Entomology Commons^™

Understanding How Whole Genome Duplication In Plants Impacts Herbivore-Plant Interactions, Anne Curé

Dissertations - ALL

Herbivory by insect herbivores is a strong selective force in many communities. Although herbivore-plant interactions have been a focus of interest for decades, we are still exploring how large-scale genetic changes in the host plant alters their interactions with insect herbivores. One such prevalent change in plants is whole-genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidy, but we are still learning how WGD affects ecological interactions. In particular, studies of herbivory on polyploids have primarily focused on established polyploid plant populations. Although this approach has yielded exciting results that suggest WGD affects insect herbivores feeding on polyploids, this approach also confounds the effects …

Exploring Crypsis In Dolomedes, Joshua Nichols

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Cryptic coloration and background matching are highly effective for some riparian spiders’ camouflage against detection by the human eye. Fishing spiders (genus Dolomedes, family Pisauridae), which are known to be cryptids, present anecdotal evidence of substrate specialization which suggest that these species may be adapted to specific microhabitats in riparian zones. Some of the semi-aquatic species of fishing spider utilize similar coloration to their riparian habitat and microhabitat choice has been previously documented. These characteristics increase effectiveness of their crypsis and could be explained by microhabitat specialization between two species. This project addresses which colors these spiders use, and explores …

Ultrastructure Of Cimex Lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Salivary Glands After A Blood Meal Infected With Bartonella Henselae (Hyphomicrobiales: Bartonellaceae), Afsoon Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Bed bugs (Hemiptera:Cimicidae) are a common, hematophagous ectoparasite of humans and other animals, and are experiencing an international resurgence. Cimicids have been implicated in the transmission many disease agents, including various Bartonella species, however disease transmission has not yet been confirmed. Bartonella spp. are transmitted by a variety of arthropods, including fleas, lice and sand flies, and it is speculated that bed bugs may also serve as a potential vector. In this study, we used an artificial membrane to feed two groups of adult Cimex lectularius rabbit blood, either infected or uninfected with Bartonella henselae. After two weeks, the …

Studies On The Impact Of An Insect Growth Regulator And Host Plant On Reproductive Physiology Of Lygus Lineolaris, James Houston Chance Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, is an economically important polyphagous pest with a broad host range. With occurrence of insecticide resistance, strategies to limit its ability to reproduce, which would curb population growth, are becoming increasingly more valuable. Strategies toward this goal include the application of insect growth regulators (IGRs) and utilization of resistant cotton lines. This thesis summarizes experiments that elucidate the physiological underpinnings of the mode of action of novaluron, an IGR, and a cotton chromosome substitution (CS) line on the reproductive physiology of L. lineolaris. Investigations reported herein indicate that novaluron inhibits oviposition by …

Determining Residual Control And Systemic Activity Of Commonly Used Insecticides In Soybean And Cotton, Jacob H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Chemical control is a critical component of integrated pest management in cotton and soybean production. Residual efficacy of foliar insecticides can be highly variable and difficult to quantify due to several factors. The purpose of this research was to determine residual control and concentrations in flowering structures of commonly used insecticides. This research focused on the concentrations of active ingredient within the plant as well as efficacy over time. Previous research suggested chlorantraniliprole had a long residual and was highly lethal on corn earworm up to 28 days after treatment (DAT) in soybean; however, the results found in cotton were …

Investigation Of Dna Variability And Phylogenetic Relationships Of Perlesta (Plecoptera: Perlidae) In Mississippi, James C. Valentine, Mac H. Alford

Master's Theses

The genus Perlesta Banks, 1906 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) consists of 35 species, 33 native to the United States and Canada and two native to China. For over a century these small, brown stonefly adults and freckled yellow nymphs have gone by the name of the type species of the genus, Perlesta placida, but taxonomic work in the genus since 1989 has resulted in the recognition of additional species. These species were mostly recognized and described using morphological characteristics, but two areas that are lacking include (1) linking nymphs to adults and (2) phylogenetic analysis of all species occurring in Mississippi …

