Entomology Commons^™

Parallel Metatranscriptome Analyses Of Host And Symbiont Gene Expression In The Gut Of The Termite Reticulitermes Flavipes, Aurélien Tartar, Marsha M. Wheeler, Xuguo Zhou, Monique R. Coy, Drion G. Boucias, Michael E. Scharf

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Termite lignocellulose digestion is achieved through a collaboration of host plus prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts. In the present work, we took a combined host and symbiont metatranscriptomic approach for investigating the digestive contributions of host and symbiont in the lower termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Our approach consisted of parallel high-throughput sequencing from (i) a host gut cDNA library and (ii) a hindgut symbiont cDNA library. Subsequently, we undertook functional analyses of newly identified phenoloxidases with potential importance as pretreatment enzymes in industrial lignocellulose processing.

RESULTS: Over 10,000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were sequenced from the 2 libraries that aligned into …

Controlling The Dengue Mosquito (Aedes Aegypti): Assessment Of The Effects Of Metofluthrin, A Novel Vapor-Active Pyrethroid, On Mosquito Behavior In A Modeled Domestic Setting., Randy Kring

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dengue fever is a potentially life-threatening illness that is endemic in over 100 countries and threatens approximately half of the world’s population. The dengue virus is transmitted between humans by a mosquito vector, principally the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti. This mosquito prefers to live and feed in and around people’s homes. As a result, preventing mosquito bites within a domestic setting is essential to controlling the dengue virus. Although several methods of bite prevention are currently available to the public, most of these methods only provide short-term protection from the dengue mosquito. In contrast, a recently developed synthetic pyrethroid called …

New Records Of Dynastine Scarab Beetles In The Tribes Oryctini, Agaocephalini And Dynastini From Cayo District, Belize (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae), Conrad P. D. T. Gillett

Insecta Mundi

Six species of the tribe Oryctini, one species of Agaocephalini, and two species of Dynastini are presently recorded from the Cayo district of western Belize. The following five species are newly recorded from Belize: Heterogomphus mniszechi (Thomson), Strategus longichomperus Ratcliffe, S. jugurtha Burmeister, Spodistes mniszechi (Thomson), and Dynastes hercules (Linnaeus). The following two species are newly recorded from Cayo: Enema endymion Chevrolat and Strategus aloeus (Linnaeus). Biological and distributional comments relating to these records are presented and briefly discussed.

Six espèces de la tribu Oryctini, une espèce de la tribu Agaocephalini et deux espèces de la tribu Dynastini sont signalées …

Nebline, October 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Extension Helps Establish a Garden at City Mission
Nutrition Classes Focus on Produce from Garden
How to Reduce Energy Cost for Grain Drying
Tree Planting for Success
Successful Composting
$tretch Your Food Dollar by Making Your Own Mixes
Slow Cookers and Food Safety
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: End-of-Summer Cleanup
10 Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Drying Gourds
Growing American Bittersweet
Storing Vegetables
Praying Mantids: Garden Carnivores
Problem Squirrels in Buildings
October's Heart of 4-H Award Winner: Jennifer Cusick-Rawlinson
Nebraska State Fair 4-H Results
Free Speech: UNL Speakers Bureau in 15th …

Odorants That Induce Hygienic Behavior In Honeybees: Identification Of Volatile Compounds In Chalkbrood-Infected Honeybee Larvae, Jodi A.I. Swanson, Baldwyn Torto, Stephen A. Kells, Karen A. Mesce, James H. Tumlinson, Marla Spivak

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Social insects that live in large colonies are vulnerable to disease transmission due to relatively high genetic relatedness among individuals and high rates of contact within and across generations. While individual insects rely on innate immune responses, groups of individuals also have evolved social immunity. Hygienic behavior, in which individual honeybees detect chemical stimuli from diseased larvae and subsequently remove the diseased brood from the nest, is one type of social immunity that reduces pathogen transmission. Three volatile compounds, collected from larvae infected with the fungal pathogen Ascosphaera apis and detected by adult honey bees, were identified by coupled gas …

Platycorypha Nigrivirga Burckhardt (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea), Tipu Psyllid, New To North America, Alessandra Rung, Gevork Arakelian, Ray Gill, Nick Nisson

Insecta Mundi

The tipu psyllid, Platycorypha nigrivirga Burckhardt (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psylloidea), is reported for the first time in North America (USA: California). Diagnostic characters for identification of adults and nymphs, host and damage data, and known distribution are given.

