Entomology Commons^™

Modeling Framework To Demonstrate Elimination Of A Vector Population: Tsetse Elimination In Chad, John Hargrove, Mahamat Hissene Mahamat, Moukhtar Aldjibert, Wilfrid Yoni, Djoukzoumka Signaboubo, Justin Darnas, Ernest Salou, Inaki Tirados, Albert Mugenyi, Priscille Barreaux, Philippe Solano, Antoine Marc Gaby Barreaux

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Every year, over 700,000 people, particularly children under five, die from vector-borne diseases worldwide. Effectively controlling endemics and preventing new outbreaks requires an integrated approach that can lead to the elimination of both vectors and diseases. In the last two decades, integrating medical interventions and vector control has significantly reduced the incidence of Gambian Human African Trypanosomiasis (g-HAT), with the World Health Organization validating eight countries as having eliminated the disease as a public health problem. However, elimination of the tsetse vector has not been confirmed, leaving the possibility of re-emergence. We developed a six-step modeling framework to assess vector …

Lost In The Weeds No More! Revision Of The Robust Herb Gall Wasps (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae, Aulacideini) In North America, Louis F. Nastasi, Charles K. Davis, José Luis Nieves-Aldrey, Cecil N. Smith, Simon Van Noort, Ebony G. Murrell, Timothy S. Frey, Chris Friesen, M. J. Hatfield, Heather M. Hines, John F. Tooker, Andrew R. Deans

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

We revise the North American fauna of Aulacideini (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) using morphological, ecological, and genetic (DNA barcode) data, incorporating observations from over 5,000 adult specimens and galls. Prior to revision, the fauna included 24 species in four genera. Six new genera and 25 new species are described, all authored by Nastasi: Argyrix gen. nov., Barathria gen. nov., Cosmita gen. nov., and Ketsia gen. nov., for species previously placed in Antistrophus Walsh; Prixima gen. nov., for a new species inducing galls on Pyrrhopappus DC.; and Tookeria gen. nov., for a new species inducing galls on Silphium L.; Antistrophus frieseni sp. nov., …

Butterfly Taxa Discovery Via Genomic Analysis, Jing Zhang, Qian Cong, Jinhui Shen, Leina Song, Nick V. Grishin

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Expanding a genomics-guided assessment of butterfly taxonomy, we integrate phylogenetic evidence from all protein-coding genes with morphological considerations to refine our understanding of butterfly systematics and discover new taxa. As a result, 2 subgenera, 39 species, and 5 subspecies are proposed as new (type species in original combinations or type localities are listed in parentheses): Erebia (Magda) magdalena uintana Grishin, ssp. n. (USA: Utah, Uintah Co.) in Nymphalidae Rafinesque, 1815; Myselasia rondea Grishin, sp. n. (Brazil: Rondônia), Myselasia pseudocrinon Grishin, sp. n. (Ecuador: Pastaza), Myselasia paramatuta Grishin, sp. n. (Ecuador: Morona-Santiago), Euselasia anapellos Grishin, sp. n. (Peru: Loreto), …

Immune Suppression And Metabolic Reprogramming In Bactrocera Dorsalis Parasitized By Fopius Arisanus, Rehemah Gwokyalya, Jeremy Herren, Thomas Ogao Onchuru, Sahadatou Mama Sambo, Cassandra Purity Ronnie, Ndlela Shepard, Sunday Ekesi, Samira A. Mohamed

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Abstract – Bactrocera dorsalis is a major horticultural pest. Biocontrol using parasitoids, such as Fopius arisanus, is a sustainable tool for managing this pest. However, the mechanisms enabling the successful parasitism of B. dorsalis are poorly understood. Using transcriptomic profiling, cellular bioassays, and targeted metabolite analyses, we investigated how F. arisanus modulates the immunity and metabolic activity of B. dorsalis to achieve a high parasitism rate. Our results revealed a weak and late encapsulation response of B. dorsalis towards F. arisanus. Additionally, parasitism reduced the number of circulating haemocytes by 35%, lowered constitutive granulocyte counts and inhibited phenoloxidase activity in …

Unh Extension Pollinator Garden Certification Application, Shyloh Favreau

UNH Cooperative Extension

When you certify your garden or landscape through The UNH Extension Pollinator Garden Certification Program, you become part of a growing community committed to creating meaningful habitat for pollinators through sustainable, science-based practices. Grounded in research, education, and shared learning, the program supports gardeners of all experience levels in contributing to the health and diversity of native pollinators. From plant selection to pollinator-friendly management practices, this application will guide you in planning, refining, and developing your garden into a safe, resilient habitat for native bees and other pollinating insects.

