Examining The Effects Of Songbird Nest Boxes And Habitat On Avian And Arthropod Communities In A Vineyard Ecosystem,
2025
Cal Poly Humboldt
Examining The Effects Of Songbird Nest Boxes And Habitat On Avian And Arthropod Communities In A Vineyard Ecosystem, Eleanor Macdonald
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Agricultural expansion threatens biodiversity, but integrating insectivorous birds into vineyard ecosystems may support both conservation and ecosystem services. We tested how nest boxes and habitat composition influence avian and arthropod communities in Napa Valley vineyards using a before-after, control-impact experiment across 20 sites. During the 2023-2024 breeding seasons we conducted avian point counts, sampled key pest and beneficial arthropods, and collected fecal samples from adult and nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) to detect vineyard pest DNA. Nest boxes significantly increased swallow and bluebird abundance within one year; swallow responses were strongest …
An Analysis Of Moth Diversity In Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Basistha, Assam, India,
2024
Department of Zoology, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya, Meghalaya, India
An Analysis Of Moth Diversity In Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Basistha, Assam, India, Golphina Ahmed, Arup Nama Das, Lupamudra Borah, Rezina Ahmed
Journal of Bioresource Management
The Garbhanga Reserve Forest, located on the south-western side of Guwahati City, covers an area of about 117 km2 and borders the foothills of Meghalaya (26°05´36˝N and 91°44´57˝E). Despite the constant threat of exploitation due to its proximity to the rapidly developing city, this area hosts a diverse ecosystem of moths and butterflies. In a study conducted over one year from January 2022 to December 2022, a total of 140 moth species were documented, with the majority belonging to the Erebidae family (46 species) and 1090 individuals, followed by the Crambidae family (31 species) and 704 individuals. The dominance of …
A Review On Wolbachia- A Viable Alternative To Control Aedes-Born Arboviral Diseases,
2024
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56300, Pakistan
A Review On Wolbachia- A Viable Alternative To Control Aedes-Born Arboviral Diseases, Fatima Khizar, Iqra Mushtaq, Hafsa Masud, Muhammad Sajjad Sarwar
Journal of Bioresource Management
The endemic geographic ranges of mosquitoes are expanding due to various anthropogenic activities including rapid international travel and trade, urbanization, deforestation, and global warming. Hence, Aedes-borne arboviral diseases like dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, or Zika infections would cause severe future outbreaks in non-endemic regions of the world. This threat to global public health highlights an urgent need for the development of efficient and effective mosquito control strategies. To date, a large number of mosquito vector-control strategies have been developed. Each of them has its strengths and weaknesses but the use of intracellular, endosymbiotic reproductive parasitic bacteria named Wolbachia pipientis …
Thriving Hives: Cleaning And Sterilizing Beekeeping Equipment,
2024
Utah State University
Thriving Hives: Cleaning And Sterilizing Beekeeping Equipment, Brynn Meredith, Bailey Parkinson, Andree' Walker Bravo
All Current Publications
Honeybees are susceptible to many types of diseases and parasites, most of which can spread easily through equipment. Your hives' health and safety depend on your attention to detail and efforts to keep your equipment clean and sterile. This fact sheet lists several methods for sterilizing beekeeping equipment. The list is not exhaustive but includes some of the most cost-effective options.
