Entomology Commons^™

Shifts In The Microbiota Associated With Male Mosquitoes (Aedes Aegypti) Exposed To An Obligate Gut Fungal Symbiont (Zancudomyces Culisetae), Jonas Frankel-Bricker

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2020

Research characterizing arthropod-associated microbiota has revealed that microbial dynamics can have an important impact on host phenotypic traits. The influence of fungi on these interactions are emerging as targets for research, especially in organisms associated with global human health. A recent study demonstrated colonization of a widespread gut fungus (Zancudomyces culisetae) in a larval mosquito (Aedes aegypti) digestive tract affected microbiomes in larvae and newly emerged adult females (Frankel-Bricker et al. Appl Environ Microbiol, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02334-19) but did not investigate these processes in males. The objective of the study presented here was to assess fungal influences …

Reinstatement Of Carposina Ottawana Kearfott, 1907 (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae) As A Valid Species, James D. Young, James A. Robertson

Insecta Mundi

Carposina ottawana Kearfott, 1907 (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae), revised status, formerly considered a synonym of C. sasakii Matsumura, 1900, is returned to species status. Morphological features that separate the Asian species C. sasakii and C. niponensis Walsingham, 1900 from the North American C. ottawana are described and illustrated. A heuristic maximum likelihood (ML) analysis based on the mitochondrial gene cyto­chrome oxidase I (DNA barcode) further supports C. ottawana and C. sasakii as distinct taxa.

Insights From Population Genomics To Enhance And Sustain Biological Control Of Insect Pests, Arun Sethuraman, Fredric J. Janzen, David W. Weisrock, John J. Obrycki

Biology Faculty Publications

Biological control—the use of organisms (e.g., nematodes, arthropods, bacteria, fungi, viruses) for the suppression of insect pest species—is a well-established, ecologically sound and economically profitable tactic for crop protection. This approach has served as a sustainable solution for many insect pest problems for over a century in North America. However, all pest management tactics have associated risks. Specifically, the ecological non-target effects of biological control have been examined in numerous systems. In contrast, the need to understand the short- and long-term evolutionary consequences of human-mediated manipulation of biological control organisms for importation, augmentation and conservation biological control has only recently …

The Collection Of Baseline Data On Insect And Plant Communities Across Multiple Salinity Zones Within Louisiana's Tidal Marshes, Benjamin G. Aker

LSU Master's Theses

Tidally influenced coastal marshes provide numerous important ecosystem services, but these habitats are experiencing extreme habitat loss. Louisiana’s coastal marshes in particular are vulnerable to land loss resulting from both anthropogenic and natural causes, but especially to subsidence and relative sea-level rise. In response, the Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority has outlined and is currently implementing the largest ever attempt at habitat restoration. A major component of this habitat restoration attempt is the use of freshwater and sediment diversions to increase the input of low salinity water, sediment, and nutrients needed to slow marsh loss and build land. Coastal …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Non-Destructive Technologies For Detecting Insect Infestation In Fruits And Vegetables Under Postharvest Conditions: A Critical Review, Akinbode A. Adedeji, Nader Ekramirad, Ahmed Rady, Ali Hamidisepehr, Kevin D. Donohue, Raul T. Villanueva, Chadwick A. Parrish, Mengxing Li

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

In the last two decades, food scientists have attempted to develop new technologies that can improve the detection of insect infestation in fruits and vegetables under postharvest conditions using a multitude of non-destructive technologies. While consumers' expectations for higher nutritive and sensorial value of fresh produce has increased over time, they have also become more critical on using insecticides or synthetic chemicals to preserve food quality from insects' attacks or enhance the quality attributes of minimally processed fresh produce. In addition, the increasingly stringent quarantine measures by regulatory agencies for commercial import-export of fresh produce needs more reliable technologies for …

Oral Ingestion Of Bacterially Expressed Dsrna Can Silence Genes And Cause Mortality In A Highly Invasive, Tree-Killing Pest, The Emerald Ash Borer, Ramya Shanivarsanthe Leelesh, Lynne K. Rieske

Entomology Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) is a naturally occurring process inhibiting gene expression, and recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism have allowed its development as a tool against insect pests. A major challenge for deployment in the field is the development of convenient and efficient methods for production of double stranded RNA (dsRNA). We assessed the potential for deploying bacterially produced dsRNA as a bio-pesticide against an invasive forest pest, the emerald ash borer (EAB). EAB feeds on the cambial tissue of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), causing rapid death. EAB has killed millions of trees in North America since …

Ecology Of The Roseau Cane Scale (Nipponaclerda Biwakoensis, Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) In Coastal Louisiana, Leslie Alejandra Aviles Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

