Entomology Commons^™

Pestfacts Wa Issue 05 - May 2023, Benjamin S. Congdon, Cindy L. Webster, Ciara Beard, Geoff J. Thomas

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 5 - May 2023 contents:

• Early season aphid and virus risk in cereals and canola
• Black and white tiger moth caterpillars
• Lupinosis risk this season

Morphological And Functional Classification Of The Amblyomma Americanum (Lone Star Tick) Hemocytes, Julia Hanson

Honors Theses

Ticks are a diverse group of obligate blood-feeding (hematophagous) arthropods that transmit a wide array of human and animal pathogens. These pathogens have caused an increase in tick-borne diseases that pose a significant threat to public health without preventative measures. These pathogens interact with the tick immune system upon uptake, which is primarily divided into humoral and cellular components. Cellular immunity in ticks encompasses several pathogen-eliminating mechanisms including phagocytosis. These mechanisms are mediated by the action of immune cells, commonly referred to as hemocytes, which are analogous to mammalian white blood cells. This study utilized a combination of morphological, functional, …

Revision, Description, And Diagnosis Of Adult And Larval Pycnopsyche Spp. (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) Using Morphological And Molecular Methods, Matthew Green

All Dissertations

The genus Pycnopsyche Banks, 1905 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) is the 2nd most species-rich genus of Nearctic Limnephilidae. Larvae and adults are ecologically diverse and widespread throughout eastern North America. Larvae construct cases from mineral or plant material and are frequently used by biomonitoring professionals at the species level to monitor trends in water quality. However, only two species of Pycnopsyche are currently separable as larvae, with diagnosis limited by the number of unknown larvae associated with known adults. Using morphological and molecular data, the phylogenetic relationships among Pycnopsyche species and species groups were inferred with Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses to …

Nebline, May 2023

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

The 4-H Thriving Model Provides a Guide for Helping Youth Grow to Their Full Potential by Tracy Anderson

Beef: A Healthy and Delicious Choice for Your Next Meal by Kayla Colgrove

Recipe of the Month: Skillet Lasagna by Kayla Colgrove

Managing Chlorosis in Trees by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

May is the Perfect Time to Learn More About Your Drinking Water! by Becky Schuerman

Cash Rent Survey

Challenging Behavior Corner: Providing Choices by Hayley Jackson

Pollinator Spotlight: The Yucca Moth by Kait Chapman

At Ag Literacy Festival, 4th Graders Learn How Agriculture Impacts Their Daily …

Landscape Genetics Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, Sara Simmons Benham

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Connectivity among populations helps to maintain genetic diversity, population stability, and resilience. The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of the pathogen Rickettsia parkeri. Persistence of tick populations with high rates of R. parkeri infection poses health risks to humans and animals. Mitochondrial haplotypes were characterized by sequencing a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. A comparative study of A. maculatum and Amblyomma americanum was conducted to identify similar and unique patterns between the species within the same region. Next, I compared A. maculatum sites across three different regions of the United States. This work …

Impacts Of Bacterial Evolution On Host Lethality In Drosophila, Andrew Preston

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Evolution is the process by which species change their genetic traits, such as the pathogenicity of bacteria, over time in response to changes in their environment. Although the genetic mechanisms underlying many evolutionary processes have been revealed, it is still not well understood how opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, become virulent. The overall goal of this thesis is to test the Coincidental Evolution Hypothesis, which proposes that the virulence of opportunistic pathogens evolves coincidentally as a by-product of their interaction with their natural predators. I hypothesized that the virulence of ancestral Pseudomonas aeruginosa changes over time if it co-evolves …

Identifying Nocturnal Pollinator Diversity In Apple Orchards In Northwest Arkansas, Emily Brown

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Insects have an essential role in nature, largely in part to pollination. These animals allow for many plants to reproduce and are directly involved in many of the earth’s fruit and vegetable supply. Bees, along with many other diurnal pollinators have gained the attention of the public, which has sparked debates and change to protect them. Many nocturnal species have previously been disregarded due to the assumption that diurnal pollinators provide the only significant pollinations, although recent studies show otherwise. For example, a recent study in apples suggests that nocturnal insects increase fruit production and flower cluster pollination at comparable …

The Effects Of Habitat Isolation On Fine-Scale Genetic And Geographic Structure Of Populations Of Two Threatened Endemic Insects In Southern Nevada, Pseudocotalpa Giulianii And Icaricia Shasta Charlestonensis, Kristen Tovar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Assessing the role geographic isolation and ecological specialization have on phylogeographic patterns contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary history of a species and the processes that erode genetic diversity. I used mitochondrial and nuclear genomic sequences to assess whether habitat isolation has shaped the fine-scale patterns of present-day genetic structure and diversity in two threatened insect species endemic to southern Nevada. Pseudocotalpa giulianii (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae) is a dune obligate scarab beetle endemic to only two small, isolated sand dunes in Nye County, Nevada, with a usable habitat of less than 4.2 km sq that is impacted by on-going degradation. …

