Entomology Commons^™

Efficiencies Of Stationary Sampling Tools For The Tsetse Fly Glossina Fuscipes Fuscipes In Western Kenya, Njelembo J. Mbewe, Catherine L. Sole, Christian W.W. Pirk, Daniel K. Masiga, Abdullahi A. Yusuf

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Monitoring the effectiveness of tsetse fly control interventions that aim to reduce transmission of African trypanosomiasis requires highly efficient sampling tools that can catch flies at low densities. The sticky small target (StS-target) has previously been shown to be more effective in sampling Glossina fuscipes fuscipes compared to the biconical trap. However, its efficiency in terms of the proportion of flies it catches out of those that visit it has not been reported. Furthermore, there are no reports on whether tsetse samples caught using the StS-target can be used for subsequent processes such as molecular tests. In this study, we …

Socioeconomic And Health Impacts Of Fall Armyworm In Ethiopia, Zewdu Abro, Emily Kimathi, Hugo De Groote, Tadele Tefera, Subramanian Sevgan, Saliou Niassy, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Since 2016, fall armyworm (FAW) has threatened sub-Saharan ‘Africa’s fragile food systems and economic performance. Yet, there is limited evidence on this transboundary pest’s economic and food security impacts in the region. Additionally, the health and environmental consequences of the insecticides being used to control FAW have not been studied. This paper presents evidence on the impacts of FAW on maize production, food security, and human and environmental health. We use a combination of an agroecology-based community survey and nationally representative data from an agricultural household survey to achieve our objectives. The results indicate that the pest causes an average …

Virulence And Horizontal Transmission Of Metarhizium Anisopliae By The Adults Of The Greenhouse Whitefly Trialeurodes Vaporariorum (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) And The Efficacy Of Oil Formulations Against Its Nymphs, Vongai M. Paradza, Fathiya M. Khamis, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Sevgan Subramanian, Komivi S. Akutse

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The pathogenicity of dry conidia and fungal suspensions of 16 entomopathogenic fungal isolates (10 Metarhizium anisopliae and six Beauveria bassiana) was evaluated against adults and second instar nymphs of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum respectively. All the tested isolates were pathogenic to T. vaporariorum and caused mortality of 45–93% against the adults and 24–89% against the nymphs. However, M. anisopliae strains showed higher virulence to both developmental stages as compared to B. bassiana strains. The three most virulent isolates that caused high mortalities in adults were M. anisopliae ICIPE 18, ICIPE 62 and ICIPE 69, with cumulative mortalities of 82, …

Mating Frequency Of Female False Codling Moth, Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): Trade-Off Between Fecundity And Longevity, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Shepard Ndlela, Abdullah M. Mkiga, Samira Abuelgasim Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a polyphagous insect pest native to sub-Saharan Africa. The larvae burrow into the fruit and feed on the pulp, thus inflicting huge direct (yield) and indirect losses (markets). Nevertheless, little is known about the mating frequency, behavior, and trade-off between fecundity and longevity of this pest. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of mating status and frequency on fecundity, fertility, and female longevity of T. leucotreta; evaluate the trade-off between the female fecundity and longevity, and evaluate the spermatophore degradation in the bursa copulatrix. The first mating occurred 13 h on average …

Pollinator Supplementation Mitigates Pollination Deficits In Smallholder Avocado (Persea Americana Mill.) Production Systems In Kenya, Rose Nyakemiso Sagwe, Marcell K. Peters, Thomas Dubois, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, H. Michael G. Lattorff

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a major horticultural crop that relies on insect mediated pollination. In avocado production, a knowledge gap exists as to the importance of insect pollination, especially in East African smallholder farms. In this study, conducted in a leading smallholder avocado production region in Kenya, we assessed the dependence of avocado fruit set on insect pollination and whether current smallholder production systems suffer from a deficit in pollination services. Furthermore, we assessed if supplementation with colonies of the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) to farms mitigated potential pollination deficits. Our results revealed a very high reliance …