The Application Of Food-Grade Chitosan And Another Food-Grade Compound In Coatings To Control Tyrophagus Putrescentiae (Schrank, Family: Acaridae) Growth On Dry-Cured Hams And Their Impact On Dry-Cured Ham Quality, Wenjie Shao

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to evaluate if chitosan and another food-grade compound can be incorporated into food-grade coatings in conjunction with propylene glycol and polysaccharides to control Tyrophagus putrescentiae growth without affecting sensory attributes, water activity, and moisture content of dry-cured hams. Each coating solution was coated on ham cubes (2.5 × 2.5 × 2.5 cm³, n = 5/treatment) or infused in ham nets, and dry-cured ham cubes were wrapped in the ham nets prior to inoculation with 20 mixed-sex adult mites. Randomized complete block designs with two replications were utilized to evaluate the efficacy of …

Economic Implications Of The Mexican Fruit Fly Infestation In Texas, Samuel D. Zapata

Journal of Extension

The Texas citrus industry is threatened by the presence of Mexican fruit fly. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic losses caused by this invasive pest. Economic impact is estimated in terms of loss in revenue and increase in operating costs. Under current quarantined areas and pest management strategies, the Texas citrus industry could experience an annual economic loss of $5.79 million. The analysis was extended to evaluate the economic impact associated with different quarantined area scenarios. This article can be used to increase awareness and adapted to estimate the economic impact of emerging invasive pest outbreaks.

A Needs Assessment Survey Of Southern California Pest Management Professionals, Siavash Taravati

Journal of Extension

Pest Management Professionals were surveyed in training workshops/meetings in Southern California between 2015 and 2017 to understand their needs, challenges, and view of integrated pest management. The most encountered pests by pest control technicians were ants, cockroaches, rodents, spiders, termites, and bed bugs. The most challenging pest groups to control were bed bugs, cockroaches, ants, and rodents. The main challenges that professionals faced in doing their work were regulations, followed by managing pests, and customer-related problems. Most participants had a favorable view of IPM. However, they faced several challenges in implementing IPM, among which customer-related issues were the most common.

Trophish: Building A Global Database Of Freshwater Trophic Interactions, Jacob M. Ridgway

Honors Thesis

Freshwater management and research frequently use the trophic data of freshwater fishes. Despite this fact, it is difficult to perform a simple search of dietary information for any one fish species. FishBase represents, to our knowledge, the largest compilation of freshwater dietary information to date. However, it excludes a large portion of the ecological literature due to its development taking place prior to the creation of most modern scientific search engines. Our project (TroPhish) is building upon FishBase by digitizing approximately 130 years of data from the fish predation literature. Data from the primary and grey (e.g. theses, dissertations, reports) …

Resource Amount And Discontinuity Influence Flight And Reproduction In Hippodamia Convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Hannah E. Stowe, J. P. Michaud, Tania N. Kim

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Industrial-scale agriculture creates a mosaic of large monocultures in the landscape, where seasonal cropping cycles generate discontinuous resource availability for insect predators both spatially and temporally. In this environment, selection will favor predator movement and reproductive behaviors that optimize the location and effective utilization of resource (prey) pulses that are both patchy and ephemeral in nature. Using a model system to study predator movement and reproduction, we tested how discontinuous periods of food resource access that mimic fluctuating resource populations (aphids) would influence flight behavior and reproduction of a highly mobile predator, Hippodamia convergens (convergent lady beetle), and possibly modify …

Nebline, May 2022

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Insect and Disease Control for Organic Vegetable Gardeners by Sarah Browning

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

An Egg-cellent Choice!

