Entomology Commons^™

Progress Towards A Phylogeny Of World Tachinidae. Year 1, John O. Stireman Iii, James E. O'Hara, Michael C. Moulton, Pierfilippo Cerretti, Isaac S. Winkler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

D eveloping a structural phylogenetic framework for the family Tachinidae has been an interest of mine since I first started working on tachinids as a graduate student. It was then that I developed a new phylogenetic perspective with which to view the world, and many of the questions I wanted to ask of tachinids depended on some level of phylogenetic knowledge of them. I was surprised at the time that no one had attempted a broad quantitative phylogenetic analysis of the family, and a publication from my thesis work on the Exoristinae (Stireman 2002) became the first such study that …

Colony Genetic Structure Of Reticulitermes Flavipes (Kollar) From Natural Populations In Nebraska, Abdul Hafiz Ab Majid, Shripat T. Kamble, Nicholas J. Miller

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Genetic markers are a powerful tool to investigate the breeding structure and population genetics of subterranean termites. In this study, 1 0 - 2 0 subterranean termite workers, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) were collected from colonies at 8 sites, separated by at least 200 m. Ten workers from each site were genotyped at 7 microsatellite loci. The data revealed that all 7 microsatellites were polymorphic with up to 6 alleles per locus. The frequency of most the common allele ranged from 0.11 - 0.60. Observed patterns of genetic variation within colonies revealed that most were the result of fusions of multiple …

Genetic Diversity And Relatedness Of The Mangrove Rhizophora Mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae) Using Amplified Fragment Polymorphism (Aflp) Among Locations In Florida, Usa And The Caribbean, M. Albrecht, K. M. Kneeland, E. Lindroth, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Rhizophora mangle L. is a widespread mangrove species in theWestern Hemisphere. Mangrove habitat loss and their importance to coastal and reef ecosystems make greater understanding of their genetic structure useful for conservation and management. An amplified fragment polymorphism (AFLP) analysis was performed on samples from Florida and the Caribbean to discover the genetic structure present. R. mangle had variable genetic diversity not related to latitude; P ranged 7 %–92 %. Some other factor, perhaps human impact, has caused low genetic diversity in some populations. Across Florida R. mangle populations varied in genetic diversity with less diversity (G_st=0.195) and …

Metabolic Engineering Of Raffinose-Family Oligosaccharides In The Phloem Reveals Alterations In Carbon Partitioning And Enhances Resistance To Green Peach Aphid, Te Cao, Ipsita Lahiri, Vijay Singh, Joe Louis, Jyoti Shah, Brian G. Ayre

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Many plants employ energized loading strategies to accumulate osmotically-active solutes into the phloem of source organs to accentuate the hydrostatic pressure gradients that drive the flow of water, nutrients and signals from source to sinks. Proton-coupled symport of sugars from the apoplasm into the phloem symplasm is the best studied phloem-loading mechanism. As an alternative, numerous species use a polymer trapping mechanism to load through symplasm: sucrose enters the phloem through specialized plasmodesmata and is converted to raffinose-family oligosaccharides (RFOs) which accumulate because of their larger size. In this study, metabolic engineering was used to generate RFOs at the inception …

Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Used To Investigate Genetic Variability Of The Stable Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Across North America, K. M. Kneeland, S. R. Skoda, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), is a cosmopolitan pest of livestock and humans. The pestiferous nature and painful bite cause stress to cattle and other animals. The stress and resulting avoidance behaviors manifest as reductions in weight gain or milk production in cattle; estimated annual economic loss in the United States exceeds US$2 billion. Understanding the population genetics of stable flies could provide information on their population dynamics, origins of outbreaks, and geographical patterns of insecticide resistance, resulting in a tactical advantage for developing management strategies. Previous studies, mostly on a local scale, reported a high level of gene …

Dna Barcode Of Thief Ant Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Ralph B. Narain, Shripat T. Kamble, Thomas O. Powers, Timothy S. Harris

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The thief ant, Solenopsis molesta (Say), a common nuisance species found throughout the United States is genetically related to red imported fire ants, S. invicta Buren. Therefore, its identification at the molecular level is very important. The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) barcoding, a recent technique was used to identify thief ant complex at species and subspecies levels using a short DNA sequence from the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) mitochondrial region. The DNA from thief ants collected from 9 states was extracted using Qiagen's Gentra PUREGENE® DNA Isolation Kit. The polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were run on the extracted DNA to …

Dietary Supplementation With Pollen Enhances Survival And Collembola Boosts Fitness Of A Web-Building Spider, Jason M. Schmidt, Julie A. Peterson, Jonathan Lundgren, James D. Harwood

