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2024

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Articles 1 - 30 of 459

Full-Text Articles in Entomology

A Review On Wolbachia- A Viable Alternative To Control Aedes-Born Arboviral Diseases, Fatima Khizar, Iqra Mushtaq, Hafsa Masud, Muhammad Sajjad Sarwar Dec 2024

A Review On Wolbachia- A Viable Alternative To Control Aedes-Born Arboviral Diseases, Fatima Khizar, Iqra Mushtaq, Hafsa Masud, Muhammad Sajjad Sarwar

Journal of Bioresource Management

The endemic geographic ranges of mosquitoes are expanding due to various anthropogenic activities including rapid international travel and trade, urbanization, deforestation, and global warming. Hence, Aedes-borne arboviral diseases like dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, or Zika infections would cause severe future outbreaks in non-endemic regions of the world. This threat to global public health highlights an urgent need for the development of efficient and effective mosquito control strategies. To date, a large number of mosquito vector-control strategies have been developed. Each of them has its strengths and weaknesses but the use of intracellular, endosymbiotic reproductive parasitic bacteria named Wolbachia pipientis …


An Analysis Of Moth Diversity In Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Basistha, Assam, India, Golphina Ahmed, Arup Nama Das, Lupamudra Borah, Rezina Ahmed Dec 2024

An Analysis Of Moth Diversity In Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Basistha, Assam, India, Golphina Ahmed, Arup Nama Das, Lupamudra Borah, Rezina Ahmed

Journal of Bioresource Management

The Garbhanga Reserve Forest, located on the south-western side of Guwahati City, covers an area of about 117 km2 and borders the foothills of Meghalaya (26°05´36˝N and 91°44´57˝E). Despite the constant threat of exploitation due to its proximity to the rapidly developing city, this area hosts a diverse ecosystem of moths and butterflies. In a study conducted over one year from January 2022 to December 2022, a total of 140 moth species were documented, with the majority belonging to the Erebidae family (46 species) and 1090 individuals, followed by the Crambidae family (31 species) and 704 individuals. The dominance of …


Thriving Hives: Cleaning And Sterilizing Beekeeping Equipment, Brynn Meredith, Bailey Parkinson, Andree' Walker Bravo Dec 2024

Thriving Hives: Cleaning And Sterilizing Beekeeping Equipment, Brynn Meredith, Bailey Parkinson, Andree' Walker Bravo

All Current Publications

Honeybees are susceptible to many types of diseases and parasites, most of which can spread easily through equipment. Your hives' health and safety depend on your attention to detail and efforts to keep your equipment clean and sterile. This fact sheet lists several methods for sterilizing beekeeping equipment. The list is not exhaustive but includes some of the most cost-effective options.


Re-Indigenizing And Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces, Divinity Nnenne Adewale Dec 2024

Re-Indigenizing And Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces, Divinity Nnenne Adewale

University Honors Theses

This work details the active process of land tending with the intention of re-Indigenization in the Pacific Northwest at several Portland sites; The Native American Student Community Center, PSU Oak Savanna, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Land tending is an intuitive process, one rooted in love and respect for life of all forms as well as becoming the perpetual student; land tending is not a skill to be mastered, only practiced. Unlike environmental management, tending cannot be done separate from the earth, in a classroom or otherwise. Connections are what tending is built on top of: the foundation; effort …


Evaluation Of Current Management Strategies For The Tarnished Plant Bug And Tobacco Thrips In Midsouthern Cotton, Hunter Lane Lipsey Dec 2024

Evaluation Of Current Management Strategies For The Tarnished Plant Bug And Tobacco Thrips In Midsouthern Cotton, Hunter Lane Lipsey

Theses and Dissertations

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is an important economic pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), in the Midsouth region of the United States. An experiment was conducted to determine the impact of insecticide class loss on yield and Lygus populations in the recently commercialized ThryvOn cotton technology. Data indicated no significant yield loss when excluding any currently utilized insecticide class for tarnished plant bug management. An additional objective was to reevaluate the sampling interval necessary to scout ThryvOn cotton for Lygus. No significant differences were observed between a 3 or 7-day sample interval compared to plots …


