Clemson University TigerPrints All Theses Theses 8-2010 INSECT DIVERSITY AND PEST STATUS ON SWITCHGRASS GROWN FOR BIOFUEL IN SOUTH CAROLINA Claudia Holguin Clemson University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Holguin, Claudia, "INSECT DIVERSITY AND PEST STATUS ON SWITCHGRASS GROWN FOR BIOFUEL IN SOUTH CAROLINA" (2010). All Theses. 960. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/960 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. INSECT DIVERSITY AND PEST STATUS ON SWITCHGRASS GROWN FOR BIOFUEL IN SOUTH CAROLINA A Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Entomology by Claudia Maria Holguin August 2010 Accepted by: Dr. Francis Reay-Jones, Committee Chair Dr. Peter Adler Dr. Juang-Horng 'JC' Chong Dr. Jim Frederick ABSTRACT Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has tremendous potential as a biomass and stock crop for cellulosic ethanol production or combustion as a solid fuel. The first goal of this study was to assess diversity of insects in a perennial switchgrass crop in South Carolina. A three-year study was conducted to sample insects using pitfall traps and sweep nets at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, SC, from 2007- 2009. Collected specimens were identified to family and classified by trophic groups, and predominant species were identified.