Entomology Commons^™

Investigating The Impact Of Psychoactive Plant Alkaloids On Bumblebee Behavior, Skylar Mathieson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between plants and their pollinators is often framed as a food-for-service exchange in which plants provide pollinators with nutrients in exchange for transport of their gametes. However, in addition to essential nutrients, many floral rewards (nectar, pollen) also contain defensive toxins such as alkaloids, with largely unexplored consequences for plant-pollinator interactions. I investigated how three psychoactive and addictive plant alkaloids — caffeine, nicotine, and morphine — affect foraging behavior in generalist bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) using robotic flowers. Each of these chemicals affected pollinator foraging behavior, influencing the number and duration of their visits to flowers in …

Impact Of Adoption Of Fall Armyworm And Stemborer Pest Control Practices On Maize Yields In Rwanda: A Multinomial Endogenous Switching Regression Approach, Vincent Gadamba Misango, Jonathan Makau Nzuma, Patrick Irungu, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The use of push-pull technologies (PPT) as an alternative control method for fall armyworms and stemborer pests amongst maize farmers has recently received considerable global attention. However, the impact of adoption of PPT on the maize productivity remains largely unexplored. This study used a multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) to evaluate the impact of adoption of PPT on smallholder maize farmer's yields in Rwanda. The MESR model was estimated on a sample of 398 households operating 967 maize plots selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Overall, 25, 20, and 14 percent of the households used traditional methods, PPT and …

Developing Targets To Control Multiple Pest Fly Species: Violet Polyester Targets Effectively Attract Tsetse (Diptera: Glossinidae), Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae), And House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae), Michael N. Okal, Sheillah J. Akinyi, Roger D. Santer

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse (Glossina spp.), stable (Stomoxys spp.), and house flies (Musca domestica L.) impact humans and animals through bites and/or disease transmission. Tsetse are controlled using insecticide-coated fabric targets that are traditionally blue and/or black, but a violet polyester has now been engineered for greater attractiveness. Here, we investigate whether violet targets are also effective against stable and house flies. We sampled flies by electrocution at 1.0 (H) × 0.5 m (W) targets in Kenya, comparing catches at violet targets, and blue and black targets made from polyesters used in commercial traps and targets. Catches of female but not male Glossina …

A Technique For Estimating The Number Of Shoots On Pole-Sized Red Pine: The Relationship Of Selected Tree Parameters To Number Of Shoots In Central Wisconsin Sand Plains Plantations, J. H. Hainze, D. M. Benjamin

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Diameter at breast height (dbh) , of ten tree parameters tested, was most highly correlated with the number of shoots per tree in six red pine plantations in the central Wisconsin sand plains. Tree height, frequently used as an estimator of shoot number in young conifers, was not highly correlated with shoot number. A strong, nonlinear correlation existed between branch diameter and number of shoots per branch. Multiple regressions using several tree parameters yielded the highest R2 values, however, dbh was judged the simplest and most practical estimator of shoot number for central Wisconsin red pine plantations.

Effect Of Artificial Defoliation On Broccoli Yield, W. S. Cranshaw, R. J. Default

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Broccoli plants were artificially defoliated at varying plant growth stages and defoliation intensities to determine bases for control decisions with lepidopterous defoliators. Low levels of defoliation (<25%) did not significantly depress head weight at any treatment date. Higher levels of defoliation severity (50%) depressed head weight when inflicted following the development of small (<2 cm) heads. Only complete defoliation (100%) consistently affected head weights. Because of the great ability of broccoli plants to compensate for leaf loss, most pre heading insecticide applications should be able to be eliminated in Minnesota without yield losses.

Sewage Sludge Application Linked To Increase In Eastern Tent Caterpillar Populations (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), Louis F. Wilson, John H. Cooley, William J. Mattson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Numbers of Malacosoma americanum caterpillar tents were positively correlated with average numbers and biomass of cherry trees as well as with amount of sludge applied. The enhancing effect of sewage sludge on amounts of black cherry biomass and foliar nitrogen may have been the principal factors leading to higher tent caterpillar populations on fertilized plots.

