Entomology Commons^™

Nebline, November/December 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Horse Program Grows Youth for Life

Thanksgiving Food Safety

Recipe of the Month

Successful Farmer Series Starts Jan. 10

Produce Safety Workshop, Nov. 19

Pesticide Applicator Trainings

Upcoming Green Industry Conferences

A New Can of Worms: Asian Jumping Worms

Use Caution to Avoid Deer-Vehicle Collisions

Reuse Your Fresh Cut Christmas Tree for Wildlife

Gifts For The Gardener

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

High-Quality Child Care Depends on Effective Family Engagement

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Beverlee Keller

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Dave Hattan

4-H Video Companion Animal Showmanship Contest Results

Outgoing 4-H Council Members

2019 4-H …

Influence Of The Annual Flood Pulse Of The Atchafalaya River And Updates On The Ecology Of Floodplain Aquatic And Semi-Aquatic Hemiptera And Their Associates, Patricia Ls Wooden

LSU Master's Theses

Understanding the biodiversity of insects in an area provides key insights into the health and uniqueness of an ecosystem. Here we increase the breadth of knowledge of Louisiana aquatic Hemiptera through field and natural history collection research. The Atchafalaya River floodplain is variably inundated throughout the course of the year, peaking with the spring flood pulse, resulting in spatiotemporally dynamic habitats for aquatic organisms. Buffalo Cove Water Management Unit (BC) is within the river system, whereas Lake Fausse Pointe (LFP) has been leveed from the influence of the river for over 50 years. We collected aquatic macroinvertebrates with quatrefoil light …

An Annotated Checklist Of The Scarabaeoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) Of The Guianas, Auke J. Hielkema, Meindert A. Hielkema

Insecta Mundi

A checklist of the Scarabaeoidea (except Passalidae) of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) is presented for the first time. Both recorded and potential species are included, the latter defined as being recorded from Brazil north of the Amazon/Rio Negro main channel or from Venezuela east of the Orinoco main channel. The checklist contains a total of 930 species and subspecies, with 265 validly recorded from Guyana (eight new country records), 388 from Suriname (146 new country records), 531 from French Guiana (four new country records) and 177 additional species recorded from contiguous areas of neighboring Brazil and Venezuela. …

The Dragonflies And Damselflies Of Nebraska, Fred Sibley, Janis Paseka, Roy Beckemeyer

Zea E-Books Collection

Odonates of Nebraska

The Nebraska odonate list has 109 species in two suborders, damselflies (Zygoptera) with 47 species and dragonflies (Anisoptera) with 62 species. Nebraska had been very poorly surveyed prior to 2005 and 63 counties had fewer than 10 records. By 2017 the number of county records had nearly quadrupled, to over 3000 records, the average county total had increased from 9 to 33 and all counties had at least 21 records. An effort was made to collect data more or less uniformly from all 93 Nebraska counties. The areas with intense corn and soybean farming, eastern and southcentral …

Survival And Development Of Striacosta Albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Immature Stages On Dry Beans, Non-Bt, Cry1f, And Vip3a Maize, Débora G. Montezano, Thomas E. Hunt, Alexandre Specht, Priscila C. Luz, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Striacosta albicosta is a crop pest that causes economic damage in the United States and Canada. Only maize and dry beans are shown to be suitable hosts, since larval development is incomplete on other hosts. The objective of this study was to describe the developmental parameters of immature stages of S. albicosta feeding on dry beans, non-Bt, Cry1F, and Vip3A maize. For Vip3A, mortality was 100% after 24 h. Larvae feeding on non-Bt maize had the highest larval survival (70.6%) compared to the other hosts. Maize expressing Cry1F had higher survival (31.3%) than dry beans (26.0%). Larvae feeding on dry …

Fifty New Genera Of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera), Qian Cong, Jing Zhang, Jinhui Shen, Nick V. Grishin

Insecta Mundi

Genomic sequencing and analysis of worldwide skipper butterfly (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) fauna points to imperfections in their current classification. Some tribes, subtribes and genera as they are circum­scribed today are not monophyletic. Rationalizing genomic results from the perspective of phenotypic characters suggests two new tribes, two new subtribes and 50 new genera that are named here: Ceratrichiini Grishin, trib. n., Gretnini Grishin, trib. n., Falgina Grishin, subtr. n., Apaustina Grishin, subtr. n., Flattoides Grishin, gen. n., Aurivittia Grishin, gen. n., Viuria Grishin, gen. n., Clytius Grishin, gen. n., Incisus Grishin, gen. n., …