UNH Extension staff and Master Gardener volunteers are here to …

Life-Stage Specific Predatory Efficiency Of 2 Generalist Predators Of Bemisia Tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), Itohan Aigbedion-Atalor, Abdelmutalab G. Azrag, Alvin M. Simmons, Jason M. Schmidt

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an economically damaging invasive pest to global vegetable production. Current management strategies rely heavily on insecticides, but increasing levels of resistance raise sustainability concerns. Therefore, strengthening integrated pest management (IPM) programs requires enhancing biocontrol through improved predator-pest interactions. Despite the well-established relevance of functional response modulation by multiple environmental factors, limited research has explored how plant traits and prey life stages interact to influence the efficiency of generalist predators in vegetable systems. To address this gap, we evaluated the functional responses of 2 adult generalist predators, Hippodamia convergens (Guérin-Méneville) and Geocoris punctipes (Say), against 3 nymphal …

The Mayfly Newsletter, Donna Giberson

The Mayfly Newsletter

The Mayfly Newsletter is the official newsletter of the Permanent Committee of the International Conferences on Ephemeroptera.

Can Generative Ai Make Farming Decisions? Current Status And Future Pathways: A Case Study In Row Crop Production With Chatgpt, Nipuna Chamara, Yufeng Ge, Joe Luck, Yu Pan, Saleh Taghvaeian, Cory Walters, Christopher Proctor, Daran Rudnick, Daren Redfearn

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The agricultural decision-making process is experience-based, knowledge-dependent, time-sensitive, complex, and driven by historical data. Planting, fertilization, irrigation, and chemigation are key categories in farm decision-making, and currently there is no one-shot decision-support tool that covers all these activities. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are more advanced than traditional machine learning and deep learning models. These models have been trained on vast amounts of data from the internet, allowing them to accept unstructured data in various forms and generate human-like text, solutions to problems, and scenario predictions. Given this capability, we became interested in exploring the potential of generative AI in …

Partial Insect-Based Meal Inclusion In The Diets Of Ross® 308 Broilers Upregulates Growth And Immune Related Genes, Victor K. Rotich, Isaac M. Osuga, Mathew G. Gicheha, Shaphan Y. Chia, Jandouwe Villinger, Anderson N. Maina, Jinhua Xiao, Dennis Beesigamukama, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

This work investigated the effects of black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens L.) larvae meal (BSFLM) on growth- and immune-related gene expression in Ross 308 broilers. Birds were fed diets containing soybean meal (SBM), fishmeal (FM), combinations with BSFLM, or BSFLM alone. Growth, organ weights, immune genes [interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrotic factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)] and growth-related genes [chicken growth hormone (cGH), insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1)] expression were measured. Our results demonstrate that birds fed FM+BSFLM had significantly higher final liveweight, average daily weight gain (ADG), and low feed conversion ratio. Birds fed FM+BSFLM showed highest …

Climate Change Reduces Pollination Services And Sunflower Yields Across Europe And Northern Africa, Stella Gachoki, Clémence Riva, Danilo Bevk, Yamina Haider, Noureddine Adjlane, Ioannis Manthos, Bojan Stipešević, Zlatko Puškadija, Marin Kovačić, Leonidas Charistos, Fani Hatjina, Fabrice Requier

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) productivity is highly dependent on pollinators, yet the effects of climate on pollination services and crop yield remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate how temperature gradients influence flower-visiting communities, pollination services, and sunflower productivity across Europe and Northern Africa. We conducted standardized two-year (2022 and 2023) pollination exclusion experiments across 36 sunflower fields spanning a broad climatic gradient, from temperate regions in Slovenia to arid conditions in Algeria. We found that sunflower production (seed set, seed number, and oil content) relied heavily on insect pollination. However, this benefit declined with rising temperatures, likely due to …

