A Bayesian approach to the analysis of dose-response data: estimating natural survivorship without Abbott's correction and inclusion of overdispersion estimates.

We assessed the utility of a Bayesian analysis of dose-mortality curves using probit analysis. A Bayesian equivalent of a conventional single population probit analysis using Abbott's correction demonstrated the ability of the Bayesian model to recover parameters from generative data. We then developed a model that removed Abbott's correction and estimated natural survivorship as part of the overall model fitting process.

Laboratory studies of movement and microenvironment choices of engorged adult female Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae).

Microenvironmental factors affect ovipositional choices and behavior in ticks. In this study, engorged female Amblyomma maculatum Koch were released in an observation arena covered with garden soil. The arena was evenly split into wet and dry sides, each containing 5 different types of structures (totaling 10).

Enhancing predictive performance for spectroscopic studies in wildlife science through a multi-model approach: A case study for species classification of live amphibians.

Near infrared spectroscopy coupled with predictive modeling is a growing field of study for addressing questions in wildlife science aimed at improving management strategies and conservation outcomes for managed and threatened fauna. To date, the majority of spectroscopic studies in wildlife and fisheries applied chemometrics and predictive modeling with a single-algorithm approach. By contrast, multi-model approaches are used routinely for analyzing spectroscopic datasets across many major industries (e.

Models of Populations: Demography, Population Genetics, Geographic Spread, and Management.

Both LeConte and Smith and Lawrence are among the most damaging insects impacting corn in North America. has also invaded Europe and has become an important pest in that region. Computer models have become an important tool for understanding the impact and spread of these important pests.

Vertical and temporal distribution of (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae in determinate and indeterminate soybean.

Most oviposition by Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) occurs near the top of the canopy in soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr, and larval abundance is influenced by the growth habit of plants. However, the vertical distribution of larvae within the canopy is not as well known.

Location of (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae on different plant parts of determinate and indeterminate soybean.

Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) is a damaging pest of many crops including soybean, Glycine max (L.), especially in the southern United States. Previous studies have concluded that oviposition and development of H.

The Corn-Cotton Agroecosystem in the Mid-Southern United States: What Insecticidal Event Pyramids Should be Used in Each Crop to Extend Vip3A Durability.

Recent studies suggest that resistance in Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) to Cry1A(b/c) and Cry2Ab2 toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) has increased and field efficacy is impacted in transgenic corn and cotton expressing these toxins. A third toxin, Vip3A, is available in pyramids expressing two or more Bt toxins in corn hybrids and cotton varieties, but uncertainty exists regarding deployment strategies. During a growing season, H.

Effects of transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis cotton on insecticide use, heliothine counts, plant damage, and cotton yield: A meta-analysis, 1996-2015.

The primary management tactic for lepidopteran pests of cotton in the United States of America (USA) is the use of transgenic cotton that produces Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) toxins. The primary target pests of this technology are Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and Heliothis virescens (F.) in the eastern and central Cotton Belt of the USA.

Density Dependence and Growth Rate: Evolutionary Effects on Resistance Development to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis).

It has long been recognized that pest population dynamics can affect the durability of a pesticide, but dose remains the primary component of insect resistance management (IRM). For transgenic pesticidal traits such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae)), dose (measured as the mortality of susceptibles caused by a toxin) is a relatively fixed characteristic and often falls below the standard definition of high dose. Hence, it is important to understand how pest population dynamics modify durability and what targets they present for IRM.

The Impact of Inter-Kernel Movement in the Evolution of Resistance to Dual-Toxin Bt-Corn Varieties in Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Seeds or kernels on hybrid plants are primarily F(2) tissue and will segregate for heterozygous alleles present in the parental F(1) hybrids. In the case of plants expressing Bt-toxins, the F(2) tissue in the kernels will express toxins as they would segregate in any F(2) tissue. In the case of plants expressing two unlinked toxins, the kernels on a Bt plant fertilized by another Bt plant would express anywhere from 0 to 2 toxins.

Diffusion Rates and Dispersal Patterns of Unfed versus Recently Fed Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius L.).

