Entomology Commons^™

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 30, No. 3, August 2018

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents: Congratulations -- Department Buzz -- Hutchins Nominated for USDA Undersecretary - Welcome -- Student News -- Publications -- Blast from the Past -- Grants

Bee Attractiveness Data, Bernadette Maria Mach, Daniel A. Potter

Entomology Research Data

Urban and suburban landscapes can be refuges for biodiversity of bees and other pollinators. Public awareness of declining pollinator populations has increased interest in growing plants that provide floral resources for bees. Various publications and websites list “bee-friendly” plants, but such lists are rarely based on empirical data, nor do they emphasize flowering trees and shrubs, which are a major component of urban landscapes. We quantified bee visitation to 72 species of flowering woody landscape plants across 373 urban and suburban sites in Kentucky and southern Ohio, USA, sampling and identifying the bee assemblages associated with 45 of the most …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna J. Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Bee Assemblages Data, Bernadette Maria Mach, Daniel A. Potter

Entomology Research Data

Urban and suburban landscapes can be refuges for biodiversity of bees and other pollinators. Public awareness of declining pollinator populations has increased interest in growing plants that provide floral resources for bees. Various publications and websites list “bee-friendly” plants, but such lists are rarely based on empirical data, nor do they emphasize flowering trees and shrubs, which are a major component of urban landscapes. We quantified bee visitation to 72 species of flowering woody landscape plants across 373 urban and suburban sites in Kentucky and southern Ohio, USA, sampling and identifying the bee assemblages associated with 45 of the most …

Assessment Of Granulovirus, Spinosad, And Mating Disruption For Controlling Cydia Pomonella L. [Lepidoptera: Tortricidae] In Organic Coastal California Apple Orchards, Raven Lukehart

Master's Theses

Codling moth, Cydia pomonella[Lepidoptera: Tortricidae], is a major entomological pest of apples, pears, and walnuts cross the world (Pajac et al. 2016). Female codling moths lay eggs on the apple exocarp and larvae burrow within the fruit causing economic losses to fruit growers.Organic apple orchards in San Luis Obispo, CA currently have three codling moth, Cydia pomonella,control options commercially available including granulovirus (CpVG), spinosad, and mating disruption. In field tests on apple (Malus), we compare percent fruit injury between treatments of granulovirus (2.43 oz/ha Cyd-X® organically approved, Certis USA, Columbia MD), spinosad (4.05 oz/ha Entrust® Naturalyte® …

Effects Of Neem On Plasmatocyte Counts In Galleria Mellonella Larvae, Michael Anthony Fenske

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The neem tree (Azadirachta indica) has been called the tree of the 21^st century, due to its many beneficial properties. This research studies the effects of neem products on plasmatocytes of Galleria mellonella larvae challenged by injections of Sumi ink. Counts of circulating plasmatocytes increased in response to the ink within 4 hours. Concurrent injections of neem essential oil reversed this process in a dose-dependent manner. Methanolic extracts of neem essential oil had similar effects on counts of circulating plasmatocytes mobilized by ink injections. Aqueous extracts from neem bark did not have effects on plasmatocyte counts. Comparative …

Molecular Survey For The Honey Bee Trypanosome Parasites Crithidia Mellificae And Lotmaria Passim, Mary-Kate Williams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Honey bee populations have been fluctuating within recent years. No one cause has been attributed to colony fluctuations due to the theory that multiple stressors interact with one another to impact colony health. Consequently, microorganisms such as internal parasites of honey bees have been understudied as a contributor to colony health decline.

