Entomology Commons^™

Malaria Vector Feeding, Peak Biting Time And Resting Place Preference Behaviors In Line With Indoor Based Intervention Tools And Its Implication: Scenario From Selected Sentinel Sites Of Ethiopia, Alemnesh Hailemariam Bedasso, Abebe Asale Gutto, Abate Waldetensai, Araya Eukubay, Getachew Eticha Bokore, Solomon Kinde, Fekadu Gemechu, Yared Debebe, Mesfin Aklilu, Geremew Tasew, Fekadu Massebo, Abebe Teshome, Tilahun Kebede, Bedri Abdulatif, Achamyelesh Sisay, Hiwot Solomon, Eliningaya J. Kweka

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In Ethiopia, malaria incidence has significantly reduced in the past decade through the combined use of conventional vector control approaches and treatment using antimalarial drugs. However, the sustainability of this achievement is threatened by the shift in biting and resting behaviors and emergence of insecticide resistance by the primary malaria vector. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the behaviour of malaria mosquitoes in different sentinel sites is crucial to design effective prevention and control methods in the local context. Entomological investigations were conducted in three sentinel sites for five consecutive months during the major malaria transmission season. The species composition, population dynamics, …

Predicting The Potential Global Distribution Of An Invasive Alien Pest Trioza Erytreae (Del Guercio) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), Owusu Fordjour Aidoo, Philipe Guilherme Corcino Souza, Ricardo Siqueira Da Silva, Paulo Antonio Santana Júnior, Marcelo Coutinho Picanço, Rosina Kyerematen, Mamoudou Sétamou, Sunday Ekesi, Christian Borgemeister

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The impact of invasive alien pests on agriculture, food security, and biodiversity conservation has been worsened by climate change caused by the rising earth’s atmospheric greenhouse gases. The African citrus triozid, Trioza erytreae (Del Guercio; Hemiptera: Triozidae), is an invasive pest of all citrus species. It vectors the phloem-limited bacterium “Candidatus Liberibacter africanus”, a causal agent of citrus greening disease or African Huanglongbing (HLB). Understanding the global distribution of T. erytreae is critical for surveillance, monitoring, and eradication programs. Therefore, we combined geospatial and physiological data of T. erytreae to predict its global distribution using the CLIMEX model. The model’s …

The Distinctive Bionomics Of Aedes Aegypti Populations In Africa, David P. Tchouassi, Sheila B. Agha, Jandouwe Villinger, Rosemary Sang, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses of medical importance. Behavioral and biological attributes contribute to its vectorial capacity. The mosquito domestic form, which resides outside Africa (Ae. aegypti aegypti (Aaa)), is considered to breed in artificial containers in and around homes and preferentially feeds on human blood but commonly indulges in a plant diet. Potential divergence in these attributes, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where Aaa coexists with the forest ecotype (Ae. aegypti formosus), should impact the vectoring ability and hence disease epidemiology. A summary of current knowledge on Ae. aegypti blood feeding, oviposition, and …

Leveraging Machine Learning Tools And Algorithms For Analysis Of Fruit Fly Morphometrics, Daisy Salifu, Eric Ali Ibrahim, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Analysis of landmark-based morphometric measurements taken on body parts of insects have been a useful taxonomic approach alongside DNA barcoding in insect identification. Statistical analysis of morphometrics have largely been dominated by traditional methods and approaches such as principal component analysis (PCA), canonical variate analysis (CVA) and discriminant analysis (DA). However, advancement in computing power creates a paradigm shift to apply modern tools such as machine learning. Herein, we assess the predictive performance of four machine learning classifiers; K-nearest neighbor (KNN), random forest (RF), support vector machine (the linear, polynomial and radial kernel SVMs) and artificial neural network (ANNs) on …

Genetics And Immunity Of Anopheles Response To The Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium Anisopliae Overlap With Immunity To Plasmodium, Tullu Bukhari, Vishukumar Aimanianda, Emmanuel Bischoff, Emma Brito-Fravallo, Karin Eiglmeier, Michelle M. Riehle, Kenneth D. Vernick, Christian Mitri

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Entomopathogenic fungi have been explored as a potential biopesticide to counteract the insecticide resistance issue in mosquitoes. However, little is known about the possibility that genetic resistance to fungal biopesticides could evolve in mosquito populations. Here, we detected an important genetic component underlying Anopheles coluzzii survival after exposure to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. A familiality study detected variation for survival among wild mosquito isofemale pedigrees, and genetic mapping identified two loci that significantly influence mosquito survival after fungus exposure. One locus overlaps with a previously reported locus for Anopheles susceptibility to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Candidate gene …

Incorporating Native Plants In Insectary Strips To Promote Insect Diversity And Below-Ground Beneficial Microbes In South Texas, Lindsey N. Richards