Investigating Plant Tolerance For The Management Of Insect Pests In Rice, James Michael Villegas

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most destructive and widespread insect pest of rice (Oryza sativa L., Poaceae) in the USA. This insect poses a global threat to rice production, having invaded rice-producing regions of Asia and Europe. Moreover, lepidopteran stemborers, particularly the invasive Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), are increasingly becoming problematic in Louisiana rice. Although insecticidal seed treatments have been widely used against weevils and stemborers, alternative management strategies are needed. Plants possess defense-related traits that both reduce injury from herbivores (resistance) and the amount of yield loss per …

Two New Species Of Hermeuptychia From North America And Three Neotype Designations (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae), Qian Cong, Eduardo P. Barbosa, Mario A. Marín, André V. L. Freitas, Gerardo Lamas, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Abstract

Two new species of Hermeuptychia Forster, 1964 are described. Hermeuptychia sinuosa Grishin, sp. n. (type locality Guatemala: El Progreso, Morazán) is an isolated member of the genus that does not readily fit into known species groups, as suggested by its distinct male and female genitalia and COI DNA barcode sequences. It is distinguished from its congeners by prominently wavy submarginal lines, rounder wings and distinctive genitalia, and can typically be identified by a white dot, instead of an eyespot, near the ventral hindwing apex. Hermeuptychia occidentalis Grishin, sp. n. (type locality Mexico: Guerrero, Acapulco) belongs to the Hermeuptychia sosybius …

Factors Affecting The Epizootics Of Entomopathogenic Fungi-A Review, Mirza Abdul Qayyum, Huda Bilal, Unsar Naeem Ullah:, Habib Ali, Hasnain Raza, Muhammad Wajid

Journal of Bioresource Management

Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) specifically infect and kill insects can serve as a potential biological control agent. Several biotic and abiotic factors affect their occurrence, persistence, and epizootics caused by them. In biotic factors, fungi characters (host range, latency, spore density and dispersal, mainly host-pathogen compatibility), insect host factors (behavioral, morphological, and physiological), plant-mediated effects (plant architecture, surface chemistry, and leaf topology) are included supports or causes the barrier to mycobiopesticide. Abiotic factors which affect the EPF field persistence are mainly environmental (temperature, sunlight, humidity, rainfall) physical and chemical soil properties (soil texture, pH, E.c, moisture, C/N content, and organic matter) …

Plastic Biodegradation Through Insects And Their Symbionts Microbes: A Review, Huda Bilal, Hasnain Raza, Haseena Bibi, Tehmina Bibi

Journal of Bioresource Management

Plastic waste has recently been identified as one of the most serious environmental issues, affecting all life forms, natural habitats, and the economy, and is one of the most serious global environmental problems, second only to climate change. Seeking alternative environmentally sustainable options, such as biodegradation instead of conventional disposal, is critical in the face of this challenge. However, there is currently a lack of information about the mechanisms and efficacy of plastic biodegradation. From this perspective, this study aims to illustrate the negative environmental impacts of the plastic waste. It also addresses the role of insects and gut microbiota …

Dwarf White Clover Supports Pollinators, Augments Nitrogen In Clover-Turfgrass Lawns, And Suppresses Root-Feeding Grubs In Monoculture But Not In Mixed Swards, Daniel A. Potter, Carl T. Redmond, Timothy D. Mcnamara, Gregg C. Munshaw

Entomology Faculty Publications

The runoff or leaching of nitrogen fertilizers from monoculture turfgrass lawns contri-butes to water pollution, and such lawns are susceptible to insect pests and provide few resources for pollinators. One approach to creating more sustainable lawns is to incorporate white clover (Trifolium repens L.), a nitrogen-fixing legume, into grass seed mixtures or existing turfgrass swards. “Dutch” white clover (DWC), a ubiquitous landrace, forms non-uniform clumps when intermixed with turfgrasses, thus it is often considered to be a lawn weed. Recently, several dwarf varieties of white clover have been selected for their small leaf size and low growth habit, allowing …

