Investigations on Rangeland Grasshoppers: Ecoregion Level Distribution, Identification, Eedingf Performance, and Vegetation Clipping
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Dissertations and Student Research in Entomology Entomology, Department of Fall 12-2012 Investigations on Rangeland Grasshoppers: Ecoregion Level Distribution, Identification, eedingF Performance, and Vegetation Clipping Muhammad Ullah University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/entomologydiss Part of the Entomology Commons Ullah, Muhammad, "Investigations on Rangeland Grasshoppers: Ecoregion Level Distribution, Identification, eedingF Performance, and Vegetation Clipping" (2012). Dissertations and Student Research in Entomology. 22. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/entomologydiss/22 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Entomology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Student Research in Entomology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. INVESTIGATIONS ON RANGELAND GRASSHOPPERS: ECOREGION LEVEL DISTRIBUTION, IDENTIFICATION, FEEDING PERFORMANCE, AND VEGETATION CLIPPING by Muhammad Irfan Ullah A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Major: Entomology Under the Supervision of Professors W. Wyatt Hoback and John E. Foster Lincoln, Nebraska December, 2012 INVESTIGATIONS ON RANGELAND GRASSHOPPERS: ECOREGION LEVEL DISTRIBUTION, IDENTIFICATION, FEEDING PERFORMANCE, AND VEGETATION CLIPPING Muhammad Irfan Ullah, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2012 Advisors: W. Wyatt Hoback, John E. Foster Short-horned grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) were studied in the field as well as in laboratory for their distribution, identification, preferred food plants and feeding damage. These grasshoppers are important potential pests of rangelands where they compete for forage with cattle. Examination of the 20 most common grasshoppers by levels 3 and 4 of Nebraska ecoregions revealed specific habitat use and may be helpful in predicting hotspots. The relative abundance of all species analyzed showed at least some significant differences at ecoregion level 4 and two species showed single ecoregion that differed from all others at level 3. Grasshoppers belonging to subfamilies Melanoplinae, Gomphocerinae and Oedipodinae differ in biology and ecology, and were tested in a greenhouse experiment for feeding preference on switchgrass cultivars (Shawnee, Kanlow) and big bluestem. The data indicated a strong preference of Melanoplus differentialis for switchgrass (P ≤0.001). Melanoplus femurrubrum and Arphia xanthoptera also preferred the Shawnee cultivar. Further, the relative water content of the plants influenced consumption by M. differentialis which ate more healthy leaves than wilted leaves. The differences among grasshopper species suggested that Melanoplinae grasshoppers could become destructive pests of switchgrass fields. In addition to consumption, grasshoppers also cause feeding damage through vegetation clipping. Two grasshopper species were tested to quantify the amount of clippings at high, moderate and low moisture levels for little bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium and buffalograss, Bouteloua dactyloides. All tested grasshopper species generated clippings. Relative water content of the grass affected the amount of clipping and differed by grasshopper and plant species. The results indicated that water content of the plant and species of grasshopper are important factors in damage. This study will aid in defining economic injury levels for rangeland grasshopper species. Two unidentified forms Melanoplus bowditchi ―frigidus‖ and Melanoplus bowditchi ―tridentatus‖ along with described subspecies of M. bowditchi were compared for morphological and genetic variations. No consistent differences among the aedeagal parameres or basal rings of the four forms were found. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism markers (AFLP) were used to test the genetic variation among the forms. Although the forms show behavioral and minor morphological differences, the genetic data showed all forms interbreed. The results of this study indicate that host plants can influence phenotype and suggest the need for further genetic analysis of subspecies recognized based on morphology. iv Acknowledgments There are numerous individuals who have assisted me in the completion of this study. I would like to sincerely thank my advisors, Dr. W. Wyatt Hoback and Dr. John E. Foster for all of their continued assistance, guidance, expertise and support over the years. They have been more than academic advisors who cared for my livelihood and social gatherings. I owe the thanks to other members of my committee who played an integral role in the completion of this dissertation. I would also like to thank and acknowledge my committee members, Dr. Shripat T. Kamble, Dr. Kerri M. Farnsworth- Hoback and Dr. Mathew L. Brust for their helpful advice and guidance. Their guidance and insight over the period of my study has been both valuable and highly appreciated. