Entomology Commons^™

An Analysis Of Arthropod Interceptions By Aphis-Ppq And Customs And Border Protection In Puerto Rico, David A. Jenkins, Russell F. Mizell, Skip Van Bloem, Stefanie Whitmire, Leyinska Wiscovitch, Crystal Zaleski, Ricardo Goenaga

Publications

USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspect traffic entering the United States for arthropods posing a threat to national agriculture or ecosystems. We analyzed interceptions made by these agencies in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands between October 2006 and December 2009 for patterns with regard to the frequency of interceptions, origins of interceptions, and the taxa intercepted. 6,952 arthropods were intercepted in freight or luggage entering Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from foreign countries and 9,840 arthropods were intercepted from freight or luggage leaving Puerto …

Letter From The Dean, Michael Vayda

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

No abstract provided.

Discovery: The Student Journal Of Dale Bumpers College Of Agricultural, Food And Life Sciences - Volume 15 2014, Several Authors

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

No abstract provided.

Identifying Priority Conservation Areas For The American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus Americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae), A Habitat Generalist, Jessica D. Jurzenski, Christopher F. Jorgensen, Andy Bishop, Roger Grosse, John Riens, W. Wyatt Hoback

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Conservation efforts leading to the recovery of the federally endangered American burying beetle (ABB), Nicrophorus americanus Olivier, have been challenging because of the unknown causes of its decline, difficulty in establishing habitat requirements, and unclear population distribution across the species’ range. Extant populations of this widespread generalist species occur in broadly separated regions of North America with varying habitat characteristics. A habitat suitability model for ABB in the Nebraska Sandhills was developed over the course of 3 years resulting in a final cross-validated spatial model. The succession of models from 2009 to 2011 indicated that most of the predictive variables …

Progress Towards A Molecular Phylogeny Of Tachinidae, Year Two, Isaac S. Winkler, John O. Stireman Iii, John K. Moulton, Pierfilippo Cerretti, Jeremy D. Blaschke

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We reported last year (Stireman et al. 2013) in The Tachinid Times on our collaborative project, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, to study the phylogeny of Tachinidae on a worldwide scale. Since that report, we have made some significant progress towards our goal of assembling a robust phylogenetic tree for Tachinidae. Notably, Cerretti et al. (in press) completed a phylogenetic study using 135 morphological characters from 180 tachinid genera. Results from this study largely reflect, with some interesting exceptions, what we are finding from preliminary analyses of our molecular data. Although sampling of taxa and genes for the …

Changes In Gene Expression And Viral Titer In Varroa Jacobsoni Mites After A Host Shift Asian To European Honey Bees, Gladys K. Andino Bautista

Open Access Dissertations

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are the most important insects for the pollination of crops and wildflowers. However, they have experienced increasing colony die-offs during the past two decades. Multiple species of parasitic mites have been described that affect honey bees. The most important species in beekeeping belong to the genus Varroa ( Varroa jacobsoniand Varroa destructor). Varroa mite parasitism of honey bees is thought to be the most significant cause of colony mortality worldwide, and mite resistance to active ingredients of acaricides has become common. V. destructor causes direct impacts on bee production as well as …

Grow Them And We Will Come For The Feast, Tiffany Heng-Moss, Jeff Bradshaw, Kyle Koch, Travis Prochaska, Teresa Donze-Reiner, Gautam Sarath

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Sustainable production of switchgrass and other bioenergy grasses will require eff ective pest management. Identifi cation of potential insect pests and detailed characterization of the plant-insect interaction will better enable us to address emergent insect pests in production fi elds. An added uncertainty is how manipulation of plants for improved quality (e.g. lower lignin) will aff ect plant resistance to insect herbivory. Plants can utilize different mechanisms to defend against chewing versus piercing-sucking insects; however, some basal plant responses appear to be shared across diverse biotic stressors. Th e range and modulation of these responses are beginning to be addressed …

Expression And Characterization Of A Recombinant Endoglucanase From Western Corn Rootworm, In Pichia Pastoris, Arnubio Valencia Jimenez, Haichuan Wang, Blair D. Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT. The endoglucanase cDNA, Dvv-ENGase I, from western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte was expressed using the GS115 methylotrophic strain of Pichia pastoris. The Dvv-ENGase I gene was cloned into the integrative plasmid pPICZαA under the control of AOX1, which is a methanol-inducible promoter. Positive clones were selected for their ability to produce the recombinant endoglucanase upon continuous methanol induction. The secreted recombinant insect endoglucanase Dvv-ENGase I has an apparent molecular mass of 29 kDa. The recombinant endo-1,4 -β-glucanase (ENGase) was able to digest the substrates: hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and Whatman No. 1 filter paper. A …

