Entomology Commons^™

Plant Growth And Defense Traits In Sorghum Bicolor’S Response To Chilo Partellus In The Tropics, Adekunle W. Adesanya, Maria Isabel Gomez, Kimberly Morrell, Charles Midega, Zeyaur Khan, André Kessler, Katja Poveda

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In order to meet the increasing demands from an exploding human population, sustainable agriculture relies on the availability of crop varieties with high yields and optimal defenses to pests. However, ample work has suggested that domesticated plants could have reduced defenses at the expense of increased biomass or yield, and these potential trade-offs can vary among plant species and genotypes. Herbivory coping mechanisms such as tolerance and resistance can be expressed differently among plant genotypes, with variable relationships and inherent fitness costs. Knowledge of the connection between growth and defense mechanisms in cultivated plants is still limited, especially in tropical …

Pestfacts Wa Issue 06 - June 2022, Cindy L. Webster, Svetlana Micic, Alan Lord, Benjamin S. Congdon, Steve Collins

PestFacts WA

PestFacts WA Issue 06 - June 2022 contents:

• African black beetle
• Aphid and turnip yellows virus update
• Cutworm caterpillars
• European earwigs are damaging canola
• Other recent insect activity
• New PestFacts WA Reporter app available for apple devices

Influence Of The Type Of Pollen Diet On The Survival, Body Weight, And Immune Response In The African Honeybee, Michael N.K. Muturi, Joel L. Bargul, H. Michael G. Lattorff

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Pollen nutrition is critical for the development and well-being of the honeybee. Previous studies have compared the effect of pollen and carbohydrate-only diet on honeybee physiology. The effect of a monofloral versus polyfloral diet on the African honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata) is poorly understood. This knowledge is critical as diversity-rich habitats are being altered to less diverse environments through increased urbanization and intensified agricultural activities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we report how lowly diverse (LD) and highly diverse (HD) pollen diets influence honeybee life-history traits and physiology. To achieve this, we fed caged bees with the two pollen diets …

Impact Of Invasive Insects On Native Insect Communities, Taiadjana M. Fortuna, Philippe Le Gall, Samir Mezdour, Paul André Calatayud

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Several biophysical factors are leading to the loss of biodiversity, among them the dominance of exotic invasive species on native communities is important. Their dominance can lead to changes in the structure of insect communities, by competing and displacing native species to other crops or habitats. These changes can impact the herbivore's natural enemies in invaded areas by diverging them from suitable herbivores and altering their biological control process. The development of edible insects and derived products at an industrial scale can also have an impact on the local fauna by the risks of spillover and accidental release in nature. …

Harnessing Data Science To Improve Integrated Management Of Invasive Pest Species Across Africa: An Application To Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda) (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Ritter A. Guimapi, Saliou Niassy, Bester Tawona Mudereri, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto, Sevgan Subramanian, Samira A. Mohamed, Karl H. Thunes, Emily Kimathi, Komi Mensah Agboka, Manuele Tamò, Jean Claude Rwaburindi, Buyung Hadi, Maged Elkahky, May Guri Sæthre, Yeneneh Belayneh, Sunday Ekesi, Segenet Kelemu, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

After five years of its first report on the African continent, Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is considered a major threat to maize, sorghum, and millet production in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the rigorous work already conducted to reduce FAW prevalence, the dynamics and invasion mechanisms of FAW in Africa are still poorly understood. This study applied interdisciplinary tools, analytics, and algorithms on a FAW dataset with a spatial lens to provide insights and project the intensity of FAW infestation across Africa. The data collected between January 2018 and December 2020 in selected locations were matched with the monthly …

Characterization Of Larval Lepidopteran Gut Stem Cell Markers, Zilan Li

All Theses

The larval lepidopteran midgut is a complex tissue system that shows significant structure-function relationships related to its roles in digestive and absorptive processes. δ-endotoxins (Cry toxins) produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis disrupt the midgut epithelium of target insects has been used extensively to control pests. However, insects, including several lepidopteran species, evolve resistance to Cry toxins which causes a great threat to their continued utility. Understanding the physiology of the midgut, including that of the stem cells which are responsible for midgut growth, development, and regeneration, may improve the sustainability of midgut-targeted control like Cry toxins. Historically, lepidopteran midgut …

First Host Record For The Spider Wasp Cryptocheilus Severini Banks (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West, James P. Pitts, Cecilia Waichert

Insecta Mundi

The first host record for the North American spider wasp Cryptocheilus severini Banks (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México is introduced with pertinent observation information. The genus Cryptocheilus Panzer in North America is briefly described, its nesting habitat and prey transport outlined, and host specificity detailed.

