Lipases and carboxylesterases affect moth sex pheromone compounds involved in interspecific mate recognition.

Moth sex pheromones are a classical model for studying sexual selection. Females typically produce a species-specific pheromone blend that attracts males. Revealing the enzymes involved in the interspecific variation in blend composition is key for understanding the evolution of these sexual communication systems.

Impact of volume and rate of milk delivery on coordination of respiration and swallowing in infant pigs.

The coordination of respiration and swallowing is a life-critical function in infants. Varying volume and rate of milk delivery changes swallowing frequency and bolus volume but any impact on swallow-respiration coordination is unknown. Five infant pigs were filmed with simultaneous high speed videofluoroscopy and plethysmography while feeding from an automatic system delivering milk across a range of volumes and frequencies.

Development of the first high-density linkage map in the maize weevil, .

The maize weevil, , is a worldwide pest that disproportionately affects subsistence farmers in developing countries. Damage from this pest threatens food security in these communities as widely available and effective control methods are lacking. With advances over the last decade in the development of genetic pest management techniques, addressing pest issues at the ecosystem level as opposed to the farm level may be a possibility.

Impact of seed blend and structured maize refuge on Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) potential phenological resistance development parameters in pupae and adults.

Background: Helicoverpa zea, an economic pest in the south-eastern United States, has evolved practical resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins in maize and cotton. Insect resistance management (IRM) programs have historically required planting of structured non-Bt maize, but because of its low adoption, the use of seed blends has been considered. To generate knowledge on target pest biology and ecology to help improve IRM strategies, nine field trials were conducted in 2019 and 2020 in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to evaluate the impact of Bt (Cry1Ab + Cry1F or Cry1Ab + Cry1F + Vip3A) and non-Bt maize plants in blended and structured refuge treatments on H.

Population genetic structure of the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, in southern Mexico.

The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, is a ubiquitous pest of maize and other cereal crops worldwide and remains a threat to food security in subsistence communities. Few population genetic studies have been conducted on the maize weevil, but those that exist have shown that there is very little genetic differentiation between geographically dispersed populations and that it is likely the species has experienced a recent range expansion within the last few hundred years. While the previous studies found little genetic structure, they relied primarily on mitochondrial and nuclear microsatellite markers for their analyses.