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Theses and Dissertations

Dissertations from 2024 2024

Investigation of the core microbiota of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae): its impact on pair formation, changes during early colony development and geographic diversity of bacteriophages, Junyan Chen

SOUTHERN HOUSE MOSQUITO (CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS SAY): ASSOCIATION WITH ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS IN ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LOUISIANA, ITS TOLERANCE TO AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE, AND THE EFFECTS OF AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE ON ITS LIFE HISTORY TRAITS, OVIPOSITION CHOICE AND BEHAVIOR, Evan D. Davies

Settling Preference of Nipponaclerda biwakoensis (Hemiptera: Aclerdidae) on Phragmites australis Stems, Alexia Catherine DeSoto, Andrea Glassmire, Rodrigo Diaz, and Michael Stout

Cold Tolerance Evaluations of Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex pipiens with the Ice Nucleator Pseudomonas fluorescens, Mollie Dimise

Revisionary Taxonomy within the Acmaeoderini, Joel DuBois

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA AND HELICOVERPA ZEA POPULATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES TO COMMON CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES, Bhavana Patla

DETERMINING THE IMPACT OF LETHAL TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY WHEN COMBINED WITH VARIOUS INSECTICIDE CLASSES AGAINST A BED BUG (CIMEX LECTULARIUS) POPULATION., Bandana Shrestha

Biological control of roseau cane scale with parasitoid wasps in Louisiana, Tanner C. Sparks

Theses from 2023 2023

Optimizing Virulence and Understanding the Endophytic Colonization of Metarhizium spp. in Sweetpotato for the Control of Cylas Formicarius Elegantulus (Summers), Santosh Bhandari

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of the Olfactory System in the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Paula Castillo

IMPACT OF AREA-WIDE AND LOCALIZED MOSQUITO ADULTICIDE ON INSECTICIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY IN POPULATIONS OF CULEX QUINQUEFASCIATUS (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA., Erin Rita Cloherty

Susceptibility of Spodoptera frugiperda populations in the southern region of the U.S. to common Bt proteins and performance of a dual-gene resistant Helicoverpa zea strain on common pyramided Bt corn traits, Tiago H. da Silva

Integrated pest management and behavior of stored grain beetles, Ethan Doherty

Characterization of Antiviral Immunity, Host Virus Interactions, and Toxicity of Agrochemical Residues in the Western Honey Bee, Christopher Fellows

Integrating cultivar resistance and entomopathogens for pest management of sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Summers), Schyler M. Lee

Evaluating the Pesticide-Induced Outbreak of Soybean Looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Louisiana Soybean, Scott Lee

EVALUATION OF SALVINIA WEEVIL ESTABLISHMENT, DISPERSAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES IMPACTING THE GIANT SALVINIA BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROGRAM, Korey Danielle Pham

INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF TERMITES AS PATHOGEN VECTORS IN THE DECLINE OF IRONWOOD TREES (CASUARINA EQUISETIFOLIA) IN GUAM, Garima Setia

Theses from 2022 2022

Identifying the Components of a Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) (Rosales: Cannabaceae) Integrated Pest Management Program in Louisiana, Nathan C. Arey

The Applied Use of Zein Nanoparticles in Agriculture, Colin Bonser

Defining Understudied Mechanisms of Potassium Ion Flux in the Insect Nervous System, Rui Chen

Review of Structural Color in the Genus Chrysochroa Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Able Chow

Understanding the Horse Fly Species and Species Relations of the Tabanus nigrovittatus Complex Along Coastal Louisiana, Darrius M. Davis

Taxonomic Studies of Cardiochilinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Focused on Specific Genera from Both the Old World and the New World, Ilgoo Kang

Aphid Herbivory on Industrial Hemp, Cannabis sativa L., and the Impact of Plant-Soil Feedbacks on Hemp Performance in Louisiana, Alex Leede

Defining Pathogen-Vector Interactions in Arthropod Salivary Glands and the Utility of Potassium Ion Channels to Inhibit Vector Competency, Zhilin Li

Searching for the Soldier Pheromone: Behavioral Effects of Soldiers and Soldier-Produced Chemicals in the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae)), Joseph McCarthy

The Risks Posed by Mosquito Ultra-Low Volume Applications to Procambarus clarkii Production, Timothy McNamara

