Entomology Commons^™

Effect Of Larval Density And Substrate Quality On The Wing Geometry Of Stomoxys Calcitrans L. (Diptera: Muscidae), Steve B.S. Baleba, Daniel Masiga, Baldwyn Torto, Christopher W. Weldon, Merid N. Getahun

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: In insects, oviposition decisions may lead to egg deposition in substrates with different larval density and nutritional levels. Individuals developing in such substrates may present plasticity in their phenotype. Here, we investigated the effect of two factors related to oviposition decisions, namely larval density and substrate quality, on the wing size and wing shape of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans L. (Diptera: Muscidae). Methods: We reared S. calcitrans larvae at different densities (5, 15 and 25) and on different substrates (camel, cow, donkey and sheep dung). For each fly that emerged, we recorded body weight, and detached, slide-mounted and …

Mesopredator Distribution, Abundance And Potential Competition With The American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus Americanus) At Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center, Karisa Fenton

Theses and Dissertations from 2019

The American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus, hereafter ABB) was listed as an endangered species in 1989 and many hypotheses have been developed to explain their rangewide decline. I investigated the carcass competition hypothesis that implicates increased competition between vertebrate scavengers and ABBs for appropriate-sized carcasses as a cause for ABB decline. Predators of medium size that occupy an intermediate trophic level (hereafter mesopredators) are potential competitors for carcasses. I used camera trapping to assess mesopredator abundances in nine different habitats at Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center (FCJMTC) in western Arkansas because this area supports the largest known population of …

Reproductive Character Displacement In Calopteryx Aequabilis And C. Maculata: Improving Species Recognition Through The Divergence Of Male Mating Preferences, Melissa Encinias

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

An ongoing evolutionary question is how co-occurring species maintain reproductive barriers when they are morphologically, behaviorally, and ecologically similar. Without geographic isolation, traits involved in species recognition may be under selection to enhance reproductive barriers. Exaggerated trait differences between species in sympatric populations may reflect selection to reduce misdirected mating between species, or reproductive character displacement. While this phenomenon is widely recognized as an important stage in the speciation process, there is little direct evidence of this process in nature. In two North American damselfly species, Calopteryx aequabilis and C. maculata, wing pigmentation is sexually dimorphic and also shows …

The Interface Between Invasive Species And The Increased Incidence Of Tick-Borne Diseases, And The Implications For Federal Land Managers, Ed Clark, Janis Mcfarland, Blaine Parker, Slade Franklin

National Invasive Species Council

Includes information on the dynamics of tick-borne disease, factors affecting the occurrence and density of ticks, matrices of ties between habitat, human activities, invasive plants, and ticks, federal resources and programs related to ticks and vector-borne disease in the United States, with references and an annotated bibliography of literature on ticks, vector-borne diseases, and invasive species.

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 31, No. 2, May 2019

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Congratulations -- Meeting News -- Welcome -- Publications -- Grants -- Faculty News -- Outreach -- Student News -- Busy as a Bee -- Distinguished Alumni Recognition -- Entomology Department Alumni Dinner

Nebline, May 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

25 Years of Earth Wellness Festival: A Generation of Students Have Learned Value of Environmental Resources

Malcolm 4th Graders Learn About Healthy Choices

Recipe of the Month

2019 Cash Rent Survey

Bagworm Control in Windbreaks

Choosing the Best Bug Spray to Protect Your Family From Mosquitoes and Ticks

2019 Herb of the Year

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

Children and Mindful Eating

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Susan Martin

Babysitting Training, June 18

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

Clover College

Upcoming Landscape Workshops

Extension News: New Domestic Water and Wastewater Extension Associate

Extension News: Two New Interns …

The Impact Of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith), Feeding And Mechanical Defoliation On Growth And Yield Of Rice, Oryza Sativa (L.), Layton Denman Mccullars

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), (FAW) is a serious pests of many crops, and can be observed feeding throughout the entire growing season on rice, Oryza sativa, (L.). A new defoliation based threshold would help rice growers and consultants make more economically sound decisions for FAW. Work from this thesis focuses on determining the amount of damage caused by FAW feeding at different growth stages and effective insecticide seed treatments for controlling this pest.

