Entomology Commons^™

First Report Of Retocomus Wildii (Leconte, 1855) (Coleoptera: Anthicidae) From Nebraska, Edwin L. Freese

The Great Lakes Entomologist

[excerpt]

The beetle species Retocomus wildii is reported from Nebraska for the first time with three specimens collected at Indian Cave State Park, which is located adjacent the Missouri River, in the southeast corner of Nebraska. The first specimen was collected 9 June 1992 in Nemaha County by C. A. Springer and deposited in the University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln. The second specimen was collected 30 June 2011 in Richardson County, no collector given. Both specimens were identified by Matt J. Paulsen during 2011 (Paulsen, pers. comm.). The third specimen was first located as a photo posted at http://bugguide. …

First Record Of Eurypogon Niger (Melsheimer) (Coleoptera: Artematopodidae) In Illinois, Jordan D. Marché Ii

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The elateroid species, Eurypogon niger (Melsheimer) (Coleoptera: Artematopodidae), is recorded for the first time from Illinois. This brings to 10 the number of U.S. states (plus the District of Columbia) from which the species has been reported. Its occurrence has also been noted in Canada.

Description Of The Nymph Of Ophiogomphus Smithi (Odonata: Gomphidae), With A Key To The Species Of Ophiogomphus In The Western Great Lakes Region, William A. Smith, Kenneth J. Tennessen

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ophiogomphus smithi Tennessen & Vogt is a gomphid dragonfly with restricted distribution which includes northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and central to northwestern Wisconsin. The nymph is described and illustrated based on 173 specimens (66 exuviae of reared specimens plus 107 nymphs) from throughout the species’ range. The nymph of O. smithi is very similar to nymphs of O. carolus Needham, O. colubrinus Selys, and O. rupinsulensis (Walsh). Nearly all (99%) of O. smithi sampled can be distinguished from O. colubrinus by prementum terminal width less than or equal to 2.97 mm (98% of O. colubrinus greater than 2.97 mm), and …

Moths Of The Douglas Lake Region (Emmet And Cheboygan Counties), Michigan: Vii. Tortricidae (Lepidoptera), Brian G. Scholtens, Michael Sabourin

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Two hundred thiry-four species of Tortricidae are documented from Emmet and Cheboygan counties in Michigan, including 32 state records. This is the second major taxon of microlepidoptera inventoried from the area, and provides the first significant listing of a regional tortricid fauna from the state. Several additions are expected for this list as additional habitats and seasons are sampled more effectively.

The Family Mantispidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) In North Dakota, Eduardo I. Faúndez

The Great Lakes Entomologist

New records of mantidflies are given for the state of North Dakota. Climaciella brunnea (Say, 1824) is formally recorded, including the first precise locality records for the state. These records are for Barnes, Billings, Cass, Ransom, Richland and Slope counties. Dicromantispa sayi (Banks, 1897) is recorded for the first time in the state from Burleigh County. An illustrated key is provided to identify the species that occur in the state.

The Caddisflies (Trichoptera) Of An Undisturbed Lower Michigan Habitat, David C. Houghton

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The caddisfly assemblages of small streams, medium floodplain and forested rivers, and lakes within the Black River Ranch, a relatively undisturbed habitat in northern Lower Michigan, were sampled during 2014–2015 using ultraviolet light traps to establish a reference assemblage for the caddisflies of the region. A total of 117 species were collected including three—Hydroptila amoena Ross, H. novicola Blickle and Morse, and H. quinola Ross—not previously reported from Michigan. All species and their habitat affinities are reported herein. Individual sampling sites all had high levels of species richness compared to similar habitat types throughout Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and included …

Consumption Of Insect Pests By The Evening Bat (Nycticeius Humeralis) In Southeastern Michigan, Olivia M. Münzer, Brian Schaetz, Allen Kurta

