Entomology Commons^™

Determining The Prevalence And Distribution Of Tick-Borne Pathogens In Southeastern Virginia And Exploring The Transmission Dynamics Of Rickettsia Parkeri In Amblyomma Maculatum, Chelsea L. Wright Thompson

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Tick-borne pathogens are an increasing threat to human and animal health worldwide. In the United States, cases of Lyme disease, spotted fever rickettsioses, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are on the rise. Factors related to emergence include appearance of a new pathogen, recognition of an existing pathogen and environmental changes that result in new exposure events. Despite the rise in tick-borne disease incidence within many states, including Virginia, there is a paucity of data related to the prevalence and distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens.

The first aim of this dissertation research was to determine the tick-borne pathogen composition within tick populations …

Mexican Red Kneed Tarantula (Brachypelma Smithi) Care Manual, Jamie Sincage, Trace Hardin

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Caring for any animal is more of an art than a science. What works for one keeper may not necessarily work for another. This may be based on unnoticed nuances, local climate or weather patterns, the personalities of the individual animals, or other minute details. This is a basic husbandry and breeding guide to the Mexican red knee tarantula (Brachypelma smithi). Any more specifics will have to be discovered personally or discussed with colleagues. Where many vertebrates have been kept in captivity for centuries a lot of invertebrates are relatively new to the husbandry world. Even though humans …

Monochamus Titillator Oviposition And Intraspecific Competition In Shortleaf Pine Bolts, Ryan Patrick Rastok

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Monochamus titillator (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) feed on trees in the family Pinaceae as adults and larvae. Adults feed on healthy twigs and branches and oviposit on stressed, dead, or dying trees. Prior to oviposition, females construct pits on the bark surface using their mandibles. The number of eggs laid beneath bark, where oviposition pits have been constructed, varies greatly. Developmental time and adult body size also vary greatly. I investigated oviposition and intraspecific competition with the goal of determining the degree to which various insect densities and oviposition times impact the following: 1) oviposition pit construction; 2) egg deposition; 3) emergence, …

Genetic Variation And Species Distribution Of Subterranean Termites In The Southeastern U.S. Focusing On Family Structure And The Invasive Formosan Subterranean Termite, Mark Allan Janowiecki

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work applies molecular genetic tools to distinguish the identity and understand the biology of termites, particularly Reticulitermes Holmgren and Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the southeastern U.S. Termites are important economic pests costing billions of dollars annually to Americans but also are important wood decomposers in natural settings. Molecular tools are essential for species identification because of the morphological ambiguities among species. The cryptic nest structure of subterranean termites which prevents adequate sampling makes molecular genetic tools essential to examine an entire colony.

A molecular diagnostic technique was created to differentiate Coptotermes formosanus, an invasive species in the …

Phenology And Diversity Of Arthropod Communities In Leaf Litter, Fredericka Hamilton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Temperate deciduous forests produce a layer of leaf litter on the forest floor annually. This layer is dynamic, and both the composition and depth change throughout the year. The leaf litter layer is an important habitat to many arthropods since they utilize it for food, shelter from adverse environmental conditions, and protection from predators.

Two commonly encountered and diverse taxa found in the litter layer are the ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and the ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae). Carabidae and Gnaphosidae were collected and identified on a monthly basis from April 2014 to March 2015 from the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas …

Grower Adoption Of An Integrated Pest Management Package For Management Of Mango-Infesting Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) In Embu, Kenya, J. K. Korir, H. D. Affognon, C. N. Ritho, W. S. Kingori, P. Irungu, S. A. Mohamed, S. Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a well-recognized fruit of economic and nutritional importance to smallholder farmers across Africa. Production and marketing of this fruit is, however, severely hampered by fruit fly infestation that is responsible for enormous fruit losses. In Kenya, control of this pest is primarily dependent on the use of chemical pesticides, a strategy that has been shown to be ineffective. Although the recently introduced fruit fly integrated pest management (IPM) package developed by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) has proved to be effective against this pest, there is little demonstrable investigation on its …

Adoption Of Modern Beekeeping And Its Impact On Honey Production In The Former Mwingi District Of Kenya: Assessment Using Theory-Based Impact Evaluation Approach, Hippolyte D. Affognon, W. S. Kingori, A. I. Omondi, M. G. Diiro, B. W. Muriithi, S. Makau, S. K. Raina

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This study used the theory-based impact evaluation approach to understand as to how promotion of beekeeping by the Commercial Insects Programme (CIP) of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) has had an impact on honey production in the former Mwingi District of Kenya (now merged into Kitui County). We examined the adoption of modern hives promoted by icipe and applied data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the technical efficiency (TE) of participants in CIP. CIP participants had an average TE of 0.56, which was significantly higher than that of non-participants in the former Kitui District (average TE …

The Behavioral Response Of Culex Erraticus To Different Snake Odors, Lindsey E. Wells

