Entomology Commons^™

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.

Impacts Of Insecticide Treatments On Platytetranychus Multidigituli (Acari:Tetranychidae) And Predatory Mites On Gleditsia Triacanthos Var. Inermis (Honeylocust), Adam Robert Witte

Open Access Theses

Spider mite outbreaks can occur in urban forests after insecticides are applied to control early season pests. We used thornless honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis) and honeylocust spider mite (Platytetranychus multidigituli) as a model to investigate this phenomenon by applying both topical and systemic insecticides to treat early season pests of honeylocust. Impacts of these applications on populations of P. multidigituli and its associated predatory mites were assessed. Early season applications of bifenthrin caused outbreaks of honeylocust spider mite and drastically reduced phytoseiids but not the stigmaeid mite, Zetzellia mali. In contrast later season applications suppressed populations of P. multidigituli. …

Population Genetics And Ecology Of Regional Malaria Vectors In Amazonian Brazil, Sascha Naomi Mckeon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Species complexes are common among anopheline mosquitoes, but only some members of complexes are disease vectors. Research involving overall patterns of divergence, phylogenetic relationships and population structure is partly driven by the operational need to be able to reliably distinguish component taxa that may be involved in malaria transmission. Anopheles triannulatus, An. nuneztovari and An. albitarsis are broadly distributed species complexes that contain local and regionally important malaria vectors, whose genetic diversity has been largely overshadowed by studies involving An. darlingi, the principal vector of Central and South America. I have analyzed the ecological suitability of habitats and geographical ranges …

Putting Theory Into Practice: Predicting The Invasion And Stability Of Wolbachia Using Simulation Models And Empirical Studies, Philip R. Crain

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

A new strategy to fight mosquito-borne disease is based on infections of the maternally-transmitted, intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Estimates predict that Wolbachia infects nearly half of all insect species, as well as other arthropods and some nematodes. Wolbachia manipulates the reproduction of its host to promote infection, most commonly causing a form of conditional sterility known as cytoplasmic incompatibility. Generally, Wolbachia infections are benign and do not inflict significant costs upon its host. However, studies demonstrate that some infections are associated with substantial costs to its host. These same infections can also induce pathogen interference and decrease vector competency …

Selective Utilization Of Microhabitats By Web-Building Spiders, Kelton D. Welch

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Natural enemies are members of complex ecological communities, and their ability to contribute to the biological control of pest organisms is strongly influenced by a convoluted network of ecological interactions with many other organisms within these communities. Researchers must develop an understanding of the mechanisms that shape trophic webs to predict and promote top-down effects of predators. The behavior of predators can have a strong influence on their potential as biological control agents.

Web-building spiders are a useful example organism for the study of natural enemy behavior because of the experimentally tractable nature of their foraging behavior. Specifically, patterns in …

An Assessment Of The Invasive Poison Hemlock And Its Insect Associates In Kentucky, Christine D. Allen

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Poison hemlock, Conium maculatum (Apiaceae), is an invasive plant in North America with a unique toxic chemistry. Previous research on this plant has focused on identifying herbivores as potential biological control agents or describing the toxic plant alkaloids. However, none have examined the role of higher trophic levels in the food web surrounding poison hemlock. Generalist predators and food web interactions are an important component of studies investigating invasion effects, as plant or animal introductions can alter ecosystem functioning. In this study, predators in poison hemlock were sampled at the foliar and epigeal levels, resulting in 956 Carabidae and 321 …

Enhancing Beneficial Insect Biodiversity And Biological Control In Turf: Mowing Height, Naturalized Roughs, And Operation Pollinator, Emily Dobbs

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

The goal of this study was to evaluate several sustainable turf maintenance techniques for their potential to increase beneficial insect populations, which could then provide ecosystem services including pest suppression and pollination. The three techniques in question were 1) raising mowing height in commercial and residential lawns, 2) establishing naturalized roughs on golf courses, and 3) creating pollinator refuges on golf courses through the program Operation Pollinator. We found that raising mowing heights did increase populations of some predators such as spiders and staphylinids, but did not increase predation, which was ubiquitously high because ant populations were unaffected by mowing …

Endosymbiotic Prevalence And Reproductive Manipulation Of The Spider Mermessus Fradeorum, Meghan M. Curry

