a-3d-printed-pollen-trap-for-bumble-bee-bombus-hive-entrances

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee (<em>Bombus</em>) Hive Entrances

To verify the plant sources from which bumble bees forage for pollen, individuals must be collected to remove their corbicular pollen loads for analysis.  ...

Utah State University

Plants are exploited by a diverse community of insect herbivores and phytopathogens that interact indirectly through plant-mediated interactions. Generally, plants are thought to respond to insects and pathogens through different defensive signaling pathways. As plants are selected for resistance to one phytophagous organism type (insect vs. pathogen) in managed systems, it is not clear how this selection may affect community interactions. This study examined the effect of nematode-resistant varieties on aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) suppression, and then determined how infection by the stem nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci, mediated ecological effects on aphids and on plant defense proteins. Four alfalfa (Medicago sativa) varieties were selected with resistance to nematodes only (+,-), aphids only (-,+), nematodes and aphids (+,+), and susceptibility to nematodes and aphids (-,-). Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted to isolate the effect of nematode infection and aphid abundance on each variety. We found that varieties resistant to nematode, regardless of aphid resistance, had the lowest aphid counts, suggesting possible cross-resistance. Aphid abundance, however, increased when plants were exposed to nematodes. Resistant varieties were associated with elevated saponins but these compounds were not affected by insect or pathogen feeding. Concentrations of peroxidases and trypsin inhibitors, however, were increased in nematode resistant varieties when exposed to nematodes and aphids, respectively. The patterns of plant defense were variable, and a combination of resistance traits and changes in nutrient availability may drive positive interactions between nematodes and aphids aboveground. 

Stem nematode counteracts plant resistance of aphids in alfalfa, Medicago sativa.

Knowledge about the distribution and abundance of the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley and Kohls, in Utah is limited. Recent concerns over tick-borne diseases in Utah, primarily Lyme disease, have reinvigorated the need to understand the distribution and habitats favored by this tick species. We surveyed 157 sites throughout Utah to examine the distribution, abundance, and habitat of I. pacificus. In total, 343 adult ticks were collected from 2011 to 2013. Specifically, 119 I. pacificus, 217 Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, six D. albipictus Packard, and one D. hunteri Bishopp were collected. Overall, tick abundance was relatively low in the areas evaluated in Utah. I. pacificus collections were limited to sites above 1700 m. Ninety-two percent of I. pacificus were captured in the Sheeprock Mountains in Tooele County. I. pacificus positive collection sites were characterized by Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nuttall), juniper (Juniperus spp. L.), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nuttall) and black sagebrush (A. nova Nelson), and mixed grass habitat. All I. pacificus ticks were tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi (Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt, and Brenner, sensu stricto) using real-time PCR. All ticks tested negative for B. burgdorferi. The likelihood of encountering I. pacificus and acquiring Lyme disease in the areas evaluated in Utah is considerably low due to low tick abundance and limited distribution, as well as low prevalence (or absence) of B. burgdorferi in Utah. 

Distribution and Habitat of Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) and Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Utah.

Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae:  spp.) are a complex of weevil pests affecting turfgrass throughout the United States. Billbug larvae cause damage by feeding in stems, on roots, and on the crowns of turf, causing severe discoloration and eventual plant death. Monitoring efforts have focused on nondestructive pitfall sampling of ground-active billbug adults and on destructive sampling using soil cores for larval stages in the soil. Given the cryptic nature of the susceptible larval stages, billbugs are typically managed by preventive applications of long-residual, systemic insecticides, including neonicotinoids and anthranilic diamides. Despite knowledge of effective management practices including pest-resistant turf varieties, irrigation management, and microbial controls that contribute to an IPM approach, billbug management continues to rely heavily on prophylactic synthetic insecticides. This review will summarize the identification and biology of billbugs and strategies for their management.

Biology and Management of Billbugs (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Turfgrass.

Aerial traps, using combinations of color and attractive lures, are a critical tool for detecting and managing insect pest populations. Yet, despite improvements in trap efficacy, collection of nontarget species ("bycatch") plagues many insect pest surveys. Bycatch can influence survey effectiveness by reducing the available space for target species and increasing trap screening time, especially in areas where thousands of insects are captured as bycatch in a given season. Additionally, bycatch may negatively impact local nontarget insect populations, including beneficial predators and pollinators. Here, we tested the effect of pheromone lures on bycatch rates of Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Apoidea (Hymenoptera), and nontarget Lepidoptera. Multicolored (primarily yellow and white) bucket traps containing a pheromone lure for capturing one of three survey target species, Spodoptera litura (F.), S. littoralis (Boisduval), or Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), were placed in alfalfa and corn fields, and compared to multicolored traps without a pheromone lure. All-green traps with and without H. armigera lures were employed in a parallel study investigating the effect of lure and trap color on bycatch. Over 2,600 Coccinellidae representing seven species, nearly 6,400 bees in 57 species, and >9,000 nontarget moths in 17 genera were captured across 180 traps and seven temporal sampling events. Significant effects of lure and color were observed for multiple taxa. In general, nontarget insects were attracted to the H. armigera lure and multicolored trap, but further studies of trap color and pheromone lure specificity are needed to better understand these interactions and to minimize nontarget captures.

Pheromone Lure and Trap Color Affects Bycatch in Agricultural Landscapes of Utah.

