Entomology Commons^™

Larval Taxonomy, Phylogeny And Historical Biogeography Of The Genus Cheumatopsyche (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) In North America, Zachary Burington

All Theses

Larvae of the genus Cheumatopsyche (Trichoptera:Hydropsychidae) are a
abundant and probably significant ecological component of freshwater lotic ecosystems
worldwide, with many species inhabiting streams with elevated organic pollution. The
varying tolerance levels among these species necessitate species-level identification for
accurate water-quality assessment. However, past workers have had difficulty separating
the Nearctic species in the larval stage. This research presents progress on the goal
towards identification of larval Cheumatopsyche. Chaetotaxal and cuticular characters are delimited for 7 larval morphotypes, all of which have been putatively associated with
adults. The Nearctic phylogeny of Cheumatopsyche is revised, including 5 species
described after 1987. …

Species Diversity And Seasonal Abundance Of Scarabaeoidea At Four Locations In South Carolina, Kevin Hinson

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Using light, flight-intercept, and pitfall traps, 74, 327 specimens of Scarabaeoidea were captured at four golf courses in South Carolina during 2009-2010. Aphodiinae were identified only to the subfamily level and totaled 57,502 specimens. 16,825 specimens in 47 genera and 104 species in the families Ceratocanthidae, Geotrupidae, Hybosoridae, Lucanidae, Passalidae, Scarabaeidae (excluding Aphodiinae), and Trogidae were identified based on morphological characteristics. Similar to other southeastern studies focusing on phytophagous scarabs, the most abundant species consisted of Dyscinetus morator (Fabricius), Euetheola humilis (Burmeister), Cyclocephala lurida Bland, and Hybosorus illigeri Reiche. The most speciose genus captured was Phyllophaga Harris, totaling 22 …

Population Genetics Of The Western Bean Cutworm (Striacosta Albicosta Smith) Across The United States, Erica Lindroth

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith), is a secondary pest of maize (Zea mays L.) and dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in the western United States. Recently, this insect has undergone a major territory expansion into the eastern US and has become a pest throughout much of the Corn Belt. This study was instigated to examine the population genetics of this pest to facilitate control and resistance management, as well as to shed light on the current habitat expansion. To this end, western bean cutworm individuals were collected from 28 different locations across the traditional and expanded …

Genetic Variability And Gene Flow Of The Fall Armyworm Spodoptera Frugiperda (J.E. Smith) In The Western Hemisphere And Susceptibility To Insecticides, Difabachew B. Kondidie

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is an economically important pest of maize, sorghum, cotton, and rice in the Western Hemisphere. Previous studies on genetic diversity of FAW focused on identification of the corn and rice host strains; there is limited information about geographic genetic variation. To bridge this gap, I investigated the genetic diversity of FAW using representative samples from the United States, Argentina, Panama, and Puerto Rico with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). This study also investigated the susceptibility of the Puerto Rico FAW population to ten different insecticides used by Dow AgroSciences …

Epigeic Spider (Araneae) Diversity And Habitat Distributions In Kings Mountain National Military Park, South Carolina, Sarah Stellwagen

All Theses

This study examined the epigeic spider fauna in Kings Mountain National Military Park. The aim of this study is to make this information available to park management for use in the preservation of natural resources. Pitfall trapping was conducted monthly for one year in three distinct habitats: riparian, forest, and ridge-top. The study was conducted from August 2009 to July 2010. One hundred twenty samples were collected in each site. Overall, 289 adult spiders comprising 66 species were collected in the riparian habitat, 345 adult comprising 57 species were found in the forest habitat, and 240 adults comprising 47 species …

Investigating Mechanisms Of Co-Occurrence Between Two Similar Specis Of Predaceous Diving Beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) In Temporary Aquatic Habitats, Kristopher Alexander Pitcher

