Entomology Commons^™

Redescription Of The Allomyia Renoa (Milne) Female And Association And Description Of The Male And Larva (Trichoptera: Apataniidae), David E. Ruiter, Donald R. Givens, Hiroyuki Nishimoto

Insecta Mundi

Allomyia renoa (Milne, 1935) (Trichoptera: Apataniidae) was described from six females. The male association is verified in this paper. The original type locality information is limited: “Reno, Nev., ‘78, Morrison”. An Allomyia Banks population found at Mount Rose in Washoe County, Nevada, was compared to the A. renoa type material and found to be the conspecific. Figures, descriptions and distribution of male, female, pupal and larval A. renoa are provided.

First Record Of Orsilochides Scurrilis (Stål) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae: Pachycorinae) In The United States, With Notes On The Biology And Distribution Of U.S. Species Of Orsilochides Kirkaldy, A. W. Meeds, Joseph E. Eger Jr., S. D. Carnahan

Insecta Mundi

Orsilochides scurrilis (Stål) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Scutelleridae) is reported from the United States for the first time based on a specimen collected in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. A key to separate the U.S. species of Orsilochides Kirkaldy is provided. In addition, host plant records and distribution of the other two species of Orsilochides that occur in the U.S., Orsilochides guttata (Herrich-Schäffer) and Orsilochides stictica (Dallas), are analyzed through a combination of digital photo records and museum specimens.

The Rare Beetle Egg Parasitoid Platystasius Transversus (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae: Sceliotrachelinae), A New Genus And Species Record For Germany, Jessica Awad, Cristina Vasilița, Lars Krogmann

Insecta Mundi

Platystasius transversus (Thomson) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is a rarely collected egg parasitoid of Leptura aurulenta Fabricius (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Four female specimens were found in Germany, a new country record for the genus and species. Illustrations, DNA barcodes, and an updated distribution are provided. We review its taxonomic history, biology, and ecological associations.

Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) Of The White Peach Scale, Pseudaulacaspis Pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) On Prunus Salicina Lindl. (Rosales: Rosaceae) In South Korea, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

Four aphelinid and one encyrtid parasitoid species (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) were collected from Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) infesting twigs and stems of Japanese plum tree (Prunus salicina Lindl.) in a survey conducted in 2020 in South Korea. These were identified as Aphytis proclia (Walker), Encarsia berlesei (Howard), Marietta carnesi (Howard), Pteroptrix orientalis (Silvestri) (Aphelinidae) and Arrhenophagus chionaspidis Aurivillius (Encyrtidae). In this paper, the list of parasitoid species of P. pentagona that occur on Japanese plum trees in South Korea is updated and a brief diagnosis and photographs of each species are provided.

Wildflower Pollen Quality In Roadside Habitats, With Particular Emphasis On Hedera Helix, Aoife Mcmullin, Paul Hamilton

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

The quality of air is of more significance today than ever before. Human population growth and pollutants emitted through fossil fuel consumption put pressures on air quality. It is widely acknowledged that atmospheric pollutants negatively impact human health; the same is also true for the health of wildlife and plants exposed to these pollutants (Brunekreef & Holgate, 2002; EEA, 2019; Schiavoni, et al., 2017). Pollen and seed formation of flowering plants have been affected when grown in areas of poor air quality (Azzazy, 2016; Sénéchal, et al., 2015). The purpose of this research was to assess pollen of …

A Molecular Survey Of Bacterial Species In The Guts Of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia Illucens) Reared On Two Urban Organic Waste Streams In Kenya, Marwa Shumo, Fathiya M. Khamis, Fidelis Levi Ombura, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Sevgan Subramanian, Sunday Ekesi, Oliver K. Schlüter, Arnold Van Huis, Christian Borgemeister

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Globally, the expansion of livestock and fisheries production is severely constrained due to the increasing costs and ecological footprint of feed constituents. The utilization of black soldier fly (BSF) as an alternative protein ingredient to fishmeal and soybean in animal feed has been widely documented. The black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) used are known to voraciously feed and grow in contaminated organic wastes. Thus, several concerns about their safety for inclusion into animal feed remain largely unaddressed. This study evaluated both culture-dependent sequence-based and 16S rDNA amplification analysis to isolate and identify bacterial species associated with BSFL fed on chicken …