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Diet of a colony of evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis Rafinesque) in Lenawee County, Michigan, was studied during 2006–2007, using standard fecal analysis. Of the 594 fecal pellets examined, the spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber: Coleoptera), green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris Say: Hemiptera), and emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire: Coleoptera) were identified and occurred at a frequency of 15, 12, and 0.8%; respectively, over the two years combined. In some weeks, up to 64% of the pellets analyzed contained fragments of spotted cucumber beetles, and up to 43% contained green stink bugs—two of the most injurious pests to …

Spatiotemporal Patterns Of Population Decline In Oarisma Poweshiek (Hesperiidae) In Michigan And Minnesota Between 1990 And 2013, Elise C. Rosengren, David A. Andow

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The recent contraction of the geographic range of Oarisma poweshiek (Poweshiek skipperling) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) resulted in its listing as an endangered species in 2014 (USFWS 2014). However, changes in population density within sites associated with this contraction are still not understood. This range-wide contraction of Poweshiek skipperling appears to indicate a regional cause. Using population data from multiple sites in Michigan and Minnesota, we investigated the temporal and spatial patterns of population decline to determine if regional or site-specific factors likely contributed to the decline. We hypothesized that if regional factors caused the density declines, then the declines would be …

Associations Among Serropalpus Substriatus (Coleoptera: Melandryidae) And Sirex (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) Communities, Tonya D. Bittner, Ann E. Hajek, James K. Liebherr

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Serropalpus substriatus Haldeman (Coleoptera: Melandryidae) develops within the same trees as Sirex noctilio F. and Sirex cyaneus F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). This species is now reported emerging from red pine (Pinus resinosa Sol. ex Aiton) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) (Pinaceae) in eastern North America. Numbers of Se. substriatus emerging from pines were always much lower than numbers of Sirex in trees, and 18% of Se. substriatus required 2 years before emergence. During first years of emergence, Se. substriatus was found in only 12 of 41 sampled red pines infested by Si. noctilio. Trees from which Se. substriatus emerged …

The Biogeography Of A Disjunct Plant-Insect Relationship: Thimbleberry And Diastrophis Kincaidii (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) In The Great Lakes Region, Michael C. Rotter, Mac Strand

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The clonal shrub thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) ranges throughout western North America and is disjunct to the northern Great Lakes region. Diastrophis kincaidii (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) is an obligate gall wasp of thimbleberry that has long been known from western North America but has only been reported from the Great Lakes region since the early 1990s. It has been suggested that Diastrophis kincaidii was only recently introduced into the Great Lakes region sometime in the 1980s. We conducted a survey to determine the distribution of D. kincaidii and its parasitoids within the thimbleberry range in the Great Lakes region. We found that …

A New Species Of Erioptera Meigen Crane Fly (Diptera: Limoniidae) From Michigan With Notes On Closely Related Species, Stephen W. Taber

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A new Nearctic species of Erioptera Meigen crane fly was discovered in Michigan, USA. It belongs to the green chlorophylla species group of the nominate subgenus. Erioptera michigana Taber sp. n. is most closely related to Erioptera subfurcifer Alexander but their reproductive structures are different. Their close relative Erioptera georgei Alexander is illustrated for the first time.

Impact Of Unconventional Gas Extraction On Tributaries Of Tenmile Creek, Greene County, Pennsylvania: A 12-Year Perspective, Christian L. Beall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much of southwestern Pennsylvania has been central to a rapid increase in development for unconventional natural gas extraction in the past two decades. The continued monitoring of streams over their lifetime as extraction sites is pivotal to understanding the effects of fracking on local waterways and their ability to provide for wildlife and human use. Here, using multiple indices of biotic integrity (IBI), I perform analyses of fish and macroinvertebrate communities as well as water chemistry on two streams, Bates Fork (with shale wells) and Fonner Run (without), as part of a follow-up to work performed there from 2010-2012. Fish …

Digitization And Archival Of Insect Collections: Literature Review, Rebekah Rogers

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

A slide presentation discussing how and why digitization has become a key component in the curation and care of natural history collections.

