Entomology Commons^™

Understory Diversity And Composition Drives Carabid Assemblages, Tierney Brosius, Michael Reisner

Biology: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

Fire suppression has nearly eliminated fire as a disturbance in temperate deciduous forests. Lack of fire is transforming these ecosystems through a positive feedback loop termed mesophication: cool, damp, shady conditions become continually more favorable for a few mesophytic species, while deteriorating for diverse array of heliophytic ones. Disturbances caused by urbanization fragment and degrade remnant forests. In urban settings, human management (or lack thereof) is often a dominate driver of succession. Carabid diversity, understory vegetation, patch size, patch connectivity, and permeable surface area were all examined in multiple forest plots in Rock Island and Moline. The result of this …

Factors Affecting The Spatial Distribution Of Oviposition Sites For Tandem Black Saddlebags Dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae), Jessica L. Thornton, Paul V. Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Oviposition site location may be affected by (1) factors influencing the costs and benefits to the offspring (e.g., resource availability, competition, predation risk) and (2) factors influencing the costs and benefits to the female (e.g., predation risk or mate ha- rassment). In cases in which both the male and female are involved in locating a site, costs and benefits may differ for each parent and the resulting oviposition site location may represent the outcome of selection pressures on one or both of them. We studied oviposi- tion behavior in the black saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea lacerata Hagen), a species in which …

Factors Affecting The Spatial Distribution Of Oviposition Sites For Tandem Black Saddlebags Dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae), Jessica Thornton, Paul Switzer

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Oviposition site location may be affected by (1) factors influencing the costs and benefits to the offspring (e.g., resource availability, competition, predation risk) and (2) factors influencing the costs and benefits to the female (e.g., predation risk or mate ha- rassment). In cases in which both the male and female are involved in locating a site, costs and benefits may differ for each parent and the resulting oviposition site location may represent the outcome of selection pressures on one or both of them. We studied oviposi- tion behavior in the black saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea lacerata Hagen), a species in which …

On The Origins Of The Insect Fauna Of California's Channel Islands: A Comparative Phylogeographic Study Of Island Beetles, Michael S. Caterino, Stylianos Chatzimanolis, Maxi Polihronakis Richmond

Publications

California’s 8 Channel Islands host a large diversity of insects, the vast majority of which are shared with mainland southern California. The existence of a small number of recognized endemic species, however, suggest that, for some lineages, the islands are isolated enough to have permitted significant differentiation. Here we investigate the phylogeographic relationships of 4 beetle species (Thinopinus pictus, Hadrotes crassus, Hypocaccus lucidulus, and Nyctoporis carinata): all occurring on the mainland and on multiple (up to 6) Channel Islands. Sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I mitochondrial gene (and, for one species, an intron in the …

Message From The Editorial Board, John R. Clark

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Household Insect Pest Guide, Brandon Frederick

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Cockroaches 2-8
Termites 9
Ants 10-13
Flies 14-23
Beetles 24
Silverfish 25-26
Bedbugs 27
Head lice 28

Mosquito-Borne Diseases In Mississippi, Ryan J. Rodriguez

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Life Cycle:
Egg Must be exposed to water to hatch
Larvae Live in aquatic habitats
Pupa Stay near the surface of water to breath
Adults: Only females feed on blood; Males feed on nectar

Public Health •Besides being a nuisance, they cause numerous health hazards to humans (and other animals) •In some cases, they may cause severe allergic reactions •Diseases they transmit: •Eastern Equine Encephalitis •Japanese Encephalitis •La Crosse Encephalitis •St. Louis Encephalitis •West Nile Virus •Western Equine Encephalitis •Dengue Fever •Malaria •Rift Valley Fever •Yellow Fever

Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Mississippi and its Vectors •Chikungunya Virus •Aedes species •Eastern Equine …

Sequence-Characterized Amplified Regions That Differentiate New World Screwworms From Other Potential Wound-Inhabiting Flies, Joan A Christen, Steven R. Skoda, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Donald J. Lee, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Abstract. New World screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel, 1858), were once devastating pests of warmblooded animals in the United States before they were successfully eradicated using the sterile insect technique. Guarding against the introduction of screwworms to North America or any other screwworm-free area relies on rapid, reliable identification of suspected cases. In the current study, the DNA from excised markers generated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction was used as the basis to generate 2 species-specific sequence-characterized amplified region molecular markers. Resulting primer pairs, named CR92A1 and J1A2 (each with forward and reverse components), produced amplicons of 852 …