Review – Insect Farming For Food And Feed In The Global South: Focus On Black Soldier Fly Production, K. B. Barragán-Fonseca, D. Gómez, C. H. Lalander, D. Dzepe, S. Y. Chia Dec 2024

Review – Insect Farming For Food And Feed In The Global South: Focus On Black Soldier Fly Production, K. B. Barragán-Fonseca, D. Gómez, C. H. Lalander, D. Dzepe, S. Y. Chia

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Clear differences exist between the Global South and the Global North with respect to economic development. The majority of small and medium-sized insect production farms are located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, which face challenges to food production and organic waste management in general. These regions have a long history of insect use, as well as environmental advantages, making production of insects in general - and the black soldier fly in particular - a promising option for sustainable food production and organic waste management. This study aimed to identify the current state of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) …


Ecological Interactions, Host Plant Defenses, And Control Strategies In Managing Soybean Looper, Chrysodeixis Includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Rahul Debnath, Justin George, Manish Gautum, Insha Shafi, Rupesh Kariyat, Gadi V.P. Reddy Dec 2024

Ecological Interactions, Host Plant Defenses, And Control Strategies In Managing Soybean Looper, Chrysodeixis Includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Rahul Debnath, Justin George, Manish Gautum, Insha Shafi, Rupesh Kariyat, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Entomology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soybean looper (SBL), Chrysodeixis includens (Walker 1858) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the most damaging insect pests of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., in the mid-south region of the United States, and causes significant economic losses to cotton, sunflower, tomato, and tobacco crops in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. Soybean production in the southern region accounted for 15.5% of the total production in the United States, and yield losses due to invertebrate pests were 5.8%, or 1.09 million metric ton, in 2022. As insecticide resistance of SBL continues to rise, the lack of alternate control strategies is a serious …


Biological Control Of Roseau Cane Scale With Parasitoid Wasps In Louisiana, Tanner C. Sparks Dec 2024

Biological Control Of Roseau Cane Scale With Parasitoid Wasps In Louisiana, Tanner C. Sparks

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Roseau cane scale, Nipponaclerda biwakoensis (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) is an invasive species of scale insect negatively impacting Phragmites australis (Cyperales: Poaceae) stands within the Mississippi River Delta. The scales were first detected in 2017 from reports of Phragmites die-back within the MRD by landowners. Initial range surveys located RCS infested Phragmites stands were primarily limited to southeastern Louisiana with a single population near Port Arthur, Texas. Follow-up field surveys conducted annually from 2021 to 2023 monitoring further range expansion by the scale show the current range extends nearly 600 km between High Island, Texas and Bayou la Batre, Alabama. Climate matching …


Survey And Comparative Analysis Of Pollinator Diversity, Abundance, And Foraging Activity Of Diptera And Hymenoptera In Selected Habitats Of South Texas, Melissa Villarreal Dec 2024

Survey And Comparative Analysis Of Pollinator Diversity, Abundance, And Foraging Activity Of Diptera And Hymenoptera In Selected Habitats Of South Texas, Melissa Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

With the declining bee population, non-bee pollinators can serve as an alternative source for pollination. Diptera is a potential source of untapped pollinator resources based on their abundance and visitation rate, but they are understudied in the field of pollination ecology. This study aimed to characterize the pollinator community in selected areas of South Texas. It focused on the Diptera and Hymenoptera families to compare their diversity, relative abundance, foraging behaviors, environmental influences, and vegetation associations. Active sampling and line transect were used in the survey to sample the Hymenoptera and Diptera communities to their family taxonomic rank. Statistical analyses …


High-Severity Wildfires Alter Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging Assemblage Structure In Montane Coniferous Forests And Grasslands In The Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, Usa, Jonathan Knudsen, Robert Parmenter, Theodore Sumnicht, Robin M. Verble Dec 2024