Common reed, Phragmites australis, is the dominant plant in the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), Louisiana. Phragmites australis stands reduce soil erosion from wave action, protect the oil infrastructure, and freshwater habitats. In the fall of 2016, widespread reed die-backs in the MRD were associated with outbreaks of an invasive scale Nipponaclerda biwakoensis (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae). Due to the recent detection of the scale, there was limited knowledge of its ecology in the adventive range, and its impacts on P. australis lineages. Therefore, the objectives of my thesis were to determine (1) the host specificity of the N. biwakoensis in important economic …

A Study On Ecological Distribution Of And Selected Gene Expression In Amblyomma Americanum: An Insight Into The Alpha-Galactose Allergy Caused By Tick Bites, Leah Cuthill

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Ticks transmit a wide variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminthes to vertebrates. Their life cycle depends on blood meals from various hosts as well as on environmental conditions such as the temperature and habitat type. A newly recognized allergic disease has been identified and is characterized by a delayed reaction following the consumption of some mammalian meats. The allergy often results in life threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis, hives, and breathing problems 3-6 hours after the consumption of mammalian meat. Not everyone develops the allergy when they are bitten by a lone star tick, and the cause …

Insights In The Global Genetics And Gut Microbiome Of Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia Illucens: Implications For Animal Feed Safety Control, Fathiya M. Khamis, Fidelis L.O. Ombura, Komivi S. Akutse, Sevgan Subramanian, Samira A. Mohamed, Komi K.M. Fiaboe, Weerachai Saijuntha, Joop J.A. Van Loon, Marcel Dicke, Thomas Dubois, Sunday Ekesi, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The utilization of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia illucens L. for recycling organic waste into high-quality protein and fat biomass for animal feeds has gained momentum worldwide. However, information on the genetic diversity and environmental implications on safety of the larvae is limited. This study delineates genetic variability and unravels gut microbiome complex of wild-collected and domesticated BSF populations from six continents using mitochondrial COI gene and 16S metagenomics. All sequences generated from the study linked to H. illucens accessions KM967419.1, FJ794355.1, FJ794361.1, FJ794367.1, KC192965.1, and KY817115.1 from GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequences generated from the study and …

Detecting Bracoviral Orthologs Distribution In Five Tsetse Fly Species And The Housefly Genomes, Kelvin M. Kimenyi, Muna F. Abry, Winnie Okeyo, Enock Matovu, Daniel Masiga, Benard W. Kulohoma

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Objective: Mutualism between endogenous viruses and eukaryotes is still poorly understood. Several endogenous double-stranded polydnaviruses, bracoviruses, homologous to those present in parasitic braconid wasp genomes were detected in the tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans morsitans). This is peculiar since tsetse flies do not share a reproductive lifestyle similar to wasps, but deliver fully developed larvae that pupate within minutes of exiting their mothers. The objective of this study is to investigate genomic distribution of bracoviral sequences in five tsetse fly species and the housefly, and examine its value as a potential vector control strategy target point. We use comparative genomics to …

From Aristotle To Wunderkammer: The Development Of Entomology And Insect Collections, Erica Fischer

Honors Projects

This project aimed to analyze the development of insect classification and the shift from the realm of the amateur naturalist to professional science. It looked to address questions regarding entomology as a developing science and how effectively it reflects larger changes in the field of biology and the development of natural history collections. This work was for a synthesis of time periods from the beginnings of classification in the ancient world through the 20th century, a more general timeline than is typically approached. The research needed for the completion of this paper was based on secondary source research in the …

Bioinformatic Analysis Of The Gut Microbiota Derived From The Oil Fly Helaeomyia Petrolei From The La Brea Tar Pits, Brian A. Dillard

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the early 1930s, Thorpe a prominent entomologist, called for more research into Helaeomyia petrolei larva. These larvae live in the Californian La Brea tar pits where they are exposed to large amounts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Molecules like anthracene, phenanthrene, and toluene which should be highly toxic to both the oil fly larvae and its enteric bacteria. This extremophilic gut microbiome has yet to be studied using current day next gen sequencing and bioinformatic techniques. In fact, since Thorpe’s work in the 1930s, there have been only two publications characterizing the oil fly larvae. Both in the early 2000s by …

Potential Adoption Of Integrated Pest Management Strategy For Suppression Of Mango Fruit Flies In East Africa: An Ex Ante And Ex Post Analysis In Ethiopia And Kenya, Beatrice W. Muriithi, Nancy G. Gathogo, Gracious M. Diiro, Samira A. Mohamed, Sunday Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

To sustain agricultural development in Africa, innovative strategies for addressing a myriad of biotic and abiotic constraints facing the agricultural systems must be established. One current biotic stress is the mango infesting fruit flies. In the effort to contain the widely spreading and damaging invasive species of tephritid fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) (Hendel), an area-wide integrated pest management (IPM) program is being promoted in the horticultural sub-sector in sub-Saharan Africa. Such a new technology in which farmers have limited information before commercialization may have diffusion paths that are different from the often-assumed sigmoid (or “s”) shaped curve. We apply the …

