Entomology Commons^™

Insect And Plant-Derived Mirnas In Greenbug (Schizaphis Graminum) And Yellow Sugarcane Aphid (Sipha Flava) Revealed By Deep Sequencing, Haichuan Wang, Chi Zhang, Yongchao Dou, Bin Yu, Yunfeng Liu, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Guoqing Lu, Michael Wachholtz, Jeffery D. Bradshaw, Paul Twigg, Erin Scully, Nathan Palmer, Gautam Sarath

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Schizaphis graminum (green bug; GB) and Sipha flava (yellowsugarcane aphid; YSA) are two cereal aphid species with broad host ranges capable of establishing on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and several switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) cultivars. Switchgrass and sorghum are staple renewable bioenergy crops that are vulnerable to damage by aphids, therefore, identifying novel targets to control aphids has the potential to drastically improve yields and reduce losses in these bioenergy crops. Despite thewealth of genomic and transcriptomic information available from a closely related model aphid species, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), similar genomic information, including the …

Fitness Costs Associated With Cry1f Resistance In The European Corn Borer, J. L. Petzold-Maxwell, Blair D. Siegfried, R. L. Hellmich, C. A. Abel, B. S. Coates, Terrence A. Spencer, R. J. Horikoshi, Aaron J. Gassmann

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Crops producing insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely planted to manage insect pests. Bt crops can provide an effective tool for pest management; however, the evolution of Bt resistance can diminish this benefit. The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis H€ubner, is a significant pest of maize and is widely managed with Bt maize in the Midwest of the United States. When Bt crops are grown in conjunction with non-Bt refuges, fitness costs of Bt resistance can delay the evolution of resistance. Importantly, fitness costs often vary with ecological factors, including host-plant genotype and diapause. In …

Farmers’ Perspectives On Resistance In Western Corn Rootworm To Crw-Bt Corn In Midwest Usa, David A. Andow, Robert Wright, Erin W. Hodgson, Thomas E. Hunt, Ken Ostlie

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Resistance in western corn rootworm to transgenic corn hybrids was first confirmed in 2011 in Midwestern USA, and threatens their continued use. Farmers are often the first line of resistance detection, so their understanding and attitudes toward this issue are critical for improving resistance management. We conducted telephone focus groups during 2013 with farmers who had experienced rootworm resistance. There were four stages in dealing with unexpected rootworm injury: Awareness of a problem, diagnosis, confirmation, and recommendations. Most farmers discovered the problem themselves, but this usually happened too late in the growing season to limit yield loss. Once aware of …

Obituary And Bibliography Of Norm Penny (1946-2016), An “Entomologist’S Entomologist”, Robert L. Zuparko, Brett C. Ratcliffe

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The section “Remembrances of Norm Penny” was authored by BCR, and the remaining sections by RLZ. Fabio Penny and Rachel Diaz-Bastin made valuable additions to the text.

Norman Dale Penny, collection manager emeritus in the Department of Entomology at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, and past president of the Pacifi c Coast Entomological Society, died of a stroke on July 10, 2016. That weekend he and his wife were near Quincy, in Plumas County, California, collecting Mecoptera for DNA retrieval to help elucidate the phylogeny of the group. After collecting his targeted species, he suffered a severe …

Using Publicly Available Data To Quantify Plant–Pollinator Interactions And Evaluate Conservation Seeding Mixes In The Northern Great Plains, Clint R.V. Otto, S. O'Dell, R. B. Bryant, N. H. Euliss Jr., R. M. Bush, Matthew D. Smart

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Concern over declining pollinators has led to multiple conservation initiatives for improving forage for bees in agroecosystems. Using data available through the Pollinator Library (npwrc.usgs.gov/pollinator/), we summarize plant–pollinator interaction data collected from 2012–2015 on lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private lands enrolled in U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs in eastern North Dakota (ND). Furthermore, we demonstrate how plant–pollinator interaction data from the Pollinator Library and seed cost information can be used to evaluate hypothetical seeding mixes for pollinator habitat enhancements. We summarize records of 314 wild bee and 849 honey bee (Apis mellifera …

Thiamethoxam Toxicity And Effects On Consumption Behavior In Orius Insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) On Soybean, Carolina Camargo, Thomas Hunt, Loren J. Giesler, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Neonicotinoid residues can be present in soybean vegetative tissue, prey insects, and flower tissues, possibly making them toxic to pollinators and natural enemies. Baseline information on the toxicity of neonicotinoids to beneficial insects other than pollinators through multiple routes of insecticide exposure is limited. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the toxicity of thiamethoxam to the hemipteran predator, Orius insidiosus Say, exposed to residues through treated vegetative tissue and insect prey, and 2) to evaluate the effect of thiamethoxam on the abundance of this predator species in soybean fields. Predators were exposed to thiamethoxam in soybean leaves …

Atp-Sensitive Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Modulators Alter Cardiac Function In Honey Bees, Scott T. O'Neal, Daniel R. Swale, Jeffrey R. Bloomquist, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

