Entomology Commons^™

Biology And Economics Of Recommendations For Insecticide-Based Management Of Soybean Aphid, Robert L. Koch, Bruce D. Potter, Phillip A. Glogoza, Erin W. Hodgson, Christian H. Krupke, John F. Tooker, Christina D. Difonzo, Andrew P. Michel, Kelley J. Tilmon, Travis J. Prochaska, Janet J. Knodel, Robert Wright, Thomas E. Hunt, Bryan Jensen, Adam J. Varenhorst, Brian P. Mccornack, Kelly A. Estes, Joseph L. Spencer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, remains the key insect pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in the north-central United States. Management of this pest has relied primarily on scouting and application of foliar insecticides based on an economic threshold (ET) of 250 aphids per plant. This review explains why this ET remains valid for soybean aphid management, despite changes in crop value and input costs. In particular, we review how soybean aphid impacts soybean yield, the role of biology and economics in recommendations for soybean aphid management, and the short- and long-term consequences of inappropriately timed insecticide applications.

Host Utilization Of Tbe Endoparasitoid, Cotesia Glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) In Different Instars Of Pieris Brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), M. I. Ullah, Muhammad Arshad, S. Ali, Yasir Iftikhar, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) is a destructive pest of brassicaceous plants around the world. Biological control of this pest has attained much attention being environment friendly. Parasitism rate and growth of the endoparasitoid species, Cotesia giomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was studied on first (L I) and second (L2) larval instars of P. brassicae. Adult fresh mass and developmental time ofthe parasitoid was higher when it parasitized Ll than L2 of host larvae. Thus, host instars contributed significant variations to parasitoids adult mass accumulation during their development. Parasitized host caterpillars in L2 grew significantly larger than in L …

Developing An In Vivo Toxicity Assay For Rnai Risk Assessment In Honey Bees, Apis Mellifera L, Ana María Vélez, Jessica Jurzenski, Natalie Matz, Xuguo Zhou, Haichuan Wang, Marion D. Ellis, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Maize plants expressing dsRNA for the management of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera are likely to be commercially available by the end of this decade. Honey bees, Apis mellifera, can potentially be exposed to pollen from transformed maize expressing dsRNA. Consequently, evaluation of the biological impacts of RNAi in honey bees is a fundamental component for ecological risk assessment. The insecticidal activity of a known lethal dsRNA target for D. v. virgifera, the vATPase subunit A, was evaluated in larval and adult honey bees. Activity of both D. v. virgifera (Dvv)- and A. mellifera (Am)-specific dsRNA was tested by dietary …

A New Species Of Ancognatha Erichson (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) From Peru, With Distributions Of Peruvian Ancognatha Species, Luis Figueroa, Brett Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A new species of Peruvian Ancognatha Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) is described. A description, diagnosis, distribution, and illustrations of the new species are provided. Locality records and distribution maps for Ancognatha species occurring in Peru are given.

Se describe una nueva especie peruana de Ancognatha Erichson, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini). Se proporciona una descripción, diagnóstico, distribución e ilustraciones de la nueva especie. Se proveen localidades de captura y mapas de distribución para las especies de Ancognatha registradas en Perú.

Assessment Of Potential Risks Of Dietary Rnai To A Soil Micro-Arthropod, Sinella Curviseta Brook (Collembola: Entomobryidae), Huipeng Pan, Linghua Xu, Jeffrey E. Noland, Hu Li, Blair D. Siegfried, Xuguo Zhou

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNAi-based genetically engineered (GE) crops for the management of insect pests are likely to be commercialized by the end of this decade. Without a workable framework for conducting the ecological risk assessment (ERA) and a standardized ERA protocol, however, the utility of RNAi transgenic crops in pest management remains uncertain. The overall goal of this study is to assess the risks of RNAi-based GE crops on a non-target soil micro-arthropod, Sinella curviseta, which could be exposed to plantprotected dsRNAs deposited in crop residues. Based on the preliminary research, we hypothesized that insecticidal dsRNAs targeting at the western corn rootworm, …

Host Utilization Of The Endoparasitoid, Cotesia Glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) In Different Instars Of Pierls Brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), M. I. Ullah, Muhammad Arshad, S. Ali, Yasir Iftikhar, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) is a destructive pest of brassicaceous plants around the world. Biological control of this pest has attained much attention being environment friendly. Parasitism rate and growth of the endoparasitoid species, Cotesia glomerata L. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was studied on first (L 1) and second (L2) larval instars of P. brassicae. Adult fresh mass and developmental time of the parasitoid was higher when it parasitized L1 than L2 of host larvae. Thus, host instars contributed significant variations to parasitoids adult mass accumulation during their development. Parasitized host caterpillars in L2 grew significantly larger than in L1 …