Light And Dark Rhythms Of Pupal Eclosion And Egg Hatching In Tropical Stem Borers’ Moths, Paul André Calatayud, François Rebaudo, Peter Ahuya, Bruno Le Ru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Different traits in insects such as locomotor activity, egg-hatching, emergence from puparia and oviposition follow light and dark rhythms. In noctuid stemborer moths, activity cycles of the adults linked to their reproductive traits concentrate at the first half of the night and some of them are highly species specific. However, little information is available on the light and dark rhythm of egg hatching in noctuid stemborer moths as compared to adult’s activities (emergence, oviposition and mating). The purpose of this study was to compare the light and dark rhythms of pupal eclosion and egg hatching, respectively, for four main species …

Two New Species Of Nothochodaeus Nikolajev, 2005 From The Himalayan Region (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae), Jean-Bernard Huchet

Insecta Mundi

Nothochodaeus yeti Huchet, new species, from Nepal and Sikkim (north India) and N. martensi Huchet, new species, from Nepal, are described and illustrated (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Ochodaeidae). A distribution map and an updated catalogue of the Ochodaeidae occurring on the Indian subcontinent are provided.

Over the last two decades, oriental beetles belonging to the Ochodaeidae, particularly those occupying East and Southeast Asia, have been the topic of extensive taxonomic studies including the description of many new species (Nikolajev 2005, 2009; Ochi et al. 2011, 2013; Masumoto et al. 2013, 2018; Huchet 2014a, b, 2017, 2018, 2019; Paulsen 2014; Huchet …

Subsequent Spelling Cavolinii For Scarabaeus Cavolini Petagna, 1792 (Currently Copris Hispanus Cavolinii) To Be Maintained As Prevailing Usage (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae: Coprini), Stefano Ziani

Insecta Mundi

The specific name in Scarabaeus cavolinii Petagna, 1792 (currently Copris hispanus ssp. cavolinii) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Coprini) is an incorrect subsequent spelling—the original spelling is cavolini—but, because of its prevailing usage here documented, is to be preserved.

In 1792, Petagna described Scarabaeus cavolini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) as a tribute to the famous Italian biologist Filippo Cavolini (1756–1810), whose Latinized name was Philippus Cavolinus (Petagna 1785; Smith 1804). To dedicate the new species to him, Petagna (1792) declined the name to the genitive singular case of the second Latin declension, which is Cavolini.

The original spelling “cavolini” was …

First Association Of Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) With Salacia Crassifolia (Mart. Ex Schult.) G. Don. (Celastraceae), Marcelo Tavares De Castro, Sandro Coelho Linhares Montalvão, Vera R. S. Wolff, Rose Gomes Monnerat

Insecta Mundi

Salacia crassifolia (Mart. ex Schult.) G.Don., (Celastraceae) is a native species of shrub/tree highly ap­preciated in Brazil for its fruits and medicinal properties. Scale insects have never been reported associated with S. crassifolia; nevertheless, this paper describes the occurrence of two diaspidids on S. crassifolia leaves in Brazil. Three mature trees were inspected in February and March 2018 and scale insect samples were collected and pre­served in 70% alcohol, then mounted and identified under an optical microscope. Two species of scale insects were found associated with this plant, Pseudoparlatoria argentata Hempel and Melanaspis aristotelesi Lepage and Gi­annotti, both from …

A New Species Of Pteroplatus Buquet, 1840 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) And Taxonomical Notes In Neotropical Cerambycidae, Antonio Santos-Silva, Juan Pablo Botero

Insecta Mundi

Pteroplatus antonkozlovi Santos-Silva and Botero, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is described from Panama. Neocompsa thelgema Martins, 1971 is recorded from Panama, and chromatic variation is discussed. The female of Icimauna aysa Martins and Galileo, 1991 is described. Some corrections in a recently published work on Acanthoderini are provided, and the combination Scythropopsis pupillata (Bates, 1880) is established as having precedence over the simultaneously published combination Aegomorphus pupillatus (Bates, 1880).

Recently, we received a relatively large number of specimens of Cerambycidae from Panama, collected by Anton O. Kozlov and Yuliya Kovaleva (Russia) in 2018 and 2019. Among these specimens we found …

First Records Of Ancognatha Aymara Mondaca, 2016 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) In Argentina, José Mondaca

Insecta Mundi

Ancognatha aymara Mondaca, 2016 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini), a species previously known only from Chile, is recorded for the first time in northern Argentina. The new records are based on male specimens collected in the provinces of Jujuy and Salta. Illustrations of the habitus and male genitalia of the species are presented in color photographs. A map with its current distribution in Chile and Argentina is included.

The genus Ancognatha Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) includes 23 valid species (Moore et al. 2018a, b; Paucar-Cabrera and Ratcliffe 2018) distributed from Arizona and New Mexico in the United States to …