Entomology Commons^™

Influence Of Seeding Strategy On Insect Communities Within Utility Lands, Kylee E. Nissen

Masters Theses

Pollinator populations are in decline globally due to anthropogenic changes, particularly in areas affected by agricultural expansion and urbanization. Utility lands - managed to prevent tall vegetation encroachment - represent an opportunity to establish native grasslands and support pollinator communities. This study investigates how different seeding strategies used by utility companies influence pollinator community composition within a 15-acre electric right-of-way (ROW) outside St. Louis, Illinois. Despite the logical benefits of native seeding to pollinators, utility companies are often hesitant to do this, often favoring seeding to turf. Seeded in late 2021, the site incorporates randomized plots with turfgrass seeding (no …

Investigating Morphological And Molecular Identifiers For Culex Restuans And Culex Pipiens From Central Illinois, Savannah L. Ettien

Masters Theses

Some of the most prominent vectors for West Nile Virus are mosquitoes of the genus Culex. As a result, efforts have been made to monitor the spread of Culex species as climate change has allowed them to travel to places that they never inhabited before. Since Cx. restuans is a less prevalent vector, most studies for prevention focus on Cx. pipiens, which is the primary vector for the spread of West Nile Virus in the Midwestern United States, especially in the late summer and early fall seasons. As both species share many morphological characteristics and are present at …

Polymorphism And Plasticity In The Termite Caste System, Austin Merchant

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Developmental plasticity, manifested as a caste system, is integral to the success of eusocial insects because of the way in which it decouples the various tasks that a single, solitary organism would normally be responsible for, allowing individuals to specialize towards their given roles while keeping vulnerable members of the colony, such as those responsible for reproduction, safe from harm. Termites exhibit particularly complex caste systems that can be divided into three types of castes: workers perform manual labor, such as foraging and brood care; soldiers defend the nest; and reproductives lay eggs. Each of these castes, as well as …

An Rnai-Based Approach To Ips Calligraphus Management: A Promising Strategy For Forest Protection, Mary Wallace

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

As climate change leads to more frequent and severe extreme weather, host tree stress is increasing the occurrence of large-scale bark beetle outbreaks. One such beetle, Ips calligraphus (Germar), a native bark beetle in the southeastern United States, has traditionally been considered a secondary pest of pine trees. Management has relied on silvicultural practices that enhance forest resilience, enabling host trees to effectively use natural defenses to deter beetle infestation. However, during periods of forest stress caused by storms, droughts, human disturbance, and other factors, beetle outbreaks can cause considerable ecological and economic damage.

Addressing worsening I. calligraphus outbreaks will …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 39: Haplosplanchnata Olson Et Al., 2003 (Suborder): Two Hosts With Half The Guts [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Daniel C. Huston

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the suborder Haplosplanchnata Olson et al., 2003, a small, but distinct lineage within the Plagiorchiida. Includes a discussion of the methods of identification, general morphological characteristics, taxonomy, and life cycles.

Chapter 39 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Daniel C. Huston. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap039

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 47: Summary Of The Digenea (Subclass): Insights And Lessons From A Prominent Parasitologist [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea], Robin M. Overstreet

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the digenean trematodes (subclass Digenea) including insights and lessons from a prominent parasitologist, Robin M. Overstreet. Includes discussion of general morphology, biology, preparation methods, phylogeny, classification, life cycles, host-digenean relationships, effects on host behavior, hyperparasitism, ecology, digeneans as indicators, and literature on the digeneans.

Chapter 47 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Robin M. Overstreet. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap047

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 60: Monogenea Van Beneden, 1858 (Class) [Platyhelminthes], Griselda Pulido-Flores

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the class Monogenea van Beneden, 1858, mainly ectoparasites of the skin, fins, gills, and urinary bladder of fishes, amphibians, and some reptiles. Includes discussion of their classification (both historical and current), general morphology, life cycles, and taxonomy.

Chapter 60 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Griselda Pulido-Flores. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap060

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 64: Phthiraptera (Order): Lice [Arthropoda], Lajos Rózsa, Haylee J. Weaver

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of lice, order Phthiraptera, including discussion of their general morphology, feeding, host range, host distribution, life cycle, macroecology, transmission, effects on hosts and role as vectors, host defenses, conservation, evolutionary origins, phylogeny, lice nuclear genome, taxonomy, and medical implications including their control.