Invasion Patterns And Niche Dynamics Of The Pollinivorous Florida Calligrapher, Toxomerus Floralis (Diptera: Syrphidae) In The Afrotropical Region, Burgert Muller, John Midgley, Georg Goergen, Ali Al Jahdhami, Michelson Azo'o Ela, Terence Bellingan, Simon Cavaillès, Robert Copeland, Marc De Meyer, Martin Hauser, Allen Holmes, Ximo Mengual, Gabriel Nève, Menno Reemer, Jeff Skevington, Gunilla Ståhls, Eugène Sinzinkayo, John Smit, Axel Ssymank, Genevieve Theron, Kurt Jordaens

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The rapid spread of Toxomerus floralis (Fabricius, 1798) (Diptera: Syrphidae) within the Afrotropical region is described. We characterise and compare the climatic niches of T. floralis in its native (Southern North America, Central America and South America) and invaded (Afrotropical Region) range to assess the potential for further expansion across Africa and beyond, and included future global climate models and socioeconomic pathways as projections. Occurrence data for native and invaded ranges were obtained from field sampling by authors, major collections of Afrotropical Syrphidae, collections records and occurrence data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), including iNaturalist data. Single and …

Gc-Ms-Based Comparative Analysis Of Compounds In Host Plants And Insect Gut Extracts, Rita Dill, Kimberly Smith, Shelia Okoth, Xavier Cheseto, Anne Osano

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background/Objectives: Herbivorous insects feed on plant tissues to obtain nutrients necessary for growth and development while simultaneously ingesting diverse plant secondary metabolites. Understanding the fate of these compounds during digestion is important for advancing knowledge of insect nutritional physiology and diet-associated biochemical processes. This study aimed to comparatively profile metabolites in host plants and corresponding insect gut extracts to generate insights into compound transfer and compositional changes within these systems. Methods: Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolomics was combined with Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–Vis) quantification of total phenols and flavonoids to compare host plant tissues and insect gut extracts in three systems: fall …

Climate-Driven Stochastic Modelling Of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Transmission In Uganda, P. G. Kpatchana, J. Aduda, K. M. Agboka

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a climate-sensitive tick-borne zoonosis that remains a significant public health concern in Uganda, where temperature and vapour pressure deficit influence tick ecology and consequently disease transmission. This study aimed to develop and analyse a climate-driven stochastic model for CCHF transmission among ticks, livestock, and humans under environmental variability in Uganda. A compartmental transmission model was formulated and extended into a stochastic differential equation framework by incorporating multiplicative environmental noise. Climate-dependent tick recruitment, development, and mortality were parameterized using district-level temperature and vapour pressure deficit data to capture spatial heterogeneity in transmission risk. Theoretical analyses based …

Estimates Of Insecticide Performance Against Selected Insect Pests Of Cotton, Corn, Sorghum, And Soybeans Across The Cotton Producing States Of The United States, 2025, D. Cook, S. Graham, B. Thrash, N. Bateman, G. Studebaker, I. Esquivel, P. Roberts, D. Buntin, D. D. Kerns, J. Villegas, W. D. Crow, T. B. Towles, C. Floyd, D. Reisig, A. Farris, J. K. Greene, F. Reay-Jones, S. Brown, D. L. Kerns, S. Vyavhare, T. Mays, K. Siders, B. Easterling, S. Biles, T. Bryant

Midsouth Entomologist

Annually the members of the National Cotton States Arthropod Pest Management Working Group estimate insecticide and insect trait performance against selected insect pests in cotton, corn, sorghum, and soybeans across the cotton growing states.  These estimates are based on commonly used/recommended rates and from observations collected through field experiences and replicated research trials.  Results are summarized by region including the Southeast, MidSouth, West, and across all regions (U.S.).  States comprising regions include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia (Southeast); Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee (Mid-South); and Arizona, California, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas (West). Not …

European Corn Borer Management In Field Corn, Igor Sulzbacher Schardong, Francis Reay-Jones

Agronomic Crops

In the past, European Corn Borer (ECB) was considered a billion-dollar pest. Bt corn was first released in 1996 and its widely adoption reduced ECB populations and economic importance. Resistance to some Bt toxins was detected in Canada, representing a possible threat to corn production. In this paper, we reviewed potential management tactics for ECB in corn.