Field plots were mechanically defoliated to determine grain yield loss across multiple growth stages and defoliation percentages. Results indicated that defoliation in late vegetative …

Geospatial Analysis Of Rickettsial Species, Amy Frank

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rickettsia species are obligate intracellular, arthropod-borne bacteria with a potential to cause multiple diseases including Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Fleas, mites, and ticks serve as vectors for Rickettsia, but ticks are the primary vector of interest. RMSF and other rickettsial diseases have continued to gain importance in both human and veterinary medicine as RMSF is the most common tick-borne disease within the United States according to the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Research Center. A statewide citizen science project was utilized to determine the prevalence of Spotted Fever Group (SFG) Rickettsia in Arkansas. This project yielded results in 64 …

Indole Sensitivity In Various Insect Herbivores., Rakhi Patel

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

When plants in nature are attacked by herbivores, they frequently release airborne volatiles. These herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) help plants defend themselves against herbivore attack by calling in natural enemies, but HIPVs may also be directly toxic to herbivores. Indole (C₈H₇N) is a common HIPV that is toxic to caterpillars, but its relative toxicity to different caterpillars has not been explored. I tested the toxicity of indole on six caterpillar species (Spodoptera frugiperda, Trichoplusia ni, Spodoptera exigua, Anticarsia gemmatalis, Heliothis virescens, and Helicoverpa zea). Results show that indole is …

Do Enallagma Exsulans From Streams And Lakes Show Patterns Of Divergence?, Savannah Rae Graham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Divergent selection across heterogenous environments could lead to adaptive divergence in populations resulting in potential local adaption. These populations have phenotypic differences that are fitness related and make native individuals more fit than non-native individuals. My research focuses on a species of damselfly, Enallagma exsulans, to explore local adaptation and morphological differences as a result of divergent selection or plasticity. My first study explored potential local adaptation of wild caught stream and lake E. exsulans using a reciprocal transplant design, a classic approach for this objective. The stream and lake sites chosen were on a small spatial scale allowing for …

Biogeography Of Endemic Dragonflies Of The Ozark-Ouachita Interior Highlands, Wade Alexander Boys

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A common pattern across many taxonomic groups is that relatively few species are widespread while the majority are restricted in their geographic ranges. Such species distributions are used to inform conservation status, which poses unique challenges for rare or cryptic species. Further, priority status is often designated within geopolitical boundaries, which may include only a portion of a species range. This, coupled with lack of distributional data, has resulted in species being designated as apparently rare throughout some portions of their range, which may not accurately reflect their overall conservation need. The Interior Highlands region of the central United States …

Spatial Patterns And Sequential Sampling Plans For Estimating Densities Of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) In Soybean In The North Central Region Of The United States, Daniela T. Pezzini, Christina D. Difonzo, Deborah L. Finke, Thomas Hunt, Janet J. Knodel, Christian H. Krupke, Brian P. Mccornack, Andrew P. Michel, Roger D. Moon, Christopher R. Philips, Adam J. Varenhorst, Robert Wright, Robert Koch

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Stink bugs are an emerging threat to soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae) in the North Central Region of the United States. Consequently, region-specific scouting recommendations for stink bugs are needed. The aim of this study was to characterize the spatial pattern and to develop sampling plans to estimate stink bug population density in soybean fields. In 2016 and 2017, 125 fields distributed across nine states were sampled using sweep nets. Regression analyses were used to determine the effects of stink bug species [Chinavia hilaris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and Euschistus spp. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)], life stages (nymphs and adults), and field locations (edge …

Western Corn Rootworm Pyrethroid Resistance Confirmed By Aerial Application Simulations Of Commercial Insecticides, Dariane Souza, Bruno C. Vieira, Bradley K. Fritz, Wesley C. Hoffmann, Julie A. Peterson, Greg Kruger, Lance J. Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) (WCR) is a major insect pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the United States (US) and is highly adaptable to multiple management tactics. A low level of WCR field-evolved resistance to pyrethroid insecticides has been confirmed in the US western Corn Belt by laboratory dose-response bioassays. Further investigation has identified detoxification enzymes as a potential part of the WCR resistance mechanism, which could affect the performance of insecticides that are structurally related to pyrethroids, such as organophosphates. Thus, the responses of pyrethroid-resistant and -susceptible WCR populations to the commonly used pyrethroid …

Bacterially Expressed Dsrna Causes Gene Silencing In Eab, Lynne Rieske-Kinney

Entomology Research Data

RNA interference (RNAi) is a naturally occurring, biological process in which RNA molecules inhibit gene expression or translation by neutralizing target mRNA molecules. Recent advances in our understanding of the RNAi mechanism have allowed its development as an emerging tool to protect against insect pests. The major challenge for efficient pest management using RNAi as a molecular bio-pesticide in the field is development of convenient and efficient methods for production, and practical delivery of stable dsRNAs to the target insect. Our goal is to assess the potential for deploying bacterially produced RNAi as a bio-pesticide against an invasive forest pest, …

