Entomology Commons^™

Ticks And Tick-Borne Diseases Of Utah, Kate V. Richardson, Ryan Davis, Ricardo Ramirez

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes ticks and tick-borne diseases in Utah. It includes a description of ticks, their life cycle, habitat, feeding, and reproduction. The fact sheet also provides information about tick bites and safety, common tick-transmitted diseases in Utah, and the status of Lyme disease in Utah.

Morphological And Molecular Characterization Of The Olfactory System In The Formosan Subterranean Termite, Paula Castillo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, is a eusocial insect species. Its members live in colonies consisting of reproductive (queen and king) and non-reproductive individuals (workers and soldiers). Olfaction is an essential sense for the social life of many insects. However, in termites, little is known about how olfactory cues are perceived in the peripheral sensory system (antennae) and processed in the central nervous system (brain) to elicit different behavioral responses across castes. In this study, we investigated the olfactory system in all castes (soldiers, workers, and reproductive alates), from the antennal and brain morphology to the antennal gene …

Effects Of Smartstax® And Smartstax® Pro Maize On Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte) Larval Feeding Injury And Adult Life History Parameters, Jordan D. Reinders, William J. Moar, Graham P. Head, Safeer Hassan, Lance J. Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Field-evolved resistance of the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, to Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) proteins Cry3Bb1 and Cry34/35Ab1 (now classified as Gpp34Ab1/Tpp35Ab1) expressed in the pyramid SmartStax^® has been documented in areas of the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt. SmartStax^® PRO is a recently registered rootworm-active pyramid containing the same Bt proteins expressed in SmartStax^® plus DvSnf7 dsRNA. Little to no published data is available comparing efficacy of the technologies or potential effects of dietary exposure on adult WCR fitness. Therefore, experiments were conducted to compare effects of adult WCR dietary exposure to SmartStax …

Evaluation Of Salvinia Weevil Establishment, Dispersal, And Environmental Pressures Impacting The Giant Salvinia Biological Control Program, Korey Danielle Pham

LSU Master's Theses

Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta Mitchell), an invasive free-floating aquatic fern, invaded the Toledo-Bend reservoir along the Texas-Louisiana border in the 1990s. The rapid spread threatens critical ecosystems, economies, and cultural services by altering water quality, and impacting fishing, hunting, and navigation. To combat this issue, the LSU AgCenter has been rearing and distributing the salvinia weevil (Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands), which has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing giant salvinia populations within a matter of months to a few years. The first study assessed the impact of propagule pressure on salvinia weevil effectiveness in outdoor mesocosms and revealed that …

Susceptibility Of Spodoptera Frugiperda Populations In The Southern Region Of The U.S. To Common Bt Proteins And Performance Of A Dual-Gene Resistant Helicoverpa Zea Strain On Common Pyramided Bt Corn Traits, Tiago H. Da Silva

LSU Master's Theses

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) are two polyphagous pests that, in the Americas, are targeted by transgenic corn and cotton expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins. A previous study during 2011-2013 demonstrated practical resistance to Cry1F corn in S. frugiperda in the southeastern seaboard of the U.S., while resistance of H. zea to Bt corn and cotton containing cry1A and cry2A genes has widely occurred in the U.S. The first objective of this study was to investigate the current susceptibility status to four Bt proteins commonly expressed in Bt corn plants, including …

Integrating Cultivar Resistance And Entomopathogens For Pest Management Of Sweetpotato Weevil, Cylas Formicarius Elegantulus (Summers), Schyler M. Lee

LSU Master's Theses

Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam, is the number one vegetable crop in Louisiana, producing 21,178 kg/ha in the year 2021. The sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Summers), is an economically important pest of sweetpotato. C. formicarius elegantulus females lay eggs into feeding holes on the storage root surface. Larvae then hatch and tunnel through the sweetpotato flesh where they complete their development. This cryptic-natured brentid can cause up to 100% yield loss when left unmanaged. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry mandates protocols to limit C. formicarius elegantulus spread (e.g., clean seed, pheromone trapping, and quarantines); however, scheduled chemical …