Impacts Of German Yellowjacket (Vespula Germanica) Removal On Pollinator Communities In Western New York, Jonathan M. Promowicz

Biology Theses

Invasive social insects can restructure native arthropod communities through predation and competition. Vespula germanica (German yellowjacket) is a globally invasive wasp species that dominates vespid assemblages across urban and suburban landscapes. This study tested the hypothesis that reducing V. germanica using protein-based fipronil baits would increase native pollinator abundance, species richness and native vespid abundance. Vespula germanica was experimentally suppressed at suburban and urban sites. Pollinator abundance and richness increased with V. germanica baiting. Native vespids had mixed results from baiting with suburban sites increasing in overall abundance and urban sites decreasing. These results indicate that suppressing dominant invasive wasps …

Assessing The Prevalence Of Ehrlichia Spp. In Ticks Associated With Canids In Arkansas, Eva J. Berryhill

Animal Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Canine ehrlichiosis is a disease that is commonly seen in dogs. In previous studies, the southeastern part of the United States has been identified as an area of high prevalence. Arkansas was included in the region where the prevalence is high. Changes in climate, household income, and tick population were identified as factors contributing to this high prevalence. Canine ehrlichiosis is caused by three Ehrlichia spp., which are E. canis, E. ewingii, and E. chaffeensis. Ticks are responsible for transmitting the disease, specifically R. sanguineus, D. variabilis, and A. americanum. For this study, the goal was to determine the prevalence …

Investigation Into The Microbiome Of Blow Fly Eggs Using Microseqtm Id, Samantha S. Davis, Drusilla Sheridan, Jennifer Rosati

Undergraduate Research

There is little published research characterizing the microbiome associated with blow fly eggs and how they may affect the colonization behaviors of certain blow fly species. Once deposited, blow fly eggs are rapidly introduced to a diverse range of microorganisms, which can vary depending on the species of blow fly, the environment, and the decomposition stage of the substrate (Junqueira et al., 2017). Since blow flies are among the first insects to colonize decomposing remains, the microbial communities present on their eggs could serve as key indicators of the decomposition stage at the time of egg-laying, thus providing a potential …

Nebline, May 2025

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

NEBLINE, May 2025

Tips on Staying Cool During the Heat of a Temper Tantrum

What’s Your BBQ IQ?

May Recipe of the Month — Air Fryer Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

Insect and Disease Control for Organic Vegetable Gardeners

May Garden Guide

Cash Rent Survey

No Matter Where You Live, Submit a Request Before You Dig!

Battling Scales in the Landscape

Three Lancaster County 4-H’ers Modeled Their Sewn Garments at Omaha Fashion Week

Ignite by 4-H 2025 National Conference

May Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award — Dayle Williamson

2024 National Index Study of 4-H Youth

Clover College, June 10–13; Registration Opens in …

Pollination Synchrony Along A Great Lakes Thermal Gradient, Joe Armstrong

Biology Theses

Pollination is an essential mutualistic interaction between plants and animals. Often agricultural crops rely on successful pollination to provide profitable and nutrient rich harvests. Successful pollination requires synchrony between flowers and pollinators. Western New York with its proximity to the Great Lakes has benefited as a Climate refugia; however, recent climate change and increased temperature variation have threatened regional fruit crops. In this thesis, I explored the synchrony between native pollinators, non-native pollinators, and apple flowering along a coastal to inland gradient for farms in Niagara County. I measured temperature, evaluated apple flower phenology, and harvested pollinators during the Spring …

