Herbivory Of Phragmites Australis Along A Salinity Gradient In Connecticut Wetlands,
2026
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Herbivory Of Phragmites Australis Along A Salinity Gradient In Connecticut Wetlands, Sydney H. Kolz
Honors Scholar Theses
Invasive Phragmites australis (common reed) is widely distributed in New England wetlands, where it often outcompetes native plants and decreases biodiversity throughout the food web. Controlling its invasion is a priority, especially in salt marsh habitat, but current management techniques are inefficient. Leveraging natural processes may improve control strategies, but in order to do so, we must first better understand how abiotic and biotic stressors interact and affect Phragmites. This study focuses on herbivory and salinity, two factors limiting Phragmites’ fitness. I measured soil salinity and quantified the damage of three herbivore guilds (i.e. gall-formers and stem-borers, leaf-chewers, and …
Individual Recognition: Do Horned Passalus, Odontotaenius Disjunctus, Display Individual Discrimination Of Familiar And Unfamiliar Conspecifics Through Changes In Their Behavior?,
2026
Montclair State University
Individual Recognition: Do Horned Passalus, Odontotaenius Disjunctus, Display Individual Discrimination Of Familiar And Unfamiliar Conspecifics Through Changes In Their Behavior?, Sabrina Galloza
Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects
The horned passalus, Odontotaenius disjunctus, are subsocial beetles that inhabit and defend decaying wood where they create galleries to live, mate, breed and provide brood care. The species is well known for their stridulations, making up to 14 different sounds, having one of the greatest repertoire of sounds for any known arthropod. Typically living in family units, it has been found that several families can inhabit the same log, therefore, the horned passalus can come into contact with both kin and non-kin. It is currently unknown whether the horned passalus can distinguish between nestmates and non-nestmates. Additionally, it is unknown …
Contrasting Roles Of Downed Wood And Leaf Litter In Structuring Aphaenogaster Ants And Other Forest-Floor Arthropod Communities,
2026
State University of New York College at Buffalo - Buffalo State College
Contrasting Roles Of Downed Wood And Leaf Litter In Structuring Aphaenogaster Ants And Other Forest-Floor Arthropod Communities, Danielle E. Dolan
Great Lakes Center Masters Theses
Forest floors are dynamic and spatially heterogenous landscapes characterized by differing amounts of light, temperature, and moisture. Bounded substrates, like downed wood and leaf litter, add further complexity to this landscape. Specifically, downed wood is noted for its ability to retain a higher moisture level than the surrounding environment, and as such can serve as an ideal microhabitat for desiccation intolerant organisms (e.g., salamanders and eusocial insects). Here, I attempt to disentangle the relationship between forest floor arthropods and microhabitat selection (i.e., downed wood vs leaf litter) on a northeastern forest floor. The ant, Aphaenogaster picea, was chosen as my …
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Host: Fleas And The History Of Pikas In North America,
2026
Northern Michigan University
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Host: Fleas And The History Of Pikas In North America, Josh Pletcher
All NMU Master's Theses
Parasite phylogenetics can offer windows into the cryptic evolutionary history of hosts, often highlighting events that are not recorded by the phylogenetics of the host. Pikas (small lagomorphs) host a diverse parasite community comprising endoparasites (e.g., coccidians, nematodes, and cestodes) and ectoparasites (e.g., fleas and mites). Phylogenetic analysis of pika endoparasites has revealed pikas evolved in Asia and colonized North America in two waves, and that contact between these two pika lineages allowed parasites to be transferred from one lineage to another and to survive the extinction of their original host. To uncover these cryptic histories, understanding the biogeography of …
Honeybee Colony Response To Probiotic Supplementation And Grazing Practices,
2026
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Honeybee Colony Response To Probiotic Supplementation And Grazing Practices, Katya M. Busenitz
Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Honeybee health is a complicated issue. Studies were conducted to scale honeybee (Apis mellifera) health from the microbiome to the landscape. Colony health parameters were measured in response to probiotic administration. Colony capped brood production, colony summer weight gain, and Varroa mite incidence were measured. I found that applications of over-the-counter probiotics did not improve the measured parameters of honeybee health compared to a control group. Results suggest that probiotic application was not beneficial but positive benefits may depend on application method, brand, or strain of probiotics used. I also examined how colony health metrics responded to different …
