Entomology Commons^™

High Tunnel Pest Management - Caterpillars, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

In Utah high tunnel production, there are various caterpillar pests (larvae of moth and butterfly species) that cause economic damage to crops. Common caterpillar pest species found in Utah include hornworms, tomato fruit worms, imported cabbage worms, diamondback moths, cabbage loopers, armyworms, and cutworms. Various weed species growing inside or outside high tunnels can attract and harbor caterpillar pests. Managing caterpillar pests in high tunnels involves various mechanical, chemical, biological, and cultural control practices.

Interspersed Denuded Zone (Idz): How Patchy Leaf Litter Dynamics In A Buckthorn-Invaded Urban Woodland Can Affect Microarthropod Species Richness, Angela Stenberg

DePaul Discoveries

Biodiversity loss may serve as a key diagnostic of the Anthropocene. An important driver of this loss is by means of invasive species. In this study of a forest preserve in Chicago, Illinois we examined Interspersed Denuded Zones (IDZs for short), which are areas of patchy leaf litter in invaded forests caused in this case by the rapid decomposition of litter from buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). We characterized the leaf litter mass in IDZs and enumerated litter-inhabiting microarthropod populations. We found that plots of high buckthorn density are associated with IDZs: there was significantly less leaf litter mass in …

Persistence Of The Exotic Mirid Nesidiocoris Tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) In South Texas, Gabriela Esparza-Diaz, Thiago Marconi, Carlos A. Avila, Raul T. Villanueva

Entomology Faculty Publications

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the U.S and is located in the southernmost part of Texas. In October 2013, we detected an exotic plant bug, Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae: Bryocorinae) occurring in the region. Nesidiocoris tenuis has zoophytophagous habits; however, in the absence of insect prey, it feeds on its plant hosts. After its morphological and genetic identification, this study monitored the population of N. tenuis in its introduction phase in commercial fields and corroborated its establishment in research fields for three years. Populations of N. tenuis were high during the …

Temperatures Influence Susceptibility To Insecticides In Aedes Aegypti And Aedes Albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes, Wendy S. Salinas, Teresa Patricia Feria-Arroyo, Christopher Vitek

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors for several arboviruses, including dengue, Zika virus and chikungunya virus. The primary method of controlling these diseases is controlling the vector population, often with insecticides. Insecticide resistance may impact the success of these efforts. We tested the effect of variable temperature exposures on susceptibility to insecticides by exposing adult A. aegypti and A. albopictus to different temperatures and tested their susceptibility to insecticides. We hypothesized that adults maintained at high temperatures would show increased susceptibility to insecticides relative to lower temperatures. Colony mosquitoes were hatched, reared to adulthood and then maintained …

Neonicotinoids Can Cause Arrested Pupal Ecdysis In Lepidoptera, Niranjana Krishnan, Russell A. Jurenka, Steven P. Bradbury

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recently, we reported a novel mode of action in monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larvae exposed to neonicotinoid insecticides: arrest in pupal ecdysis following successful larval ecdysis. In this paper, we explore arrested pupal ecdysis in greater detail and propose adverse outcome pathways to explain how neonicotinoids cause this effect. Using imidacloprid as a model compound, we determined that final-instar monarchs, corn earworms (Helicoverpa zea), and wax moths (Galleria mellonella) showed high susceptibility to arrested pupal ecdysis while painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) and red admirals (Vanessa atalanta) showed low susceptibility. Fall …

Quantifing Diversity And Phenology Of Cereal Leaf Beetles Oulema Spp. (Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae) In Several Cereal Fields Of Semi-Arid Zone, Algeria, Chirine Amri

Journal of Bioresource Management

The present study treated the taxonomic diversity of the cereal leaf beetle (Oulema spp.) community subservient to several cereal fields (barley, durum wheat and oats) in Eastern Algeria. From April to June, which is the appearance period of these insects, the leaf beetle fauna was weekly sampled using two trapping techniques: entomological net and sight hunting method. Spatiotemporal alpha and beta diversity of this community were evaluated by several ecological indices: Shannon index, Simpson index and equitability. The multivariate statistic test (GLM) was used to assess the variation of the different diversity parameters. Catches totaled 1144 individuals belonging …

Nebline, August 2021

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

The Myths & Facts of Head Lice

Coping with Picky Eating

Recipes of the Month

6 Common Composting Questions

Garden Guide: Things to do this Month

Tips for a Fun and Educational Day at the Fair

Kissing Bugs in Nebraska

Lancaster County Super Fair, July 29-Aug. 7, 2021

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award

4-H Teen Council Invites New Members

4-H Gold Tournament Fundraiser, Oct. 3

4-H’ers Test Family and Consumer Science Skills at Life Challenge

4-H Clover College: 48 Workshops of Hands-on Learning!

