Biotic interference of biological control of purple loosestrife

Iowa State University has reared and released two European leaf-feeding beetle species to control purple loosestrife in Iowa wetlands. Expected reductions in loosestrife have not occurred, and biotic mortality factors may explain the failure of the beetles to curb the loosestrife

Diapause induction in eastern North American populations of \u3ci\u3ePropylea quatuordecimpunctata and Hippodamia variegata\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Experiments examined the effect of photoperiod on the expression of adult diapause in North American populations of two Palearctic ladybird beetle species, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata and Hippodamia variegata. Comparative data for the reproductive responses to different photoperiod conditions for H. variegata were taken from Obrycki (2018). Additionally, comparisons of responses to the four photoperiods between P. quatuordecimpunctata from Jefferson County, NY, USA to P. quatuordecimpunctata from Montreal, Quebec, Canada were also conducted. Data for the Montreal, Quebec, Canada population are from Obrycki et al., (1993). Two Data sets are included: (1) Pre-oviposition period (days) as a measure of induction and duration of adult diapause in P. quatuordecimpunctata and H. variegata. (Data for Supplemental Table S8 in Jones et al 2024) (2) Pre-oviposition period (days) as a measure of induction and duration of adult diapause in P. quatuordecimpunctata from Jefferson County, New York, USA and P. quatuordecimpunctata from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Data for Supplemental Table S9 in Jones et al 2024. Hippodamia variegata were collected in August 2015. Propylea quatuordecimpuntata were collected in August 2019. The Canadian population of Propylea quatuordecimpuntata was collected in summer 1989. Adult Hippodamia variegata and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata collected from Jefferson County, New York, USA (43.98°N, 75.91°W). Adult Propylea quatuordecimpuntata were collected from Montreal, Quebec, Canada (45.50°N, 73.57°W

Diapause in eastern North American populations of \u3ci\u3eCoccinella septempunctata\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Experiments examined the effect of photoperiod on the expression of adult diapause in the Palearctic ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata, within 10 years of its discovery in North America. The study used beetles from two populations in eastern United States and focused on two aspects of diapause. First, the effects of daylength on the induction and depth (or duration) of diapause were examined by rearing and maintaining adult beetles from Tompkins County, New York,(approx. 42.4°N, 76.5°W) under six constant photoperiods until oviposition, death, or the passage of 125 days. Second, the seasonal progression of diapause maintenance and termination under natural conditions was examined by periodically (between October and April) testing the photoperiodic responses of overwintering adults that had been held out-of-doors; this test used beetles from Bergen County, New Jersey. Two Data sets are included: (1) Photoperiodic effects on the pattern of reproduction (oviposition versus reproductive diapause) in female Coccinella septempunctata from Tompkins County, New York, USA. and (2) Seasonal effects on the progression of dormancy (diapause and postdiapause development) in Coccinella septempunctata held under natural conditions out-of-doors in Bergen County, New Jersey, USA

Exploring the Return on Investment of a Liberal Arts Degree: Perceived Connections Between Education and Work

The value of a liberal arts degree has been placed under scrutiny (Pyle, 2013; Smith, 2012) due to the lower average earnings (National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2012) and higher unemployment rates (Flaherty, 2012) experienced by liberal arts graduates. The current study explored student and hiring professionals' perceptions about the return on investment, both financial and non-financial, of a liberal arts degree. Interviews were conducted with 17 liberal arts students and 14 hiring professionals about their perceptions of the return on investment of a liberal arts degree, and 79 liberal arts students completed a survey with four open-ended questions about their college attendance and major selection. Interview transcripts and survey responses were analyzed using the process of open and axial coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2008; Lindlof & Taylor, 2011). Students viewed four aspects of the return on investment of their liberal arts degree: the credential of a college degree, the expectation of financial security, the expectation of (career) success, and the college experience itself. Students viewed their liberal arts major as preparation for a particular career field, while hiring professionals described a student's major as playing a minor role in their organization's hiring decisions. Hiring professionals described college graduates as prepared with workplace skills and the motivation to succeed, and emphasized the importance of work and leadership experience. Student accounts provide evidence for a master narrative of college, which described college attendance as their expected next step and that college leads to a meaningful career. However, results demonstrated that neither students nor hiring professionals reported important differences between a liberal arts degree and other college degrees. Many respondents portrayed a college degree as a gateway to professional work as a whole rather than emphasizing specific characteristics of a liberal arts degree. Theoretically, this study adds to literature on anticipatory socialization and meaningful work, by demonstrating the implicit nature of messages about the expectation of college attendance and that college is viewed as the route to a meaningful career. This study extends problematic integration theory by demonstrating how the theory applies in the context of the transition from college to career, and how students manage uncertainty about their future by relying on the master narrative, which reassures them that college will lead to a meaningful and financially stable career

The effects of thrips on strawberry production in Iowa

The presence of thrips (tiny insects) in strawberry fields has been associated with undesirable bronzing of the fruit. This study examines the links between thrips and damage to Iowa strawberries