High-Severity Wildfires Alter Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging Assemblage Structure In Montane Coniferous Forests And Grasslands In The Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, Usa, Jonathan Knudsen, Robert Parmenter, Theodore Sumnicht, Robin M. Verble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-severity wildfires create heterogeneous patterns of vegetation across burned landscapes. While these spatial patterns are well-documented, less is known about the short- and long-term effects of large-scale high-severity wildfires on insect community assemblages and dynamics. Ants are bottom-up indicators of ecosystem health and function that are sensitive to disturbance and fill a variety of roles in their ecosystems, including altering soil chemistry, dispersing seeds, and serving as a key food resource for many species, including the federally endangered Jemez Mountain salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus). We examined the post-fire effects of the 2011 Las Conchas Wildfire on ant communities in the Valles …


The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson Dec 2024

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.


Effects Of Fast And Slow-Wilting Soybean Genotypes On Plant-Herbivore Interactions, Jessica Ayala Dec 2024

Effects Of Fast And Slow-Wilting Soybean Genotypes On Plant-Herbivore Interactions, Jessica Ayala

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the most important food crops in the world due to its multiple uses in agriculture sector. A major limiting factor in soybean production system is drought stress, causing up to 80% reduction in yield. Due to climate change and associated rise in ambient temperatures, water scarcity is a major concern in crop production, and consequently researchers are turning to soybean accessions that demonstrate better water use efficiency (WUE) traits. However, field grown soybean is also under severe pressure from insect herbivores, often accounting for a 30% reduction in yield. Among these, …


Evaluating The Roles Of Pollinators In Shaping The Floral Color Variation Of Phacelia Dubia, Katherine Riddle Dec 2024

Evaluating The Roles Of Pollinators In Shaping The Floral Color Variation Of Phacelia Dubia, Katherine Riddle

All Theses

Floral color variation within a species is a common occurrence and its maintenance has been a long-standing question in evolutionary biology. Differences in flower color between populations can be shaped by pollinator-mediated selection. Pollinators can exhibit innate and learned preferences for color that may influence floral color variation. These preferences may be molded by the visual environment in which pollinators forage. Most current understanding of how pollinators shape floral color variation involves dramatic differences in dominant pollinators between populations (e.g., hawkmoth vs. bee) and most behavioral work utilized model pollinators like honeybee and bumble bee. However, less is known about …


Lateral Dispersal Of Adult Trichoptera: Flight Distance And Traveling Pattern, Peilin Tan Dec 2024

Lateral Dispersal Of Adult Trichoptera: Flight Distance And Traveling Pattern, Peilin Tan

All Theses

Trichoptera species (caddisfly) are usually used as bio-indictors for surface water quality due to their sensitivity to environmental changes, and if assessing water quality with light-trapped adults, knowing their travelling patterns will improve the accuracy of such assessments. To investigate how far a caddisfly will migrate from their emerging stream, three streams in South Carolina with different widths (Wildcat Creek 1.2 m, Brasstown Creek 11.2 m and Chattooga River 26.95 m) were selected for this study with light traps placed at three distances (0 m, 50 m, 100 m) from the streams. How long and when? Both species richness and …


Understanding And Intervening In Children's Tick Risk Perceptions And Protective Behaviors: A Grounded Theory, Ariel Dawdy Dec 2024

Understanding And Intervening In Children's Tick Risk Perceptions And Protective Behaviors: A Grounded Theory, Ariel Dawdy

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Children, ages 8 years and younger, are at a particularly high risk of contracting a tick-borne disease. This is partially due to the misconceptions spread about tick protective behavior and a poor understanding of how antibiotic treatment can help. Because most communities and families believe that tick control is the individual’s responsibility, looking at the interaction between ticks and human children is essential to understanding the individual’s motivations to protect themselves. To help alleviate the number of individuals contracting tick-borne diseases, misconceptions must be addressed, intervention programs implemented, and a behavioral change must occur. This study used a qualitative research …


Understanding The Interactions Between Pollen-Borne Ilarviruses And Pollinators In Peach Orchards, Mandeep Tayal Dec 2024

Understanding The Interactions Between Pollen-Borne Ilarviruses And Pollinators In Peach Orchards, Mandeep Tayal