Du Undergraduate Showcase Abstracts: Research, Scholarship, And Creative Works, Sophia Wismar, Henry Staats, Allison Metzler, Chloe Puckett, Rachel Levine, Christa Kilpatrick, Scott Wolf, Joe Walsh, Grace Doolittle, John Engebreston, Zoe Lopez, Christopher Aaby, Audrey Duff, Timothy Sisk, Katelyn Lamberton, Angela Narayan, Gilkah Argueta, Habiba Samir, Girena Tesfazghi, Genet Kenore, Sinit Tesfamariam, Effley Brooks, Abi Newell, Megan Doherty, Natalie Baer, Lexi Blood, Talya Riciputi, Jessica Jimenez, Devin Hernandez, Lynn Clark, Taj Kumar, Sunil Kumar, Allen Rutman, Mira Pronobis, Tess Carson, Anna Sher, Frankie Stroud, Tamra Pearson D'Estree, Alyssa Wilson, Emily Melnick, Jenalee Doom, Yihang Gao, Gwendolyn Geiger, Noah Gettle, Scott Nichols, Clare Ayoub, Cara Dienno, Sunny Walker, Zoe Hansen, Maya Wheeler, Addison Rice, Patrick Martin, Sanjana Acharya, Daniel Mcintosh, Amanda Mckellips, Calli Cain, Justin Blake, Peter Sokol-Hessner, Natalie Miller, Max Weisbuch, Sophia Dellota, John Macikas, Charlotte Snow, Mark Siemens, Zoe Lynch, Alex Huffman, Prachi Shah, Jason Roney, Halcyon Levi, Nicole Herzog, Andrea Koly, Daniel Linseman, Annie London, Xi Yang, Avery Zwisler, Jane Smith, Chaz Contag, Michael Kerwin, Lucy Rand, Grace Schroeder, Michelle Rozenman, Nissa Tapper, Guiming Zhang, Mateo Mazariego-Halpern, Keith Meyer, Julie Do, Dakota Park-Ozee, Travis Herink, Kara Neu, Jonathan Plomin, Eve-Odine Duchaufour, Debbie Gale Mitchell, Tennyson Anderson-Stricklin, Lily Treitz, Samantha Rosenberger, Sierra Griffith, Finley Joseph, Daniel Sampson, Emmy Davis, Skyler Kasnoff, Evon Lopez, Vivian Nguyen, Cassy Young, Franklin Sellner, Martin Tobon, Ila Graham, Zach Billings, Holden Hedit, Decatur Boland, Paul Kosempel, Cory Chandler, Jay Mahoney, Sam Dragan, Susan Dagget, Yarrow Ator, Heidi Vuletich, Owen Weber, Andrew Kloeppel, Petersen Gray, Mandi Schaeffer-Fry, Razleen Bassra, Bryanna Rodriguez, Christina Blue, Taubie Sanders, Rachel Epstein, Luke Milburn, Camryn Evans, Ezra Martinez, Mary Westwood, Gabri Notov, Robin Tinghitella, Lilou Cabrol, Eli Barbour, Juliet Mendik, Selma Myers, Zac Wise, Noah Fahlin, Michelle Knowles, Abigail Hopper, Michael Greenberger, Romi Laclair, Sarah Watamura, Sabrina Efroymson, Casey Barker, Sydney Seltzer, Bryn Yehle, Jennifer Hoffman, Sara Garcia, Ryuka Nagamine, Trevor Briggs, Remy Le Boeuf, Elena Krone, Eileen Farrell, Regan O'Rourke, Elena Roel, Greg Mortimer, Ali Ayoub, Stefani Langehennig, Caitlin Turk, Logan Scmid, Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, Karen Kim, Tatiana Peccedi, Courtney Cassidy, John Sebesta, Rhianna Lewis, Janice Bening-Lacek, Vivian Lawless, Mckenna Hanson, Jeffrey Amidon, Riya Joshi, Ram Ambre, Brady Worrell, Perrin Schneider, Ali Azadani, Brooke Agulnek, Lyndsie Salvagio, Elise Siemanowki, Yan Qin, Andre Allen, Melodie Nguyen, Megan Livengood, Abby Reams, Saffron Hartreeve, Bri Wylie, Sarah Brookman, Mariah Loiacono, Green Russo, Abhia Lodhi, Gabrielle Welsh, Nika Spehar, Shahked Levin, Evrim Baykal, Kimberly Chiew, Jocelyn Torres, Kailey Hicks, Mykaela Tanino-Springsteen, Audrey Bellows, Akam Chahal, Madeline Tepper, Shannon Murphy, Alexa Fonseca, Deborah Han, Cassandra Perez, Oluwatoyin Alaba, Julia Roncoroni, Vy Nguyen, Nana Burn, Sarah Sasse, Rubin Tuder, Anthony Gerber, Nancy Lorenzon, Christine Vohwinkel, Camryn Gunter, Tristan Weber, Sam Rommel, Brian Michel, Muskan Fatima, Alannah Oleson, Kira Frey, Edward Garrido, Beckett Morris, Kerstin Haring, Drew Middleton, Abigail Walpert, Liam Dee, Gabby Ishaw, Cole Carnes, Maddie Weiser, Claire Fox, Valeriia Vlasenko, Kateri Mcrae, Riley Smith, Abigail Templin, Kushani Rajapaksha