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Uncertainties exist about the value of non-prey food for predators that are commonly food-limited, and the dietary conditions where non-prey foods are beneficial for carnivorous species. Prior studies show that large quantities of pollen grains are intercepted in the webs of web-building spiders. We examined the nutritional benefits of pollen as a non-prey food for a common ground-dwelling, sheet web-building spider, Mermessus fradeorum (Berland) (Araneae: Linyphiidae). These predators were provided diets of prey or no prey in the presence and absence of pollen. Treatment effects were quantified by measuring predator body nutrient composition, survival, body size, and offspring production. Per …

Bacillus Thuringiensis: Transgenic Crops, Julie A. Peterson, John J. Obrycki, James D. Harwood

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, genetically modified to express insecticidal toxins that target key pests of corn, cotton, rice, potato, and other crops, have been rapidly adopted and have become dominant fixtures in agroecosystems throughout the world. Due to the constitutive nature of Bt toxin expression, insecticidal proteins may be found in nearly all plant tissues, presenting multiple sources for Bt toxins to enter the environment, thus creating complex direct and indirect pathways for non-target organisms to be exposed to insecticidal proteins. The environmental impacts of Bt crops have been widely debated, although both benefits and risks do exist. Benefits of …

Taxonomy And Biogeography Of The New Caledonian Species Of Xylopia L. (Annonaceae), David M. Johnson, Jérôme Munzinger, Julie A. Peterson, Nancy A. Murray

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

A taxonomic review of the New Caledonian representatives of the pantropical tree genus Xylopia L. (Annonaceae) is presented based on museum study of 157 collections. Distinctions are clarified among the four endemic species, two of them previously undescribed in flower and two others described in the literature from only the type collections. A key and species descriptions are presented. Xylopia pancheri Baill., the most frequently collected species, occurs in maquis environments with ultramafic rocks in the central and southern regions of the island, as well as on the Ile des Pins. Xylopia vieillardii Baill. is widespread in low elevation humid …

Western Bean Cutworm Survival And The Development Of Economic Injury Levels And Economic Thresholds In Field Corn, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Thomas E. Hunt, Robert J. Wright, Gary L. Hein, Erin E. Blankenship

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a native pest of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). Historically, the western bean cutworm was distributed in the western United States, but since 1999 eastward expansion has been observed. In corn, economic impact is caused by larval ear feeding. Information on western bean cutworm biology, ecology, and economic impact is relatively limited, and the development of economic injury levels (EILs) and economic thresholds (ETs) is required for more effective management. Studies during 2008-2011, across three ecoregions of Nebraska, sought to characterize western bean cutworm …

Comparative Binding Of Cry1ab And Cry1f Bacillus Thuringiensis Toxins To Brush Border Membrane Proteins From Ostrinia Nubilalis, Ostrinia Furnacalis And Diatraea Saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Midgut Tissue, Sek Yee Tan, Bonifacio F. Cayabyab, Edwin P. Alcantara, Fangneng Huang, Kanglai He, Kenneth Nickerson, Blair Siegfried

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The European (Ostrinia nubilalis Hübner) and Asian corn borers (Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée) are closely related and display similar sensitivity to Cry1 toxins. In this study, we compared the binding patterns of Cry1Ab and Cry1F toxins between both Ostrinia spp., as well as the expression of putative cad­herin and aminopeptidase-N (APN)-like protein receptors. Additionally, cDNA sequences of these putative toxin receptors from both Ostrinia species were compared. Ligand blots for both species indicated a similar binding pattern for Cry1Ab with the strongest immunoreactive band at 260 kDa in both species. In addition, similar expression of the putative cadherin- and …

Estimating The Frequency Of Cry1f Resistance In Field Populations Of The European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Blair D. Siegfried, Murugesan Rangasamy, Haichuan Wang, Terence Spencer, Chirakkal V. Haridas, Brigitte Tenhumberg, Douglas V. Sumerford, Nicholas P. Storer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Transgenic corn hybrids that express toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have suppressed European corn borer populations and reduced the pest status of this insect throughout much of the US corn belt. A major assumption of the high-dose/refuge strategy proposed for insect resistancemanagement and Bt corn is that the frequency of resistance alleles is low so that resistant pests surviving exposure to Bt corn will be rare.

