Entomology Commons^™

Reference Gene Selection For Rt-Qpcr Analysis In Harmonia Axyridis, A Global Invasive Lady Beetle, Xiaowei Yang, Huipeng Pan, Ling Yuan, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

Harmonia axyridis is a voracious predator, a biological control agent, and one of the world most invasive insect species. The advent of next-generation sequencing platforms has propelled entomological research into the genomics and post-genomics era. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), a primary tool for gene expression analysis, is a core technique governs the genomic research. The selection of internal reference genes, however, can significantly impact the interpretation of RT-qPCR results. The overall goal of this study is to identify the reference genes in the highly invasive H. axyridis. Our central hypothesis is that the suitable reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis …

The Bee, A Natural History, By Noah Wilson-Rich (2014, Princeton University Press. Isbn: 9780691161358. Us$27.95), Gard W. Otis Dr.

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Upon receiving “The Bee, A Natural History”, by Noah Wilson Rich, I was drawn in by the title and the beautiful rust and grey front cover featuring a nearly 3-D photo of a honey bee. I immediately felt twinges of excitement—this is the book I have always wanted to have available for my university course, Apiculture and Honey Bee Biology—and disappointment—I did not write it! The “bee”— singular—accompanied by the high-resolution photo, suggested that this book focused on the world’s best understood insect that my course is centered around, Apis mellifera.

First Record Of The Arid-Land Termite, Reticulitermes Tibialis Banks, In Wisconsin, Rachel A. Arango

The Great Lakes Entomologist

During a survey of termites in Wisconsin, one colony was found from a different habitat than the remaining populations. This observation led to further genetic testing which resulted in a determination of Reticulitermes tibialis Banks. This is the first record of a termite species other than Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) to be established in the state.

Regional Caddisfly (Trichoptera) Indicator Species For Mid-Order Michigan And Minnesota Streams, David C. Houghton

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Nearly 150,000 caddisfly specimens representing 238 species were analyzed from 166 5–15m wide streams within Michigan and Minnesota to deter- mine the characteristic indicator species of 5 previously-established regions of caddisfly biological diversity. Based on a combination of relative frequency and abundance, 35 of these species indicated a particular region or regions. Indicator species in forested regions constituted a balance of trophic functional groups, whereas indicator species from agricultural regions were dominated by filtering collectors. While it was difficult to determine if species were indicating natural habitat type or differences in anthropogenic disturbance, establishing indicator species now will render potential …

How Did E. M. Walker Measure The Length Of The Labium Of Nymphs Of Aeshna And Rhionaeschna (Odonata: Aeshnidae)?, Robert B. Dubois, Kenneth J. Tennessen

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The exhaustive studies of nymphs of Aeshna Fabricius and Rhionaeschna Förster by E. M. Walker (1912-1958) have long guided the taxonomy of these groups and formed the basis for keys still in use today. However, uncertainty about how he measured the length of the labium, including the varied terminology he used over the duration of his career concerning this structure, has led to confusion about application of his taxonomic recommendations. We recalculated ratios of the maximum width/length [W(max)/L] by measuring the illustration dimensions of folded labia and prementums in publications throughout his career and compared these data with the ratios …

Phenological Attributes And Phylogenetic Relationships Of Rhagoletis Juniperina Marcovitch (Diptera: Tephritidae) In The Great Lakes Region, Megan Frayer, Daniel Hulbert, Serdar Satar, James J. Smith

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Rhagoletis juniperina Marcovitch (Diptera: Tephritidae) infests Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) and other North American junipers. While several Rhagoletis species are of interest as orchard crop pests (apple maggot, blueberry maggot, cherry fruit fly) and as models for studying speciation (R. pomonella Walsh species group), R. juniperina is of interest because it may tie together evolutionarily the Nearctic and Palearctic Rhagoletis fauna. One goal of this study was to test two competing hypotheses first proposed by Bush (1966): i) that R. juniperina is more closely related to the Nearctic dogwood- infesting R. tabellaria (Fitch), to which it …

Comparison Of Different Trap Colors And Types For Capturing Adult Agrilus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) And Other Buprestids, Toby R. Petrice, Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Numerous research studies have focused on the development of effective traps for surveying and monitoring for emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), since it was discovered in North America. However, little attention has been placed on developing effective traps for monitoring and surveying other Agrilus and Buprestidae. In 2009–2011, we conducted several studies to test the attractiveness of different trap colors and types of sticky traps to Agrilus and other Buprestidae. We found green (peak reflectance: 530–536 nm, 57.6%) sticky traps that consisted of custom colored corrugated plastic, and were coated with insect trapping glue to be the …