All Dissertations

Pollen-mediated virus transmission is a common problem in fruit crops. Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) are pollen-borne ilarviruses endemic to the southeastern U.S. and cause substantial losses in peach production. PNRSV and PDV are primarily transmitted through vegetative propagation (grafting) as well as via pollen and seed. However, the role of pollinators in transmission dynamics of these viruses is not well understood. First, I documented the bee diversity and abundance during peach bloom in South Carolina, identifying Bombus and Apis as the most dominant genera, followed by Eucera, Andrena and Habropoda. Bee community composition …


Seasonal Abundances Of Aedes Aegypti And Culex Quinquefasciatus In An Urban Community In The Texas/Mexico Border, Kevyn Amezcua Dec 2024

Seasonal Abundances Of Aedes Aegypti And Culex Quinquefasciatus In An Urban Community In The Texas/Mexico Border, Kevyn Amezcua

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

AAedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are two medically relevant species of mosquitoes that can transmit several arboviruses that affect human health. Ae. aegypti is a vector for viral diseases such as Dengue, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya, and Zika, while Cx. quinquefasciatus is a vector for West Nile and Saint Louis Encephalitis. Both species are mostly found in urban environments and are affected by several anthropogenic factors such as the presence of artificial containers and overall changes to the native landscape. Little research is done on the ecology of these two species in the Chihuahuan desert, which has some areas that are …


The Effects Of Livestock On Mosquito Diversity And Abundance In Hidalgo County, Taylor Nicole Moya Dec 2024

The Effects Of Livestock On Mosquito Diversity And Abundance In Hidalgo County, Taylor Nicole Moya

Theses and Dissertations

Mosquitoes are detrimental to animals and threaten humans. More information is needed on how farm animal presence may impact mosquito abundance and diversity at farms. My goal in this study is to determine if there is any correlation between animal abundance or diversity on a farm and the abundance and diversity of mosquitoes collected. Hidalgo County, Texas, has a subtropical desert climate, ideal for mosquitoes. I hypothesized that the mosquito abundance and diversity indices would increase as the livestock abundance or diversity increases. Adult mosquitoes were collected using two CO2-baited light traps per farm from Spring 2022 to Fall 2022. …


Variation In Sorghum Aphid (Melanaphis Sorghi) 1 Populations Translates Into Life History Traits On Sorghum-Sudangrass (Sorghum´ Drummondii), Neetu Khanal, Christopher J. Vitek, Rupesh R. Kariyat Dec 2024

Variation In Sorghum Aphid (Melanaphis Sorghi) 1 Populations Translates Into Life History Traits On Sorghum-Sudangrass (Sorghum´ Drummondii), Neetu Khanal, Christopher J. Vitek, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Sorghum aphid (Melanaphis sorghi; SA) (Theobald) is a new invasive pest of sorghum first reported in the USA in 2013. Since then, the use of synthetic pesticides and resistant cultivars have increased, which has caused levels of differences in the populations of SAs and led to the potential emergence of new biotype(s) of SA. However, most research has concentrated on comparing SA fed on sorghum, sugarcane, and other hosts, which may have obscured any population differences that may exist within sorghum. To understand this, we collected three populations of SA that fed on sorghum from three different locations around …


Rice Sucrose Non-Fermenting Related Protein Kinase (Snrk1) Has A Limited Role In Defense Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Devi Balakrishnan, Vibha Srivastava, Rupesh Kariyat Dec 2024

Rice Sucrose Non-Fermenting Related Protein Kinase (Snrk1) Has A Limited Role In Defense Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Devi Balakrishnan, Vibha Srivastava, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sucrose non-fermenting (SNF) related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) is a master regulator of energy deprivation signaling, has also been implicated in abiotic and biotic stress regulation. SnRK1 promotes stress tolerance through metabolic and transcriptional changes and plays important roles in innate immunity against various pathogens. However, whether it plays a role against insect herbivory is not understood. To test this, using the wild type (with SnRK1) and snrk1 mutant lines in rice, we examined the potential role of SnRK1 in rice against the ruinous pest, Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda. We also investigated the response of FAW towards these lines …


