Entomology Commons^™

The Identity Of The Adventive Gryllotalpa Latreille Species (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) In Hawaii, With Illustration Of Male Genitalia Of G. Orientalis Burmeister, J. H. Frank

Insecta Mundi

The adventive mole cricket species (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) in Hawaii is apparently Gryllotalpa krishnani Arun Prasanna et al., 2012. The adventive was long thought to be Gryllotalpa africana Palisot de Beauvois, 1805. From 1983 until 2008 it seemed that Gryllotalpa orientalis Burmeister, 1839 might be the adventive’s correct name. However, male genitalia and tegmental characters of Hawaiian specimens match features of G. krishnani and not G. orientalis.

A New Species Of Uvarus Guignot, 1939 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini) From Florida, Usa, J. H. Epler

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Uvarus Guignot, 1939 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini), is described from Florida, USA. It is most similar to U. suburbanus (Fall), but differs in the shape of the much stouter and broader median lobe of the male genitalia.

New Records Of Woodboring Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) For The Eastern United States, Lawrence Barringer

Insecta Mundi

An abundance-based checklist of eastern Buprestidae (Coleoptera) was compiled from collection records from invasive insect surveys conducted during 2010–2018. Reported are 111 species in 17 genera based on 33,047 specimens examined from 10 states. Sixty-three new state records in nine states are reported. Collection date ranges by month for each state are provided.

Jumping Bristletail (Insecta: Apterygota: Microcoryphia) Records In The Southeastern United States, Grant D. De Jong

Insecta Mundi

Few records of Microcoryphia exist for the southeastern United States, with named species being reported only from Arkansas, Tennessee, and the mid-Atlantic states, and with an unnamed species being reported from Georgia. Records are here provided from 291 specimens housed in the Mississippi Entomological Museum, including ten new species-level state records. This is also the first published report of the order Microcoryphia from Alabama and Mississippi. Species include the machilids Pedetontoides atlanticus Mendes in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina; Pedetontus cf. atlanticus in Kentucky; Pedetontus (Verhoeffilis) gershneri Allen in Arkansas; and Pedetontus (Pedetontus) saltator …

Primer Registro De Asiothrixus Antidesmae (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) En La República Dominicana, José Francisco García Ochaeta

Insecta Mundi

Asiothrixus antidesmae (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), una especie de mosca blanca asiática, fue encontrada sobre Ixora sp. en la República Dominicana, lo cual representa un nuevo registro en el país. Se presenta información básica sobre la especie, una diagnosis e ilustraciones para ayudar en su identificación.

Asiothrixus antidesmae (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), an Asian whitefly species, was found on Ixora sp. in the Dominican Republic and represents the first record of this species in the country. Basic information on this whitefly species, including a diagnosis and illustrations to aid in its identification, are provided.

El Género Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance Y Baker 1914, Con Descripción De Tres Nuevas Especies, Nuevos Registros Y Clave Para Las Especies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), José Francisco García Ochaeta, Gregory A. Evans

Insecta Mundi

Se revisa el género Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance y Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae: Aleyrodinae) y se describen e ilustran A. gabrieli García-Ochaeta y Evans, sp. nov., de Guatemala y México, A. elmarrojasi García- Ochaeta y Evans, sp. nov., de Guatemala y A. carapiai García-Ochaeta y Evans, sp. nov., de México. Se registran A. sapotae Russell y A. gardeniae Russell por primera vez para Guatemala. Se proporciona una clave ilustrada para la identificación de los grupos y especies del género.

The genus Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance and Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae: Aleyrodinae) is revised and A. gabrieli García-Ochaeta and Evans, sp. nov., from …

Nomenclatural Notes On Some Currently Known Species Of Eupogonius Leconte, 1852 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) And Description Of Seven New Species, James E. Wappes, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

The following new species of Eupogonius LeConte, 1852 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) are described: E. tlanchinolensis Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Hidalgo); E. albofasciatus Wappes and Santos- Silva (Mexico, Puebla); E. sonorensis Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Sonora); E. guerrerensis Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Guerrero); E. boteroi Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Guerrero); E. nascimentoi Wappes and Santo-Silva (Mexico, Jalisco and Colima); and E. monzoni Wappes and Santos-Silva (Guatemala, Alta Verapaz). Additionally, a detailed description of the female of Eupogonius fulvovestitus Schaeffer, 1905 is provided for the first time, along with notes on the likely host of the species. New state records in Mexico …