Protecting Wa Crops Issue 31 - July 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Protecting WA Crops

Protecting WA Crops Issue 31 - July 2023 contents:

• New project to reduce Rhizoctonia impact in low and medium rainfall zones
• Meet Crop Protection team member – Dr Ahmed Saad

Pestfacts Wa Issue 09 - July 2023, Alan Lord, Christiaan Valentine, Kithsiri W. Jayasena, Andrea Hills, Geoff J. Thomas, Ciara Beard, Cindy L. Webster

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 9 - July 2023 contents:

• Native budworm are active early
• Powdery mildew
• Slime mould

2022 Soybean Insect Losses In The United States, Fred R. Musser, Emily Bick, Sebe A. Brown, Whitney D. Crow, Jeffrey A. Davis, Christina Difonzo, Scott H. Graham, Jeremy K. Greene, Dalton C. Ludwick, Sean Malone, David Owens, Dominic D. Reisig, Phillip M. Roberts, Tom A. Royer, Nicholas J. Seiter, Adam J. Sisson, Benjamin C. Thrash, Kelley J. Tilmon, Raul T. Villanueva

Midsouth Entomologist

Estimated insect management costs and losses due to insects and other invertebrates in soybean during the 2022 growing season were collected and compiled from 18 states to provide a record of insect pressure and management practices for the year. These annual estimates provide a historical record of pest pressure and insect management and have been compiled in some states since 2004. Participating states represented 52% of soybean acreage grown in the United States, with near 100% participation in southern states. Overall, the stink bug complex was the costliest insect pest in soybean followed by corn earworm and soybean looper. Total …

Extended Sentinel Monitoring Of Helicoverpa Zea Resistance To Cry And Vip3aa Toxins In Bt Sweet Corn: Assessing Changes In Phenotypic And Allele Frequencies Of Resistance, Galen P. Dively, Tom P. Kuhar, Sally V. Taylor, Helene Doughty, Kristian Holmstrom, Daniel O. Gilrein, Brian A. Nault, Joseph Ingerson-Mahar, Anders Huseth, Dominic Reisig, Shelby Fleischer, David Owens, Kelley Tilmon, Francis Reay-Jones, Pat Porter, Jocelyn Smith, Julien Saguez, Jason Wells, Caitlin Congdon, Holly Byker, Bryan Jensen, Chris Difonzo, William D. Hutchison, Eric Burkness, Robert J. Wright, Michael Crossley, Heather Darby, Tom Bilbo, Nicholas Seiter, Christian Krupke, Craig Abel, Brad S. Coates, Bradley Mcmanus, Billy Fuller, Jeffrey Bradshaw, Julie A. Peterson, David Buntin, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Katelyn Kesheimer, Whitney Crow

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Transgenic corn and cotton that produce Cry and Vip3Aa toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely planted in the United States to control lepidopteran pests. The sustainability of these Bt crops is threatened because the corn earworm/bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is evolving a resistance to these toxins. Using Bt sweet corn as a sentinel plant to monitor the evolution of resistance, collaborators established 146 trials in twenty-five states and five Canadian provinces during 2020–2022. The study evaluated overall changes in the phenotypic frequency of resistance (the ratio of larval densities in Bt ears relative to densities in non-Bt ears) …

Do Species Matter? Examining The Niche Of White Ash (Fraxinus Americana L.) And Estimating Potential Subcanopy Effects Of Its Loss In North-Temperate Forests, Elizabeth Anne Studer

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

To understand the downstream consequences of the extinction of a species, we must understand its role in an ecosystem. With the impending extirpation of ash (Fraxinus spp.) due to the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), understanding the role of ash trees is critical to predicting whether its loss will precipitate further species declines and/or ecosystem functions. We evaluated whether subcanopy microbial, invertebrate, and floral communities under four tree species (white ash, American beech, yellow birch, sugar maple) and on two soil hydropedological types (Bh podzol and Typical podzol) varied in species richness, composition, and functional traits in a factorial …