Record Of Michigan Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae) Collected In A Natural Focus Of Jamestown Canyon Virus In 1984, Paul R. Grimstad, Michael J. Mandracchia

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Data are presented on the seasonal succession of 22 species of mosquitoes collected at the Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area, Missaukee County, in northcentral Michigan during a three-month period in 1984. Nine species represent new county records.

Observations On The Nesting And Unique Cachement Behavior Of Calicurgus Hyalinatus (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Margery G. Spofford

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The components of the nesting and provisioning behavior of Calicurgus hyalinatus are delineated chronologically. The unique cachement of the prey, whereby the spider is suspended from vegetation by its own silken threads, is described. The nesting and provisioning components we observed are compared with those described in the Nearctic and Palearctic literature.

Cleptes Speciosus In The Great Lakes Region (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae: Cleptinae), Mark F. O'Brien

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cleptes (Melanocleptes) speciosus Aaron is newly recorded from Michigan, with records from five counties in the Upper and Lower peninsulas. A New York record from near Lake Ontario suggests this western species also has a Great Lakes distribution.

Nearctic Epiblema: A New Synonymy, A Revised Identity, And Two New Species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), William E. Miller

The Great Lakes Entomologist

New findings are reported for four species: Epiblema naoma Clarke is a junior synonym of E. iowana McDunnough; E. numerosana (Zeller) is currently misidentified; E. chromata, currently identified as the preceding, is described from Texas and differentiated from E. grossbecki Heinrich by maculation and female genitalia; and E. arctica, recently discovered in the Alaskan tundra, is described and differentiated from the boreal E. lyallana McDunnough by maculation and male genitalia.

Winter Wheat Cold Hardiness And Fructan Reserves Affected By Rhopalosiphum Padi (Homoptera: Aphididae) Feeding, S. G. Wellso, C. R. Olien, R. P. Hoxie

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The cold hardiness of 'Winoka' and 'Genesee' winter wheats was each significantly less (P = 0.05) when fed upon by bird-cherry oat aphids, Rhopalosiphum padi, than non-infested seedlings. Aphid feeding also reduced the amount of fructans in crown tissue ca. 20% compared to extracts from crowns of non-infested seedlings. It appears that the cold hardiness of these wheat cultivars may have been reduced because of fructan depletion by insect feeding.

Control Of Hyadaphis Tataricae (Homoptera: Aphididae) On Honeysuckle Including Observations On Host Plant Resistance, Philip L. Nixon, Carolyn Peet Nixon, James E. Schuster

The Great Lakes Entomologist

llyadaphis tataricae causes witches-brooming to the growing tips of Zabelii and other large bush-type honeysuckles in the north central states. Insecticide tests show that acephate (Orthene), dimethoate (Cygan), or oxydemeton-methyl (Metasystox-R) sprayed monthly in June and July will reduce witches-brooming. Malathion was not effective in reducing damage. Host plant resistance observations indicate that Lonicera x notha, L. x muendeniensis, L. x amoena 'Alba', L. x ).;ylosteoides, and L. tatarica 'Arnold Red' are ll. tataricae resistant. These large bush-type honeysuckles would appear to be good replacements for Zabelii and other susceptible honeysuckles in ornamental plantings.

Vulnerability Of Hybrid Populus Nursery Stock To Injury By The Tarnished Plant Bug, Lygus Lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae), Louis F. Wilson, Lincoln M. Moore

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The tarnished plant bug injured 21 Populus clones in the clonal nursery of the Packaging Corporation of America in Michigan. Degree of injury ranged from 0.5 to 81.09<. Clone 'Wisconsin 5' sustained the heaviest attack, followed by Imperial Carolina poplar. 'Wisconsin 5' was salvaged by changing the standard and accepting shorter cutting stock for outplanting.