Bed bug problems have been increasing since the 1980s, and accordingly, there have been intensive efforts to better understand their biology and behavior for control purposes. Understanding bed bug diffusion rates and dispersal patterns from one site to another (or lack thereof) is a key component in prevention and control campaigns. This study analyzed diffusion rates and dispersal patterns in a population of bed bugs, recently fed and unfed, in both one-dimensional and two-dimensional settings.

Population analyses of Amblyomma maculatum ticks and Rickettsia parkeri using single-strand conformation polymorphism.

Gulf Coast ticks, Amblyomma maculatum, and the zoonotic agents they transmit, Rickettsia parkeri, are expanding into areas in the United States where they were not previously reported, and are emerging threats for public and veterinary health. The dynamics of this tick-pathogen system and implications for disease transmission are still unclear. To assess genetic variation of tick and rickettsial populations, we collected adult A.

Risk assessment for Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) resistance on dual-gene versus single-gene corn.

Recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decisions regarding resistance management in Bt-cropping systems have prompted concern in some experts that dual-gene Bt-corn (CrylA.105 and Cry2Ab2 toxins) may result in more rapid selection for resistance in Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) than single-gene Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-corn (CrylAb toxin). The concern is that Bt-toxin longevity could be significantly reduced with recent adoption of a natural refuge for dual-gene Bt-cotton (CrylAc and Cry2Ab2 toxins) and concurrent reduction in dual-gene corn refuge from 50 to 20%.

Future fitness of female insect pests in temporally stable and unstable habitats and its impact on habitat utility as refugees for insect resistance management.

The long-term fitness of individuals is examined in complex and temporally dynamic ecosystems. We call this multigeneration fitness measure "future fitness". Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous insect that feeds on many wild and cultivated hosts.

Characteristics of 11 polymorphic microsatellite markers in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren.

We have characterized 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the invasive ant Solenopsis invicta. Primer pairs were evaluated on fire ants collected from monogyne mounds in Lauderdale County, Mississippi. The observed and effective number of alleles ranged from two to six and from 1.

Modeling the impact of alternative hosts on Helicoverpa zea adaptation to bollgard cotton.

For highly polyphagous cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., pests such as Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), a substantial portion of the larval population develops on noncotton alternative hosts. These noncotton hosts potentially provide a natural refuge for H.

Assessing risk of resistance to aerial applications of methyl-parathion in western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

We validated a stochastic model of the evolution of resistance to adulticidal sprays of methyl-parathion in western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, populations in Nebraska. The population dynamics predicted by the model resembled that reported for field populations, and time until control failures occurred closely matched reports by commercial crop consultants. We incorporated uncertainty about the values used for 18 model parameters by replacing default values with random draws taken from a normal distribution.

Evaluating the impacts of refuge width on source-sink dynamics between transgenic and non-transgenic cotton.

Resistance management for Bt-transgenic crops relies in part on the production of sufficient numbers of susceptible insects in non-toxic refuges. Simulation models suggested that source-sink dynamics could interact with the structure of refuges to impact the production of insects in these areas. We tested the hypothesis that altering isolation between refuges and transgenic cotton by manipulating the width of refuges embedded within cotton fields would alter the density of Heliothis virescens and Helicoverpa zea eggs oviposited in refuges.

Heritability of wing-beat frequency in Anopheles quadrimaculatus.

The repeatability of male wing-beat frequency measurements of Anopheles quadrimaculatus was determined by using mosquitoes allowed free flight in a confined space. Heritability of the wing-beat frequency trait was estimated for a laboratory and a wild-strain population of An. quadrimaculatus by using free-flight measurement with a parent-offspring regression of offspring on dams.

Genetics and fitness costs of cyromazine resistance in the house fly (Diptera: Muscidae).

The genetic basis of cyromazine resistance was investigated in the house fly, Musca domestica L. The ED-R strain, which was collected in Mississippi and selected further in the laboratory, was 116.5-fold resistant compared with the laboratory susceptible strain, OR-S.