Chemosensory Function Of Varroa Gnathosoma: Transcriptomic And Proteomic Analyses, Beatrice T. Nganso, Nurit Eliash, Kannan Mani, Noa Sela, Alejandro Villar-Briones, Angelina Fathia Osabutey, Ada Rafaeli, Alexander S. Mikheyev, Victoria Soroker Dec 2024

Chemosensory Function Of Varroa Gnathosoma: Transcriptomic And Proteomic Analyses, Beatrice T. Nganso, Nurit Eliash, Kannan Mani, Noa Sela, Alejandro Villar-Briones, Angelina Fathia Osabutey, Ada Rafaeli, Alexander S. Mikheyev, Victoria Soroker

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In this study, we evaluated the role of the gnathosoma (mouthparts) in chemosensing of the most devastating honey bee parasite, Varroa destructor mite. Through transcriptomic analysis, we compared the expression of putative chemosensory genes between the body parts containing the main chemosensory organs (the forelegs), gnathosoma and the rest of the body devoid of these two body parts. Furthermore, we checked the presence of chemosensory-related transcripts in the proteome of the gnathosoma. Our comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed the presence of 83 transcripts with known characteristic conserved domains belonging to eight chemosensory gene families in the three Varroa transcriptomes. Among these …


Feeding Habits And Malaria Parasite Infection Of Anopheles Mosquitoes In Selected Agroecological Areas Of Northwestern Ethiopia, Aklilu K. Belay, Abebe Asale, Catherine L. Sole, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Baldwyn Torto, Clifford M. Mutero, David P. Tchouassi Dec 2024

Feeding Habits And Malaria Parasite Infection Of Anopheles Mosquitoes In Selected Agroecological Areas Of Northwestern Ethiopia, Aklilu K. Belay, Abebe Asale, Catherine L. Sole, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Baldwyn Torto, Clifford M. Mutero, David P. Tchouassi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Surveillance of the host–anopheline mosquitoes’ interaction is important for assessing malaria transmission risk and guiding vector control. We assume that changes in malaria vector species’ feeding habits, as well as the surrounding environment, have a substantial impact on varied malaria transmission. In this study, we determined the vertebrate host feeding patterns of anopheline mosquitoes to characterize entomologic risk factors for malaria in Jabi Tehnan, Northwestern Ethiopia. Methods: Blood-fed anophelines surveyed during malaria surveillance in Jabi Tehnan district of northwestern Ethiopia were utilized in this study. They were collected using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps deployed …


Edible Caterpillars (Gonimbrasia Belina And Gynanisa Maja) As Emerging Source Of Nutrients And Bioactive Compounds, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Brian O. Ochieng, Dennis Beesigamukama, Changeh J. Ghemoh, Cynthia Mudalungu, Xavier Cheseto, Isaac M. Osuga, Sevgan Subramanian, Segenet Kelemu Dec 2024

Edible Caterpillars (Gonimbrasia Belina And Gynanisa Maja) As Emerging Source Of Nutrients And Bioactive Compounds, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Brian O. Ochieng, Dennis Beesigamukama, Changeh J. Ghemoh, Cynthia Mudalungu, Xavier Cheseto, Isaac M. Osuga, Sevgan Subramanian, Segenet Kelemu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Globally, despite the commercial and cultural importance of edible caterpillars (Gynanisa maja and Gonimbrasia belina), comprehensive information on their dietary and therapeutic benefits has not been fully explored. The study was aimed at evaluating the nutritional composition and bioactive compounds profile of two important edible caterpillars (Gonimbrasia belina and Gynanisa maja) in Africa. Our results demonstrated that G. belina and G. maja are capable of amplifying host plant protein (17 %) by 4.3-folds [72.8 %] and 3.6-folds [61.3 %], respectively. Lysine (32.6 mg/g), methionine (12.5–27.1 mg/g) and valine (7.7–25.4 mg/g) value were significantly harnessed. Substantial amounts of ω−3 fatty acids …


