Insect-microbe interactions and their influence on organisms and ecosystems.

Microorganisms are important associates of insect and arthropod species. Insect-associated microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, can drastically impact host physiology, ecology, and fitness, while many microbes still have no known role. Over the past decade, we have increased our knowledge of the taxonomic composition and functional roles of insect-associated microbiomes and viromes.

Preparation of a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer on Polyethylene Terephthalate Platform Using Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization for Tartrazine Analysis via Smartphone.

This work describes the preparation of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) platform on polyethylene terephthalate (MIP-PET) via RAFT polymerization for analyzing tartrazine using a smartphone. The MIP-PET platform was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques, Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and confocal microscopy. The optimal pH and adsorption time conditions were determined.

Lagrangian modelling of oil concentrations at sea: A sensitivity analysis to the grid resolution and number of Lagrangian elements.

This paper presents a novel method to select the optimal combination of grid resolution and number of Lagrangian elements (LEs) required in numerical modelling of oil concentrations at sea. A sensitivity analysis in terms of grid resolution and the number of LEs, was carried out to understand the uncertainty that these user-dependent parameters introduce in the numerical results. A dataset of 211,200 simulations performed under 400 metocean patterns, 6 initial volumes, 11 grid resolutions, and different numbers of LEs (100 to 500,000), was used to analyze the sensitivity of the model along different Thresholds of Concern.

General science-technology orientation, specific benefit-risk assessment frame, and public acceptance of gene drive biotechnology.

With limited understanding of most new biotechnologies, how do citizens form their opinion and what factors influence their attitudes about these innovations? In this study, we use gene drive biotechnology in agricultural pest management as an example and theoretically propose that given low levels of knowledge and awareness, citizens' acceptance of, or opposition to, gene drive is significantly shaped by two predisposition factors: individuals' general orientation toward science and technology, and their specific benefit-risk assessment frame. Empirically, we employ data collected from a recent US nationally representative public opinion survey (N = 1220) and conduct statistical analyses to test the hypotheses derived from our theoretical expectations. Our statistical analyses, based on various model specifications and controlling for individual-level covariates and state-fixed effects, show that citizens with a more favorable general orientation toward science and technology are more likely to accept gene drive.

Engineered and natural gene drives: mechanistically the same, yet not same in kind.

We propose the use of the terms natural gene drive (NGD) and engineered gene drive (EGD) arguing against James et al., who think both should be included within the term “gene drive”, based on their mechanistic similarities.

Biofilm-induced effect on the buoyancy of plastic debris: An experimental study.

Plastic floating on the ocean surface represents about 1 % of all plastic in the ocean, despite the buoyancy of most plastics. Biofouling can help to sink debris, which could explain this discrepancy. A set of laboratory experiments was conducted to investigate biofilm-induced effects on the buoyancy of different plastic debris.

Transcriptomic analysis of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen brain reveals that gene expression is affected by pesticide exposure during development.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) play a pivotal role in agricultural production worldwide, primarily through the provision of pollination services. But despite their importance, honey bee health continues to be threatened by many factors, including parasitization by the mite Varroa destructor, poor queen quality, and pesticide exposure. Accumulation of pesticides in the hive's comb matrix over time inevitably leads to the exposure of developing brood, including queens, to wax contaminated with multiple compounds.

Howard (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) Preference for Sorghum Aphid, (Theobald, 1904) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Honeydew Is Stronger in Johnson Grass, , Than in Grain Sorghum, .

How aphid parasitoids of recent invasive species interact with their hosts can affect the feasibility of biological control. In this study, we focus on a recent invasive pest of US grain sorghum, , the sorghum aphid (SA), . Understanding this pest's ecology in the grain sorghum agroecosystem is critical to develop effective control strategies.

Wave-induced cross-shore distribution of different densities, shapes, and sizes of plastic debris in coastal environments: A laboratory experiment.

Plastic debris is a significant threat to marine and coastal ecosystems. Previous research found that waves, wind, as well as density, size, and shape of microplastics, drive their transport and dispersion. In this paper, a set of laboratory experiments on the effect of waves and wave-induced currents on the input rate and cross-shore transport and dispersion of different types of plastic debris, including the macro and mesosizes, in addition to microplastics is presented.

Genes drive organisms and slippery slopes.

The bioethical debate about using gene drives to alter or eradicate wild populations has focused mostly on issues concerning short-term risk assessment and management, governance and oversight, and public and community engagement, but has not examined big-picture- 'where is this going?'-questions in great depth. In other areas of bioethical controversy, big-picture questions often enter the public forum via slippery slope arguments. Given the incredible potential of gene drive organisms to alter the Earth's biota, it is somewhat surprising that slippery slope arguments have not played a more prominent role in ethical and policy debates about these emerging technologies.

Quantifying the impacts of symbiotic interactions between two invasive species: the tawny crazy ant () tending the sorghum aphid ().

The establishment of new symbiotic interactions between introduced species may facilitate invasion success. For instance, tawny crazy ant ( Mayr) is known to be an opportunistic tender of honeydew producing insects and this ants' symbiotic interactions have exacerbated agricultural damage in some invaded regions of the world. The invasive sorghum aphid ( Theobald) was first reported as a pest in the continental United States-in Texas and Louisiana-as recent as 2013, and tawny crazy ant (TCA) was reported in Texas in the early 2000s.

Stakeholder Views on Engagement, Trust, Performance, and Risk Considerations About Use of Gene Drive Technology in Agricultural Pest Management.