Master's Theses

Predaceous diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) are a model group of organisms for testing coexistence and exclusion mechanisms because numerous species of the family interact in isolated, aquatic habitats, and are ubiquitous throughout landscapes. Two morphologically similar species, laccophilus fasciatus rufus and Laccophilus proximus, co-occur in numerous habitats in South Mississippi, but are hypothesized to have strong interspecific interactions. I investigated several possible mechanisms that may promote such coexistence, including segregation in habitat domain, differences in behavior, and differences in dispersal that may allow co-occurrence between these two species of beetle. Habitat domain and behaviors such as activity and prey consumption …

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Erin Petrizzo, Diane G. Alston

All Current Publications

Brown marmorated stink bug (Order Hemiptera: Family Pentatomidae) (BMSB) was accidentally introduced into the eastern U.S. from Asia in the late 1990s. In 2001 it was officially identified in Pennsylvania, and has since spread along the eastern seaboard and westward into the Great Lakes region.

Chemical Ecology, Population Dynamics And Insecticide Susceptibility Of Lesser Mealworm Alphitobius Diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Narinderpal Singh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is a serious, cosmopolitan pest present in poultry production facilities, where it slows down weight gain in chicks, carries disease–causing organisms, and causes damage to poultry insulation. The first study estimated that the lesser mealworm densities in poultry litter applied to pastures were 3.5, 2.2 and 0.4 million larvae, adults and pupae, respectively, per hectare in Savoy, Arkansas. The repercussions of these adult beetles are that they often disperse to and reinfest poultry houses with the potential to vector disease to poultry, and disperse to invade human dwellings resulting in litigation. The …

Five New Species Of Anillinus Casey From The Southern Appalachian Mountains And The Piedmont Plateau Of Eastern U.S.A. (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae: Bembidiini), Igor M. Sokolov

Insecta Mundi

Five new species of anilline ground beetles (Carabidae: Trechinae: Bembidiini) are described from the Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont Plateau of eastern United States. Two species, Anillinus unicoi n. sp. (from the Unicoi Mountains, North Carolina) and A. carltoni n. sp. (from the Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina/ Tennessee), inhabit the crests of adjacent mountain ranges, and share similarities with A. moseleyae Sokolov and Carlton. These three comprise a high-altitude group of species in the region. The third species A. chilhowee n. sp. Is one of the smallest representatives of the loweae-group of species. It differs from its relatives in characters …

Review Of The Genus Orizabus Fairmaire In The United States Of America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), William B. Warner

Insecta Mundi

The Orizabus Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodini) of the USA are reviewed. Orizabus pinalicus new species and O. mcclevei new species are described. Lectotypes are here designated for eight species names: Bothynus pyriformis LeConte, Pseudaphonus lucidus Casey, Orizabus snowii Horn, Orizabus cultripes Fairmaire, Orizabus isodonoides Fairmaire, Orizabus sallei Fairmaire, Orizabus fontinalis Casey, and Orizabus ponderosus Casey. Illustrations of diagnostic characters and a key to the five included species are presented. The Mexican species O. isodonoides and O. rubricollis Prell are also illustrated for comparison to the new species.

A Revision Of The Genus Gymnetina Casey, 1915 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini), Brett C. Ratcliffe, William B. Warner

Insecta Mundi

The genus Gymnetina Casey (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini) is redescribed and revised. Three new species and one new subspecies are described: G. borealis Warner and Ratcliffe, G. grossepunctata Ratcliffe and Warner, G. howdeni Warner and Ratcliffe, and G. cretacea sundbergi Warner and Ratcliffe. Gymnetina salicis (Bates), new status, is removed from synonymy with G. cretacea (LeConte), and G. alboscripta (Janson) is transferred from Gymnetis MacLeay to Gymnetina becoming Gymnetina alboscripta (Janson), new combination. Redescriptions of previously known species, a key for identification, and illustrations of the six species are provided. A brief biogeographical analysis suggests that ancestral taxa …

Four New Species Of Acoma Casey, With A Key To Species In The Genus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), William B. Warner

Insecta Mundi

Acoma howdenorum, Acoma westcotti, Acoma quadrilaminata, and Acoma cimarron (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), all new species, are described from Yuma County, Arizona, USA, and Baja California Sur, Baja California (Norte), and Sonora, Mexico, respectively. Habitus of the four new species is illustrated, and an updated key to the described species in the genus is provided. Distribution and variation of Acoma glabrata Cazier are also discussed.