Effect Of Microsporidia Mb Infection On The Development And Fitness Of Anopheles Arabiensis Under Different Diet Regimes, Godfred Yaw Boanyah, Lizette L. Koekemoer, Jeremy K. Herren, Tullu Bukhari Dec 2024

Effect Of Microsporidia Mb Infection On The Development And Fitness Of Anopheles Arabiensis Under Different Diet Regimes, Godfred Yaw Boanyah, Lizette L. Koekemoer, Jeremy K. Herren, Tullu Bukhari

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Microsporidia MB (MB) is a naturally occurring symbiont of Anopheles and has recently been identified as having a potential to inhibit the transmission of Plasmodium in mosquitoes. MB intensity is high in mosquito gonads, with no fitness consequences for the mosquito, and is linked to horizontal (sexual) and vertical (transovarial) transmission from one mosquito to another. Maximising MB intensity and transmission is important for maintaining heavily infected mosquito colonies for experiments and ultimately for mosquito releases. We have investigated how diet affects the MB-Anopheles arabiensis symbiosis phenotypes, such as larval development and mortality, adult size and survival, as well …


Insights Into Malaria Vectors–Plant Interaction In A Dryland Ecosystem, Fiona Kinya, Trizah K. Milugo, Clifford M. Mutero, Charles S. Wondji, Baldwyn Torto, David P. Tchouassi Dec 2024

Insights Into Malaria Vectors–Plant Interaction In A Dryland Ecosystem, Fiona Kinya, Trizah K. Milugo, Clifford M. Mutero, Charles S. Wondji, Baldwyn Torto, David P. Tchouassi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Improved understanding of mosquito–plant feeding interactions can reveal insights into the ecological dynamics of pathogen transmission. In wild malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae s.l. and An. funestus group surveyed in selected dryland ecosystems of Kenya, we found a low level of plant feeding (2.8%) using biochemical cold anthrone test but uncovered 14-fold (41%) higher rate via DNA barcoding targeting the chloroplast rbcL gene. Plasmodium falciparum positivity was associated with either reduced or increased total sugar levels and varied by mosquito species. Gut analysis revealed the mosquitoes to frequently feed on acacia plants (~ 89%) (mainly Vachellia tortilis) in the family Fabaceae. …


The Global Atlas Of Edible Insects: Analysis Of Diversity And Commonality Contributing To Food Systems And Sustainability, Evanson R. Omuse, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Abdullahi Ahmed Yusuf, Honest Machekano, James Peter Egonyu, Emily Kimathi, Samira Faris Mohamed, Menale Kassie, Sevgan Subramanian, Juliet Onditi, Serah Mwangi, Sunday Ekesi, Saliou Niassy Dec 2024

The Global Atlas Of Edible Insects: Analysis Of Diversity And Commonality Contributing To Food Systems And Sustainability, Evanson R. Omuse, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Abdullahi Ahmed Yusuf, Honest Machekano, James Peter Egonyu, Emily Kimathi, Samira Faris Mohamed, Menale Kassie, Sevgan Subramanian, Juliet Onditi, Serah Mwangi, Sunday Ekesi, Saliou Niassy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The future of the food system on the planet is increasingly facing uncertainties that are attributable to population growth and a surge in demand for nutritious food. Traditional agricultural practices are poised to place strain on production, as well as natural resources and ecosystem services provided, particularly under a changing climate. Given their remarkable attributes, including a low environmental footprint, high food conversion ratio, rapid growth and nutritional values, edible insects can play a vital role in the global food system. Nonetheless, substantial knowledge gaps persist regarding their diversity, global distribution, and shared characteristics across regions, potentially impeding effective scaling …


Community Perceptions, Acceptability, And The Durability Of House Screening Interventions Against Exposure To Malaria Vectors In Nyimba District, Zambia, Kochelani Saili, Christiaan De Jager, Freddie Masaninga, Brian Chisanga, Andy Sinyolo, Japhet Chiwaula, Jacob Chirwa, Busiku Hamainza, Emmanuel Chanda, Nathan N. Bakyaita, Clifford Maina Mutero Dec 2024