Interspecific Interactions Between Orchelimum Nigripes And Orchelimum Volantum (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), Marianne Niedzlek Feaver

The Great Lakes Entomologist

[Excerpt] Interspecific interactions are relatively rare among coinhabiting Orthoptera. Most records are of overzealous males courting females not of their species or, for that matter, inanimate objects. Less frequent are reports of two signalling males interacting, yet these are of interest. Calling songs are used to distinguish species (Alexander 1956). The possibility then exists that the "interference" or, more correctly, the competition for broadcast space that occurs when two closely related species with similar songs interact, may have been influential in shaping aspects of song delivery or pattern.

State Records And Confirmations Of Odonata From Illinois And Missouri, T. E. Vogt, J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The occurrence of several species of Odonata in Illinois and Missouri is reported for the first time including Telebasis byersi Westfall, Tachopteryx thoreyi (Hagen), Aeshna mutata Hagen, Celithemis fasciata Kirby, fodona deplanata (Rambur), and Dythemis fugax Hagen for Illinois; and Cordulegaster obliqua (Say), Gomphus quadricolor Walsh, Helocordulia uhleri (Selys), C. fasciata, and C. verna Pritchard for Missouri. Also, the presence of several species is confirmed including Archilestes grandis (Rambur), C. obliqua. Hagenius brevistylus Selys, and Anax longipes Hagen for Illinois; and Lestes eurinus Say, H. brevistylus, Stylogomphus albistylus (Hagen), Arigomphus villosipes (Selys), A. longipes, and L. deplanata for Missouri.

Systematics Of Anepeorus (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae), W. P. Mccafferty, A. V. Provonsha

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The enigmatic genus Anepeorus has a confused and complex taxonomic history that is discussed and clarified. The genus is redefined and described in the adult stage. Although laryae have been assigned to Anepeorus, these larvae cannot be shown at the present to be Atnepeorus. Two North American species are known from a total of 10 adult specimens . . -tnepeorus rusticus McDunnough and A. simplex (Walsh) are redescribed, and a neotype is designated for the latter species. Genitalic differences are diagnostic, but the penes may be found in different states of inflation and rotation that should not be interpreted as …

Environmental, Social, And Molecular Regulation Of Foraging Behavior In The Formosan Subterranean Termite, Arjun Khadka

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Foraging is a critical activity in social insects, essential for resource acquisition and colony sustenance. In termites, this behavior is shaped by environmental, social, and genetic factors, yet the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined how environmental food and moisture availability, and the age of termites affected foraging activities, along with the molecular regulation of foraging in the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, using a combination of behavioral assays, transcriptomics, and molecular biology approaches. First, we demonstrate that food and moisture deprivation (FMD) significantly affects foraging, with termites under deprivation conditions exhibiting increased foraging …

Evaluation Of Diy Pest Management Strategies For The German Cockroach (Blattella Germanica) In The Presence Of Vitamin K Precursors And Synthetic Amorphous Silica, Mohamed S. Shaik

LSU Master's Theses

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (Linnaeus) is a globally distributed indoor dwelling pest of medical concern. Insecticides are the preferred method of cockroach management due to their low cost, quick action, and availability. However, after continuous use, the development of insecticide resistance has emerged as a challenge for the pest management industry to effectively eliminate German cockroaches. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a sustainable framework which includes the use of glue board traps, vacuuming, in combination with different insecticide formulations such as sprays, gel or dust baits, and insecticide rotation has been successful for the management of German cockroaches. This …

Drought And Herbivory Have Selective Transgenerational Effects On Soybean Eco-Physiology, Defence And Fitness, Manish Gautam, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soybeans, one of the most important legumes, face multiple stresses including drought and herbivory. But the potential transfer of the interactive effects of these stressors onto the transgenerational plants has not been understood. We hypothesised that progeny from stressed parents will have enhanced ecophysiology and defence traits through priming, affecting fitness. Experimental plants were derived from seeds of drought (D), drought and herbivory interaction (D & times; H), herbivory (H) and well-watered (WW) treatments imposed on parental generation. The findings revealed significant transgenerational effects of D, D & times; H, H and WW treatments; D & times; H treatment had …