Chapter 64 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Lajos Rózsa and Haylee J. Weaver. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap064

Nebline, January/February 2024

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

2023 Extension Highlights

4-H Programs Engaged 39,421 Youth

Nebraska Extension’s Strategic Direction

Enjoy a Comforting Bowl of Soup in January & Beyond by Kayla Colgrove

Recipe of the Month: Multi-Cooker Tuscan Soup by Kayla Colgrove

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Extension’s 2024 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Begins Soon

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

ProHort Lawn & Landscape Update

2024 Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Crop Production Clinics

Extension Workshop Planned on Managing Farmland and Transition Planning

Water Quality: Nebraska On-Farm Research by John Nelson

House Centipedes by Kait Chapman

Early Childhood Prep Academy: Leaders Today, Learners Tomorrow by Hayley Jackson

Heart …

An Assessment Of Functional Characteristics In Macroinvertebrates And Fishes In The Lower Ogeechee River, Molly A. Mckeon

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The southeastern United States is a hotspot for aquatic biodiversity; yet this region is also considered vulnerable to climate and land–use changes. The Ogeechee River is an unimpeded blackwater river in Georgia that drains into the Atlantic Ocean and a unique ecosystem due to the preservation of its natural state; Historically, research conducted in the river establishes a baseline for long-term ecological studies. The aim of this study is to compare aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish community composition data collected in 2014 to 2017 to a recently collected dataset from 2023 and document temporal changes. Water quality monitoring was performed throughout …

Rescue From Hybrid Mortality In Nasonia Wasps Through An Interspecific Introgression, Samantha K. Mcginn

Honors College Theses

Nasonia vitripennis and Nasonia giraulti are parasitoid wasps that use fly pupae as hosts to lay their eggs. These two species can produce hybrids when crossed together. However, hybrids are only partially viable and suffer 50-80% mortality from egg to adult development. The highest mortality occurs when N. giraulti females are used in the cross. Previous research shows that hybrids with an N. vitripennis allele of a mitochondrial-targeted gene within a specific locus on chromosome 5 have incompatible interactions with the N. giraulti mitochondria, which are maternally inherited. Collaborators at the University of Rochester have generated an introgression strain of …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Jeff Edwards

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 25 2024, Several Authors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Indoor Pests And Human Health: Characterizing Contaminants And Improving Mitigation, Johnalyn Gordon

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Much of the United States population spends the majority of their time indoors and within the home. Not only are indoor arthropod pests an unsightly nuisance in our homes, but they can have serious impacts on human health, especially with chronic exposure. In addition to negative health impacts, costs associated with these medical impacts can be tremendous. For these reasons, it is critical to develop comprehensive strategies for pest reduction and mitigation of associated health impacts. The work outlined in this dissertation represent examination of the distribution of a hypothesized bed bug allergen within the indoor environment, identification of a …

Addressing The Trade-Offs Of Pest Protective Row Covers For Integrated Pest Management In Vegetable Production, Kathleen Fiske

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The success of many integrated pest management (IPM) strategies is limited by trade-offs with economic, cultural, and environmental factors. While some IPM strategies reduce pests, they may harm pollinators, reduce the efficiency of weed or disease management, or may increase costs relative to revenue. Pest protective row covers, in the form of fine-mesh netting (referred to as mesotunnels), are an effective alternative to pesticide use, but they are not without their challenges. While row covers exclude insect pests and the pathogens they vector, it is unknown how well non-vectored diseases can be managed underneath the row cover. The exclusion of …

Practical Challenges In Delivering Dsrna For Woody Plant Protection, Zachary Bragg

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Unprecedented weather events associated with climate change, coupled with extensive anthropogenic stresses, have reduced the effectiveness of traditional forest pest management approaches, which can no longer keep pace with invasive species overwhelming naïve landscapes and native pests experiencing eruptive and expansive outbreaks. Double-stranded RNA-(dsRNA) mediated gene silencing, a type of RNA interference (RNAi), has been coopted for use as a biopesticide against a multitude of agricultural and horticultural pests and could serve as a powerful tool for woody plant protection. While effective initiation of gene silencing and subsequent mortality have been demonstrated in multiple tree pests, effective and efficient methods …

Consequences Of Abiotic And Anthropogenic Stressors In The Antarctic Midge, Belgica Antarctica, Jack J. Devlin

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The ability to tolerate stress is key to maintaining fitness in extreme environments such as the polar regions. Subject to a myriad of extreme year-round abiotic conditions, invertebrates inhabiting the terrestrial ecosystems of Antarctica provide an excellent system to investigate adaptations to stress. Understanding the response of these species to abiotic and novel stressors is crucial in a world with rapidly occurring climate change and increasing anthropogenic activity. In this dissertation, I investigated physiological and molecular responses to naturally occurring and human-derived stresses in the midge Belgica antarctica, which is Antarctica’s only endemic insect.