Discerning Patterns Of Floral Sugar-Feeding: Dynamics Of The Mosquito Culex Antillummagnorum In Puerto Rico,
2026
University of Southern Mississippi
Discerning Patterns Of Floral Sugar-Feeding: Dynamics Of The Mosquito Culex Antillummagnorum In Puerto Rico, Ella J. Branham
Master's Theses
Mosquitoes rely on sugar feeding for survival, primarily from flowering plants, yet mosquito–plant interactions remain understudied. I examined plant-feeding associations of the mosquito Culex antillummagnorum in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of Puerto Rico, which may clarify patterns of habitat use, disease dynamics, and broader species interactions. First, plant DNA was extracted from field-collected Cx. antillummagnorum to identify potential nectar sources. DNA barcoding produced positive matches to the flowering plant genera Billia, Aesculus, Cladium, Fimbristylis, Xyris, Cakile, and Habenaria. Habenaria was the most compelling result because it belongs to the same subtribe of orchids …
Refining Treatment Thresholds Of Insect Pests In South Carolina Soybeans Using Simulated Injury And Natural Populations,
2026
Clemson University
Refining Treatment Thresholds Of Insect Pests In South Carolina Soybeans Using Simulated Injury And Natural Populations, Adam Whitfield
All Dissertations
Insect pests are a major limiting factor to profitable soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., production in South Carolina, yet current economic thresholds are largely based on historical data and may not reflect modern cultivars, production practices, or input costs. Key insect pests in South Carolina can be categorized into three major feeding groups: defoliators, stem feeders, and pod feeders. Defoliating insects include, but are not limited to, soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker); velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hubner); green cloverworm, Hypena scabra (Fabricius); grasshoppers; and numerous species of beetles. Stem feeders include, but are not limited to, kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria …
Biology, Ecology And Control Of Eye Gnats In An Open Pine Ecosystem,
2026
Clemson University
Biology, Ecology And Control Of Eye Gnats In An Open Pine Ecosystem, Leela Hospach
All Theses
Eye gnats of the genus Liohippelates are bothersome flies of the family Chloropidae. They breed in moist, disturbed, sandy soils that contain organic matter, and have been implicated as vectors of conjunctivitis, bovine mastitis, and yaws. We conducted research into some basic biological and ecological characteristics. Using wild-caught gnats in a temperature-controlled incubator, we found that their activity peaks between 27°C and 41°C. Trapping at different heights above the forest floor in an open-pine savannah, we captured most gnats at 7.5 m off the ground. This may have to do with the attractiveness of the rotten egg lures we used, …
Comparative Biomechanics: Blattodea Antennal Morphology And Physiology,
2026
Clemson University
Comparative Biomechanics: Blattodea Antennal Morphology And Physiology, Lucas W. Marsh
All Theses
Equipped with muscle-free antennae, many insects can twist and bend their antennae on demand. We hypothesized that hemolymph circulating through the antennae provides pressure that facilitates twisting and bending and provides a feedback control channel for tactile sensing in insects. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a thorough morphological and physiological analysis of antennae in three Clades of Blattodea. We studied morphology by evaluating the distinguishable features of the body and antenna, as well as the internal structure of the antennal lumen. Then, in a series of experiments on live cockroaches, we measured blood pressure along the antenna. This was …
A Survey Of The Collembola Of The Buffalo National River Park,
2026
University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
A Survey Of The Collembola Of The Buffalo National River Park, Emma Renee Critchfield
Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Collembola are a neglected and understudied class with few recent U.S surveys. The aim of this thesis was to survey the Buffalo National River for Collembola and create a catalogue of all known species in the state of Arkansas, USA. Leaf litter, mosses, rotting wood, fungi and malaise trap samples were taken from 13 locations within the Buffalo National River park. In total, 14 families, 34 genera and 59 species were identified from 22,028 collected specimens. Of those, 31 species represent new state records. This survey also validates malaise traps as useful tools for Collembola sampling. The malaise trap samples, …