Update To: Advancing Butterfly Systematics Through Genomic Analysis, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

In this update, we propose (type species or type localities in parentheses): Lochris Grishin, nom. nov. (Lasaia oileus Godman, 1903; Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) as a new substitute name for Locris Grishin, 2025 preoccupied by Locris Stål, 1866 (Cercopis rubra Fabricius, 1794; Hemiptera: Cercopidae), 5 new species, and 5 new subspecies: Emesis (Mandania) mandarina Grishin, sp. n. (Brazil: Santa Catarina) and Emesis (Mandania) mandela Grishin, sp. n. (Venezuela, Carabobo) in Riodinidae Grote, 1895 (1827); others in Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809: Telegonus (Rhabdoides) flavifimbro Grishin, sp. n. (Colombia), Urbanus (Urbanoides) dolus Grishin, sp. n. (Colombia: …

Examining The Performance Of An Insect Generalist Reared On Unused Host Plants In Colorado, Maxwell J. Meyer, Kanshita Dam, Kailey G. Hicks, Emma J. Sellers, Mykaela M. Tanino-Springsteen, Jd Reigrut, Dhaval K. Vyas, Shannon M. Murphy

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Dietary generalist insects are important to ecological communities because they are commonly found in many environments and play important roles in ecosystem services like pollination and decomposition. Although dietary generalist herbivores eat a broad range of plant species, regional populations of these species may have significantly narrower or specialized diet breadths. Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea, hereafter FW) is a dietary generalist at the species level, but we do not know if there is dietary generalism at the population level or how generalism varies across populations. In Colorado, FW larvae feed on only a few plant species, but many plant species …

