Entomology Commons^™

Distributional Records Of False Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) From Western North Carolina, John M. Leavengood Jr., Robert L. Otto, Mary Kait Brown

Insecta Mundi

Two new state records (North Carolina) and eight total species of false click beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) are reported from a survey site in western North Carolina. Updated distributions are provided for each species.

Tetraleurodes Gilli (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae), A New Whitefly Species On Quercus L. From California, Natalia Von Ellenrieder

Insecta Mundi

Abstract

A new species of Tetraleurodes Cockerell (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae), T. gilli, occurring on Quercus L. (Fagaceae) in California is described and illustrated based on its puparium, adults, and nymphs. The puparium of the new species can be recognized from that of other black whiteflies devoid of dorsal wax that occur on oaks by the combination of a filamentous marginal wax fringe as wide as a third to full width of puparium, cephalothoracic setal formula 1 0 1 1, longitudinal suture margined by tubercles, presence of eyespots, a concentric dorsal submarginal fold, ventral spinules medially to legs decreasing …

All For One And One For Gall: Getting Kids Excited About Plant-Insect Interactions, Natalie D. Tessicini

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Insect biodiversity is on a decline globally. In order to care about insects, the population must know about them. Creating interest starts with young children and students, using age-appropriate resources and lesson plans. Ensuring that future generations are curious about entomology and not driven away from it is integral to building a future where the public protects the environment. I will add to the available tools by creating my own non-fiction children’s book on under-explored entomology topics.

German Cockroach Allergen Mitigation, Olivia Katz

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

German cockroaches (Blatella germanica L.) remain one of the most challenging indoor pests to manage, due in large part to their cryptic nature, rapid reproduction, and resistance to insecticides. Because of their close proximity to humans, they also pose several serious health threats, including the production and dissemination of several potent allergens linked to asthma development and exacerbation. Given the risks associated with cockroach allergens, we examined the longevity of two distinct cockroach allergens (Bla g 1 and Bla g 5) in the home environment and the efficacy of cleaners at removing these allergens. Our findings show that Bla …

Including Black Farmers, Excluding Pests: Perspectives On Participation In The Cooperative Extension Service, Briana Bazile

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

In recent years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has faced renewed scrutiny for documented discrimination against Black farmers, yet far less attention has focused on its century-old partner in public service delivery, the Cooperative Extension Service (CES). This gap is especially notable considering 1) federal parity mandates extant since 1972 in response to significant disparities between Black and White constituents and staff,2) public commitments to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in 2020 and, 3) the contributions of Black leaders at the origins of CES, at Tuskegee University in the late nineteenth century. Using the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (KYCES) as a …

Aquatic Invertebrate Populations In Roadside Wetlands In Relation To Water Characteristics, Ellen P. Isakson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

The continual habitat destruction and draining of wetland systems makes the need to understand the ecology of roadside wetlands all the more necessary. Roadside wetlands provide valuable habitat to countless aquatic invertebrates, which can provide insight into the health of the wetland system due to their diversity. The objective of this study was to analyze the populations of aquatic invertebrates in roadside wetlands in relation to water characteristics such as pH, salinity, conductivity, water depth and temperature, and dissolved oxygen. This was done by collecting samples of invertebrate populations from roadside wetlands, in addition to data on water quality characteristics …

Examining The Effects Of Songbird Nest Boxes And Habitat On Avian And Arthropod Communities In A Vineyard Ecosystem, Eleanor Macdonald

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Agricultural expansion threatens biodiversity, but integrating insectivorous birds into vineyard ecosystems may support both conservation and ecosystem services. We tested how nest boxes and habitat composition influence avian and arthropod communities in Napa Valley vineyards using a before-after, control-impact experiment across 20 sites. During the 2023-2024 breeding seasons we conducted avian point counts, sampled key pest and beneficial arthropods, and collected fecal samples from adult and nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) to detect vineyard pest DNA. Nest boxes significantly increased swallow and bluebird abundance within one year; swallow responses were strongest …

