Entomology Commons^™

A Grid-Based Infrastructure For Ecological Forecasting Of Rice Land Anopheles Arabiensis Aquatic Larval Habitats, Benjamin G. Jacob, Ephantus J. Muturi, Jose E. Funes, Josephat I. Shililu, John I. Githure, Ibulaimu I. Kakoma, Robert J. Novak

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: For remote identification of mosquito habitats the first step is often to construct a discrete tessellation of the region. In applications where complex geometries do not need to be represented such as urban habitats, regular orthogonal grids are constructed in GIS and overlaid on satellite images. However, rice land vector mosquito aquatic habitats are rarely uniform in space or character. An orthogonal grid overlaid on satellite data of rice-land areas may fail to capture physical or man-made structures, i.e paddies, canals, berms at these habitats. Unlike an orthogonal grid, digitizing each habitat converts a polygon into a grid cell, …

Comparative Sensitivity Of Freshwater Algae To Atrazine, C. K. Lockert, Kyle D. Hoagland, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Widespread use of environmentally persistent herbicides has led to increasing concern over their impact on aquatic ecosystems and nontarget organisms. The triazine herbicide atrazine (6-chloro-N-ethyl-N ¹1-[1-methylethyl]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4- diamine) remains one of the most heavily used pesticides worldwide, and was the second most commonly used conventional pesticide in the U.S. agricultural market in 2001. Atrazine is an S-triazine herbicide that targets the photosynthetic process to control broadleaf weeds. Due to the moderate solubility (33 mg/L at 22°C) and relative persistence of atrazine in water (Solomon et al. 1996), contamination of surface waters as a result of non-point source …

Nebline, October 2006

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Seven Steps to a Healthier Habitat in the Home
Reduce Grain Depth to Save Time/Energy When Drying Grain
Don’t Feed Fresh Silage too Soon
Beware of Wood Heating Dangers
Spider Bite or Staph Infection? Diagnosis is Important
Tips to Prevent Recurrent Head Lice Infestations
Keep Out Unwanted Pests
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Healthy Food in a Hurry!
Awesome Banana Walnut Shake Recipe
“Cook It Quick!” Dishes Out Advice
Drying and Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
The A, B, C’s for a Healthy School
Nutrition Education Program Partners with Salvation Army’s Summer Day Camp
President’s Notes — Alice’s Analysis
Household Hints: Lower Your …

Simultaneous Application Of Entomopathogenic Nematodes And Predatory Mites To Control Western Flower Thrips Frankliniella Occidentalis, Lemma Ebssa, Christian Borgemeister, Hans Michael Poehling

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Effects of entomopathogenic nematodes alone (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar or H. indica Poinar, Karunakar, and David), a predatory mite species alone [Amblyseius cucumeris (Oudemans) (Acarina: Phytoseiidae)], or the combination of nematodes and mites for the control of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) was investigated in a climate controlled growth chamber and greenhouse. Different densities and concentrations of mites and nematodes, respectively, were tested at different densities of thrips infesting beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In the growth chamber experiment, the presence of mites on the plants resulted in a large number of second-instar larvae of thrips to fall …

Prevalence And Association Of The Laboulbenialean Fungus Hesperomyces Virescens (Laboulbeniales: Laboulbeniaceae) On Coccinellid Hosts (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) In Kentucky, Usa, James D. Harwood, Carlo Ricci, Roberto Romani, Kevin M. Pitz, Alex Weir, John J. Obrycki

Entomology Faculty Publications

The laboulbenialean fungi occur throughout the world and are closely associated with a range of arthropods, including many coleopteran hosts. Throughout the summer of 2004, coccinellids were collected from a Bluegrass savanna woodland ecosystem, dominated by blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata and Chinkapin Oak Quercus muehlenbergii, and the adults were examined for the presence of Hesperomyces virescens using binocular and scanning electron microscopy. Over 80% of adult Harmonia axyridis, a species previously reported as having a persistent association with the fungus, were infected. No significant differences were observed in incidence on male and female hosts, however, the distribution of …