ATP-sensitive inwardly rectifying potassium (KATP) channels couple cellular metabolism to the membrane potential of the cell and play an important role in a variety of tissue types, including the insect dorsal vessel, making them a subject of interest not only for understanding invertebrate physiology, but also as a potential target for novel insecticides. Most of what is known about these ion channels is the result of work performed in mammalian systems, with insect studies being limited to only a few species and physiological systems. The goal of this study was to investigate the role that K_ATP channels play in …

Atp-Sensitive Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Regulation Of Viral Infections In Honey Bees, Scott T. O'Neal, Daniel R. Swale, Troy D. Anderson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Honey bees are economically important pollinators of a wide variety of crops that have attracted the attention of both researchers and the public alike due to unusual declines in the numbers of managed colonies in some parts of the world. Viral infections are thought to be a significant factor contributing to these declines, but viruses have proven a challenging pathogen to study in a bee model and interactions between viruses and the bee antiviral immune response remain poorly understood. In the work described here, we have demonstrated the use of flock house virus (FHV) as a model system for virus …

Weight Of Evidence Evaluation Of A Network Of Adverse Outcome Pathways Linking Activation Of The Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor In Honey Bees To Colony Death, Carlie A. Lalone, Daniel L. Villeneuve, Judy Wu-Smart, Rebecca Y. Milsk, Keith Sappington, Kristina V. Garber, Justin Housenger, Gerald T. Ankley

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Ongoing honey bee (Apis mellifera) colony losses are of significant international concern because of the essential role these insects play in pollinating crops. Both chemical and non-chemical stressors have been implicated as possible contributors to colony failure; however, the potential role(s) of commonly-used neonicotinoid insecticides has emerged as particularly concerning. Neonicotinoids act on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the central nervous system to eliminate pest insects. However, mounting evidence indicates that neonicotinoids also may adversely affect beneficial pollinators, such as the honey bee, via impairments on learning and memory, and ultimately foraging success. The specific mechanisms linking …

Agronomic Potential Of Using Precipitated Calcium Carbonate On Early Plant Growth And Soil Quality In The Intermountain West - Greenhouse Studies, Gary W. Hergert, Murali K. Darapuneni, Abdullah M. Aqeel, Robert G. Wilson, Robert M. Harveson, Jeff D. Bradshaw, Rex A. Nielsen

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Storage and management of large piles of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) from sugarbeet processing are a challenge in the western US. Potential uses of this product on surrounding agricultural lands in western NE, eastern WY and northeast CO requires an evaluation of chemical and agronomic impacts of PCC on soils and crop growth. A preliminary greenhouse study was conducted in Scottsbluff, NE using 10 soils from the 3 states. Soils were mixed with 11, 22, 33 and 44 Mg ha^-1 rates of PCC to test the early plant growth of sugarbeet, corn, and dry bean in addition to determining …

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Is A Determinant For Vector Transmission By The Wheat Curl Mite, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Anthony J. Mcmechan, Gary L. Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus; family Potyviridae), is transmitted by the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella Keifer). The requirement of coat protein (CP) for WSMV transmission by the wheat curl mite was examined using a series of viable deletion and point mutations. Mite transmission of WSMV was completely abolished with deletions comprising CP amino acids 58–100. In contrast, the amino-proximal (amino acids 6–27 and 36–57) and carboxy-terminal (14 amino acids) regions of CP were expendable for mite transmission. Mutation of aspartic acid residues at amino acid positions 289 or 326 (D289A or D326A) at the …

Acute-Contact And Chronic-Systemic In Vivo Bioassays: Regional Monitoring Of Susceptibility To Thiamethoxam In Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Populations From The North Central United States, Matheus G.P.M. Ribeiro, Thomas E. Hunt, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The risks associated with soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in the North Central soybean systems has fostered the adoption of prophylactic chemical control practices, such as planting seeds treated with neonicotinoid insecticides, especially thiamethoxam. Consequently, there is a concern that increased selection pressure imposed on the arthropod–pest complex by this insecticide may lead to resistance. Therefore, in vivo bioassays were conducted to determine the susceptibility of soybean aphid to thiamethoxam among North Central U.S. populations. Concentration-mortality data were collected using contact glass-vial and detached-leaf systemic bioassays. The results of these experiments indicate that both bioassays were reliable to …

A New Species Of Golofa Hope, 1837 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) From Peru, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Stéphane Le Tirant

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A new species of Golofa Hope is described from Peru along with supporting illustrations and a diagnosis.

Se describe una nueva especie de Golofa Hope de Peru soportado por ilustraciones y diagnosis.