Recipe of the Month: Sweet Potatoes and Black Bean Hash by Alyssa Havlovic

It’s Time for Private Well Maintenance by Becky Scheurman

Cash Rent Survey

Composting Demonstrations

Monarchs, Migration & Milkweed by Kait Chapman

Getting Outside to Play by Hayley Jackson

4th Graders Learn About “Farm to Fork” at Ag Festival

4-H Clubs Helped at Kiwanis Karnival

Support Local 4-H Youth During “Give to Lincoln Day”

4-H Achievement Celebration

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Rick Waldron

3 Lancaster County …

Checking The Checkered Taxonomy Of Plötz's Checkered Skippers (Hesperiidae: Pyrgini), Jing Zhang, Qing Cong, John M. Burns, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

We present an analysis of the names proposed by Carl Plötz in 1884 for the New World species in the genus Pyrgus Hübner, [1819] facilitated by the genomic sequencing of extant primary type specimens comparatively with a larger sample of more recently collected specimens of these species and their relatives. The changes to nomenclature suggested here are only caused by the identity of primary type specimens as revealed by their phenotypes or though genomic sequencing. All neotypes are designated to stabilize nomenclature in agreement with the current usage of these names, which in unison agrees best with the information available …

Genomic Dna Sequencing Reveals Two New North American Species Of Staphylus (Hesperiidae: Pyrginae: Carcharodini), Jing Zhang

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Two new skipper butterfly (Hesperiidae) species are described from the United States: Staphylus floridus Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Florida, Volusia County) and Staphylus ecos Grishin, sp. n. (type locality in Texas, Brewster County). They are cryptic and hence escaped recognition. They differ from their sister species by the relative size and morphology of genitalia and by genotype—including and beyond the COI barcode—thus, suggesting genetic isolation that argues for their species-level status. A lectotype is designated for Helias ascalaphus Staudinger, 1876. Staphylus opites (Godman & Salvin, 1896), stat. rest. is a species-level taxon and not a synonym of Staphylus …

First Record Of Ancognatha Erythrodera (Blanchard, 1846) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) In The Altiplano Of Chile, José Mondaca, Sergio Rothmann

Insecta Mundi

The presence of Ancognatha erythrodera (Blanchard, 1846) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is confirmed for the first time in Chile based on male and female specimens collected in the extreme north of the country. This is the second species of Ancognatha Erichson, 1847 recorded in Chile. Morphological characters, illustrations of male genitalia, male and female habitus photographs of this species, and additional records in Argentina and Bolivia are provided. A map with the collection sites and montane habitats photograph in Chile are included.

The Dynastinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) that occur in Chile were comprehensively revised by Ratcliffe et al. (2021), who recorded nine species …

Effect Of Larval Rearing Environment On Female Bicyclus Anynana Mate Choice, Adriana Beruvides

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Around eighty percent of animals go through metamorphosis or drastic phase changes at some point in their life. We know that juvenile interactions can influence adult behavior and mate choice in species that don’t go through metamorphosis, but we know very little about how social interactions during early life stages of animals who go through metamorphosis affect mate choice. To fill this knowledge gap, I used the butterfly Bicyclus anynana to assess whether female butterflies raised in complete isolation from the beginning of their lives exhibit the same mate preference as butterflies raised in normal social conditions. To test this, …

Using Community Science To Assess The Effect Of Wing Pattern And Weather On Butterfly Behavior, Abbigail Merrill

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Signaling in insects is used as communication and for attraction of mates. The physical appearance of the insect as well as conditions such as weather can play a role in visual signaling, by influencing the wavelengths of light available, and subsequent signal detection. We do not know, however, whether signals butterflies present broadly correlate with how they behave. In this study, we looked at the wing patterns and behavior of butterflies in Northwest Arkansas over a 3.5-year period to assess the relationship between wing pattern, weather, and behavior. We used observational data collected by hundreds of University of Arkansas students …

Native And Non-Native Ant Impacts On Soil Microbes, Hannah A. Stewart

Biology Theses

Organisms produce chemical weapons for defense, but target organisms can develop resistance. In their introduced range, non-native species may bring “novel weapons” against which native organisms have not co-evolved resistance. The invasive European fire ant (Myrmica rubra) may have brought antimicrobial secretions to the Northeastern United States that are novel weapons against native fungal and bacterial soil organisms. I hypothesized that M. rubra would better inhibit seed pathogens resulting in greater emergence of native myrmecochorous Viola sororia seeds and, as a side effect, more strongly inhibit arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi than a native seed dispersing ant (Aphaenogaster picea …