Population Structure, Genetic Variability, And Gene Flow Of The Bean Leaf Beetle, Cerotoma Trifurcata, In The Midwestern United States, Bamphitlhi Tiroesele, Steven R. Skoda, Thomas E. Hunt, Donald J. Lee, Jaime Molina Ochoa, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a common pest of soybean in the Midwest United States. However, there are currently no reports on the genetic variability of C. trifurcata. This study examined 15–30 individuals from 25 sample locations to estimate genetic variability and gene flow within and among C. trifurcata from across the Midwest. Amplified fragment length polymorphism generated 175 markers for analyses. Results from analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that the majority of genetic variation was from within samples; only a small amount of the total variation was attributed to the variation among the samples. …

Differential Transmission Of Triticum Mosaic Virus By Wheat Curl Mite Populations Collected In The Great Plains, Anthony J. Mcmechan, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Roy French, Gary L. Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Wheat is an important food grain worldwide and the primary dryland crop in the western Great Plains. A complex of three wheat curl mite (WCM)-transmitted viruses (Wheat streak mosaic virus, High plains virus, and Triticum mosaic virus [TriMV]) is a cause of serious loss in winter wheat production in the Great Plains. TriMV was first reported in Kansas in 2006 and later found in most other Great Plains states. Currently, three populations of WCM have been identified by genetic characterization and differential responses to mite resistance genes in wheat. In this study, we examined TriMV transmission by these …

A Negative Effect Of A Pathogen On Its Vector? A Plant Pathogen Increases The Vulnerability Of Its Vector To Attack By Natural Enemies, Camila F. De Oliveira, Elizabeth Y. Long, Deborah L. Finke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Plant pathogens that are dependent on arthropod vectors for transmission from host to host may enhance their own success by promoting vector survival and/or performance. The effect of pathogens on vectors may be direct or indirect, with indirect effects mediated by increases in host quality or reductions in the vulnerability of vectors to natural enemies. We investigated whether the bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi, a vector of cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV) in wheat, experiences a reduction in rates of attack by the parasitoid wasp Aphidius colemani when actively harboring the plant pathogen. We manipulated the vector status of aphids …

Infection In Soybeans And On Multiple Host Plants In Puerto Rico By An Isolate Of Cowpea Mild Mottle Virus., Jose C. V. Rodrigues, Difabachew B. Kondidie, C. Estevez-Jensen, E. W. Kitajima, R. M. Huckaba, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Seed companies in the USA grow winter soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) nurseries in Puerto Rico to advance their breeding programs and seed increase. However, the soybean nurseries are being threatened by a viral disease that cause stunting, leaf and stem necrosis and shoot wilting that leads to death of the whole plant. In the present study transmission assays were conducted using stem grafting, mechanical inoculation, and whiteflies (WFs), Bemisia tabci (Gennadius). Cultivated and wild host plants infested by WFs were surveyed at Dow AgroSciences Research Station and nearby farms at Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Based on previous report …

Minute Pirate Bug (Orius Insidiosus Say) Populations On Transgenic And Non-Transgenic Maize Using Different Sampling Techniques, Santiago A. Palizada, Bamphitlhi Tiroesele, Difabachew B. Kondidie, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Fatima Mustafa, Thomas E. Hunt, Pete L. Clark, Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Steven R. Skoda, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the populations of minute pirate bug [Orius insidiosus (Say)] using visual, sticky cards and destructive sampling techniques in transgenic and non-transgenic maize in three locations in Nebraska (Mead, Clay Center. and Concord) United States of America. during 2007 and 2008 . All sampling methods revealed significant counts of O. insidiosus on CP4 EPSPS maize plus an insecticide application for control of first generation O. nubilalis at R2 (blister) sampling period. Similarly, visual observations of O. insidiosus on Cry1Ab x Cry3Bb1 x CP4 EPSPS maize yielded significantly higher mean adult counts at R2 (blister) …

Forms Of Melanoplus Bowditchi (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Collected From Different Host Plants Are Indistinguishable Genetically And In Aedeagal Morphology, Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Fatima Mustafa, Kate Kneeland, Mathew L. Brust, W. Wyatt Hoback, Shripat T. Kamble, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The sagebrush grasshopper, Melanoplus bowditchi Scudder (Orthoptera: Acrididae), is a phytophilous species that is widely distributed in the western United States on sagebrush species. The geographical distribution of M. bowditchi is very similar to the range of its host plants and its feeding association varies in relation to sagebrush distribution. Melanoplus bowditchi bowditchi Scudder and M. bowditchi canus Hebard were described based on their feeding association with different sagebrush species, sand sagebrush and silver sagebrush, respectively. Recently, M. bowditchi have been observed feeding on other plant species in western Nebraska. We collected adult M. bowditchi feeding on four plant species, …