Taxonomic Overview Of The Greater Fritillary Genus Speyeria Scudder And The Atlantis - Hesperis Species Complexes, With Species Accounts, Type Images, And Relevant Literature (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), James C. Dunford

Insecta Mundi

A taxonomic overview for the fritillary genus Speyeria Scudder (= Argynnis Fabricius) and its placement within the Heliconiinae (Nymphalidae) is presented. Taxonomic accounts, type images, and relevant literature for the 25 subspecies within the Speyeria atlantis (Edwards) and Speyeria hesperis (Edwards) complexes and the 16 nominate Speyeria species are included. Errors in nomenclature are identified, taxonomic, life history, and distributional information are updated, and type locality information is discussed. Images of primary type specimens for all 16 Speyeria species and the 25 subspecies in the atlantis - hesperis complexes appear together in color here for the first time. One new …

First Record For The Recently Discovered Hangingfly Bittacus Monastyrskiyi Bicha, 2007 (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) From Há Tay Province, Vietnam, Louis A. Somma

Insecta Mundi

I provide the first record for the recently described hangingfly, Bittacus monastyrskiyi Bicha, 2007, from Há Tay Province (Ba Vi National Park), Vietnam, along with new seasonal, altitudinal, and habitat data. This is the only described species of bittacid from Vietnam, and this new record extends its range100 km north-northwest from its type locality in Cuc Phuong National Park, Thanh Hoa Province.

An Annotated Checklist Of The Lady Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Of Iowa, U.S.A., Louis S. Hesler

Insecta Mundi

An annotated list is presented for 81 species of lady beetles (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) that occur in the state of Iowa, U.S.A., based on literature searches and a review of over 3500 specimens in institutional and private collections. The list includes new state records for Scymnus tenebrosus Mulsant, Diomus debilis (LeConte), Hyperaspis lateralis Mulsant, Hyperaspis deludens Gordon, Epilachna borealis (F.), and Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata (L.), as well as county records for the non-native species, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas). Collection records are discussed for Nephaspis oculatus (Blatchley), Hyperaspidius militaris (LeConte), Coccinella californica Mannerheim, and S. vigintiquatuorpunctata, which have Iowa records that are disjunct from …

Geographic Variability In Calligrapha Verrucosa (Suffrian 1858), A Willow-Feeding Leaf Beetle From Western North America (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Mark H. Goodman, Shawn M. Clark

Insecta Mundi

A diagnosis is provided to separate Calligrapha verrucosa (Suffrian) from similar species. Geographic variability is described and illustrated for various populations of C. verrucosa. A map is provided to indicate the distribution of this species.

Seed Beetles (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) Associated With Acacia Cornigera (L.) Willd., With Description Of A New Species Of Acanthoscelides Schilsky, Jesus Romero Napoles, Aracely De La Cruz Perez, John M. Kingsolver

Insecta Mundi

Presented herein is a key to identify species of Bruchidae associated with Acacia cornigera (L.). For each species, host records, distributions and bionomics are given. A new species of Acanthoscelides Schilsky is described and figured; Acanthoscelides sauli Romero, Cruz, and Kingsolver.

Geographic Variation In U. S. Populations Of The Tiger Beetle Cicindela Obsoleta Say (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Jonathan R. Mawdsley

Insecta Mundi

Geographic variation and subspecific taxonomy of United States populations of the tiger beetle Cicindela obsoleta Say are reviewed. Study of primary types and 1,424 museum specimens indicates that four subspecific entities are present in the U.S., for which the valid names are C. o. obsoleta Say, C. o. santaclarae Bates, C. o. vulturina LeConte, and C. o. neojuvenilis Vogt. All four subspecies are illustrated, including many color variants. ArcView Geographic Information System (GIS) computer software is used to study the distribution of these subspecies in the United States. Cicindela o. obsoleta and C. o. santaclarae are only partially allopatric, with …

Novel Host Records Of Some Cassidine Leaf Beetles From Ecuador (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Wills Flowers, Caroline S. Chaboo