Sublethal Effects Of Vatpase-A And Snf7 Dsrnas On Biology Of Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Undecimpunctata Howardi Barber, Adriano E. Pereira, Ana María Vélez, Lance J. Meinke, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference is a powerful tool against corn rootworm. Adults and neonates of southern corn rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), were exposed to the LC₅₀ of vATPase-A and Snf7 double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), and the effects on female fecundity, egg viability, male fitness as measured by sperm viability and mating capacity, larval recovery along with dry weight, and instar determination 10 d after exposure to dsRNA, were determined. Significant reductions were observed for a number of parameters in dsRNA-exposed rootworms relative to control treatments. Female fecundity and larval recovery were significantly reduced after exposure to both dsRNAs. In …

Evaluation Of Smartstax And Smartstax Pro Maize Against Western Corn Rootworm And Northern Corn Rootworm: Efficacy And Resistance Management, Graham P. Head, Matthew W. Carroll, Sean P. Evans, Dwain M. Rule, Alan R. Willse, Thomas L. Clark, Nicholas P. Storer, Ronald D. Flannagan, Luke W. Samuel, Lance Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Cases of western corn rootworm (WCR) field-evolved resistance to Cry3Bb1 and other corn rootworm (CRW) control traits have been reported. Pyramid products expressing multiple CRW traits can delay resistance compared to single trait products. We used field studies to assess the pyramid CRW corn products, SmartStax (expressing Cry3Bb1 and Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1) and SmartStax PRO (expressing Cry3Bb1, Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 and DvSnf7), at locations with high WCR densities and possible Cry3Bb1 resistance, and to assess the reduction in adult emergence attributable to DvSnf7 and other traits. Insect resistance models were used to assess durability of SmartStax and SmartStax PRO to WCR resistance.

Results: …

Identification, Biology, Impacts, And Management Of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Of Soybean And Corn In The Midwestern United States, Robert L. Koch, Daniela T. Pezzini, Andrew P. Michel, Thomas Hunt

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) are an emerging threat to soybean and corn production in the midwestern United States. An invasive species, the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Sta° l), is spreading through the region. However, little is known about the complex of stink bug species associated with corn and soybean in the midwestern United States. In this region, particularly in the more northern states, stink bugs have historically caused only infrequent impacts to these crops. To prepare growers and agricultural professionals to contend with this new threat, we provide a review of stink bugs associated with soybean and …

Evaluation Of Foliar Insecticides For The Control Of Western Bean Cutworm In Field Corn, 2015, Débora G. Montezano, Kayla A. Mollet, Grace E. Hirzel, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western bean cutworm (WBC) is an important pest of corn and dry beans. This study was conducted within the historic range of WBC in western Nebraska; however, it has undergone a rapid range expansion into the eastern Corn Belt within the last 16 years. This field trial was established to evaluate the efficacy of a single application of foliar insecticides against this pest to prevent feeding damage to non-Bt corn ears. The trial was located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s West Central Water Resources Field Laboratory in Keith County, Nebraska, USA (41.160246° N, –102.035695° W). A RCB design with …

Evaluation Of Foliar Insecticides For The Control Of Western Bean Cutworm In Field Corn, 2016, Débora G. Montezano, Kayla A. Mollet, Grace E. Hirzel, Julie A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western bean cutworm (WBC) is an important pest of corn and dry beans. In addition to yield loss due to direct feeding on developing kernels in the ear, WBC infestation can also lead to secondary fungal infections. This study was conducted within the historic range of WBC in western Nebraska; however, it has undergone a rapid range expansion into the eastern Corn Belt within the last 16 years. This field trial was established to evaluate the efficacy of a single application of foliar insecticides against this pest to prevent feeding damage to non-Bt corn ears. The trial was located …

Phytophagous Insect Oviposition Shifts In Response To Probability Of Flower Abortion Owing To The Presence Of Basal Fruits, Shivani Jadeja, Brigitte Tenhumberg

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Phytophagous insects use a wide range of indicators or associated cues to avoid laying eggs in sites where offspring survival is low. For insects that lay eggs in flowers, these unsuitable sites may be created by the host plant’s resource allocation to flowers. In the sequentially flowering host plant, Yucca glauca, late-opening distal flowers are more likely to be aborted in the presence of already-initiated basal fruits because they are strong resource sinks. If flowers are aborted, all eggs of the phytophagous insect, Tegeticula yuccasella, within the flower die. We used the phytophagous insect T. yuccasella that lays …

Distinct Fitness Costs Associated With The Knockdown Of Rnai Pathway Genes In Western Corn Rootworm Adults, Ke Wu, Carolina Camargo, Elane Fishilevich, Kenneth E. Narva, Xiuping Chen, Caitlin E. Taylor, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi) based approaches can potentially be used to control insect pests. These approaches may depend on the usage of microRNA (miRNA) or double stranded RNA (dsRNA) mediated gene knockdown, which likely involves proteins that regulate these pathways, such as Argonaute 1 (Ago1), Argonaute 2 (Ago2), Dicer 1 (Dcr1), Dicer 2 (Dcr2), and Drosha in insects. We previously performed functional characterization of Ago2 and Dcr2 of western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and observed that knockdown of Ago2 and Dcr2 ameliorated the lethal effect induced by the dsRNA-mediated knockdown of an essential gene in WCR, thereby …