Billbugs are native pests of turfgrass throughout North America, primarily managed with preventive, calendar-based insecticide applications. An existing degree-day model (lower development threshold of 10°C, biofix 1 March) developed in the eastern United States for bluegrass billbug, Sphenophorus parvulus (Gyllenhal; Coleoptera: Curculionidae), may not accurately predict adult billbug activity in the western United States, where billbugs occur as a species complex. The objectives of this study were 1) to track billbug phenology and species composition in managed Utah and Idaho turfgrass and 2) to evaluate model parameters that best predict billbug activity, including those of the existing bluegrass billbug model. Tracking billbugs with linear pitfall traps at two sites each in Utah and Idaho, we confirmed a complex of three univoltine species damaging turfgrass consisting of (in descending order of abundance) bluegrass billbug, hunting billbug (Sphenophorus venatus vestitus Chittenden; Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and Rocky Mountain billbug (Sphenophorus cicatristriatus Fabraeus; Coleoptera: Curculionidae). This complex was active from February through mid-October, with peak activity in mid-June. Based on linear regression analysis, we found that the existing bluegrass billbug model was not robust in predicting billbug activity in Utah and Idaho. Instead, the model that best predicts adult activity of the billbug complex accumulates degree-days above 3°C after 13 January. This model predicts adult activity levels important for management within 11 d of observed activity at 77% of sites. In conjunction with outreach and cooperative networking, this predictive degree-day model may assist end users to better time monitoring efforts and insecticide applications against billbug pests in Utah and Idaho by predicting adult activity.

Developing a Degree-Day Model to Predict Billbug (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Seasonal Activity in Utah and Idaho Turfgrass.

Spider mites, a cosmopolitan pest of agricultural and landscape plants, thrive under hot and dry conditions, which could become more frequent and extreme due to climate change. Recent work has shown that neonicotinoids, a widely used class of systemic insecticides that have come under scrutiny for non-target effects, can elevate spider mite populations. Both water-stress and neonicotinoids independently alter plant resistance against herbivores. Yet, the interaction between these two factors on spider mites is unclear, particularly for Banks grass mite (Oligonychus pratensis; BGM). We conducted a field study to examine the effects of water-stress (optimal irrigation = 100% estimated evapotranspiration (ET) replacement, water stress = 25% of the water provided to optimally irrigated plants) and neonicotinoid seed treatments (control, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) on resident mite populations in corn (Zea mays, hybrid KSC7112). Our field study was followed by a manipulative field cage study and a parallel greenhouse study, where we tested the effects of water-stress and neonicotinoids on BGM and plant responses. We found that water-stress and clothianidin consistently increased BGM densities, while thiamethoxam-treated plants only had this effect when plants were mature. Water-stress and BGM herbivory had a greater effect on plant defenses than neonicotinoids alone, and the combination of BGM herbivory with the two abiotic factors increased the concentration of total soluble proteins. These results suggest that spider mite outbreaks by combinations of changes in plant defenses and protein concentration are triggered by water-stress and neonicotinoids, but the severity of the infestations varies depending on the insecticide active ingredient.

Combinations of plant water-stress and neonicotinoids can lead to secondary outbreaks of Banks grass mite (Oligonychus pratensis Banks).

While substantial progress has been made in understanding defense responses of cereals to insect herbivores, comparatively little is known about responses to feeding by spider mites. Nevertheless, several spider mite species, including the generalist  and the grass specialist , cause damage on cereals such as maize and wheat, especially during drought stress. To understand defense responses of cereals to spider mites, we characterized the transcriptomic responses of maize and barley to herbivory by both mite species, and included a wounding control against which modulation of defenses could be tested.  and  induced highly correlated changes in gene expression on both maize and barley. Within 2 h, hundreds of genes were upregulated, and thousands of genes were up- or downregulated after 24 h. In general, expression changes were similar to those induced by wounding, including for genes associated with jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling. Many genes encoding proteins involved in direct defenses, or those required for herbivore-induced plant volatiles, were strongly upregulated in response to mite herbivory. Further, biosynthesis genes for benzoxazinoids, which are specialized compounds of Poaceae with known roles in deterring insect herbivores, were induced in maize. Compared to chewing insects, spider mites are cell content feeders and cause grossly different patterns of tissue damage. Nonetheless, the gene expression responses of maize to both mite herbivores, including for phytohormone signaling pathways and for the synthesis of the benzoxazinoid 2-hydroxy-4,7-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one glucoside, a known defensive metabolite against caterpillars, resembled those reported for a generalist chewing insect, . On maize plants harboring mutations in several benzoxazinoid biosynthesis genes,  performance dramatically increased compared to wild-type plants. In contrast, no difference in performance was observed between mutant and wild-type plants for the specialist . Collectively, our data provide little evidence that maize and barley defense responses differentiate herbivory between  and . Further, our work suggests that the likely route to specialization for  involved the evolution of a robust mechanism to cope with the benzoxazinoid defenses of its cereal hosts.

Ricardo Ramirez

Department of Biology

Utah State University

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee (Bombus) Hive Entrances

Ricardo Ramirez

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Biology

Utah State University

A 3D Printed Pollen Trap for Bumble Bee (Bombus) Hive Entrances

Department of Biology