Effects Of Polystrene Foam On The Growth And Development Of Darkling Beetles (Tenebrio Molitor), Nick Langlois

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The growing field of entomoremediation explores the use of insects and other invertebrates as biological agents for the natural removal of hazardous substances, and recent research has investigated the potential for using mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) to digest and decompose polystyrene. Two experiments conducted over two years tested the tolerance of mealworm populations to the inclusion of polystyrene in their diet, and the ability of these diets to support multi-generational populations. The first experiment compared mealworms raised on a diet of 100% polystyrene foam with mealworms raised on a control diet of wheat bran and potatoes. The second experiment …

Correlates Of Seasonal Variation In A Community Of Shelter Building Lepidoptera, Christopher J. Ernst

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Many species of Lepidoptera larvae (caterpillars) build structures of leaves and silk, commonly referred to as “shelters”. These shelters are constructed in one of several different ways, including rolling the leaf edge, folding the leaf over itself, or tying two or more leaves flat together. This study was conducted to first determine seasonal abundance of these shelters in a temperate oak forest. The second goal was to determine the influence of host plant identity, season, and topography on the abundance of these shelters, and their secondary occupancy by arthropods other than those that made them. The study site was the …

Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of The Forensically Significant Blow Flies Of Los Angeles County, California, United States (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Royce T. Cumming

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

Forensic entomology although not a commonly used discipline in the forensic sciences, does have its niche and when used by investigators is respected in crinimolegal investigations (Greenberg and Kunich, 2005). With many species of forensically significant insects being regionally specific, it is often difficult for forensic entomologists to as confidently translate regionally specific studies across drastically differing geographic regions (Brundage, et al., 2011).

The purpose of this study is to help create a better temporal and geographic distributional understanding of the blow fly species present in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Twenty-five locations from four ecoregions (coastal mountains, urban, …

State Record For Stenamma Foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Missouri, Angela D. Pierce, Diane L. Wood

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report the first known collection of Stenamma foveolocephalum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Missouri. Two specimens were collected in pitfall traps during a field study at Sand Prairie Conservation Area, Scott County, Missouri.

New State Records For Some Pentatomomorpha (Heteroptera) Of The United States, Daniel R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Forty-two new state records, distributed among the Alydidae, Coreidae, Largidae, Pyrrhocoridae, and Rhopalidae, are reported for 25 species of Pentatomomorpha found in the United States.

Use Of Spotted Knapweed/Star Thistle (Asterales: Asteraceae) As The Primary Source Of Nectar By Early Migrating Monarch Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) From Beaver Island, Michigan, Matthew M. Douglas

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Recent observations over the past decade suggest that the invasive star thistle (aka spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe L.) provides much of the nectar that supports monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in their pre-migratory and early migratory flight from the Beaver Island archipelago, an isolated chain of islands located in northern Lake Michigan. With the advent and continuation of global climate change, the opportunistic evolutionary changes that may take place between migrating monarchs and their dependence on non-native nectariferous plants, prior to migration, is worth further documentation and examination.

Cover Pages

The Great Lakes Entomologist

TGLE Vol. 51 nos. 3 & 4 cover pages

Cover Art

The Great Lakes Entomologist

TGLE Vol. 51 nos. 3 & 4 cover art

Tgle Vol. 51 Nos. 3 & 4 Full Issue

The Great Lakes Entomologist

TGLE Vol. 51 nos. 3 & 4 full issue

A Chemical In Filter Paper Interferes With Trail Following Behavior In The Termite Reticulitermes Hesperus (Banks), Kathryn Vest

Student Scholar Showcase

Termites follow chemical trails. In previous experiments we dissolved and diluted chemicals in acetone to test if they elicited trail following. Each trail was a straight line across the arena drawn with 10 µl using a glass capillary (Microcaps). We noticed a minor but stable response to trails laid with pure acetone. The response could be caused by contaminated acetone or by a chemical in the filter paper (Watman #5) that lined our arena (petri dish, 10cm diameter). We could confirm that the termites respond to acetone alone. Soxkhlet extraction for 8 hours removed the signal from the filter paper. …