Insect Developmental Plasticity: The Role In A Changing Environment, Lindsey A. Barnes

The Cardinal Edge

Climate change has been recognized as a severe threat to biodiversity. In the rapidly growing collection of literature on the consequences of global change, researchers have recently noticed a dramatic decrease in insect populations in a wide range of habitats. Insects are extremely susceptible to climatic change, especially with regard to fluctuations in moisture and temperature. However, insects often exhibit phenotypic plasticity, where organisms will express different phenotypes when presented with a specific environmental stimulus. In developmental plasticity, environmental stimuli at the larval stage can determine adult phenotypes. This review focuses on case studies of developmental plasticity in insects, with …

Geocaching: A New Instructional Tool For Natural Resources Extension And Outreach, Jacob Smith, Dave Coyle, John Thomason, Todd Matthews, John J. Riggins

Journal of Extension

Nonnative pests and pathogens severely affect forest health and are often spread in firewood. Our objectives were to create an extension education program using “Don’t Move Firewood”-themed geocaches and travel bugs which were placed near campgrounds across Mississippi, and to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of this outreach method. Interactions with caches and travel bugs were monitored over nearly one year and summarized to provide a measure of outreach success. With a one-time per-unit cost of $45.95 for caches and $6.75 for travel bugs, these tools provide ongoing, cost-effective educational approaches well suited to augment existing or launch new outreach …

The Regulation Landscape Of Mapk Signaling Cascade For Thwarting Bacillus Thuringiensis Infection In An Insect Host, Zhaojiang Guo, Shi Kang, Qingjun Wu, Shaoli Wang, Neil Crickmore, Xuguo Zhou, Alejandra Bravo, Mario Soberón, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Host-pathogen interactions are central components of ecological networks where the MAPK signaling pathways act as central hubs of these complex interactions. We have previously shown that an insect hormone modulated MAPK signaling cascade participates as a general switch to trans-regulate differential expression of diverse midgut genes in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) to cope with the insecticidal action of Cry1Ac toxin, produced by the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The relationship between topology and functions of this four-tiered phosphorylation signaling cascade, however, is an uncharted territory. Here, we carried out a genome-wide characterization of all the MAPK orthologs …

Resistance Allele Frequencies To Cry1ab And Vip3aa20, And Performance Of Cry1a.105/Cry2ab2 Susceptible And Single/Dual-Gene Resistant Corn Earworm On Non-Bt And Low Concentrations Of Bt Diet, Shucong Lin

LSU Master's Theses

Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is an important agricultural pest and a target species of Bt corn and Bt cotton. Recently, this pest in the U.S. has developed resistance to Cry1/Cry2 corn and cotton. The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate the frequencies of resistance allele to Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa20 proteins in Louisiana populations of H. zea; 2) determine if Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 single/dual-gene resistance in H. zea is associated with fitness costs; and 3) investigate the effect of three low concentrations of mixed Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 proteins on the growth, development, and reproduction of two known Bt-susceptible strains and six …

Nebline, September/October 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Youth Help Celebrate 150 Years of Lancaster County Fair

Farm to School Connections in Lancaster County

Recipe of the Month

Uses of Compost

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

GroBigRed Virtual Learning Series

Medically Important Spiders in Nebraska: The Black Widow and Brown Recluse

Herd Health Vaccinations

4-H Announcements for enrolled 4-H'ers or 4-H volunteers

4-H State Public Speaking Top Results

Eight Lancaster 4-H Clubs Receive Governor’s Ag Excellence Awards

Sam’s Club Donates $1,000 to 4-H Council

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Tim & Jenny Higgins

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: JJ & Amy Frink

Youth Science Day …

Identity And Population Density Of Thrips Hawaiiensis (Insecta: Thysanoptera) In Conventional “Magallanes” Pummelo Orchard In Carmen, Davao Del Norte, Philippines, Roderick Granada, Flor Ceballo, Pio Javier

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

A conventional “Magallanes” Pummelo orchard in Brgy. Minda, Carmen, Davao del Norte, Philippines was selected to assess thrips species composition, population density, and associated natural enemies. The insecticide treated pummelo orchard was situated adjacent to vast Cavendish banana plantations. Thrips were collected weekly from September 2017 to July 2018 from five different randomly selected flowering pummelo trees by destructive sampling and yellow sticky trap methods. Thrips were sorted and examined under the microscope. Findings of the study showed that Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan), (Thripidae: Thripinae) was the only species of thrips infesting “Magallanes” pummelo. This constitutes the first report in this …

