NEWSLETTER
December 2000/January 2001 Entomology and Nematology News
Entomology and Nematology Student Organization
A University of Florida Publication

"Man can learn nothing except by going from the known to the unknown." - Claude Bernard

EXPANDING THE BROOD

Jane Medley gave birth to a baby boy December 28, 2000: Levi Warren Medley, 6 lbs, 12 oz and 19 in long. Both are home and doing well. Congratulations!

GRANTS

Drs. Julio Medal and James Cuda were awarded a one-year grant for $63,000 from the USDA-APHIS and Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services-Division of Plant Industry to continue their research work on biological control of tropical soda apple.

PRESENTATIONS

Richard Pluke gave a presentation at the annual SOPCA (Sociedad Puertorriquea de Ciencias Agricolas - Puerto Rican Society of Agricultural Sciences) conference. The title of the talk was "Managing Insecticide Resistance through the Biological Control of Diamondback Moth".

Dr. Pauline Lawrence presented a poster entitled "Purification and partial characterization of an entomopoxvirus from a parasitic wasp of tephritid fruit flies," at the Joint Annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Quebec Entomological Society and the Entomological Society of Canada, in Montreal, Dec 3-6, 2000.

Ms. Cynthia Khoo, presented a poster, co-authored with P.O. Lawrence, entitled "Transovarial transmission of a rhabdovirus in the wasp Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), a parasite of the Caribbean fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa Loew", at the Joint Annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Quebec Entomological Society and the Entomological Society of Canada, in Montreal, Dec 3-6, 2000.

Dr. Julio Medal was an invited speaker to the 5th Annual Invasive Exotic Plant Workshop for Southwest Florida held at Naples, FL, on December 14, 2000. Medal presented the paper entitled "Biological Control of Tropical Soda Apple, What's Going On?". The paper was co-authored by James Cuda. This workshop was sponsored by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Thomas Fasulo gave a three hour workshop on WWW Site Development to Florida Park Service employees and volunteers at their annual meeting in Jacksonville, November 2-4, 2000. In 1997, Tom received an award from the Department of Environmental Protection for his Web site on Florida's Olustee Battlefield Historic Site. Recently, Tom's site was listed as one of the 95 best Civil War sites in the new book "The Civil War on the Web: A Guide to the Very Best Sites." The authors are the Director of the Center for Digital History at the University of Virginia and an editor for the New York Times on the Web.

Wade Davidson gave a presentation in the Nematology Seminar Series on the 29th of January. His presentation, "Acid Deposition and Soil Fauna of Appalachia", gave listeners wonderful insight into the effects of acid rain on tree stands of one of the world's oldest mountain ranges.

PUBLICATIONS

Khoo, C. C. H. and Tan, K. H. (2000). Attraction of both sexes of melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae to conspecific males - a comparison after pharmacophagy of cue-lure and a new attractant - zingerone. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 97: 317-320.

Khoo, C. C. H., Yuen, K. H. and Tan, K. H. (2000). Attraction of female Bactrocera papayae to sex pheromone components with two different release devices. Journal of Chemical Ecology 26: 2487-2496.

Medal, J.C., D.Gandolfo, R.A. Pitelli, A. Santana, J.P. Cuda, and D.L. Sudbrink. 2000. Progress and Prospects for Biological Control of Solanum viarum Dunal in the USA, pp. 627-631. In: N.R. Spencer (ed.). Proceedings of the X International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds, 4-14 July 1999. Montana State University. Bozeman, MT.

Rasmussen, A.K. & D.R. Denson. 2000. Range extension, ecological notes, and new records of Pycnopsyche indiana (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) from Florida. Ent. News 111(5):359-366

Smith, H.A., G.A. Evans, and R. McSorley. 2000. A survey of parasitoids of Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in eastern Guatemala. Florida Entomologist 83: 492-496.

UP-COMING PRESENTATIONS

If you would like to present a paper at the Insect Behavior Student Symposium at the Southeastern Branch ESA meeting, please contact Dina Richman. Only a title is required for submission, and the meeting will be held March 4-7 in Augusta, Georgia.