Effect Of Temperature On The Microbiome Of A Laboratory-Reared Colony Of Haemaphysalis Longicornis Ticks, Brianna L. Mitchell

Honors Theses

Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks are invasive to the United States with potential to transmit several tick-borne pathogens that are native to the United States. Based on existing locations of H. longicornis in its native regions in Asia, as well as its invasive populations that are established in the United States, several geographic range prediction models have been produced to help understand future range expansion and distribution of this invasive tick in North America. Unfortunately, these models do not all agree and there is uncertainty associated with the potential geographic range expansion of H. longicornis ticks in North America. Climate can affect …

Population Genetics Among Rhipicephalus Sanguineus Ticks In The Lower Rio Grande Valley, Bianca Liana Guerra

Theses and Dissertations

Rhipicephalus sanguineus is a common tick species in the lower Rio Grande Valley of both human and veterinary concern. Two lineages of R. sanguineus have been described across the United States known as the tropical and temperate lineage. Both lineages can be differentiated morphologically, genetically, biologically, and by vector competence. The species name for both lineages has not been well established therefore this thesis will utilize their widely used identification. Both lineages have been identified in Texas. While the distribution of these lineages has been well-defined in some regions across the world, recent studies have observed sympatric populations in certain …

Study Of Population Dynamics Of Sugarcane Aphid (Melanaphis Sacchari) In Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Neetu Khanal

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: This chapter incorporates detailed information about the biotype concept, aphids, their types and their biotypes, importance of studying insect biotypes and their role in mediating host plant defenses.

Chapter 2: This chapter explains in detail about the biology, biotypes, feeding behavior, damage, and economic loss caused due to sugarcane aphid infestation. This chapter further elaborates on the need for studying population level differences and justifies the objectives and significance of this research study.

Chapter 3: This chapter provides information about the comprehensive work done on three different populations of sugarcane aphid collected from three different locations in Rio …

Urbanization Affects Web Abundance And Aggregation Of A Funnel‑Weaving Spider, Agelenopsis Pennsylvanica (Agelenidae), Brandi J. Pessman, Madison Hays, Earl Agpawa, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Animals distribute themselves within habitats based on a variety of environmental conditions, including those impacted by urbanization. Suspected global declines in urban arthropod biodiversity have required that we examine how urban conditions affect the distribution of this ecologically important group. Throughout North America, funnel-weaving spiders (Agelenidae) are prevalent across urban habitats and actively choose sites to build webs. We compared Agelenopsis pennsylvanica abundance and distribution between two distinct urban habitats: an urban center (university campus) and an urban forest (city park). These urban habitats differed significantly in features like plant diversity and proximity to roads and highways. We searched along …

Prey Preference Of Chrysoperla Rufilabris (Burmeister) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) For Three Common Pest Species Of Greenhouse Crops, Caitlin Silva

All Theses

Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) larvae are voracious generalist predators and important biological control agents on greenhouse crops. This study investigated the prey preference of second-instar C. rufilabris for three common greenhouse pests, namely the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), the Madeira mealybug, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), and the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae). This study also investigated the influence of prey density ratios on the preference of C. rufilabris larvae for T. urticae and A. gossypii. Prey species preference was evaluated in no-choice, two-choice, and all-choice laboratory bioassays. In the no-choice bioassays, …

Meta-Analysis Of The Effects Of Endophytes And Their Secondary Metabolites On Herbivory From Insects, Derrick Taylor

All Theses

Endophyte-infected plants have reduced the level of herbivory. The defense to herbivory can vary due to the metabolites in the plant and the method of feeding from the pest. Secondary metabolites produced by the endophytes are mainly alkaloids. The associations between endophytes and some alkaloid groups are studied in greater detail. The lack of research of certain alkaloid groups ultimately means that some alkaloids had more data that could be analyzed. As a result, the alkaloid groups were not evenly represented in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis analyzed the relative effectiveness of the metabolites or endophytes in each of the articles …

Development Of A Novel Fluorescent Reporter Baculovirus Vector For Testing Promoters In Lepidopterans, Daniel Howard

All Theses

Testing gene expression patterns is an important process in learning more about an organism. The standard methods of rtPCR and RNASeq provide highly detailed data on specific expression patterns, but can be resource consuming if many different samples including genes or organisms must be tested. A potential alternative for studying expression is the use of a reporter system carried by a vector system that encodes fluorescent proteins under the control of promoters of interest. Many lepidopterans (moths) are pestiferous and better understanding of gene expression levels in lepidopterans, both endogenous and exogenous including from their viruses, would be beneficial. Baculoviruses …

Developing A Cultural Management Approach To Bermudagrass Mite (Acari: Eriophyidae) Infestation, Matthew Brown