Survival And Phenology Of Agrilus Planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Reared On A Newly Developed Artificial Diet Free Of Host Material, Melody A. Keena, Hannah Nadel, Juli Gould

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The final phase in the development of an artificial diet that contains no ash host material and the phenology of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Bupresidae) on that diet are documented. A diet containing powdered ash phloem exists, but host material introduces potential variability and contamination, and the cost and effort needed to collect and process it can be high. The post-embryonic development of A. planipennis was evaluated on four artificial diets lacking host material, and effects of variations in diet layer thickness and moisture content were also investigated. The best diet and rearing method resulted in …

Nocturnal Flight Periodicity Of The Caddisflies (Trichoptera) In Forest And Meadow Habitats Of A First Order Michigan Stream, Kiralyn Brakel, Lydia R. Wassink, David C. Houghton

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Using ultraviolet light traps, over 5000 caddisfly specimens were collected from a forest and a meadow habitat of Fairbanks Creek in northern Lower Michigan. Samples were collected every 15 minutes, interspersed with 15 minutes of no sampling, from sunset to sunrise during 5 nights from late June to mid-July 2014. Despite having fundamentally different caddisfly assemblages dominated by different species, mean specimen abundance and mean species richness in both habitats exhibited similar trends: peaking between 22:30 and 23:00, decreasing until 02:00 or 02:30, increasing again slightly during the later morning periods, and then decreasing to near zero by 06:00. On …

First Record Of The Enicocephalidae (Heteroptera) In Michigan And Ohio, Daniel R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The unique-headed bug, Systelloderes biceps (Say), is reported from Michigan and Ohio, resulting in two new state records for the family Enicocephalidae.

Movement Patterns Of Carabid Beetles Between Heterogenous Crop And Noncrop Habitats, Heather Russon, J. Megan Woltz

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Habitats adjacent to crop fields can increase natural enemy populations by providing additional food, shelter and overwintering sites. While many studies have focused on the role of non-crop borders for supporting natural enemies, here we investigate the influence of adjacent crop habitats as well. We monitored the movement of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) between wheat fields and adjacent crop and non-crop habitats using bi-directional pitfall traps. We found greater movement of carabids from corn into wheat fields than from forest and soybean, with intermediate levels of movement from roadside vegetation. Additionally, significantly more carabids were captured moving into corn from …

Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Of Minnesota: An Annotated Checklist And New State Records, Robert L. Koch, David A. Rider, Paul P. Tinerella, Walter A. Rich

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Pentatomidae have been relatively poorly documented in Minnesota. Based on literature and museum records, an annotated checklist of the Pentatomidae of Minnesota was created. State-level and county-level records for Minnesota and the distribution of each species in North America are provided. Fifty-one species of Pentatomidae (12 Asopinae, 37 Pentatominae, and 2 Podopinae) are recorded for Minnesota. Of this total, 15 species are newly recorded for the state. Knowledge of the fauna of Pentatomidae in Minnesota will be important for providing baseline data for monitoring of potential shifts in the fauna resulting from the invasions of exotic Pentatomidae. Furthermore, a list …

Northern-Most North American Flower Visitation Records Of The Introduced Flower Fly, Syritta Flaviventris (Diptera: Syrphidae) And Comparisons With Sympatric Species, Syritta Pipiens, C. Sheena Sidhu, D. J. Biddinger

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report for the first time the syrphid fly, Syritta flaviventris (Macquart), collected in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as the northern-most record for this introduced Mediterranean species. In total, 3 male specimens and 1 female specimen were net collected on three flower species (Verbena hastata, Eryngium yuccifolium and Asclepias incarnata), at a single site of 11 monitored farm sites in southern Pennsylvania. Floral records for the similar introduced sibling species, Syritta pipiens (L.), are presented as well. Passive monitoring with colored pan traps used to monitor bee populations at these sites was not effective in collecting either species of …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Pitfall Traps And Winkler Litter Samples For Characterization Of Terrestrial Ant (Formicidae) Communities In Temperate Savannas, Sean B. Menke, Nicole Vachter

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Relatively few studies in temperate environments have compared pitfall traps and Winkler litter samples, two of the most commonly used ant (Formicidae) sampling protocols. Most of the comparative work has been performed in tropical and subtropical environments. Temperate studies have primarily taken place in forested environments. Our study focuses on the relative efficiency of these two methods in temperate oak savannas, the major ecotone connecting grasslands and deciduous forest in the Midwest. These environments are often maintained by fire and mechanical brush removal, which tends to decrease the amount of available leaf litter. We sampled 21 sites, varying in age …