Molecular diagnostics were utilized to detect the presence of two honey bee trypanosome parasites, Crithidia mellificae and Lotmaria passim, in managed and feral honey bee populations from eight states in the United States (USA). Because studies on trypanosome infections are lacking in the USA, it is important to …

Characterization Of The Natural Enemy Community, With Emphasis On Entomopathogens, For Management Of Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera) In West Central Nebraska, Camila Oliveira-Hofman

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae),the western corn rootworm (WCR), is a major pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the United States and Europe. WCR management options comprise mainly transgenic hybrids, insecticide applications and crop rotation. WCR is highly adaptable to management practices and field-evolved resistance to transgenic corn, insecticides and crop rotation in the United States Corn Belt has been reported. Therefore, the motivation for this project was to look into alternative options for WCR management. The goal of this dissertation is to characterize the natural enemies from irrigated commercial cornfields in Nebraska and examine their …

Gut Symbiont Viability In Honey Bees Exposed To Agrochemical Stressors, Bryant Justin Gabriel

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The honey bee gut microbiome is essential for protecting this pollinator against abiotic and biotic stressors, including the prevention of harmful gut parasites and pathogens. Previous studies have not only demonstrated a linkage of bee gut dysbiosis to increased immunodeficiencies and pathogen sensitivities, but also report the maladaptation of the gut microbiome in bees exposed to agricultural and apicultural chemistries. There are few techniques available that allow for a simple and reliable analysis of the relative proportions of live and dead gut microbes in bees exposed to these chemistries. Previous techniques for measuring gut symbiont dysbiosis are temporally limited by …

Knowledge Of Pollinator Conservation And Associated Plant Recommendations In The Horticultural Retail Industry, Carter M. Westerhold, Samuel E. Wortman, Kim Todd, Douglas Golick

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Pollinating insects are integral to the health of all terrestrial ecosystems and agriculture worldwide. Urbanization can greatly reduce nutritional resources and habitat for pollinators. However, these losses can be mitigated through targeted landscape practices, such as planting nectar- and pollen-rich plants and managing pollinator habitat in urban areas, especially home landscapes. As homeowners attempt to conserve pollinators through horticultural practices, they often seek the advice and guidance of horticulture retail employees. The knowledge horticulture employees have about pollinators and the recommendations they provide to customers is largely unknown. A nationwide survey was developed and distributed with the objectives to 1) …

Modifying The Mineral Profile Of Crickets (Acheta Domesticus) Using A Supplemented Diet, Rhianne Morgan Le Maxwell

Master's Theses

Captive insectivores may consume invertebrates as all, or part of their overall diet. The challenge with feeding captive insectivores involves the limited number of invertebrate species that are commercially available, and the lack of key nutrients provided by these insects. Among these insects, a naturally occurring low concentration of calcium and an inverse calcium to phosphorus ratio may put insectivores at the risk of developing hypocalcemia. A strategy to correct this nutrient imbalance involves supplementing the insect diet with high concentrations of targeted nutrients – a term referred to as gut-loading. Current industry guidelines recommend feeding a supplemented diet for …

How Do Entomologists Use Insects To Determine Pmi, Johnnie Erskine

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

The use of forensic entomology is one of the fastest growing methods used to determine the cause of death by law enforcement personnel. This paperexplores and examines the various insects that are found on dead bodies during different time periods. The purpose of this paper is also to analyze and evaluate how forensic entomology is beneficial when compared to the other methods of forensic science that are used in crime investigations. Goff (2000) states, “anyone involved in death investigations quickly becomes aware of the connection between dead bodies and maggots.” (Goff, 2000). Insects are used to help with the recycling …

Effects Of Flower Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) On Nutritional Quality Of Banana (Zingiberales: Musaceae) Buds, Deyi Yu, Peng Huang, Yong Chen, Yongwen Lin, Komivi Senyo Akutse, Yanyang Lan, Hui Wei

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The abundance of banana flower thrips (Thrips hawaiiensis Morgan) in a banana (Musa acuminata Colla "Williams" cultivar) plantation was investigated using yellow sticky traps (29.70 cm × 21.00 cm) in 2015. Banana flower thrips occurred throughout the year with monthly variation, and the maximum occurrence was observed in October and November during the bud burst (73.80 ± 6.32 adults/trap) and young fruit (70.06 ± 5.69 adults/trap) periods. The damage rates were as follows: interior flowers >3rd-layer flowers > 2nd-layer flowers > 1st-layer flowers > young fruits. This result indicates that thrips migrated to lower bracts, young fruits, and other flower buds as bracts …

Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus Induces Changes In Host Plant Volatiles That Attract Vector Thrips Species, Nelson L. Mwando, Amanuel Tamiru, Johnson O. Nyasani, Meshack A.O. Obonyo, John C. Caulfield, Toby J.A. Bruce, Sevgan Subramanian

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Maize lethal necrosis is one of the most devastating diseases of maize causing yield losses reaching up to 90% in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is caused by a combination of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and any one of cereal viruses in the Potyviridae group such as sugarcane mosaic virus. MCMV has been reported to be transmitted mainly by maize thrips (Frankliniella williamsi) and onion thrips (Thrips tabaci). To better understand the role of thrips vectors in the epidemiology of the disease, we investigated behavioral responses of F. williamsi and T. tabaci, to volatiles collected from maize seedlings infected with …

Varroa-Specific Hygienic Behavior Of Apis Mellifera Scutellata In Kenya, Sammy Kiprotich Cheruiyot, H. Michael G. Lattorff, Ruth Kahuthia-Gathu, Jenard Patrick Mbugi, Elliud Muli

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Varroa-specific hygienic behavior is a hereditary trait of honey bee (Apis mellifera), which supports resistance to Varroa destructor. This study investigated the response of Apis mellifera scutellata to Varroa-infested worker brood cells in Kenya, East Africa. Uncapping, removal of the brood, and disappearance of the introduced mite were recorded in a total of 690 cells into which live mites were introduced. We recorded a high proportion of untouched cells in controls (median, 80%) compared to manipulated cells in which mites had been introduced (median, 12.5%) with a significant difference (GLMM, p < 0.001). Mites were removed and cells were recapped in about 26% of the artificially infested brood cells. When ten, eight, and five mites were singly introduced in closely neighboring brood cells, hygienic bees were more responsive in the high mite density regime of eight and ten mites, an indication of a possibility that chemicals play a role in identification of Varroa-infested brood cells.

Competition Among Three Forensically Important Blow Fly Species (Diptera: Calliphoridae): Phormia Regina, Lucilia Sericata, And Chrysomya Rufifacies, Amber Macinnis

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The aim of this study was to use interspecific competition between three species of blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) to determine if interspecific competition might explain the successional patterns. A replacement series model was used for three species of blowflies: Phormia regina, Lucilia sericata, and Chrysomya rufifacies. A total of 20 maggots were used for each treatment and the proportion of each species was varied. The graphic evidence and the relative crowding coefficient of P. regina versus L. sericata indicated a significant competitive advantage of P. regina. One of the life history traits of L. sericata is that it oviposits on …

Co-Dependency Between A Specialist Andrena Bee And Its Death Camas Host, Toxicoscordion Paniculatum, James H. Cane

All PIRU Publications

Among associations of plants and their pollinating bees, mutually specialized pairings are rare. Typically, either pollen specialist (oligolectic) bees are joined by polylectic bees in a flowering species’ pollinator guild, or specialized flowers are pollinated by one or more polylectic bees. The bee Andrena astragali is a narrow oligolege, collecting pollen solely from two nearly identical species of death camas (Toxicoscordion, formerly Zigadenus). Neurotoxic alkaloids of these plants are implicated in sheep and honey bee poisoning. In this study, T. paniculatum, T. venenosum and co-flowering forbs were sampled for bees at 15 sites along a 900-km-long east–west …

Note On Suspected Brown Recluse Spiders (Araneae: Sicariidae) In South Carolina, Robert J. Wolff

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Ecology Of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis: Buprestidae) In Louisiana, Balwinder Kaur