Using Ai To Examine Nocturnal Moth Pollination, Conor Moriarty

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The importance of insect-mediated agriculture cannot be understated especially in the wake of pollinator population declines. Most research of insect-mediated pollination is focused on diurnal pollinators like the honeybee (Apis mellifera). Deepening our understanding of how other pollinators, such as nocturnal pollinators, can benefit agriculture and ecosystems will be very important as honeybee populations decline. I explored nocturnal moth interactions with flowering apple flowers during their pollination season to better understand how these nocturnal pollinators interact with the plants. To accomplish this, I used a University of Arkansas farm area with a dedicated apple orchard. I gathered my raw data …

Site-Specific Pest Management In Nebraska Corn And Soybean Production Systems, Zachary D. Rystrom

Doctor of Plant Health Program: Dissertations and Student Research

Site-specific management (SSM) is widely used by farm producers to fertilize their fields. However, whole field management is currently practiced in integrated pest management (IPM). Site-specific management and agricultural technology can improve IPM especially when precision application of inputs can reduce selection pressure on pest populations, benefit the environment, or save costs of inputs. There is potential for site-specific pest management (SSPM) where pests, or environments vary spatially, and recommended management practices can be applied with precision. Three case studies are evaluated for SSPM to be applied in Nebraska corn and soybean production systems including corn rootworm, preemergence herbicides, and …

First Line Of Defense: Role Of Surface Waxes In Sorghum Defense Against Aphids, Juan David Betancurt Cardona

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Since 2013, the sugarcane aphid (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari) has become a devastating pest in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in the United States. Efforts to mitigate this pest and contain its rapid population growth have increased recently. Host plant resistance (HPR) is an effective and environmentally friendly strategy to reduce aphid populations in this crop. Many factors make SCA a challenging pest to control. For example, SCA can overcome drastic climatic changes, which allows them to successfully colonize sorghum plants at different developmental stages.

Epicuticular waxes (EW) constitute the first point of contact between plants and their environment. EW …

Interactions Between Resistance Genes In Wheat Triticum Aestivum L. And Wheat Curl Mite Populations Aceria Tosichella Keifer (Eriophyidae), Tran Kim Ngan Luong

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wheat curl mite (WCM) (Aceria tosichella Keifer) is a major pest of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), being the only known vector of three damaging plant viruses, Wheat streak mosaic virus, Triticum mosaic virus, and High Plains wheat mosaic virus. This wheat-mite-virus complex causes significant yield loss globally. Management has been mostly through cultural practices to reduce mite build up in volunteer wheat, thereby reducing the spread of viruses. Host plant resistance to WCM has also been used as an important management strategy for this wheat-mite-virus complex. However, WCM is a cryptic species complex, resulting …

Monarch Butterflies: Rearing Methodologies And The Impact Of Fungicide And Insecticide Exposures, Matthew Greiner

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The North American migratory monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus L., populations has experienced a ca. 90% decline over the past two decades. The decline is attributed to climate change, loss and degradation of overwintering habitat, and the loss of milkweed plants in the midwestern United States. The remaining milkweed stands often occur close to agricultural fields, and efforts to establish additional milkweed on the landscape focus on agricultural systems. However, milkweed plants near agricultural fields are likely exposed to pesticides that could adversely impact monarch caterpillars. Effective management of milkweed habitat supporting monarch caterpillars requires knowledge about the toxicological impacts of …

Risk-Prone And Risk-Averse Foraging Strategies Enable Niche Partitioning By Two Diurnal Orb-Weaving Spider Species, Mitchell D. Long

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Niche partitioning is a major component in understanding community ecology and how ecologically similar species coexist. Temporal and spatial partitioning and differences in foraging strategy, including sensitivity to risk (variance), likely contribute to partitioning as well. Here, we approach this partitioning with fine resolution to investigate differences in overall strategy between two species of diurnal, orb-weaving spiders, Verrucosa arenata and Micrathena gracilis (Araneae: Araneidae), that share similar spatial positioning, temporal foraging window, and prey. Through field observation, we found that V. arenata individuals appear to increase spatial and temporal sampling to compensate for an overall risk-prone strategy that depends on …