Establishment, Impacts, And Current Range Of Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea Stoebe Ssp. Micranthos) Biological Control Insects In Michigan, B. D. Carson, C. A. Bahlai, D. A. Landis

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Centaurea stoebe L. ssp. micranthos (Gugler) Hayek (spotted knapweed) is an invasive plant that has been the target of classical biological control in North America for more than four decades. Work in the western U.S. and Canada has shown the seedhead-feeding weevils Larinus minutus Gyllenhal and Larinus obtusus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and the root-boring weevil Cyphocleonus achates (Fahraeus) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) to be the most effective C. stoebe control agents. These three weevils have recently been introduced into the eastern U.S., including sites in Michigan in 2007 and 2009. In 2010, we made additional releases at six sites in Michigan, monitoring …

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) On Hill Prairies Of Allamakee County, Iowa: A Comparison Of The Late 1980s With 2013, Nicole M. Powers, Kirk J. Larsen

The Great Lakes Entomologist

In the late 1980s, several hundred butterflies were collected by John Nehnevaj from hill prairies and a fen in Allamakee County, Iowa. Nehnevaj’s collection included 69 species, 14 of which are currently listed in Iowa as species of greatest conservation need (SGCN). The goal of this study was to revisit sites surveyed in the 1980s and survey three additional sites to compare the species present in 2013 to the species found by Nehnevaj. A primary objective was to document the presence of rare prairie specialist butterflies (Lepidoptera), specifically the ottoe skipper (Hesperia ottoe W.H. Edwards; Hesperiidae), which was thought …

Differences In Thermal Tolerance Between Two Thermally Isolated And Genetically Indistinct Populations Of Paragnetina Media (Walker) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae), Bridget C. O'Leary, David C. Houghton, Jeffrey Van Zant

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The critical thermal maximum (CTM) of Paragnetina media (Walker) (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) was studied at two sites of the Big Sable River in northwestern Lower Michigan during summer 2013. The sites were separated by ~8 km and differed in temperature by ~1°C in the early spring to ~5°C in mid-summer. Individual P. media specimens from the warm site had consistently higher CTM when acclimated to the mean temperature of the two sites for 3 days prior to experimental trials during May, June, and July. When acclimated for an additional 3 days to a higher or lower temperature, this thermal disadvantage disappeared. …

Beetles Of Eastern North America. Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton &University Press, 560 Pp., 8x10 Paperback. Isbn:9780691133041. Price: 35.00., Daniel K. Young

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

Those of you who know me may think I’ve always been a “beetle guy” but growing up in southwestern Michigan and loving to trout fish, my first real insect infatuation was with aquatic insects. It was, in fact, not until the summer of my junior/senior year at Michigan State University that I was re- ally introduced to beetles – by a Ph.D. student for whom I worked as a student hourly (on cucumber pollination and honey bees)!

Beetles Of Eastern North America. Arthur V. Evans. 2014. Princeton &University Press, 560 Pp., 8x10 Paperback. Isbn:9780691133041. Price: 35.00., Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

(excerpt)

My early interests in entomology were augmented with How to Know the Beetles by H.E. Jacques (1951), and the Peterson Guide - A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America by Richard E. White (1983). In addition, Dillon and Dillon’s (1972) A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America was extremely helpful to a beginning collector trying to identify his catches.

New Wisconsin Record For Pterostichus Punctatissimus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Jessica Mayry, Xia Lee, Scott Larson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A single specimen of Pterostichus punctatissimus (Randall) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was recovered from an unbaited pitfall trap in northern Wisconsin in late May, 2013. This is the first recorded extant specimen of the species collected in Wisconsin.

New Eastern Record Of Ptosima Walshii (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Lawrence E. Barringer, Claire M. Ciafre

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ptosima walshii LeConte (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is reported for the first time in Pennsylvania, being the eastern-most record of the species. Four specimens were captured in Lindgren funnel traps in Bedford and Fulton counties during invasive wood-destroying beetle surveys.

Ten Bee Species New To Green Roofs In The Chicago Area, Kelly Ksiazek, Rebecca Tonietto, John S. Ascher

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Green roofs increasingly provide habitat for many insects in urban environments. Pollinators such as bees may utilize foraging and nesting resources provided by green roofs but few studies have documented which species occur in these novel habitats. This study identified bees from 26 species, 11 genera and 5 families collected from 7 green roofs using pan trapping methods over 2 years. Ten of these species have not previously been recorded on green roofs in the Chicago region. Although the majority of bee species collected were solitary, soil-nesting, and native to Illinois, the proportion of exotic species was high compared to …

Improvement Of Pheromone Trapping In Low Density Populations Of Choristoneura Pinus Pinus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), J. G. Fidgen, P. Silk, K. L. Ryall, T. Scarr

