Entomology Commons^™

Descripción De Dos Especies Nuevas De Mesoplia Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apidae) Para Cuba Y Las Bahamas, Con Notas Sobre Taxonomía Y Distribución Del Género En Las Antillas, Julio A. Genaro, Dayron Breto

Insecta Mundi

Se describen e ilustran dos especies nuevas de Mesoplia Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Api­dae) para las Antillas: M. bahamensis Genaro y Breto, nueva especie, conocida solamente del cayo Castaway, Las Bahamas y M. cubensis Genaro y Breto, nueva especie, bien distribuida en toda Cuba e Isla de La Juven­tud. Mesoplia cubensis nueva especie fue una especie multivoltina, que se relacionó con el área de nidos de especies de Centris Fabricius (Apidae), su posible hospedero. Se presentan las características taxonómicas diferenciales y la distribución de las otras cuatro especies antillanas conocidas: Mesoplia sp., no descrita, M. azurea (Lepeletier y Serville), …

Additional New And Unusual Host Records For Western Hemisphere Spider Wasps (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West, Cecilia Waichert, James P. Pitts

Insecta Mundi

We present 112 new and unusual host records for 63 species and subspecies of Pompilidae (Hy­menoptera) from the Western Hemisphere in modified taxonomic order according to the Synoptic Catalog of Hymenoptera (Krombein 1979). These records supplement those reported in a recent study by Kurcze­wski et al. (2020b). New and atypical genus and species host records are given for the genera Calopompilus Ashmead, Herbstellus Wahis, Pepsis Fabricius, Priocnessus Banks, Entypus Dahlbom, Pompilocalus Roig-Alsina, Sphictostethus Kohl, Priocnemis Schiødte, Caliadurgus Fabricius, Epipompilus Kohl, Auplopus Spinola, Ageniella Banks, Eragenia Banks, Agenioideus Ashmead, Sericopompilus Howard, Poecilopompilus Ashmead, Tachypompilus Ashmead, and Priochilus (Fabricius). New host …

A New Species And New Records For Two Other Exotic Species Of Dirrhagofarsus Fleutiaux, 1935 (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Melasinae: Dirhagini) In The United States, Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

New records for a new species and other exotic Dirrhagofarsus Fleutiaux (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae: Melasinae: Dirhagini) species are reported from throughout much of the northeastern and southern areas of the United States. Dirrhagofarsus brevis, new species, is hereby described in this study. Two other exotic spe­cies, Dirrhagofarsus modestus (Fleutiaux) and Dirrhagofarsus unicolor (Hisamatsu), new country records, are redescribed and diagnosed as they were compared with other Dirrhagofarsus species present in the Nearctic region. All Dirrhagofarsus species in this study are imaged, highlighting essential character states to facilitate better diagnosis in conjunction to the new identification key provided in …

New Species, Synonymy, New Records, And Taxonomic Notes In American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera), Juan Pablo Botero, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

Cotyclytus parumnotatus (Zajciw, 1963) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Clytini) is revalidated and a neotype is designated. Anatinomma Bates, 1892 (Cerambycinae: Hesperophanini) is reported as a neuter gender and two species-group names are corrected: A. brevicorne Fisher, 1944 and A. in­sulare Chemsak and Linsley, 1964; the latter is newly recorded from Honduras. Pachymerola vitticollis Bates, 1892 (Cerambycinae: Hyboderini) is recorded for the first time in the Mexican state of Jalisco, and chromatic variation is reported. Smodicum dinellii Bruch, 1911 (Cerambycinae: Smodicini) is recorded from Bolivia; and Corcovado bezarki Martins and Galileo, 2008 (Lamiinae: Hemilophini) is recorded from Belize. Parhip­popsis …

New Species And New Combinations In Afrotropical Eucosmocydia Diakonoff, 1988 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae), John W. Brown, Jozef Razowski, Leif Aarvik, Alicia E. Timm, Robert S. Copeland

Insecta Mundi

Eight new species of Eucosmocydia Diakonoff are described and illustrated from the Afrotropical region: E. pappeana Brown and Razowski, new species (TL: Kenya); E. deinbolliana Brown and Razowski, new species (TL: Kenya); E. ugandensis Aarvik, new species (TL: Uganda); E. lecaniodiscana Brown and Razowski, new species (TL: Kenya); E. nigeriana Brown and Razowski, new species (TL: Nigeria); E. pan­coviana Brown and Razowski, new species (TL: Kenya); E. kirimiriana Brown and Razowski, new species (TL: Kenya); and E. macabensis Brown and Razowski, new species (TL: Mauritius). Three additional species are transferred to the genus: E. hymenosa …