4-H’ers Test Their Knowledge of Animals and Decision-Making Skills at PASE

4-H District Horse Results

4-H Announcements …

Community Structure And Dynamics Of Benthic Macroinvertebrates In A Recreated Headwater Stream System On A Valley Fill In A Retrofitted Watershed Located In The Appalachian Coalfields Of Southeastern Kentucky (U.S.A.), Steven W. Bailey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The extraction of coal from steep-gradient surface mining sites such as in the Appalachian Coalfields of the U.S. produces excess debris that is often placed in adjacent valleys resulting in the creation of valley fills. Not only are headwater streams buried in the process, but watershed functions are either destroyed outright, or become fragmented and disconnected from adjacent ecosystems resulting in adverse effects to downstream biological communities. In this dissertation, the dynamics of stream macroinvertebrate community structure, composition, diversity, and biotic integrity are assessed at a “proof of concept” stream system recreated on a retrofitted valley fill. For comparison, two …

Toxicology Of Chemical Stress To Monarch Butterflies (Danaus Plexippus L.), Annie Krueger

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) population declines have caught the attention of the country and prompted nationwide conservation initiatives. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has identified insecticide exposure and loss of milkweed (Asclepias spp.) reproductive habitat as primary threats to the monarch. In the Midwestern US, milkweed largely occurs around cropland borders where there may be a spatial and temporal overlap of monarch larvae, insecticide usage, and fertilizer applications. In this study, the acute toxicity and sub-lethal effects on growth and diet consumption of two commonly used pyrethroid insecticides, bifenthrin and beta-cyfluthrin, were characterized …

Characterization Of The Bacterial Microbiome Of Exotic Tick Species Collected From Migratory Birds, Raima Sen

Master's Theses

Migratory birds often serve as natural/accidental hosts to ectoparasites like ticks (predominantly immature stages) and are known reservoirs of several pathogens transmitted by ticks. Parasitizing these birds, exotic tick species often hitch rides to non-native ecological niches, bringing along tick-borne pathogens. This study aims to profile the bacteriome of exotic tick species flying in and out of the US from the Neo-tropical South. A total of 421 tick samples comprised of several different tick species were collected off migratory songbirds at sites north of the Gulf of Mexico (Louisiana State). A 16S rRNA metagenomic multiplexed sequencing approach was used to …

Determination Of Temperature Thresholds For The Parasitoid Diachasmimorpha Longicaudata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Using Life Cycle Simulation Modeling: Implications For Effective Field Releases In Classical Biological Control Of Fruit Flies, Shepard Ndlela, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Samira A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The braconid parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is one of the most important natural enemies in classical biological control programs against tephritid fruit flies worldwide. In light of the spread of the invasive fruit fly species, Bactrocera dorsalis in Africa and beyond, there is a need to implement classical biological control. The current study aimed to determine temperature thresholds for D. longicaudata reared on B. dorsalis, using life cycle simulation modeling to guide informed parasitoid releases in Africa. Simulated parameters included thermal requirements, population growth parameters at different temperature requirements, suitable areas for the establishment, and the number of …

Temperature-Dependent Phenology Of The Parasitoid Fopius Arisanus On The Host Bactrocera Dorsalis, Samuel Nanga Nanga, S. Kekeunou, A. Fotso Kuate, K. K.M. Fiaboe, M. A. Dongmo Kenfak, H. E. Tonnang, D. Gnanvossou, C. Djiéto-Lordon, R. Hanna

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Fopius arisanus (Sonan), an egg-pupal parasitoid of numerous fruit fly species, was recently introduced into Africa for the control of the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). In this study, life-table data of F. arisanus were generated under laboratory conditions at six constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 28 and 35 °C; 75% RH, L12:D12 photoperiod) and under variable conditions in a screenhouse on B. dorsalis. Several non-linear functions were fitted to model species development, mortality, longevity and oviposition using the Insect Life Cycle Modeling (ILCYM) software. The established phenology models were stochastically simulated at variable temperatures to estimate the …

Farmer Perceptions And Willingness To Pay For Novel Livestock Pest Control Technologies: A Case Of Tsetse Repellent Collar In Kwale County In Kenya, Beatrice W. Muriithi, Nancy G. Gathogo, Gracious M. Diiro, Michael M. Kidoido, Michael Nyangánga Okal, Daniel K. Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tsetse-transmitted Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) is one of the most important constraints to livestock development in Africa. Use of trypanocides has been the most widespread approach for the management of AAT, despite the associated drug resistance and health con-cerns associated with drug metabolites in animal products. Alternative control measures that target tsetse fly vectors of AAT, though effective, have been hard to sustain in part because these are public goods applied area-wide. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and partners have developed and implemented a novel tsetse repellent collar (TRC) applied on animals to limit contact of …