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Pheromone baited bucket traps (e.g., Multipher) are popular as a monitoring tool for the jack pine budworm, Choristoneura pinus pinus Freeman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in Canada. However, there is no evidence to support their use when budworm populations are low. We therefore evaluated the capture rate of bucket traps at two placement heights (2 vs 6 m) in two jack pine forests in 2011, having low (≤5 fifth instars per mfoliated branch length) budworm populations. Compared to wing traps (e.g., Pherocon 1C), the trap design used initially to evaluate efficacy of the C. pinus pheromone, bucket traps caught fewer C. pinus …

New State Records For Perillus Strigipes (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae), Edwin L. Freese

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The stink bug Perillus strigipes is reported from Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, and Mississippi for the first time. This insect species has a wide distribution but generally is seldom collected.

New Distributional Record For Balcha Indica (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) In Eastern West Virginia Discovered During Emerald Ash Borer Parasitoid Recovery Surveys, Tara Spinos, Amy Hill, Rachel Braud, Richard M. Turcotte

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Between 2010 and 2012, approximately 6,300 Spathius agrili Yang (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and 9,500 Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitoids were released for biological control of the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, at Cacapon State Park and the Cool Front Development in Morgan County, West Virginia. The invasive beetle was first detected there in 2009, and extensive ash mortality is currently occurring. We conducted parasitoid recovery surveys in 2013 but did not recover either of the released parasitoid species. However, we did rear Balcha indica Mani and Kaul (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), which is native to Asia and is a documented …

Additions To The Checklist Of Wisconsin Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Including The Adventive Harpalus Rubripes (Duftschmid) Among Seven New State Records, Peter W. Messer

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Sixteen species are added to the checklist of Wisconsin Geadephaga. Of these, seven species are reported here as new to Wisconsin. Nine taxa from the list are affected by new information resulting in the removal of six names. The Eurasian beetle Harpalus rubripes was discovered as early as 2009 on annually surveyed beaches along Lake Michigan in southeastern Wisconsin. This discovery greatly extends the species distribution westward from its presence in northeastern North America where it was first recorded in 1981.

Observations On The Biological Control Agents Of The American Plum Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) In Michigan Cherry And Plum Orchards, David J. Biddinger, Timothy W. Leslie

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The American plum borer, Euzophera semifuneralis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an important pest in orchards, yet little is known regarding its biological control. We performed a comprehensive survey of the natural enemy complex contributing to American plum borer control in Michigan plum and cherry orchards, while also exploring the relationship between pest infestation and tree wounding from mechanical harvesting. We scouted 30 orchards with varying degrees of tree wounding to document extent of infestations of American plum borer and another pest, the lesser peach borer, Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson) (Lepidoptera: Sessiidae). We simultaneously recorded biological control agents, including the …

Notes On Chrysomelobia Labidomerae (Acari: Heterostigmata: Podapolipidae), Parasites Of Labidomera Clivicollis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) In Michigan And Wisconsin, Robert W. Husband, Andrew H. Williams

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Chrysomelobia labidomerae Eickwort, ectoparasitic mite of chrysomelid beetles, is reported from 11 Wisconsin counties, from 16 of 82 adult Labidomera clivicollis (Kirby) beetles wild-caught in Wisconsin, and from 27 of 141 presumably wild-caught L. clivicollis beetles from 13 Michigan counties. Wisconsin beetles harboring C. labidomerae were found in dry to wet-mesic, open habitats. A distribution map and comments are presented.

Desirable Host Plant Qualities In Wild Rice (Zizania Palustris) For Infestation By The Rice Worm Apamea Apamiformis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Nathan B. Dahlberg, John Pastor

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The rate at which an insect infests hosts by ovipositioning and/or subsequent growth of larvae often depends on specific desirable host plant qualities. In this study, we measured the infestation rate of wild rice, Zizania palustris, by the wild rice worm, Apamea apamiformis, D. F. Hardwick (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and compared it to sediment nitrogen availability, plant biomass, plant density, litter accumulation, and seed carbohydrate and nitrogen concentration. Plant density and litter accumulation had no effect on infestation rates. Infestation rate increased with plant biomass and sediment nitrogen availability. The correlation between infestation rate and sediment nitrogen availability seems …

A Black Phase Female In The Historical Breeding Range Of Canadian Swallowtails (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), Goran E. D. Blomberg, Edward Herig Jr.

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A black phase female, collected in 2000 in Isabella Co., MI, in the historical range of Papilio canadensis Rothschild and Jordan, could be a result of recent introgression by P. glaucus L. If so, black females may become widespread, though infrequent, in the northern Lower Peninsula.