytic degradation is a new alternative to managing pesticide residues. In this study, the degradation of dimethoate in Bok choy was investigated under the field conditions using cerium-doped nano titanium dioxide (TiO₂/Ce) hydrosol as a photocatalyst. The results show that TiO₂/Ce hydrosol can accelerate the degradation of dimethoate in Bok choy. Specifically, the application of TiO₂/Ce hydrosol significantly increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents in the treated Bok choy, which …

Population Structure, Demographic History, And Environmental Niche Of The Sand Fly Disease Vector Lutzomyia Shannoni (Dyar) (Diptera: Psychodidae) In The U.S., Mexico, And Colombia, Matthew E. Wolkoff

Biology Theses

Lutzomyia shannoni (Dyar, 1929) (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the only known sand fly vector of vesicular stomatitis virus, a putative leishmaniasis vector, and also boasts the widest distribution of any sand fly in the New World. Research on Lu. shannoni in Central and South America has revealed genetically divergent subpopulations; however, tentative analysis of Lu. shannoni in the U.S. has failed to detect any significant population structure, even between specimens collected from highly disparate localities.

The present study used four molecular markers to more closely investigate the population structure of Lu. shannoni in the U.S., and assess the species’ relationships with …

Apicentrism In City Parks: Cultivating Honey Bee Prosperity In The Face Of Colony Collapse Disorder, John Hughes

Student Theses 2015-Present

One of the most pertinent ecological crises of the 2010s is the frightening ambiguity of colony collapse disorder. As honey bee populations continue to be decimated in unprecedented numbers, this epidemic will exert profound effects on human populations both ecologically and economically. This thesis explores the epidemic using quantifiable and ecological information about the honey bee and pesticides. From this base, this thesis then explores pesticide use in New York City Parks in relation to the disorder. Finally, the thesis challenges readers to adopt a political and philosophical shift towards an environmental ethic that will take better care of the …

Toxicity Of Selected Acaricides To Honey Bees (Apis Mellifera) And Varroa (Varroa Destructor Anderson And Trueman) And Their Use In Controlling Varroa Within Honey Bee Colonies, Aleš Gregorc, Mohamed Alburaki, Blair Sampson, John Adamczyk

Faculty Publications

The efficacies of various acaricides in order to control a parasitic mite, the Varroa mite, Varroa destructor, of honey bees, were measured in two different settings, namely, in laboratory caged honey bees and in queen-right honey bee colonies. The Varroa infestation levels before, during, and after the acaricide treatments were determined in two ways, namely: (1) using the sugar shake protocol to count mites on bees and (2) directly counting the dead mites on the hive bottom inserts. The acaricides that were evaluated were coumaphos, tau-fluvalinate, amitraz, thymol, and natural plant compounds (hop acids), which were the active ingredients. The …

Cloning And Characterization Of A Pyrethroid Pesticide Decomposing Esterase Gene, Est3385, From Rhodopseudomonas Palustris Psb-S, Xiangwen Luo, Deyong Zhang, Xuguo Zhou, Jiao Du, Songbai Zhang, Yong Liu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Full length open reading frame of pyrethroid detoxification gene, Est3385, contains 963 nucleotides. This gene was identified and cloned based on the genome sequence of Rhodopseudomonas palustris PSB-S available at the GneBank. The predicted amino acid sequence of Est3385 shared moderate identities (30–46%) with the known homologous esterases. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Est3385 was a member in the esterase family I. Recombinant Est3385 was heterologous expressed in E. coli, purified and characterized for its substrate specificity, kinetics and stability under various conditions. The optimal temperature and pH for Est3385 were 35 °C and 6.0, respectively. This enzyme could …

Morphological Comparison Of Fourth-Instar Larvae From Various Populations Of Wyeomyia Smithii, Kendra D. Moore

Honors College Theses

Populations of pitcher plant mosquitoes, Wyeomyia smithii, have exhibited recent shifts in blood-feeding behavior, likely in response to changes in climate and food availability. A comparison of various morphological structures in fourth-instar larvae was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that geographic and temporal dietary differences are reflected in changes in organismal size.

Potential Benefits Of Restored Riparian Zones In An Agricultural Matrix For Bat Communities, Matthew T. Harris

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Riparian buffers planted within agricultural matrices for wildlife conservation are expected to support numerous taxa, but a lack of empirical testing has limited evaluation of these practices. It is imperative that biologists and land managers understand how current conservation practices impact bats so that the ecosystem services provided by bats are maintained as farming practices continue to intensify in regions dominated by agriculture. This study evaluates the effects of planted riparian buffers along streams in an agricultural matrix by comparing acoustic bat activity along streams in active cattle pasture with activity at streams where riparian buffers have been planted. Forest …

Forensic Entomology And The Order Coleoptera, Carrie Pratt

Essential Studies UNDergraduate Showcase

Medico-legal forensic entomology is the study of insects to aid in determining time, place, manner, and cause of death. Identification of the postmortem interval (PMI), or the time that has passed since a person has died, is arguably one of the most important pieces of information that forensic entomology can provide. The PMI can be found using either insect developmental rates or entomofaunal succession, the arrival of different insects at a body at different time points.

The largest group of insects, the beetles, is the order Coleoptera, which contains 25% of all animal species. Members of this order are critical …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 30, No. 2, May 2018

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents: Congratulations -- Meeting News -- Student News -- Welcome -- Blast from the Past -- Publications -- Faculty News -- Condolences

Nebline, May 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Farmers: Use climate for planning, weather for doing

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

and other extension news and events

Experimental Evidence That The Non-Native European Fire Ant Alters Invertebrate Communities, Madeson C. Goodman

Biology Theses

Successful non-native species can reduce native species richness through both direct and indirect competition. Many invasive ants, such as the European fire ant (Myrmica rubra), are particularly successful invaders due to their ability to form multi-nest, multi-queen “supercolonies” that appear to displace native ant and non-ant invertebrate fauna in invaded regions. Myrmica rubra has invaded the Northeastern United States, including Tifft Nature Preserve in Western New York, but its seemingly negative impacts on local invertebrate communities have only been assessed using correlative studies, making it difficult to determine whether these ants directly displace native ants and invertebrates or …