November 2003

Faculty News Room Version of Musical Chairs

Dr. Heather McAuslane reports that we Dr. Virendra Gupta, now retired, is moving have 29 applicants for the Insect Toxicology out of his labs and office (3209), but has position. The search committee hopes to temporary use of 3006 for his office. At the report by late December on who will be same time, Dr. Faith Oi will move from invited for interviews. 3206 to Gupta’s old office in 3209. Dr. Tom Sanford (retired) used to be in 3006, but he Post-Doc News now uses 3207 when he is not starring in a local drama production. The new insect Dr. Anand B. Persad, a postdoctoral physiology position, which is currently being scientist in Dr. Marjorie Hoy's laboratory advertised, is assigned 3206 as office space. since August 2001, left for a permanent position with Davey Tree Company in Kent, Ph.D. student Rebecca Baldwin, who Ohio. Dr. Persad has been ordering long teaches ENY 3005 Principles of Entomology, underwear for his sojourn in the frozen north. is moving from 3215 to 3212 and will share After growing up in Trinidad and spending that office with Ph.D. student Pete Coon, over two years in Florida, he and his wife who teaches ENY 3007C Life Science. must now adjust to a temperate climate. The non-tenured toxicologist position, for Dr. Yoshi Hashimoto joined Dr. Pauline which the committee is now reviewing Lawrence’s lab to work on characterization applications, is currently assigned office and expression of genes from the space in 3213. And when insect taxonomist Diachasmimorpha longicaudata Dr. Mark Branham reports for duty next entomopoxvirus (DlEPV). Currently, he is month, his office will be in 2005. This developing a restriction map of the DlEPV requires Dr. Norm Leppla to move from genome. 2005 to 3005.

New Teaching Lab Speaking of moving... Plans are for much or all of Dr. Gupta’s insect collection to be Work began on the new teaching lab in late given to the Division of Plant Industry October. As of early November, the internal Florida State Collection of Arthropods walls that separate the three rooms (3117- (FSCA) in Gainesville, as space in that 3118-3119) were coming down. collection becomes available when FSCA

1 assets are moved to the new Lepidoptera Nickerson JC, Bloomcamp CL, Fasulo TR. building under construction. (October 2003). Ghost ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius). UF/IFAS Publications Featured Creatures. EENY-310. http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/ants/ghost_ Dixon WN. (August 2003). Nantucket pine ant.htm tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock). UF/IFAS Featured Creatures. EENY-304. Awards http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/moths/nantu cket_pine_tip_moth.htm Dr. Don Hall reports that Emily Heffernan (M.S.) and Barry Alto (Ph.D.) were selected Halbert SE. (October 2003). Giant by the Departmental Graduate Committee to sweetpotato bug, Spartocera batatas receive the Mulrennan Outstanding Graduate (Fabricius). UF/IFAS Featured Creatures. Student Awards for the 2003-04 academic EENY-305. year. Each of these awards carries a $500 http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/veg/leaf/ cash prize. Emily is working under Dr. spartocera_batatas.htm Thomas Emmel on a lycaenid butterfly-ant mutualism. Barry is working under Dr. Phil Halbert SE, Gill RJ, Nisson JN. (October Lounibos on the effect of Aedes mosquito 2003). Eucalyptus psyllid, Blastopsylla larval competition on vector competence. occidentalis Taylor, and red gum lerp psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore. UF/IFAS In October, Pest Control Technology Featured Creatures. EENY-306. (PCT), a national magazine for the urban pest http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/eucalyptus_ management industry, had “40 Under Forty” psyllids.htm as its cover article. The cover also stated, “They’re young. They’re ambitious. They’re Howard FW, Pemberton R, Hamon AB, the future leaders of the pest management Hodges GS, Mannion CM, McLean D, industry.” Two of those featured are Wofford J. (September 2003). La escama departmental alumni: Dan Suiter (Ph.D.) lobata de laca, Paratachardina lobata and Jerry Gahlhoff (M.S.). Suiter is an (Chamberlin). UF/IFAS Featured Creatures. assistant professor in Urban Pest EENY-309. Management at the University of Georgia. http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/scales/lobate_ Gahlhoff is national technical director for lac_sp.htm Texas-based HomeTeam Pest Defense, “...one of the largest and fastest-growing pest Hoy MA, Nguyen R. (October 2003). Citrus management companies in the country,” leafminer parasitoid, Cirrospilus ingenuus according to PCT. Gahan UF/IFAS Featured Creatures. EENY- 312. 2003-2004 Undergraduate http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/cirrosp Scholarships ilus_ingenuus.htm Each October, the departmental undergraduate committee accepts

2 applications from our undergraduate majors who they are and how they are progressing for one of nine scholarships. Our department academically. Scholarship opportunities will is fortunate to have been provided sufficient be announced next in August 2004 with an endowed funds to permit us to supplement October 2004 deadline. Please join the the support of deserving undergraduate undergraduate committee in congratulating majors. these worthy recipients. - Carl S. Barfield