Efficacy Study Of Selected Maize (Zea Mays L.) Genotypes Against The Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia Furnacalis (Guenée), Yoryncita Marfori, Merdelyn Caasi-Lit, Tonette Laude

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Laboratory and screen house studies were conducted to assess the efficacy of selected twenty-six maize varieties against Asian corn borer (ACB), Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée). Hierarchical tree based on resistance parameters clearly revealed that the twenty-six maize varieties are best classified into three groups, viz. resistant, intermediate, and susceptible. In laboratory test, the varieties RCS2, RCS4, RCS5, 'IPB Var13', Bt2, Bt3, and Bt4 were consistently identified as highly resistant. Further examinations in stalk feeding assay showed that the resistant varieties had sharp decline in larval survival (LS) on the 2^nd to the 5^th day of larval feeding in …

Mouse Experiments Demonstrate Differential Pathogenicity And Virulence Of Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense Strains, Limo William Kipkorir, Thuita Kibuthu John, Orindi Benedict Owino, Oidho John, Shivairo Robert, Masiga Daniel, Adung'a Vincent Owino

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense is the causative agent for Rhodesian human African trypanosomiasis. The disease is considered acute, but varying clinical outcomes including chronic infections have been observed. The basis for these different clinical manifestations is thought to be associated with a combination of parasite and host factors. In the current study, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense strains responsible for varying infection outcomes were sought using mouse model. Clinical rHAT parasite isolates were subjected to PCR tests to confirm presence of the serum resistance associated (SRA) gene. Thereafter, four T. b. rhodesiense isolates were subjected to a comparative pathogenicity study using female Swiss …

Advances In Insects For Food And Feed, James Peter Egonyu, John Kinyuru, Forkwa Fombong, Jeremiah Ng’Ang’A, Yusuf Abdullahi Ahmed, Saliou Niassy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This Special Issue presents the outcomes from the 23rd African Association of Insect Scientists' Conference held in Cote D’Ivoire, in connection with similar initiatives within and outside Africa. Over 65 scientific papers from several countries, worldwide, were submitted, of which about 40 were accepted and published. The issue focused on new advances in the value chain of edible insects in Africa and beyond. An innovative light-emitting diode technology for mass harvesting of edible grasshopper has been developed. The nutrient composition of insects such as the desert locust has been evaluated. Organic waste streams have been found to affect insect productivity …

Field Testing Of A Putative Larviposition Pheromone For The Tsetse Fly Glossina M. Morsitans Westwood, J. W. Hargrove, J. Van Sickle, R. K. Saini

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Under laboratory conditions, the alkane hydrocarbon n-pentadecane attracts gravid female tsetse (Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood) to potential larviposition sites. We describe field-testing of this chemical, which is the first such test for any putative tsetse larviposition pheromone. We replicated randomised block experiments at 11 sites near Rekomitjie Research Station, Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe. Each site comprised a cluster of four artificial warthog burrows constructed from 200-litre steel drums. We placed six trays, filled with sand and covered with leaf litter, inside each burrow. Both species of tsetse inhabiting this region entered these artificial burrows and deposited 1282 pupae in the trays …

Cost–Benefit Analysis Of Improved Light Trap For Harvesting The Edible Grasshopper, Ruspolia Differens (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae): Evidence From Uganda, Francis Sengendo, Sevgan Subramanian, Michael Kidoido, Moses Chemurot, Chrysantus Tanga, James Peter Egonyu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Recent evidence has shown that improved light traps comprising modified drums and light emitting diode bulbs are more efficient and safer in mass trapping of wild swarms of Ruspolia differens compared to mercury light traps with open-ended drums commonly used in Uganda. However, financial analysis of the improved traps had not yet been conducted prior to this study. Here, we carried out a cost–benefit analysis of the improved trap compared to the existing trapping technique. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on the demographic characteristics, revenue, capital expenditures and operating costs of the current trapping method from 30 …

Molecular Characterization Of Trypanosoma Vivax In Tsetse Flies Confirms The Presence Of The Virulent Tvv4 Genotype In Kenya: Potential Implications For The Control Of Trypanosomiasis In Shimba Hills, Faith I. Ebhodaghe, Armanda D.S. Bastos, Kevin O. Kidambasi, Shewit Kalayou, Daniel K. Masiga, Michael N. Okal