Characterization Of Ips Pini Ipsdienol Dehydrogenase (Idol Dh), Heidi Pak, Claus Tittiger, William Welch

Festival of Communities: UG Symposium (Posters)

Ipsdienol is an important pheromone component for pine engraver beetle, Ips pini. Ipsdienol is a ten carbon monoterpenoid secondary alcohol and ipsdienone is the corresponding ketone. We are characterizing the activity of recombinant IDOL DH produced in Sf9 (insect) cells. The enzyme has a high stereospecificity: (-) ipsdienol was found to be a substrate while (+)-ipsdienol was neither a substrate nor inhibitor. Closely related monoterpenoids, such as nerol, geraniol, and citral, were neither substrates nor inhibitors. Smaller compounds, such as 2-propanol, also failed to act as an inhibitor or substrate. This indicates the binding site of this enzyme is highly …

Descriptions Of Females Of Nothopleurus Lacordaire And Strongylaspis Thomson (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Macrotomini) With New Distributional Records, James E. Wappes, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

 The female of Nothopleurus subsulcatus (Dalman, 1823) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Macrotomini) is described for the first time, and the female of Strongylaspis bullata Bates, 1872 is redescribed. Color photographs of the habitus of both, and key characters for the former are included. New distributional records within Mexico for N. subsulcatus and Strongylaspis championi Bates, 1884 are given.

  A fêmea de Nothopleurus subsulcatus (Dalman, 1823) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae: Macrotomini) é descrita pela primeira vez e a de Strongylaspis bullata Bates, 1872 é redescrita. São adicionadas figuras coloridas para as duas espécies e chave parcial para a N. subsulcatus. São fornecidos …

Rediscovery Of Cicindela Scabrosa Floridana Cartwright (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) And Its Elevation To Species Level, David Brzoska, C. Barry Knisley, Jeffrey Slotten

Insecta Mundi

First discovered in 1934 and described as a variety of Cicindela abdominalis Fabricius (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), the form floridana, to our knowledge, has not been recollected until we discovered it in 2007, south of the presumed type locality. From our examination of the type specimen, eight paratypes and 40 specimens from the new locality and additional study, we reinterpreted its status to be a full species. This interpretation is based on distinctive and consistent differences from the closely related Cicindelidia scabrosa (Schaupp). These differences include morphology (maculation, color and elytral microsculpture), distribution, habitat, and seasonality. We present here a more …

A Second Species Of Lucanobium Howden And Lawrence From South America (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Aesalinae), M. J. Paulsen

Insecta Mundi

The monotypic aesaline genus Lucanobium Howden and Lawrence (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) was previously known only from Venezuela. A second species is here described as new from French Guiana, extending the range of the genus approximately 1800 km to the southeast. The generic description of Lucanobium is updated with respect to the discovery of a second species.

Transfer Of The Myrmecophilous Soft Scale Insect Neolecanium Amazonensis Foldi To Foldilecanium Gen. Nov. (Hemiptera: Coccidae), With Description Of A New Species From Colombia, Takumasa Kondo

Insecta Mundi

Neolecanium amazonensis Foldi is redescribed and illustrated and is transferred to the new genus Foldilecanium Kondo as Foldilecanium amazonensis (Foldi) comb. nov. A new species, Foldilecanium multisetosus Kondo, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected in Cali, Colombia, on Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. and Thomson (Annonaceae). An updated taxonomic key to New World Myzolecaniinae and a key to separate the two species of Foldilecanium are provided.

Neolecanium amazonensis Foldi se redescribe e ilustra y se transfiere al nuevo género Foldilecanium Kondo como Foldilecanium amazonensis (Foldi) comb. nov. Una nueva especie, Foldilecanium multisetosus Kondo, es descrita …

New Collections And Records For Earwigflies And Scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Meropeidae And Panorpidae) In Florida, Louis A. Somma

Insecta Mundi

I add new collection and phenological data on the North American earwigfly, Merope tuber Newman, and new county records for the red scorpionfly, Panorpa rufa Gray, and veined scorpionfly, Panorpa venosa Westwood, in Florida. Additionally, I report on a new Georgia county record for the extralimital species, Panorpa ferruginea Byers, the ferruginous scorpionfly, and speculate on its potential occurrence in Florida.