The undergraduate committee consists of Meetings and Presentations Drs. Carl Barfield (Chair and Undergraduate Coordinator), Heather During October, Dr. Anand B. Persad and McAuslane, Phil Koehler, Bob McSorley, Dr. Lucia Zappala, postdoctoral scientists in student member Rebecca Baldwin, and ex Dr. Hoy's laboratory, attended the national officio member Debbie Hall. The committee Entomological Society of America (ESA) met 31 October 2003 and allocated 11 of our meeting in Cincinnati. Dr. Persad presented a majors scholarships. We are proud to poster on “High-fidelity PCR assay announce the following recipients. Please discriminates between immature Lipolexis visit our departmental Web site to view their oregmae and Lysiphlebus testaceipes within photos and awards. their aphid host” (coauthors were Drs. A. Jeyaprakash and M. Hoy). Dr. Zappala Mulrennan Scholarship: - Rhiannon Lewis presented a talk on “Oviposition behavior and host discrimination by Ageniaspis Creighton Scholarships: Tracy Conklin and citricola, a parasitoid of the citrus leafminer, Christine Lynch Phyllocnistis citrella” (coauthor is Dr. Hoy).

Dixon Scholarship: - David Melius If you missed the ESA meeting then you missed the delicious Japanese lunch co- Murphey Memorial Scholarship: Ryan hosted by Dr. Gene Gerberg, Sumitomo Wagoner Chemical and MGK which was attended by a number of our faculty and students. Urban Entomology Scholarship: John Whelan Dr. Pauline O. Lawrence presented a poster “DLEPV homologs of the putative Vaccinia Richardson Scholarships: Jason Stanley G5R and poxvirus NPH1 and rifampicin and Mary VanDerBerg resistance proteins” at the ESA annual meeting. Hetrick Scholarship: Ryan Welch and Erik Shuping Oscar Hernandez (Lawrence Lab) attended a training course (26-29 October 2003) on Davis Memorial Scholarship: Barbara HPLC technique sponsored by Perkin Elmer Bayer-Lopez Corporation in Atlanta, GA.

Part of the responsibility of receiving these Kyle Hubbard (Tuskegee University), scholarships is for the recipient to write to Gerard Henry (Santa Fe Community the designated donor to inform the donor of College) and Kathy Rocha (BS, University

3 of Florida) are three Research Experience for is studying the effects of different densities Undergraduates (REU) students working of the leaf beetles on defoliation and fruit with Dr. Pauline Lawrence. They conducted production of tropical soda apple. research on two projects (1) viral proteins from the symbiotic entomopoxvirus (DlEPV) On 28 October, Dr. Julio Medal attended the of the parasitic wasp Diachamimorpha tropical soda apple task force meeting at the longicaudata and PSP24, a virally induced Florida Department of Agriculture and protein in their host, the Caribbean fruit fly Consumer Services- Division of Plant and (2) Developmental stages of Fopius Industry in Gainesville. Medal gave a 20 arisanus, an egg-pupal parasitoid of the minutes presentation on “Gratiana boliviana Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. (Chrysomelidae), the first biocontrol agent released in Florida to control tropical soda Mr. Kyle Hubbard prepared a thesis entitled apple.” “PSP24 and viral (DlEPV) proteins in tissues of parasitized Anastrepha suspensa” and was On 3 November, Dr. Susan Webb, UF/IFAS invited to present this research in a student vegetable entomology extension specialist, competition at Tuskegee University, Fall presented an invited talk to entomologists 2003. and plant pathologists at Clemson University. She spoke about her past research on the Ms. Kathy Rocha (Lawrance Lab) presented ecology and management of aphid-vectored a poster “Immature development of Fopius viruses in cucurbits and discussed the results arisanus in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera of a recent survey of Florida cucurbits for dorsalis” at the ESA annual meeting. insect-vectored plant viruses.

Dr. Julio Medal gave an invited lecture at Posters Posted the Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste, Iratí campus in Paraná state, Brazil, 23 As a result of discussion at the last faculty October. Medal gave the two hour lecture (in meeting, new posters or other displays placed Portugués) on “An overview of biological around Building 970 can be announced in control of invasive plants worldwide with this newsletter. Please send author(s) and emphasis in the Florida experience” to a title to the newsletter editor. Do not forget to group of 15 undergraduate students of the include the location, else readers will have to Plant Protection class in the Forestry search the building for your display. Department. Hay-Roe MM. Shapiro AM, Becnel JJ, On 3 November, Dr. Julio Medal gave a 30 Boucias DG. “A newly discovered minute lecture to the Tampa Middle School baculovirus induces reflex bleeding in the 8th grade (approximately 35 students) butterfly Heliconius himera (Nymphalidae: Science class on “Biological control of Heliconiinae).” Adjacent to room 3119. weeds in Florida.” Medal also is advising Travis Sexton (student) on his Science Fair Lawrence PO. "DLEPV homologs of the Project using the first biocontrol agent (a putative Vaccinia G5R and poxvirus NPH1 South American leaf beetle) released in and rifampicin resistance proteins". Florida to control tropical soda apple. Travis Presented at the recent Entomological