Transcriptional Profiling Of Resistant And Susceptible Buffalograsses In Response To Blissus Occiduus (Hemiptera: Blissidae) Feeding, Crystal M Ramm, Michael Wachholtz, Keenan Amunsen, Teresa J. Donze, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Paul Twigg, Nathan A. Palmer, Gautam Sarath, Frederick P. Baxendale

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT Understanding plant resistance mechanisms at a molecular level would provide valuable insights into the biological pathways impacted by insect feeding, and help explain specific plant tolerance mechanisms. As a first step in this process, we conducted next-generation sequencing using RNA extracted from chinch bug-tolerant and -susceptible buffalograss genotypes at 7 and 14 d after chinch bug feeding. Sequence descriptions and gene ontology terms were assigned to 1,701 differentially expressed genes. Defense-related transcripts were differentially expressed within the chinch bug-tolerant buffalograss, Prestige, and susceptible buffalograss, 378. Interestingly, four peroxidase transcripts had higher basal expression in tolerant control plants compared with …

Susceptibility Of Nebraska Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Populations To Bt Corn Events, David S. Wangila, Aaron J. Gassmann, Jennifer L. Petzold-Maxwell, B. Wade French, Lance J. Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Transgenic plants have been widely adopted by growers to manage the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, in field corn. Because of reduced efficacy in some Nebraska fields after repeated use of Cry3Bb1-expressing hybrids, single plant bioassays were conducted in 2012 and 2013 to characterize the susceptibility of western corn rootworm populations to the rootwormactive proteins Cry3Bb1, mCry3A, and Cry34/35Ab1. Results demonstrate that there are heritable differences in susceptibility of Nebraska western corn rootworm populations to rootworm-active Bt traits. Proportional survival and corrected survival data coupled with field histories collectively support the conclusion that a level of field resistance …

Transcriptional Analysis Of Susceptible And Resistant European Corn Borer Strains And Their Response To Cry1f Protoxin, Neetha Nanoth Vellichirammal, Haichuan Wang, Seong-Il Eyun, Estuko N. Moriyama, Brad Coates, Nicholas Miller, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Despite a number of recent reports of insect resistance to transgenic crops expressing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), little is known about the mechanism of resistance to these toxins. The purpose of this study is to identify genes associated with the mechanism of Cry1F toxin resistance in European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner). For this, we compared the global transcriptomic response of laboratory selected resistant and susceptible O. nubilalis strain to Cry1F toxin. We further identified constitutive transcriptional differences between the two strains.

Results: An O. nubilalis midgut transcriptome of 36,125 transcripts was assembled de novo from …

Degree-Day Prediction Models For The Flight Phenology Of Western Bean Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Assessed With The Concordance Correlation Coefficient, Anthony A. Hanson, Roger D. Moon, R. J. Wright, Thomas E. Hunt, William D. Hutchinson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a native, univoltine pest of corn and dry beans in North America. The current degree-day model for predicting a specified percentage of yearly moth flight involves heat unit accumulation above 10°C after 1 May. However, because the moth’s observed range has expanded into the northern and eastern United States, there is concern that suitable temperatures before May could allow for significant S. albicosta development. Daily blacklight moth catch and temperature data from four Nebraska locations were used to construct degree-day models using simple or sine-wave methods, starting dates between 1 January …

Estimation Of Efficacy Functions For Products Used To Manage Corn Rootworm Larval Injury, N A. Tinsley, P. D. Mitchell, Robert Wright, Lance J. Meinke, R. E. Estes, M. E. Gray

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Maize, Zea mays L., is an economically important crop grown throughout the world. Corn rootworm, Diabrotica spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), larvae constitute a significant economic threat to maize production in the United States, where yield losses and management costs associated with corn rootworm species exceed $1 billion annually. Furthermore, the introduction of the western corn rootworm, D. virgifera virgifera LeConte, into maize-producing regions of Europe has made managing corn rootworm larval injury an international concern. Larvae injure maize plants by feeding on root tissue and are the primary target of management activities. Products commonly used to protect root systems from injury …

