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Hexapod Herald - Vol. 23, No. 6, December 2011

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Characterization Of The Tolerance Response In The Soybean Ks4202 To Aphis Glycines Matsumura, Travis J. Prochaska

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Since the introduction of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, to the soybean growing regions of the United States, the soybean aphid has caused considerable economic damage and yield loss to soybean growers. The objectives of this research were to evaluate selected genotypes for resistance to the soybean aphid and characterize transcriptional changes in response to aphid feeding to better understand the underlying tolerant mechanism(s) in KS4202 and genes contributing to its tolerance response. A field study (2009) was conducted to evaluate selected soybean genotypes during their reproductive stages for resistance to A. glycines. The economic injury level (EIL) …

Cost-Effective Binomial Sequential Sampling Of Western Bean Cutworm, Striacosta Albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Egg Masses In Corn, S. Paula-Moraes, E. C. Burkness, Thomas E. Hunt, Robert Wright, Gary Hein, W. D. Hutchinson

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a native pest of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). As a result of larval feeding damage on corn ears, S. albicosta has a narrow treatment window; thus, early detection of the pest in the field is essential, and egg mass sampling has become a popular monitoring tool. Three action thresholds for field and sweet corn currently are used by crop consultants, including 4% of plants infested with egg masses on sweet corn in the silking-tasseling stage, 8% of plants infested with egg masses on field corn with …

Ecology Of Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) In Shelterbelts Of Southeastern Nebraska, Matthew W. Yans

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Shelterbelts in the agricultural landscape provide valuable habitat to a variety of animals that in turn may be hosts to ixodid ticks. The purpose of this study is to determine if shelterbelt associated factors influence tick ecology. In 2010 and 2011, ticks were collected from several shelterbelts in southeast Nebraska in Lancaster and Saunders counties. Four tick species were identified.

Adjacent land use, shelterbelt composition, and time of day were all factors which did not influence the number of questing ticks collected. Differences in relation to aspect and distance from the shelterbelt were significant. The east side had continually higher …

Influence Of Detritus Levels And Organic Pollution On Interspecific Resource Competition, Oviposition Behavior, And Larval Survival Of Two Tire-Inhabiting Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae), David Wayne Allgood

Master's Theses

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors of disease in the adult stage, but understanding the factors affecting distributions of the immature stages is important to the understanding and control of adult populations. Discarded automobile tires comprise important larval mosquito habitats. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) are two medically important species commonly found in tires, but factors affecting their larval distributions in tires have not been studied, nor have their interspecific interactions. I investigated the effects of chemicals associated with organic pollution on oviposition preferences and larval survival of both …

Chinches De Cama (Bed Bugs): Para Profesionales En El Control De Pestes, Ryan S. Davis

All Current Publications

En la última década, reportes de infestaciones de chinches de cama (Cimicidae: Cimex lectularius) han estado en aumento en todo Norte América y en otros países. De acuerdo con esto, las presentaciones de chinches de cama al Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab también han aumentado. Esta hoja de datos ha sido diseñada para informar a los profesionales en el control de pestes de las complejidades involucradas en la erradicación de chinches de cama.

Corn Earworm, Diane G. Alston, Shawn Olsen, James Barnhill

All Current Publications

In Utah, there are typically three generations of corn earworm (CEW) each year. The first generation of adults either come from overwintering pupae (southern and central Utah), or migrate into northern Utah. The adult moth is tannish brown with a 1 1/2 inch wingspan. The front wings are marked with a distinct dark spot in the center and darker bands near the outer margins. The hind wings are lighter tan, with a dark band along the outer margins. The male moths have green eyes. Moth flight occurs primarily on warm, overcast evenings. Moth populations can be monitored using pheromone or …

Termitas Subterraneas, Erin Hodgson, Alan H. Roe

All Current Publications

Las termitas subterráneas son insectos sociales con un sistema de castas, y pertenecen al orden Isoptera y a la familia Termitidae. Estas termitas están relacionadas cercanamente a termitas de madera seca (Kalotermitidae) y de madera húmeda (Termopsidae).

Hemipteran Beneficiosos: Damsel Bugs, Ricardo Ramirez, Ron Patterson, Forest Young

All Current Publications

Los insectos depredadores pueden proveer un control de pestes natural al comer insectos no deseados. Este servicio beneficioso se llama control biológico. Los insectos depredadores son una de las razones por las que las poblaciones de pestes pueden mantenerse a niveles no-dañinos.

Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella Occidentalis), L. Irene Terry, Diane Alston

All Current Publications

Western flower thrips (WTF; Thysanoptera: Thripidae) are native to western North America and are widespread throughout this region.