Altering Social Cue Perception Impacts Honey Bee Aggression With Minimal Impacts On Aggression-Related Brain Gene Expression, James W. Harrison, Joseph H. Palmer, Clare C. Rittschof

Entomology Faculty Publications

Gene expression changes resulting from social interactions may give rise to long term behavioral change, or simply reflect the activity of neural circuitry associated with behavioral expression. In honey bees, social cues broadly modulate aggressive behavior and brain gene expression. Previous studies suggest that expression changes are limited to contexts in which social cues give rise to stable, relatively long-term changes in behavior. Here we use a traditional beekeeping approach that inhibits aggression, smoke exposure, to deprive individuals of aggression-inducing olfactory cues and evaluate whether behavioral changes occur in absence of expression variation in a set of four biomarker genes …

Increased Aggression And Reduced Aversive Learning In Honey Bees Exposed To Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, Sebastian Shepherd, George Hollands, Victoria C. Godley, Suleiman M. Sharkh, Chris W. Jackson, Philip L. Newland

Purdue University Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund

• s
• Metrics
• Comments
• Media Coverage

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Materials and methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Supporting information
• References

• Reader Comments (0)
• Media Coverage (1)
• Figures

Abstract

Honey bees, Apis mellifera, are a globally significant pollinator species and are currently in decline, with losses attributed to an array of interacting environmental stressors. Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMFs) are a lesser-known abiotic environmental factor that are emitted from a variety of anthropogenic sources, including power lines, and have recently been shown to have a significant impact on the cognitive abilities and behaviour of honey bees. Here we have investigated the effects of …

Distribution And Incidence Of The Oil Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus Phoenicis (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) In Selected Agro-Ecological Zones Of Uganda, J. Baguma, M. Otema, G. Ddamulira, R. Naluyimba, J. P. Egonyu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The genus Rhynchophorus (Herbst 1795) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a key pest of palms worldwide, but information on Rhynchophorus spp. attacking the oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jaquin in Uganda is outdated. This study was carried out to establish the diversity, distribution and incidence of Rhynchophorus spp. on E. guineensis at three production set-ups namely large-scale plantations, adaptive trials and small-scale farms in three (Lake Victoria Crescent, Lake Albert Crescent and Western Highlands) agro-ecological zones in Uganda; and to establish the effect of vicinity to natural vegetation on incidence of the pest. Two surveys were conducted in 2018 during the dry and …

Effectiveness Of Different Agricultural Management Styles As Insect Biological Corridors: A Comparison Of Insect Populations In Fragmented Chocó Cloud Forest, Ecuador, Tara M. Krantz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Insects are part of the most diverse class of animals on the planet and are essential to various ecological functions such as pollination, nutrient cycling, providing a food source for other taxa, and more. The diversity and ecological services of insects are necessary to the operation of agriculture because of pest control and pollination of crops. However, the diversity of insects is severely reduced due to fragmentation. It is currently not well understood if certain types of agriculture can lessen the impact of fragmentation on natural and crop-based insect communities. In this study, insect populations in four different agricultural management …

Foraging Behavior In Atta Leaf-Cutter Ants: A Comparison Of Disturbed Versus Undisturbed Nests, Ariana Baetz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The genus of ant, Atta, is one of the most prolific and ecologically impactful genera in the subfamily of Leaf-Cutter ants. They prefer to build nests and forage in disturbed areas or on the borders between secondary forest and disturbed areas, as much of their preferred harvest is cultivars. Two nests of Atta were studied at the La Hesperia Nature Reserve, one an undisturbed nest aged about four years and one a recently disturbed nest aged about seven years. General foraging behaviors were observed and compared for both nests, including peak foraging hours, headwidth of foraging ants, trail length, plants …

Nebline, October 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Groundwater Protection: It’s Up to Everyone