A New Species And Significant Range Extension For The Genus Fractipes Bechynĕ (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini), Wills Flowers

Insecta Mundi

Fractipes tayrona new species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumolpini) is described from a dry forest on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This locality is very distant from the localities in southeast Brazil, where the other two known species of Fractipes Bechynĕ were described. Male and female genitalia are described for the first time in this genus, and F. tayrona is compared with holotype photographs of F. rhabdopteroides Bechynĕ and F. secundus Bechynĕ and Springlová de Bechynĕ.

Resumen. Se describe Fractipes tayrona especie nueva (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae: Eumol­pini) de la costa Caribe de Colombia. La especie fue recolectada en un bosque seco, …

A New Species Of Seticeros Perger And Santos-Silva From Ecuador (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae), Josef Vlasak, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

A new species, Seticeros convergens Vlasak and Santos-Silva (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prio­ninae) is described from Ecuador. An updated key to species of Seticeros Perger and Santos-Silva, 2010 is provided.

Perger and Santos-Silva (2010) created Seticeros to include Anacanthus aquilus Thomson, 1865 and their new species, S. tunupai. Currently, the genus includes one more species, S. granulocephalus Ramírez Campos, Esteban-Durán and Santos-Silva, 2011. The known geographical distribution is from Costa Rica to Colombia (Monné 2021; Tavakilian and Chevillotte 2021). Here we are describing a new species from Ecuador.

Better Tired Than Lost: Turtle Ant Trail Networks Favor Coherence Over Short Edges, Arjun Chandrasekhar, James A. R. Marshall, Cortnea Austin, Saket Navlakha, Deborah M. Gordon

Student Published Works

Creating a routing backbone is a fundamental problem in both biology and engineering. The routing backbone of the trail networks of arboreal turtle ants (Cephalotes goniodontus) connects many nests and food sources using trail pheromone deposited by ants as they walk. Unlike species that forage on the ground, the trail networks of arboreal ants are constrained by the vegetation. We examined what objectives the trail networks meet by comparing the observed ant trail networks with networks of random, hypothetical trail networks in the same surrounding vegetation and with trails optimized for four objectives: minimizing path length, minimizing average …

Irreproducibility In Searches Of Scientific Literature: A Comparative Analysis, Gábor Pozsgai, Gábor L. Lövei, Liette Vasseur, Geoff Gurr, Péter Batáry, János Korponai, Nick A. Littlewood, Jian Liu, Arnold Móra, John J. Obrycki, Olivia Reynolds, Jenni A. Stockan, Heather Vanvolkenburg, Jie Zhang, Wenwu Zhou, Minsheng You

Entomology Faculty Publications

1. Repeatability is the cornerstone of science, and it is particularly important for systematic reviews. However, little is known on how researchers’ choice of database, and search platform influence the repeatability of systematic reviews. Here, we aim to unveil how the computer environment and the location where the search was initiated from influence hit results.
2. We present a comparative analysis of time-synchronized searches at different institutional locations in the world and evaluate the consistency of hits obtained within each of the search terms using different search platforms.
3. We revealed a large variation among search platforms and showed that PubMed and Scopus …

Description Of A New Halophilic Tiger Beetle In The Genus Eunota (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae, Cicindelini) Identified Using Morphology, Phylogenetics And Biogeography, Daniel P. Duran, Stephen J. Roman

School of Earth & Environment Departmental Research

Tiger beetles are a popular group of insects amongst amateur naturalists, and are well-represented in museum and private collections. New species descriptions plateaued in the 19th century, but there is a recent resurgence of discoveries as integrative taxonomy methods, guided by molecular systematics, uncover “cryptic” tiger beetle diversity. In this paper, we describe a new species using multiple data types. This new species, Eunota mecocheila Duran and Roman n. sp., is in the tribe Cicindelini, and is described from specimens collected in saline muddy ditches in northern Mexico. This species is closely related to E. circumpicta (LaFerté-Sénectère, 1841), but is …