Acute Contact Toxicity Of Oxalic Acid To Varroa Destructor (Acari: Varroidae) And Their Apis Mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Hosts In Laboratory Bioassays, Nicholas P. Aliano, Marion D. Ellis, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Laboratory bioassays were performed to characterize the acute contact toxicity of oxalic acid (OA) to Varroa destructor (Anderson & Trueman) and their honey bee hosts (Apis mellifera L.). Specifically, glass-vial residual bioassays were conducted to determine the lethal concentration of OA for V. destructor, and topical applications of OA in acetone were conducted to determine the lethal dose for honey bees. The results indicate that OA has a low acute toxicity to honey bees and a high acute toxicity to mites. The toxicity data will help guide scientists in delivering optimum dosages of OA to the parasite and …

Pantry Pests, Erin W. Hodgson, Alan H. Roe

All Current Publications

Pantry pests are insects that infest whole or processed food in the home. Infestations can start out with just a few insects, but a population can quickly surge if given a proper food source and a place to reproduce. Immature and adult insects are typically brought into a home in grain-based products.

Nebline, September 2006

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

4-H Partners With Lincoln After-School Programs
After-School Youth Participate in County Fair 4-H Activities
Free E-mail Horticulture Newsletter
Storing Vegetables and Fruit
Too Late to Spray Bagworms
Deep Watering in Fall Can Prevent Tree Death
A Clean Garden This Fall Means A Disease-Free Garden Next Spring
Take Precautions To Avoid Serious Injury When Operating ATVs
Stocking Up on MyPyramid- Style After-School Snacks
Fruit Muesli Recipe
$tretch Your Food Dollars with Beans
President’s Notes — Alice’s Analysis
Household Hints: Stain Removal Tips
Fall Maintenance
FCE News & Events
Starting the “New Year” Out Right
Chemical Control of Eastern Redcedar
Eastern Nebraska …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 18, No. 4, September 2006

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Contents:
Congratulations
Welcome
Farewell
Faculty News
Student News
From the Office
Grants
Publications
Travel
Meet a Distance Student
Fond Farewell
This & That
Hexapod Herald Archives

The Asian Mango Flower Beetle, Protaetia Fusca (Herbst), And Euphoria Sepulcralis (Fabricius) In Florida And The West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Robert E. Woodruff

Insecta Mundi

The mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), an Asiatic pest of several commercial crops, was first found in Florida in 1985. All subsequent Florida specimens are recorded here, as well as the first documented records from the Bahamas and Barbados. Illustrations are provided and comparisons are made to the similar native Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius), which is also recorded for the first time from the Bahamas. Extensive host records and a bibliography (especially tracking P. fusca spread in Hawaii) are included.

A New Genus And Species Of Epiphloeinae From Brazil (Coleoptera: Cleridae), William E. Barr

Insecta Mundi

A new genus and species of Cleridae, Opitzius thoracicus, from Brazil is described and illustrated. Its unique features and variability are indicated.

Generic Changes In United States Issini (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea, Issidae), Vladimir M. Gnezdilov, Lois B. O'Brien

Insecta Mundi

Three new genera of the family Issidae are described for species formerly included in the genus Hysteropterum sensulato: Balduza Gnezdilov and O’Brien, gen. n. (type species: Hysteropterum unum Ball 1910), Stilbometopius Gnezdilov and O’Brien, gen. n. (type species: Issus auroreus Uhler 1876), Abolloptera Gnezdilov and O’Brien, gen. n. (type species: Hysteropterum bistriatum Caldwell 1945),. The genus Tylanira Ball 1936 is redescribed. The male genitalia of Tylanira bifurca Ball 1936 is described and illustrated. Tylana ustulata Uhler 1876 is transfered to Tylanira.Hysteropterum bufo Van Duzee 1923 is transfered to Balduza gen. n. and the male genitalia of the species is …

The Beetle Fauna Of Dominica, Lesser Antilles (Insecta: Coleoptera): Diversity And Distribution, Stewart B. Peck

Insecta Mundi

The beetle fauna of the island of Dominica is summarized. It is presently known to contain 269 genera, and 361 species (in 42 families), of which 347 are named at a species level. Of these, 62 species are endemic to the island. The other naturally occurring species number 262, and another 23 species are of such wide distribution that they have probably been accidentally introduced and distributed, at least in part, by human activities. Undoubtedly, the actual numbers of species on Dominica are many times higher than now reported. This highlights the poor level of knowledge of the beetles of …

