Entomology Commons^™

Three New Species Of Cyclocephala (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) From Amazonian Peru And A Checklist Of Cyclocephala Species In Peru, Fernando Paz, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Luis Figueroa

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The following new species of Cyclocephala Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Cyclocephalini) are described from Peru: C. mateoi Paz & Ratcliffe, C. ukuku Paz & Ratcliffe, and C. hylaea Ratcliffe & Paz. A description, diagnosis, geographic distribution, notes on natural history, and illustrations are provided for each new species. Six Cyclocephala species are reported for the first time from Peru: C. emarginata Endrödi, 1964, C. guianae Endrödi, 1969, C. kuntzeniana Höhne, 1923, C. malyi Dupuis, 2014, C. ovulum Bates, 1888, and C. sylviae Dechambre, 1995. An updated, annotated list of the 81 Peruvian species of Cyclocephala is provided.

Increased Signal Complexity Is Associated With Increased Mating Success, Noori Choi, Matt Adams, Kasey Fowler-Finn, Elise Knowlton, Malcolm Rosenthal, Aaron Rundus, Roger D. Santer, Dustin J. Wilgers, Eileen Hebets

Eileen Hebets Publications

The evolution of complex signals has often been explored by testing multiple functional hypotheses regarding how independent signal components provide selective benefits to offset the costs of their production. In the present study, we take a different approach by exploring the function of complexity per se. We test the hypothesis that increased vibratory signal complexity— based on both proportional and temporal patterning—provides selective benefits to courting male Schizocosa stridulans wolf spiders. In support of this hypothesis, all of our quantified metrics of vibratory signal complexity predicted the mating success of male S. stridulans. The rate of visual signalling, which is …

Description Of The Courtship And Copulation Behaviours Of The Wall Spider Oecobius Concinnus (Oecobiidae), Diego Solano-Brenes, Laura Segura-Hernández, Gilbert Barrantes

Eileen Hebets Publications

Courtship and copulation behaviours are yet scantily described in many spider families, and this lack of information limits our understanding of the evolution of such behaviours within and across families. Here, we provide a detailed description of both courtship and copulation behaviour for Oecobius concinnus Simon, 1893. A striking characteristic of the male courtship is the construction of a tubular web (mating web) in which most courtship and copulation occurs. This web likely functions to restrain the female in a reduced space and as a substrate for male pheromones. The courtship consists of a complex web of interactions between both …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Featured Faculty Mentor And Student Explore The Dynamics Of This Research Relationship, Matt Bertucci, Gracie Morrison

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Using Poultry To Enhance Food Security In Stann Creek, Belize, Emily Spatz, Lisa S. Wood

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Food insecurity is a growing issue in developing and developed countries alike, and in countries like Belize, the prevalence of hunger has soared in recent years. Not having access to diets with sufficient calories and nutrients leads to a host of developmental issues, including stunting and cognitive delays. The purpose of this work was to create an all-encompassing manual for small-scale poultry production in order to provide nourishment for the students and staff of a school in Belize. After determining that the best way to meet the school’s needs was through dual-purpose birds, background research was conducted to determine small-scale …

Amblyomma Quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) (Acari:Ixodidae): First Description Of The Nymphal Stage And Phylogenetic Assessment Of Its Taxonomic Status, Ashleigh V. Riggs

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The hard tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Amblyomma quadricavum (Schulze, 1941) is a parasite of snakes and is endemic to the Caribbean region. Morphological characters of this species, namely its rudimentary eye structures, have led to debate about its taxonomic status. The species was originally assigned to the genus Aponomma. However, with revisions of the genus Aponomma, and the recent creation of new genera created for some basal former-Aponomma, it has been suggested that perhaps Amblyomma quadricavum might be a close relative of Robertsicus elaphensis, the Trans-Pecos rat snake tick of the southwest United States and New Mexico, another eyeless former-Aponomma species …

Investigating The Effect Of A Facultative Symbiont, Hamiltonella Defensa, On Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon Pisum, Fecundity And Behavior In Elevated Co₂ Atmospheres, Tyler J. Follman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels continue to rise, it is important to study how economically important organisms, like the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, will react to these conditions. The pea aphid feeds on the phloem of crop plants like alfalfa, peas, and fava beans, where it not only directly harms the plant but also can spread plant viruses. A wide variety of factors can influence pea aphid fecundity and behavior. Some of these factors are abiotic, like atmospheric conditions, and some are biotic, like microorganisms with which the pea aphid has a mutualistic relationship. In this thesis, …

Urban Insect Biodiversity - Effects Of Native Landscaping, Caedmon Morgret, Dave Warners

Student Papers and Reports

Urban development comes with the cost of destroyed natural habitats. Urban infrastructure flattens entire ecosystems, replacing them with impervious, life-inhibiting constructions.