The Nutritional Power of Pumpkins

Recipe of the Month

Sulfur Deficiency in Corn

Planting Garlic in the Fall Vegetable Garden

Composting Demonstrations

I Spy a Spider: Common Spiders Around the Home

Invasive Species: American Bullfrog

Plant Spring Bulbs for Pollinators

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Become a Master Gardener

Chatting With Babies Helps Brain Development

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Kelsey Ebke

4-H Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Sept. 29

4-H Specialty Clubs Invite New Members

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

State Fair 4-H Top Results

Lancaster County 4-H Quilt of Valor Presented …

David Lee Keith Obituary, Robert J. Wright

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

David Lee Keith, Retired professor and extension entomologist at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL), dedicated husband, father, and friend, passed away at age 78 in Lincoln, Nebraska, on 4 February 2019 due to complications from diabetes.

Dynamic Evolution In The Key Honey Bee Pathogen Deformed Wing Virus: Novel Insights Into Virulence And Competition Using Reverse Genetics, Eugene V. Ryabov, Anna K. Childers, Dawn Lopez, Kyle Grubbs, Francisco Posada-Florez, Daniel Weaver, William Girten, Dennis Vanengelsdorp, Yanping Chen, Jay D. Evans

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The impacts of invertebrate RNA virus population dynamics on virulence and infection out- comes are poorly understood. Deformed wing virus (DWV), the main viral pathogen of honey bees, negatively impacts bee health, which can lead to colony death. Despite previ- ous reports on the reduction of DWV diversity following the arrival of the parasitic mite Var- roa destructor, the key DWV vector, we found high genetic diversity of DWV in infested United States honey bee colonies. Phylogenetic analysis showed that divergent US DWV genotypes are of monophyletic origin and were likely generated as a result of diversification after a genetic …

Insect Population Dynamics, Varietal Preference And Performance Of Organic Bio-Pesticides, Anitha Chitturi, Jeanine Davis, Margaret Bloomquist, Franklin Quarcoo, Kokoasse Kpomblekou-A, Desmond Mortley

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

Abstract

Organic farming prohibits use of synthetic agrochemicals and encourages use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods. States in the Southeastern US generally lag behind the rest of the country in organic vegetable production partly because of high insect pressures that make it difficult to grow vegetables without pesticides. This study on summer squash (Cucurbita pepo), grown using organic management practices, was conducted at a research station located in Mills River, North Carolina. The objectives of the study were to assess insect population dynamics and to evaluate performance of three OMRI-approved bio-pesticides: Azadirachtin, Pyrethrin and Spinosad against major …

Effect Of Crop Diversification And Mulching On Termite Damage To Maize In Western Ethiopia, Girma Demissie, Esayas Mendesil, Debela Diro, Tadele Tefera

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Termites are major biotic factors that contribute to crop damage and yield losses to maize (Zea mays L.) in western Ethiopia. This study evaluated mulching maize stover, intercropping maize with soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and desmodium (Desmodium intortum (Mill.) Urb.), and integration of mulching and intercropping for their effectiveness in reducing damage of Microtermes spp mainly Microtermes vadschaggae Sjostedt and Microtermes adschaggae (Sjosted) to maize. Five termite management treatments and a control (sole maize) were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates on 2 farm sites in 2016 and 7 sites in 2017 cropping seasons in …

Experienced Males Recognise And Avoid Mating With Non-Virgin Females In The Western Flower Thrips, Adeyemi O. Akinyemi, William D.J. Kirk

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a major insect pest on a wide range of crops throughout the world. There are several unexplained aspects of the mating behaviour, particularly in relation to male-male competition and mate choice. The objectives of the study were to test whether males can detect the mating status of females and whether males avoid mating with previously mated females. Experiments involved either 'experienced' adults taken from a laboratory culture, which had been exposed to high densities of thrips, or virgin adults reared individually. Experienced males mated readily with virgin females, but avoided mating …

Effect Of Dietary Replacement Of Fishmeal By Insect Meal On Growth Performance, Blood Profiles And Economics Of Growing Pigs In Kenya, Shaphan Y. Chia, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Isaac M. Osuga, Alphonce O. Alaru, David M. Mwangi, Macdonald Githinji, Sevgan Subramanian, Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Sunday Ekesi, Joop J.A. Van Loon, Marcel Dicke