Inventory And Distribution Of Mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) In The Aures Region (Batna, Algeria), Nora Belkhiri, Wafa Habbachi, Saliha Benhissen, Naama Frah, Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, Nadia Aberkane

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mosquitoes are the most terrifying both for their abundance and for the diseases they transmit. They are vectors of malaria, lymphatic filariasis and arbovirus such as yellow fever, dengue, viral encephalitis and African horse sickness. These characteristics give this fauna prominent importance and health interest. To identify the most widespread mosquito species, we conducted for the first time an inventory in the Aures region more particularly the wilaya of Batna (East of Algeria) from May 2017 to January 2020, we studied their diversity, abundance and distribution. The sampling is done by monthly surveys of the various localities chosen, using the …

Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase Overexpression And Low Oxygen Conditioning Hormesis Improve The Performance Of Irradiated Sterile Males, Vanessa S. Dias, Carlos Cáceres, Andrew G. Parker, Rui Pereira, Güler Demirbas-Uzel, Adly M. M. Abd-Alla, Nicholas M. Teets, Marc F. Schetelig, Alfred M. Handler, Daniel A. Hahn

Entomology Faculty Publications

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a successful autocidal control method that uses ionizing radiation to sterilize insects. However, irradiation in normal atmospheric conditions can be damaging for males, because irradiation generates substantial biological oxidative stress that, combined with domestication and mass-rearing conditions, may reduce sterile male sexual competitiveness and quality. In this study, biological oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity were experimentally manipulated in Anastrepha suspensa using a combination of low-oxygen conditions and transgenic overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2) to evaluate their role in the sexual behavior and quality of irradiated males. Our results showed that SOD2 overexpression enhances …

A Review Of The History Of The Names Hamaticherus Dejean And Plocaederus Dejean And Description Of A New Genus And Species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae), Antonio Santos-Silva, Kimberly García, Juan Pablo Botero

Insecta Mundi

Hamaticherus Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae) is considered a junior synonym of Cerambyx Linnaeus, 1758. Hamaticherus sensu Audinet-Serville, 1834 is considered a posterior usage of Hamaticherus Dejean, 1821, and an unavailable name. Plocaederus is considered as a new genus, and not a replacement name, proposed by Dejean (1835) to allocate the species included in Hamaticherus sensu Audinet-Serville, 1834. Therefore, a new genus, Hamaederus Santos-Silva, Garcia and Botero, is herein pro­posed to include the species currently allocated in Plocaederus Dejean, 1835, creating 15 new combinations, and additionally, a new species from French Guiana, Hamaederus allofasciatus Santos-Silva, Garcia and Botero, …

First Reports Of Species-Specific Ant Resemblance In Heteronotine Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Heteronotinae), Robert Perger

Insecta Mundi

Species-specific ant resemblance in heteronotine membracids (Hemiptera: Membracidae) is re­ported for the first time, providing evidence for ant mimicry. The shape, integument color and shine of the pronotal process of females of Heteronotus fabulosus Boulard closely resemble workers of the co-occurring giant turtle ant Cephalotes atratus (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The entire membracid appears to mimic a mutualistic relationship between a membracid and a turtle ant.

The treehopper family Membracidae Rafinesque, 1815 is famous among entomologists for their mutualistic rela­tionships with hymenopterans (Way 1963) and high morphological diversity of their pronotum, often consisting of brightly colored and/or curiously shaped structures such …

Beyond Sperm And Male Accessory Gland Proteins: Exploring Insect Reproductive Metabolomes, Francesca Scolari, Fathiya M. Khamis, Diana Pérez-Staples