Insecta Mundi

Novel host records and feeding behaviors are reported for five species in three genera of two cassidine beetle tribes, Hemisphaerotini and Imatidiini, from Ecuador. Carludovica Ruiz and Pav. (Cyclanthaceae) is reported as a new plant family and genus host for two species of Spaethiella Barber and Bridwell. Calathea G. Mey (Marantaceae) is reported as the first host record for Aslamidium capense (Herbst) and Calathea lutea Schult. and Calathea majestica (Linden) H. Kenn. are reported as the first host records for Aslamidium semicirculare (Olivier). Immature stages of Demotispa elaeicola (Aslam) are reported for the first time; larvae are external folivores and …

A New Fossil Species Of Stag Beetle From Dominican Republic Amber, With Australasian Connections (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), Robert E. Woodruff

Insecta Mundi

The first New World amber member of the family Lucanidae is described from the Dominican Republic. Its age is presumed to be Miocene (20-30 million YBP). It is also the fourth known amber species, the second Miocene fossil species, the second fossil species in the subfamily Syndesinae, and the first species (fossil or extant) of Lucanidae from the entire Caribbean. It is especially interesting because it is a member of the Australasian genus Syndesus MacLeay. Other such disjunct Dominican amber insect fossils are also discussed.

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 21, No. 5, September 2009

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

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From Gary’s Desk

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Meet and Off-Campus Student

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Nebline, September 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

September is Preparedness Month
Overseeding Lawns
Water Young Trees to Prevent Winter Damage
Winterizing Your Home
Propagating Plants from Cuttings
Just Like Kids, Head Lice are Back in School
When a Bat Gets Indoors
Eating Locally Grown Foods in the Fall
Get Your Grains
Laundry Tips for Back-to-School Garments and Stains
Parent-Teacher Communication
Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints: Recognize Symptoms of Stress
Ten Tips for Welcoming Wildlife into Your Landscape
Weedy Vines: Identification and Control
Winter Annual Weeds in Lawn
Fall is a Good Time to Control Weeds
September's Heart …

Impact Of Weed Management Practices On Grapevine Growth, Yield Components, Plant And Arthropod Abundance, And Carabid Seed Predation In Paso Robles Vineyard, Paolo Sanguankeo

Master's Theses

In the Central Coast of California, USA, wine grape growers are making efforts to identify weed control practices that promote biodiversity in their vineyards while maintaining yields. A field study was conducted in Paso Robles, CA in 2006 and 2007 evaluating the effect on Zinfandel grape-vine growth and production, groundcover plant, and ground dwelling arthropod communities of five weed control practices: 1) flumioxazin, 2) simazine, 3) cultivation, 4) cover crop, and 5) untreated control.

The herbicide treatments had the lowest weed biomass followed by the cultivation, being approximately 10 and 2 times lower than the weed biomass of either the …

Relationship Between Virulence And Repellency Of Entomopathogenic Isolates Of Metarhizium Anisopliae And Beauveria Bassiana To The Termite Macrotermes Michaelseni, D. M. Mburu, L. Ochola, N. K. Maniania, P. G.N. Njagi, L. M. Gitonga, M. W. Ndung'u, A. K. Wanjoya, A. Hassanali

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Termites encounter a diverse array of potentially useful and harmful fungi in their subterranean habitats. These vary from symbiotic to harmful species with varying levels of virulence. How these hemiedaphic insects survive in habitats with infective fungi is not well understood. Possible mediation of olfactory signals in avoiding contact with entomopathogenic fungi has been explored by a number of workers. In the present study, we initially found that Macrotermes michaelseni detected a virulent isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae from some distance and avoided direct physical contact. We hypothesized that there may be a relationship between virulence and repellency of different isolates …

Integration Of Irradiation With Cytoplasmic Incompatibility To Facilitate A Lymphatic Filariasis Vector Elimination Approach, Corey L. Brelsfoard, William St. Clair, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Mass drug administration (MDA) is the emphasis of an ongoing global lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination program by the World Health Organization, in which the entire 'at risk' human population is treated annually with anti-filarial drugs. However, there is evidence that the MDA strategy may not be equally appropriate in all areas of LF transmission, leading to calls for the augmentation of MDA with anti-vector interventions. One potential augmentative intervention is the elimination of vectors via repeated inundative releases of male mosquitoes made cytoplasmically incompatible via an infection with Wolbachia bacteria. However, with a reduction in the vector population size, …