The genus Cryptocheilus Panzer (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) comprises medium to rather large species of average stoutness (Townes 1957). The six Nearctic species of Cryptocheilus are all closely related (Townes 1957). In the Old World this genus is much richer, with 24 species and structural diversity that can present problems in identification from other …

Characterizing The Sublethal Effects Of Smartstax Pro Dietary Exposure On Life History Traits Of The Western Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Leconte, Jordan D. Reinders, Emily E. Reinders, Emily Robinson, William J. Moar, Paula A. Price, Graham P. Head, Lance Meinke

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is an economically important pest of field corn (Zea mays L.) across the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt. Repeated use of transgenic hybrids expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins has selected for field-evolved resistance to all current rootworm-active Bt proteins. The newest product available for WCR management is SmartStax® PRO, a rootworm-active pyramid containing Cry3Bb1, Cry34/35Ab1 [now reclassified as Gpp34Ab1/Tpp35Ab1] and a new mode of action, DvSnf7 dsRNA. Understanding the fitness of adult WCR after dietary exposure to SmartStax® PRO will identify potential impacts on WCR population dynamics and inform efforts …

Asian Longhorned Beetle, Ann Mull, Lori R. Spears

All Current Publications

Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a large wood-boring pest that threatens maple and other North American hardwood tree species. This fact sheet describes its life stages, plant hosts, damage symptoms, and monitoring, prevention, and management.

Elevated Substitution Rates Among Wolbachia-Infected Mosquito Species Results In Apparent Phylogenetic Discordance., James E. Russell, Michael Saum, Rebekah Williams

Georgia Journal of Science

As one of the most widely distributed bacterial cytoplasmic symbionts on earth, Wolbachia pipientis Hertig serves as a model organism for the understanding of host-symbiont interactions. Many mosquito species are infected with Wolbachia strains that induce a form of reproductive manipulation called cytoplasmic incompatibility, in which infected females gain a reproductive advantage over uninfected females in mixed infection populations. The selective advantage of cytoplasmic incompatibility often results in a population sweep of Wolbachia and co-transmitted mitochondrial genomes. Mitochondrial evolution and phylogenetic inferences drawn from mitochondrial gene sequences are thus potentially compromised by reproductive manipulating symbionts, like Wolbachia. Our initial …

Sodium Mediates Developmentally Plastic Responses In Plants And Herbivores, Luis Santiago-Rosario

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sodium plays a crucial role in organismal performance, trophic-level interactions, and eco-evolutionary dynamics. For plants, sodium impacts osmoregulation, growth, and water uptake. For animals, sodium is essential influencing osmoregulatory processes, muscle and neural development, and blood regulation. My dissertation aims to disentangle why sodium mismatch affects resource-consumer interactions and its influence on morphological and behavioral plasticity. First, I identified how sodium impacts plant performance and sodium accumulation strategies. I initially focused my research on understanding how increasing substrate sodium affects plant growth and tissue sodium accumulation strategies in controlled settings using a systematic review approach. I found that saltier plants …

An Investigation Of The Natural History And Coloniality Of Mecynogea Lemniscata, Kassidy Mccall

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Understanding social and colonial spider species in the neotropics has aided in creating hypotheses for the evolution of sociality. Mecynogea lemniscata, the Basilica Orbweaver, is a species of spider that is identifiable by its distinct dome-shaped web. Mecynogea lemniscata has not been previously described as a social species, but this research indicates that the species does form social aggregations, or colonies, and should be classified as a colonial species. Unlike most described social spider species, M. lemniscata has a range that extends to temperate zones. Individual female spiders lived within communities containing a shared structural network and each individual female …

Understanding How Whole Genome Duplication In Plants Impacts Herbivore-Plant Interactions, Anne Curé

Dissertations - ALL

Herbivory by insect herbivores is a strong selective force in many communities. Although herbivore-plant interactions have been a focus of interest for decades, we are still exploring how large-scale genetic changes in the host plant alters their interactions with insect herbivores. One such prevalent change in plants is whole-genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidy, but we are still learning how WGD affects ecological interactions. In particular, studies of herbivory on polyploids have primarily focused on established polyploid plant populations. Although this approach has yielded exciting results that suggest WGD affects insect herbivores feeding on polyploids, this approach also confounds the effects …