Gene drive is an experimental technique that may make it possible to alter the genetic traits of whole populations of a species through the genetic modification of a relatively small number of individuals. This technology is sufficiently new that literature on the understanding and views of stakeholders and the public regarding the use of gene drive organisms in agricultural pest management is just beginning to emerge. Our team conducted a 2-pronged engagement process with Texas gene drive agricultural stakeholders to ascertain their values, beliefs, and preferences about the efficacy, safety, and risk management considerations of gene drive technology as a potential tool for agricultural pest management.

Morphometric and molecular discrimination of the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari, (Zehntner, 1897) and the sorghum aphid Melanaphis sorghi (Theobald, 1904).

Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner, 1897) and Melanaphis sorghi (Theobald, 1904) are major worldwide crop pests causing direct feeding damage on sorghum and transmitting viruses to sugarcane. It is common in the scientific literature to consider these two species as synonyms, referred to as the 'sugarcane aphid', although no formal study has validated this synonymy. In this study, based on the comparison of samples collected from their whole distribution area, we use both morphometric and molecular data to better characterize the discrimination between M.

Research on Integrated Management for Cattle Fever Ticks and Bovine Babesiosis in the United States and Mexico: Current Status and Opportunities for Binational Coordination.

Bovine babesiosis is a reportable transboundary animal disease caused by and in the Americas where these apicomplexan protozoa are transmitted by the invasive cattle fever ticks and . In countries like Mexico where cattle fever ticks remain endemic, bovine babesiosis is detrimental to cattle health and results in a significant economic cost to the livestock industry. These cattle disease vectors continue to threaten the U.

A comparative evaluation of northern and southern questing height and hiding behaviour in the USA.

Ticks display a distinct type of host-seeking behaviour called questing. It has been proposed that the questing behaviour of Ixodes scapularis explains the geographic variation in Lyme disease (LD) risk in the eastern USA because the northern population has been shown to quest more often than the southern population. The height at which questing occurs is variable and this study aimed to characterize questing height for I.

Corn Stunt Disease: An Ideal Insect-Microbial-Plant Pathosystem for Comprehensive Studies of Vector-Borne Plant Diseases of Corn.

Over 700 plant diseases identified as vector-borne negatively impact plant health and food security globally. The pest control of vector-borne diseases in agricultural settings is in urgent need of more effective tools. Ongoing research in genetics, molecular biology, physiology, and vector behavior has begun to unravel new insights into the transmission of phytopathogens by their insect vectors.

Prevalence of protozoan parasites in small and medium mammals in Texas, USA.

Wildlife interaction with humans increases the risk of potentially infected ticks seeking an opportunistic blood meal and consequently leading to zoonotic transmission. In the United States, human babesiosis is a tick-borne zoonosis most commonly caused by the intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite, . The presence of and other species of within Texas has not been well characterized, and the molecular prevalence of these pathogens within wildlife species is largely unknown.

Mid-long term oil spill forecast based on logistic regression modelling of met-ocean forcings.

Past major oil spill disasters, such as the Prestige or the Deepwater Horizon accidents, have shown that spilled oil may drift across the ocean for months before being controlled or reaching the coast. However, existing oil spill modelling systems can only provide short-term trajectory simulations, being limited by the typical met-ocean forecast time coverage. In this paper, we propose a methodology for mid-long term (1-6 months) probabilistic predictions of oil spill trajectories, based on a combination of data mining techniques, statistical pattern modelling and probabilistic Lagrangian simulations.

A methodology to assess the probability of marine litter accumulation in estuaries.

In this study, a general methodology that is based on numerical models and statistical analysis is developed to assist in the definition of marine litter cleanup and mitigation strategies at an estuarine scale. The methodology includes four main steps: k-means clustering to identify representative metocean scenarios; dynamic downscaling to obtain high-resolution drivers with which to force a transport model; numerical transport modelling to generate a database of potential litter trajectories; and a statistical analysis of this database to obtain probabilities of litter accumulation. The efficacy of this methodology is demonstrated by its application to an estuary along the northern coast of Spain by comparing the numerical results with field data.

Searching for the Immature Stages of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Leaf Litter and Soil in Texas.

The standard tick collection methods of flagging and dragging are successful for collecting all stages of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae), in the northern United States. However, for unknown reasons, these methods are unsuccessful for collecting the immature stages of I. scapularis in the southern United States.

Agriculture sows pests: how crop domestication, host shifts, and agricultural intensification can create insect pests from herbivores.

We argue that agriculture as practiced creates pests. We use three examples (Corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis; Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera; Cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus) to illustrate: firstly, how since its origins, agriculture has proven conducive to transforming selected herbivores into pests, particularly through crop domestication and spread, and agricultural intensification, and; secondly, that the herbivores that became pests were among those hosted by crop wild relatives or associates, and were pre-adapted either as whole species or component subpopulations. Two of our examples, Corn leafhopper and Western corn rootworm, illustrate how following a host shift to a domesticated host, emergent pests 'hopped' onto crops and rode expansion waves to spread far beyond the geographic ranges of their wild hosts.

Invasion of sorghum in the Americas by a new sugarcane aphid (Melanaphis sacchari) superclone.

In the United States (US), the sugarcane aphid (SCA) Melanaphis sacchari (Zehnter) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was introduced in the 1970s, however at that time it was only considered a pest of sugarcane. In 2013, a massive outbreak of M. sacchari occured on sorghum, resulting in significant economic damage to sorghum grown in North America including the US, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

Instar- and host-associated differentiation of bacterial communities in the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata.

Microorganisms are acknowledged for their role in shaping insects' evolution, life history and ecology. Previous studies have shown that microbial communities harbored within insects vary through ontogenetic development and among insects feeding on different host-plant species. In this study, we characterized the bacterial microbiota of the highly polyphagous Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), at different instars and when feeding on different host-plant species.