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Abstracts from the DU Undergraduate Research Showcase.

Insects And Arthropods And Their Role In Human Society, Emily Marie Perez-Medina

Whittier Scholars Program

With brightly colored exoskeletons, an excess of both eyes and legs, and seemingly  unpredictable behaviors, insects and arthropods come across as unusual and strange to general audiences. For this reason, they are often classified as “gross,” “ugly,” or “scary,” antagonists  in popular culture. What is not recognized when being represented to the masses is how much human society depends on their presence, and how a world without insects would be a world without most things humans know and love. In order to help reduce the stigma of these tiny, yet mighty creatures, this project serves as a call to action …

Soil Pests Of Corn, Francis Reay-Jones, Tim Bryant, Igor Schardong

Agronomic Crops

Corn rootworms, seed corn maggot, wireworms, and white grubs are sporadic insect pests of corn in the southeastern U.S. The immature stages of these species are subterranean, allowing them to feed on the roots of corn. The purpose of this publication is to provide growers, Extension agents, consultants, and other agricultural professionals an overview of the most common soil insect pests and how to control them.

Do Cover Crops Influence Beneficial And Herbivorous Arthropod Communities Across Growing Seasons?, Adegboyega Fajemisin, Satinderpal Kaur, Alejandro Vasquez, Alexis Racelis, Rupesh R. Kariyat

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Cover crops provide multiple ecosystem services in agriculture, yet their influence on arthropod communities remains poorly understood, especially in commercial farming. Despite their potential benefits, it remains unexplored how cover crops affect arthropod community dynamics across multiple growing seasons. We conducted a two-year study across three commercial farms in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, to examine how cover crops influence arthropod community composition and abundance, whether beneficial arthropods (natural enemies and pollinators) persist into cash-crop phases, and how cover crops affect natural enemy–herbivore relationships. We compared arthropod communities between cover-crop treatments and control plots and tracked responses through subsequent …

Ecological And Nutritional Drivers Of Floral Fidelity In Wild Pollinators, Adelaide Elise Ergastolo

Master's Theses

Plants must receive pollen from the same species in order to successfully reproduce. For most flowering plants, the transfer of pollen occurs via animal pollinators while they forage on plants to obtain food. Therefore, the fidelity of pollinators to individual plant species during foraging trips is directly related to the amount of conspecific pollen plants receive. Low floral fidelity of pollinators can reduce plant reproductive success, which in turn has the potential to lower food resources for pollinators in the future. While many factors can potentially influence pollinator floral fidelity, several important ones may be the nutritional resources provided by …