Honors College Theses

Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is an arbovirus that can cause fatal infections in humans and horses. Unfortunately, the transmission mechanisms of this virus are still largely unknown. Culex erraticus displays a strong potential for serving as a vector of EEEV because of its indiscriminate feeding pattern and abundance in areas with the highest prevalence of infection. However, Culex erraticus is incapable of over-wintering the virus, yet EEE recurs each spring. Snakes may play an important role in over-wintering the virus, and certain snake species may be infected more frequently than others. This study was conducted to determine if Culex …

Movement Of Xylosandrus Germanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) In Ornamental Nurseries And Surrounding Habitats, Michael E. Reding, Christopher M. Ranger, Blair J. Sampson, Christopher T. Werle, Jason B. Oliver, Peter B. Schultz

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Some exotic ambrosia beetles are damaging pests in ornamental nurseries. Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford) is the most problematic ambrosia beetle in Ohio nurseries. Movement of X. germanus in nurseries has not been characterized, and knowledge is lacking on whether infestations originate from within nurseries or surrounding habitats. Flight activity of X. germanus was monitored in nurseries and adjacent wooded areas to determine the source of beetles infesting nurseries, and characterize their movement within nurseries. Ethanol-baited bottle traps were positioned within wooded areas adjacent to commercial nurseries and within nurseries at various distances from the nursery woodlot interface. Flight activity of overwintered …

Seasonal Dynamics And Micro-Climatic Preference Of Two Alpine Endemic Hypogean Beetles, Stefano Mammola, Elena Piano, Pier Mauro Giachino, Marco Isaia

International Journal of Speleology

Hypogean beetles generally live in stable environments, characterized by constant temperature and high relative humidity. Changes in the underground microclimatic conditions generally induce local migrations of the beetles through the hypogean environment in search of suitable microhabitats. We studied the seasonal dynamics and the micro-climatic preference of two Alpine endemic hypogean beetles - Sphodropsis ghilianii (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and Dellabeffaella roccae (Coleoptera, Cholevidae) - in the hypogean complex of Pugnetto (Graian Alps, Italy). We surveyed the two species for one year, using baited pitfall traps and measuring temperature and humidity along the two main caves. We used logistic regression mixed models …

In Vitro And In Vivo Evaluation Of Infestation Deterrents Against Lice, Kyong-Sup Yoon, Jennifer K. Ketzis, Samuel W. Andrewes, Christopher S. Wu, Kris Honraet, Dorien Staljanssens, Bart Rossel, J Marshall Clark

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

The human head louse is a cosmopolitan ectoparasite and frequently infests many people, particularly school-age children. Due to widespread pyrethroid resistance and the lack of efficient resistance management, there has been a considerable interest in the protection of uninfested people and prevention of reinfestation by disrupting lice transfer. In this study, two nonclinical model systems (in vitro and in vivo) were used to determine the efficacy of the infestation deterrents, Elimax lotion and Elimax shampoo, against human head lice or poultry chewing lice, respectively. With in vitro assessments, female head lice exhibited significantly higher avoidance responses to hair tufts treated …

Temperature And Development Impacts On Housekeeping Gene Expression In Cowpea Aphid, Aphis Craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphidiae), Chunxiao Yang, Huipeng Pan, Yong Liu, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a powerful technique to quantify gene expression. To standardize gene expression studies and obtain more accurate qRT-PCR analysis, normalization relative to consistently expressed housekeeping genes (HKGs) is required. In this study, ten candidate HKGs including elongation factor 1 α (EF1A), ribosomal protein L11 (RPL11), ribosomal protein L14 (RPL14), ribosomal protein S8 (RPS8), ribosomal protein S23 (RPS23), NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (NADH), vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (ATPase), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), 18S ribosomal RNA (18S), and 12S ribosomal RNA (12S …

Predicting The Impact Of Temperature Change On The Future Distribution Of Maize Stem Borers And Their Natural Enemies Along East African Mountain Gradients Using Phenology Models, Sizah Mwalusepo, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Estomih S. Massawe, Gerphas O. Okuku, Nancy Khadioli, Tino Johansson, Paul André Calatayud, Bruno Pierre Le Ru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Lepidopteran stem borers are among the most important pests of maize in East Africa. The objective of the present study was to predict the impact of temperature change on the distribution and abundance of the crambid Chilo partellus, the noctuid Busseola fusca, and their larval parasitoids Cotesia flavipes and Cotesia sesamiae at local scale along Kilimanjaro and Taita Hills gradients in Tanzania and Kenya, respectively. Temperature-dependent phenology models of pests and parasitoids were used in a geographic information system for mapping. The three risk indices namely establishment, generation, and activity indices were computed using current temperature data record from local …

Mosquito Attraction: Crucial Role Of Carbon Dioxide In Formulation Of A Five-Component Blend Of Human-Derived Volatiles, Joop J.A. Van Loon, Renate C. Smallegange, Gabriella Bukovinszkiné-Kiss, Frans Jacobs, Marjolein De Rijk, Wolfgang R. Mukabana, Niels O. Verhulst, David J. Menger, Willem Takken