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Steven R. Skoda for his valuable advice and guidance running PAUP software and giving valuable suggestions. Thanks to Dr. Ousmane Youm, who always encouraged me to achieve my goals. Thanks to Dr. Zakir Hussain and Dr. Muhammad Afzal who supported and encouraged me to achieve this milestone. A special thanks to my lab mate, Miss Fatima Mustafa, a wonderful friend, colleague and collaborator. I cordially appreciate her help during my stay here. I wish her a bright and successful career ahead. Thanks to all of my lab mates who helped me greatly. My friends at UNL and beyond, Dr. Sean D. Whipple. Dr. Kate M. Kneeland, Dr. Jessica Jurzenski, Wan Zaki, Hafiz, Jelfina and many more of you who I am almost certainly forgetting. I sincerely thank to all of you. I would also to extend my thanks and gratitude to UNL entomology department, staff, fellow graduate students and faculty for v support throughout my time here. Special thanks to Jeri and Marilyn for their smiling faces and support. To my family, thank you for believing in me. Bundle of thanks to my parents, without your love and support; I would not be here now. You all make up the most amazing support system. Specially, I am truly grateful for the upbringing my parents and my brother Ali, who always supported me to achieve high goals. I also thank my younger brother, Imran who backed me up processing and sending me the money during the entire period of my PhD. My uncle Aziz is always a source of guidance for me. I thank him for his moral and religious support. They have continually demonstrated the value of strong work ethic, perseverance, and integrity. I am also extremely thankful to my wife, Sadia, for her continued trust, guidance and encouragement as well. My daughter Eshaal is a wonderful doll. She kept me smiling during the period of stress. I love you Eshaal. Thanks to my sister and brothers for their support. My mother is the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. I greatly acknowledge the financial support by University of Sargodha, Pakistan and Higher Education Commission of Pakistan throughout my stay in Lincoln, was invaluable. Above all, I feel myself inept to regard the blessings of Almighty Allah, my words have lost their expressions and knowledge is lacking to express gratitude in the rightful manner to the blessings and support of Allah the Almighty who flourished my ambitions and helped me to attain goals. vi This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of my late father vii Table of Contents Page Abstract ii Acknowledgments iv List of Tables xi List of Figures xiii List of Appendices xv Chapter 1: Introduction and Literature Review 1 Grasshopper Biology and Ecology 5 Feeding Preference 6 Host Specificity and Genetic Variation 7 Grasshopper Sampling 9 Grasshopper Damage 10 Temperature and Precipitation 12 Switchgrass Biofuel 13 Ecological Regions 14 Management of Economically Important Grasshoppers 15 Objectives 16 References Cited 17 Chapter 2: Ecoregion-Level Distributions for Common Nebraska Rangeland Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) 31 Abstract 32 Introduction 33 viii Materials and Methods 36 Results 38 Level 3 Ecoregion Analysis 38 Level 4 Ecoregion Analysis 39 Discussion 40 Acknowledgments 46 References Cited 47 Chapter 3: Host-specific Forms of Melanoplus bowditchi (Orthoptera: Acrididae) are Indistinguishable Genetically and in Aedeagi Morphology 62 Abstract 63 Introduction 64 Materials and Methods 67 Insects 67 Aedeagal analysis 67 Genetic Analysis 67 Extraction and Quantification of DNA 67 AFLP-PCR methods for genetic analysis 69 Template preparation 69 Preamplification 69 Selective amplification 70 Data scoring and analysis 70 Results 71 Aedeagal study 71 ix Genetic Variation Study 71 Discussion 73 Acknowledgments 77 References Cited 78 Chapter 4: Plant Species and Plant Water Content Affect Clipping Rates by Species Grasshopper 92 Abstract 93 Introduction 94 Materials and Methods 97 Results 98 Discussion 99 References Cited 103 Chapter 5: Feeding Rates of Grasshoppers Subfamilies Differ among Big bluestem and Switchgrass Cultivars 114 Abstract 115 Introduction 116 Materials and Methods 118 Feeding performance among switchgrass cultivars and big bluestem 118 Feeding preference