Native Insect Herbivory Limits Population Growth Rate Of A Non-Native Thistle, James O. Eckberg, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Svata M. Louda

Brigitte Tenhumberg Papers

The influence of native fauna on non-native plant population growth, size, and distribution is not well documented. Previous studies have shown that native insects associated with tall thistle (Cirsium altissimum) also feed on the leaves, stems, and flower heads of the Eurasian congener Cirsium vulgare, thus limiting individual plant performance. In this study, we tested the effects of insect herbivores on the population growth rate of C. vulgare. We experimentally initiated invasions by adding seeds at four unoccupied grassland sites in eastern Nebraska, USA, and recorded plant establishment, survival, and reproduction. Cumulative foliage and floral herbivory …

Deltosoma Thomson, 1864 Of French Guiana (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Pierre-Henri Dalens, Jean-Louis Giuglaris

Insecta Mundi

Two new species of Deltosoma Thomson, 1864 are described from French Guiana: D. humeralis sp. nov. and D. fernandezi sp. nov. Deltosoma lacordairei Thomson, 1864 is redescribed based on examination of the holotype. A study of the aedeagi of these three species was conducted. Dorsal habitus photographs of both sexes, ventral photographs of males, and aedeagi photographs are provided.

Deux espèces nouvelles de Deltosoma Thomson, 1864 sont décrites de Guyane: D. humeralis sp. nov. et D. fernandezi sp. nov. Deltosoma lacordairei Thomson, 1864 est redécrit d’après l’holotype. Les édéages des trois espèces sont comparés. Des photographies des faces dorsales des …

La Tribu Phanaeini (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) En El Perú / The Tribe Phanaeini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) In Peru, Luis Figueroa, William D. Edmonds, Norberta Martínez Luján

Entomology Papers from Other Sources

La presencia de la tribu Phanaeini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) en el Perú fue revisada en base a la colección del Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Lima) y literatura especializada. Cada especie es presentada con citas para su diagnosis y datos de distribución y algunos comentarios. En este estudio se registran 30 especies que pertenecen a diez géneros: Coprophanaeus, Dendropaemon, Gromphas, Diabroctis, Oruscatus, Oxysternon, Phanaeus, Sulcophanaeus, Tetramereia y Megatharsis. La especie Oruscatus davus es la única especie distribuida en la parte alta y occidental de …

Characterizing The Maternally Inherited Endosymbionts Of Solitary Bees, Abiya Saeed

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Solitary bees are important pollinators of crops, with species in the family Megachilidae (mason bees) being used for orchard pollination. Commercial movement of these bees also moves their microbiota, including bacterial endosymbionts capable of reproductive manipulation. To test for presence of these bacteria, I screened commercially available species of US orchard pollinators and locally captured solitary bees from Kentucky. I also set up mason bee boxes in five apple orchards to examine recruitment of local pollinators. I conducted 454-pyrosequencing to determine bacterial diversity within four species followed by diagnostic PCR of 30 collected species (184 individuals) to determine infection frequency …

Chasing Tachinids ‘Down Under’: Expeditions Of The Phylogeny Of World Tachinidae Project, Part Ii Eastern Australia, James E. O'Hara, Pierfilippo Cerretti, John O. Stireman Iii, Isaac S. Winkler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Last year we documented in the pages of this newsletter an expedition to the Western Cape of South Africa in search of tachinids for the “Phylogeny of World Tachinidae” project (Cerretti et al. 2013). The project itself was discussed in a separate article (Stireman et al. 2013). In this issue of The Tachinid Times we discuss our expedition to eastern Australia in late 2013. This trip took place so recently that we have yet to fully identify our material and as a result cannot record here all of the taxa we collected. Instead, we will add the taxa to a …

New Records Of Biting Midges Of The Genus Culicoides Latreille From The Southeastern United States (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), Stacey L. Vigil, John C. Wlodkowski, Joshua Parris, Suzanne Edwards De Vargas, David Shaw, Christopher Cleveland, William L. Grogan Jr., Joseph L. Corn

Insecta Mundi

We provide new state and county records of biting midges in the genus Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the southeastern United States collected with CDC miniature light traps during 2007–2012 in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. The primary goals of the surveys were to identify the presence of exotic Culicoides, and determine the ranges of known and possible vectors of bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). Included are the first records of: Culicoides (Amossovia) beckae Wirth and Blanton from Louisiana and Mississippi, C. (A.) oklahomensis Khalaf from Alabama and Arkansas, …