Alleviating the impacts of urbanization is possible. Green infrastructure mitigates habitat loss by restoring native habitats within urbanized areas. One benefit of green infrastructure is the reestablishment of biodiversity, benefitting plants, animals, and insects alike. Biodiversity creates a healthier habitat and location than urban infrastructure –and lack of biodiversity –does.

To investigate this benefit we performed a pilot study, sampling lawns and curb-cut rain gardens (CCRGs). We compared biodiversity between restored and unrestored urban habitats.

Safety, Regulatory And Environmental Issues Related To Breeding And International Trade Of Edible Insects In Africa, S. Niassy, E. R. Omuse, N. Roos, A. Halloran, J. Eilenberg, J. P. Egonyu, C. Tanga, F. Meutchieye, R. Mwangi, S. Subramanian, R. Musundire, P. O.Y. Nkunika, J. P. Anankware, J. Kinyuru, A. Yusuf, S. Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Insect breeding or farming for food and feed is an emerging enterprise that can address the ever-growing demand for protein and curb high unemployment rates in Africa and beyond. However, for the sector to prosper, its value chain needs to be regulated to ensure sustainability and safety for consumers and the environment. Although a few African countries, such as Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, have promulgated standards on the use of insects as food and feed, greater efforts are needed in other countries, and relevant policies governing the sector need to be formulated. All over the globe, attention to the regulation …

Interactions Between Integrated Pest Management, Pollinator Introduction, And Landscape Context On Avocado Persea Americana Productivity, Nadia K. Toukem, Samira A. Mohamed, Abdullahi A. Yusuf, H. Michael G. Lattorff, Robert S. Copeland, Thomas Dubois

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Pest management and insect pollination are important services that support crop production but are most often studied in isolation in cropping systems. Avocado Persea americana Mill. is an economically important crop in East Africa, which suffers from pest threats and potential drawbacks of the global pollinator crisis. The integration of pest and pollinator management is a growing research trend as a potential solution for sustainable crop production with minimum adverse effects on the environment and biodiversity. This study assessed potential interactions between landscape context, honeybee Apis mellifera L. introduction and integrated pest management (IPM) on avocado pests Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) …

Behavior And Chemical Signals As Markers Of Colony Identification In Argentine Ants (Linepithema Humile), Stephanie A. Rohrbach

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Argentine ants, Linepithema humile, are a highly successful invasive species around the globe and are especially prominent in states such as California and the southeastern United States. L.humile have a unique form of unicoloniality, called “supercolonies”. L. humile can detect colonymates through scent markers in their outer cuticle. With these chemical markers, ants will exhibit high aggression if they smell different from one another. In our study, we performed aggression assays among ten different nest sites and analyzed their CHCs through gas chromatography mass spectrometry, or GC-MS, analysis. For our behavior results, while within-nest interactions displayed low aggression as …

Potential Of Entomocomposting Toward Soil Pathogen Suppression, Dennis Beesigamukama, María Gómez-Brandón, Chrysantus Mbi Tanga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Waste accumulation and microbial pollution are key environmental challenges in most developing countries. Land filling, the commonest waste disposal method, is not sustainable due to land scarcity and point source pollution. Thus, a large fraction of organic wastes is not properly disposed, yet the conventional methods of waste recycling are less effective. The degradation of waste using insect life stages (entomocomposting) has emerged as a novel tool that is fast, affordable, and sustainable in recycling organic wastes with maximum pathogen suppression. This bioconversion process also generates an organic fertilizer with potential to enhance soil remediation and provide additional benefits on …

Integrated Pest Management Of Tuta Absoluta: Practical Implementations Across Different World Regions, Nicolas Desneux, Peng Han, Ramzi Mansour, Judit Arnó, Thierry Brévault, Mateus R. Campos, Anais Chailleux, Raul N.C. Guedes, Javad Karimi, Kouassi Arthur J. Konan, Anne Violette Lavoir, María G. Luna, Meritxell Perez-Hedo, Alberto Urbaneja, François J. Verheggen, Lucia Zappalà, Khaled Abbes, Abid Ali, Yunus Bayram, Fernando Cantor, Andrew G.S. Cuthbertson, Raf De Vis, Fedai Erler, Dnyaneshwar M. Firake, Khalid Haddi, M. Jamal Hajjar, Khasan Ismoilov, Coline C. Jaworski

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), has invaded most Afro-Eurasian countries and is threatening worldwide tomato production. Various strategies have been developed and implemented to manage this pest. Here, we present a timely review on the up-to-date development and practical implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) programs for tomato crops across different world regions infested by T. absoluta. While insecticide resistance is a growing concern, biological control via releasing or conserving arthropod natural enemies and sex pheromone-based biotechnical control are the most successful management practices. Agronomic control-related research is an emerging area where the soil fertilization …