LSU Master's Theses

In 2015, emerald ash borer (EAB) was detected in North Louisiana (LA). There is no information on wood inhabiting insects of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) trees, phenology and parasitoid establishment in LA. The first objective of the study was to quantify the insect assemblages and to compare their diversity, abundance and evenness within the epicenter of the EAB infestations in North LA including regions in Central and South LA where EAB has not been detected yet. We established four treatments, based on log diameter: small and large; and log condition: dead and live for green ash. All the …

Residual Effects Of Termiticides On Mortality Of Formosan Subterranean Termites, Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki, In Substrates Subjected To Flooding, Rajani Sapkota

LSU Master's Theses

Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) are one of the most important economic insects in the Southern US since they cause severe and costly damage to properties. Soil treatment with termiticides is the most widely used and reliable method for termite prevention, but their efficacy after a home floods, an all too common event for a homeowner in recent years, has prompted many pest control companies to suggest a new treatment is necessary. This can be expensive and possibly unnecessary. However, several factors such as termiticide water solubility and binding properties, soil type and soil leachability and the inherent …

Effects Of Flight Activity And Age On Oxidative Damage In The Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera, Joseph W. Margotta, Stephen P. Roberts, Michelle M. Elekonich

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Frequent and Highly Aerobic Behaviors Likely Contribute to Naturally Occurring Stress, Accelerate Senescence and Limit Lifespan. to Understand How the Physiological and Cellular Mechanisms that Determine the Onset and Duration of Senescence Are Shaped by Behavioral Development and Behavioral Duration, We Exploited the Tractability of the Honeybee (Apis Mellifera) Model System. First, We Determined Whether a Cause-Effect Relationship Exists between Honeybee Flight and Oxidative Stress by Comparing Oxidative Damage Accrued from Intense Flight Bouts to Damage Accrued from D-Galactose Ingestion, Which Induces Oxidative Stress and Limits Lifespan in Other Insects. Second, We Experimentally Manipulated the Duration of Honeybee Flight Across …

The Effect Of Imidacloprid On Honey Bee Queen Fecundity, Jamilyn Martin, Julia D. Fine, Amy Cash-Ahmed, Gene E. Robinson

PRECS 2018

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide commonly used in agricultural settings to control insect pests by acting as an agonist of acetylcholine receptors and inducing paralysis and mortality. In small doses, imidacloprid can cause loss of memory and foraging ability along with impaired learning and a lowered immune response in western honey bees (Apis mellifera). Effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on colony reproduction have been documented including decreased colony expansion, queen failure and replacement, and decreased queen egg laying.

For this study, we examined the effects of imidacloprid on the fecundity of queen bees when their worker attendants were exposed to low …

Nebline, July 2018

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Pretty things that sting

Food & Health

Farm & Acreage

Pests & Wildlife

Horticulture

Early Childhood

4-H & Youth

and other extension news and events

Risk Assessment Of Fall Armyworm Resistance To Transgenic Corn Containing Single Or Pyramided Bacillus Thuringiensis Genes, Ying Niu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is a target pest of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops in North and South America. However, after more than two decades of the intense use of Bt crop technology, S. frugiperda has developed resistance to Bt corn in several countries. The objectives of this study were: 1) to characterize the inheritance and fitness costs of Cry1A.105 resistance in S. frugiperda; 2) to evaluate larval survival and plant injury of Cry1A.105-susceptibile, -resistant, and -heterozygous S. frugiperda populations on transgenic corn plants containing single or pyramided Bt genes; 3) to estimate the frequency of Cry2Ab2 …

Impact Of Temperature, Plant Species, And Sorghum Cultivar On The Population Dynamics Of Melanaphis Sacchari, Monique Ferreira De Souza

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari Zehner, is now widely established in sorghum, Sorghum bicolor L., production areas of the United States and is an important economic pest. However, detailed studies of temperature, host range and plant resistance effects on the biology and population parameters of the M. sacchari biotype responsible for the sorghum outbreak in the United States have not been performed previously. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate: 1) How temperatures affect M. sacchari 2) M. sacchari interaction with host plants 3) M. sacchari interaction with sorghum genotypes. The response of M. sacchari to six different constant temperatures (15, …