The Prevalence Of Cytauxzoon Felis In Southern United States, Anna Haynes

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cytauxzoonosis, caused by transmission from a tick infected with the pathogen Cytauxzoon felis, is considered an emerging tick-borne disease in domestic felines. While not as fatal in other vertebrates such as the reservoir host Lynx rufus (bobcat), in domestic cats, infection is fatal nearly 100% of the time. This study sought to screen ticks pulled from felines for the pathogen across three states in an area identified as a hotspot. Out of 80 ticks screened, 12 tested positive for the pathogen. The positive population of ticks came from 3 neighboring counties in Southern Missouri: Jasper, McDonald, and Newton. McDonald …

Determining The Influence Of A Low-Head Dam On Macroinvertebrate Communities In The Bouie River, Natalie Santiago

Honors Theses

The Bouie River is a tributary of the Leaf River and belongs to the Pascagoula River watershed, the latter of which has no flow impediments in the form of sills or dams. The Bouie River has been heavily altered in the lower 10 river kilometers (rkm) from aggregate mining (creating a series of deep gravel pits) and the presence of an earthen and concrete low-head dam (sill) located 6 rkm from the mouth of the river. However, despite these alterations, the immediate stretch of river below the low-head dam is a known spawning habitat for diadromous fish species, including the …

Illustrating Insects: Using Art To Encourage Experiences In Entomology, Nia Kaufmann

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

The goal of this creative project is to use art to highlight the diversity of our insect neighbors and encourage others to explore their local environments. In order to accomplish this, I created a poster-sized illustration of five insects I’ve encountered on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s City Campus. All insects are posted within the silhouette of Memorial Stadium, each with an ecological and personal significance. The contrast of a well-known building with less popular insects invokes the audience to reconsider how much attention they pay to the wilderness around them.

Keywords: Entomology, Natural Biodiversity, Illustration, Insects, Appreciation of Nature

Landscape Effects On The Beneficial Arthropod Community In Agriculturally Dominated Environments, Hannah E. Stowe

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ecosystem services in agriculturally dominated regions rely, at least in part, on arthropods. Environment and biodiversity influence beneficial arthropods in population size, community structure, diversity, and ecosystem service provisioning. Predation is among the most important services provided by arthropods in agroecosystems. Understanding what alters predation and predator activity can support the successful application of biological control and, more broadly, integrated pest management. Land use and edge adjacency, field characteristics, landscape, seasonality, and diel period all alter predatory behavior. Crop fields dominate Nebraska agroecosystems, although interspersed perennial grasslands persist through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Such grasslands supply crucial resources and …

Constructing An Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait For Reducing Mosquito Populations, Xi Xian Ng

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Mosquito-borne pathogen transmission continues to pose a significant burden to global public health, well-being, and economic productivity. In the absence of universally available vaccines and amidst rising insecticide resistance that leads to product failures, there is an urgent need to develop new tools to mitigate mosquito-borne disease risk. Two general strategies exist to reduce transmission risk: personal protective measures and area-wide chemical interventions. Attractive Targeted Sugar Bait (ATSB) systems leverage the sugar-feeding behavior of mosquitoes—critical for sustaining their flight, metabolism, development, and fecundity—by delivering oral toxicants through attractively formulated sugar baits. This study aimed to develop an optimized ATSB formulation …

Modifying The Comb, Rethinking The Install: Integrated Approaches To Honey Bee Colony Establishment And Winter Survival, Shelby A. Kittle

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The European, or Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) plays a vital role in global ecosystems and agriculture, providing essential pollination services and producing valuable hive products. However, honey bee colony losses have escalated worldwide, but particularly across the United States due to various stressors, including biotic and abiotic factors, mismanagement, and environmental challenges. This thesis investigates key challenges in honey bee management and explores solutions aimed at improving colony health and productivity.