Oxycheila Binotata Gray (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae), Information On A Little Known Taxon From Colombia, Mike Kippenhan

Insecta Mundi

Two specimens of Oxycheila binotata Gray (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae) in the Field Museum of Natural History offer additional information on the morphology and distribution of this rare species. One of the specimens, a female, is considered to be the first known specimen of this species.

Lesageana Medvedev, 2003 A New Synonym Of Trichispa Chapuis, 1875 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), C. L. Staines

Insecta Mundi

Lesageana paucispina Medvedev, 2003 is placed into synonymy with Trichispa sericea (Guérin-Méneville, 1844), new synonymy. Resulting in the synonymy of the genera Trichispa Chapuis, 1875 and Lesageana Medvedev, 2003 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), new synonymy.

Three Anomalies Of Coleoptera (Carabidae, Staphylinidae, And Scarabaeidae) From Connecticut, Raul N. Ferreira

Insecta Mundi

Three teratological cases in Coleoptera (Carabidae, Staphylinidae, and Scarabaeidae) are reported from Connecticut. The anomaly in the genus Oxyporus Fabricius 1775 (Staphylinidae) is being reported here for the third time.

The Bruchidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) Of La Reserva De La Biósfera Sierra De Huautla, Morelos, Mexico, With Descriptions Of Two New Species And An Annotated Checklist, Jesús Romero Nápoles, Richard L. Westcott

Insecta Mundi

From 1995 to 2004 collections for Bruchidae (Coleoptera) were made in La Reserva de la Biósfera Sierra de Huautla, Morelos, Mexico. Specimens were reared from mature seedpods, but also collected by net, malaise trap, and light trap. In total 72 species in 13 genera of Bruchidae were recovered. Of those two new species are here described: Amblycerus montalvoi Romero and Acanthoscelides camerinoi Romero. We record 27 host plants for the bruchids found in the study area.

A Longitudinal Study On Anopheles Mosquito Larval Abundance In Distinct Geographical And Environmental Settings In Western Kenya, Susan S. Imbahale, Krijn P. Paaijmans, Wolfgang R. Mukabana, Ron Van Lammeren, Andrew K. Githeko, Willem Takken

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: As the ecology of mosquito larvae can be complex there is need to develop a rational framework for undertaking larval ecological studies. Local environmental characteristics, such as altitude, climate and land use, can significantly impact on phenology and population dynamics of mosquito larvae, and indirectly affect the dynamics of mosquito-borne diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of implementing an integrated approach to larval source management under the distinct ecological settings. Methods. The study was conducted in two highland villages and one village, at a lower altitude, in the Lake Victoria basin, where malaria is …

Episodic Radiations In The Fly Tree Of Life, Brian M. Wiegmann, Michelle D. Trautwein, Isaac S. Winkler, Norman B. Barr, Jung-Wook Kim, Christine Lambkin, Matthew Bertone, Brian Cassel, Keith Bayless, Alysha Heimberg

Dartmouth Scholarship

Flies are one of four superradiations of insects (along with beetles, wasps, and moths) that account for the majority of animal life on Earth. Diptera includes species known for their ubiquity (Musca domestica house fly), their role as pests (Anopheles gambiae malaria mosquito), and their value as model organisms across the biological sciences (Drosophila melanogaster). A resolved phylogeny for flies provides a framework for genomic, developmental, and evolutionary studies by facilitating comparisons across model organisms, yet recent research has suggested that fly relationships have been obscured by multiple episodes of rapid diversification. We provide a phylogenomic …

Review Of Acanthocephala (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae) Of America North Of Mexico With A Key To Species, J. E. Mcpherson, Richard J. Packauskas Ph.D., Robert W. Sites, Steven J. Taylor, C. Scott Bundy, Jeffrey D. Bradshaw, Paula Levin Mitchell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A review of Acanthocephala of America north of Mexico is presented with an updated key to species. A. confraterna is considered a junior synonym of A. terminalis, thus reducing the number of known species in this region from five to four. New state and country records are presented.