Re-Indigenizing And Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces,
2024
Portland State University
Re-Indigenizing And Collaboratively Tending Urban Greenspaces, Divinity Nnenne Adewale
University Honors Theses
This work details the active process of land tending with the intention of re-Indigenization in the Pacific Northwest at several Portland sites; The Native American Student Community Center, PSU Oak Savanna, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Land tending is an intuitive process, one rooted in love and respect for life of all forms as well as becoming the perpetual student; land tending is not a skill to be mastered, only practiced. Unlike environmental management, tending cannot be done separate from the earth, in a classroom or otherwise. Connections are what tending is built on top of: the foundation; effort …
Evaluation Of Current Management Strategies For The Tarnished Plant Bug And Tobacco Thrips In Midsouthern Cotton,
2024
Mississippi State University
Evaluation Of Current Management Strategies For The Tarnished Plant Bug And Tobacco Thrips In Midsouthern Cotton, Hunter Lane Lipsey
Theses and Dissertations
The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), is an important economic pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (L.), in the Midsouth region of the United States. An experiment was conducted to determine the impact of insecticide class loss on yield and Lygus populations in the recently commercialized ThryvOn cotton technology. Data indicated no significant yield loss when excluding any currently utilized insecticide class for tarnished plant bug management. An additional objective was to reevaluate the sampling interval necessary to scout ThryvOn cotton for Lygus. No significant differences were observed between a 3 or 7-day sample interval compared to plots …
Biological Control Of Roseau Cane Scale With Parasitoid Wasps In Louisiana,
2024
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Biological Control Of Roseau Cane Scale With Parasitoid Wasps In Louisiana, Tanner C. Sparks
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Roseau cane scale, Nipponaclerda biwakoensis (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) is an invasive species of scale insect negatively impacting Phragmites australis (Cyperales: Poaceae) stands within the Mississippi River Delta. The scales were first detected in 2017 from reports of Phragmites die-back within the MRD by landowners. Initial range surveys located RCS infested Phragmites stands were primarily limited to southeastern Louisiana with a single population near Port Arthur, Texas. Follow-up field surveys conducted annually from 2021 to 2023 monitoring further range expansion by the scale show the current range extends nearly 600 km between High Island, Texas and Bayou la Batre, Alabama. Climate matching …
Survey And Comparative Analysis Of Pollinator Diversity, Abundance, And Foraging Activity Of Diptera And Hymenoptera In Selected Habitats Of South Texas,
2024
Texas A&M International University
Survey And Comparative Analysis Of Pollinator Diversity, Abundance, And Foraging Activity Of Diptera And Hymenoptera In Selected Habitats Of South Texas, Melissa Villarreal
Theses and Dissertations
With the declining bee population, non-bee pollinators can serve as an alternative source for pollination. Diptera is a potential source of untapped pollinator resources based on their abundance and visitation rate, but they are understudied in the field of pollination ecology. This study aimed to characterize the pollinator community in selected areas of South Texas. It focused on the Diptera and Hymenoptera families to compare their diversity, relative abundance, foraging behaviors, environmental influences, and vegetation associations. Active sampling and line transect were used in the survey to sample the Hymenoptera and Diptera communities to their family taxonomic rank. Statistical analyses …
High-Severity Wildfires Alter Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging Assemblage Structure In Montane Coniferous Forests And Grasslands In The Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, Usa,
2024
Missouri University of Science and Technology
High-Severity Wildfires Alter Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging Assemblage Structure In Montane Coniferous Forests And Grasslands In The Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, Usa, Jonathan Knudsen, Robert Parmenter, Theodore Sumnicht, Robin M. Verble
Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works
High-severity wildfires create heterogeneous patterns of vegetation across burned landscapes. While these spatial patterns are well-documented, less is known about the short- and long-term effects of large-scale high-severity wildfires on insect community assemblages and dynamics. Ants are bottom-up indicators of ecosystem health and function that are sensitive to disturbance and fill a variety of roles in their ecosystems, including altering soil chemistry, dispersing seeds, and serving as a key food resource for many species, including the federally endangered Jemez Mountain salamander (Plethodon neomexicanus). We examined the post-fire effects of the 2011 Las Conchas Wildfire on ant communities in the Valles …
The Mayfly Newsletter,
2024
The Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera
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.
