Native Bee Utilization of Sorghum and Community Richness in Western Kansas Agricultural System

Agricultural practices have significant and often negative effects on native bee populations. It is imperative that we understand how current agricultural practices affect native bees. Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is cultivated heavily in western Kansas and is grown in rotation with winter wheat. Recent research suggests bees visit sorghum for pollen and honeydew produced by aphids. This study aims to confirm whether native bees utilize sorghum pollen in western Kansas. Additionally, we will examine the effect of sorghum, wheat, and cover crops on the community structure of native bees in agroecosystem in western Kansas. We hypothesize that native bees utilize sorghum pollen. We also expect that native bee richness will increase in agroecosystems with cover crops present. We also expect that native bee richness will increase adjacent to sorghum fields due to the availability of late season forage relative to those adjacent to winter wheat fields

Preliminary Analysis of Native Bee Community Adjacent to Sorghum and Wheat Fields in Western Kansas

Agricultural practices have significant and often negative effects on native bee populations. It is imperative that we understand how current agricultural practices affect native bees. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is cultivated heavily in western Kansas and is grown in rotation with winter wheat. This analysis presents preliminary results from a study conducted in summer 2023 in which pan traps were placed adjacent to two sorghum and two wheat fields in Ellis Co. Kansas. This data is part of a larger study examining the relationship between native bees and sorghum in western Kansas. Preliminary Analysis of Native Bee Community Adjacent to Sorghum and Wheat Fields in Western Kansa

Mass flowering conundrum: Do the benefits of canola outweigh the negative effects of land use change on wild bees?

In light of the burgeoning human population, the conservation of ecosystems services that sustain agricultural production, such as pollination, is essential. Wild bees are important pollinators of many crops and wild flowering plants. However, agricultural intensification reduces nesting and foraging resources for wild bees and is a major contributor to their decline worldwide. Mass flowering crops may increase foraging resources that support wild bees. In the southern Great Plains canola (Brassica napus L.) was introduced in the early 2000s as a rotational crop with winter wheat and greatly increases foraging resources for wild bees in this historically forage-poor region. In turn, wild bees are known to improve canola seed set. The addition of canola may enhance or dilute pollination of wild flowering plants. Despite increased foraging resources from canola, agroecosystems in the southern Great Plains may not provide sufficient nesting habitat for wild bees, potentially outweighing the benefit of increased foraging resources. Our research demonstrated that increased canola cover is associated with increased wild bee abundance and richness across the growing season and wild bee pollination significantly improved canola seed set in this this study system. Three species of wild plants increased in seed set as canola cover increased, suggesting that canola may cause pollination service spillover. We also found that increased anthropogenic land use cover is negatively correlated with wild bee abundance and richness and, further, affected the body size of three wild bee populations. Canola plays an important role in the agroecosystems of the southern Great Plains and may be an important resource to wild bees in this region

Quantitative Assessment of Aphid Parasitoids and Predators in Central Oklahoma Wheat Fields during Five Growing Seasons

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most widely grown crop in Oklahoma and typically is planted in autumn and harvested in June. Wheat in Oklahoma is often infested by insect pests, the most important of which are the cereal aphids – greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), and bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.). We sampled a total of 69 wheat fields in central Oklahoma during five wheat-growing seasons. The number of wheat fields sampled ranged from seven in the 2016-2017 growing season to 24 fields in the 2009-2010 growing season. We used a D-vac suction sampler to collect aphids and their natural enemies in wheat fields in early November and again in the middle of March. During the five wheat-growing seasons, adult Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) and Aphelinus nigritus (Howard) were the most consistent and abundant parasitoids, with L. testaceipes present in each of the five growing seasons. The mean number of adult L. testaceipes per D-vac sample ranged from 1.38 in 2018-2019 to 64.3 adults per sample in the 2008-2009 growing season. Aphelinus nigritus was present in four of the five growing seasons and ranged from 0.86 to 7.82 adults per sample among the four growing seasons. Among arthropod predators, larval coccinellids were found in each growing season and ranged from 2.23 to 15.38 individuals per sample. Spiders were present in the five growing seasons and ranged from 1.63 to 19.0 per sample. Several other predator taxa in samples included Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae, Nabidae, and Syrphidae. Abundance of most species increased from November to March. Abundance of most natural enemy species (or taxa) was positively correlated to aphid abundance, suggesting natural enemies had an aggregative and/or reproductive numerical response to aphid populations

Quantitative Study of Aphid Natural Enemies in Central Oklahoma Canola Fields

Winter canola (Brassica napus L.) is planted in late September through October in central Oklahoma and harvested in June. Three aphid species typically infest canola fields in central Oklahoma: cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L.; green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer); and turnip aphid, Lipaphis pseudobrassicae (Davis). Predatory insects and spiders and hymenopteran parasitoids that prey on aphids are present in canola fields in central Oklahoma. We used a D-vac suction device to sample aphids and natural enemies in a total of 23 canola fields in central Oklahoma in early November and mid-March of three growing seasons. During the three growing seasons, 2.4 to 50.9 aphids were collected per 120 placements of the D-vac sampler per canola field. Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) was the most abundant parasitoid, with 0.04 to 5.1 individuals per 120 placements, while Araneae (spiders) were the most abundant predators ranging from 0.35 to 4.9 per 120 placements. Other predators were Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae, Nabidae, and Syrphidae, with relative density of most taxa increasing from November to March. Correlations of relative density of D. rapae and larval Coccinellidae to aphid relative density were positive and significant suggesting the taxa had a reproductive and/or aggregative numerical response to aphids in canola. D. rapae, Coccinellidae, and perhaps spiders killed the most aphids in central Oklahoma canola fields