Assessment And Management Of Dectes Stem Borer, Dectes Texanus Leconte, In South Dakota Soybeans, Zachary Loomis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Dectes stem borer (Dectes texanus LeConte, Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) has emerged as an increasingly significant pest of soybean (Glycine max) in South Dakota. Although historically considered a minor concern, rising populations of this insect have led to significant preharvest lodging and subsequent yield loss in affected fields. The Dectes stem borer's larval feeding within the soybean stem interferes with nutrient flow, and as the season progresses, this internal feeding weakens stem integrity, amplifying lodging risks and causing considerable challenges for farmers and researchers. Since 2017, both the number and severity of Dectes stem borer infestations have been on the rise …

Survey And Identification Of Entomopathogenic Fungi In Millipede Species In Coastal Georgia, Kristin L. Campbell Bailey

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Entomopathogenic fungi are well-known, species-specific pathogens of a wide diversity of insects that infect, manipulate, and kill their insect hosts to complete their life cycle. Recently in Savannah, Georgia, millipedes belonging to the genus Eurymerodesmus were observed exhibiting pre-death climbing behaviors associated with pathogenic fungal infection. Dying millipedes summited vegetation and subsequently died in elevated positions along edge habitat transitioning a recreational field and forest. Upon inspection, fungal structures found emerging from dead millipedes anatomically resembled Arthrophaga myriapodina, which is the first documented entomophthoralean fungus to infect millipedes. The goal of this research was to obtain species-level identification of the …

Epidemiologi Kejadian Luar Biasa Malaria Bulan September-November 2024: Studi Serial Kasus Di Kabupaten Indragiri Hilir, Provinsi Riau, Rajunitrigo Rajunitrigo, Irwan Muryanto, Renti Mahkota, Fadhil Armen, Yusni Nuryanti, Fahrul Rizal, Rabiatul Adwiyah

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Abstract

Malaria remains a public health issue in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau, despite its elimination certification 2018. In 2024, a malaria outbreak occurred, and an epidemiological investigation was then carried out. This study aims to describe the epidemiological characteristics of the malaria outbreak based on person, time, and place. This study used a serial case design, analyzing all confirmed malaria cases reported in the e-SISMAL system of Indragiri Hilir Regency from September 1^st to November 30^th, 2024. Data on Anopheles Sundaicus habitats were obtained from epidemiological investigation reports. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted using the chi-square …

Do Dung Beetles Sink Or Swim: Exploring Dung Beetle Response To Precipitation, Lauren T. Cheshire

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Global climate change constitutes a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services of many taxa. The Mid-Atlantic region of the US is expecting to see an increase in extreme precipitation events and flooding. Dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) can tunnel below the soil surface allowing for water to dissipate into the soil rather than sit on the surface and add to flooding conditions. They also can decrease methane emission by burying dung and reduce outbreaks of pests that prefer the moist environment of dung. They contribute roughly $380 million in ecosystem services annually in the United States, yet their services may be …

Are Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Active Nocturnally In South Georgia?, Breana R. Manning

Honors College Theses

Medicolegal forensic entomology uses insect colonization of remains to estimate minimum post-mortem intervals (mPMI). Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are among the earliest colonizers, yet their nocturnal activity remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine whether blow flies are active at night and whether artificial light influences their behavior. Using baited bottle traps in both artificially lit and unlit environments near Georgia Southern University, flies were collected over two trials in fall 2024. Of the 1,843 blow flies collected, only six were captured at night (0.003%), suggesting minimal nocturnal activity. Lucilia coeruleiviridis preferred unlit environments. In contrast, Cochliomyia macellaria was …

Contents, Discovery Editors

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 26 2025, Several Authors

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.

Genotypic Variation And Wilting Speed Affect Soybean (Glycine Max) Germination And Growth, Adriana Peissel, Jessica Ayala, Rupesh Kariyat

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

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important agricultural crops in the world due to its value as a major source of protein and oilseed production. Soybean is extremely sensitive to drought and experiences severe reductions in yield when there is a reduction in water availability. Canopy wilting speed is a trait linked with water use efficiency (WUE) in soybeans. Slower wilting canopies indicate greater WUE, while faster wilting canopies indicate lower WUE. Previous studies have explored the variation of plant physiological traits across wilting speeds on a smaller scale, but ultimately, a more extensive assessment is …