Classification, Natural History, And Evolution Of The Epiphloeinae (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Part Iii. The Genera Parvochaetus, N. Gen., Amboakis, N. Gen., And Ellipotoma Spinola, Weston Opitz

Insecta Mundi

Abstract:
The checkered beetle genera Parvochaetus, n. gen. and Amboakis, n. gen. are described and the genus Ellipotoma Spinola is reviewed. Four new species plus P. linearis (Gorham), which represents a new combination, comprise Parvochaetus: P. albicornis, P. froeschneri, P. fucolatus, and P. sandaracus. Amboakis, a replacement name for the junior homonym Teutonia Opitz, involves four previously described species and 20 new species. The new species are A. anapsis, A. atra, A. barinas, A. binotonis, A. cauca, A.charis, A. epiomidia, A. erythrohapsis, A. funebris, A. incondita, A.katatonis, A. linitis, A.mica, A. micula, A. prolata, A. rudis, A. taruma, …

Discolomopsis Dominicana, A New Genus And Species Of Endomychidae (Coleoptera) From Dominican Amber, Floyd W. Shockley

Insecta Mundi

Discolomopsis, a new genus of Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea), is described and illustrated based on a fossil endomychid embedded in amber resin from the Dominican Republic. Discolomopsis dominicana sp. nov. is designated as the type species for the genus.

Combined Control Of Striga Hermonthica And Stemborers By Maize-Desmodium Spp. Intercrops, Zeyaur R. Khan, John A. Pickett, Lester J. Wadhams, Ahmed Hassanali, Charles A.O. Midega

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The African witchweed (Striga spp.) and lepidopteran stemborers are two major biotic constraints to the efficient production of maize in sub-Saharan Africa. Previous studies had shown the value of intercropping maize with Desmodium uncinatum in the control of both pests. The current study was conducted to assess the potential role of other Desmodium spp., adapted to different agro-ecologies, in combined control of both pests in Kenya. Treatments consisted of intercropped plots of a Striga hermonthica- and stemborer-susceptible maize variety and one Desmodium sp. or cowpea, with a maize monocrop plot included as a control. S. hermonthica counts and stemborer damage …

Host Preference Of The Chinch Bug, Blissus Occiduus, Thomas Eickhoff, Frederick P. Baxendale, Tiffany Heng-Moss

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The chinch bug, Blissus occiduus Barber (Hemiptera: Blissidae), is an important pest of buffalograss, Buchloë dactyloides (Nutall) Engelmann and potentially other turfgrass, crop, and non-crop hosts. Choice studies documented the number of B. occiduus present on selected turfgrasses, crops and weeds, and provided important insights into the host preferences of this chinch bug. Grasses with the most chinch bugs present included the warm-season turfgrasses B. dactyloides, zoysiagrass, Zoysia japonica Steudel, bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., and St. Augustinegrass , Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze. The other grasses tested, green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv, Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L., perennial …

Agroforestry: Sustaining Native Bee Habitat For Crop Pollination, Mace Vaughan, Scott Hoffman Black

Agroforestry Notes (USDA-NAC)

Over one hundred crop species in North America require a visit from an insect pollinator to be most productive. In the past, native bees and feral honey bees could meet the pollination needs of small orchards, tomato and pumpkin fields, and berry patches, because these farms were typically adjacent to areas of habitat that harbored important pollinators. Today, many farms are large and, at the same time, have less nearby habitat to support native pollinators. To ensure adequate pollination services, producers now rely on European honey bees. Research, however, shows that native bees can be important pollinators in agricultural fields …

Nebline, August 2006

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Kids Ag Discovery Zone at County Fair is Interactive Experience
Fun Facts About Farm Animals
Predicting the Last Irrigation for Corn, Milo and Soybeans
Effect of Increasing Energy Prices on Irrigation Costs
Fall is the Best Time to Stop Henbit
Pesticide Container Recycling Program
Add Mulches to Landscapes to Protect Plants from Temperature Changes
Water Trees During Drought
Woody Plants Under Stress
Penstemon, a Great Acreage Flower
Don’t Use Black Walnut Shavings for Animal Bedding
Are You Winning the “Fruit & Vegetable Bowl Game?”
Summertime Steak Salad Recipe
Top Ten Reasons to Eat At Home
President’s Notes — Alice’s Analysis …