Age Status Effects On Female Silk Production And Male Courtship Response In Dolomedes Scriptus, Joseph Osborne

Student Scholar Showcase

Female Dolomedes scriptus, the striped fishing spider, serve as model organisms exhibiting pheromone production as a means of chemical signaling. Previous work has shown that male fishing spiders are responsive to female silk, and preferentially court in the presence of silk from mature virgins. In our research, we hypothesized that mature females produced larger quantities of silk than penultimate females in an attempt to elicit greater male mating response. Female spiders of both age statuses were kept for two days in a gridded tank. Sub-sampling of silk lines that crossed a random portion of the grid produced results signifying …

Index

Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum (1924–2023)

No abstract provided.

Rna Interference And Validation Of Reference Genes For Gene Expression Analyses Using Qpcr In Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus Frontalis, Bethany R. Kyre, Thais B. Rodrigues, Lynne K. Rieske

Entomology Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) is a highly specific gene-silencing mechanism that can cause rapid insect mortality when essential genes are targeted. RNAi is being developed as a tool for integrated pest management of some crop pests. Here we focus on an aggressive forest pest that kills extensive tracts of pine forests, the southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis. We sought to identify reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and validate RNAi responses in SPB by mortality and gene silencing analysis. Using an adult beetle feeding bioassay for oral ingestion of dsRNA, we measured the expression and demonstrated knockdown of …

Molecular Evolutionary Trends And Feeding Ecology Diversification In The Hemiptera, Anchored By The Milkweed Bug Genome, Kristen A. Panfilio, Iris M. Vargas Jentzsch, Joshua B. Benoit, Deniz Erezyilmaz, Yuichiro Suzuki, Stefano Colella, Hugh M. Robertson, Monica F. Poelchau, Robert M. Waterhouse, Panagiotis Ioannidis, Matthew T. Weirauch, Daniel S. T. Hughes, Shwetha C. Murali, John H. Werren, Chris G. C. Jacobs, Elizabeth J. Duncan, David Armisén, Barbara M. I. Vreede, Patrice Baa-Puyoulet, Chloé S. Berger, Chun-Che Chang, Hsu Chao, Mei-Ju M. Chen, Yen-Ta Chen, Christopher P. Childers, Ariel D. Chipman, Andrew G. Cridge, Antonin J. J. Crumière, Peter K. Dearden, Elise M. Didion, Subba Reddy Palli, Jayendra Nath Shukla

Entomology Faculty Publications

Background: The Hemiptera (aphids, cicadas, and true bugs) are a key insect order, with high diversity for feeding ecology and excellent experimental tractability for molecular genetics. Building upon recent sequencing of hemipteran pests such as phloem-feeding aphids and blood-feeding bed bugs, we present the genome sequence and comparative analyses centered on the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus, a seed feeder of the family Lygaeidae.

Results: The 926-Mb Oncopeltus genome is well represented by the current assembly and official gene set. We use our genomic and RNA-seq data not only to characterize the protein-coding gene repertoire and perform isoform-specific RNAi, but …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Bostrichoidea (Coleoptera) And Revisions Of The Southern African Spider Beetle Genera Meziomorphum And Eutaphroptinus (Ptinidae: Coleoptera), Olivia M. Gearner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Proposals for the internal relationships and classification of the bostrichoids are currently poorly supported, and almost all are based on morphology alone. This study improves upon on previous phylogenetic analyses of the group by including more taxa using the standard genes for many phylogenetic analyses. Cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (CO1), 28S small subunit rRNA, and 16S small subunit rRNA mitochondrial genes were sequenced or obtained from Genbank, then analyzed using parsimony and Bayesian analyses. Topologies differed depending on genes used. A three gene tree and a two gene (28S and CO1) tree both supported relationships in which a basal …

Nebline, March 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Emerald ash borer in Lancaster County: What to do now

Eat more dark-green veggies for St. Patrick’s Day and beyond

Recipe of the Month

Ag Estate Planning Workshop, March 5

Farmland Rent Meeting, March 14

Dicamba training, March 12

Early spring pest control for evergreen trees

Dropping like flies

Spring bird behaviors can be fascinating

2019 vegetable All-America Selections winners

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

Addressing implicit bias

Upcoming early childhood trainings

Lincoln Early Childhood Conference

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Lois Muhlbach

4-H Achievement Celebration

Pick-A-Pig club first meeting, March 17

Rabbit Show, April 27

4-H camps …