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Pig production is one of the fastest growing livestock sectors. Development of this sector is hampered by rapidly increasing costs of fishmeal (FM), which is a common protein source in animal feeds. Here, we explored the potential of substituting FM with black soldier fly larval meal (BSFLM) on growth and blood parameters of pigs as well as economic aspects. At weaning, 40 hybrid pigs, i.e., crossbreeds of purebred Large White and Landrace were randomly assigned to five iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic dietary treatments: Control (0% BSFLM and 100% FM (T0)), and FM replaced at 25% (T25), 50% (T50), 75% (T75) and …

Cadmium Tolerance Pathway In Anopheles Gambiae Senso Stricto, Martin K. Rono, Catherine N. Muturi, Richard Ochieng, Ramadhan Mwakubabanya, Francis N. Wachira, Joseph Mwangangi, Sam Kinyanjui, James Njunge, Paul O. Mireji

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Cadmium is one of the widely used heavy metals (HM) in commercial and industrial products and contributes to environmental contamination in an urban setting. In our previous studies, we established that An. gambiae sensu stricto, a vector of malaria, had adapted to HM pollutants in nature despite their proclivity for unpolluted aquatic habitats. We further demonstrated that heavy metal tolerance adaptation process impacts a biological cost to the fitness of the mosquito and potentially involves the induction of specific HM-responsive transcripts and proteins. Here we interrogated differential proteomic profiles of the cadmium tolerant vs. naïve strains of An. gambiae to …

Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments Of Soybean Provide Negligible Benefits To Us Farmers, Spyridon Mourtzinis, Christian H. Krupke, Paul D. Esker, Adam J. Varenhorst, Nicholas J. Arneson, Carl A. Bradley, Adam M. Byrne, Martin I. Chilvers, Loren Giesler, Ames Herbert, Yuba R. Kandel, Maciej J. Kazula, Catherine Hunt, Laura E. Lindsey, Sean Malone, Daren S. Mueller, Seth Naeve, Emerson Nafziger, Dominic D. Reisig, William J. Ross, Devon R. Rossman, Sally Taylor, Shawn P. Conley

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides worldwide and are typically deployed as seed treatments (hereafter NST) in many grain and oilseed crops, including soybeans. However, there is a surprising dearth of information regarding NST effectiveness in increasing soybean seed yield, and most published data suggest weak, or inconsistent yield benefit. The US is the key soybean-producing nation worldwide and this work includes soybean yield data from 194 randomized and replicated field studies conducted specifically to evaluate the effect of NSTs on soybean seed yield at sites within 14 states from 2006 through 2017. Here we show that across the …

New State Records For The Cicada Parasite Beetle Sandalus Petrophya Knoch (Rhipiceridae), Ed Freese

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Abstract: New state records are presented for Sandalus petrophya specimens from Nebraska and Iowa along with the currently known distribution of this beetle species.

Acroneuria Lycorias (Boreal Stonefly, Plecoptera: Perlidae) Emergence Behaviors Discovered In Pinus Strobus Canopy, Hannah Hoff, Jonathan G. Martin, Patrick J. Liesch, Erik R. Olson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Species of Plecoptera, or stoneflies, are known to use vertical emergence supports, and researchers believe many species of Plecoptera exploit arboreal habitats during emergence. However, the exact nature of these arboreal behaviors has largely remained a mystery. While exploring the habitat potential of Pinus strobus (L.) (Eastern White Pine) canopies in northern Wisconsin we observed Acroneuria lycorias (Newman) (Boreal Stonefly, Plecoptera: Perlidae) exuviae at heights as high as 12m (observations at 6.6, 9, 9.5, and 12m). Most A. lycorias exuviae appeared to have a strong preference for emergence sites at the underside or base of branches similar to some Odonate …

A Five-Year Study Of The Flying Beetles (Coleoptera) From A Grassland And An Adjacent Woods In Southern Québec (Canada), Claire Levesque, Gilles-Yvon Levesque

The Great Lakes Entomologist

During the entire snow-free season (April or May to October) in 2006-2010, we collected with four flight interception traps a total of 34 629 individuals of 848 Coleoptera species belonging to 60 families in southern Québec (Canada). We catched mainly phytophagous and zoophagous beetles. The majority of species (621 or 73,2%) were represented by less than 10 adults over the five years; however, we collected at least 100 adults for 48 species, including four major species: Meligethes nigrescens Stephens (15,9% of the total catches), Longitarsus luridus (Scopoli) (10,6%), Eusphalerum pothos (Mannerheim) (9,1%) and Acidota subcarinata Erichson (5,9%). Between 39 and …