Dietary Preferences And Food-Seeking Behavior Of Discoid Cockroaches, Blaberus Discoidaliscont.,
2026
Lindenwood University
Dietary Preferences And Food-Seeking Behavior Of Discoid Cockroaches, Blaberus Discoidaliscont., Robert Larsen, Sadie Ariola
2026 Student Academic Showcase
Blaberus discoidalis, also known as discoid cockroaches, inhabit the tropics of South America where their diet consists of leaf litter and decaying organic matter on the ground. This experiment expands on research from two previous years, originally based on the loitering time of the roach's different food types. Such as peanuts, leaf litter, and bananas. The experiment this year was to determine which food was preferred by determining how much it was eaten. Each food item, peanuts, banana, and leaf litter (peanuts alone are crushed) were dried in an oven for 24 hours and weighed before and after each trial. …
Horned Oak Galls And Their Dispersal On Lindenwood's Campus,
2026
Lindenwood University
Horned Oak Galls And Their Dispersal On Lindenwood's Campus, Peyton Birkenmeier, Timothy Sesterhenn
2026 Student Academic Showcase
Horned oak galls are woody growths found on the branches of oak trees (Quercus sp.). These growths are caused by the parasitic wasp, Callirhytis cornigera. These wasps produce the galls by piercing the branch with their ovipositors and laying eggs into the branch. Based on the severity of infestation, these galls can cause severe damage or even death to oak trees. This research determined the dispersal and severity of horned oak galls infesting the different species of oak trees around the heritage side of Lindenwood. This was done by walking around the heritage side of campus and observing different species …
Environmental Stability Drives Development In Drosophila Melanogaste,
2026
Lindenwood University
Environmental Stability Drives Development In Drosophila Melanogaste, Nestor Omar Rivera Guevera
2026 Student Academic Showcase
The development of Drosophila melanogaster is highly sensitive to environmental conditions, particularly temperature, which has been shown to influence both developmental rate and lifespan. Previous studies report that higher temperatures accelerate development but may reduce adult longevity, while field observations in related Drosophila species indicate that stable environmental conditions support greater population success compared to fluctuating ones. Building on this, the present study examined the combined effects of temperature and humidity on fruit fly development. Groups of 10 female flies were placed in culture tubes containing standard medium, with three replicates per treatment. After 48 hours of egg-laying, adults were …
Wild Bee Foraging And Movement Behavior In Urban Gardens,
2026
Providence College
Wild Bee Foraging And Movement Behavior In Urban Gardens, Claire Crowther, Maggie Ritchie
Biology Student Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Efficacy Of Homemade Botanical Insecticides Against Diamondback Moth (Plutella Xylostella) And Cabbage Aphids (Brevicoryne Brassicae) On Brassica Crops,
2026
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
Efficacy Of Homemade Botanical Insecticides Against Diamondback Moth (Plutella Xylostella) And Cabbage Aphids (Brevicoryne Brassicae) On Brassica Crops, Nancy Munyoki, Edward N. Karanja, Komivi S. Akutse, Noah Adamtey, Martha Musyoka, Komi K. Fiaboe, David Bautze, Edwin Nderitu, Felix Matheri, Dubois Thomas, Milka Kiboi, Chrysantus M. Tanga
All Peer-Reviewed Publications
The growing need for accessible alternatives to synthetic insecticides has renewed interest in farmer-made botanical formulations for pest management. This study evaluated the efficacy of selected homemade botanical insecticides against diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) and cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) on cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and kale (B. oleracea var. acephala) under laboratory and semi-field conditions. Three homemade formulations were assessed: a one-day-old multi-plant extract with neem (Azadirachta indica; PE + N), a one-day-old extract without neem (PE), and a fourteen-day-old, fermented extract without neem (PE14). These were compared with three commercial botanical products. In replicated leaf- and plant-based bioassays, …
Hormetic Ethanol Effects On Fitness And Attraction In Irradiated Aedes Aegypti,
2026
New Mexico State University
Hormetic Ethanol Effects On Fitness And Attraction In Irradiated Aedes Aegypti, Kayden Robey, Gabriel Borg, Immo Hansen
The Agora