Olfactory Attraction Of Egg Parasitoids To Virgin Females Of Noctuid Stemborers, Anani Yaovi Bruce, Fritz Schulthess, Jones Mueke, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

To locate hosts, egg parasitoids rely on infochemicals of the adult host stage, e.g. pheromones, rather than cues emitted by the inconspicuous egg themselves. Here, we show that three different egg parasitoid species the scelionids Telenomus busseolae Gahan and Telenomus isis Polaszek and the trichogrammatid Trichogramma bournieri Pintureau & Babault were attracted to both calling and non-calling females of the noctuids Busseola fusca (Fuller), Sesamia calamistis (Hampson) and Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefebvre). In Y-tube olfactometer experiments this study revealed a preference of all three parasitoids for non-calling (general odors of virgin females) and calling moth (sex pheromone) over the control (clean …

Role Of Ecdysone Signaling In Fat Body Remodeling, Marsha Kristel Bernardo, N. Bond, Allen G. Gibbs

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Climate change is fundamentally connected to animal development and survival, and the life history of an organism must be coordinated with predictable seasonal changes of the environment. Climate change affects the life cycle of plants, a major food source for insects. If photoperiod, the primary environmental queue that insects utilize to determine the proper emergence time, and food availability becomes out of sync, many populations of insects and other animals could be threatened. Understanding animal development can provide insight into this issue and could provide clues that may help the scientific community predict how insect populations may respond to climate …

Thermal Tolerance Of The Coffee Berry Borer Hypothenemus Hampei: Predictions Of Climate Change Impact On A Tropical Insect Pest, Juliana Jaramillo, Adenirin Chabi-Olaye, Charles Kamonjo, Alvaro Jaramillo, Fernando E. Vega, Hans Michael Poehling, Christian Borgemeister

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Coffee is predicted to be severely affected by climate change. We determined the thermal tolerance of the coffee berry borer , Hypothenemus hampei, the most devastating pest of coffee worldwide, and make inferences on the possible effects of climate change using climatic data from Colombia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. For this, the effect of eight temperature regimes (15, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30, 33 and 35°C) on the bionomics of H. hampei was studied. Successful egg to adult development occurred between 20-30°C. Using linear regression and a modified Logan model, the lower and upper thresholds for development were estimated at …

Nebline, August 2009

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Landscape Water Saving Methods
Natural Sources of Nitrogen for Plant Growth
Commercial Nitrogen Fertilizer Sources
Pumping Water For Ponds
Canning Fruits and Vegetables
Heating With Wood
Fall Prairie Seeding Site Preparation
Handling Food Safely on the Road $tretch Your Food Dollar by Packing Your Lunch Family & Community Education (FCE) Clubs: Presidents’ View—Bonnie’s Bits
FCE News & Events
Household Hints
Financial Security: Consumer Credit
Running Out of Time for Bagworm Control
Harvesting and Preserving Herbs
Summertime Bug Bites
Taking Insect Photos at Spring Creek Prairie
4-H’ers Test Animal Science Skills at PASE
4-H’ers Test Family and Consumer Sciences Skills at …

Population Dynamics And Parasitism Of Brassica Insect Pests In Zimbabwe With Emphasis On The Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), Walter Manyangarirwa

All Dissertations

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is a major insect pest of brassicas in Zimbabwe. Field surveys were conducted to assess brassica pest management practices at large scale farms (≈2.0-10.0 ha) and smallholder farms (<2.0 ha). Insecticides used on large scale farms include λ-cyhalothrin, fenvalerate, dimethoate, malathion, diazinon, dichlorvos, kelthane and lufenuron. Smallholder farmers predominantly used dimethoate, malathion, diazinon, methamidophos, dichlorvos, fenvalerate, carbaryl and methomyl. Six out of seven smallholder farmer clusters were ranked into an Intermediate Category between Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices and Conventional Insecticide use. Smallholder farmers in the Chinamhora area were ranked into a Conventional Insecticide use category. Five out of seven large scale farms were ranked into a Conventional Insecticide use category while two of the seven farms were ranked into an Intermediate Category.
Diamondback moth larval incidence was high in the hot-dry season in October and November of both 2007 and 2008 and reached a density of 15.58 larvae per plant at Nyanga in November 2008. The major larval endoparasitoid was Cotesia plutellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and parasitism reached 95.51% at a host density of 2.83 larvae per plant at Harem in early summer (October and November) …