Accessibility Features for Older Households in Subsidized Housing

As the overall population ages, the number of very low-income older adult households that qualify for HUD housing assistance is rising rapidly. Older adults tend to stay in subsidized housing longer than younger families. As a result, older adults make up a growing share of HUD-subsidized renter households. In the last ten years alone, the share of older adults in HUD-subsidized housing has risen five percentage points, and older adult households now make up over a third of all subsidized renters. In this paper, we examine whether the subsidized housing stock is suitable for aging in place. We ask: What physical challenges do older subsidized renters face? What difficulties do they experience with their housing environment? And, are subsidized units more equipped with accessibility features than units without rent assistance?To answer these questions, we used the 2011 American Housing Survey, the last vintage of this survey to include detailed questions about housing accessibility and household mobility difficulties. We constructed a comparison group of eligible, unsubsidized renters making up to 30 percent of area median income. We used chi-square statistics, logistic regression modeling, and propensity score matching to identify differences in housing accessibility and mobility difficulties between subsidized and unsubsidized, eligible older adults. We also compare households receiving project-based subsidies to those receiving tenant-based vouchers.The findings confirm that older subsidized renters have many vulnerabilities, but rental housing assistance provides more livable housing in terms of accessibility than private-market rentals. We also find that renters receiving project-based rental assistance typically have more accessibility features than those receiving tenant-based assistance, but the differences are not statistically significant. Ultimately, our results highlight the benefit of subsidized housing but also point to unmet needs. Livable and wheelchair accessible units are lacking for older, extremely low-income renters, whether they receive a subsidy or not. While many units are potentially modifiable, only a small share have basic accessibility features that make them currently livable for older adults.Click "Download" to access this resource

Trophic Interactions Between Two Herbivorous Insects, Galerucella calmariensis and Myzus lythri, Feeding on Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria, and Two Insect Predators, Harmonia axyridis and Chrysoperla carnea

The effects of two herbivorous insects, Galerucella calmariensis Duftschmid and Myzus lythri L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), feeding on purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L. (Myrtiflorae: Lythraceae), were measured in the presence of two insect predators, Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). A greenhouse cage experiment examined the direct effects of these predators on these herbivores, and indirect effects of predation on aboveground biomass, defoliation, number of leaves, and internode length. Eight treatment combinations with G. calmariensis, M. lythri, H. axyridis and C. carnea were applied to caged L. salicaria. The experiment ended when G. calmariensis adults were observed, 11 to 13 days after release of first instar G. calmariensis. G. calmariensis larvae alone removed significant amounts of leaf tissue and reduced the number of L. salicaria leaves. Predators did not reduce levels of defoliation by G. calmariensis. C. carnea had no effect on G. calmariensis survival, but H. axyridis reduced G. calmariensis survival in the presence of M. lythri. Both predators reduced the survival of M. lythri. This short duration greenhouse study did not demonstrate that predator-prey interactions altered herbivore effects on L. salicaria

Trophic Interactions Between Two Herbivorous Insects, \u3cem\u3eGalerucella calmariensis\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eMyzus lythri\u3c/em\u3e, Feeding on Purple Loosestrife, \u3cem\u3eLythrum salicaria\u3c/em\u3e, and Two Insect Predators, \u3cem\u3eHarmonia axyridis\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eChrysoperla carnea\u3c/em\u3e

The effects of two herbivorous insects, Galerucella calmariensis Duftschmid and Myzus lythri L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), feeding on purple loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria L. (Myrtiflorae: Lythraceae), were measured in the presence of two insect predators, Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae). A greenhouse cage experiment examined the direct effects of these predators on these herbivores, and indirect effects of predation on aboveground biomass, defoliation, number of leaves, and internode length. Eight treatment combinations with G. calmariensis, M. lythri, H. axyridis and C. carnea were applied to caged L. salicaria. The experiment ended when G. calmariensis adults were observed, 11 to 13 days after release of first instar G. calmariensis. G. calmariensis larvae alone removed significant amounts of leaf tissue and reduced the number of L. salicaria leaves. Predators did not reduce levels of defoliation by G. calmariensis. C. carnea had no effect on G. calmariensis survival, but H. axyridis reduced G. calmariensis survival in the presence of M. lythri. Both predators reduced the survival of M. lythri. This short duration greenhouse study did not demonstrate that predator-prey interactions altered herbivore effects on L. salicaria

Biological control of the tarnished plant bug in Iowa

TPB, the tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolarisj, attacks strawberries in Iowa and the Midwest. The egg parasitoid (Anaphes \o\e) has been observed to parasitize TPB in several crops in the western United States, but its activities have not been studied in strawberries in the Midwest. Under laboratory conditions, it was determined that A. iole will parasitize TPB eggs in strawberry stems. Releases of A. iole females in large field cages containing low densities of TPB eggs did not result in successful parasitization

Use of intra-field alfalfa trap cropping for management of the potato leafhopper

Potato leafhopper, a serious alfalfa pest, may be controlled by early harvest or by application of insecticide. Using natural enemies to battle the leafhopper is another option. Selective cutting in alfalfa fields may help curb leafhopper infestations by confining the pests in one strip, which also may harbor a fungus that helps to control the leafhopper