Entomology Commons^™

Tolerance As A Novel Mechanism Of Hessian Fly Control On Wheat, Kirsten E. Roe

Open Access Theses

The effects of Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor Say) infestation on the putative tolerant wheat line Pioneer ®brand variety 25R78 were investigated at the seedling stage. Measurements, including leaf and tiller number, leaf growth rate, and total leaf lengths were recorded for two time intervals, 16 and 32 days post infestation (dpi). At 16 dpi, total leaf length changes and leaf growth rates were significantly lower for infested tolerant plants versus uninfested plants. No permanent growth effects occurred in the 32-day set. There were no significant differences in change in leaf length and leaf growth rate in infested tolerant plants …

Reclaiming Lost Territory: The Response Of Owyhee Harvester Ants To Forager Intrusions By Neighboring Colonies, Brett D. Howell

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Neighboring colonies of the Owyhee harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex salinus, often share non-overlapping foraging boundaries in the areas between their nests. We found that interactions between neighbors along these foraging boundaries were infrequent but peaceful, and usually resulted in one or both individuals becoming agitated and scurrying away in opposite directions. Interactions between neighbors were necessary to maintain the foraging ranges of their respective colonies. An exclusion experiment showed that when one colony of a pair situated 5-7 m apart was denied access to its foraging range, individuals from the other colony would usually (i.e., in 7 out of 10 cases) …

Effects Of Environmental Factors On The Abundance Of Blacklegged Ticks, Jasmine L. Miller, Roger A. Lebrun, Howard S. Ginsberg

Senior Honors Projects

The nymphal stage of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the major vector of Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in North America. Tick abundance has generally been estimated using either flag/drag samples or samples from hosts. However, the biases of these sampling methods have not been adequately studied. We compared samples using both methods from sites in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Tick abundance was compared with variables related to weather (temperature, relative humidity, and tick adverse moisture events), vegetation (canopy cover, tree density, shrub density, ground vegetation, and leaf litter cover), and host abundance (mice, small mammals, medium …

Section Abstracts: Entomology

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Entomology Section for the 94th Annual Virginia Academy of Science Meeting, May 18-20, 2016, at University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA.

Key To The Species Of Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Rhyssinae) In America, North Of Mexico, Victoria G. Pook, Michael J. Sharkey, David B. Wahl

Entomology Faculty Publications

A dichotomous and an interactive key to the species of Megarhyssa (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) in America, north of Mexico are presented. A diagnosis accompanied by images is provided for male and female wasps of each of the four species, Megarhyssa atrata, Megarhyssa greenei, Megarhyssa macrurus and Megarhyssa nortoni.

Dispersal And Sampling Of The Wheat Stem Sawfly, Cephus Cintus Norton, (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), Christopher Mccullough

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), is a serious insect pest of wheat, Triticum aestivum L., in the northern central Great Plains. The sawfly has been a pest of wheat in Montana, North Dakota, and Canada since the early 20^th century. It was first detected in Nebraska winter wheat in the early 1990s, in Scotts Bluff County. The sawfly has since spread throughout the Nebraska Panhandle region and become a pest of serious concern. To gain a better understanding of the sawfly in Nebraska, investigations on the emergence, dispersal, and sampling of the sawfly were conducted. …

A Hitchhiker’S Guide To Invasion Biology: Describing The Ecological Mechanisms Underlying The Range Expansions Of Two Ixodid Tick Species, Robyn M. Nadolny

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Increasing incidence of many tick-borne diseases have been linked to recent expansions of tick species distributions. Many tick species are expanding their ranges because of anthropogenic changes in the landscape, shifting climatic variables, and increasing populations of suitable host species and tick habitat. Few empirical studies have been performed, however, investigating the ecological mechanisms underlying these range expansions. Ticks are parasitic organisms that disperse across landscape by hitchhiking on hosts, but must then survive in the environment for long periods of time between bloodmeals. Two species of ixodid tick, Ixodes affinis and Amblyomma maculatum, are simultaneously expanding their ranges throughout …

Nestmate Recognition In Odorous House Ants (Tapinoma Sessile): Effects Of Social Plasticity, Urbanization, And Laboratory Maintenance, Timothy J. Luttermoser

Open Access Theses

Odorous house ants (Tapinoma sessile) are a widespread North American ant species and common nuisance pest. In addition to their pest status, odorous house ants are of interest as a model system for understanding the factors that lead to variable queen number and nesting strategy across ants, as well as possible insight into common traits of exotic invasive (or “tramp”) ant species. While T. sessile is native to North America, in urban environments it forms large supercolonies with many queens and nest sites connected by trails, similar to a variety of exotic invasive ants, most of which are …

The Military And Infectious Disease: Rickettsial Disease, Isa Hakima

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Since the founding of the United States Army on the fourteenth day of June in the year 1775, the United States Military has had millions of noncombat-related casualties due to preventable illnesses and diseases transmitted through an arthropod vector. U.S. Military operations have been affected from the effects of the smallpox and malaria outbreaks as early as the Continental Army around 1775, as well as the Civil War period in the mid-1860s. In 1898, the U.S. Military was devastated with outbreaks of typhoid fever, yellow fever, and dengue fever during the months of the Spanish-American War (Artenstein et al., 2005). …