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Insect seminal fluid, the non-sperm component of the ejaculate, comprises a variegated set of molecules, including, but not limited to, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, salts, hormones, nucleic acids, and vitamins. The identity and functional role of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) have been widely investigated, in multiple species. However, most of the other small molecules in insect ejaculates remain uncharacterized. Metabolomics is currently adopted to deepen our understanding of complex biological processes and in the last 15years has been applied to answer different physiological questions. Technological advances in high-throughput methods for metabolite identification such as mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) …

Egg Plastron Of The Bog Copper Butterfly Tharsalea (Epidemia) Epixanthe (Bsd. & Le C. [1835]) (Lycaenidae: Lycaeninae), David M. Wright

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The egg of the Bog Copper butterfly, Tharsalea (Epidemia) epixanthe, has a prominent highly-sculptured chorionic surface. Trapped within the chorion is a labyrinth of air spaces which has been proposed as a plastron for gas exchange while the egg is submerged in water. Data derived from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms the plastron should function as predicted. Furthermore, the insulating air spaces should prevent water loss of the diapausing first instar larvae while overwintering.

Molecular Characterization Of Western Corn Rootworm Pyrethroid Resistance, Dariane Souza, Blair D. Siegfried, Lance Meinke, Nicholas J. Miller

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Western corn rootworm (WCR) pyrethroid resistance has been confirmed in the western US Corn Belt. Toxicological and biochemical studies indicated that multiple mechanisms of resistance might be involved in the resistance trait, such as enhanced metabolism and/or kdr target-site mutation(s) in the voltage-gated sodium channels. To characterize the mechanisms of WCR pyrethroid resistance at the molecular level, pairwise comparisons were made between RNA-Seq data collected from pyrethroid-resistant and -susceptible WCR populations. Gene expression levels and sodium channel sequences were evaluated.

Results: Seven transcripts exhibited significantly different expression (q ≤ 0.05) when comparing field-collected pyrethroidresistant (R-Field) and -susceptible (S-Field) WCR …

Effect Of Moisture Stress On The Development Of False Codling Moth Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) On Two Tomato Varieties, Esther Museo Patrick, Irene Koomen, Shepard Ndlela, John Mwibanda Wesonga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

False codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is a pest native to sub-Saharan Africa infesting over 100 plant species including tomato. Its survival and performance are influenced by changes in precipitation and stress-related biochemical changes in the host plant. Water availability for agricultural production continues to decline due to climate change affecting drought-sensitive crops like tomatoes. Little is known on host plant–insect interactions of T. leucotreta and tomato as influenced by moisture stress. Hence, our study tested the impact of different water holding capacities (WHC) (40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 90%) of plant growing media on the growth of Anna F1 …

Functional Land Cover Scale For Three Insect Pests With Contrasting Dispersal Strategies In A Fragmented Coffee-Based Landscape In Central Kenya, Gladys Mosomtai, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Régis Babin, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, John Odindi, Onisimo Mutanga, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Tobias Landmann, Guillaume David

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In the Eastern Africa highlands, the gradual transformation of natural ecosystems to smallholding coffee-based agrosystems has resulted in more fragmented landscapes. Major pests of coffee find appropriate living conditions leading to high infestation rates and the need for smallholder farmers to implement pest control measures. This study aims to understand the influence of landscapes on the ecology of three major coffee pests: the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, and the Antestia bugs Antestiopsis thunbergii (ABT) and A. facetoides (ABF). The study was conducted on a typical smallholder coffee-based landscape in central Kenya. The pest abundance was assessed monthly for …

Integration Of Invasive Tree, Black Locust, Into Agro-Ecological Flower Visitor Networks Induces Competition For Pollination Services, Gerald Chikowore, Sandy Lynn Steenhuisen, Reyard Mutamiswa, Grant D. Martin, Frank Chidawanyika

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Invasion of ecosystems by alien species is a global concern. Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae) is one such species which impacts on native diversity and ecosystem functioning. We assessed how R. pseudoacacia affects flower visitation by arthropods in commercial apple orchards in eastern Free State, South Africa. We used paired observations to compare the abundance and diversity of flower visitors and their interactions with the two plant species. Our results showed that R. pseudoacacia flowers attract African honey bees (Apis mellifera) more than apple flowers. However, flower visitation by Diptera, particularly March flies (Bibionidae) was higher in apple flowers. Arthropods of …