Community Perceptions, Acceptability, And The Durability Of House Screening Interventions Against Exposure To Malaria Vectors In Nyimba District, Zambia, Kochelani Saili, Christiaan De Jager, Freddie Masaninga, Brian Chisanga, Andy Sinyolo, Japhet Chiwaula, Jacob Chirwa, Busiku Hamainza, Emmanuel Chanda, Nathan N. Bakyaita, Clifford Maina Mutero

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: House screening remains conspicuously absent in national malaria programs despite its recognition by the World Health Organization as a supplementary malaria vector-control intervention. This may be attributed, in part, to the knowledge gap in screen durability or longevity in local climatic conditions and community acceptance under specific cultural practices and socio-economic contexts. The objectives of this study were to assess the durability of window and door wire mesh screens a year after full house screening and to assess the acceptability of the house screening intervention to the participants involved. Methods: This study was conducted in Nyimba district, Zambia and …


Assessing The Influence Of Native And Invasive Grasses On The Behavior Of Aedes Aegypti In South Texas, Emily Medelez Dec 2024

Assessing The Influence Of Native And Invasive Grasses On The Behavior Of Aedes Aegypti In South Texas, Emily Medelez

Theses and Dissertations

Invasive grasses in South Texas can have widespread negative effects, displacing native species, reducing biodiversity, and posing risks to public health. These grasses may flourish in moist, shaded environments, which not only support their growth but also creates habitats favorable for mosquito activity. This can increase the population and alter the behavior of mosquitoes, potentially raising the risk of disease transmission. In this thesis, I look at the behavior of mosquito species Aedes aegypti, primary vector of the yellow fever virus. I analyzed the influence of oviposition, flight and resting behaviors. I tested the relative attraction of Aedes mosquitoes …


Biological Reinforcement Learning Simulation For Natural Enemy -Host Behavior: Exploring Deep Learning Algorithms For Population Dynamics, Komi Mensah Agboka, Emmanuel Peter, Erion Bwambale, Bonoukpoè Mawuko Sokame Dec 2024

Biological Reinforcement Learning Simulation For Natural Enemy -Host Behavior: Exploring Deep Learning Algorithms For Population Dynamics, Komi Mensah Agboka, Emmanuel Peter, Erion Bwambale, Bonoukpoè Mawuko Sokame

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study introduces a simulation of biological reinforcement learning to explore the behavior of natural enemies in the presence of host pests, aiming to analyze the population dynamics between natural enemies and insect pests within an ecological context. The simulation leverages on Q-learning, a reinforcement learning algorithm, to model the decision-making processes of both parasitoids/predators and pests, thereby assessing the impact of varying parasitism and predation rates on pest population growth. Simulation parameters, such as episode count, duration in months, steps, learning rate, and discount factor, were set arbitrarily. Environmental and reward matrices, representing climatic conditions, crop availability, and the …


Biochemistry And Transcriptomic Analyses Of Phthorimaeaabsoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Response To Insecticides, Samantha W. Karanu, Inusa J. Ajene, Elijah K. Lelmen, Maureen A. Ong’Onge, Komivi S. Akutse, Fathiya M. Khamis Dec 2024

Biochemistry And Transcriptomic Analyses Of Phthorimaeaabsoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Response To Insecticides, Samantha W. Karanu, Inusa J. Ajene, Elijah K. Lelmen, Maureen A. Ong’Onge, Komivi S. Akutse, Fathiya M. Khamis

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Phthorimaeaabsoluta is an invasive solanaceous plant pest with highly devastating effects on tomato plant. Heavy reliance on insecticide use to tackle the pest has been linked to insecticide resistance selection in P.absoluta populations. To underline insights on P.absoluta insecticide resistance mechanisms to diamides and avermectins, we evaluated the transcriptomic profile of parental (field-collected) and F8 (lab-reared) populations. Furthermore, to screen for the presence of organophosphate and pyrethroid resistance, we assessed the gene expression levels of acetylcholinesterase (ace1) and para-type voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSG) genes in the F1 to F8 lab-reared progeny of diamide and avermectin exposed P.absoluta field-collected populations. The …