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the beekeeping industry, detailing its economic importance, services, and products, as well as the many challenges faced by beekeepers. It …

Mechanisms Of Perennial Sorghum Resistance To Sugarcane Aphid Infestation, Esha Kaler

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, the fifth most-grown cereal crop in the world, is a versatile crop, grown across different agro-ecological regions. Sorghum has numerous uses ranging from food and forage purposes to biofuel production. Sugarcane aphid (SCA; Melanaphis sacchari) is a major threat to sorghum production, accounting for 50% to 100% yield loss under heavy infestations. Perennial sorghum can be a sustainable and climate-resilient alternative to the current cereal farming systems. The development of perennial sorghum offers numerous benefits, such as reduced economic inputs, more carbon sequestration, better soil health, and sustainable yields. We employed host plant resistance …

Epidemiological Inferences Of The Impacts Of Winter Ticks On Moose Health, Krishna S. Woerheide

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The North American Moose (mooz in Anishinaabemowin, Ojibwe language, Alces alces), a culturally significant subsistence species for the Anishinaabe people, faces population decline due to calf predation, pathogen transmission, and parasitism by the winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus), all exacerbated by climate change. This study explores the impact of winter tick infestations on moose health, with a focus on natural mineral seeps as potential transmission hotspots in moose habitats within the Grand Portage Indian Reservation (Gichi Onigaming), on Isle Royale National Park (Minong), and within the 1854 Ceded Territory (greater northeastern Minnesota) - ancestral and present homelands of …

Integrating Genomic And Phenomic Breeding Tools For Wheat Stem Sawfly Resistance In Hard Winter Wheat, Sydney E. Graham

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The wheat stem sawfly (WSS; Cephus cinctus) is an insect pest that affects wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the Northern Great Plains. This pest causes stem cutting that makes the plants susceptible to lodging and results in up to 30% yield loss. The primary management strategy for producers is utilizing host plant resistance, for which the main trait is stem solidness. This trait increases the pith thickness and provides resistance to the WSS by increasing larval mortality and reducing stem cutting. While stem solidness is largely controlled by a known major gene (SSt1), the phenotypic expression is also …

Maggot Mass Effect On The Development And Survival Of Forensic Blow Flies, Akomavo Fabrice Gbenonsi

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Forensic entomology scientists use blow flies' developing patterns to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI). However, larval aggregations produce metabolic heat, resulting in complex microclimates that may change growth timetables. This study investigates how larval density and associated temperature changes affect the development and survival of two forensically essential blow fly species, Lucilia sericata and Calliphora vicina.

This study examined how larval density and associated thermal profiles affect the development of both blow fly species. Using a split-plot design, we tested four larval densities at 25°C and 30°C, with temperature gradients measured via thermocouple at four mass positions three times …

Ndp 54 V1 - National Diagnostic Protocol For Meadow Spittlebug (Philaenus Spumarius), Melinda Moir

Biosecurity research reports

National Diagnostic Protocols (NDPs) are diagnostic protocols for the unambiguous taxonomic identification of plant pests. NDPs:

• are a verified information resource for plant health diagnosticians
• are consistent with ISPM No. 27 – Diagnostic Protocols for Regulated Pests
• provide a nationally consistent approach to the identification of plant pests enabling transparency when comparing diagnostic results between laboratories; and,
• are endorsed by regulatory jurisdictions for use (either within their own facilities or when commissioning from others) in a pest incursion.

Where an International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) diagnostic protocol exists it should be used in preference to NDPs, unless it is shown …

Understanding The Impact Of Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda) Feeding, And Drought Stress On Drought-Tolerant And Drought-Resistant Soybean (Glycine Max)., Adriana G. Peissel

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drought and insect herbivory are two major stressors on high-value crops like soybean (Glycine max). However, few studies have explored how these stressors interact, despite their presence in tandem under field conditions. We investigated how drought stress and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) caterpillar herbivory impact Magellan (drought-tolerant) and Blackhawk (drought-susceptible) soybean cultivars. The soybean plants were subject to four treatment groups (1. Drought 2. Herbivory 3. Drought + Herbivory 4. Well-Watered) during a treatment period of 7 days in a greenhouse. We then measured plant height, physiological traits, trichome density, soil moisture, and larval mass gain. …