Biological Impact Of The Exotic Parasitoid, Diadegma Semiclausum (Hellen), Of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella L., In Kenya, Caleb Momanyi, Bernhard Löhr, Linus Gitonga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Diadegma semiclausum (Hellen) was introduced to Kenya from Taiwan for the control of diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella L., and released for the first time in July 2002. Seven and twelve months after release, field mortality studies using the cage exclusion method were conducted at two release sites (Werugha/Taita Hills and Tharuni/Central Kenya). Four treatments were applied: fully closed and partially open cages, both with and without glue applied to the base of the plants for the exclusion of crawling predators. During this time interval, parasitism of exposed larvae rose from 15 to 60% at Werugha and from 8 to …

Frozen Beetle Treats Are Environmentally Friendly, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

At my rural household, the most vexatious insect pest has got to be the ubiquitous Japanese beetle. Native to Japan, these pests have infested most of eastern North America, with isolated infestations appearing in some western states. One reason that Japanese beetles are so bad is that they deliver a double-whammy: the larvae (grubs) consume roots and are particularly destructive of turf and pasture grasses while the adults consume leaves and flowers of a wide variety of plants, leaving behind skeletonized versions of the plant parts consumed.

Xenobiotic Response In Drosophila Melanogaster: Sex Dependence Of P450 And Gst Gene Induction, Gaelle Le Goff, Frederique Hilliou, Blair Siegfried, Sam Boundy, Eric Wajnberg, Luc Sofer, Pascaline Audant, Richard H. Ffrench-Constant, Rene Feyereisen

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The effect of xenobiotics (phenobarbital and atrazine) on the expression of Drosophila melanogaster CYP genes encoding cytochromes P450, a gene family generally associated with detoxification, was analyzed by DNA microarray hybridization and verified by real-time RT-PCR in adults of both sexes. Only a small subset of the 86 CYP genes was significantly induced by the xenobiotics. Eleven CYP genes and three glutathione S-transferases (GST) genes were significantly induced by phenobarbital, seven CYP and one GST gene were induced by atrazine. Cyp6d5, Cyp6w1, Cyp12d1 and the ecdysone-inducible Cyp6a2 were induced by both chemicals. The constitutive expression of several of the inducible …

Analyses Of Cry1ab Binding In Resistant And Susceptible Strains Of The European Corn Borer, Ostrinia Nubilalis (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Herbert A.A. Siquiera, Joel Gonzalez-Cabrera, Juan Ferre, Ronald Flannagan

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Cry1Ab toxin binding analysis was performed to determine whether resistance in laboratory-selected Ostrinia nubilalis strains is associated with target site alteration. Brush border membrane vesicles were prepared using dissected midguts from late instars of susceptible and resistant strains (Europe-R and RSTT) of O. nubilalis. Immunoblot analysis indicated that three different proteins bound to Cry1Ab toxin and were recognized by an anticadherin serum. In a comparison of resistant and susceptible strains, reduced Cry1Ab binding was apparent for all three bands corresponding to cadherin-like proteins in the Europe-R strain, while reduced binding was apparent in only one band for the RSTT …

Suitability Of Cultivated And Wild Crucifers For The Development Of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), G. Ayalew, B. Löhr, C. K.P.O. Ogol, J. Baumgärtner

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The performance of the Diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., on Ethiopian cultivated and wild crucifers was studied in the laboratory for two generations. Head cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata L., was the most suitable host with the shortest developmental period and the highest reproductive potential. Both developmental period and life table statistics showed that the weed Erucastrum arabicum Fisch. and Mey was more suitable than some of the cultivated species. © 2006 Academic Journals Inc.