Theses and Dissertations

Farm edges are generally the most undisturbed areas in a farm with diverse vegetation and can enhance agrobiodiversity and provide crucial food and shelter for wildlife, insects, and soil biota. Planting native wildflowers with the ability to reseed and withstand local climatic conditions for semi-permanent vegetation around farm edges or in between crops has potential to biologically control pests. To test this, we ran a two-year study and installed three different flowering insectary strips on a certified organic vegetable farm in South Texas during the winter season. The treatments were: 1) a commercially sourced 17-species native wildflower seed mix; 2) …

Light And Temperature Entrainment Of Two Circadian-Driven Behaviors In The Flesh Fly Sarcophaga Crassipalpis, Raven Ragsdale

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Circadian rhythms dictate the timing of both once-in-a-lifetime adult emergence (eclosion) and daily locomotor activity rhythms in the flesh fly S. crassipalpis. Light cycles are considered the primary environmental time cue (zeitgeber), but the life history of S. crassipalpis suggests that temperature cycles (thermocycles) may also play a key role. This work evaluates the efficacy of thermocycling as a zeitgeber in S. crassipalpis. We found that shifting both light and temperature cycles of sufficient amplitude affect the phasing of eclosion and locomotor activity, but result in different patterns. Additional experiments suggest greater thermocycle sensitivity during the late metamorphic …

Potential Fitness Trade-Offs Of Elevated Esterase Activity Associated With Insecticide Resistance In The Mosquito Culex Quinquefasciatus, Timothy Schulte

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One of the current major issues in the control of vector-borne disease is resistance to insecticides. Resistance to one or more insecticides has appeared in over 580 different arthropod species. Widespread resistance has led to the field of Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM). The goal of IRM is to develop insecticide-use strategies that prevent or slow down the evolution of resistance. Computer models have shown that more effective IRM strategies rely on the assumption that resistance carries a fitness cost in the absence of insecticide use.

In the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus resistance to certain organophosphate insecticides is caused by an increased …

Insecticide Susceptibility And Resistance Detection In Phlebotomus Argentipes Sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), Shawna M. Hennings

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Leishmaniasis is an understudied disease found predominantly in high heat and humidity areas. The disease is transmitted by sandflies which are blood-feeding, biting insects. There is currently no known vaccine for any form of leishmaniasis and treatment imposes a significant economic impact on already poor and marginalized populations, as well as severe, lingering side effects for afflicted individuals. Annually, there are millions of people around the world afflicted with a form of Leishmaniasis that is transmitted by species of sandflies. The primary sandfly population control method for over half a century has been indoor residual spraying using insecticides. The selective …

Motociclistas Y Accidentalidad. Una Mirada Desde La Perspectiva Cultural, Juan Manuel Andrade Navia, Miguel Ángel Mahecha Bermúdez, Dagoberto Páramo Morales, Elías Ramírez Plazas

Ciencias Administrativas, Económicas y Contables

Las principales causas de accidentes de tránsito en el 2020 estaban asociadas al comportamiento humano de los actores en la vía, siendo las principales: conducir con exceso de velocidad (40,1%); no respetar las normas de tránsito (28,9 %); conducir en estado de embriaguez (9,7 %); y la violación de las normas de tránsito por los peatones (9,2 %). La ANSV en 2016 recordó un dato preocupante: el 53 % de las personas fallecidas eran motociclistas y el 55 % de los lesionados se encuentran entre 20 y 34 años, es decir, en la edad más productiva para la economía nacional. …

Dynamic Regulation Of Phenylpropanoid Pathway Metabolites In Modulating Sorghum Defense Against Fall Armyworm, Sajjan Grover, Sanket Shinde, Heena Puri, Nathan Palmer, Gautam Sarath, Scott E. Sattler, Joe Louis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Plants undergo dynamic metabolic changes at the cellular level upon insect infestation to better defend themselves. Phenylpropanoids, a hub of secondary plant metabolites, encompass a wide range of compounds that can contribute to insect resistance. Here, the role of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) phenylpropanoids in providing defense against the chewing herbivore, fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, was explored. We screened a panel of nested association mapping (NAM) founder lines against FAW and identified SC1345 and Ajabsido as most resistant and susceptible lines to FAW, respectively, compared to reference parent, RTx430. Gene expression and metabolomic studies suggested that FAW …

Life History And Ecology Of The San Emigdio Blue Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), Gregory R. Ballmer

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

The San Emigdio blue butterfly, Plebulina emigdionis (Grinnell, 1905), occurs in small, scattered colonies in and near the southwestern Mojave Desert of California. Colonies depend on a symbiotic relationship with the ant Formica francoueri (Bolton), and occur only where the ant’s range (primarily in more mesic cis-montane habitats) narrowly overlaps that of the butterfly’s more widely distributed Atriplex larval hosts in more xeric habitats. Colonies of P. emigdionis are often localized around a few host plants and, therefore, sensitive to habitat changes due to anthropocentric causes and environmental stochasticity. The biology, ecology, and status of known colonies of P emigdionis …

The Backyard Garden - Tomato Pests, Nick Volesky, Marion Murray

All Current Publications

This fact sheet contains information about pests and diseases that affect tomatoes. It includes general information and guidance on severity, other hosts, symptoms, and management.