Restoring Rattlesnake Creek: Using Citizen Science To Assess The Ecological And Morphological Impacts Of Dam Removal In Western Montana, Bethany Blakey

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

As dam removals increase in frequency across the U.S., most research has focused on the impact of larger dam removals, despite the removal of small dams being much more common. Given the hundreds of small dams in Montana, this research uses citizen science data collected over eight years spanning before and after a 2020 small dam removal in Rattlesnake Creek, Montana, to investigate impact on stream ecology and morphology. We analyzed pebble count grain size distributions and aquatic macroinvertebrate biotic indices from 2017 to 2024 to assess changes in sediment transport and macroinvertebrate population as well as evaluate the efficacy …

Larval Environments Affect The Implementation Of The Sterile Insect Technique On Aedes Mosquitoes, Katherine G. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is an effective method for controlling pests and has been increasing in popularity to control Aedes mosquitoes. SIT involves inundating an area with sterilized male mosquitoes to reduce egg hatch and ultimately the number of wild adults. Previous research indicates that enacting mortality early in the larval life of Aedes mosquitoes can result in counter-productive effects, due to reduced competition among developing larvae. I hypothesize that the effectiveness of SIT at reducing adult populations is modified by densitydependent mortality and density-dependent growth among larvae. I performed two field-to-lab studies and developed an individual-based model to test …

Featured Faculty Mentor/Student Team, Kelly Loftin, Eva Berryhill

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.

Best Methods For Establishment And Maintenance Of Pollinator Plantings In Highway Rights-Of-Way, Sophia Lopardo

Open Access Master's Theses

This study explores the potential of highway rights-of-way (ROWs) to serve as habitats for native New England grasses and flowering plants, while also enhancing resources essential for native pollinator communities. This project emphasizes the adaptability of regionally native and insect-pollinated wildflowers and grasses to periodically mowed ROWs; the research assesses various establishment methods that are commonly used in new roadside construction. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different establishment methods for developing roadside pollinator meadows within ROW settings, using species richness (separated into forbs, grasses, insect pollinated functional groups), bare ground percentage, and seed mix germination and persistence …

Causes And Consequences Of Reproductive Plasticity In The Seed Beetle, Callosobruchus Maculatus, Josiah P. Ritchey

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Competition for resources has direct effects on traits that can influence an individual’s reproductive success in competitive mating environments. When population density is high during development, competition for resources can reduce growth and body size at maturation, influencing resources available for reproduction. In this thesis, I investigate how the developmental environment affects plasticity in male reproductive traits, as well as the consequences of male reproductive plasticity on female reproductive behavior, in the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. My results show that increasing larval density causes male beetles to emerge small and transfer small ejaculates to females. However, small males transfer …

Dinotefuran Resistance In The German Cockroach (Blattella Germanica L.), Hannah F. Blevins

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.) are one of the most prevalent and pervasive indoor pest species in the world. Infestations can lead to many negative impacts on humans, including sensitization to allergens, increase in asthmatic symptoms, mental health declines, and potentially, the spread of diseases. While insecticides remain the most effective and affordable option for German cockroach control, resistance to many commonly used insecticide active ingredients (AIs), such as pyrethroids, has been observed globally at high levels across different populations. Given such resistance to pyrethroids, inclusion of insecticides with alternative modes of action into insecticidal treatments could potentially improve cockroach …

Bed Bugs: Health Risks And Control, Simona Principato

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Bed bugs are blood-feeding hemipterans strongly associated with humans. Their detection in indoor environments, such as homes, hotels, trains, and public facilities, has increased gradually over the past 20 years. The exact cause of their resurgence is still unclear, but the increase of international travel and insecticide resistance are thought to have contributed to it.