Sterile insect technique (SIT) is an increasingly important strategy for controlling mosquito populations while reducing reliance on chemical insecticides and genetically modified organisms. A major limitation of SIT is the reduced fitness and competitiveness of irradiated male mosquitoes, which can compromise population suppression efforts. This study investigates whether hormetic ethanol exposure improves post-irradiation fitness in Aedes aegypti males, a primary vector of dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Adult male mosquitoes were fed either a standard sugar solution or a sugar solution supplemented with 5% ethanol prior to irradiation. Males were sterilized using X-ray irradiation at 50 Gy and assessed for …
Semiochemicals And Odorant Receptors Underlying Potato Cultivar Susceptibility And Resistance To Potato Tuber Moth,
2026
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Semiochemicals And Odorant Receptors Underlying Potato Cultivar Susceptibility And Resistance To Potato Tuber Moth, Ruipeng Chen, Wangtao Hu, Qin Hu, Junjie Yan, Jiao Yin, Fathiya M. Khamis, Yulin Gao, Walter S. Leal
All Peer-Reviewed Publications
Infestation of potato by the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) varies markedly among cultivars, yet the chemical and molecular mechanisms underlying this variation remain poorly understood. Here, we combine field surveys, chemical ecology, functional genomics, and structural modeling to reveal how cultivar-specific volatile profiles shape moth oviposition behavior and pest outcomes. Field and laboratory assays identified marked differences in adult attraction, oviposition, and larval damage among potato cultivars, which correlated with distinct blends of emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Behavioral analyses revealed that among other VOCs, trans-nerolidol and β-ionone act as attractants, whereas 3-carene and benzyl tiglate function as oviposition …
Modelling The Temporal Dynamics Of Microsporidia Mb Prevalence In Anopheles Mosquitoes Under Environmental Variability,
2026
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P.O. Box : 67, Dschang, Cameroon. [email protected].
Modelling The Temporal Dynamics Of Microsporidia Mb Prevalence In Anopheles Mosquitoes Under Environmental Variability, Charlène N. Mfangnia, Matteo Pedercini, Henri E. Tonnang, Jeremy K. Herren
All Peer-Reviewed Publications
Releasing Microsporidia MB-positive mosquitoes is being investigated as a promising component of Integrated Vector Management (IVM) strategies for malaria control. In this study, we developed a System Dynamics model to replicate the observed interactions between humans, mosquitoes, the Plasmodium parasite, and the symbiont MB. The model accounts for the impact of environmental variables - such as humidity, rainfall, and temperature - on mosquitoes, Plasmodium, and MB, using exogenous inputs derived from daily climatic observations (rainfall, relative humidity, and temperature) recorded during the mosquito field surveys. We calibrate the model using data collected from Ahero in Kenya, available for 3 years …
Bluebird Bait: Quantifying The Attraction Of Ectoparasites To Nestling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis),
2026
Arkansas Tech University
Bluebird Bait: Quantifying The Attraction Of Ectoparasites To Nestling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Ella Grace Bollinger
ATU Scholars Symposium
Ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes (Culicidae), blackflies (Simuliidae), and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), have been shown to reduce population viability by lowering post-fledging survival and decreasing the lifetime reproductive success of adult birds. This issue is particularly concerning for songbirds such as the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) because their nestlings are relatively naked and have limited mobility, making them highly vulnerable to attacks by biting flies. However, the specific mechanisms attracting ectoparasites to nests remain understudied. We hypothesized that biting fly and mosquito abundance would be significantly higher at active Eastern Bluebird nests than that of empty boxes and would increase with …
An Insight Into The Venom Gland Proteome Of The Two-Spined Trap-Jaw Ant, Odontomachus Haematodus,
2026
The University of Southern Mississippi
An Insight Into The Venom Gland Proteome Of The Two-Spined Trap-Jaw Ant, Odontomachus Haematodus, Aaron Morgan
Honors Theses
Ants are ecologically important and highly abundant organisms, playing key roles in many ecosystems. One recently introduced species in the southeastern United States is Odontomachus haematodus (the two-spined trap-jaw ant), a South American native that has often been misidentified, contributing to limited research on its biology and venom composition. This study aimed to provide the first detailed characterization of the venom apparatus and proteome of O. haematodus. Specimens were collected and dissected, and venom-related proteins were extracted and analyzed using SDS-PAGE and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS-ESI). Confocal microscopy was also used to visualize the sting apparatus, including F-actin filaments and …