Effects Of Fast And Slow-Wilting Soybean Genotypes On Plant-Herbivore Interactions,
2024
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Effects Of Fast And Slow-Wilting Soybean Genotypes On Plant-Herbivore Interactions, Jessica Ayala
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the most important food crops in the world due to its multiple uses in agriculture sector. A major limiting factor in soybean production system is drought stress, causing up to 80% reduction in yield. Due to climate change and associated rise in ambient temperatures, water scarcity is a major concern in crop production, and consequently researchers are turning to soybean accessions that demonstrate better water use efficiency (WUE) traits. However, field grown soybean is also under severe pressure from insect herbivores, often accounting for a 30% reduction in yield. Among these, …
Lateral Dispersal Of Adult Trichoptera: Flight Distance And Traveling Pattern,
2024
Clemson University
Lateral Dispersal Of Adult Trichoptera: Flight Distance And Traveling Pattern, Peilin Tan
All Theses
Trichoptera species (caddisfly) are usually used as bio-indictors for surface water quality due to their sensitivity to environmental changes, and if assessing water quality with light-trapped adults, knowing their travelling patterns will improve the accuracy of such assessments. To investigate how far a caddisfly will migrate from their emerging stream, three streams in South Carolina with different widths (Wildcat Creek 1.2 m, Brasstown Creek 11.2 m and Chattooga River 26.95 m) were selected for this study with light traps placed at three distances (0 m, 50 m, 100 m) from the streams. How long and when? Both species richness and …
Understanding And Intervening In Children's Tick Risk Perceptions And Protective Behaviors: A Grounded Theory,
2024
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Understanding And Intervening In Children's Tick Risk Perceptions And Protective Behaviors: A Grounded Theory, Ariel Dawdy
Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Children, ages 8 years and younger, are at a particularly high risk of contracting a tick-borne disease. This is partially due to the misconceptions spread about tick protective behavior and a poor understanding of how antibiotic treatment can help. Because most communities and families believe that tick control is the individual’s responsibility, looking at the interaction between ticks and human children is essential to understanding the individual’s motivations to protect themselves. To help alleviate the number of individuals contracting tick-borne diseases, misconceptions must be addressed, intervention programs implemented, and a behavioral change must occur. This study used a qualitative research …
Understanding The Interactions Between Pollen-Borne Ilarviruses And Pollinators In Peach Orchards,
2024
Clemson University
Understanding The Interactions Between Pollen-Borne Ilarviruses And Pollinators In Peach Orchards, Mandeep Tayal
All Dissertations
Pollen-mediated virus transmission is a common problem in fruit crops. Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) are pollen-borne ilarviruses endemic to the southeastern U.S. and cause substantial losses in peach production. PNRSV and PDV are primarily transmitted through vegetative propagation (grafting) as well as via pollen and seed. However, the role of pollinators in transmission dynamics of these viruses is not well understood. First, I documented the bee diversity and abundance during peach bloom in South Carolina, identifying Bombus and Apis as the most dominant genera, followed by Eucera, Andrena and Habropoda. Bee community composition …
Seasonal Abundances Of Aedes Aegypti And Culex Quinquefasciatus In An Urban Community In The Texas/Mexico Border,
2024
University of Texas at El Paso
Seasonal Abundances Of Aedes Aegypti And Culex Quinquefasciatus In An Urban Community In The Texas/Mexico Border, Kevyn Amezcua
Open Access Theses & Dissertations
AAedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are two medically relevant species of mosquitoes that can transmit several arboviruses that affect human health. Ae. aegypti is a vector for viral diseases such as Dengue, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya, and Zika, while Cx. quinquefasciatus is a vector for West Nile and Saint Louis Encephalitis. Both species are mostly found in urban environments and are affected by several anthropogenic factors such as the presence of artificial containers and overall changes to the native landscape. Little research is done on the ecology of these two species in the Chihuahuan desert, which has some areas that are …
The Effects Of Livestock On Mosquito Diversity And Abundance In Hidalgo County,
2024
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The Effects Of Livestock On Mosquito Diversity And Abundance In Hidalgo County, Taylor Nicole Moya
