Entomology Commons^™

Regenerative Agriculture Effects On Invertebrate And Bird Communities And Insect-Provided Ecosystem Services, Alex Michels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Conventional agricultural practices can have unintended consequences on the environment and wildlife. Insects and birds are declining at rapid rates around the world, and the current conventional agricultural paradigm is a major driver through habitat loss and the intensification of production. Invertebrates in agroecosystems provide services to both farmers and the rest of society. Regenerative systems may promote the functioning of an agroecosystem by influencing invertebrate abundance, diversity, and ecosystem services and mitigate bird and insect declines through conservation practices that increase soil health, reduce disturbances, and increase biological diversity. Here I address knowledge gaps of the effects of regenerative …

Artificial Intelligence System For Automatic Imaging, Quantification, And Identification Of Arthropods In Leaf Litter And Pitfall Samples, Pierce Helton, Khoa Luu, Ashley Dowling

Inquiry: The University of Arkansas Undergraduate Research Journal

It is well known that arthropods are the most diverse and abundant eukaryotic organisms on the planet. Museum and research collections have huge insect accumulations from expeditions conducted over history that contain specimens of both temporal and spatial value, including hundreds of thousands of species. This biodiversity data is inaccessible to the research community, resulting in a vast amount of “dark data”. The primary objective of this study is to develop an artificial intelligence-driven system for specimen identification that greatly minimizes the time and expertise required to identify specimens in atypical environments. Successful development will have profound impacts on both …

Rnai For Western Corn Rootworm Management: Lessons Learned, Challenges, And Future Directions, Molly Darlington, Jordan D. Reinders, Amit Sethi, Albert L. Lu, Partha Ramaseshadri, Joshua R. Fischer, Chad J. Boeckman, Jay S. Petrick, Jason M. Roper, Kenneth E. Narva, Ana M. Vélez

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is considered one of the most economically important pests of maize (Zea mays L.) in the United States (U.S.) Corn Belt with costs of management and yield losses exceeding USD ~1–2 billion annually. WCR management has proven challenging given the ability of this insect to evolve resistance to multiple management strategies including synthetic insecticides, cultural practices, and plant-incorporated protectants, generating a constant need to develop new management tools. One of the most recent developments is maize expressing double-stranded hairpin RNA structures targeting housekeeping genes, which triggers an RNA interference (RNAi) …

Developing And Evaluating A Pollination Systems Knowledge Assessment In A Multidisciplinary Course, P. Citlally Jimenez, Doug Golick, Brian A. Couch, Jenny Dauer

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Background: Although pollinators play an integral role in human well-being, their continued global decline reflects the need to provide and evaluate general pollinator knowledge to promote their conservation. Enhancing learners’ understanding of the complexity inherent in pollination systems within the science classroom may help them make more informed decisions regarding pollinator conservation actions. By measuring conceptual understanding of pollination systems, science educators can identify learners’ knowledge needs and inform their teaching in science classrooms. Based on previously developed theoretical frameworks describing pollination systems knowledge, we created and evaluated a new instrument to assess pollination systems and conservation actions knowledge. The …

A Beginner's Guide To Arthropod Id, Kristen A. Lewis

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Classification > Morphological Identification > Images

Spiders and Scorpions; Sow Bugs; Millipedes, Centipedes & Pauropods; Proturans, Springtails & Diplurans; Bristletails & Silverfish; Mayflies; Dragonflies & Damselflies; Grasshoppers, Crickets & Katydids; Walkingsticks; Rock Crawlers; Gladiators; Earwigs; Stoneflies; Web-Spinners; Zorapterans; Mantids; Cockroaches; Termites; Bugs, Aphids, Scale Insects, Hoppers, Cicadas, Psyllids & Whiteflies; Thrips; Barklice & Booklice; Lice; Beetles; Alderflies, Dobsonflies, Antlions, Lacewings, Mantidflies & Fishflies; Ants, Bees, Wasps & Sawflies; Caddisflies; Butterflies, Skippers & Moths; Fleas; Scorpionflies & Hangingflies; Twisted-Winged Parasites; Flies & Mosquitoes; References

Art Exhibition: The Curious World Of Insects, Paula M. Courtney

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

This exhibition is a gallery of original mixed-media paintings by Paula M. Courtney intended to generate curiosity and appreciation for the field of entomology. It is human nature to fear what we do not know or understand. Art can be an effective catalyst for awareness creation and inspiration towards further education. Subjects depicted within these works of art were carefully selected with a goal of maintaining interest in an audience with emotions ranging from neutral to strong dislike towards insects and arachnids. This exhibition as a whole is designed to bridge the gap between a negative perception of insects and …