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Kabe Aberle, Nadia Kako, Kateri Mcrae, Brooke Agulnek, Sky Palmon, Yasmine Ramirez, Francisca Aguirre Beltran, Ashley Juarez, Bridget Kim, Tessa Appel, Sterling Kerr, Spencer Ingley, Gabe Meyer, Robin Tinghitella, Dale Broder, Lily Baeza, Chloe Beers, Julia Coakley, Whitney Kelsey, Sydney Gainforth, Gabi Wing, Audrey Martin, Aaliyah Amore Berry, Brooke Watley, Kiruthika Venkatesan, Rachel Bienstock, Annabella Brotherston, Madison Bryant, Mia Burgener, Emma P. Lieb, Rachel A. Johnson, Jennifer L. Hoffman, Kania Campbell, Kiena Campbell, Courtney Cassidy, Sage Krzyzkowski, Maddox Jones, Skylar Abookire, Luke Hawkins, Sunnah Yoon, Andrea Chu, Yan Qin, Nyah Cubbison, Brian Gearity, Daniel Mcintosh, Mariely Cruz, Edward Garrido, Grady Dionne, Nicole Doris, Lyndsie Salvagio, Ann-Charlotte Granholm-Bentley, Anna Dymov, Hannah Eckert, Gabrielle Welsh, Erica Larson, Charlie Ernst, Anna Zhou, Sarah Watamura, Larissa Fedorovich-Klein, Georgie Fields, Kimberly A. Guevara, Aven Mccall, Ben Peltier, Feruz Yahia, Patrick Flores, Jadyn Floyd, Sophia Forcier, J. Von R. Monteza, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Gwendolyn Geiger, Scott Nichols, Camryn Gunter, Kendal Hengst, Charlie Bednarz, Issy Garside, Addison Baker, Rachel Mina, Brooke Hermanson, Amanda Klingler, William Highfill, Sydney Jaques, Kerstin Lewey, Allison Grossery, Daniel Linseman, Ethan Lim, Jagger Livengood, Owen Mantelli, Gabby Pappas, Abby Mcdonald, Madeleine Dierking, Eve Miller, Emma Loeber, Anna Marlow, Michael Kerwin, Ella Mathews, Hillary Hamann, Khadija Mohamed, Vivian Nguyen, Gabri Notov, Ifunayachi Ogbonna-Ukuku, Sunil Kumar, Charles Baysah, Sarah Olson, Don Sullivan, Anna Paradiso, Jay Parrish, Mira Pronobis, Alisha Pravasi, Kerstin Haring, Diego Ramirez, Christopher Reardon, Juliana Ramirez, Casey Doherty, Ella Kestner, Teagan Weindel, Cate Billings, Pablo Torre-Walter, Lucy Rand, Samantha Reynolds, Mark Siemens, Khadeeja Rashid, Laine Satterlee, Piper Heilbronner, Lily Pound, Ben Whitehurst, Anna Respet, Lizzie Lesoing, Sydney Hertel, Aya Saad-Masri, Brooke Ballenger, Max Proske, Hannah Rosenberg, Ellia Nakahara, Sophia Espinoza, Ivan Woolhouse, Simon Ruland, Gorkem Er, Timothy Sweeny, Melaku Saketa, Michela Schenk, Maren Lynch, Madi Hamm, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Rana Seif, Jackson Hall, Marisela Simental, Daniel Paredes, Aaron Mena, Preston Spaan, Evelyn Stovin, David Andrew Swartz, Anh Tran, Daniel Pittman, Luke Farchione, Emily Boyer, Ukari Verner, Lacey Conrad, Jonathan Velotta, James Weiner, Jagger Gossett, Noah Sherry, Sam Proud, Ben Block, Avi Narayana, Zoey Weiss, Alyssa Wilson, Gabrielle Walsh, David Zonana, Keely Wright, Kena Riveria, Lillybelle Deer, Jena Doom, Elysia Davis, Isabelle Yaremenko, Caitlyn Young

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Transgenerational Imprints Of Sequential Herbivory Onsoybean Physiology And Fitness Traits, Insha Shaft, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sequential herbivory leads to a multitude of effects on plants, influencing processes like growth, physiology, defense, and fitness. However, whether the sequential herbivore attack can elicit any transgenerational consequences is poorly examined. In this study, we show evidence of transgenerational impacts of sequential herbivory by two chewing herbivores, fall armyworm (Spodopterafrugiperda , FAW) and soybean looper (Chrysodeixis includens , SL) on soybean (Glycine max ) progeny. Seeds from the parents subjected to different herbivore sequences (SL-FAW: initial attack by SL followed by FAW and FAW-SL: FAW followed by SL) were used for the transgenerational experiment. Our main hypothesis was that …

Response Of Various Body Parts Of House Flies, Musca Domestica, To Sucrose, Panchalie B. Gunathunga, Merveille Muyizere, Bethia H. King

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Insects use multiple body parts, not just their mouth, to taste. Whether a particular body part has a taste function can be determined by examining the morphology or electrophysiological response of its sensilla (sense organs) or by its behavioral response. The present study investigated taste response of each of the three pairs of tarsi, tibiae, femurs, as well as the antennae and wings, in house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae). This was done by measuring the proboscis extension response (PER), and in the case of the wings, also the grooming behavior. PER is a visible precursor to consumption. The …

Squash Bug Integrated Pest Management, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

This infographic reviews integrated pest management for squash bugs. It includes information on the following: resistant varieties of vegetables to plant and crop rotation, homemade traps, mechanical destruction, mulches, trap crops, natural enemies, and organic and synthetic insecticides.

