Entomology Commons^™

Species-Area Model Predicting Diversity Loss In An Artificially Flooded Cave In Brazil, Rodrigo L. Ferreira, Thais G. Pellegrini

International Journal of Speleology

Subterranean environments are poorly known regarding many ecological aspects, such as community structure and its response to different disturbances. To estimate the effects of ground area lost in a limestone cave community in Southeastern Brazil, the invertebrate fauna was sampled before 76% of the cave floor was submerged by the filling of a hydroeletric power plant reservoir. Then, a 2-year monitoring was conducted. A species-area curve based on empiric data was constructed and the z-value of the species-area equation was calculated, what allowed estimating the expected cave richness after flooding comparing with data obtained during the monitoring. The results support …

Nebline, July 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Nebraska’s Bad Buzz: What You Need to Know About Mosquitoes and West Nile Virus

Summertime Snacking With Salsa

Recipes of the Month

Weather Challenges Keep Coming

Block Play Encourages Children’s Development in Multiple Areas

Extension Offers “Block Party” for Childcare Programs

Upcoming Early Childhood Trainings

My Personal Experience With West Nile Virus

Check Landscape Plants for Bagworms

Garden Guides: Things to Do This Month

Greener Town Grant Applications Due Aug. 31

HEART OF 4-H VOLUNTEER AWARD: Kylee Yakel

SUPER FAIR 4-H/FFA ANIMAL ENTRIES MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE BY JULY 1

11 4-H Clubs Helped at Kiwanis Karniva

Many Ways to …

Frugivorous Insects Reared From Chytranthus Obliquinervis Radlk. (Sapindales: Sapindaceae) With The Description Of A New Monophagous Species Of Grapholita Treitschke (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Robert S. Copeland, Józef Razowski

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Ripe fruits of Chytranthus obliquinervis were sampled from a tree in Buda Forest in coastal Kenya. Four species of insects were reared from the fruits, two species of Tephritidae, an undescribed species of gelechiid moth, and a new species of tortricid moth, Grapholita chytranthusi Razowski, sp. n., described herein. No parasitoids were reared. Notes on the biology, distribution, and conservation status of the host and its pests are included.

Responses Of Glossina Fuscipes Fuscipes To Visually Attractive Stationary Devices Baited With 4-Methylguaiacol And Certain Repellent Compounds In Waterbuck Odour, Njelembo J. Mbewe, Rajinder K. Saini, Janet Irungu, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Christian W.W. Pirk, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: A blend of compounds (pentanoic acid, guaiacol, δ-octalactone and geranylacetone) identified in waterbuck (Kobus defassa) body odour referred to as waterbuck repellent compounds (WRC) and a synthetic repellent 4-methylguaiacol have previously been shown to repel tsetse flies from the morsitans group. However, these repellents have not been evaluated on palpalis group tsetse flies. In this study, we evaluated the effect of these repellents on catches of Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (major vector of human sleeping sickness) in biconical traps and on sticky small targets which are visually attractive to palpalis group flies. The attractive devices were baited with different doses …

Effects Of Virus Infection And Volatiles On Aphid Virus Vector Behavior On Sweetpotato, John Lawrence Dryburgh

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sweetpotato is affected by a wide variety of viruses worldwide, which can cause yield losses of up to 90%. Many of these viruses are transmitted by aphids in a non-persistent manner. Non-persistent viruses are acquired and transmitted within minutes, and thus conventional control, such as insecticides, are ineffective. Altering aphid movement and feeding behavior may affect the rate of virus transmission. One potential method to alter aphid behavior is volatile organic compounds (VOC), including volatiles emitted by virus infected plants, plant hormones, and commercial control agents. Aphid movement near sweetpotato fields was monitored to determine trends throughout the growing season. …

Tracing Nutrient Sources To Lipid Production In Insects Using Stable Isotope (Δ13c, Δ2h) Tracers: Implications For Nutritional Physiology Of Migratory Species., Libesha Anparasan, Keith A. Hobson