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Spiders are host to a plethora of heritable endosymbiotic bacteria. Broad-taxa screening studies indicate that endosymbionts are particularly common among spiders, however, little is known about how these bacteria affect their spider hosts. In insects these bacteria ensure vertical transmission by either conveying a benefit to the host or manipulating host reproduction to eliminate males that serve as evolutionary dead-ends for maternally-inherited bacteria. Common modes of reproductive manipulation include parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Screening an assemblage of Mermessus genus spiders, I detected a high frequency and diversity of endosymbiont infection. Within a single species, M. fradeorum …

Taxonomy And Systematics Of New Zealand Faronitae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Jong-Seok Park

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The New Zealand Faronitae was revised at the species level, and a phylogenetic study was performed based on morphological and molecular data. Eight new genera and 143 new species were discovered. Three new genera, “Brounea”, “Ahnea” and “Pseudoexeirarthra” were designated based on the species originally described in the genus Sagola. Five new genera, “Aucklandea”, “Chandlerea”, “Nunnea”, “Leschenea” and “Pseudostenosagola” were designated by new species. Three known genera, Exeirarthra, Stenosagola and Sagola were also revised at species level. Eighty four names were synonymized, two in Exeirarthra, four in Stenosagola and 78 in Sagola. Lectotypes of seven species, Sagola terricola Broun, S. …

A Survey Of Chemical Elicitors And Their Effectiveness As Promoters Of Plant Defense Against Herbivory By Spodoptera Frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), John Gordy

LSU Master's Theses

Insect herbivores can induce a range of plant defenses. Signal pathways can be activated that result in the production of secondary metabolites. Many of these compounds can reduce insect fitness, deter feeding, and attract beneficial insects. Additionally, organic and inorganic chemicals applied as a foliar spray or soil drench can activate these plant responses. Azelaic acid, benzothiadiazole (BTH), gibberellic acid (GA3), harpin, and jasmonic acid (JA) are thought to mediate plant response to pathogens and herbivores. The effects of these elicitors on the induction of plant defenses were determined by measuring the weight gain of fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda …

Effects Of Caste On The Constitutive And Induced Expression Of Genes Associated With Immunity And Detoxification In Formosan Subterranean Termites, Dawn M. Simms

LSU Master's Theses

Simms, Dawn M., B.S., Louisiana State University, 1997 Master of Science, Spring Commencement, 2013 Major: Entomology Effects of Caste on the Constitutive and Induced Expression of Genes Associated with Immunity and Detoxification in Formosan Subterranean Termites Thesis directed by Associate Professor Claudia Husseneder Pages in thesis, 74. Words in abstract, 268. ABSTRACT Formosan subterranean termites (FSTs) live in dense populations and nest conditions that are conducive to microbial growth. Furthermore, termites are exposed to potential toxic substances in the soil and in their lignocellulose diet. These characteristics, in combination with the specialized caste system of FSTs, make this termite a …

Genus Reuteria (Hemiptera: Miridae) With Five Species New For Arkansas, U.S.A., Stephen W. Chordas Iii, C. Renn Tumlison, K. Benjamin

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Distribution, Conservation And Current Status Of Three Endemic Heterosternuta (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae) In Arkansas, S. D. Longing, P. A. Bacon, George L. Harp

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Arkansas Lepidoptera Survey: A Preliminary Check List Of Arkansas Species, E. C. Lovely, J. K. Ettman

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The mission of the Arkansas Lepidoptera Survey is to enhance the fundamental knowledge of butterflies, skippers, and moths in Arkansas. To achieve this mission, its objectives include developing a reference collection of Arkansas Lepidoptera and maintaining a current check list of present, historical and accidental species in Arkansas. The following list includes 1360 species representing 57 families. It was compiled from original field collecting, literature review, and analysis of museum specimens. The Arkansas Lepidoptera Survey established a reference collection of Arkansas butterflies, skippers and moths located in McEver Hall on the Arkansas Tech University campus. This collection currently contains 567 …

Responses Of Amblyomma Americanum And Dermacentor Variabilis To Odorants That Attract Haematophagous Insects, A. L. Carr, R. M. Roe, C. Arellano, D. E. Sonenshine, C. Schal, C. S. Apperson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Carbon dioxide (CO₂), 1-octen-3-ol, acetone, ammonium hydroxide, L-lactic-acid, dimethyl trisulphide and isobutyric acid were tested as attractants for two tick species, Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae), in doseresponse bioassays using Y-tube olfactometers. Only CO₂, acetone, 1-octen-3-ol and ammonium hydroxide elicited significant preferences from adult A. americanum, and only CO₂ was attractive to adult D. variabilis. Acetone, 1-octen-3-ol and ammonium hydroxide were separately evaluated at three doses against CO₂ (from dry ice) at a field site supporting a natural population of A. americanum nymphs and adults. Carbon dioxide consistently attracted the …