Reproductive Strategies And Colony Relatedness In The Invasive Ponerine Ant Pachycondyla Chinensis (Emery), Andrew Tebeau

All Theses

Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery) (Formicidae: Ponerinae), is an ancestral ant introduced from Asia. It is considered a pest species of medical and ecological concern. Since its initial 1932 documentation occurring in three Southeastern U.S. states at relatively low frequencies, the invasion of P. chinensis has spread to at least three additional states in discontinuously widespread populations that are locally abundant. Little is known about P. chinensis population structure and reproduction, and an investigation into these strategies offers insight into the means by which this pest species proliferates, and ultimately, can assist in the design of management strategies. The objectives of this …

Effects Of Parasitism And Soil Compaction On Pupation Behavior Of The Green Bottle Fly Lucilia Sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Jonathan Cammack

All Theses

Although the pupation behavior of blow flies has been widely studied, my work is the first to examine the effects of parasitoids and soil compaction on pupation behavior. The objectives of my research were to provide insight into a host-parasitoid system involving Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and to develop a predictive model of pupation depth for L. sericata, with respect to soil compaction. Two experiments were conducted examining the effects of parasitoids and soil compaction on the pupation behavior of L. sericata. In all experiments, larvae of L. sericata were introduced to containers …

Spatial-Temporal Variation Of The Density And Distribution Of Stink Bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) In Cotton, Gossypium Hirsutum (L.), As Part Of A Diverse Agroecosystem, Richard Reeves

All Theses

Studies were conducted during 2007 and 2008 to investigate the distribution and density of phytophagous stink bugs and boll injury in cotton as part of a variable farmscape. The goals of this research were to: (1) compare and contrast sampling techniques and correlate the density of stink bugs and associated internal boll injury with measurements of crop phenology, (2) establish the spatial and temporal distributions of stink bugs and boll injury on a whole-field scale, and (3) determine the density of stink bugs and boll injury along field margins as influenced by adjacent habitats and crops. The ground cloth was …

Species Composition, Seasonal Activity, And Aggregations Of Dung Beetles On Cattle Pastures In Arkansas, Justin George Fiene

Student Theses and Dissertations

The species composition, seasonal activities, and aggregations of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) were monitored from April 2007 to September 2008 using ten dung-baited pitfall traps operated weekly at a site in northeastern Arkansas. Collections comprised 236,880 beetles, representing 22 species including Colobopterus erraticus L. and Onthophagus taurus Schreber, which are new state records. Labarrus pseudolividus Balthasar comprised 97.7 % of the total trap catch, with the majority being collected in June, July and August 2007 which involved two separate mass occurrences during that time. Colonizing dung beetles expressed strong intraspecific aggregation, while interspecific aggregation, though present, were typically of …

A New Species Of Polyphylla Harris From Peninsular Florida (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) With A Key To Species Of The Pubescens Species Group, Paul Skelley

Insecta Mundi

Polyphylla starkae Skelley, new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Melolonthini), is described from peninsular Florida, USA. Observations on its life history and a key to related species are provided.

The Milliped Families Spirostreptidae (Spirostreptida) And Paradoxosomatidae (Polydesmida) In The Middle East; First Records Of The Diplopoda From Saudi Arabia, Rowland M. Shelley

Insecta Mundi

The class Diplopoda, represented by the families Spirostreptidae (Spirostreptida) and Paradoxosomatidae (Polydesmida), is recorded from Saudi Arabia for the first time. Archispirostreptus transmarinus Hoffman, 1965 (Spirostreptidae) inhabits the Jabal Al-Hijaz Mountains in the southwest, and the Paradoxosomatidae, represented by an unidentifiable, indigenous female, occurs in a “wadi” in the center of the country. Other Middle Eastern familial records are documented, and occurrences in the Arabian Peninsula are mapped. Males, necessary to identify the paradoxosomatid, may be encountered if samplings are timed to coincide with seasonal rains.