RESULTS: The frequency of resistance to the Cry1F Bt toxin was estimated using twodifferent screening tools andcompared with annual susceptibility monitoring based on diagnostic bioassays and LC₅₀ and EC₅₀ determinations. An …

Female Mate Choice For Multimodal Courtship And The Importance Of The Signaling Background For Selection On Male Ornamentation, Jay A. Stafstrom, Eileen A. Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

Conspicuous visual ornaments are frequently incorporated into complex courtship displays that integrate signal components from multiple sensory modalities. Mature male Schizocosa crassipes (Walckenaer, 1837) wolf spiders wave, arch, and tap their ornamented forelegs in a visual courtship display that simultaneously incorporates seismic components. To determine the importance of modality-specific signal components in female mate choice, we used a signal ablation design and compared the mating frequency of female-male pairs across signaling environments with manipulated modality-specific transmission properties. We found that the successful transmission of isolated visual or seismic signaling was sufficient for mating success; neither signaling modality was necessary. Additionally, …

Diversification Under Sexual Selection: The Relative Roles Of Mate Preference Strength And The Degree Of Divergence In Mate Preferences, Rafael L. Rodríguez, Janette W. Boughman, David A. Gray, Eileen A. Hebets, Gerlinde Höbel, Laurel B. Symes

Eileen Hebets Publications

The contribution of sexual selection to diversification remains poorly understood after decades of research. This may be in part because studies have focused predominantly on the strength of sexual selection, which offers an incomplete view of selection regimes. By contrast, students of natural selection focus on environmental differences that help compare selection regimes across populations. To ask how this disparity in focus may affect the conclusions of evolutionary research, we relate the amount of diversification in mating displays to quantitative descriptions of the strength and the amount of divergence in mate preferences across a diverse set of case studies of …

Odonata Species Of Special Concern For Oklahoma, Usa, Michael A. Patten, Brenda D. Smith-Patten

Entomology Papers from Other Sources

Assessment of conservation status is a necessary step before management plans can be formulated. Historically such assessments have a strong bias toward vertebrates, particularly endothermic terrestrial vertebrates (i.e. birds and mammals). Invertebrates, by contrast, tend to be ignored, and many insect groups, despite being species rich and reasonably well studied, such as the Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies), have not been assessed or have been assessed only at a broad geographic level (e.g. internationally or continentally). Assessment at a state level recognizes that states often are at the front of regional and local conservation and management planning and implementation. On the …

Elevational Distribution And Conservation Biogeography Of Phanaeine Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) In Bolivia, Sebastian K. Herzog, A. Caroli Hamel-Leigue, Trond H. Larsen, Darren J. Mann, Rodrigo W. Soria- Auza, Bruce D. Gill, William D. Edmonds, Sacha Spector

Entomology Papers from Other Sources

Insect macroecology and conservation biogeography studies are disproportionately scarce, especially in the Neotropics. Dung beetles are an ideal focal taxon for biodiversity research and conservation. Using distribution and body size data on the ecologically important Phanaeini, the best-known Neotropical dung beetle tribe, we determined elevational patterns of species richness, endemism, body size, and elevational range in Bolivia, specifically testing Bergmann’s and Rapoport’s rule. Richness of all 39 species and of 15 ecoregional endemics showed a hump-shaped pattern peaking at 400 m, but overall declined strongly with elevation up to 4000 m. The relationship between endemic and total species richness appeared …

Millipeds (Arthropoda: Diplopoda) Of The Ark - La - Tex. Vi. New Geographic Distributional Records From Select Counties Of Arkansas, C. T. Mcallister, H. W. Robison, L. C. Thompson, M. B. Connior

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We continue to report, in the sixth of a series of papers, new geographic records for millipeds of the state, including noteworthy records for some taxa collected from Crowley’s Ridge in eastern Arkansas. This contribution documents 47 new co. records and includes records for 19 species within 9 families and 5 orders. More uncommon millipeds found included Okliulus carpenteri (Parajulidae), Eurymerodesmus newtonus (Eurymerodesmidae), Pseudopolydesmus minor (Polydesmidae) and undescribed species of Ethojulus (Parajulidae) and Nannaria (Xystodesmidae). Undoubtedly, additional records will be reported in the future as several gaps in the distribution of Arkansas millipeds remain.

Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) In The Dung Of Native Arkansas Mammals, J. B. Kelley, J. L. Hunt, M. B. Connior

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Dung beetles are important ecological components of natural ecosystems. One primary activity is the fragmentation and recycling of animal dung. Little is known about the ecological impact of beetles associated with the dung of mammals native to Arkansas. We surveyed the dung of native mammals within Arkansas to determine the species and distributional patterns associated with dung. We searched and collected beetles in situ from the dung or nests of native mammalian species within Arkansas. We also set simple pitfall traps using dung of various native Arkansas mammals as bait. Most of the beetles collected were common dung beetles. However, …

Observations Of The Behavior Of The Giant Prairie Robberfly, Microstylum Morosum Loew (Diptera: Asilidae) At Terre Noire Natural Area, Clark County, Arkansas, R. Tumlison, K. Benjamin

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Antibiotic Resistance Emerging From Use Of Antibiotics In Cafos, J. R. Robbins, D. Hellman, N. Pease, M. Costello

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.