Effect Of Larval Experience On Learning Mate Preference In Bicyclus Anynana, Taryn Tibbs

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Phenotypic traits are shaped by the interaction of an organism's genes and the environment they experience. The plasticity of phenotypic traits is particularly responsive to developmental environments which can shape adult traits, such as expressed behaviors like mate choice and the ability to learn preferences. The Lepidoptera species Bicyclus anynana has been shown to learn mate preference based on social interaction following emergence from the chrysalis, however if and how the social complexity of the larval experience affects this ability to learn is less understood. Here I test the effects of isolation during the larval period on a female’s ability …

Relationships And Immature Stage Morphology Of Adelpha Diocles And Its Relatives, Jomel Thomas, Jordan Renner, Lu Han

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

What Is The Prevalence Of Dirofilaria Immitis (Dog Heartworm) In Invasive Aedes Mosquitoes?, Leen Yousef, Johan Espinoza Corrales, Daniela H. Dolar, Taylor K. Trieu, Aisha Popalzai, Agamchat Dhami

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

A New Genus For Stromatium Chilensis Cerda, 1968 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Hesperophanini) From Chile, José Mondaca, Marcos Beéche

Insecta Mundi

Stromatium chilensis Cerda, 1968, an endemic species from Chile, is placed in Malcho Mondaca and Beéche, new genus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Hesperophanini). The new genus is compared with Stromatium Audinet-Serville, included in a previous key to Hesperophanini, and a diagnosis and illustrations of the species are provided.

Stromatium chilensis Cerda, 1968, especie endémica de Chile, es ubicada en Malcho Mondaca y Beéche, nuevo género (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Hesperophanini). El nuevo género es comparado con Stromatium Audinet-Serville, e incluido en la clave anterior de Hesperophanini. Se aporta una diagnosis e ilustraciones de la especie.

The genus Stromatium Audinet-Serville, 1834, considered …

Descripción De Dos Especies Nuevas De Mesoplia Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae) Para Cuba Y Las Bahamas, Con Notas Sobre Taxonomía Y Distribución Del Género En Las Antillas, Julio A. Genaro, Dayron Breto

Insecta Mundi

Se describen e ilustran dos especies nuevas de Mesoplia Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Api­dae) para las Antillas: M. bahamensis Genaro y Breto, nueva especie, conocida solamente del cayo Castaway, Las Bahamas y M. cubensis Genaro y Breto, nueva especie, bien distribuida en toda Cuba e Isla de La Juven­tud. Mesoplia cubensis nueva especie fue una especie multivoltina, que se relacionó con el área de nidos de especies de Centris Fabricius (Apidae), su posible hospedero. Se presentan las características taxonómicas diferenciales y la distribución de las otras cuatro especies antillanas conocidas: Mesoplia sp., no descrita, M. azurea (Lepeletier y Serville), …

Additional New And Unusual Host Records For Western Hemisphere Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West, Cecilia Waichert, James P. Pitts

Insecta Mundi

We present 112 new and unusual host records for 63 species and subspecies of Pompilidae (Hy­menoptera) from the Western Hemisphere in modified taxonomic order according to the Synoptic Catalog of Hymenoptera (Krombein 1979). These records supplement those reported in a recent study by Kurcze­wski et al. (2020b). New and atypical genus and species host records are given for the genera Calopompilus Ashmead, Herbstellus Wahis, Pepsis Fabricius, Priocnessus Banks, Entypus Dahlbom, Pompilocalus Roig-Alsina, Sphictostethus Kohl, Priocnemis Schiødte, Caliadurgus Fabricius, Epipompilus Kohl, Auplopus Spinola, Ageniella Banks, Eragenia Banks, Agenioideus Ashmead, Sericopompilus Howard, Poecilopompilus Ashmead, Tachypompilus Ashmead, and Priochilus (Fabricius). New host …