Demonstrating Mate Choice Copying In Spiders Requires Further Research, R. Tucker Gilman, Kasey Fowler-Finn, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Mate choice copying—when individuals learn to prefer mates or mate types that have been chosen by others—can influence trait evo-lution and speciation (Varela et al. 2018; Dion et al. 2019). Most examples of mate choice copying are from fish, birds, and mammals including humans (Varela et al. 2018). However, 2 invertebrate examples—fruit flies and wolf spiders—have been used to argue that the phenomenon may be phylogenetically widespread, and perhaps the rule rather than the exception in nature (Varela et al. 2018). Here, we revisit the evidence for mate choice copying in wolf spiders (Fowler-Finn et al. 2015) in light of …

A Guide To The Common Mosquitoes Of Grand Junction Colorado., Carter Synhorst

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Is a Mosquito Just a Mosquito? -- Mosquitoes are all over the Grand Valley, but most people think that a mosquito is just a mosquito. They don't stop to consider that there are many different species here in the Grand Valley. When and where you are getting attacked by them, can determine what type of mosquito it is. There are many different species of mosquitoes here that can vary from Fruita, to Grand Junction, and even into Palisade. There are over twenty-five different species here in our valley, and there are even more on the Grand Mesa and Glade …

Assessing The Health Of The Ground Beetle Assemblage And Ecosystem At Emerging Victoria Park, Chris Mortenson

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

The conversion of the 65-acre site now known as Victoria Park from an oil tank farm to an urban green space created an important and rare opportunity to both study ecosystem changes and support urban green spaces. Development in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area has resulted in a significant increase in land used for urban development accompanied by a decrease in forests and wet lands (1) as wel l as accompanying ecosystem fragmentation, isolation and simplification (2). The rarity of this land use change makes monitoring Victoria Park’s development all the more important. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are considered to …

Bed Bug Management In Healthcare Environments, Josh Shoemaker

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

For my Master’s Project, I propose to develop bed bug training materials that can be used to offer education on bed bug biology and best practices for bed bug control in medical facilities. The materials will include a training program and handouts for use in educating management and technicians who are Pest Management Professionals (PMPs), as well as resources for those professionals to use to train facility personnel.

Background

Bed bugs began to make a comeback as a pest in the US in the late 1990s. Since then, these ectoparasitic insects have become a significant issue for many households and …

Optimizing Monarch Butterfly And Bee Conservation Efforts In The Urban Landscape, Adam M. Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The eastern migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) is in serious decline. Most of the efforts to conserve this iconic insect focus on habitat restoration in the US Midwest. Often overlooked are small butterfly-centric gardens that can act as stepping stones between urban and rural areas. These studies aim to optimize the conservation value of such gardens.

Eight milkweed (Asclepias) species varying in height, form, and leaf shape were compared over two years in a common-garden experiment. I measured milkweed growth, rhizome spread, and bloom periods, conducted bi-weekly counts of monarch eggs and larvae, evaluated …

Developmental Effects Of Terpenes On Vanessa Cardui At Varying Temperatures, Mari Irving

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Secondary metabolites are organic compounds produced by plants that are not essential in growth, development, or reproduction. While they are not strictly necessary to complete the plant life cycle, secondary metabolites play key roles in functions like defense against herbivory and the moderation of symbiotic relationships. Terpenes are a major class of secondary metabolites present in all plants, and this class is hypothesized to have diversified in response to specific plant-herbivore interactions. These complex interactions are further complicated by changes in abiotic conditions experienced seasonally. Herbivory is a major biotic interaction that plays out across broad temporal and spatial scales …

Letter From The Faculty And Managing Editors, Beth Kegley, Gail Halleck

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.

Letter From Division Of Agriculture Communications, Fred Miller

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

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Chemical Variation On Competition And Insect Communities Across Solidago Altissima Genotypes, Bryan Scott Foster Ii

Masters Theses

Individuals within a plant species can differ greatly from one another, especially regarding the range of chemical compounds produced. However, the functions of many of these chemicals are unknown, but likely include defenses against herbivores, attractants for pollinators and seed dispersers, as well as mechanisms for resource competition. To assess the effects of foliar chemical composition on interspecific plant competition and insect communities, I conducted a common garden and greenhouse experiment using 24 genotypes of the allelopathic species Solidago altissima for which the foliar chemistry had been characterized. Using these data and chemical profiles of S. altissima, I linked …