David Hall and Norm Leppla are putting together a symposium for the next annual meeting of the Florida Entomological Society, to be held August 5-9 near Stuart, Florida (www.flaentsoc.org). The symposium is entitled "Augmentative Biological Control - Is There a Formula For Success?" and will focus on implementing commercial augmentative biological control (ABC). We will include in the symposium a presentation on methodologies associated with designing and testing augmentative biological control programs. ABC is certainly a viable management approach for specific pests in some crop systems, and there are a number of beneficial species currently available for sale that might be useful in ABC programs. Intuitively, we should be able to use periodic releases of these beneficials to control targeted pests. Some growers are therefore already interested in ABC. A problem is that commercial guidelines for using beneficial insects currently exist for only a few pest situations, and developing ABC guidelines may be too challenging for most growers. A wider base of support from University and USDA researchers would be desirable in assessing the feasibility of ABC for particular systems and developing ABC guidelines. We might better capitalize on ABC if more researchers would seriously consider the strategy for the crop systems with which they work. While most entomologists probably have a basic idea of how to go about formulating ABC guidelines, a good review of basic methodologies for testing release strategies and implementing ABC would be advantageous.

From VIRENDRA GUPTA

I am retiring from the University of Florida effective February 1, 2001. I joined the Department in July 1982 after having taught at the University of Delhi for 20 years. I have enjoyed my time in Gainesville and my work at UF, particularly my research on the taxonomy of the family Ichneumonidae (parasitic Hymenoptera). I expect to continue working in the department on these insects for some years, as well as organizing and systematizing my collections, which have a worldwide representation. A lot has to be done! I thank the faculty and staff of the Department of Entomology & Nematology for all their help and courtesies extended to me. Good luck, Dr. Gupta!

WALKER TO BECOME EMERITUS

Professor Tom Walker switches from active to Emeritus status on 31 January 2001 (just in time to avoid having to deal with FAS). He looks forward to free parking and "doing anything he likes," which is what he has been told Professors Emeritus are supposed to do.

One of the things he likes to do is to try to make North American crickets and katydids easily identifiable by almost anyone. This past fall, he hit upon a winning way to accomplish this: put distribution maps, songs, photographs, drawings, illustrated keys, and succinct text on an easy to navigate Web site. Alas, it was too late to complete the project before 31 January. Therefore, he requested and received permission to continue the project from his office and a lab across the hall (EYN 2115). To monitor the progress of his Web project, go to http://buzz.ifas.ufl.edu/

He says not to be surprised to see him working on other projects he enjoys (like the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory). When you don't see him around for a while, he is probably doing other things he likes--such as traveling and fieldwork.

TRAVEL - Jim Nation

My wife and I joined a tour group led by Dr. Tom Emmel to go to see the winter aggregation of Monarch butterflies in the mountains outside Mexico City. The tour occurred Jan 12-16. Dr. Emmel estimated that some 200-300 million butterflies were present in a few square miles. I made pictures and a video tape, but neither can do justice to seeing great clusters of Monarchs hanging on the branches of giant fir trees, and the tens of thousands in the air when the sun warms them a bit. They will leave the winter site in March and fly toward northern Mexico and the US, laying eggs as they go on native milkweed plants. They do not reproduce in the winter aggregations. They are in a reproductive diapause. It is a spectacular sight, and well worth the trip.

ALUMNI NEWS

Dr. Nancy Hinkle, who received her Ph.D. here in the early-90s and left to become the state Extension Veterinary Entomologist at the University of California, has now accepted the same position at the University of Georgia. She will be stationed on the main campus at Athens and will have the same responsibilities as in California: livestock, poultry, and companion animals. Dr. Hinkle, also known as "the flea lady", says she is looking forward to "being back in the Southeastern Branch." Actually, she is just looking forward to big helpings of real Southern barbeque instead of the "tasty tidbits" they serve at "trendy" California cafes.

N.A.T.L. NEWS

In recent months the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory has been improved by the installation of signs that identify the successional plots, by erecting a corral fence to keep vehicles from entering NATL from rear parking lot at the Performing Arts Center, and by tilling an old-field-succession plot that will now go unmolested for 40 years before its next tillage.

Tim Whitaker, of UF's Student Geomatics Association, prepared a 13-layer CAD map of NATL, now posted on NATL's Web site and viewable with Internet Explorer.

An ephemeral pond, to encourage frog breeding, has been staked out on the south edge of successional plot D and will soon be dug by personnel from UF's Physical Plant Division (PPD).

In late November, PPD renewed NATL's fire lanes in preparation for burning NATL's 18 acres of longleaf pine. Alan Long, NATL's burn master, plans the prescribed burn as soon as it rains enough to permit it. If the burn occurs soon enough, Forestry students may plant longleaf pine seedlings in some of the burned area.

With the help of PPD, NATL's Main Trail is being shifted from the south end of successional Plot D to its original alignment a little farther south.