Spatial Distribution Of Histamine In Bed Bug-Infested Homes, Johnalyn M. Gordon, Richard G. Santangelo, Maria A. González-Morales, Mark Menechella, Coby Schal, Zachary C. Devries

Entomology Faculty Publications

Histamine is a component of the bed bug aggregation pheromone. It was recently identified as an environmental contaminant in homes with active bed bug infestations, posing a potential health risk to humans via skin contact or inhalation. It remains unclear how histamine is distributed in homes and if histamine can become airborne. In the present study, histamine levels in household dust were quantified from multiple locations within bed bug infested and uninfested apartments. Bed bug population levels were quantified using both traps and visual counts. The amount of histamine detected varied significantly with respect to sampling location, with the highest …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 11 - July 2023, Alan Lord

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 11 - July 2023 contents:

• Native budworm activity update

Pestfacts Wa Issue 10 - July 2023, Svetlana Micic, Cindy L. Webster, Benjamin S. Congdon, Kylie Chambers

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 10 - July 2023 contents:

• Russian wheat aphid
• Turnip yellows virus detected in flying green peach aphids and in canola
• Bacterial blight, Septoria avenae blotch and leaf rust are appearing in oats

Biochar Reduces The Pupation And Eclosion Of A Specialist (Manduca Sexta) And A Generalist Pest (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Nischal Wagle

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter incorporates detailed information about the biochar concept, its production, composition, and properties, harmful arthropods and their damage, the effect of soil on the arthropod community, and the application of biochar on arthropod control.

Chapter 2: The comprehensive lab experiment was conducted with modified pupation media enriched with walnut shell biochar (Chapter II) to evaluate the effects of biochar on the pupation and eclosion success rates of a specialist (Manduca sexta) and a generalist pest (Spodoptera frugiperda). We found that the biochar treatment led to a significant reduction in pupal mass, adult mass, adult wingspan, body length, …

Cover Crops Influence Arthropod Community Dynamics Through Seasonal Variation And Cascading Effects, Adegboyega Fajemisin

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter gives an overview of how cover crops influence soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, and their role on mediating arthropod community dynamics with implications for pest management in the subsequent cash crop.

Chapter 2: This chapter examines the effects of cover-cash crop rotation on arthropod community dynamics on four growers fields in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. We assessed the impact of cover crops planted in the summer months on the subsequent cash crops planted in the winter. Our results showed that cover crops had a differential effect on the population of beneficials and herbivores …

Promoting Insect Farming And Household Consumption Through Agricultural Training And Nutrition Education In Africa: A Study Protocol For A Multisite Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, Mohammed Hussen Alemu, Afton Halloran, Søren Bøye Olsen, Jacob Paarechuga Anankware, Philip Nyeko, Monica Ayieko, Evans Nyakeri, John Kinyuru, Silvenus Konyole, Saliou Niassy, James Peter Egonyu, Geoffrey Maxwell Malinga, Jeremiah Ng'ang'a, Charles Adino Ng'ong'a, Nicky Okeyo, Shadrack Kwaku Debrah, Samuel Kiiru, Amos Acur, Nanna Roos

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background Edible insects are a sustainable source of high-quality animal protein. Insect farming is gaining interest globally, particularly in low-income countries, where it may provide substantial nutritional and economic benefits. To enhance insect farming practices in Africa, new farming systems are being developed. However, knowledge on how to best promote uptake of these systems is lacking. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the effectiveness of educational interventions in promoting insect farming for household consumption in Africa. Method The study is designed as a multi-site randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impacts of agricultural training alone or in …

Revision Of The Family Asterolecaniidae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) In Argentina, María C. Granara De Willink, Patricia González, Christof F. Stumpf

