Entomology Commons^™

Nature Journaling With Insects: A Guide And Journal Template, Danielle Positeri

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

An Introduction to Nature Journaling

Nature journaling is a natural history based activity centered on journaling one’s experiences and observations based on surrounding environment and natural lifeforms encountered. A tool commonly used by those who study natural history, famous naturalists such as Charles Darwin and John Muir were known to keep nature journals. Although those who make their careers in environmental sciences or field work keep professional, very detailed journals, journaling can also be a great activity for those who simply enjoy nature. Public educators teach nature journaling to young students to encourage building a plethora of skills: mindfulness, attention …

How Aquatic Insects Mitigate Temperature-Oxygen Challenges Via Behavioral, Morphological, And Physiological Plasticity, Jackson H. Birrell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How do organisms respond to environmental challenges and to environmental change? These questions occupy a central place in ecology and answering them will help us to understand why species live where they do, how organisms are affected by human activities, and, ultimately, how to choose among alternative conservation strategies. These questions are difficult, however, for two reasons. First, environmental challenges often involve multiple, interacting stressors. Second, individual responses can be modified by behavioral, morphological, and physiological plasticity. My dissertation investigates how interactions between temperature and oxygen influence the performance and survival of aquatic insects and how plasticity allows individuals to …

The Effect Of Larval Competition On Adult Life History Traits And The Immune Response Of Adult Cat Fleas (Ctenocephalides Felis), Piper N. Zellner, Lisa D. Brown

Honors College Theses

In holometabolous insects, conditions during the larval stage can affect the adult stage. For instance, in mosquitoes, reduced larval food and high density can make adults more susceptible to infection. Fleas (Siphonaptera), like mosquitoes, go through complete metamorphosis and have adult stages that exclusively feed on the blood of vertebrates, including humans. However, flea larvae have chewing mandibles and rely on nutrients from dried fecal matter containing vertebrate blood proteins. Their limited mobility and unique nutritional needs confine their development to specific areas, likely leading to frequent larval competition in natural conditions. Yet, the influence of larval density on the …

Photonic Monitoring Of Atmospheric Fauna, Adrien P. Genoud

Dissertations

Insects play a quintessential role in the Earth’s ecosystems and their recent decline in abundance and diversity is alarming. Monitoring their population is paramount to understand the causes of their decline, as well as to guide and evaluate the efficiency of conservation policies. Monitoring populations of flying insects is generally done using physical traps, but this method requires long and expensive laboratory analysis where each insect must be identified by qualified personnel. Lack of reliable data on insect populations is now considered a significant issue in the field of entomology, often referred to as a “data crisis” in the field. …

Effect Of The Exogenous Foliar Sprays Of Micro-Doses Of Fructose And Glucose, On Egg-Laying Of Cydia Pomonella L. And Its Oviposition Site Selection In Apple Orchard, Abdelkader Tiffrent, Nadia Lombarkia

Journal of Bioresource Management

A better understanding of the new concept of ‘sweet immunity’, represented by the use of sugars to reduce the susceptibility of plants to pests, would help implication of this knowledge within a new apple orchard protection strategy against Cydia pomonella. Behavioral and effect of two sugars, fructose (100 ppm), glucose (100 ppm), and chemical insecticide (deltamethrin) on egg-laying of C. pomonella were evaluated on two varieties (Golden delicious and Royal gala). The spraying of the two sugars, besides the insecticide, during the first, the third flight on the Golden delicious variety and the fourth flight on the …

Factors Responsible For Resistance In Okra Against Aphid, Aphis Gossiypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae), Shazia Rehman, Bashir Ahmad, Rashid Khan, Muhammad Ilyas, Ayesha Irum, Muhammad Arif, Imtiaz Khan, Sehrish Jamil, Muhammad Muzaffar Raza, Muhammad Jamil, Noor Muhammad, Faran Muhammad

