Entomology Commons^™

20-Hydroxyecdysone (20e) Primary Response Gene E93 Modulates 20e Signaling To Promote Bombyx Larval-Pupal Metamorphosis, Xi Liu, Fangyin Dai, Enen Guo, Kang Li, Li Ma, Ling Tian, Yang Cao, Guozheng Zhang, Subba Reddy Palli, Sheng Li

Entomology Faculty Publications

As revealed in a previous microarray study to identify genes regulated by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone (JH) in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, E93 expression in the fat body was markedly low prior to the wandering stage but abundant during larval-pupal metamorphosis. Induced by 20E and suppressed by JH, E93 expression follows this developmental profile in multiple silkworm alleles. The reduction of E93 expression by RNAi disrupted 20E signaling and the 20E-induced autophagy, caspase activity, and cell dissociation in the fat body. Reducing E93 expression also decreased the expression of the 20E-induced pupal-specific cuticle protein genes and prevented growth …

Isolation Of Rhp-Psp, A Member Of Yer057c/Yjgf/Uk114 Protein Family With Antiviral Properties, From The Photosynthetic Bacterium Rhodopseudomonas Palustris Strain Jsc-3b, Pin Su, Tuizi Feng, Xuguo Zhou, Songbai Zhang, Yu Zhang, Ju'e Cheng, Yuanhua Luo, Jing Peng, Zhuo Zhang, Xiangyang Lu, Deyong Zhang, Yong Liu

Entomology Faculty Publications

Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain JSC-3b isolated from a water canal adjacent to a vegetable field produces a protein that was purified by bioactivity-guided fractionation based on ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange absorption and size exclusion. The protein was further identified as an endoribonuclease L-PSP (Liver-Perchloric acid-soluble protein) by shotgun mass spectrometry analysis and gene identification, and it is member of YER057c/YjgF/UK114 protein family. Herein, this protein is designated Rhp-PSP. Rhp-PSP exhibited significant inhibitory activities against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in vivo and in vitro. To our knowledge, this represents the first report on the antiviral activity of a protein of the …

The Transcriptomic And Evolutionary Signature Of Social Interactions Regulating Honey Bee Caste Development, Svjetlana Vojvodic, Brian R. Johnson, Brock Harpur, Clement Kent, Amro Zayed, Kirk E. Anderson, Timothy A. Linksvayer

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

The caste fate of developing female honey bee larvae is strictly socially regulated by adult nurse workers. As a result of this social regulation, nurse-expressed genes as well as larval-expressed genes may affect caste expression and evolution. We used a novel transcriptomic approach to identify genes with putative direct and indirect effects on honey bee caste development, and we subsequently studied the relative rates of molecular evolution at these caste-associated genes. We experimentally induced the production of new queens by removing the current colony queen, and we used RNA sequencing to study the gene expression profiles of both developing larvae …

Nebline, November/December 2015

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The Tramp Ant Cardiocondyla Venustula (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Reported From Alabama, J. A. Macgown, H. Richter

Midsouth Entomologist

No abstract provided.

Clinical Report Of The Spinose Ear Tick, Otobius Megnini (Acari: Parasitiformes: Argasidae), From A Domestic Cat, Felis Silvestris Catus, And First Record From Northwest Arkansas, M. J. Skvarla, G. E. Evans, J. R. Fisher, A. P. G. Dowling

Midsouth Entomologist

We provide a brief overview of the spinose ear tick, Otobius megnini (Dugès 1884) (Acari: Parasitiformes: Argasidae), describe a clinical case from a domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus L. 1758, and report the species for the first time from Northwest Arkansas.

The George H. Bradley Black Fly Papers (Diptera: Simuliidae), T. M. Nations, K. T. Edwards, J. Goddard

Midsouth Entomologist

Dr. George H. Bradley, a former USDA and Army entomologist, conducted research on a variety of medically important insects during his career; most notably mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae). Much of Dr. Bradley’s personal library was donated to the Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University after his death. Six of Dr. Bradley’s papers in that library, apparently never published, were discovered concerning the ecology and biology of the southern buffalo gnat, which he called Eusimulium pecuarum, (now known as Cnephia pecuarum). These unpublished works provide much needed and never before seen information on this medically important …

An Introduction To Insects Of Regulatory Concern, Robert Phillips

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

No abstract provided.