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Trypanosoma vivax is a vector-borne protozoan parasite of livestock endemic to Africa and South America. To date, fifteen genotypes of the parasite have been described in vertebrate and insect hosts in East Africa. However, information regarding T. vivax diversity remains limited in many endemic countries in the sub-region, including Kenya. Such information could deepen insight into the local epidemiology of animal trypanosomiasis in Shimba Hills, a wildlife area in southeast Kenya where T. vivax is endemic and infects livestock. We employed two-gene conventional-PCR-sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to characterize T. vivax genotypes in tsetse flies collected between November 2018 and September …

Rabbit Control: Rhdv1 K5, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

The national release of the Korean strain of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus, RHDV1 K5, took place during the first week of March 2017. It was the first time in 20 years a new rabbit biocontrol agent had been released into Australia, and was part of a 20-year national biocontrol plan for rabbits. More than 600 release sites were selected, including 110 sites in Western Australia (WA).

RHDV1 K5 is a naturally occurring Korean variant of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). Its release was expected to boost management and help slow the increase in rabbit numbers. RHDV1 K5 does not …

Foe To Friend: Parallel Domestication Of Ophiocordyceps From Fungal Parasite To Beneficial Symbiont In Cicadas, Jason Vailionis, Eric Rl Gordon, Chris Simon

University Scholar Projects

Nutritional symbioses are integral to the survival and diversity of many insects. The majority of herbivorous insects in the order Hemiptera possess stable, inherited symbionts that produce essential amino acids and vitamins. However, instability has been observed in cicadas, with one bacterial symbiont, Hodgkinia cicadicola, being repeatedly replaced by a new fungal symbiont, Ophiocordyceps. The fungal symbionts are thought to be derived from parasitic Ophiocordyceps species, but little is known about these parasitic ancestors or how the transition from parasite to mutualist occurs. We used a combination of targeted amplified genes and metagenomic sequencing to investigate the evolution …

Bee Assemblages Data [2021], Daniel A. Potter, Bernadette M. Mach

Entomology Research Data

Plant characteristics, sample sites, and non-native bee assemblages for a bee survey conducted in 2014-2017 by Bernadette Mach in the Daniel A. Potter lab at the University of Kentucky.

Effects Of Patch Size, Fragmentation, And Invasive Species On Plant And Lepidoptera Communities In Southern Texas, James A. Stilley, Christopher A. Gabler

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Simple Summary

Human land use has removed habitats, separated habitats into small and disconnected fragments, and introduced foreign species, which all harm wildlife. South Texas is highly diverse and home to many endangered species, but human disturbance threatens its wildlife. In south Texas, we poorly understand how different aspects of human land use influence wildlife diversity and abundance. We studied this by surveying plants and butterflies in 24 habitat fragments in south Texas that differed in size, shape, type, and land use history. Human disturbance was extensive, and foreign and weedy species were dominant in most habitats. Habitat types had …

A Review Of The Nearctic Species Of Nematodes (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Macraulacinae: Nematodini) With A Description Of One New Species, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

The Nearctic species of Nematodes Berthold (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Macraulacinae: Nemato­dini) are reviewed. Four species are redescribed. One new species, Nematodes rugosipennis Otto (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) is described from Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma, USA. A key to species modified from Mu­ona (2000) is provided for all known species of Nematodes present in the Nearctic region.

While identifying false click beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods, I discovered a new species of Nematodes Berthold collected in Florida. Additional specimens of the new species were identified from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, California Department of Food and Agriculture, …

A New Species Of Scirtes Illiger, 1807 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) From Virginia And South Carolina, U.S.A., Charles A. Springer, Deborah A. Waller

Insecta Mundi

Scirtes goodrichi Springer and Waller, a new species of Scirtes Illiger, 1807 (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Scirtinae) from Virginia and South Carolina, is described and illustrated. Six species are now recognized for Scirtes in America north of Mexico: S. orbiculatus (Fabricius), S. tibialis Guérin-Méneville, S. oblongus Guérin-Méneville, S. plagiatus Schaeffer and S. goliai Epler. A taxonomic key to the six species of Scirtes is provided.