In my first research chapter, I …

Evaluation Of Ten Alternative Treatments For The Management Of Harlequin Bug (Murgantia Histrionica) On Brassica Crops, Sarah Clark

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

This thesis investigates the efficacy of exclusion netting and selected biopesticides in controlling the common brassica pest harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica); it assesses the phytotoxic effects caused by selected essential oil products; and it evaluates whether selected treatments caused mortality in common beneficial insects. This is one of the first studies to investigate the potential pest controlling properties of commercially produced bokashi fermented composting products as well as their effect on natural enemies.

During both the first and second year of the study, none of the commercially produced essential oil products or bokashi products were effective in controlling …

Weed Management Impacts On Wild Bees In Agroecosystems, Amanda Denny

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

In agricultural landscapes, bee communities are shaped by factors including the plant community, land management, and pesticides. These factors are critical in the late winter and early spring (LWES) when floral resources are scarce and many bee species are becoming active. In this dissertation, I characterize the flowering weed community of Central Kentucky agroecosystems in the LWES, examine the response of wild bee communities to the total cover and diversity of these flowering plants, and assess the risks of glyphosate exposure on developing ground nesting bees. I found that the flowering plant community was similar across land cover types and …

Assessing Endophyte Frequency Distributions And The Effect Of Epichloë Brachyelytri In The Chemotypic And Genotypic Diversity Of Brachyelytrum Erectum, Rachel Ann Sneed

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Seed-transmissible epichloid fungal endophytes are best known for their roles as defensive mutualists in cool-season grasses. Historically, the discovery of fungal endophytes was driven by investigations of plant toxicity to livestock, followed by extensive study of their alkaloids and protection against insects and nematodes. Epichloae can produce four classes of alkaloids: ergot alkaloids, lolines (saturated aminopyrrolizidines), indole–diterpenes, and peramine. It is increasingly evident that these hereditary symbionts have much more diverse chemical profiles both in individual populations and between them. To this end, differences in chemotypic profiles of these symbionts may translate to different evolutionary and environmental advantages across plant …

Silphid And Carabid Beetles In An Experimental Forest Trial: Idna And Diets, And Insect-Human Relationships Can Better Inform Forest Management, Katherine E. Higdon

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Insect conservation, primarily focused on pollinators, is a growing issue amid concerns of climate change and the purported sixth mass extinction of Earth’s biodiversity. However, the focus on charismatic pollinators ignores a large portion of ecologically important and beneficial species. Having broader knowledge of insect diets and the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on diets can better inform more comprehensive management approaches while also providing valuable knowledge with regards to trophic relationships between multiple species within ecosystems. This ensures the health and stability of ecosystems beyond pollination services. This research started by establishing the utility of Silphid beetles for invertebrate DNA …

Wa Insecticide Guide 2024 - Winter Spring, Svetlana Micic, Alan Lord

PestFacts WA

The insecticides listed in the tables within this guide can be used on any crop appearing on the chemical label, if the rate used does not exceed the highest rate that is registered for use on that crop.

There are many products with different trade names that contain the same active ingredient. This list is not exhaustive and does not imply any specific recommendations of brand names.

Cyp6g2 Is The Major P450 Epoxidase Responsible For Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis In Drosophila Melanogaster, Qiangqiang Jia, Liu Yang, Jiamin Wen, Suning Liu, Di Wen, Wei Luo, Weihua Wang, Subba R. Palli, Li Sheng

Entomology Faculty Publications

Background Juvenile hormones (JH) play crucial role in regulating development and reproduction in insects. The most common form of JH is JH III, derived from MF through epoxidation by CYP15 enzymes. However, in the higher dipterans, such as the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, a bis-epoxide form of JHB3, accounted most of the JH detected. Moreover, these higher dipterans have lost the CYP15 gene from their genomes. As a result, the identity of the P450 epoxidase in the JH biosynthesis pathway in higher dipterans remains unknown.