Western Research Forum

Using stable isotope measurements of insect tissues to determine origin and migratory patterns is well established. However, isotopically determining nutritional origins of lipids, the primary fuel of migration, has not been as thoroughly researched. We explored isotopic links between diet and stored lipids in laboratory raised True armyworm moths (Mythimna unipuncta) using δ¹³C and δ²H measurements. Pupae were randomly separated into four groups (n=20) and fed isotopically distinct nectar, each consisting of a combination of high δ¹³C (C4 sugar), or low δ¹³C (C3 sugar) carbohydrate, with high δ²H (deuterium spiked), …

South American Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Part Xix: Overview Of Cryptognathini And Systematic Revision Of South American Cryptognatha Mulsant, Guillermo González, Guy A. Hanley, Robert D. Gordon

Insecta Mundi

Genera of Cryptognathini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are discussed and a key to all recognized genera is provided. Cryptognatha is revised, and species of this genus are keyed.

The Role Of Atp-Sensitive Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels In The Regulation Of Reactive Oxygen Species In The Western Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera L., Christopher J. Fellows

LSU Master's Theses

Colonies of managed honey bees are annually being lost at an unsustainable rate, partly due to reduced immunocompetence that leads to acute viral outbreaks and mortality. To aid in restoring honey bee health despite the myriad of environmental stressors, this thesis focuses on identifying novel physiological pathways that can mitigate virus-mediated mortality through increased immune function. Previous work has demonstrated that a family of potassium ion channels, termed K_ATP channels, mediate the survival of honey bees during infection from a model virus, suggesting K_ATP channels may drive antiviral immunity. Interestingly, these channels have been linked to the regulation …

Life-History Parameters Of Striacosta Albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Under Laboratory Conditions, Débora G. Montezano, Thomas E. Hunt, Alexandre Specht, Priscila M. C. Luz, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Striacosta albicosta (Smith) is a key pest of maize and dry beans in North America. It has expanded its distribution from the western Great Plains of the United States to the Great Lakes region in the United States and Canada. There has been limited research on the baseline biological aspects of this insect under controlled conditions. The objective of this study was to detail the biological parameters of S. albicosta feeding on an artificial diet under laboratory conditions. Overall survival from neonate to adult at 26.6 ± 1°C was 36.72% and the total developmental time was approximately 110 d. Survival …

Development Of Cs-Tpp-Dsrna Nanoparticles To Enhance Rnai Efficiency In The Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes Aegypti, Ramesh Kumar Dhandapani, Dhandapani Gurusamy, Jeffrey L. Howell, Subba Reddy Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Mosquito-borne diseases are a major threat to human health and are responsible for millions of deaths globally each year. Vector control is one of the most important approaches used in reducing the incidence of these diseases. However, increasing mosquito resistance to chemical insecticides presents challenges to this approach. Therefore, new strategies are necessary to develop the next generation vector control methods. Because of the target specificity of dsRNA, RNAi-based control measures are an attractive alternative to current insecticides used to control disease vectors. In this study, Chitosan (CS) was cross-linked to sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) to produce nano-sized polyelectrolyte complexes with …

Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda Smith) Feeding Elicits Differential Defense Responses In Upland And Lowland Switchgrass, Nathan A. Palmer, Saumik Basu, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Jeffrey D. Bradshaw, Gautam Sarath, Joe Louis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a low input, high biomass perennial grass being developed for the bioenergy sector. Upland and lowland cultivars can differ in their responses to insect herbivory. Fall armyworm [FAW; Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] is a generalist pest of many plant species and can feed on switchgrass as well. Here, in two different trials, FAW larval mass were significantly reduced when fed on lowland cultivar Kanlow relative to larvae fed on upland cultivar Summer plants after 10 days. Hormone content of plants indicated elevated levels of the plant defense hormone jasmonic acid (JA) and its …