Battle In The New World: Helicoverpa Armigera Versus Helicoverpa Zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), José P. F. Bentivenha, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Edson L. L. Baldin, Alexandre Specht, Ivana F. Da Silva, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The corn earworm Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and the old world bollworm H. armigera (HuÈbner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are allopatric species and occur in important agricultural crops. In maize, both species tend to infest the ear. The introduction of H. armigera in Brazil has created a new scenario, where these Helicoverpa species might cohabit and interact with one another, affecting the prevalence of each species in the agroecosystem, integrated pest management, and insect resistance management. In this study, larval occurrence and proportion of these species in maize was assessed in three regions of Brazil during three crop seasons. Interaction between …

Amblypygids: Model Organisms For The Study Of Arthropod Navigation Mechanisms In Complex Environments?, Daniel D. Wiegmann, Eileen A. Hebets, Wulfila Gronenberg, Jacob M. Graving, Verner P. Bingman

Eileen Hebets Publications

Navigation is an ideal behavioral model for the study of sensory system integration and the neural substrates associated with complex behavior. For this broader purpose, however, it may be profitable to develop new model systems that are both tractable and sufficiently complex to ensure that information derived from a single sensory modality and path integration are inadequate to locate a goal. Here, we discuss some recent discoveries related to navigation by amblypygids, nocturnal arachnids that inhabit the tropics and sub-tropics. Nocturnal displacement experiments under the cover of a tropical rainforest reveal that these animals possess navigational abilities that are reminiscent, …

The Behavioral Ecology Of Amblypygids, Kenneth J. Chapin, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Arachnologists have uncovered tantalizing details about amblypygid behavioral ecology—the study of the fitness consequences of their behavior. Thus, it is the aim of this review to position Amblypygi as a useful system in which to investigate the principles of animal behavioral ecology. We synthesize amblypygid habitat preference and navigation modalities; predator, prey, parasite, parasitoid, cannibal, and commensal interactions; resource contests and territoriality; mating systems and mate choice; parental investment and sociality; and genetics and genomics as they relate to behavioral ecology. We present ideas for future research in each of these areas and discuss future directions for Amblypygi behavioral ecology …

Absence Of Mate Choice And Postcopulatory Benefits In A Species With Extreme Sexual Size Dimorphism, Marie Claire Chelini, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Most hypotheses related to the evolution of female-biased extreme sexual size dimorphism (SSD) attribute the differences in the size of each sex to selection for reproduction, either through selection for increased female fecundity or selection for male increased mobility and faster development. Very few studies, however, have tested for direct fitness benefits associated with the latter – small male size. Mecaphesa celer is a crab spider with extreme SSD, whose males are less than half the size of females and often weigh 10 times less. Here, we test the hypotheses that larger size in females and smaller size in males …

Evaluating Categories Of Resistance In Soybean Genotypes From The United States And Brazil To Aphis Glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Edison L. L. Baldin, Lia Marchi-Werle, Luiz E.R. Pannuti, Andre L. Lourencao, Tiffany M. Heng-Moss, Thomas E. Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), the soybean aphid, has become an important pest of soybeans, leading to significant yield losses in the United States. Host plant resistance is a viable alternative for managing A. glycines. The objectives of this study were to identify and categorize sources of resistance in soybean to A. glycines on genotypes from the United States and Brazil. An antixenosis assay was initially conducted with 8 genotypes to evaluate attractiveness to A. glycines. The selected soybean genotypes were further evaluated in a colonization assay to investigate the resistance of the genotypes at V1 (fully developed …

Drosophila Suzukii Infestation In Ripe And Ripening Caneberries, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Hannah Burrack

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a highly invasive vinegar fly that was first detected in the continental United States in 2008. Females use their saw-like ovipositor to lay eggs in soft-skinned fruits and severely threaten the viability of raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and strawberry production. In a recent study, females in no-choice laboratory bioassays laid eggs in ripening blueberries and blackberries. However, most of the eggs failed to develop, perhaps because the ripening process was interrupted in the prematurely-harvested fruit. We hypothesized that eggs laid in ripening fruit in a field may be able to complete development as the fruit continues …

Ovipositional Preference, Fidelity, And Fitness Of Drosophila Suzukii In A Co-Occurring Crop And Non-Crop Host System, Lauren M. Diepenbrock, Katharine A. Swoboda-Bhattarai, Hannah Burrack

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a devastating pest of soft-skinned fruits including blackberries and raspberries. Management of this pest is focused on preventing infestation in crops, but non-crop hosts may play an important role in enabling D. suzukii to persist in the absence of cultivated hosts. Drosophila suzukii may also infest fruits of both crop and non-crop hosts concurrently. Our goals were to determine whether (1) D. suzukii prefers to oviposit in cultivated blackberry, Rubus L. subgenus rubus Watson, or American pokeweed, Phytolacca americana, a non-crop host commonly found along field edges, (2) D. suzukii prefers to oviposit into the same …