Role of parasitoids and landscape structure in aphid population dynamics in winter canola

Three aphid species infest winter canola, Brassica napus L. fields in central Oklahoma and are serious pests: the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L., green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and turnip aphid, Lipaphis pseudobrassicae (Davis). Mortality caused by parasitoids may be an important component of biological control of aphids in Oklahoma canola fields. Therefore, it is important to determine the effect of parasitoids on aphids in canola and the factors that affect it. We undertook a study during three consecutive growing seasons to: 1) estimate aphid suppression by parasitoids in each of 23 canola fields using cages that excluded natural enemies and cages that permitted access by parasitoids; and 2) evaluate how aphid parasitism in canola is related to the composition and configuration of the landscape surrounding each canola field. Parasitism was estimated using turnip aphid infested sentinel canola plants stationed in each field in autumn and in spring of each growing season. Two parasitoids with broad host ranges, Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh) and Aphelinus nigritus (Howard), parasitized turnip aphids in canola. There were fewer aphids and more parasitoids in cages that permitted access to parasitoids than in cages that excluded natural enemies. Partial redundancy analysis demonstrated that parasitism rate by D. rapae was positively related to landcover of wetlands and negatively related to contagion of patches. Parasitism by A. nigritus was positively but weakly associated with landcover of summer crops, but not with any other measured landscape variable. Wetlands in central Oklahoma agricultural landscapes apparently are habitat for aphid parasitoids from which they disperse to canola fields and parasitize aphids. Partial redundancy analysis showed that relative aphid density in fields was negatively related to parasitism by D. rapae. Results indicate that parasitoids suppress aphid infestations in canola fields and demonstrate potential for habitat management to improve biological control of aphids in canola

Entomology beyond research and education: 2022 student debates

The 2022 student debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) happened during the Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Societies of America, Canada, and British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, and addressed entomological aspects beyond research and education. The Student Debates Subcommittee of the ESA Student Affairs Committee and the participating student team members communicated for 8 months and prepared for the debates. The theme of the ESA meeting in 2022 was “Entomology as inspiration: Insects through art, science, and culture”. There were 2 unbiased speakers who introduced the debate topics as well as 4 teams who debated the following 2 topics: (i) Is forensic entomology viable in criminal case investigations and court cases today? and (ii) Are insects being treated ethically in scientific research? The teams prepared for about 8 months, debated their arguments, and shared their thoughts with the audience. The teams were judged by a panel and the winners were recognized at the ESA Student Awards Session during the annual meeting

Transforming entomology to adapt to global concerns: 2021 student debates

The 2021 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were held at the Annual Meeting in Denver, CO. The event was organized by the Student Debates Subcommittee (SDS) of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC). The theme of the 2021 Student Debates was “Transforming Entomology to Adapt to Global Concerns”, with 3 topics. Each topic had an unbiased introduction and 2 teams. The debate topics were (i) Nonnative insect introduction is an ethical approach for counteracting proliferation and overpopulation of consumers, (ii) What is the best technology to control undesirable insect pests in urban and agricultural settings? and (iii) Compared to other solutions, like plant-based diets, insect farming is the best method to address rising human global food and nutrient supply demands. Unbiased introduction speakers and teams had approximately 6 months to prepare for their presentations

Data from: Canola supports wild bee-plant mutualisms across multiple spatial scales

This data is the basis for an anticipated publication, presently in pre-print. The data consists of two CSV files.Agricultural land use affects wild bee-plant mutualisms, increasing the incidence of pollen limitation among wild flowering plants. Over time, pollen limitation may negatively impact wild flowering plant populations. Mass flowering crops (MFCs) such as canola (Brassica napus L.) increase foraging resource availability to wild bees in historically forage-poor agroecosystems. Increased foraging resources by way of MFCs may enhance or dilute pollination of wild flowering plants growing nearby. We tested the effects of canola cover on wild bee-plant mutualisms by evaluating seed count and weight of three wild flowering plants, Gaillardia pulchella (Foug.; Indian blanket), Verbesina encelioides (Cav.; cowpen daisy), and Salvia azurea (Michx ex Lam.; azure blue sage), across a gradient of canola cover. We also tested pollen limitation of each of the selected wild flowering plants. Each species increased seed set as canola cover increased at one or more spatial scales, suggesting canola may enhance pollination services to wild flowering plants. However, each species also demonstrated pollen limitation. MFCs may play an important role in supporting wild bees and wild flowering plants in some agroecosystems by providing foraging resources for bees and by enhancing pollination services to wild flowering plants. Our results show that MFCs may facilitate wild bee pollination of some wild flowering plants. In the context of ongoing wild bee declines, understanding the effects of MFCs on wild bee-plant mutualisms is important in the conservation of wild bees and wild flowering plants.Integrative Biolog