Unlinked Genetic Loci Control The Reduced Transcription Of Aminopeptidase N 1 And 3 In The European Corn Borer And Determine Tolerance To Bacillus Thuringiensis Cry1ab Toxin, Brad S. Coates, Douglas V. Sumerford, Blair Siegfried, Richard L. Hellmich, Craig A. Abel

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Transgenic expression of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crystalline (Cry) toxins by crop plants result in reduced insect feeding damage, but sustainability is threatened by the development of resistance traits in target insect populations. We investigated Bt toxin resistance trait in a laboratory colony of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, selected for increased survival when exposed to Cry1Ab and correlated survival on Cry1Ab toxin with a constitutive~146.2 ± 17.3-fold reduction in midgut aminopeptidase N1 (apn1) transcript levels. A 7.1 ± 1.9-fold reduction apn3 transcript level was also correlated with Cry1Ab resistance. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping identified a single major …

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities And Water Quality At Buffered And Non-Buffered Wetland Sites On Federal Waterfowl Production Areas In The Rainwater Basin, Nebraska, John R. Riens, Matt S. Schwarz, Fatima Mustafa, William Wyatt Hoback

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin has an abundance of natural wetlands and is a focal point in the annual migration corridor used by millions of waterfowl and shorebirds. However, these wetlands are in a landscape dominated by agriculture and as a result, siltation and poor water quality are continual problems. We evaluated twelve wetland sites on federally managed Waterfowl Protection Areas from 2007 – 2009 for water quality, sediment quality, andmacroinvertebrate diversity. Six of the sites received agricultural runoff directly via culverts and drainage ditches (non-buffered sites) and six siteswere protected from agricultural runoff by a vegetated buffer (buffered sites). Mean total …

Towards The Elements Of Successful Insect Rnai, Jeffrey G. Scott, Kristin Michel, L. Bartholomay, Blair Siegfried, Wayne B. Hunter, Guy Smagghe, Kun Yan Zhu, Angela E. Douglas

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

RNA interference (RNAi), the sequence-specific suppression of gene expression, offers great opportunities for insect science, especially to analyze gene function, manage pest populations, and reduce disease pathogens. The accumulating body of literature on insect RNAi has revealed that the efficiency of RNAi varies between different species, the mode of RNAi delivery, and the genes being targeted. There is also variation in the duration of transcript suppression. At present, we have a limited capacity to predict the ideal experimental strategy for RNAi of a particular gene/insect because of our incomplete understanding of whether and how the RNAi signal is amplified and …

Immature Stages Of Spodoptera Albula (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Developmental Parameters And Host Plants, Débora G. Montezano, Alexandre Specht, Tarciso M. Bortolin, Edegar Fronza, Daniel Ricardo Sosa-Gómez, Vânia F. Roque-Specht, Patricia Pezzi, Priscila C. Luz, Neiva M. Barros

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

This study aimed to detail the temporal and morphological parameters of the immature stages of Spodoptera albula (Walker 1857) under controlled conditions (25 ± 1°C, 70 ± 10% RH and 14 hour photophase) and to gather information about their larval host plants. For this purpose, a new rearing method and artificial diet was employed and validated. The viability of the egg, larval, pupal and pre-pupal stages was 94.54, 97.33, 93.84 and 92.34%, respectively. The average duration of the egg, larval, pupal and pre-pupal stages was 4.14, 16.37, 1.69, and 9.34 days, respectively. During the larval stage, 80.85% of females and …

Current Known Range Of The Platte River Caddisfly, Ironoquia Plattensis, And Genetic Variability Among Populations From Three Nebraska Rivers, Lindsay A. Vivian, Michael Cavallaro, Kate Kneeland, Erica Lindroth, W. Wyatt Hoback, Kerri M. Farnsworth-Hoback, Robert R. Harms, John E. Foster

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The Platte River caddisfly (Ironoquia plattensis Alexander and Whiles 2000) was recently described from a warm-water slough along the Platte River in central Nebraska and was considered abundant at the type locality. Surveys of 48 sites in 1999 and 2004 found eight additional sites with this species on the Platte River. The caddisfly was not found at the type locality in 2004 and one additional site in 2007, presumably because of drought conditions. Because of its apparent rarity and decline, the Platte River caddisfly is a Tier I species in Nebraska. For this project, surveys for the caddisfly were …