June 2010
Faculty News
Dr. Dale Habeck, Emeritus Professor of Entomology, died on 17 May from injuries sustained in a fall. Dr. Habeck was born October 21, 1931, on a dairy farm in northern Wisconsin. He developed an early fascination with nature, which led him to study insects at the University of Wisconsin. Following a stint in the Army, he completed a Ph.D. in Entomology at North Carolina State University in 1959. His first academic post was at the University of Hawaii. In 1963, he accepted a faculty position with the University of Florida Entomology Department, where he remained for 33 years. Dale's work took him around the world, and wherever he went, his easy-going, open manner won him many friends from all walks of life. He visited nearly 50 countries, often in search of insects that might eat the aquatic weeds that clog many of Florida’s waterways. He had a special interest in caterpillars, and tens of thousands of the specimens he collected now reside in museums. He also taught, supervised dozens of graduate students, and wrote well over one hundred scientific papers. He had many other interests, including cactus plants, bird watching, collecting various insect-related items, and raising catfish. His family requests that friends consider a memorial contribution to the Alachua Conservation Trust.
Drs. James P. Cuda and Julio Medal hosted three scientists from the University of Sinaloa, Culiacan, Mexico, during the week of 17 May. Cuda and Medal assisted the Mexican scientists in locating and collecting the waterlettuce weevil Neohydronomus affinis. Over 1600 weevils were collected for release in Mexico to control the invasive waterlettuce.
Student News
Dr. Carl Barfield, our department's Undergraduate Student Coordinator, reports that the following students received Dean’s List recognition for their academic performance in Spring 2010. This means the student earned at least a 3.70 GPA over a minimum of 12 graded credits. For Spring 2010, nearly 20% of our degree-seeking students made the Dean’s List.
George Ansoanuur - 3.79, Paula Cohen - 3.75, Joshua Garcia - 3.93, Lindsey Green - 4.00, Katrina Lane - 3.73, Hannah McKenrick - 4.00, Fae Nageon de Lestang - 4.00, Danae Perry - 3.71, Krista Seraydar - 4.00, Andrew Taylor - 4.00, and Carolina Walter - 4.00.
Krista Seraydar also earned recognition on the President’s Honor Roll for Spring 2010. This honor requires a 4.0 GPA with a minimum of 15 semester hours of graded credits.
Graduate student Cecil Montemayor received a $500 scholarship from the St. Lucie Master Gardener Program.
Publications
Warner J, Scheffrahn RH, Yang R-L. 2010. Arboreal bioassay for toxicity of residual and liquid bait insecticides against white-footed ants, Technomyrmex difficilis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 55: 847-859.
Hall HG. 2010. The squash bee Xenoglossa kansensis Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apidae) found in organic farms in northern Florida. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 83: 84-88.
Vázquez JC, Hoy MA, Royalty RN, Buss EA. 2010. A synchronous rearing method for Blissus insularis (Hemiptera: Blissidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 103: 726-734.
Kaufman PE, Mann RS, Butler JF. 2010. Evaluation of semiochemical toxicity to Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus and Anopheles quadrimaculatus (Diptera: Culicidae). Pest Management Science 66: 497-504.
Mann RS, Kaufman PE. 2010. The seasonal abundance of phlebotomine sand flies, Lutzomyia species in Florida. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 26: 10-17.
Kaufman PE, Nunez S, Mann RS, Geden CJ, Scharf ME. 2010. Nicotinoid and pyrethroid insecticide resistance in house flies (Diptera: Muscidae) collected from Florida dairies. Pest Management Science 66: 290-294.
Stelinski LL, Lapointe SL, Meyer WL. 2010. Season-long mating disruption of citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, with an emulsified wax formulation of pheromone. Journal of Applied Entomology 134: 512-520.
Tarver MR, Zhou X, Scharf ME. 2010. Socio-environmental and endocrine influences on developmental and caste-regulatory gene expression in the eusocial termite Reticulitermes flavipes. BMC Molecular Biology 11: 28.
Meetings and Presentations
Dr. James P. Cuda was an invited speaker for the 2010 Aquatic Weed Control Short Course held in Coral Springs, FL, 3-6 May. Cuda gave the presentation "Biological control of Brazilian peppertree," and also was moderator for one of the concurrent sessions.
Dr. James P. Cuda and his Ph.D. student Abhishek Mukherjee participated in the 2010 Hydrilla and Hygrophila Field Day held at the Kissimmee Lakefront Park Pavilion, Kissimmee, FL, on 27 May. The field day, sponsored by Osceola Co., included boat tours, exhibits highlighting research/outreach projects, and aquatic plant displays.
Florida Entomological Society Awards
The 93rd Annual Meeting of the Florida Entomological Society is scheduled for 25-28 July 2010. Nominate your most deserving colleagues for an award in the following categories. Nominations should be sent ASAP to Dr. Steve Arthurs, Adrian Hunsberger, or Dr. Chris Tipping.
Developing, demonstrating and disseminating cultural control recommendations for chinch bugs. USDA/NIFA PMAP. Eileen A. Buss (PI), Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman, and Laurie Trenholm. $193,386.97
Developing sustainable controls for the suppression of the invasive Caribbean crazy ant (Paratrechina pubens) in natural and urban landscapes. T-Star. Eileen A. Buss (PI), David Oi, and Steven Valles. $120,000
Drs. James P. Cuda, Willam A. Overholt, and Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman received a $512,379 grant from the USDA NIFA IPM Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program to investigate sustainable approaches for the management of hydrilla. This aquatic weed recently developed resistance to the herbicide fluridone.
Termite Trek
On June 6, a team of eight entomologists returned from a termite survey of Panama. The expedition covered over 2,200 km in areas not previously studied for termite diversity. The survey team included Rudi Scheffrahn and Jan Krecek (UF/IFAS Ft. Lauderdale REC), Jim Chase and John Mangold (Terminix International), Robert Setter (IDTDNA Inc.), Tom Nishimura (BASF Corp.) and Jose Perozo (Universidad Central de Venezuela). Although much of western Panama now consists of farms and pastures, the team found about 45 species including a number of new taxa in soldierless, nasute, and kalotermitid genera. This is the 69th expedition since 1990 to survey and describe the termites of the Caribbean Basin. - Dr. Rudi Scheffrahn
Outreach
Alachua Elementary held their annual Career Fest on 7 May. Dr. Rebecca Baldwin and Sharon Clemmensen talked to 4th grade students about the importance of insects and possible careers in Entomology, and the students had a blast holding live specimens, and watching an emperor scorpion fluoresce under a blacklight.
Wiles Elementary held their annual Science Symposium on 14 May. Chad Andrews represented the department for the second year in a row, teaching 3rd grade students about insects and letting them hold a hissing cockroach and giant millipede.
Newsletter Minutiae
Thomas Fasulo is the newsletter editor. Departmental faculty, staff, students and alumni can submit news anytime to fasulo@ufl.edu. Issues usually are published by early mid-month. Submit items for an issue by the 7th of that month.
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June 2010.