Three New Reports Of Subsocial Tortoise Beetles From South America (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), Margarete V. Macedo, Vivian Flinte, André Abejanella, Caroline S. Chaboo

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Subsociality is known in 35 species in 10 genera of the chrysomelid subfamilies Cassidinae and Chrysomelinae. In Cassidinae, the behavior is clustered in two tribes, Eugenysini and Mesomphaliini, but unknown biologies of many of these species limit fine-scaled resolution of the origins and diversity of this interesting behavior. We report three new records of subsocial Cassidinae, Eugenysa martae Borowiec in Colombia, Omaspides (Omaspides) clathrata L. in French Guiana, and Paraselenis (S.) aulica in Brazil. Females guard larvae and pupae; larvae retain exuvio-fecal shields in some stages. Longer-term study of P. (S.) aulica on the host Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) revealed …

Odorant Receptor-Based Discovery Of Natural Repellents Of Human Lice, Julien Pelletier, Pingxi Xu, Kyong-Sup Yoon, John M. Clark, Walter S. Leal

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

The body louse, Pediculus humanus humanus, is an obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite and an important insect vector that mediates the transmission of diseases to humans. The analysis of the body louse genome revealed a drastic reduction of the chemosensory gene repertoires when compared to other insects, suggesting specific olfactory adaptations to host specialization and permanent parasitic lifestyle. Here, we present for the first time functional evidence for the role of odorant receptors (ORs) in this insect, with the objective to gain insight into the chemical ecology of this vector. We identified seven putative full-length ORs, in addition to the odorant receptor …

Nebline, October 2015

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Abejas Silvestres (Himenóptera: Apoidea) En La Neblina: Análisis De La Diversidad, Interacciones, Y Potencial Para Miel En Un Remanente De Bosque Nublado, Jen Hayes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Las abejas (Himenóptera: Apoidea) se encuentran en casi cada una de las bioregiones en el mundo. Su composición es muy diversa en los neotrópicos. Las abejas silvestres (no-Apis) representan casi el 90% de las especies de abejas en todo el mundo (Parra, 2005). Los objetivos principales de este estudio fueron realizar un inventario de las especies de abejas al final de la estación seca, observar sus interacciones intra-específicas, y determinar el potencial de producción de miel medicinal de las abejas sin aguijón (Apidae: Meliponini). El estudio fue realizado en la Reserva Inti Llacta, un remanente de bosque nublado …

The Beetle Tree Of Life Reveals That Coleoptera Survived End-Permium Mass Extinction To Diversify During The Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, Duane D. Mckenna, Alexander L. Wild, Kojun Kanda, Charles L. Bellamy, Rolf G. Beutel, Michael S. Caterino, Charles W. Farnum, David C. Hawks, Michael A. Ivie, Mary Liz Jameson, Richard A.B. Leschen, Adriana E. Marvaldi, Joseph V. Mchugh, Alfred F. Newton, James A. Robertson, Margaret K. Thayer, Michael F. Whiting, John F. Lawrence, Adam Ślipinski, David R. Maddison, Brian D. Farrell

Publications

Here we present a phylogeny of beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) based on DNA sequence data from eight nuclear genes, including six single-copy nuclear protein-coding genes, for 367 species representing 172 of 183 extant families. Our results refine existing knowledge of relationships among major groups of beetles. Strepsiptera was confirmed as sister to Coleoptera and each of the suborders of Coleoptera was recovered as monophyletic. Interrelationships among the suborders, namely Polyphaga (Adephaga (Archostemata, Myxophaga)), in our study differ from previous studies. Adephaga comprised two clades corresponding to Hydradephaga and Geadephaga. The series and superfamilies of Polyphaga were mostly monophyletic. The traditional Cucujoidea …