Comparative Efficiency Of Six Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Traps, David B. Taylor, Dennis Berkebile

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Five adhesive traps and the Nzi cloth-target trap were compared to determine their trapping efficiency and biases for stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae). Two configurations of the BiteFree prototype trap, constructed of polyethylene terephthalate, were most efficient for trapping stable flies, whereas the EZ trap was least efficient. The two Alsynite traps, Broce and Olson, were intermediate to the BiteFree prototype and EZ traps. All adhesive traps collected a ratio of approximately two males for each female. Approximately 50% of the flies collected on the adhesive traps, both male and female, were blood fed, and 20% were vitellogenic. …

Nebline, July 2006

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Regularly Test Private Well Drinking Water for Safety
Approved Water Testing Laboratories
Nebraska Forest Service Expert Discovers Pine Wilt Treatment
Easier Gardening
Odorous House Ant
Chiggers Not a Health Concern, But Can Make Outdoor Activities Uncomfortable
Ants in the Lawn
Bats Under Porches, Patios
Prepare to Plant Alfalfa in August
Pesticide Container Recycling Program
Apply Manure Before Seeding Alfalfa
UNL Researcher Needs Alfalfa Fields With Pocket Gophers
Planting Vegetables for Fall
Methods of Drying Flowers
Measuring Distance
Caring for Animals When Gone
Spider Mites Common Problem on Trees, Other Plants
$tretch Your Food Dollar with Fruits and Vegetables
Red, White …

Does A Specialist Parasitoid Adapt To Its Host On A New Host Plant?, A. Roßbach, B. Löhr, S. Vidal

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The host plant expansion of a diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (DBM) strain to snowpea (Pisum sativum L.) raised the question whether a specialist parasitoid Diadegma semiclausum (DS) could be conditioned to locate and parasitize its host on the new host plant. In a specialist parasitoid a behavioural change towards a plant outside the normal host plant range of its host due to developmental experience is not expected. The responsive behaviour, parasitism rates and fitness of three subsequent DS generations were investigated on the snowpea-strain of DBM. After three generations of DS on the pea 62.5% of females chose an …

Coordinated Diabrotica Genetics Research: Accelerating Progress On An Urgent Insect Pest Problem, Thomas W. Sappington, Blair D. Siegfried, Thomas Guillemaud

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Diabrotica spp. (western, northern, and Mexican corn rootworms) represent the main pest complex of continuous field corn, Zea mays (L.), in North America. The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, also has become the main pest of continuous corn in Central and Southeastern Europe since its introduction near Belgrade 15–20 years ago, and it represents a major risk to Western Europe. It has already caused economic losses in Eastern Europe, and Western countries such as France have committed large expenditures for containment and/or eradication.

Rootworm larvae feed on corn roots, and damaged plants are more susceptible to drought and …

Effects Of Aphid (Homoptera) Abundance And Surrounding Vegetation On The Encounter Rate Of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), And Nabidae (Hemiptera) In Alfalfa, James C. Kriz, Stephen D. Danielson, James R. Brandle, Erin E. Blankenship, Geoff M. Henebry

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Predaceous insect encounter rate was measured in 21 southeast Nebraska alfalfa fields through weekly sweep net sampling during 2002-03. The most frequently encountered predaceous insect families were Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Nabidae (Hemiptera), and Chrysopidae (Neuroptera). The study used multiple regression analysis to examine the effect of aphid abundance and the surrounding vegetative patch composition on predaceous insect abundance. In 2002, Hippodamia parenthesis Say was encountered more frequently in fields with lower aphid abundances, and Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, Coccinella septempunctata L., and Nabis americoferus Carayon were encountered more frequently in fields with higher aphid abundances. In 2003, Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer was encountered …

Validity Of Western Bean Cutworm Growing Degree Day Model In Iowa, Bryon Van Ballegooyen

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Objective The goal of this project was to determine the validity of the western bean cutworm, Richia albicosta (Noctuidae), growing degree day (GDD) model developed at the University of Nebraska with western bean cutworm flight and weather data collected in Iowa. The completed project will show if the current GDD model holds up when compared with data collected in Iowa from 2003 to 2005. The project will also show if more data needs to be collected and analyzed to further test the current GDD model.

Outcomes The outcomes of the project show that the previously developed GDD model for western …