Parental Rnai Suppression Of Hunchback Gene To Control Hemipteran Pests, Blair D. Siegfried, Kenneth E. Narva, Kanika Arora, Sarah E. Worden, Chitvan Khajuria, Elane Fishilevich, Nicholas P. Storer, Meghan Frey, Ronda L. Hamm, Ana Velez

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This disclosure concerns nucleic acid molecules and methods of use thereof for control of hemipteran pests through RNA interference-mediated inhibition of target coding and transcribed non-coding sequences in hemipteran pests. The dis closure also concerns methods for making transgenic plants that express nucleic acid molecules useful for the control of hemipteran pests, and the plant cells and plants obtained thereby.

Evolutionary Escalation: The Bat–Moth Arms Race, John M. Ratcliffe

Dartmouth Scholarship

Echolocation in bats and high-frequency hearing in their insect prey make bats and insects an ideal system for studying the sensory ecology and neuroethology of predator–prey interactions. Here, we review the evolutionary history of bats and eared insects, focusing on the insect order Lepidoptera, and consider the evidence for antipredator adaptations and predator counter-adaptations. Ears evolved in a remarkable number of body locations across insects, with the original selection pressure for ears differing between groups. Although cause and effect are difficult to determine, correlations between hearing and life history strategies in moths provide evidence for how these two variables influence …

Ant Diversity And Community Structure In Coastal Dunes And Wetlands, Xuan Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

How do many species live in a certain place? How does species composition changes among habitats? And what mechanisms decide species distribution? These are fundamental questions in community ecology. I first investigated ant diversity in two coastal ecosystems (dunes and wetlands) in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and then used the distribution patterns to infer assembly processes that structure ant communities in coastal areas. Specifically, the following hypotheses are tested: (1) coastal systems support lower ant diversity due to the unsuitable environment; (2) species living near the seashore are a subset of those exist near inland; (3) deterministic processes are …

Mevalonate-Farnesal Biosynthesis In Ticks: Comparative Synganglion Transcriptomics And A New Perspective, Jiwei Zhu, Sayed M. Khalil, Robert D. Mitchell, Brooke W. Bissinger, Noble Egekwu, Daniel E. Sonenshine, R. Michael Roe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Juvenile hormone (JH) controls the growth, development, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects. For many years, the general assumption has been that JH regulates tick and other acarine development and reproduction the same as in insects. Although researchers have not been able to find the common insect JHs in hard and soft tick species and JH applications appear to have no effect on tick development, it is difficult to prove the negative or to determine whether precursors to JH are made in ticks. The tick synganglion contains regions which are homologous to the corpora allata, the biosynthetic source for JH in …

Technique For: Determination Of Insect Prey Selection By Insectivorous Bats, Merrill Tawse

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Utilizing Fecal Pellet Analysis to Determine Prey Selection by Insectivorous Bats: For my Graduate Project I examined culled exoskeleton parts from bat fecal pellets (guano) to determine identifications of the insects preyed upon by a group of bats to their order and often family levels. Culled insect parts were permanently fixed on microscope slides and viewed under a dissection microscope to determine identifications and to quantify the percentage composition that they represented in the bat’s diet. Comparisons were made of prey selected by the different bat species that were foraging at the same location and at the same time. Comparisons …

Beginning Beekeeping Handbook, Paul Timm, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Why Honey Bees?

Where Do I Begin?

Honey Bee Biology and Behavior

Key Seasonal Hive Activities and Responsibilities

Developing and Adding Value to a Product

Marketing Your Product

Writing a Business Plan

Additional Resources

WHY HONEY BEES? It is a question that many people ask me. I ponder this question from time to time, reflecting back upon my own decision to enroll in a beekeeping course during my last undergraduate semester of college. I had no previous experience with honey bees nor did I know anyone that kept bees. Other than divine providence and a desire to learn about an …

Imaging The Oocysts In The Midgut Of The Mosquito, Hillary Guzik

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

● Learn how to dissect the midgut from the mosquito ○ Protocol on how to conduct the dissection ● Produce a portfolio of high end microscopy images of the oocysts inside of the midgut ○ Using Leica SP5 Point Scanning Confocal (Analytical Imaging Facility at Einstein College of Medicine) ○ Reconstruct the oocyst in 3D ○ To further be used in Dr. Kami Kim’s research ● Develop an image analysis protocol to automatically count each individual oocyst ○ Using Volocity analysis software (PerkinElmer) ○ Gather total counts and area measurements of individual oocysts ○ Written for future use ○ To …