An Integral Projection Modeling Approach To Understanding Demographic Effects Of Multispecies Mutualisms, Alexandra Campbell

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Innovative Feedstocks For Optimal Mass Production Of The Edible Long-Horned Grasshopper, Ruspolia Differens, Kababu Margaret, Mweresa K. Collins, Sevgan Subramanian, James P. Egonyu, Dorothy Nakimbugwe, Geoffrey Ssepuuya, Nyamu Faith, Sunday Ekesi, Chrysantus M. Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The edible long-horned grasshopper Ruspolia differens Serville (Orthoptera:Tettigoniidae) is a highly nutritious food source consumed in over 20 African countries. Its occurrence is highly seasonal, and wild harvesting is carried out using locally designed and inefficient light traps, thus limiting sustainable utilization as an important food source. To ensure year-round production and availability of R. differens, we evaluated the effects of low-cost and affordable diets based on agricultural by-products on their growth performance, survival, fecundity, and longevity. A total of four diets with varying ratios of agricultural by-products were evaluated: Diet 1 [33.3% maize bran (MB) + 33.3% wheat bran …

Caching Behavior In Burying Beetles, Stephen T. Trumbo

EEB Articles

Being the first to discover a resource can provide a competitive advantage (priority effect), even for an animal that is inferior in aggressive contests. Nicrophorus spp. (burying beetles) are known for caching a small vertebrate carcass as provision for their young, reducing volatile cues available to rivals by burying the carcass (vertical movement) and by altering the microbial community. A decomposing carcass, however, can leave cues (residues of decay) on soil and leaf litter that a burying beetle has less opportunity to neutralize. I investigated whether horizontal movement of the carcass by burying beetles, separating the carcass from soil at …

Molecular Diagnostic Survey Of Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera L., Pathogens And Parasites From Arkansas, Usa, Dylan Cleary, Allen L. Szalanski

Entomology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Managed honey bee populations have fluctuated over the past several decades in the U.S. While a single factor has not been identified for these losses, the interaction between multiple biotic and abiotic stressors have been suggested to be responsible. Of major concern are several invasive parasite and pathogen species as well as colony management. A single honey bee colony often suffers from multiple harmful agents, that may act synergistically and cause greater declines in bee health. We conducted a survey to detect known and lesser-known honey bee parasites and pathogens. While previous research has primarily focused on commercially managed colonies, …

Defining Understudied Mechanisms Of Potassium Ion Flux In The Insect Nervous System, Rui Chen

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

To identify novel insecticide target sites that can address the evolution of insecticide resistance, our group has tested the insecticidal potential of two potassium flux pathways: potassium-chloride (K+/Cl−) cotransporter (KCC) and inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channels. GABAergic signaling is the cornerstone of fast synaptic inhibition for neural signaling in arthropods; thus, the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-receptor-chloride-channel (GRCC) complex has been a longstanding target for insecticides. Despite the importance to neuronal homeostasis, the upstream mechanisms enabling GRCC function are poorly defined. The data presented in this dissertation provide strong support that KCC is an essential ion transport system for proper neural function …

Making And Managing Wild Bee Hotels, Ann Mull, Lori R. Spears, Sheriden M. Hansen, Andree' Walker Bravo, Ricardo Ramirez, Jaydee Gunnell

All Current Publications

Bee hotels (also called "bee boxes" and "bee blocks") are popular additions to Utah backyards and commercial agriculture alike, adding nesting habitat to aid local pollination efforts and address native pollinator declines. This fact sheet provides information about the construction, placement, and maintenance of bee hotels. It also addresses monitoring of bee enemies.

Quick Sex-Determination Of The Asiatic Garden Beetle, Maladera Castanea (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Adrian J. Pekarcik, C. Scott Clem, Kyle J. Akred, Kelley J. Tilmon

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The orientation of the posterior abdominal sternite and pygidium allows for quick sex-determination of Maladera castanea (Arrow) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) adults with a dissecting microscope or hand lens. Maladera castanea (the Asiatic garden beetle) is an emerging pest of field crops and this information will help researchers to conduct studies more easily on its biology and ecology.