4 Society of America (ESA) meeting. Adjacent EPA Small Business Innovative Research to 2218. grant to Cobra Termite Control, Lauderhill (FL), will be used to fund fumigation Rocha K, Mangine T, Harris EJ, research at the UF/IFAS Ft. Lauderdale Lawrence PO. "Immature development of Research and Education Center and aims to Fopius arisanus in the oriental fruit fly, further support a patent granted to Bactrocera dorsalis.” Presented at the ESA entomologist Rudi Scheffrahn (FLREC) and meeting. Adjacent to 2218 Mark Weinberg (Cobra) for use of methyl bromide as a structural decontaminant of Persad A, Jeyaprakash A, Hoy MA. anthrax spores. On 29 October, Scheffrahn “High-fidelity PCR assay discriminates met with EPA and Homeland Security between immature Lipolexis scutellaris and officials, and US Army scientists at the Lysiphlebus testaceipes within their aphid Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds in hosts." Maryland to develop a protocol for fumigating virulent anthrax spores and Arevalo A, Frank JH. “Sugar composition candidate surrogate spores with methyl in the crop contents of Larra bicolor bromide. The Edgewood Chemical and (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) captured in the Biological Center (ECBC) at Aberdeen is the field.” Presented at the ESA meeting. US military's center for bioterrorism Adjacent to 2312. research. The $160K ECBC study is to be funded by the Technical Support Working Big Bug Books Group of the Office of Homeland Security. Field testing of non-pathogenic surrogate Are you one of over 350 authors, from 36 spores is slated to begin at FLREC in July countries, of the Encyclopedia of 2004. Entomology, edited by Dr. John Capinera? It is currently in press and should be Dr. Pauline Lawrence received a $43,408 available late Spring of 2004. The grant from the National Science Foundation Encyclopedia contains 2400 pages in three to study the symbiotic viruses in volumes and will list for $495 (US) or 450 Diachasmimorpha krausii, a parasitoid of the Euros. There is a pre-publication price of Mediterranean fruit fly and related tephritids $396 (US) or 360 Euros if you order before and a supplement to her existing NSF grant 30 April 2004. Details at to support research experience for three http://www.wkap.nl/prod/b/0-7923-8670-1 or students in the Research Experience for on a poster adjacent to room 3224. Undergraduates program.

Grants Drs. Julio Medal and James Cuda received a one-year $50,000 grant from the Florida The US EPA recently funded another phase Department of Agriculture and Consumer of the project "Whole-structure Services - Division of Plant Industry to decontamination of Bacillus spores by initiate the mass rearing and field release of methyl bromide fumigation" bringing total the South American leaf-beetle Gratiana funding of this project to $288K. In an boliviana for biocontrol of tropical soda example of a public/private partnership, the apple. So far, this beetle has been released in

5 four counties (Alachua, Hendry, Collier and abundance of beetle species and their Polk) in Florida. countless interactions with other life forms make the study of beetles important to the Fall Seminar Series biological sciences overall." Entomologists at Cornell developed a wonderful Web site that The remaining seminars are: allows you to better appreciate this diverse order of insects. You can examine beetle 11/13 - Dr. B. Unruh (University of Florida, time lines, videos, interaction with other life, West Florida REC - Jay) “The role of the 360 degree views and carbon dust extension specialist: past, present, and illustrations. However, you will need both future.” the Flash and Quick Time plug-ins to view the better aspects of this site. Fortunately, 11/20 - Dr. L. Morrison (USDA, links to the plug-ins are available on site. The Gainesville) “The island biogeography and Best of the Bugs Web site is available at metapopulation dynamics of Bahamian ants.” http://pests.ifas.ufl.edu/bestbugs/.