Preliminary Survey Of Insect Communities On Carrion In The Keweenaw Peninsula, Mi In Early Summer, With A Focus On Dipterans, Tess A. Peterson

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Community composition and successional information about insect communities on carrion have value in forensic entomology. Local scale data is essential for providing accurate inferences about the timing and conditions of a death based on insect presence. Insects (primarily Diptera) were collected from beef liver in the month of June, 2021, at mixed hardwood and wetland sites in Houghton County, Michigan for the purpose of establishing preliminary information on insect communities present on carrion in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Key dipteran groups were Calliphorids from the genera Calliphora, Lucilia, and Phormia (Diptera: Calliphoridae), which were present at high proportions …

Conserving Urban Insects: A Toolkit For Landscape Professionals In The Intermountain West, Sierra Laverty

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Purpose of this Toolkit This toolkit is a resource for landscapers, landscape archi tect s and designers, urban foresters, growers. staff in public gardens, parks, nurseries and other ornamentaL horticulture professionals. It is intended for those interested in conserving non pest insects in urban and suburban environments.

Why urban and suburban areas? Insects are critical not only to natural and agricultural ecosystems. but also to urban ecosystems. Urban environments are characterized by a patchwork of habitat "islands" including home gardens, university campuses, urban parks and farms, vacant lots, cemeteries, arboreta, and botanicaL gardens [1). These habitat islands are the focus …

An Overview Of Integrated Pest Management In Greenhouse Systems, Kateri Cavanagh

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Greenhouses are technological advancements that have existed since the first century. Human life and the field of agriculture have greatly improved with their invention. However, greenhouses come with their own set of challenges. One of the biggest issues with greenhouse systems is the presence of large pest populations. This is due to the ample food and water supply along with the relative stability of greenhouses. Pests in greenhouses are usually dealt with through the application of chemical pesticides. However, integrated pest management (IPM) is gaining traction for use in greenhouse systems. This overview will cover the history of greenhouses and …

Seek, Picture Insect, Google Lens: An Analysis Of Popular Insect Identification Apps Using Photos Of Realistic Quality, Morgan Manderfield

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Photo-based identification apps for mobile devices have grown in popularity across many fields of organismal biology. While studies have shown that these apps show promise in fields such as botany and ornithology, there is much skepticism surrounding their accuracy and usefulness in entomology. While providing these apps with photos of high quality will undoubtedly lead to the highest accuracy rates, often users submit photos of average quality, e.g., in poor lighting, out of focus, from far away, etc. To quantify realistic accuracy rates of photo-based insect identification apps, this study analyzed three popular apps – Seek, Picture Insect, and Google …

“One Bug, Two Bug, Good Bug, Bad Bug”, Ivy Grob

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic strategy for the management of pest species. It is a framework that relies on scientifically informed decisions to identify and remediate a pest problem in a way that minimizes harm to the environment, human health, and the economy (Dara, 2019). The term pest is broadly defined not just as a nuisance, but as any organism that has detrimental effects to a resource or public health and that exists at a population level that exceeds a threshold of economic damage. This encompasses invertebrates (such as insects, nematodes, and mites), vertebrates, plant pathogens, diseases, and …

A Review Of The Repellency Properties Of Pyrethrins, Gary Frazier

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Pyrethrum is an insecticide created from the dried flower heads of plants in the genus Chrysanthemum. The six compounds responsible for the insecticidal activity are collectively known as pyrethrins, and are known individually as Pyrethrin-I, Pyrethrin-II, Cinerin-I, Cinerin-II, Jasmolin-I, and Jasmolin-II. Of these compounds, Pyrethrin-I is best known for mortality, and Pyrethrin-II is best known for knockdown activity (Sisay et al. 2001). These compounds are voltage gated sodium-ion channel disruptors acting on nerve cells. The inside of nerve cells is negative relative to the outside at rest. It is due to an imbalance between ions on either side of the …

Instrumental Insemination Of Honey Bees Short Course, Cory Stevens

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

My MS project is a practical and comprehensive training module for the advanced breeding technique of instrumental insemination of honey bee queens. Instrumental insemination allows for control over mating. Honey bee queens typically mate with 15-20 different drones in the air, making specific trait selection quite difficult. II is invaluable for concentrating specific traits in breeding stock, especially host pest resistance. The commercial bee industry has become overly reliant on chemical solutions to control varroa mites in their IPM programs. With recent evidence of mite resistance to popular miticides, breeding for host resistance is critically important to sustain the industry. …

A Guide To Agricultural Insect Pests On The East Coast, Devan Mazza-Mcdonald

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

A Guide to Agricultural Insect Pests on the East Coast is a useful resource comprised of fact sheets of ten invasive pests that have been introduced to the United States. It also includes a fact sheet of three important pollinator species that are of economic and environmental importance. Most of the pests I selected are currently an issue in states on the East coast and in some instances, further west as well. Currently, the khapra beetle is not a problem pest in the United States but does have a possibility of becoming an issue, again. The invasive pests I chose …

Insects Of Decay: An Illustrative Series In Forensic Entomology, Britaney Hight

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

This is an illustrative series of selected insects involved with forensic entomology. All illustrations are original hand-drawn works, completed with colored pencils, pen and ink where needed, and colored pencil paper. Each illustration is paired with a summary that includes basic biology and ecology, and their importance to the field of forensic entomology. Preferred collection and preservation methods were also included with each summary. This project can be used in outreach and teaching applications.