Downregulation Of Orco And 5-Htt Alters Nestmate Discrimination In The Subterranean Termite Ondontotermes Formosanus (Shiraki), Pengdong Sun, Shuxin Yu, Austin Merchant, Chaoliang Lei, Xuguo Zhou, Qiuying Huang

Entomology Faculty Publications

Nestmate discrimination allows social insects to recognize nestmates from non-nestmates using colony-specific chemosensory cues, which typically evoke aggressive behavior toward non-nestmates. Functional analysis of genes associated with nestmate discrimination has been primarily focused on inter-colonial discrimination in Hymenopterans, and parallel studies in termites, however, are grossly lacking. To fill this gap, we investigated the role of two genes, Orco and 5-HTT, associated with chemosensation and neurotransmission respectively, in nestmate discrimination in a highly eusocial subterranean termite, Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki). We hypothesized that knocking down of these genes will compromise the nestmate recognition and lead to the antagonistic behavior. To …

Geographic Biases In Bee Research Limits Understanding Of Species Distribution And Response To Anthropogenic Disturbance, Mary A. Jamieson, Adrian L. Carper, Caleb J. Wilson, Virginia L. Scott, Jason Gibbs

Entomology Faculty Publications

Habitat loss and degradation due to agricultural intensification and urbanization are key threats facing wild pollinators, especially bees. However, data on the distribution and abundance of most of the world's 20,000+ bee species is lacking, making it difficult to assess the effects of anthropogenic disturbance through time. Moreover, there are geographic biases in the study of bees creating gaps in our understanding of species distributions and regional patterns of diversity. Research efforts are often focused around cities or field stations associated with universities and other research institutions. In this perspectives paper, we provide examples of geographic bias in knowledge regarding …

Nebline, June 2019

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Understanding How Climate Change Affects Nebraska and Agriculture

Are You Drinking or Eating Enough Dairy Foods for the Health Benefits?

Recipe of the Month

Floods and Trees: Helping Trees Recover

Pretty Things That Pollinate

Perennial Plants for Pollinators

Garden Guide: Things to Do This Month

Pollinator Week: June 17–23

Upcoming Early Childhood Trainings

Nebraska Early Development Network

HEART OF 4-H Volunteer: Glenda Willnerd

JUNE 15 DEADLINE: 4-H Member Online Enrollment; Youth for the Quality Care of Animals Requirements for ANY Livestock Exhibitor; 4-H Projects Updated; Volunteer Online Enrollment; 4-H/FFA Animal IDs

4-H Sewing Help

4-H Clover Kids Animal Showmanship Change …

Host Species And Site Of Collection Shape The Microbiota Of Rift Valley Fever Vectors In Kenya, David P. Tchouassi, Ephantus J. Muturi, Samwel O. Arum, Chang Hyun Kim, Christopher J. Fields, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The composition and structure of microbial communities associated with mosquitoes remain poorly understood despite their important role in host biology and potential to be harnessed as novel strategies for mosquito-borne disease control. We employed MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene amplicons to characterize the bacterial flora of field-collected populations of Aedes mcintoshi and Aedes ochraceus, the primary vectors of Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus in Kenya. Proteobacteria (53.5%), Firmicutes (22.0%) and Actinobacteria (10.0%) were the most abundant bacterial phyla accounting for 85.5% of the total sequences. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling plots based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarities revealed a clear grouping of …

Caterpillar-Induced Plant Volatiles Attract Conspecific And Heterospecific Adults For Oviposition Within A Community Of Lepidopteran Stemborers On Maize Plant, Bonoukpoè Mawuko Sokame, Eric Siaw Ntiri, Peter Ahuya, Baldwyn Torto, Bruno Pierre Le Ru, Dora Chao Kilalo, Gerald Juma, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Olfactory cues may influence host plant preferences for oviposition of female moths within a community of stemborers that utilise the same resource. This study aimed to evaluate plant preferences for oviposition of gravid females of noctuid stemborers, Busseola fusca and Sesamia calamistis, and the crambid Chilo partellus for uninfested maize plants and plants infested by conspecific or heterospecific larvae. The involvement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by uninfested and maize plants infested by conspecific or heterospecific larvae on moth orientation was studied in Y-tube olfactometer assays and in the field. All gravid female moths significantly preferred VOCs emitted by …