All Dissertations

Bermudagrass mite (Aceria cynodoniensis Sayed) (Acari: Eriophyidae) infestation stunts bermudagrass growth, leading to thinned turf and lower aesthetic and recreational value. Cultural management practices may impact bermudagrass mite infestation and turfgrass recovery from mite damage. Scalping or mowing shorter may physically remove mites, while drought stress may increase grass susceptibility to mites. Fertilizer application may promote mite infestation by improving plant nutrition. I conducted greenhouse, nursery, and field experiments to evaluate the impact of nitrogen fertility, irrigation rate, mowing height, and scalping on turf health and bermudagrass mite infestation in terms of the densities of witch’s brooms (i.e., stunted …

New Species, Synonymies And Transfers In Neotropical Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Larry G. Bezark, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

Four new species and one new genus of Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) are described: Nyssodrysilla humeralis new species (Acanthocinini), from Paraguay; Atrypanius schmidi new species (Acan­thocinini), from Paraguay; Chicanatonus hovorei, new genus, new species (Acanthocinini), from Mexico; Euryestola transversa new species (Calliini), from Ecuador. The following new combinations are established: Leiopus convexus Melzer, 1934 is transferred to Hyperplatys Haldeman, 1847; Leiopus floccidus Erichson, 1847 is transferred to Anisopodus White, 1855; Leiopus marcelamonneae Audureau and Demez, 2015 and L. pleuriticus White, 1855 are transferred to Atrypanius Bates, 1864. Leiopus histrionicus Gistel, 1848 is newly synonymized with Eutrypanus dorsalis (Germar, 1823). …

Phylogenetic Analysis Of Kdr Mutation Conferring Insecticide Resistance In Culex Tarsalis, Eileen Xue, Darren Zhan, Lena Tang

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Prevalence Of Dog Heartworm (Dirofilaria Immitis) Infection In Invasive Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus Mosquitoes In Southern California, Irene Hui Ying Lee, Donghwi Kim, Romina Lee

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Riodinid Butterfly Fauna (Lepidoptera) Of The Cosñipata Region, Peru: Annotated Checklist, Community Structure, And Contrast With Lycaenidae, Gerardo Lamas, Jon D. Turner, Michael L. Mcinnis, Robert K. Robbins

Insecta Mundi

A team of experienced lepidopterists sampled the butterfly fauna of Peru’s Cosñipata Region from 400 to 4,000 m elevation for more than a decade (7,440 field person-hours) and supplemented this sam­ple with data from museum specimens and the scientific literature. An annotated checklist of Cosñipata Riodinidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) documents 398 species, which represents 29% of the world Rio­dinidae fauna. For each, it lists sample abundance, adult behavior, elevation, and temporal distribution. In the fieldwork sample, 75 species (20.9%) were sampled once and 39 (9.8%) were not encountered (collected or imaged by others). A riodinid species of median abundance was sampled …

Evaluation Of North American Spider Wasp (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) Common Names, Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West

Insecta Mundi

The use of common names for species and subspecies of North American spider wasps (Hymenop­tera: Pompilidae) presents a variety of questions for pompilid specialists as most pompilid taxa are difficult to identify, even under the microscope. Some common names currently being used for spider wasp species are acceptable while others are misleading, unfit and unacceptable. Opinions on the relative value of common names for spider wasps from current Pompilidae researchers are given in the Introduction. Eleven inappro­priate common names for North American Pompilidae species and subspecies are identified and discussed in the Results.

The use of common names for fish, …

A New Synonym Of Acmaeodera Opacula Leconte, 1858 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) And Lectotype Designations For Acmaeodera Amabilis Horn, 1878 And, Jason A. Hansen, Richard L. Westcott

Insecta Mundi

Lectotypes are designated for Acmaeodera amabilis Horn, 1878 and Acmaeodera disjuncta Fall, 1899 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). The defining characters of Acmaeodera opacula LeConte, 1858 are compared with those of A. disjuncta Fall, 1899, as well as habitat and host plant. Acmaeodera disjuncta is synonymized with A. opacula. The distinguishing characters of congeners whose general appearance at times can resemble A. opacula are discussed, and a new state record for Mexico is provided for A. opacula.