Although bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases, the EPA, CDC, and USDA have classified them as a pest of significant public health concern, mainly due to the dermatitis that they can cause. Beyond the dermatological burden of the bites, other health implications often …

The Role Of Nutrition In Managing Honey Bee Viral Pathogen, Caroline Wylie Kane

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

This study evaluated the impact of nutritional supplements on viral infections in honey bee colonies, focusing on Lake Sinai Virus 2 (LSV2), Deformed Wing Virus A (DWVA), and Deformed Wing Virus B (DWVB). I partnered with 32 hobbyist beekeepers across Kentucky, who volunteered 138 colonies for a month-long field study. Half of the colonies received weekly commercial supplements, while the other half served as controls. Viral titers were measured before and after the supplementation period using qPCR. Supplements did not significantly reduce viral titers for any of the three viruses, suggesting that short-term supplementation may not be effective in lowering …

Behavioral Response Of House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) To 3 Bittering Agents, Panchalie B. Gunathunga, Bethia H. King, Christopher J. Geden

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

House flies, Musca domestica L., are pests at livestock facilities. House fly numbers are controlled mainly by manure management and chemical controls, like use of toxic baits. Some toxic baits contain denatonium benzoate as a bittering agent, to avoid poisoning of children. House fly behavioral response to denatonium benzoate was examined, using 2 different diluents, sucrose solution or orange juice. Response of flies to quinine and sucrose octaacetate, 2 other bittering agents, was also examined in sucrose. Sucrose is the sweetener in commercially available toxic house fly baits. The proboscis extension response of both male and female flies was significantly …

Toxin-Like Proteins In The Venom Of Drosophila Parasitoids, Lady V. Cardenas

Dissertations and Theses

The figitid parasitoid wasps of Drosophila are gaining importance in agriculture due to their ability to kill the resilient soft-fruit pest Drosophila suzukii. Their success and infection strategies vary, and the mechanisms underlying these differences are largely unknown. Some of their venom proteins have been shown to be important in suppressing host defense. Here, we report that Ganaspis brasiliensis, a parasitoid of D. suzukii survives well on Drosophila yakuba, a host species with a strong cellular immunity, and infected flies are unable to mount a strong immune response. To predict possible toxin-like proteins in Ganaspis venoms that might suppress cellular …

A Multi-Objective Optimization Model For Cropland Design Considering Profit, Biodiversity, And Ecosystem Services, Caleb H. Geissler, Nathan L. Haan, Bruno Basso, Ames Fowler, Douglas A. Landis, Tyler J. Lark, Christos T. Maravelias

Entomology Faculty Publications

More sustainable agricultural methods are needed to alleviate the decreases in biodiversity and ecosystem services that have occurred because of industrial agriculture. One such method is the inclusion of alternative crops into croplands that can support biodiversity, reduce erosion and chemical runoff, and sequester carbon in the soil. However, the question of where such crops should be planted to balance competing economic and environmental objectives remains open. To this end, we develop a mixed-integer quadratically constrained program to optimize the layout of a cropland considering economic, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and water quality objectives. We include spatially varying fertilization as …

Molecular Mechanisms And Comparative Transcriptomics Of Diapause In Two Corn Rootworm Species (Diabrotica Spp.), Melise C. Lecheta, Chad Nielson, B. Wade French, Emily Nadeau, Nicholas M. Teets

Entomology Faculty Publications

Diapause is a programmed developmental arrest that can occur at any developmental stage depending on species, but the mechanisms that underscore embryonic diapause are poorly understood. Here, we identified molecular mechanisms underscoring distinct phases of diapause in the Diabrotica spp. complex. This species complex in- cludes economically significant agricultural pests, notably the western corn rootworm (WCR) and northern corn rootworm (NCR), which cause major losses in maize production. Rootworms undergo an obligate embryonic diapause to synchronize their life cycles with host plants, and we sequenced transcriptomes from both species at five time points (pre-diapause, diapause initiation, diapause maintenance, diapause termination, …

Impacts Of Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus Frontalis Zimmerman) On Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.) Canopy And Water Use In The Homochitto National Forest, Mississippi, Usa, Sasha Goodnow, Yun Yang, Hui Liu, Ashley Schulz

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Abiotic and biotic forest disturbances can have many impacts to forest ecosystem services, including to forest water use. Studies on impacts to forest evapotranspiration have been conducted on the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in western North America, but not on the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), which is a native pest of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), in the southeastern United States. Stressed pine trees produce pheromones that attract southern pine beetles and, with enough stressed trees, beetle populations can quickly grow to epidemic levels and attack healthy trees, which results in widespread tree mortality. …