Results In this study, we show that Cyp6g2 serves as the major JH epoxidase responsible for …

Endosymbiont Diversity Across Native And Invasive Brown Widow Spider Populations, Monica A. Mowery, Laura Cecilia Rosenwald, Eric G. Chapman, Yael Lubin, Michal Segoli, Thembile Khoza, Robin Lyle, Jennifer A. White

Entomology Faculty Publications

The invasive brown widow spider, Latrodectus geometricus (Araneae: Theridiidae), has spread in multiple locations around the world and, along with it, brought associated organisms such as endosymbionts. We investigated endosymbiont diversity and prevalence across putative native and invasive populations of this spider, predicting lower endosymbiont diversity across the invasive range compared to the native range. First, we characterized the microbial community in the putative native (South Africa) and invasive (Israel and the United States) ranges via high throughput 16S sequencing of 103 adult females. All specimens were dominated by reads from only 1–3 amplicon sequence variants (ASV), and most individuals …

Go West: Population Genomics Reveals Unexpected Population Fluctuations And Little Gene Flow In Western Hemisphere Populations Of The Predatory Lady Beetle, Hippodamia Convergens, Arun Sethuraman, Schyler O. Nunziata, Angela Jones, John J. Obrycki, David W. Weisrock

Entomology Faculty Publications

Hippodamia convergens—the convergent lady beetle, has been used extensively in aug- mentative biological control of aphids, thrips, and whiteflies across its native range in North America, and was introduced into South America in the 1950s. Overwintering H. convergens populations from its native western range in the United States are com- mercially collected and released across its current range in the eastern USA, with little knowledge of the effectiveness of its augmentative biological control. Here we use a novel ddRADseq-based SNP/haplotype discovery approach to estimate its range- wide population diversity, differentiation, and recent evolutionary history. Our results indicate (1) significant population …

N(Alpha)-Acetyltransferase 40-Mediated Histone Acetylation Plays An Important Role In Ecdysone Regulation Of Metamorphosis In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Sharath Chandra Gaddelapati, Smitha George, Anilkumar Moola, Karthi Sengodan, Subba Reddy Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Histone acetylation, a crucial epigenetic modification, is governed by histone acetyltransferases (HATs), that regulate many biological processes. Functions of HATs in insects are not well understood. We identified 27 HATs and determined their functions using RNA interference (RNAi) in the model insect, Tribolium castaneum. Among HATs studied, N-alpha-acetyltransferase 40 (NAA40) knockdown caused a severe phenotype of arrested larval development. The steroid hormone, ecdysone induced NAA40 expression through its receptor, EcR (ecdysone receptor). Interestingly, ecdysone-induced NAA40 regulates EcR expression. NAA40 acetylates histone H4 protein, associated with the promoters of ecdysone response genes: EcR, E74, E75, and HR3, and causes an increase …

The Mechanoreceptor Piezo Is Required For Spermatogenesis In Bombyx Mori, Zhongjie Zhang, Xiaojing Liu, Bo Hu, Kai Chen, Ye Yu, Chenxin Sun, Dalin Zhu, Hua Bai, Subba Reddy Palli, Anjiang Tan

Entomology Faculty Publications

Background The animal sperm shows high diversity in morphology, components, and motility. In the lepidopteran model insect, the silkworm Bombyx mori, two types of sperm, including nucleate fertile eupyrene sperm and anucleate unfertile apyrene sperm, are generated. Apyrene sperm assists fertilization by facilitating the migration of eupyrene spermatozoa from the bursa copulatrix to the spermatheca. During spermatogenesis, eupyrene sperm bundles extrude the cytoplasm by peristaltic squeezing, while the nuclei of the apyrene sperm bundles are discarded with the same process, forming matured sperm.

Results In this study, we describe that a mechanoreceptor BmPiezo, the sole Piezo ortholog in B. mori, …

Tree Species Richness And Ash Density Have Variable Effects On Emerald Ash Borer Biological Control By Woodpeckers And Parasitoid Wasps In Post-Invasion White Ash Stands, Caleb J. Wilson, Toby R. Petrice, Therese M. Poland, Deborah G. Mccullough

Entomology Faculty Publications

Emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is the most destructive insect to invade North American forests. Identifying habitat features that support EAB natural enemies is necessary to enhance EAB biological control. In many forest ecosystems, tree species diversity has been linked with reduced pest abundance and increases in natural enemy abundance. We assessed the influence of tree species richness, ash density, and proportion of total ash basal area on ash canopy condition, EAB larval densities, and biocontrol by woodpeckers and parasitoids in pairs of healthy and declining overstory (DBH > 10 cm) and recruit-sized ash (DBH 2–10 cm) …