11/27 - Happy Thanksgiving. Eat all the Distance Education turkey you want, but remember you are what you eat. Although the department has several online and other distance education courses 12/4 - Dr. L. Duncan (University of Florida, available, these were developed by each Citrus REC - Lake Alfred) "Food webs and instructor with no adherence to a the biological control of a pest-disease department-wide standard. So a committee complex by entomopathogenic nematodes" was formed early in the year to develop general guidelines. At the October faculty Student Seminar Requirement meeting, Phil Koehler presented the results of the Distance Education Committee’s work Faculty and students are reminded that and recommended curriculum. The graduate students are required to take committee consists of: Phil Koehler, Chair, seminar courses: M.S. - 1 credit; Ph.D. - 2 Rebecca Baldwin, Eileen Buss, John credits. Some or all of these courses have an Capinera, Skip Choate, Pete Coon, Debbie oral presentation requirement. Check with Hall, Nick Hostettler, Heather McAuslane, Debbie Hall, Student Services Coordinator, Jane Medley and Faith Oi. for scheduled Spring semester seminar courses. Koehler passed out a copy of the proposed curriculum and method of delivery of the Best of the Bugs courses and labs. He also passed out a listing of the different certificates to be earned, the The Cornell University Beetle Science Web courses and number of credits required to site is the latest insect- or nematode related obtain these certificates and the semester in site to receive the UF/IFAS Department of which the course would be offered. The Entomology and Nematology Best of the department plans to implement the Distance Bugs Award. This site states that, "The Education Program in January 2004.

6 Job Wanted assistantship have been very active in this effort. However, I am sure that Justin and all Jeff White is completing his M.S. in his predecessors will admit that they could December and is searching for full time not fulfill all the requests for departmental hours: “...either two part time jobs or an tours, school visits and more without the internship, as long as I get 35 or more hours, participation of many of our other fine in the Gainesville area starting around students. Our thanks to all of them. January 1st and running till April. I have experience in bio-control, IPM, behavior and Featured Creatures ecology as well as the taxonomy of insects. I would like to work in an entomological The UF/IFAS Department of Entomology project or a related field. If anyone is looking and Nematology and the FDACS Division of for OPS workers or knows of an internship Plant Industry now have over 310 UF/IFAS position please contact me at 392-1901 ex. publications on the Featured Creatures Web 182 or you can find me in room 2111 in the site at http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/, with Entomology Dept. (Dr. Liburd’s lab).” more undergoing development. During October 2003, the Featured Creatures Web Bug Joke site recorded 139,055 distinct visitors and 243,958 page views. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a “worm” in the fruit you are "I am really excited to learn more about these eating. interesting creatures (cicada killers)...having this file available online will be very helpful Halloween Creeps in convincing alarmed callers that this insect maybe ain't so bad after all. I do appreciate Speaking of jokes... It is amazing what some your kindness writing this up for us Dr. people will do for a little attention. :-) Stange, I promise to put it to good use! Graduate students Justin Harbison, who Thanks again!!! - JoAnn Hoffman, Urban currently holds the department’s Outreach Horticulture Program Assistant, Hillsborough Assistantship, and Scott Weilman posed for County Cooperative Extension Service an UF/IFAS Halloween news release with a tarantula and scorpion crawling on their New text and/or photographs were added to faces. See http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/ for their the files on: white-footed ant and giant water photograph (dated 10/30/03). By the way, the bugs. “Creeps” in this section title refers to the arachnids, not Justin or Scott. :-) During the period 1 July - 30 September 2003, the most popular Featured Creatures Our students are very active in local outreach were (in order): brown recluse spider (GB programs, partially because the department Edwards DPI), lovebug (HA Denmark/FW considers this effort so important that we Mead DPI); yellowjackets (EE Grissell have designated an assistantship for that DPI); bed bug (SE Brooks UF); house fly (H purpose. We are also fortunate that all of the Sanchez-Arroyo UF); common house spider graduate students who received this (GB Edwards DPI); southern house spider

7 (GB Edwards DPI) and deer flies (JM unsubscribing to the listserv. Andy Koehler Squitier UF). does the coding for the HTML version.

Bug Tutorials During September 2003, the UF/IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology The latest Bug Tutorial CEU/Training CD Newsletter Web site recorded 3,456 distinct (SW 170) contains two tutorials: Mole visitors and 4,835 page views. The newsletter Crickets and listserv contains 215 subscribers. Enemies of Mole Crickets and is authorized by the Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control and the Bureau of Compliance Monitoring for 1 (one) CEU each in any of the following categories:

Commercial Lawn and Ornamental, Ornamental and Turf. Limited Lawn Ornamental. Limited Lawn Maintenance, Private Agricultural Applicator and Agricultural Row Crop.

Developers are Aaron Weed and Thomas Fasulo. Aaron Weed was a MS student under Howard Frank, our mole cricket researcher and biological control specialist, and currently works in Dartmouth, MA. Details are available on the UF/IFAS Buggy Software Web site at http://pests.ifas.ufl.edu/software/.

Newsletter Minutia

Thomas Fasulo is the newsletter editor. Please send submissions to him at [email protected]. Issues are published about the middle of each month. Items for each month’s issue should be sent no later than the 10th of that month.

Printed copies are distributed only within Building 970. A notice is sent to all those on the UF-Bugnews-l listserv when HTML and PDF copies are posted on the newsletter Web site at http://entnews.ifas.ufl.edu/, which contains instructions for subscribing and

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