Identification Of A Potential Pathway Of The Exotic Black Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) In South Korea, Sohee Kim, Seon Woo Lee, Soo-Jung Suh

Insecta Mundi

The black weevil, Aclees taiwanensis Kôno (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the primary pests of fig trees in southeastern Asia and southern Europe. Thought to be of subtropical and tropical Asian origin, including China, the weevil was first found in southern areas of South Korea in July 2020. Subsequently, it was found in the following five cities: Haenam, Hampyeong, Jindo, Sinan, and Tongyeong (RDA 2020). Attempts to trace a possible pathway for the exotic black weevil suggested that this species probably followed pathways of illegal importation of infested plants from Taiwan and was unintentionally introduced into South Korea based on …

Topological Data Analysis And Ant Interaction Networks, Adam Banatwala, Esther Rønn

Mathematics & Computer Science Student Scholarship

Adam Banatwala ’22, Majors: Mathematics and Finance
Esther Rønn ’23, Majors: Physics and Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Murray, Mathematics and Computer Science

Our research group used topological data analysis (TDA) to quantify the movement and behavior of ants in a colony.

We extracted higher dimensional networks from point cloud data collected from Dr. James Waters’ lab. Varying the proximity parameter in this construction gives a sequence of networks. We analyzed the enduring topological features of these networks, and how these features evolve over time as the ants move in the colony. Both the experimental and null model simulation data …

Circadian Phase Shifts Effect Of Social Jetlag On Cellular Metabolism And Circadian Genes In Wildtype Flies, Olivia Kozub

Biology Student Scholarship

Olivia Kozub ’23
Major: Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Snodgrass-Belt, Biology

Drosophila, like humans, have circadian clocks which regulate behavioral and physiological systems within the body. This “biological clock” is synchronized to the environment via temperature and/or light cycles. Small fluctuations in day-length trigger a reset of circadian clocks daily. However, large disruptions can cause health and stress issues such as social jetlag. Social jetlag occurs when an individual’s biological clock clashes with the timing of one’s sleep schedule determined by social factors and the demands of the day.

A New Species Of Celastrina From The Northwestern United States And Southwestern Canada With A Lectotype Designation Of Lycaena Pseudargiolus Var. Nigrescens Fletcher (Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae), Caitlin C. Labar, Jonathan P. Pelham, Norbert G. Kondla

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

A new western azure species, Celastrina asheri, is described from the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. A lectotype is designated for Lycaena pseudargiolus var. nigrescens Fletcher, 1903 to secure the identity of that name. C. asheri broadly overlaps with the northeastern range of C. echo (W. H. Edwards, 1864) but is usually very distinct from that species. C. lucia (W. Kirby, 1837) is narrowly sympatric with C. asheri in British Columbia, the southwest corner of Alberta and along the Rocky Mountains in Montana. As far as is known, C. asheri uses only red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea …

New State Records For 33 Species Of Nearctic False Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae), Robert L. Otto

Insecta Mundi

New state records for 33 species of Eucnemidae (Coleoptera) are reported from the eastern United States based on the examination and identifications of specimens from four institutional and personal collections over the past several years. Images of 12 eucnemid species are also provided.

Recently, opportunities were presented to identify more than 880 Eucnemidae from four institutional and personal collections. Most of the specimens came from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and were collected during the national bark beetle surveys conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture. The survey has been instrumental in providing more state records of Eucnemidae …

Rare Elfin Abundance Correlates With Host Plant Density, Matthew Look

Biology Student Scholarship

Matthew Look ’22
Major: Environmental Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology

The rare frosted elfin butterfly (Callophrys irus) is a host plant specialist; it lays eggs on only two plant species, including small yellow indigo (Baptisia tinctoria). This makes the butterfly especially vulnerable to habitat fragmentation. Using indigo samples and butterfly survey data, we examined the effect of indigo quantity and quality on elfin abundance at Gavins Pond (Sharon/Foxboro, MA). Indigo density significantly affected butterfly count—frosted elfins were more likely to be spotted in patches with high indigo density. While nutritional analysis is ongoing, current findings suggest that augmenting …

Use Of Intramodal Odor Cues In Shelter Recognition By An Amblypygid, Nathan Bostelman

Honors Projects

Amblypygids are nocturnal arthropods which live in cluttered habitats and possess the ability to navigate home after displacements of up to ten meters. Homing amblypygids rely on olfactory and tactile information gathered by their antenniform legs to navigate successfully. Given that odor signals encountered in nature are complex and dynamic, navigation via olfaction presents unique challenges related to signal uncertainty. To understand how amblypygids perceive perceive complex odors and what they learn from them, individuals of the subtropical amblypygid P. marginemaculatus were trained to associate a blend of two odors with a shelter and tested on three treatments: the reinforced …

Big Bud Disease In Tomatoes And Peppers, Claudia Nischwitz, Erin Petrizzo

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information on the symptoms of big bud on tomatoes and peppers. It reviews the disease cycle and recommendations on controlling beet leafhopper and managing big bud disease in Utah.