Insecta Mundi

The Asterolecaniidae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha), known as pit scales, are currently represented by 11 genera and 52 species in the Neotropical region, and by five species in Argentina. The goal of this study is to review and update the information currently known about the biodiversity of Asterolecaniidae in Argentina. We describe Argenta Granara de Willink new genus, Argenta eduardoi Granara de Willink new species, Mycetococcus ligae Granara de Willink new species, and Sclerosococcus williamsi Granara de Willink new species; an illustration of Pollinia pollini (Costa) is also included; the species Asterolecanium puteanum Russell and Russellaspis pustulans (Cockerell) …

The Records Of Nipaecoccus Viridis (Newstead) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Deposited In The Florida State Collection Of Arthropods, Lily A. Deeter, Muhammad Z. Ahmed

Insecta Mundi

We studied the slides of Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) deposited in the Florida State Collection of Arthropods and provided specimen label data, including geographical location, global positioning system coordinates when available, host plant, collector name, adult females/immature stages, sex of specimens on respective slides, number of slides, and collection date. In addition, we discuss its first record from Florida ornamental landscape and two most recent new host records of the spe­cies on commercial crops, including blueberries and hemp. These data will help regulatory agencies slow the spread of this pest inside and outside of Florida.

Hibiscus or lebbeck mealybug, …

Description Of Three New Acanthocinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) Species From Ecuador, Josef Vlasak, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

Three new species of Acanthocinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) are described from Napo province, Ecuador: Anisopodus micromaculatus new species; Parabaryssinus katerinae new species; and Paracleodoxus minutus new species. A key to species of Paracleodoxus Monné and Monné (2010) is provided.

The study of specimens collected by the first author during his stay in Ecuador in 2022 allows us to describe three new species of Acanthocinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). The biodiversity of this relatively small country has been surprising due to the large number of species that were still unknown. Napo province, where the specimens of the new species were …

Endophytic Potential Of Entomopathogenic Fungi For The Remediation Of Wastewater, Huda Bilal, Hasnain Raza, Sana Sarfaraz, Danyal Haider Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

Phytoremediation has the potential to significantly reduce water contamination caused by excessive harmful chemicals. The degradative properties of fungi are used in fungal phytoremediation to eliminate or neutralise the hazardous pollutants present in water. The goal of the current study was to endophytize water lettuce with the two entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopilae and Trichoderma harazium. The plant is inoculated with the fungus using the root-dipping procedure. There were two main treatments and a control all with five replications. The analysis of plant and wastewater were analyzed initially like frequency of fungus remained in plant weight, root length and for …

Description Of The Bioluminescent Emission Spectrum Of Bicellonycha Amoena Gorham, 1880 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) In Guatemala, Eduardo A. Arrivillaga-Cano, Maria P. Muñoz-Soler, Diegopáblo Pineda, Edgar R. Rosales, Jack C. Schuster

Insecta Mundi

Bicellonycha amoena (Gorham, 1880) (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) usually flies one meter above ground level over grass, water, or open areas, where males produce a simple single flash every 2–4 seconds, having their most active flashing period from mid to late dusk and early night. In addition, nothing else is known about the behavior of this species. We conducted field observations at the “Mayan Golf Club” in Guatemala Department, and Santiago Sacatepéquez, Sacatepéquez Department, Guatemala; and analyzed B. amoena flashes with a spectroscope. Fireflies displayed a lime-green bioluminescence color. The male flash­ing activity began ~30 minutes after sunset and lasted approximately 70 …

Arthropod Diversity In Phytotelmata Of Calathea Capitata (Zingiberales; Marantaceae) Host Plants From Peru, Divya Dendi, Timo Förster, Caroline S. Chaboo

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Cryptic habitats are often overlooked in biodiversity surveys. Phytotelmata, or plant pools, are one type of cryptic habitat that supports diverse fauna in a miniature ecosystem. This study surveys the arthropod community of two types of phytotelmata, bracts and leaf rolls, on a single species, Calathea capitata (Ruiz and Pav.) Lindl. (Zingiberales: Marantaceae), from one Amazon site in Peru. Specimens were collected from eight bracts and eight leaf rolls. A total of 55 arthropods (36 adults, 19 juveniles) were found in both phytotelmata types. In the bract samples were found: spiders (Araneae: Corinnidae), beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Erotylidae, Staphylindae), flies (Diptera: …