New Country Records, Annotated Checklist And Key To The Dacine Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae: Dacini) Of Bangladesh, Luc Leblanc, M. Aftab Hossain, Mahfuza Momen, Kajla Seheli

Insecta Mundi

Thirty-four species of dacine fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) were recorded in Bangladesh, based on field surveys carried out between 2013 and 2020. Five species are reported in Bangladesh for the first time: Bactrocera aethriobasis (Hardy), B. limbifera (Bezzi), B. melania (Hardy and Adachi), B. nigrifemorata Li and Wang, and Dacus jacobi David and Sachin. The attraction of B. nigrifemorata to cue-lure is a new male lure association. An annotated checklist and illustrated key to the species are provided.

Systematic field surveys of dacine fruit flies in Bangladesh have been ongoing since 2013, initially focused on rural farmland and village environments …

Deciphering The Role Of Ion Channels In Early Defense Signaling Against Herbivorous Insects, Akanksha Gandhi, Rupesh R. Kariyat, Amaravadhi Harikishore, Marzieh Ayati, Anirban Bhunia, Nirakar Sahoo

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Plants and insect herbivores are in a relentless battle to outwit each other. Plants have evolved various strategies to detect herbivores and mount an effective defense system against them. These defenses include physical and structural barriers such as spines, trichomes, cuticle, or chemical compounds, including secondary metabolites such as phenolics and terpenes. Plants perceive herbivory by both mechanical and chemical means. Mechanical sensing can occur through the perception of insect biting, piercing, or chewing, while chemical signaling occurs through the perception of various herbivore-derived compounds such as oral secretions (OS) or regurgitant, insect excreta (frass), or oviposition fluids. Interestingly, ion …

Preliminary Inventory And General Aspect Of The Distribution Of Culicidae Species In The Steppe Region (M'Sila, Algeria), Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, Saliha Benhissen, Wafa Habbachi, Sarra Habbachi, Zakaria Hedjouli, Zihad Bouselama, Abdelkrim Tahraoui

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mosquitoes are important living organisms that participate in the different levels of food chains. However, many families include vector species capable to transmit viruses, bacteria and parasites to both humans and animals, threatening the public health. The goal of this work was to describe the biological diversity of mosquito species in different areas in M'sila; Algeria based on the ecological nature of their habitat. The breeding sites found were 18 distributed in five areas (Berhoum, Bou Saâda, El hamel, Hammam Dhalaa and M'sila). The inventory that was carried out from September to April every year from 2017 to 2019 has …

Barcoding Us Ants: Ozarks Region - Research Highlight, Megan Woltz

The Confluence

Ants are species diverse, widespread, and critically important to their environments. For many ant species, we do not have clear data on their ranges. Barcoding US Ants is a citizen science project run by the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to collect and sequence DNA from ants from around the country (CSHL, 2020). The sequences are submitted to GenBank, the DNA sequence database (NIH 2020). We formed one of the Ozarks Region teams for the Barcoding US Ants project, contributing ants from riparian forests and grassy meadows in the St. Charles, MO area. We collected 8 ant …

Comparative Microbiome Analysis Of The Funfus Gardening Ant Species Trachymyrmex Arizonensis, Chase D. Rowan

Biology Theses

Fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae) and their fungal cultivars participate in ant-fungus mutualism that share a 50-million-year-old coevolutionary history. Fungal cultures are grown in gardens alongside ants and a diverse collection of microbes that interact with both species in mutualistic, commensal, and antagonistic relationships. These microbes aid in digestion and detoxification of food, provide essential nutrients, help in nest hygiene, and play a dominant role in defense against pathogens and disease. Microbial communities of many model species have been shown to change in a laboratory setting as compared to their natural environment. High-throughput 16s sequencing of the V4 variable region was …

Summer To Autumn Population Of Wild Eumaeus Atala On The Ft. Lauderdale Campus Of Nova Southeastern University, Alexandra M. Lens

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Eumaeus atala is an endangered tropical butterfly native to the Caribbean and some parts of Florida, USA. Following population reductions primarily due to habitat loss, E. atala populations are now increasing due to conservation efforts of its cycad host plants, especially Zamia integrifolia (coontie). The purpose of this study was to observe, document, and measure the population of wild E. atala on the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University where landscaping use of host plants supports a natural population of E. atala. Forty-four host plants located in two different sites were observed for 14 weeks. One site …