Coleoptera 6 Creophilus maxillosus - Hairy Rove Beetle 7 Dermestes maculatus - Hide Beetle 9 Euspilotus spp - Hister Beetle 11 Necrobia rufipes - Red-legged Ham …

Biological Control Of Pests, Colin Park

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

Biological Control of Pests

1: What is it?!?

2. History

3.Closer looks: Insect pests –IPM –Classical/weeds -Biodiversity

Insects As Indicators Of Climate Change: A Literature Review, Amy Catalano

Department of Entomology: Distance Master of Science Projects

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has consistently predicted rising global temperatures since it began reporting in 1988. Researchers have noted that climate extremes have been identified beginning in the 1990s and are apparent in various climate indicators. The most recent IPCC reports show that the rate of warming has sped up considerably, and that global warming will increase from pre-industrial levels by 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next 30 years, and possibly by 2 degrees C if considerable mitigation efforts are not put in place (IPCC, 2021). By 2017 global temperatures had already increased by about 1 degree …

Survival Rate, Blood Feeding Habits And Sibling Species Composition Of Aedes Simpsoni Complex: Implications For Arbovirus Transmission Risk In East Africa, Winnie W. Kamau, Rosemary Sang, Edwin O. Ogola, Gilbert Rotich, Caroline Getugi, Sheila B. Agha, Nelson Menza, Baldwyn Torto, David P. Tchouassi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Aedes simpsoni complex has a wide distribution in Africa and comprises at least three described sub-species including the yellow fever virus (YFV) vector Ae. bromeliae. To date, the distribution and relative contributions of the sub-species and/or subpopulations including bionomic characteristics in relation to YF transmission dynamics remain poorly studied. In this study conducted in two areas with divergent ecosystems: peri-urban (coastal Rabai) and rural (Rift Valley Kerio Valley) in Kenya, survival rate was estimated by parity in Ae. simpsoni s.l. mosquitoes sampled using CO2-baited BG Sentinel traps. We then applied PCR targeting the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), region …

The Combat Project: Controlling And Progressively Minimizing The Burden Of Vector-Borne Animal Trypanosomosis In Africa, Alain Boulangé, Veerle Lejon, David Berthier, Sophie Thévenon, Geoffrey Gimonneau, Marc Desquesnes, Samuel Abah, Prudenciène Agboho, Kalinga Chilongo, Tsegaye Gebre, Assane Gueye Fall, Dramane Kaba, Stefan Magez, Daniel Masiga, Enock Matovu, Aldjibert Moukhtar, Luis Neves, Pamela A. Olet, Soumaïla Pagabeleguem, William Shereni, Brice Sorli, Moeti O. Taioe, María Teresa Tejedor Junco, Rehab Yagi, Philippe Solano, Giuliano Cecchi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Vector-borne diseases affecting livestock have serious impacts in Africa. Trypanosomosis is caused by parasites transmitted by tsetse flies and other blood-sucking Diptera. The animal form of the disease is a scourge for African livestock keepers, is already present in Latin America and Asia, and has the potential to spread further. A human form of the disease also exists, known as human African trypanosomosis or sleeping sickness. Controlling and progressively minimizing the burden of animal trypanosomosis (COMBAT) is a four-year research and innovation project funded by the European Commission, whose ultimate goal is to reduce the burden of animal trypanosomosis (AT) …

The Potential Economic Benefits Of Insect-Based Feed In Uganda, Zewdu Abro, Ibrahim Macharia, Kelvin Mulungu, Sevgan Subramanian, Chrysantus Mbi Tanga, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Black soldier fly farming is gaining traction globally as a strategy for recycling organic waste into high-quality proteins and fat for feed and organic fertilizer for crop production. The support of governments in East Africa to integrate insect meal in livestock feed has opened opportunities for commercializing insect products. Understanding the potential value of Black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) is paramount to inform policies and practices to promote insect farming and insect-based feed for livestock production. This paper uses the economic surplus method to generate evidence on the potential socioeconomic impact of replacing conventional soybean and fish meal protein …