Effect Of Diet Quantity And Quality On Female Sampling Behavior And Mating Preferences In A Field Cricket, Heidi L. Bulfer

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding the adaptive significance of variation in female mating behaviour is important because variation may often be favored by selection instead of a change in mean mating behaviour, particularly in variable environments. Females are known to adjust their mating behaviour to a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors including nutrition. There are multiple reasons why female behaviours might vary with nutrition; we tested two of these hypotheses: the search cost hypothesis and the direct benefits hypothesis. These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, but they make contrasting predictions under some conditions. Low nutrition females may have less available energy to support …

Life History Tradeoffs And Phenotypic Plasticity: The Tale Of A Flight Polyphenic Field Cricket, Chandreyee Mitra

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Most organisms are resource limited. Such limitations can result in tradeoffs between life history traits -- any traits that affect survival or reproduction. Flight polyphenic field crickets are thought to be a classic example of such a life history tradeoff, in which individuals tradeoff investment in flight capability and investment in reproduction. This polyphenism results from the interaction of two morphological traits: wing morphology (short or long) and flight muscle morphology (functional pink or non-functional white), and is affected by both genes and the environment. I examined life history traits of a flight polyphenic field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps. First, …

Bumble Flower Beetle, Taun Beddes, Ryan S. Davis

All Current Publications

The bumble flower beetle (BFB) is a common member of the Scarabaeidae (scarab) beetle family. Its common name originated because adult BFB’s often fly close to the ground and emit a loud buzzing sound similar to that of a bumble bee. Larvae (grubs) and adults are often found in or near fermenting and/or decomposing organic matter.

Large-Scale Use Of Mosquito Larval Source Management For Malaria Control In Africa: A Cost Analysis, Eve Worrall, Ulrike Fillinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background: At present, large-scale use of two malaria vector control methods, long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) is being scaled up in Africa with substantial funding from donors. A third vector control method, larval source management (LSM), has been historically very successful and is today widely used for mosquito control globally, except in Africa. With increasing risk of insecticide resistance and a shift to more exophilic vectors, LSM is now under re-evaluation for use against afro-tropical vector species. Here the costs of this intervention were evaluated. Methods. The 'ingredients approach' was used to estimate the economic and …

A New Nearctic Species Of Placonotus Macleay (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), Michael C. Thomas

Insecta Mundi

Placonotus falinorum Thomas, new species (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae), is described from Kansas. Habitus and genitalic details are illustrated and the species is distinguished from other New World members of the genus. Placonotus maya Thomas is newly recorded from Honduras.

A Review And Clarification Of The Alticine Genera Hemiphrynus Horn 1889 And Phrynocepha Baly 1861 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini), Arthur J. Gilbert

Insecta Mundi

The alticine genera Hemiphrynus Horn 1889 and Phrynocepha Baly 1861 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are reviewed and their status clarified. Both genera and all previously known species are redescribed. Four new species of Hemiphrynus are described: H. barri, H. corrugatus, H. smithi, and H. sydneyae. Six new species of Phrynocepha are described: P. australis, P. kendrae, P. marciae, P. natalieae, P. pseudocapitata, and P. pueblae. The following new combination is proposed: Hemiphrynus elongatus (Jacoby 1884) transferred from Phrynocepha. Hemiphrynus sulcatipennis Jacoby …

First Records Of The Grasshopper Machaerocera Mexicana Saussure, 1859 (Orthoptera: Acrididae) From The United States And Sonora, Mexico, Robert A. Behrstock, Patrick H. Sullivan

Insecta Mundi

The grasshopper Machaerocera mexicana Saussure (Orthoptera: Acrididae) is added to the orthopteran faunas of the United States and Sonora, Mexico. Notes are presented on habitat and seasonality.

El saltamontes Machaerocera mexicana Saussure (Orthoptera: Acrididae) se agrega a las faunas ortópteros de los Estados Unidos y Sonora, México. Se presenta notas sobre su hábitat y estacionalidad.

A New Genus And Species Of North American Robsonomyiini (Diptera: Sciaroidea: Keroplatidae: Macrocerinae) From The Florida Keys, Edward I. Coher

Insecta Mundi

A second genus and species of Nearctic keroplatid fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea: Keroplatidae: Macrocerinae) attributed to the tribe Robsonomyiini is described: Calusamyia hribari Coher, n. gen., n. sp.. The relationship of this fly from the Florida Keys with Asian genera and species and the single Nearctic described form of the robsonomyiines is briefly discussed.

Nebline, November/December 2011

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Avoid Guessing About Holiday Food Safety

Farm Views

Horticulture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Environmental Focus

Urban Agriculture

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Dung Beetle Ecology: Habitat And Food Preference, Hypoxia Tolerance, And Genetic Variation, Sean Doyle Whipple

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Four studies were conducted on dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), which are insects of great ecological and economic importance. Range management practices were found to impact dung beetle diversity and abundance. While sampling on organic and conventionally managed ranches in Nebraska, 93% (5,767) of total dung beetle capture was from the organically managed ranch. Only 480 dung beetles (7% of total) were collected from the conventionally managed ranch. Results indicated that organic ranching had increased numbers and diversity of dung beetles.

Comparison of the attractiveness of native and exotic herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore dung yielded 9,089 dung beetles from 15 species. …