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Behavioral responses of the malaria mosquito Anopheles coluzzii (An. gambiae sensu stricto molecular ‘M form’) to an expanded blend of human-derived volatiles were assessed in a dual-port olfactometer. A previously documented attractive three-component blend consisting of NH3, (S)-lactic acid, and tetradecanoic acid served as the basis for expansion. Adding 4.5 % CO2 to the basic blend significantly enhanced its attractiveness. Expansion of the blend with four human-derived C4-volatiles was then assessed, both with and without CO2. Only when CO2 was offered simultaneously, did addition of a specific concentration of 3-methyl-1-butanol or 3-methyl-butanoic acid significantly enhance attraction. The functional group at …

Colemanus Keeleyorum (Braconidae, Ichneutinae S. L.): A New Genus And Species Of Eocene Wasp From The Green River Formation Of Western North America, J. Ray Fisher, Erika Tucker, Michael Sharkey

Entomology Faculty Publications

A new genus and species of Ichneutinae s. l., Colemanus keeleyorum Fisher, is described from the Eocene Green River Formation in Colorado, USA. Colemanus was placed on a phylogenetic hypothesis using morphological data. Using a parsimony criterion, Colemanus is placed within Proteropini (Ichneutinae s. l.). Reconstructions of well-preserved regions (mesosomal dorsum and wings) are included. A previously described species from lower Oligocene Baltic amber is transferred to Colemanus, resulting in the new combination C. contortus (Brues, 1933).

Electrophysiological And Behavioral Characterization Of Bioactive Compounds Of The Thymus Vulgaris, Cymbopogon Winterianus, Cuminum Cyminum And Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Essential Oils Against Anopheles Gambiae And Prospects For Their Use As Bednet Treatments, Emilie Deletre, Fabrice Chandre, Livy Williams, Claire Duménil, Chantal Menut, Thibaud Martin

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: Laboratory and field studies showed that repellent, irritant and toxic actions of common public health insecticides reduce human-vector contact and thereby interrupt disease transmission. One of the more effective strategies to reduce disease risk involves the use of long-lasting treated bednets. However, development of insecticide resistance in mosquito populations makes it imperative to find alternatives to these insecticides. Our previous study identified four essential oils as alternatives to pyrethroids: Thymus vulgaris, Cymbopogon winterianus, Cuminum cyminum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum. The objectives of this study were to identify active compounds of these essential oils, to characterize their biological activity, and to examine …

The Effect Of Temperature, Relative Humidity, And Virus Infection Status On Off-Host Survival Of The Wheat Curl Mite (Acari: Eriophyidae), E. N. Wosula, A. J. Mcmechan, G. L. Hein

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The wheat curl mite, Aceria tosichella Keifer, is an eriophyid pest of wheat, although its primary economic impact on wheat is due to the transmission of Wheat streak mosaic (WSMV), Wheat mosaic (also known as High Plains virus), and Triticum mosaic (TriMV) viruses. These viruses cause significant annual losses in winter wheat production throughout the western Great Plains. Temperature and humidity are factors that often influence arthropod survival, especially during dispersal from their hosts, yet the impact of these two factors on off-host survival has not been documented for wheat curl mite. Pathogen- infected host plants often influence the biology …

New Directions For Improving Crop Resistance To Insects By Breeding For Egg Induced Defence, Amanuel Tamiru, Zeyaur R. Khan, Toby J.A. Bruce

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Plant defence responses to insect oviposition, including tritrophic interactions with natural enemies of herbivores, have rarely been targeted in crop breeding programmes. Emission of herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that attract natural enemies early on at the egg-laying stage of herbivore attack could provide timely biological control of pests and deter subsequent oviposition. This is needed in an agroecological context where the third trophic level often does not keep pace with the growth rate of pests. Our very recent data, using maize as an example, show that herbivore egg induced volatile emission is very rare in commercial hybrids but common …

Eucnemid Larvae Of The Nearctic Region. Part V: Fifth Instar Larval Descriptions For Eight Species Of Microrhagus Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Melasinae: Dirhagini), With Descriptions Of Four New Species And Notes On Their Biology, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

Fifth instars for eight of the nine species of Microrhagus Dejean (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Melasinae: Dirhagini), all endemic in the Nearctic region, are described and illustrated. Biological information is provided, along with a brief discussion of the larval morphology among the eight Nearctic species of Microrhagus. Adult descriptions are provided for four new species. These new species include Microrhagus breviangularis new species, Microrhagus carinicollis new species, Microrhagus lecontei new species and Microrhagus opacus new species. A checklist and identification keys for both adults and most known larvae are provided.

Flowers In Space Attacked By Aliens: Understanding The Spatial Ecology Behind The Devastating Damage By A Thistle Bud Weevil On Pitcher’S Thistle At Whitefish Dunes State Park, Wi, Zechariah D. Meunier

Lawrence University Honors Projects

One of the most threatened plants in the Great Lakes region is Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri), which inhabits sand dunes along the shorelines of Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. In addition to risks from habitat loss and invasive species, C. pitcheri are imperiled by a thistle bud weevil (Larinus planus) that was originally distributed for biological control of nonnative thistles. During the summer of 2014, we empirically studied the devastating damage caused by L. planus on a population of C. pitcheri at Whitefish Dunes State Park, WI, to determine what factors influence the distribution and intensity …