Developmental Biology And Effects Of Adult Diet On Consumption, Longevity, And Fecundity Of Colaspis Crinicornis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Kentaro Miwa, Lance Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The chrysomelid beetle Colaspis crinicornis Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) occurs primarily in the Great Plains region of the United States. Little is known about the biology and ecology of this species, but over the last decade, it has become increasingly common in the corn, Zea mays L., and soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, agroecosystem of southeastern Nebraska. As part of a larger comprehensive project to understand the natural history and pest potential of this species, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the developmental biology, morphological characters of immature stages, and the effect of adult diet on consumption, longevity, and fecundity. Females …

Morphology And Proteome Characterization Of The Salivary Glands Of The Western Chinch Bug (Hemiptera: Blissidae), Crystal Ramm, Astri Wayadande, Lisa Baird, Renu Nandakumar, Nandakumar Madayiputhiya, Keenan Amundsen, Teresa Donze-Reiner, Frederick Baxendale, Gautam Sarath, Tiffany Heng-Moss

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western chinch bug, Blissus occiduus Barber, is a serious pest of buffalograss, Buchloe dactyloides (Nuttall) due to physical and chemical damage caused during the feeding process. Although previous work has investigated the feeding behaviors of chinch bugs in the Blissus complex, no study to date has explored salivary gland morphology and the associated salivary complex of this insect. Whole and sectioned B. occiduus salivary glands were visualized using light and scanning electron microscopy to determine overall structure and cell types of the salivary glands and their individual lobes. Microscopy revealed a pair of trilobed principal glands and a pair …

Transcriptional Responses Of Tolerant And Susceptible Soybeans To Soybean Aphid (Aphis Glycines Matsumura) Herbivory, Travis J. Prochaska, Teresa Donze-Reiner, L. Marchi-Werle, N. A. Palmer, Thomas E. Hunt, Gautam Sarath, Tiffany Heng-Moss

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, was introduced in 2000 to North America and has become one of the most significant pests to soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, production. Possible solutions to this problem are the use of resistant plants and the understanding of the genes involved in plant resistance. In this study, we sought to better understand the genes involved in the tolerance response of soybean plants to the soybean aphid, utilizing tolerant (KS4202) and susceptible (K-03-4686) plants. Studies were conducted under greenhouse conditions. Leaf samples of both tolerant and susceptible plants were collected at day 5 and day …

Parental Rna Interference Of Genes Involved In Embryonic Development Of The Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte, Chitvan Khajuria, Ana María Vélez, Murugesan Rangasamy, Haichuan Wang, Elane Fishilevich, Meghan L.F. Frey, Newton Portilho Carneiro, Premchand Gandra, Kenneth E. Narva, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) is being developed as a potential tool for insect pest management and one of the most likely target pest species for transgenic plants that express double stranded RNA (dsRNA) is the western corn rootworm. Thus far, most genes proposed as targets for RNAi in rootworm cause lethality in the larval stage. In this study, we describe RNAi mediated knockdown of two developmental genes, hunchback (hb) and brahma (brm), in the western corn rootworm delivered via dsRNA fed to adult females. dsRNA feeding caused a significant decrease in hb and brm transcripts in the adult females. Although …

Planting Date And Variety Selection For Management Of Viruses Transmitted By The Wheat Curl Mite (Acari: Eriophyidae), Anthony J. Mcmechan, Gary Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Wheat is an important food grain worldwide, and it is the primary dryland crop in the western Great Plains. A complex of three viruses (Wheat streak mosaic, Wheat mosaic, and Triticum mosaic viruses) is a common cause of loss in winter wheat production in the Great Plains. All these viruses are transmitted by the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer). Once these viruses are established, there are no curative actions; therefore, prevention is the key to successful management. A study was designed to evaluate preventative management tactics (planting date, resistant varieties) for reducing the impact from this virus complex. …

Abiotic And Biotic Stressors Causing Equivalent Mortality Induce Highly Variable Transcriptional Responses In The Soybean Aphid, Laramy S. Enders, Ryan D. Bickel, Jennifer A. Brisson, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Blair D. Siegfried, Anthony J. Zera, Nicholas Miller

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Environmental stress affects basic organismal functioning and can cause physiological, developmental, and reproductive impairment. However, in many nonmodel organisms, the core molecular stress response remains poorly characterized and the extent to which stress-induced transcriptional changes differ across qualitatively different stress types is largely unexplored. The current study examines the molecular stress response of the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) using RNA sequencing and compares transcriptional responses to multiple stressors (heat, starvation, and plant defenses) at a standardized stress level (27% adult mortality). Stress-induced transcriptional changes showed remarkable variation, with starvation, heat, and plant defensive stress altering the expression of …