Preferred Plants And Nectar Collecting Times For Honey Production, David Macfawn, Jennifer M.K. O'Keefe, Sophie Warny, Carol Wymer, June Rampy Ponder

Clemson Extension Publishing

This book addresses three important questions for South Carolina beekeepers – which plants are bees in South Carolina using for nectar forage, when bees collect nectar from those plants, and how can understanding nectar foraging habits inform beekeepers as they work to gather specific types of premium honey? In 2021, the South Carolina Beekeeper’s Association, led by David MacFawn, designed and implemented a statewide pollen study, the first in any state in over fifty years, to answer these questions. Informed by data gathered from 19 apiaries across the state, this book contains the results of that study, including large-scale melissopalynological …

Attitudes Towards Insects: An Attempt To Change Negative Attitudes To Neutral Or Positive, Christina Chapman

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Purpose and Summary

The purpose of this project was to examine whether negative attitudes towards insects could be changed in children after learning about them in a safe and enjoyable environment. At the start of this project, I was a science teacher in an urban middle school, where most students were neither fond of nor interested in insects. This experience shaped my project: I wanted to change attitudes from negative to positive, transforming “eww gross, kill it!” into “let it live; it has a job to do.” Through my studies in the entomology program, my belief that insects are highly …

Seasonal And Landscape-Driven Variations In Forage Resources Of Apis Mellifera Scutellata: Implications For Pollination Sustainability And Colony Health In Taita Taveta County, Kenya, Mary Chege, Mbatha B. Wambua, Wambua J. Kilonzo, Sevgan Subramanian, Beatrice T. Nganso

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Seasonality and land-use change are key factors influencing forage availability for managed honey bee colonies, yet knowledge of forage identity and how these factors influence forage availability remains limited in Africa. To address these gaps, we used DNA metabarcoding to identify nectar and pollen plant species supporting the nutrition of the African savannah honey bee, Apis mellifera scutellata, across different land-use/land cover types and seasons in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. We identified 224 forage plant species from 65 families, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Myrtaceae being the top contributors. Forage availability was significantly influenced by landscape and season, with honey bees …

Longitudinal Surveillance Of Aedes Aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) In Urban Coastal Kenya: Population Dynamics, Blood Feeding Frequency And Dengue Virus Infection Rates, Josephine Osalla, Louis Clement Gouagna, Gilbert Rotich, Maureen Nzilani, Penina Safari, Kennedy Senagi, Francis Mutuku, Baldwyn Torto, David P. Tchouassi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The coastal region of Kenya has emerged as a focal point for urban dengue virus transmission driven by Aedes aegypti as the primary vector. To gain a deeper understanding of the epidemiological situation, we carried out a year-long longitudinal study (December 2021- November 2022) of the population dynamics of A. aegypti through weekly mosquito surveys using ovitrap and CO2-baited Biogents (BG) mosquito traps in Ukunda, an urban township in the coastal region. Aedes eggs laid in ovitraps were exclusively A. aegypti with 80.8% mean hatch rate. A total of 35,109 adult A. aegypti were captured, with twice as many females …

Heterogeneous Impacts For Malaria Control From Larviciding Across Villages And Considerations For Monitoring And Evaluation, Ellie Sherrard-Smith, Ulrike Fillinger, Jean Philippe B. Tia, Peter Winskill, Benjamin G. Koudou, Emile S.F. Tchicaya, Antoine Sanou, Fredros Okumu, Mercy Opiyo, Silas Majambere, Arran Hamlet, Giovanni Charles, Ben Lambert, Thomas S. Churcher

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Malaria vector control tools currently focus on insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying in malaria-endemic locations, but additional preventative strategies are needed to address protection gaps. Larval source management (LSM) includes larvicide application to aquatic habitat and an array of alternative forms of environmental efforts. An individual-based transmission model for falciparum malaria is used to demonstrate the theoretical benefit of suppressing malaria adult mosquito vector densities through LSM. The model simulates results of epidemiological trials from Western Kenya (a hilly area with papyrus swamps adjacent to human settlements and moderate to high perennial malaria transmission) and Côte d’Ivoire …