The Heat Is On: Comparison Of Thermoregulatory Behavior In Parasitised Versus Unparasitized Caterpillars Of The Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca Sexta (L.) [Lepidoptera: Sphingidae], Jessica M. Johnston

Theses and Dissertations

Insect thermoregulatory research has demonstrated evidence of variation occurring within and among species with respect to infection, pathogens, and parasitism, but few studies have examined differences in thermoregulatory behavior in a host-parasite system with a coevolved symbiotic virus. I investigated the role of parasitism by Cotesia congregata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on the thermoregulatory behavior of Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) using an experimental design in a thermal gradient chamber and a complementary observational field study on wild M. sexta collected from tobacco farms. Parasitism and larval age were not found to have a significant effect on the preferred body temperature …

The Status Of Dakota Skipper (Hesperia Dacotae Skinner) In Eastern South Dakota And The Effects Of Land Management, Kendal Annette Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hesperia dacotae (Skinner, 1911) (Insecta: Lepidoptera), also known as Dakota skipper, is a northern Great Plains species of butterfly associated with tall or mixed grass prairies. Its range once extended from southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, to Iowa and Illinois. Now H. dacotae is only found in small isolated pockets in southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The species is often observed on alkaline prairies with poor soil not desirable for cultivation. Thus, many of the historical H. dacotae are used for pasturing cattle or as hay prairie. The loss of habitat …

Plin-Amir, A Pre-Microrna-Based Technology For Controlling Herbivorous Insect Pests, Julia Bally, Elane Fishilevich, Rachel L. Doran, Karen Lee, Samanta Bolzan De Campos, Marcelo A. German, Kenneth E. Narva, Peter M. Waterhouse

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, is a major insect pest for a wide range of agricultural crops. It causes significant yield loss through feeding damage and by increasing the crop’s vulnerability to bacterial and fungal infections. Although expression of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins in transgenic crops has been very successful in protecting against insect pests, including H. armigera, field-evolved resistance has occurred in multiple species. To manage resistant populations, new protection strategies must be continuously developed. Trans-kingdom RNA interference (TK-RNAi) is a promising method for controlling herbivorous pests. TK-RNAi is based on delivering dsRNA or hairpin RNA containing essential insect …

Parasitism Of Adult Pentatomidae By Tachinidae In Soybean In The North Central Region Of The United Statespheylan, Pheylan A. Anderson, Daniela T. Pezzini, Nádia M. Bueno, Christina D. Difonzo, Deborah L. Deborah, Thomas E. Hunt, Janet J. Knodel, Christian H. Krupke, Brian P. Mccornack, Christopher R. Philips, Adam J. Varenhorst, Robert J. Wright, Robert L. Koch

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are agricultural pests of increasing significance in the North Central Region of the United States, posing a threat to major crops such as soybean. Biological control can reduce the need for insecticides to manage these pests, but the parasitism of stink bugs byTachinidae (Diptera) is poorly characterized in this region. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of parasitism of stink bugs by tachinids over 2 yr from nine states across the North Central Region. Parasitism was assessed by quantifying tachinid eggs on the integument of stink bug adults. Parasitism rates (i.e., percent …

Aphid-Responsive Defense Networks In Hybrid Switchgrass, Kyle G. Koch, Nathan A. Palmer, Teresa Donze-Reiner, Erin D. Scully, Javier Seravalli, Keenan Amundsen, Paul Twigg, Joe Louis, Jeffrey D. Bradshaw, Tiffany Marie Heng-Moss, Gautam Sarath

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Aphid herbivory elicits plant defense-related networks that are influenced by host genetics. Plants of the upland switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) cultivar Summer can be a suitable host for greenbug aphids (Schizaphis graminum; GB), and yellow sugarcane aphids (Sipha flava, YSA), whereas the lowland cultivar Kanlow exhibited multi-species resistance that curtails aphid reproduction. However, stabilized hybrids of Summer (♀) x Kanlow (♂) (SxK) with improved agronomics can be damaged by both aphids. Here, hormone and metabolite analyses, coupled with RNA-Seq analysis of plant transcriptomes, were utilized to delineate defense networks induced by aphid feeding in SxK switchgrass and pinpoint plant transcription factors …

Forage And Habitat For Pollinators In The Northern Great Plains—Implications For U.S. Department Of Agriculture Conservation Programs, Clint R.V. Otto, Autumn Smart, Robert S. Cornman, Michael Simanonok, Deborah D. Iwanowicz