Use Of Nest And Pollen Resources By Leafcutter Bees, Genus Megachile (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) In Central Michigan, Michael F. Killewald, Logan M. Rowe, Kelsey K. Graham, Thomas J. Wood, Rufus Isaacs

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Many landscapes throughout the Great Lakes region have experienced reductions in floral and nesting resources for bees. Identifying the resources used by bees in the family Megachilidae can be used to inform conservation programs that aim to support this group. In this study, we identified the preferred nesting substrate and size, as well as the proportion of distinct pollen types used for offspring provisioning by Megachile species. A total of 39 completed artificial nesting tubes were collected between July 25 and August 30, 2016. A majority of completed nests were in 4 mm diameter tubes. However, more 6 mm and …

Historical Population Increases And Related Inciting Factors Of Agrilus Anxius, Agrilus Bilineatus, And Agrilus Granulatus Liragus (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) In The Lake States (Michigan, Minnesota, And Wisconsin), Robert A. Haack, Toby Petrice

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Three native species of tree-infesting Agrilus have regularly reached outbreak levels in the Lake States (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), including A. anxius Gory (bronze birch borer), A. bilineatus (Weber) (twolined chestnut borer), and A. granulatus liragus Barter & Brown (bronze poplar borer). The main host trees for these Agrilus are species of Betula for A. anxius, Castanea and Quercus for A. bilineatus, and Populus for A. granulatus liragus. Based on 197 annual forest health reports for Michigan (1950–2017, 66 years), Minnesota (1950–2017, 64 years), and Wisconsin (1951–2017, 67 years), A. bilineatus was the most often reported Agrilus …

First Records Of The Adventive Pseudoanthidium Nanum (Mocsáry) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) In Illinois And Minnesota, With Notes On Its Identification And Taxonomy, Zachary M. Portman, Skyler J. Burrows, Terry Griswold, Mike Arduser, Aaron J. Irber, Rebecca K. Tonietto, Daniel P. Cariveau

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report the first records of Pseudoanthidium nanum (Mocsáry) in Illinois and Minnesota in 2016 and 2018, respectively. This represents a relatively rapid expansion since P. nanum was first detected in New Jersey in 2008. In order to help monitor the spread of this bee, we provide information on how to identify P. nanum and provide images of the general habitus, diagnostic features, and male genitalia. Finally, we confirm the taxonomic identity of P. nanum in the United States and highlight potential impacts on native anthidiines.

The Discovery Of Trissolcus Japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) In Michigan, Benjamin J. M. Jarrett, John Pote, Elijah Talamas, Larry Gut, Marianna Szucs

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is a pest of growing economic importance in the United States, the control of which currently relies on pesticide applications. Biological control could provide sustainable and long-term control but classical biological control agents have not yet been approved. Adventive populations of a potential biological control agents, the Samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), have been found in the United States, first in Maryland in 2014, expanding its range west to Ohio by 2017. Trissolcus japonicus is a highly effective parasitoid of H. halys eggs, but its redistribution and augmentative releases are restricted …

Epeoloides Pilosulus (Cresson) Rediscovered In Michigan, With Notes On The Distribution And Status Of Its Macropis Hosts., Thomas J. Wood, Michael F. Killewald, Kelsey K. Graham, Jason Gibbs, Rufus Isaacs

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Epeoloides pilosulus (Cresson 1878) is one of the rarest bees in North America with only a handful of records since 1960. The last collection in Michigan was made in 1944. Epeoloides pilosulus is a brood parasite of Macropis bees, which until recently had not been collected in Michigan for several decades. Bee surveys in Midland County, Michigan have led to the rediscovery of E. pilosulus in this state – the first record in 74 years. Michigan becomes the fourth state where E. pilosulus has been rediscovered after Connecticut in 2006, New York in 2014 and Maine in 2016, and the …

Cover Pages

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cover pages for TGLE Vol. 52 Nos. 1 & 2

Cover Art

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cover art for TGLE Vol. 52 Nos. 1 & 2