Theses and Dissertations
Mosquitoes are detrimental to animals and threaten humans. More information is needed on how farm animal presence may impact mosquito abundance and diversity at farms. My goal in this study is to determine if there is any correlation between animal abundance or diversity on a farm and the abundance and diversity of mosquitoes collected. Hidalgo County, Texas, has a subtropical desert climate, ideal for mosquitoes. I hypothesized that the mosquito abundance and diversity indices would increase as the livestock abundance or diversity increases. Adult mosquitoes were collected using two CO2-baited light traps per farm from Spring 2022 to Fall 2022. …
Evaluating The Roles Of Pollinators In Shaping The Floral Color Variation Of Phacelia Dubia,
2024
Clemson University
Evaluating The Roles Of Pollinators In Shaping The Floral Color Variation Of Phacelia Dubia, Katherine Riddle
All Theses
Floral color variation within a species is a common occurrence and its maintenance has been a long-standing question in evolutionary biology. Differences in flower color between populations can be shaped by pollinator-mediated selection. Pollinators can exhibit innate and learned preferences for color that may influence floral color variation. These preferences may be molded by the visual environment in which pollinators forage. Most current understanding of how pollinators shape floral color variation involves dramatic differences in dominant pollinators between populations (e.g., hawkmoth vs. bee) and most behavioral work utilized model pollinators like honeybee and bumble bee. However, less is known about …
Variation In Sorghum Aphid (Melanaphis Sorghi) 1 Populations Translates Into Life History Traits On Sorghum-Sudangrass (Sorghum´ Drummondii),
2024
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Variation In Sorghum Aphid (Melanaphis Sorghi) 1 Populations Translates Into Life History Traits On Sorghum-Sudangrass (Sorghum´ Drummondii), Neetu Khanal, Christopher J. Vitek, Rupesh R. Kariyat
School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications
Sorghum aphid (Melanaphis sorghi; SA) (Theobald) is a new invasive pest of sorghum first reported in the USA in 2013. Since then, the use of synthetic pesticides and resistant cultivars have increased, which has caused levels of differences in the populations of SAs and led to the potential emergence of new biotype(s) of SA. However, most research has concentrated on comparing SA fed on sorghum, sugarcane, and other hosts, which may have obscured any population differences that may exist within sorghum. To understand this, we collected three populations of SA that fed on sorghum from three different locations around …
Assessing The Influence Of Native And Invasive Grasses On The Behavior Of Aedes Aegypti In South Texas,
2024
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Assessing The Influence Of Native And Invasive Grasses On The Behavior Of Aedes Aegypti In South Texas, Emily Medelez
Theses and Dissertations
Invasive grasses in South Texas can have widespread negative effects, displacing native species, reducing biodiversity, and posing risks to public health. These grasses may flourish in moist, shaded environments, which not only support their growth but also creates habitats favorable for mosquito activity. This can increase the population and alter the behavior of mosquitoes, potentially raising the risk of disease transmission. In this thesis, I look at the behavior of mosquito species Aedes aegypti, primary vector of the yellow fever virus. I analyzed the influence of oviposition, flight and resting behaviors. I tested the relative attraction of Aedes mosquitoes …
Rice Sucrose Non-Fermenting Related Protein Kinase (Snrk1) Has A Limited Role In Defense Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda),
2024
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Rice Sucrose Non-Fermenting Related Protein Kinase (Snrk1) Has A Limited Role In Defense Against Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Devi Balakrishnan, Vibha Srivastava, Rupesh Kariyat
Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Sucrose non-fermenting (SNF) related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) is a master regulator of energy deprivation signaling, has also been implicated in abiotic and biotic stress regulation. SnRK1 promotes stress tolerance through metabolic and transcriptional changes and plays important roles in innate immunity against various pathogens. However, whether it plays a role against insect herbivory is not understood. To test this, using the wild type (with SnRK1) and snrk1 mutant lines in rice, we examined the potential role of SnRK1 in rice against the ruinous pest, Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda. We also investigated the response of FAW towards these lines …