Exploring Crypsis In Dolomedes, Joshua Nichols

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Cryptic coloration and background matching are highly effective for some riparian spiders’ camouflage against detection by the human eye. Fishing spiders (genus Dolomedes, family Pisauridae), which are known to be cryptids, present anecdotal evidence of substrate specialization which suggest that these species may be adapted to specific microhabitats in riparian zones. Some of the semi-aquatic species of fishing spider utilize similar coloration to their riparian habitat and microhabitat choice has been previously documented. These characteristics increase effectiveness of their crypsis and could be explained by microhabitat specialization between two species. This project addresses which colors these spiders use, and explores …

Determining Residual Control And Systemic Activity Of Commonly Used Insecticides In Soybean And Cotton, Jacob H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Chemical control is a critical component of integrated pest management in cotton and soybean production. Residual efficacy of foliar insecticides can be highly variable and difficult to quantify due to several factors. The purpose of this research was to determine residual control and concentrations in flowering structures of commonly used insecticides. This research focused on the concentrations of active ingredient within the plant as well as efficacy over time. Previous research suggested chlorantraniliprole had a long residual and was highly lethal on corn earworm up to 28 days after treatment (DAT) in soybean; however, the results found in cotton were …

Studies On The Impact Of An Insect Growth Regulator And Host Plant On Reproductive Physiology Of Lygus Lineolaris, James Houston Chance Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, is an economically important polyphagous pest with a broad host range. With occurrence of insecticide resistance, strategies to limit its ability to reproduce, which would curb population growth, are becoming increasingly more valuable. Strategies toward this goal include the application of insect growth regulators (IGRs) and utilization of resistant cotton lines. This thesis summarizes experiments that elucidate the physiological underpinnings of the mode of action of novaluron, an IGR, and a cotton chromosome substitution (CS) line on the reproductive physiology of L. lineolaris. Investigations reported herein indicate that novaluron inhibits oviposition by …

Ultrastructure Of Cimex Lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Salivary Glands After A Blood Meal Infected With Bartonella Henselae (Hyphomicrobiales: Bartonellaceae), Afsoon Sabet

Theses and Dissertations

Bed bugs (Hemiptera:Cimicidae) are a common, hematophagous ectoparasite of humans and other animals, and are experiencing an international resurgence. Cimicids have been implicated in the transmission many disease agents, including various Bartonella species, however disease transmission has not yet been confirmed. Bartonella spp. are transmitted by a variety of arthropods, including fleas, lice and sand flies, and it is speculated that bed bugs may also serve as a potential vector. In this study, we used an artificial membrane to feed two groups of adult Cimex lectularius rabbit blood, either infected or uninfected with Bartonella henselae. After two weeks, the …

Investigation Of Dna Variability And Phylogenetic Relationships Of Perlesta (Plecoptera: Perlidae) In Mississippi, James C. Valentine, Mac H. Alford

Master's Theses

The genus Perlesta Banks, 1906 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) consists of 35 species, 33 native to the United States and Canada and two native to China. For over a century these small, brown stonefly adults and freckled yellow nymphs have gone by the name of the type species of the genus, Perlesta placida, but taxonomic work in the genus since 1989 has resulted in the recognition of additional species. These species were mostly recognized and described using morphological characteristics, but two areas that are lacking include (1) linking nymphs to adults and (2) phylogenetic analysis of all species occurring in Mississippi …

The Application Of Food-Grade Chitosan And Another Food-Grade Compound In Coatings To Control Tyrophagus Putrescentiae (Schrank, Family: Acaridae) Growth On Dry-Cured Hams And Their Impact On Dry-Cured Ham Quality, Wenjie Shao

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to evaluate if chitosan and another food-grade compound can be incorporated into food-grade coatings in conjunction with propylene glycol and polysaccharides to control Tyrophagus putrescentiae growth without affecting sensory attributes, water activity, and moisture content of dry-cured hams. Each coating solution was coated on ham cubes (2.5 × 2.5 × 2.5 cm³, n = 5/treatment) or infused in ham nets, and dry-cured ham cubes were wrapped in the ham nets prior to inoculation with 20 mixed-sex adult mites. Randomized complete block designs with two replications were utilized to evaluate the efficacy of …

Economic Implications Of The Mexican Fruit Fly Infestation In Texas, Samuel D. Zapata

Journal of Extension

The Texas citrus industry is threatened by the presence of Mexican fruit fly. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic losses caused by this invasive pest. Economic impact is estimated in terms of loss in revenue and increase in operating costs. Under current quarantined areas and pest management strategies, the Texas citrus industry could experience an annual economic loss of $5.79 million. The analysis was extended to evaluate the economic impact associated with different quarantined area scenarios. This article can be used to increase awareness and adapted to estimate the economic impact of emerging invasive pest outbreaks.