Cry1f Resistance Among Lepidopteran Pests: A Model For Improved Resistance Management?, Ana María Vélez, Neetha Nanoth Vellichirammal, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The Cry1Fa protein from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is known for its potential to control lepidopteran pests, especially through transgenic expression in maize and cotton. The maize event TC1507 expressing the cry1Fa toxin gene became commercially available in the United States in 2003 for the management of key lepidopteran pests including the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. A high-dose/refuge strategy has been widely adopted to delay evolution of resistance to event TC1507 and other transgenic Bt crops. Efficacy of this strategy depends on the crops expressing a high dose of the …

Expansion Of The Knockdown Resistance Frequency Map For Human Head Lice (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) In The United States Using Quantitative Sequencing, K J. Gellatly, S Krim, D J. Palenchar, K Shepherd, Kyong-Sup Yoon, C J. Rhodes, S H. Lee, J M. Clark

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Pediculosis is a prevalent parasitic infestation of humans, which is increasing due, in part, to the selection of lice resistant to either the pyrethrins or pyrethroid insecticides by the knockdown resistance (kdr) mechanism. To determine the extent and magnitude of the kdr-type mutations responsible for this resistance, lice were collected from 138 collection sites in 48 U.S. states from 22 July 2013 to 11 May 2015 and analyzed by quantitative sequencing. Previously published data were used for comparisons of the changes in the frequency of the kdr-type mutations over time. Mean percent resistance allele frequency (mean % RAF) values across …

Pollinator Garden, Paige E. Bradley

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

The goal of the project is to increase awareness about global climate change and the necessity of environmentally sustainable practice, particularly among the younger citizens of the Lafayette area. The Lyn Greece Boys & Girls Club extended a hand and offered us land to install a pollinator garden on their campus and an opportunity to meet with the kids one-on-one to promote sustainability ideas and help them understand the basics of gardening. The project is as local as possible, using native plants, no pesticides or herbicides, Bennett's Greenhouse (a local business), and the resources on campus to reach out to …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 28, No. 1, March 2016

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Content: Welcome - Congratulations - Publications - Strategic Pest Control Theme Runs Strong at UPM Conference - Grants - Faculty News - Meet an Off-Campus Student - Travel - Student News - Students Swarm to UNL Entomologist for Class Project - Bruner Club's International Dinner

Current Topics In Medical, Urban, And Veterinary Entomology (Muve): Results Of A Roundtable Discussion, K. T. Edwards

Midsouth Entomologist

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Coccidiodomycosis In Livestock, Robert Wood

Midsouth Entomologist

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, is a fungal infection that affects most mammals. It is found throughout the semi-arid parts of the Americas. Valley Fever was first described in 1892 as a parasitic disease with high mortality and morbidity, but is now considered to be a low morbidity and mortality fungal disease. Although the disease could have long lasting effects that ultimately lead to death, likelihood of mortality is low. Additionally, morbidity is reduced with appropriate treatment.

Chikungunya: An Imminent Threat To The United States, Breanna Lyle

Midsouth Entomologist

Recent years have seen a drastic increase in the number of cases of Chikungunya, a mosquito-vectored disease spread by day-feeding mosquitoes in the genus Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae). Cases of this disease have been on the rise in the Caribbean Islands as well as in many South American countries. The presence of the vector in many parts of the United States, as well as the proximity to these cases make Chikungunya a looming threat to the United States. While this disease is rarely considered a lethal one, the lasting impacts of an outbreak would be significantly detrimental to the infrastructure of …

Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (Pam) - Deadly Waters, Morgan Hommel

Midsouth Entomologist

Naegleria fowleri Carter, is a protozoan that causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). Naegleria fowleri is also referred to as the "brain-eating amoeba", due to the fact that it destroys the brain when in contact. PAM is an extremely rare, yet fatal disease. Fewer than 5 percent of people that have had PAM have survived. PAM is in the United States as well as in underdeveloped countries, most recently Pakistan. PAM is avoidable, as long as the contaminated water does not enter the nostrils.

2015 Soybean Insect Losses In The Southern Us, F. R. Musser, A. L. Catchot Jr., J. A. Davis, D. A. Herbert Jr., G. M. Lorenz, T. Reed, D. D. Reisig, S. D. Stewart

Midsouth Entomologist

Survey-based soybean insect losses were collected following the 2015 growing season to provide a record of insect pressure and soybean management practices for the year. This survey has been done annually in all participating states for at least the last 5 years and since 2004 in Mississippi. The 2015 survey represents 11.7 million soybean acres across the southern United States. Overall, stink bugs re-emerged as the most expensive pest in soybean followed closely by corn earworm and soybean looper. The proportion of fields planted with insecticide seed treatments decreased slightly for the second consecutive year to 60% of all acreage. …

Dengue Fever: Should We Be Concerned As Americans?, Shikinah D. Washington

Midsouth Entomologist

Dengue fever is a virus transmitted through mosquito bites. There are cases in many countries throughout the world that occur every few years. The disease does not kill many people, however, it can make the quality of life very poor and cause people to die who have underlying disease. There is no vaccine to prevent it, and it is a disease that we Americans should not take lightly. It is very possible for there to be an outbreak in the United States, therefore we need to all take precautions against it. An outbreak here or anywhere else in the world …

Nebline, March 2016

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: It’s Easier Than Ever to Connect with Extension — Mobile Device and Social Media are Changing the Way People Learn

Food & Health

Family Living

Farm & Acreage

Horticulture

Pests & Wildlife

4-H & Youth

Extension Calendar

and other extension news and events