Acmaeodera Eschscholtz, 1829 is a large and taxonomically difficult genus. For example, there are over 300 spe­cies known from the United States …

Taxonomic Notes On The Ototretinae, Photurinae, And Psilocladinae (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), Oliver Keller, Kevin R. Hinson

Insecta Mundi

We propose several nomenclatural changes for taxa in the lampyrid subfamilies Ototretinae, Pho­turinae, and Psilocladinae (Coleoptera: Lampyridae). Evidence for the correct year of description of Drilaster albicornis lateobscura (Pic, 1921) is presented. Spellings are corrected for Drilaster debilis holzi (Pic, 1914), Drilaster impustulata fukienensis (Pic, 1955), Drilaster moutoni (Pic, 1911), Drilaster pendleburyi (Pic, 1943) and Pyrogaster lunifera (Eschscholtz, 1822). We also explain the validity of the name Photuris flavicollis Fall, 1927. Fifty-eight taxa described as variations or aberrations in the subfamilies Ototretinae, Photurinae, and Psilocladinae by Delkeskamp (1977), McDermott (1966), Wittmer (1944), and Pic (1924c), are evaluated, with their availability …

A Preliminary Report On Non-Insect Arthropods (Arachnida, Diplopoda) At Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, G. B. Edwards, Karen Relish

Insecta Mundi

Use of a combination of a novel pitfall trap setup and Lindgren funnel traps at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park resulted in the collection of few specimens due to a higher than normal ground water level. Despite this, some unusual specimens of Arachnida and Diplopoda were found, including the second known record of Mysmena incredula Gertsch and Davis, 1936 (Araneae: Mysmenidae) in Florida.

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park (FSPSP) is an 80,000+ acre preserve approximately 20 miles long by 5 miles wide in Collier County, Florida, receiving on average about 60 inches (1524 mm) of rain per year during May …

A New State Record Of Eucera (Xenoglossa) Kansensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) In South Dakota, Usa, Louis S. Hesler, Eric A. Beckendorf, Abigail P. Martens, Paul J. Johnson

Insecta Mundi

Eucera (Xenoglossa) kansensis (Cockerell, 1905) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is newly recorded for the state of South Dakota, USA. The bees were sampled predominantly with blue vane traps, and E. kansensis was associated with a wide range of habitats that did not include its primary floral resources of Cucurbita L. and Ipomoea L. Further study is warranted to determine the basis for the association of E. kansensis within the wide range of habitats in this study.

The longhorn bee tribe Eucerini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a widespread and diverse group of solitary bees that includes important pollinators of both wild and …

Microplastics’ Effects On Painted Lady Butterfly Survivorship, Migratory Behavior, And Fecundity, Kaelin Ferland

Biology Student Scholarship

Kaelin Ferland ’23
Major: Environmental Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology

Human activity is affecting our planet at a microscopic level. In 2021, scientists first discovered microplastics in honeybees. Subsequent research has found that honeybee gut bacteria concentrations decrease because of microplastic ingestion, decreasing honeybee survivorship. The same might be true for other insect pollinators including butterflies. When butterflies visit flowers to feed, they simultaneously collect pollen on their wings. Due to the similar particulate structure of pollen and microplastics, it’s possible that butterflies collect microplastics in addition to food. We used painted lady butterflies to investigate if microplastics …

Hobo Spider, Kate V. Richardson, Ryan Davis

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes the hobo spider, its life cycle, habitat, medical significance, and management options.

Diversity Of Bees In Trees On Urban College Campus, Aidan Castricone, Courtney Caccamo

Biology Student Scholarship

Aidan Castricone ’24, Major: Environmental Biology

Courtney Caccamo ’23 Majors: Environmental Biology and Psychology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology

It is well known that insect pollinator populations are declining and a lack of nutrients (i.e flowering plants) may be contributing to this decline. Insect pollinators forage for pollen and nectar, which provides proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, from flowering plants. Current research on pollinator foraging behavior focuses on pollinators that forage on the ground thus overlooking those that forage in trees. Trees such as Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) and crabapple (Malus sp.) bloom in early Spring, even before …

Circadian Rhythms Effect On Brain Metabolism In Mutant Flies, Olivia Kozub

Biology Student Scholarship

Olivia Kozub ’23
Major: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass, Biology

All organisms have an internal clock that drives physiological processes known as circadian rhythms. Being able to predict the environment and prepare for it, rather than simply react, is so critical to survival that this ability has been conserved from single cell organisms all the way to humans. These rhythms can be measured at the gene level, the protein level, the cellular level, the tissue level, all the way to oscillations in behavior. Measuring the metabolic activity of normal fly brains at different times of day will chart the …

Use Of Resources By Adult Karner Blue Butterflies (Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis) In Michigan: Comparisons Of Nectar Selections On Native And Non-Native Species, Afafia Herweyer

Masters Projects

Abstract

The endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is at risk due to the decline of oak barrens and dry sand prairies, the butterfly’s sole habitat. Survival depends on effective conservation of remaining habitat and creation of new viable habitats. Successful management must consider resource needs for both larval and adult stages. Information on adult nectar requirements is limited (Grundel et al. 2000, Pickens & Root 2008). Sufficient nectar increases lifespan and fecundity of butterflies (Murphy et al. 1983, Hill & Pierce 1989, Fischer & Fielder 2001), and deters emigration. Encroachment of non-native nectar species into butterfly habitat warrants …