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 23, No. 3, April 2011

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Welcome

Congratulations

Grants

Faculty News

Student News

Travel

This N' That

Nebline, April 2011

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Supplemental Kits Make Learning Nutrition Fun

Farm Views

Horticulture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Environmental Focus

Urban Agriculture

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Draft Genome Of The Red Harvester Ant Pogonomyrmex Barbatus, Chris R. Smith, Christopher D. Smith, Hugh M. Robertson, Martin Helmkampf, Aleksey Zimin, Mark Yandall, Carson Holt, Hao Hu, Ehab Abouheif, Richard Benton, Elizabeth Cash, Vincent Croset, Cameron R. Currie, Eran Elhaik, Christine G. Elsik, Marie-Julie Favé, Vilaiwan Fernandes, Joshua D. Gibson, Dan Graur, Wulfila Gronenberg, Kirk J. Grubbs, Darren E. Hagen, Ana Sofia Ibarraran Viniegra, Brian R. Johnson, Reed M. Johnson, Abderrahman Khila, Jay W. Kim, Kaitlyn A, Mathis, Monica C. Munoz-Torres, Marguerite C. Murphy, Julie A. Mustard, Rin Nakamura, Oliver Niehuis, Surabhi Nigam, Rick P. Overson, Jennifer E. Placek, Rajendhran Rajakumar, Justin T. Reese, Garret Suen, Shu Tao, Candice W. Torres, Neil D. Tsutsui, Lumi Viljakainen, Florian Wolschin, Jürgen Gadau

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

We report the draft genome sequence of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus. The genome was sequenced using 454 pyrosequencing, and the current assembly and annotation were completed in less than 1 y. Analyses of conserved gene groups (more than 1,200 manually annotated genes to date) suggest a high-quality assembly and annotation comparable to recently sequenced insect genomes using Sanger sequencing. The red harvester ant is a model for studying reproductive division of labor, phenotypic plasticity, and sociogenomics. Although the genome of P. barbatus is similar to other sequenced hymenopterans (Apis mellifera and Nasonia vitripennis) in …

Atlas Of Myriapod Biogeography. I. Indigenous Ordinal And Supra-Ordinal Distributions In The Diplopoda: Perspectives On Taxon Origins And Ages, And A Hypothesis On The Origin And Early Evolution Of The Class, Rowland M. Shelley, Sergei I. Golavatch

Insecta Mundi

The biogeographic significance of Diplopoda is substantiated by 50 maps documenting indigenous occurrences of the 16 orders, the three Spirostreptida s. l. suborders – Cambalidea, Epinannolenidea, Spirostreptidea – and all higher taxa including Diplopoda itself. The class is indigenous to all continents except Antarctica and islands/archipelagos in all temperate and tropical seas and oceans except the Arctic; it ranges from Kodiak Island and the northern Alaskan Panhandle, United States (USA), southern Hudson Bay, Canada, and near or north of the Arctic Circle in Iceland, continental Scandinavia, and Siberia to southern “mainland” Argentina, the southern tips of Africa and Tasmania, and …

Additions To The Hyperaspis Chevrolat (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Fauna Of South American, Descriptions Of Nine New Species, And Recognition Of Hyperaspis Pectoralis Crotch As A Valid Species, Robert D. Gordon, F. Guillermo González

Insecta Mundi

Nine new species of Hyperaspis from various South American localities are described, illustrated, and compared with previously described taxa. New taxa are: Hyperaspis luciae, H. corcovado, H. divaricata, H. humboldti, H. mimica, H. praecipua, H. unimaculosa, H. drechseli, and H. esmeraldas. Hyperaspis pectoralis Crotch is recognized as a valid species of Hyperaspis and integrated into the existing classification.