SINGING INSECTS OF NORTH AMERICA

Tom Walker and Tom Moore (University of Michigan Museum of Zoology) are developing a Web site on the Singing Insects of North America at http://buzz.ifas.ufl.edu/ Walker is doing the crickets and katydids and Moore is doing the cicadas. Each of the nearly 600 acoustical species in America north of Mexico will be treated in such a way as to make them identifiable by almost anyone who is literate and has a Web connection. This is accomplished with pictorial keys, detailed distribution maps, .wav files of the calling songs, drawings, color photographs viewable at three magnifications, succinct text, and, to a limited extent, PDF files of original literature. Thus far we've worked on only a few groups and are finished with none, but for the best introduction to what is planned, check out the mole crickets and coneheaded katydids.

PUBLIC HEALTH TUTORIALS

As part of a USDA grant, Thomas Fasulo and David Dame have created two computer-verified training tutorials on mosquitoes. The tutorials are based on Chapter 3 of the National Public Health Pest Control Manual the two are editing. Each of the tutorials is also authorized for one CEU in the Public Health category for the state of Florida. Information on the tutorials is available at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/vector/

FEATURED CREATURES

The UF Entomology and Nematology Department and the FDACS Division of Plant Industry have added files on the following organisms to the Featured Creatures WWW site at: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/

Weems, Jr., and M.T. Sanford. Beelouse, Braula coeca Nitzsch.

Denmark, H.A., H.L. Cromroy and M.T. Sanford. Honey bee tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi (Rennie)."

Capinera, J.L. Melon or cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover.

Atkinson, T.H. Ambrosia beetles, Platypus spp. of Florida, (Platypodidae).

Mead, F.W. Thorn bug, Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot and Serville).

Meeker, J.R., W.M. Dixon and J.L. Foltz. Southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann.

Dybas, H.S., Featherwing beetles, (Ptiliidae).

Woodruff, R.E., E.J. Gerberg, and T.J. Spilman. A false powder-post beetle, Xylopsocus capucinus (Fabricius).

Thomas, M.C. Larger elm leaf beetle, Monocesta coryli (Say).

Frank, J.H., and R.F. Mizell, Jr. The lady beetles of Florida (Coccinellidae).

Habeck, D.H., and F.W. Mead. Edwards wasp moth, Lymire edwardsii (Grote).

Denmark, H.A. Cyclamen mite, Steneotarsonemus pallidus (Banks).

Denmark, H.A. Broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks).

Weems, H.V. Hover fly, Allograpta obliqua (Say).

Meeker, J.R. Forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Huebner.

Welbourn. W.C. Coconut mite, Acathrix trymatus (Keifer).

Cromroy, H.L. and L.C. Kuitert. Blueberry bud mite, Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer).

Hamon, A.B. Fig wax scale, Ceroplastes rusci (L.).

Hoy, M.A. and R. Nguyen. Brown citrus aphid parasitoid, Lipolexis scutellaris Mackauer.

Warner, J. and R.H. Scheffrahn. Compact carpenter ant, Camponotus planatus (Roger).

The file on the Diaprepes root weevil was also revised.

To save space, these publications are not listed exactly as they should be cited. The complete citation is: Author(s). (date of publication). Full title. UF/IFAS Featured Creatures. EENY- ##. URL

SOME FEATURED "FEATURED CREATURES"

The "Featured Creatures" publication on the diamondback moth (by John Capinera) was selected by the researchers at Lightspan's StudyWeb as one of the best online educational resources. StudyWeb is at http://www.studyweb.com/

Several Featured Creatures publications on ticks (blacklegged tick - Michael Patnaude) and mites (Varroa mite - Howard Denmark (FDACS, DPI) Tom Sanford; and house dust mite - Howard Denmark and Harvey Cromroy) were recently featured in the online German magazine Besuchen Sie unser Internet-Magazin, g-o.de Wissen Online.

Featured Creatures is now being used for an Entomology 111 course at the State University of New York Agricultural and Technical College at Cobleskill, NY.

If there is something you would like to see in future editions of the newsletter, pleas send all thoughts, suggestions and supportive criticisms to: Erin Britton, editor

A hard copy of this newsletter is given to department members in Building 970 only. All others can obtain an electronic subscription by sending a request to listserv@lists.ufl.edu and in the text of the message type:

Turn off any signature file, if you have one. You will receive instructions for confirming your subscription and further information on the rules for the list server.

This version of the newsletter is prepared for the Web by Kathryn Jones.

December 2000 - January 2001. Updated May 2003.