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Managed and wild pollinators are critical components of agricultural and natural systems. Despite the well-known value of insect pollinators to U.S. agriculture, Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758; honey bees) and wild bees currently face numerous stressors that have resulted in declining health. These declines have engendered support for pollinatorconservation efforts across all levels of government, private businesses, and nongovernmental organizations. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Geological Survey initiated an interagency agreement to evaluate honey bee forage across multiple States in the northern Great Plains and upper Midwest. The long-term goal of this study was to …

Do The Quality And Quantity Of Honey Bee-Collected Pollen Vary Across An Agricultural Land-Use Gradient?, Michael P. Simanonok, Clint R. V. Otto, Matthew D. Smart

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Pollen is the source of protein for most bee species, yet the quality and quantity of pollen is variable across landscapes and growing seasons. Understanding the role of landscapes in providing nutritious forage to bees is important for pollinator health, particularly in areas undergoing significant land-use change such as in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) region of the United States where grasslands are being converted to row crops. We investigated how the quality and quantity of pollen collected by honey bees (Apis mellifera L. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) changed with land use and across the growing season by sampling bee-collected pollen …

Geographic Distribution Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Cry1f Toxin Resistance In Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Populations In The United States, Brad S. Coates, Craig A. Abel, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Debra E. Palmquist, Débora Goulart Montezano, Sarah N. Zukoff, Yangzhou Wang, Jeffery D. Bradshaw, Christina D. Difonzo, Elson Shields, Kelley J. Tilmon, Thomas Hunt, Julie A. Peterson

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

The western bean cutworm (WBC), Striacosta albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), can be a severe pest of transgenic corn in the western Plains and Great Lakes regions of North America, including on hybrids expressing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1F toxin. The level and geographic distribution of Cry1F resistance are not completely known. Neonate S. albicosta from 10 locations between Nebraska and New York state were subjected to dose–response trypsin-activated native Cry1F toxin overlay bioassays. In 2017, the mean estimated lethal concentration causing 50% larval mortality (LC50) ranged from 15.1 to 18.4 μg Cry1F cm−2, and were not significantly different among locations. In …

Heat For The Masses: Thermal Ecology Of The Western Tent Caterpillar, Victoria Dahlhoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A unique feature of some gregarious, colonial insects is their ability to create external structures that alter environmental conditions for the entire (often family) group. A combination of physical alteration of local microhabitats and behavioral thermoregulation allows many of these animals to actively control their body temperatures, which allows them to regulate energy use and metabolism in variable thermal environments. Here I describe mechanisms of microhabitat modification and thermal regulation in the western tent caterpillar, Malacosoma californicum pluviale. Tent caterpillars build communal silk tents, whose temperatures can rise substantially above ambient air temperature. I experimentally manipulated colony sizes and examined …

Contents, Discovery Editors

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

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Deacue Fields

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

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Additive And Dominance Effects Of A Mutant Glutathione S-Transferase Gene On Anthocyanin Content In Muscadine Grape (Vitis Rotundifolia), Autumn Brown, Margaret Worthington, Aruna Varanasi, Lacy Nelson, Renee T. Threlfall, Luke R. Howard

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

The skin color of muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) is typically classified as black or bronze. A glutathione S-transferase, VrunGST4, has been identified as a candidate gene for berry skin color in muscadine grapes. A molecular marker was developed within VrunGST4 to distinguish between muscadine genotypes (cultivars and selections) with bronze (T:T), heterozygote black (C:T), and homozygote black (C:C) berries. The objectives of this study were to determine whether there was a correlation between berry skin color and total anthocyanin content and to calculate additive and dominance effects of VrunGST4 in determining total anthocyanins in the berries of two biparental F1 …

The Influence Of Land Use On The Pollen Diet Of Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Colonies In Ellis County, Kansas, Ryan Engel

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Pollinators are integral to plant ecology as well as to worldwide food availability and security. Understanding how human-driven land use change impacts the nutrition of managed honey bees is important in pollinator conservation efforts and can contribute towards combating recent pollinator declines. The objective of this study was to determine sources of forage for honey bees across different land use types in Ellis County, Kansas, through pollen analysis and taxonomic identification. Replicate study colonies were placed in three separate land use types: Urban, Cropland, or Native/Semi-native prairie. Pollen was sampled every 7 to 14 days throughout a growing season (April …