Comparison Of Expiring Cp-25 And 3-Year Old Cp-42 Plantings For Monarch Habitat Quality, Schuyler Hop, Laura L. Jackson Ph.D.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Monarch butterflies have experienced a population decline of more than 80% in the past two decades, driven by the emergence of Roundup Ready beans and corn varieties. This development resulted in landowners spraying herbicides and killing all other plants in their field, including milkweeds, which is the genus of plants (Asclepias) that monarch caterpillars can only feed upon. Along with this development, an initiative to reintroduce native prairie ecosystems as part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). In Iowa, over 80% of the land once was home to this prairie, now less than 0.1% of this rare ecosystem …

Nocturnal Multi-Species Roosts Of Cicindelidae (Coleoptera) In A Neotropical Lowland Rainforest, Susan Kirmse, Jürgen Wiesner

Insecta Mundi

Tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are frequent predators on the forest floor of the Amazon rainforest. We report on five diurnal sympatric tiger beetle species belonging to the genera Odontocheila Laporte de Castelnau and Poecilochila Rivalier in a terra firme rainforest in South Venezuela. We observed adult beetles for a full year and monitored their nocturnal roosts along two forest paths during the rainy season in 1998. We found up to four species communally roosting on low vegetation along the paths during the night. Multi-species roosts were more often observed than conspecific communal roosts. Although the individual composition of the nocturnal …

A New Species Of Coomanius Fleutiaux, 1924 (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Macraulacinae: Nematodini) From Southeast Asia, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

A new species of false click beetle, Coomanius badius Otto (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae), is described from Sarawak, Malaysia. An identification key is provided for species of Coomanius Fleutiaux distributed in the Southeast Asian region. Images for each species are provided.

During the spring and summer of 2020, many new species were discovered during identifications of beetles loaned from BMNH and other collections. One is described here in the first of many planned papers covering these new discoveries. Additional insights within Eucnemidae from around the world are still bound to continue as new information comes to light during the course of ongoing …

The Impacts Of Cover Crops Species And Termination Dates On Arthropod Activity In A Corn Production System, Julia N.D. Campos

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cover crops can reduce soil erosion, increase water infiltration, and provide an alternative strategy for weed management in cropping systems. Cover crops change the landscape composition by increasing plant biodiversity, potentially impacting pests and beneficial insects. Ecological principles suggest that cover crop management can influence the arthropods in the subsequent cash crop. However, the impact of management strategies such as cover crop species and termination date on arthropod activity in corn systems is not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of grass cover crop species (wheat, cereal rye, and triticale) in combination with four …

Odour Priming Of A Mosquito-Specialist Predator's Vision-Based Detouring Decisions, Fiona R. Cross, Robert R. Jackson

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

A capacity to execute long detours that are planned ahead of time has cognitive implications pertaining to reliance on internal representation. Here we investigate the detouring behaviour of Evarcha culicivora, an East African salticid spider that specializes at preying on blood-carrying mosquitoes. The findings from our experiments are the first evidence of a salticid making detouring plans based on whether the path chosen leads to more preferred instead of less preferred prey, as well as the first evidence of olfactory priming effects on motivation and selective attention in the context of detouring. Test spiders began on top of a starting …

Taxonomic Revision Of Cosmodela Duponti (Dejean), Cosmodela Barmanica (Gestro), New Status, And Cosmodela Indica (Fleutiaux), New Status (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae), Miroslav Klícha, Jürgen Wiesner

Insecta Mundi

Two subspecies of Cosmodela duponti (Dejean) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are elevated to species rank: Cosmodela barmanica (Gestro) and C. indica (Fleutiaux). The lectotypes of all the above-mentioned species are designated as well. Short redescriptions of the three species are provided together with a key, and illustrations of their habitus.

Cicindela duponti was described by Dejean (1826: 419) from specimens collected at the type locality, a former colony of French Indochina (Cochin China), now southern Vietnam. Gestro (1893: 360) described Cicindela barmanica as a variety of C. duponti based on different (purpurescent) shades of the elytral lateral and sutural bands …

Characterization Of Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Susceptibility To Foliar Insecticides In Northeast Nebraska, Timothy B. Dang

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a major pest of maize in the United States. A variety of tactics are used to manage this pest such as crop rotation, insecticides, and transgenic maize expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). WCR populations are highly adaptive and have evolved resistance to these management tactics. Management options are limited as few new tactics are available. Research is needed to evaluate the value of existing tactics used within an integrated framework to manage densities/injury and mitigate resistance.

This study evaluated the field performance of formulated foliar insecticides …