Hexapod Herald - Vol. 27, No. 4, October 2015

Hexapod Herald and Other Entomology Department Newsletters

Content: Welcome - Congratulations - Publications - Faculty Changes, Part II - Faculty News -- Grants - Citizen Science Buzz - Student News - Meet an Off Campus Student - BUGFEST Success

Effect Of Pentoxifylline On Chitinolytic Enzyme Activity In The Eastern Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Timothy J. Husen, Shripat T. Kamble, Julie M. Stone

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A two-molecule chitinolytic enzyme system (endo- and exo-chitinase) hydrolyzes and degrades the chitin polymers. Therefore, it is imperative to discover novel compounds for inhibiting chitinolytic enzymes to prevent insect growth. This research examined the effect of pentoxifylline (a dimethylxanthine chitinase inhibitor) on inhibition of endo- and exo-chitinolytic enzyme activities in eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Enzyme activities were compared with amounts of treated diet consumed by termites and percent mortality observed over time. Pentoxifylline affected in vitro endo-chitinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner, while having minimal to no effect on in vitro exo-chitinase enzyme activity. However, pentoxifylline treatment affected …

Mirnas Regulated Overexpression Of Ryanodine Receptor Is Involved In Chlorantraniliprole Resistance In Plutella Xylostella (L.), Xiuxia Li, Lei Guo, Xuguo Zhou, Xiwu Gao, Pei Liang

Entomology Faculty Publications

The amino acid mutations in ryanodine receptor (RyR) and elevated activity of detoxification enzymes have been associated with the diamide insecticide resistance in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). The up-regulation of P. xylostella RyR mRNA (PxRyR) expression has also been reported in field populations of different graphical origin. However, whether the up-regulation of PxRyR is involved in diamide resistance remains unknown. In this paper, 2.28- to 4.14-fold higher expression of PxRyR was detected in five field collected resistant populations, compared to that in a susceptible population. The expression of PxRyR was up-regulated 5.0- and 7.2-fold, respectively, after …

Extant! Living Bembidion Palosverdes Kavanaugh And Erwin (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Found On Santa Catalina Island, California Full Access, Michael S. Caterino, Katie J. Caterino, David R. Maddison

Publications

Kavanaugh and Erwin (1992) described Bembidion palosverdes from seven specimens from two localities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Los Angeles Co., CA (Pt. Vicente, ∼33.741°N, 118.411°W, and Pt. Fermin, ∼33.705°N, 118.294°W), collected in June 1964 by Derham Giuliani. The species' authors spent two days searching for specimens at the two known localities, but found no additional specimens. They suggested that the species may have become extinct prior to its formal description, citing a major 1969 oil spill as a potential factor.

Intrinsic Fluctuations And Driven Response Of Insect Swarms, Rui Ni, James G. Puckett, Eric R. Dufresne, Nicholas T. Ouellette

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Animals of all sizes form groups, as acting together can convey advantages over acting alone; thus, collective animal behavior has been identified as a promising template for designing engineered systems. However, models and observations have focused predominantly on characterizing the overall group morphology, and often focus on highly ordered groups such as bird flocks. We instead study a disorganized aggregation (an insect mating swarm), and compare its natural fluctuations with the group-level response to an external stimulus. We quantify the swarm’s frequency-dependent linear response and its spectrum of intrinsic fluctuations, and show that the ratio of these two quantities has …

Nebline, September 2015

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Insecticides Promote Viral Outbreaks By Altering Herbivore Competition, Huipeng Pan, Evan L. Preisser, Dong Chu, Shaoli Wang, Qingjun Wu, Yves Carriére, Xuguo Zhou, Youjun Zhang

Entomology Faculty Publications

While the management of biological invasions is often characterized by a series of single-specieg decisions, invasive species exist within larger food webs. These biotic interactions can alter the impact of control/eradication programs and may cause suppression efforts to inadvertently facilitate invasion spread and impact. We document the rapid replacement of the invasive Bemisia Middle East-Asia Minor I (MEAM1) cryptic biotype by the cryptic Mediterranean (MED) biotype throughout China and demonstrate that MED is more tolerant of insecticides and a better vector of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) than MEAMJ. While MEAM1 usually excludes MED under natural conditions, insecticide application …