Plants Pre-Infested With Viruliferous Med/Q Cryptic Species Promotes Subsequent Bemisia Tabaci Infestation, Xiaobin Shi, Gong Chen, Huipeng Pan, Wen Xie, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Yong Liu, Xuguo Zhou, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

The sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, is one of the most invasive insect pests worldwide. The two most destructive whitefly cryptic species are MEAM1/B and MED/Q. Given that MED/Q has replaced MEAM1/B in China and the invasion of MED/Q has coincided with the outbreak of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), we hypothesize that pre-infestation with viruliferous B. tabaci will affect the subsequent host preferences. To test this hypothesis, we (1) conducted bioassays to compare the host preference of viruliferous and non-viruliferous MEAM1/B and MED/Q, respectively, on plants pre-infested with viruliferous and non-viruliferous MEAM1/B and MED/Q; (2) profiled plant …

Susceptibility Of Field-Collected Pupations Of The Corn Earworm, Helicoverpa Zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) From Three Southern States Of The U.S. To Cry1a.105 And Cry2ab2 Proteins, Gagandeep Kaur

LSU Master's Theses

The corn earworm (CEW), Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major target pest of pyramided Bt corn and Bt cotton in the U.S. In 2016 and 2017, notable corn ear damage and larval survival of CEW were observed on pyramided Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 corn in some fields in northeast Louisiana. The objectives of this study were 1) to determine if the ear damage and larval survival observed in the area were due to resistance development to the Bt proteins in the plants, and 2) if resistance had occurred, to determine the approximate distributions of the resistance in the southern region of …

Common Loons Respond Adaptively To A Black Fly That Reduces Nesting Success, Walter H. Piper, Keren B. Tischler, Andrew Reinke

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Nesting birds must often cope with harassment from biting insects, but it is difficult to ascertain what effect such pests might have on breeding success and population dynamics. We tested the hypothesis that a black fly (Simulium annulus) that feeds on the blood of nesting Common Loons (Gavia immer) causes nest abandonment in this charismatic diving bird. In addition, we measured effects of fly-induced abandonment on a loon population, and examined potential predictors of fly abundance and nest abandonment. We also tested a second hypothesis, which holds that loon pairs that abandon a nest owing to …

Spatial Distribution Of Bactrocera Dorsalis And Thaumatotibia Leucotreta In Smallholder Avocado Orchards Along Altitudinal Gradient Of Taita Hills And Mount Kilimanjaro, James J. Odanga, Samira Mohamed, Sizah Mwalusepo, Florence Olubayo, Richard Nyankanga, Fathiya Khamis, Ivan Rwomushana, Tino Johansson, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Avocado (Persea americana) fruits are an important source of income and a nutritious food for small-scale growers and other stakeholders involved in farming along the Afrotropical highlands of Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively. Avocado fruits are infested by several insect pests, namely the Asian invasive fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), and the false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). However, there is inadequate information on the distribution patterns of these pests in small-scale avocado cropping systems in the East African highlands. This study was initiated to generate a spatial distribution map of …

Honey Bee Survival And Pathogen Prevalence: From The Perspective Of Landscape And Exposure To Pesticides, Mohamed Alburaki, Deniz Chen, John A. Skinner, William G. Meikle, David R. Tarpy, John Adamczyk, Scott D. Stewart

Faculty Publications

In order to study the in situ effects of the agricultural landscape and exposure to pesticides on honey bee health, sixteen honey bee colonies were placed in four different agricultural landscapes. Those landscapes were three agricultural areas with varying levels of agricultural intensity (AG areas) and one non-agricultural area (NAG area). Colonies were monitored for different pathogen prevalence and pesticide residues over a period of one year. RT-qPCR was used to study the prevalence of seven different honey bee viruses as well as Nosema sp. in colonies located in different agricultural systems with various intensities of soybean, corn, sorghum, and …