Journal of Bioresource Management

Aphids are herbivores that feed on plant’s sap and are widespread throughout the globe. To assess the factors affecting the infestation of Aphis gossypii (Glover) and to use antixenosis a trial was conducted using 5 okra genotypes (Sabz Pari, Advanta, Durga, Kaveri, and Shandar) during spring, 2017 at “Agriculture Research Institute” (ARI) Tarnab, under Random Complete Block Design (RCBD) in field and Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in lab with 3 and 8 replications, respectively. Weekly data gathering for mean percent infestation of A. gossypii on each genotype to note variation among genotypes. The aphid infestations (2.5 Aphid leaf^-1) …

Nicotiana Glauca Graham (Solanaceae) Bioactivity And Toxic Effects On Mortality, Feeding Behavior And Pupation Choice Of Drosophila Melanogaster Larvae (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Abir Bouzar, Sarra Habbachi, Ibtissem Samai, Makarem Rahat, Nour El Imene Boublata, Saadane Fatma Zohra, Wafa Habbachi, Benhissen Saliha, Abdelkrim Tahraoui

Journal of Bioresource Management

Nicotiana glauca is a medicinal plant used by traditional healers as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory medicines. The leaves of N. glauca are very rich in indolic alkaloids which give it a larvicidal power which allows us to use it as a bio-insecticide.In the present study we were perfomed in the direct (mortality) and indirect (food attractiveness and pupation) toxic effects of the aqueous extract of N. glauca on the mortality and feeding behavior of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The treatment was administered to 2nd instar larvae (L2) and the mortality rate was monitored for 15 days. Similarly we …

Pests Of Hemp In Utah, Marion Murray, Macahl Evans, Claudia Nischwitz, Austin Taylor, Cody Zesiger

All Current Publications

This guide includes information on insect and disease pests of hemp, organized by pest group. Much of the content is a result of a two-year arthropod and plant disease survey of field-grown hemp operations in northern Utah. Some pests included in this guide were not found in that survey but may be likely to occur in the future. Beneficials and natural enemies are also covered, and information on pesticides is included.

Greenhouse Biocontrol In Utah: Beneficial Insects And The Pests They Target, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

This guide provides information on biocontrol in Utah and pests that are targeted by beneficial pests, such as aphids, fungus gnats, mealybugs, scales, spider mites, thrips, whiteflies. Symptoms, monitoring, lifecycles, and biocontrol options are included.

Establishment Of The Invasive Cactus Moth, Cactoblastis Cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) In Pakistan: A Potential Threat To Cultivated, Ornamental And Wild Opuntia Spp. (Cactaceae), Muhammad Ather Rafi, Harry Pavulaan, Muhammad Islam, Muhammad Ashfaq, Haseeb Kamran, Walija Fayaz, Gul Naz Parveen, Riffat Sultana, Ahmad Zia, Waqar Ahmed, Qudrat Ullah, Muhammad Qasim, Falak Naz, Nazeer Ahmed, Muhammad Tariq Khan, Muhammad Saeed, Jalal Hayat Khan

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

Subsequent to the significant accomplishment of biological control of Opuntia weeds in Australia, the larvae of the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (native to parts of South America), were released in many countries for the biological control of native Opuntia species (Simmonds and Bennett, 1966). Inauspiciously, larvae were also released in the Caribbean, where the moth spread naturally and by the human support all over the region (García-Turudi et al., 1971). Its enhanced dissemination rate and the biological potential for invasiveness, suggests that the cactus moth is likely to become an invasive pest of Opuntia in the Southeast United States, Mexico, …

Description Of A New Species Of Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance And Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) From Guatemala, José Francisco García Ochaeta, Anil Kumar Dubey

Insecta Mundi

Puparia of a new whitefly, Aleuroparadoxus marisae García-Ochaeta and Dubey, new species (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), collected on leaves of Brosimum alicastrum Sw. in Santa Ana, Petén, Guatemala, and on Pimenta dioica (L). Merr. in Calzada Mopán, Dolores, Petén are described and illustrated. Drawings of morphological structures and differential diagnosis of the puparium are provided, and differences from congeners are discussed. A key to puparia of the Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance and Baker species is included.

Pavement Ants (Tetramorium Immigrans Santschi), Ryan S. Davis, Lori R. Spears, Austin Taylor

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes pavement ants. It covers identification, biology and habits, and management.

Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa Mandarinia Smith), Lori R. Spears, Carson Wise, Ryan Davis

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes Asian giant hornet and reviews similar-looking insects, its life cycle, predatory strategies, monitoring and management, and the related public health concerns.

Japanese Beetle (Popillia Japonica Newman), Lori R. Spears, Diane G. Alston, Joey Caputo, Erin Hodgson, Cory Stanley, Kristopher Watson

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes Japanese beetles and reviews damage symptoms, life cycle, monitoring, and management.

Honey Bee Nutrition Through The Ages, Kaitlyn Bresnaham

Biology Student Scholarship

Honey bee nutrition can tell us a lot about the state of the hive. It is known that summer worker bees and winter worker bees have different protein and carbon content, but not much research has been done on nutritional content throughout the life history stages of honey bees. I am examining differences in carbon and nitrogen content in the bees for the three different castes at various life stages. The results could allow for more efficient planting of pollinator friendly plants based on the nutritional needs of the colony, or could affect how beekeepers do supplemental feedings when necessary. …

Effect Of Dietary Protein On Honey Bee Pollen Foraging Behavior, Katherine Burke

Biology Student Scholarship

Bees obtain nutrients from flowers. Pollen provides proteins and fats; nectar provides carbohydrates. Pollen is important for providing essential amino acids which honey bees must obtain from their diet for proper development. Commercial honey bee colonies, however, pollinate monocultures, which contain one crop type thus, one unbalanced nutritional resource. We examined how a lack of protein diversity affects honey bee pollen foraging behavior. Bees were raised on three diet treatments: no manipulation, all 10 essential amino acids (EAAs, i.e., protein building-blocks), or only 6/10 EAAs. Bee-collected pollen was trapped upon return to the hive and nutritional content was analyzed. We …

Examples Of Insect Mouthparts, Bethia H. King

Books, Book Chapters, & Supplemental Materials

Renderings of mouthparts for honey bees, house flies, grasshoppers, lepidopterans, mosquitoes, and hemipterans.

Growth Of Pseudocotalpa Giulianii Larvae In Sand From Different Dune Sources, Cosset Hernandez Pena, Mandy Mountain

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Pseudocotalpa giulianii (PSGU) is an endemic species known to inhabit two sand dunes in Nye County, Nevada: Big Dune Recreational Area and Lava Dune. Differences in sand properties between Big Dune and Lava Dune could impact survival and growth of the larvae of P. giulianii. Use of permitted off-road vehicles (ORV) in Big Dune can impact its habitats and cause disturbances to local populations, including the Giuliani Dune Scarab as ORV activity is correlated with changes in dune vegetation. Lava Dune has no permitted ORV activity, however, differences in sand composition, including eroded basalt, have the potential to influence the …

Investigating The Involvement Of The Tick Vector In The Induction Of Alpha-Galactose Hypersensitivity (Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Red Meat Allergy) In The United States., Gary Crispell

Dissertations

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS or sometimes called red meat allergy) is a result of the development of specific IgE antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) after a person has had exposure to tick bites. This dissertation investigates four common tick species found in North America: the lone-star tick (Amblyomma americanum), the Gulf-Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum), the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), and the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) for the presence of α-gal by utilizing a combination of immunoproteomic approaches and carbohydrate analysis techniques.

Anti-α-gal IgM antibodies (M86) were used in immunoblotting to detect …

Description Of The Immature Stages Of Dacus Bivittatus (Diptera: Tephritidae), The Greater Pumpkin Fruit Fly, Gary J. Steck, Shepard Ndlela, Louis A. Somma, Jessica Diaz, Matthew R. Moore, Jessica Awad

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

We describe the egg, three instars, and pupa of Dacus bivittatus Bigot using optical and scanning electron microscopy and compare them with those of other Dacus Fabricius species for which these stages have been described as well as those of two important pest species of Zeugodacus Hendel that infest cucurbits. A new anatomical term, lateral lips, is introduced to describe a feature of the facial mask. A feature of the egg that has not been reported previously for Tephritidae is described here: a peculiar arrangement of aeropyles in an irregular line partially encircling the egg near the posterior end. A …