Intensity Of Adoption Of Integrated Pest Management Practices In Rwanda: A Fractional Logit Approach, Vincent Gadamba Misango, Jonathan Makau Nzuma, Patrick Irungu, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The push-pull technology (PPT) is considered as an alternative integrated pest management strategy for the control of fall armyworm and stemborer, among smallholder maize farmers in sub-Sahara African to conventional pesticides. However, the extent of PPT use in Rwanda where the technology was introduced in 2017 remains largely unexplored. This paper employed a fractional logit model to assess the factors influencing the intensity of adoption of PPT among smallholder maize farmers in Gatsibo and Nyagatare districts of Rwanda using survey data obtained from 194 PPT adopter households selected using a cluster sampling technique. While only 5 percent of smallholder farmers …

Mortality In Interspecific Hybrids Of Nasonia Vitripennis And Nasonia Giraulti, Bonnie Cobb

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Nasonia is a parasitoid wasp genus that serves as an emerging model for studying speciation due to an incompatibility between nuclear and mitochondrial genomes between sister taxa. Short generation times, easy rearing in a lab setting, producing large amounts of progeny, and whole genome sequencing make Nasonia is an excellent candidate for studying incomplete reproductive isolation. Nasonia have five chromosomes and exhibit haplo-diploid sex determination in which fertilized eggs develop into diploid females and unfertilized eggs develop into haploid males. Recessive phenotypes are hidden in diploid females but are laid bare in haploid males as there is no interaction between …

Microsporidia: A Promising Vector Control Tool For Residual Malaria Transmission, Tullu Bukhari, Roland Pevsner, Jeremy Keith Herren

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) have resulted in a major decrease in malaria transmission. However, it has become apparent that malaria can be effectively transmitted despite high coverage of LLINs/IRS. Residual transmission can occur due to Plasmodium-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes that are insecticide resistant and have feeding and resting behavior that reduces their chance of encountering the currently deployed indoor malaria control tools. Residual malaria transmission is likely to be the most significant hurdle to achieving the goal of malaria eradication and research and development towards new tools and strategies that can control residual malaria transmission is …

Spontaneous Parthenogenesis In The Parasitoid Wasp Cotesia Typhae: Low Frequency Anomaly Or Evolving Process?, Claire Capdevielle Dulac, Romain Benoist, Sarah Paquet, Paul André Calatayud, Julius Obonyo, Laure Kaiser, Florence Mougel

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Hymenopterans are haplodiploids and unlike most other Arthropods they do not pos-sess sexual chromosomes. Sex determination typically happens via the ploidy of individ-uals: haploids become males and diploids become females. Arrhenotoky is believed to be the ancestral reproduction mode in Hymenopterans, with haploid males produced parthenogenetically, and diploid females produced sexually. However, a number of transitions towards thelytoky (diploid females produced parthenogenetically) have appeared in Hymenopterans, and in most cases populations or species are either totally arrhenotok-ous or totally thelytokous. Here we present the case of Cotesia typhae (Fernandez-Triana), a Braconidae that produces parthenogenetic females at a low frequency. The …

The Association Of The Development Of The Internal Reproductive Organs Of Male Desert Locusts, Schistocerca Gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae), With Age, Phase And The Effect Of Exposure To Pheromones, Satoshi Hiroyoshi, Takayuki Mitsunaga, Gadi V.P. Reddy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The regulation of the development of the male reproductive organs in insects is still an open question. Although the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, has been extensively examined, there is little information on the effects of phase and pheromones on the development of the male reproductive organs. This study clarifi ed the association of these two factors with reproductive development (length or width of each organ) of the testis, testicular follicles, accessory glands, and seminal vesicles in this locust. The width of the follicles and width and length of the accessory gland mass are signifi cantly associated with phase (solitary or …

Performance Of Black Soldier Fly Frass Fertiliser On Maize (Zea Mays L.) Growth, Yield, Nutritional Quality, And Economic Returns, C. M. Tanga, D. Beesigamukama, M. Kassie, P. J. Egonyu, Changeh J. Ghemoh, Kiatoko Nkoba, S. Subramanian, A. O. Anyega, S. Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Although the black soldier fly frass fertiliser (BSFFF) is globally recognised as a promising and potential high-quality organic fertiliser, there is inadequate information on its impact on the growth performance and nutritional status of maize. Furthermore, no information exist on their combination with mineral fertiliser (NPK) as well as economic impact on maize production. This study evaluated the comparative impact of BSFFF, NPK and commercial organic fertiliser (Evergrow®) on growth, nitrogen use efficiency, yield, nutritional quality, and profitability of maize under greenhouse conditions. The treatments included: (1) sole application of BSFFF, conventional compost of brewers’ spent grain (BSG), Evergrow, and …