How Social Behavior And Interactions Scale With Group Size In Drosophila Melanogaster, Leigh Paradis

Biology Student Scholarship

Leigh Paradis ’23
Majors: Biology and Neuroscience
Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Waters, Biology

The goal of this research project was to quantify interaction patterns in groups of fruit flies and determine if flies show evidence for a linear or non-linear effect of group size on their behavior. Specifically, I tested whether flies interact with each other at a constant rate, whether this depends on density or group size, and whether their interaction patterns correlate with overall energy use and metabolic rates. This research questions common assumptions about the differences between eusocial societies such as ants and bees and the solitary …

Effect Of Dietary Protein On Honey Bee Pollen Foraging Behavior, Caitlin Mchugh, Gracey Sorensen

Biology Student Scholarship

Caitlin McHugh ’24, Majors: Environmental Biology and Economics

Gracey Sorensen ’23, Major: Biology

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rachael Bonoan, Biology

Bees obtain nutrients from flowers. Pollen provides proteins and fats; nectar provides carbohydrates. Commercial honey bee colonies 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 predict …

Non-Native Coccinellid Beetles And Land Use Abundance Patterns In The Quad Cities Region, Jack Hughes, Tierney Brosius, Michael Reisner

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Harmonia axyridis was introduced in 1916. This species of coccinellid beetle is considered a desirable species for agriculture practices because of its ability to control pests. There is increasing evidence that H. axyridis may be outcompeting native species which could be contributing to the decline of some species that are disappearing from the landscape. Harmonia axyridis has a large migration range of 2 Km enabling the species to affect a large area of land. Invasive species often increase in abundance in urban landscapes which may be the case with H. axyridis. During the summer of 2021 we investigated H. axyridis …

Notes On Eastern North American Lepidoptera, Harry Pavulaan, Annette Allor

The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey

New natural history elements and distribution records of several North American butterflies are reported. While diversity and distribution of butterflies in the eastern United States is commonly believed to be fully known, the findings presented here show that much is yet to be learned of our butterfly fauna.

Includes:

1. Pages 1-9

Celastrina ladon and C. neglecta (Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) Are Distinct Species Differentiated Primarily by a Diagnostic Wing Scale Structure, Voltinism, and Host Tolerance of Cornus florida.by Harry Pavulaan (International Lepidoptera Survey)

Abstract. With continued confusion of the two species by naturalists, Celastrina neglecta (W. H. Edwards) is here …

Canopy Arthropod Responses To Catastrophic Wind Disturbances In Gulf Coast And Caribbean Forests, Manoj Pandey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hurricanes are major natural disturbances and integral components of forest disturbance regimes globally. The frequency and intensity of hurricanes are predicted to increase in the future due to global warming. The altered hurricane regime, along with direct effects of climate change on arthropod populations and communities, has the capacity to endanger the critical ecosystem processes and services provided by forest canopies. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the responses of forest fauna to disturbances such as hurricanes. This dissertation is aimed at understanding the short-term and long-term effects of hurricanes on canopy arthropods to improve predictions of the consequences of …

Ant-Lanta: Ant Diversity As A Proxy For Ecosystem Health, Sofia Cuenca Rojas, John Paul Hellenbrand, Clint Penick

Symposium of Student Scholars

Ants are found across a wide range of habitat types and play a crucial role in supporting ecosystem health. Because of this ubiquity, ants are considered an indicator species – one whose diversity in an ecosystem can be used as a proxy for ecosystem health. Our study examines the presence of ants across an urban gradient in Atlanta to understand how urbanization may be affecting our local community inhabitants. A total of 48 Sites were organized into three groups: Urban Managed Land, Urban Park, and Urban Forest. Sites were grouped based on ground cover percentages. We used bait samples to …

New Ant In The Big City: Known Natural History Of Lasius Cf. Emarginatus In Its Native Range And Potential Impacts Of Recent Us Introduction, Samantha M. Kennett, Clint A. Penick

Symposium of Student Scholars

New York City has been the site of introduction for some of North America’s most damaging invasive pests, from chestnut blight to the Asian long-horned beetle. Despite these cautionary examples, there has been no formal tracking of a newly introduced ant species, Lasius cf. emarginatus, which has quickly become among the most common species in the city. Sometime between the first ant diversity survey of New York City in 2006 and the second in 2011,L. cf. emarginatus was introduced and quickly became established in the most urban habitats with the highest human contact. In contrast to other urban …