Plains To Peaks: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Colorado Butterfly Communities And Altitude, Anna O. James, Kathryn Hokamp, Chris García-Hellmuth, Richard P. Reading

Western North American Naturalist

We compared butterfly communities of the Plains, Foothills, and Montane Zones of the Colorado Front Range and examined 3 groups of butterflies—blues (Polyommatinae species), fritillaries (Speyeria and Boloria spp.), and painted ladies (species Vanessa cardui)—for altitude shifts between 2014 and 2020. We conducted these analyses using data collected by volunteer butterfly monitors from the Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network, a group organized and run by Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. Monitors walked designated routes and counted all butterflies they saw, identifying each to the lowest possible taxonomic group they could. We sorted routes into the 3 altitude zones, organized …

Potassium Ion Channels As A Molecular Target To Reduce Virus Infection And Mortality Of Honey Bee Colonies, Christopher J. Fellows, Michael Simone‑Finstrom, Troy D. Anderson, Daniel R. Swale

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Declines in managed honey bee populations are multifactorial but closely associated with reduced virus immunocompetence and thus, mechanisms to enhance immune function are likely to reduce viral infection rates and increase colony viability. However, gaps in knowledge regarding physiological mechanisms or ‘druggable’ target sites to enhance bee immunocompetence has prevented therapeutics development to reduce virus infection. Our data bridge this knowledge gap by identifying ATP-sensitive inward rectifier potassium ( K_ATP) channels as a pharmacologically tractable target for reducing virus-mediated mortality and viral replication in bees, as well as increasing an aspect of colony-level immunity. Bees infected with Israeli …

The Effects Of Big Dune And Lava Dune Sand Composition On The Eggs And Larvae Of Pseudocotalpa Giulianii, Cosset Hernandez Pena, Mandy Mountain, Daniel B. Thompson

Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal

Differences in the composition of aeolian sand at Big Dune and sand at Lava Dune that is mixed with basalt and various minerals may affect water retention and the development of insects that are specialized for living in sand environments. These two dunes, located in Nye County, Nevada, are home to the endemic dune scarab beetle, Pseudocotalpa giulianii (PSGU). The differences in sand type may influence the growth patterns of the eggs and larvae of this beetle species that hatches and develops to an adult within the sand. The purpose of this experiment is to test whether sand composition affects …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

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

The Digitization Of Eatonia, Peter M. Grant

Faculty Articles & Research

The June 2023 issue of The Mayfly Newsletter features this article written by Dr. Peter Grant about the digitization of Eatonia by SWOSU University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Phillip Fitzsimmons, and Digitization Technician, Ben Dressler.

Balsam Woolly Adelgid, Liz Rideout, Kate V. Richardson, Diane G. Alston, Ryan Davis, Darren Mcavoy, Lori R. Spears, Danielle Malesky, Liz Herbertson, Colleen Keyes

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes balsam woolly adelgid, a tiny sucking insect that is a serious pest of true firs in forests, landscapes, and in seed and Christmas tree production. It includes a description of tree injury and symptoms, life history and identification, monitoring, management, and implications to forest health.

Movement Of Striacosta Albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae On Transgenic Bt And Non-Bt Maize, Débora G. Montezano, Thomas E. Hunt, Priscila M. Colombo Da Luz, Kelsey Karnik, Stephen D. Kachman, Ana Maria Velez, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Exposure of lepidopteran pests to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins has been shown to affect the behavior of larvae, including increased movement and avoidance of Bt-expressing plants or diet. Therefore, we hypothesized that the behavior of western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an important pest of maize, could be affected when exposed to Bt plants. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a series of artificial arena and on-plant experiments to determine S. albicosta neonate behavior when exposed to Bt and non-Bt plant tissue. Video tracking experiments presented neonate larvae with the choice of Bt or non- …