Neurotoxic Zanthoxylum Chalybeum Root Constituents Invoke Mosquito Larval Growth Retardation Through Ecdysteroidogenic Cyp450s Transcriptional Perturbations, Jackson M. Muema, Joel L. Bargul, James M. Mutunga, Meshack A. Obonyo, George O. Asudi, Sospeter N. Njeru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Intracellular effects exerted by phytochemicals eliciting insect growth-retarding responses during vector control intervention remain largely underexplored. We studied the effects of Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl. (Rutaceae) (ZCE) root derivatives against malaria (Anopheles gambiae) and arbovirus vector (Aedes aegypti) larvae to decipher possible molecular targets. We report dose-dependent biphasic effects on larval response, with transient exposure to ZCE and its bioactive fraction (ZCFr.5) inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, inducing larval lethality and growth retardation at sublethal doses. Half-maximal lethal concentrations (LC50) for ZCE against An. gambiae and Ae. aegypti larvae after 24-h exposure were 9.00 ppm and 12.26 ppm, respectively. The active fraction …

Odor Composition Of Field Versus Laboratory Desert Locust Populations, Baldwyn Torto, Hillary Kirwa, Ruth Kihika, Saliou Niassy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Olfaction plays an important role in the behavioural ecology of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera:Acrididae). Different locust life stages and sexes use olfactory cues for different behaviours such as grouping, mating, oviposition, feeding, maturation and gregarization, which can be exploited for management of the desert locust. However, the full spectrum of the chemistry of volatiles released by the desert locust remains unknown. Here, we compared the volatile emissions of different life stages of a natural wild population reared in the laboratory for one generation with those of a population that has been reared in the laboratory for seven generations. …

Mitochondrial Genomes Reveal Diverse Lineages Of Diaphorina Citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psyllidae) In Kenya And La Réunion, Yanjing Wang, Susan Halbert, Samira Mohamed, Hélène Delatte, Bernard Reynaud, George A.C. Beattie, Paul Holford, Jinming Lu, Yijing Cen

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is a major threat to citrus production worldwide, as it transmits ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the pathogen associated with the devastating Asian form of huanglongbing. The psyllid has spread widely from its native South Asia during the past 300 years, most recently to Africa. We report the first population genomic analyses of D. citri in Kenya and La Réunion based on next-generation sequencing of their mitochondrial genomes. We analyzed mitochondrial sequences of 264 D. citri individuals to establish genetic relationships among accessions from D. citri populations from Asia, North America and Africa. Haplotype network analysis …

Model Application Of Entomopathogenic Fungi As Alternatives To Chemical Pesticides: Prospects, Challenges, And Insights For Next-Generation Sustainable Agriculture, Bamisope Steve Bamisile, Komivi Senyo Akutse, Junaid Ali Siddiqui, Yijuan Xu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In the past few decades, the control of pests and diseases of cultivated plants using natural and biological measures has drawn increasing attention in the quest to reduce the level of dependence on chemical products for agricultural production. The use of living organisms, predators, parasitoids, and microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, has proven to be a viable and sustainable pest management technique. Among the aforementioned, fungi, most importantly the insect-pathogenic species, have been in use for more than 150years. These include the most popular strains belonging to the genera Beauveria, Metarhizium, Isaria, Hirsutella, and Lecanicillium. Their application is …

Gambel Oak Care, Shawn Olsen, Debbie Amundsen, Shital Poudyal

All Current Publications

Gambel oak is commonly called scrub oak, but other common names are Rocky Mountain white oak and Utah white oak. The scientific name is Quercus gambelii, after William Gambel, an American naturalist. This fact sheet reviews Gambel oak's usability in the landscape, its care, growth requirements, diseases and pests, and maintenance.