Effects Of Meiotic Drive On Developing Eye-Stalks In Stalk-Eyed Flies, Christopher Lepore, Olivia Smith, Heather Wood, Josephine Reinhardt Phd

McNair Scholars Program

Teleopsis dalmanni, commonly known as Stalk-Eyed flies, are known for their sexually dimorphic eye-stalks which females use to pick mates. Within the Gombak-12 population, some individuals contain meiotic drive which is known to influence eye-stalk length and sex ratios. Our goal was to identify genes in developing eye tissue that play a role in causing meiotic drive. To identify these candidate genes, we determined the sex and meiotic drive status of individuals by dissecting 3rd instar larvae for their carcasses. After finding that Qiagen Puregene and Qiagen DNEasy columns DNA extraction techniques worked best—determined by using gel electrophoresis—we prepared …

Mosquito Microevolution Drives Plasmodium Falciparum Dynamics, Markus Gildenhard, Evans K. Rono, Assetou Diarra, Anne Boissière, Priscila Bascunan, Paola Carrillo-Bustamante, Djeneba Camara, Hanne Krüger, Modibo Mariko, Ramata Mariko, Paul Mireji, Sandrine E. Nsango, Julien Pompon, Yara Reis, Martin K. Rono, Pamela B. Seda, Janis Thailayil, Alou Traorè, Cynthia V. Yapto, Parfait Awono-Ambene, Roch K. Dabiré, Abdulaye Diabaté, Daniel Masiga, Flaminia Catteruccia, Isabelle Morlais, Mouctar Diallo, Djibril Sangare, Elena A. Levashina

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Malaria, a major cause of child mortality in Africa, is engendered by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted by anopheline mosquitoes. Fitness of Plasmodium parasites is closely linked to the ecology and evolution of its anopheline vector. However, whether the genetic structure of vector populations impacts malaria transmission remains unknown. Here, we describe a partitioning of the African malaria vectors into generalists and specialists that evolve along ecological boundaries. We next identify the contribution of mosquito species to Plasmodium abundance using Granger causality tests for time-series data collected over two rainy seasons in Mali. We find that mosquito microevolution, defined by …

Zebra Skin Odor Repels The Savannah Tsetse Fly, Glossina Pallidipes (Diptera: Glossinidae), Olabimpe Y. Olaide, David P. Tchouassi, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, Christian W.W. Pirk, Daniel K. Masiga, Rajinder K. Saini, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background African trypanosomosis, primarily transmitted by tsetse flies, remains a serious public health and economic challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Interventions employing natural repellents from non-preferred hosts of tsetse flies represent a promising management approach. Although zebras have been identified as non-preferred hosts of tsetse flies, the basis for this repellency is poorly understood. We hypothesized that zebra skin odors contribute to their avoidance by tsetse flies. Methodology/Principal findings We evaluated the effect of crude zebra skin odors on catches of wild savannah tsetse flies (Glossina pallidipes Austen, 1903) using unbaited Ngu traps compared to the traps baited with two known …

Unexpected Diversity Of Wolbachia Associated With Bactrocera Dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) In Africa, Joseph Gichuhi, Fathiya M. Khamis, Johnnie Van Den Berg, Sunday Ekesi, Jeremy K. Herren

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is an important pest of fruit-bearing plants in many countries worldwide. In Africa, this pest has spread rapidly and has become widely established since the first invasion report in 2003. Wolbachia is a vertically transmitted endosymbiont that can significantly influence aspects of the biology and, in particular, the reproduction of its host. In this study, we screened B. dorsalis specimens collected from several locations in Africa between 2005 and 2017 for Wolbachia using a PCR-based assay to target the Wolbachia surface protein wsp. Of the 357 individuals tested, 10 were positive for Wolbachia using the wsp assay. …