Re-evaluation of Late Season Action Thresholds and the Effect of Seed Treatments on Early Season Colonization of Threecornered Alfalfa Hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), in Louisiana Soybean, Glycine max (L) Merr, Tyler Ray Tagle Musgrove

Defining Toxicological Endpoints of Aphis Gossypii Feeding, Flinn O'Hara

Canopy Arthropod Responses to Catastrophic Wind Disturbances in Gulf Coast and Caribbean Forests, Manoj Pandey

Esterase Mediated Insecticide Resistance in the Southern House Mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, Vivek Pokhrel

SOIL MOISTURE MEDIATED BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS OF COPTOTERMES FORMOSANUS AND RETICULITERMES FLAVIPES (BLATTODEA: RHINOTERMITIDAE), Steven J. Richardson

Geographical Distribution, Allele Frequency, and Inheritance of CRY1A.105 and CRY2AB2 Resistance in Helicoverpa zea in the Southeastern Region of the United States, Wenbo Yu

Theses from 2021 2021

Regional Expansion and Evaluation of Potential Chemical Control for Invasive Apple Snails (Pomacea maculata) in Southwest Louisiana, Julian M. Lucero

Improving the Deployment of Insecticidal Seed Treatments in Louisiana Rice in Accordance with Integrated Pest Management, Megan Marie Mulcahy

A Comparison of Intertidal Metazoan Biodiversity Between Previously Oiled Sheared and Intact Marsh Margins and Between Multiple Salinity Zones in the Coastal Marshes of Louisiana, Patrick M. Rayle

Characterization of Resistance to Two Crambid Stem Borers Among Louisiana Sugarcane Cultivars, Leonardo D. Salgado

Investigating Plant Tolerance for the Management of Insect Pests in Rice, James Michael Villegas

Revealing the native status of Conyza bonariensis: Specialization of insect herbivores associated with Conyza and Erigeron spp. (Asteraceae) in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, Carlos Wiggins

Theses from 2020 2020

The Collection of Baseline Data on Insect and Plant Communities Across Multiple Salinity Zones Within Louisiana's Tidal Marshes, Benjamin G. Aker

ECOLOGY OF THE ROSEAU CANE SCALE (NIPPONACLERDA BIWAKOENSIS, HEMIPTERA: ACLERDIDAE) IN COASTAL LOUISIANA, Leslie Alejandra Aviles Lopez

Characterizing the Epidemiology of Bluetongue and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus in Louisiana, Michael Edward Becker

Larval Survival and Movement of the Fall Armyworm and Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Seed Blends of Non-Bt and Pyramided Bt Corn: Implications for Resistance Management, Marcelo Dimase

The Effects of Oral and Venereal Transmission of Deformed wing virus on Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Queen and Colony Health, Sarah Lang

Impacts of commercial biopesticides on crapemyrtle bark scale (Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae) and beneficial insects, Giovana Matos Franco

Insecticide Resistance Management Approaches and Naturally Derived Toxicants for the Control of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, Sarah McComic

Taxonomy and Systematics of the New Zealand Pselaphini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Brittany Elin Owens

Functional Characterization of the Secretory Activity of Aedes aegypti Salivary Glands, Alexander E. Soohoo-Hui

Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Tripartite Interaction Between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Rice, and Insects, Lina Bernaola Alvarado

Physiological Characterization of Inward Rectifier Potassium (Kir) Channels in Insect Neural Systems, Rui Chen

Effects of Dietary Sugars and Sugar Alcohols on Mortality and Thermal Tolerance in Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti, Madeleine Chura

Effects of Virus Infection and Volatiles on Aphid Virus Vector Behavior on Sweetpotato, John Lawrence Dryburgh

The Role of ATP-Sensitive Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels In The Regulation of Reactive Oxygen Species In The Western Honey Bee, APIS Mellifera L., CHRISTOPHER J. FELLOWS

Determining the Presence or Absence of Euscepes postfasciatus in Haiti and use of Molecular Markers for the Distinction of Cylas formicarius elangantulus Biotypes, Marie Rachele Lexidort

Effects of Plant Viruses on Vectors and Non-vector Herbivores in Three Different Pathosystems, Sunil Paudel

Influence of the Annual Flood Pulse of the Atchafalaya River and Updates on the Ecology of Floodplain Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Hemiptera and their Associates, Patricia LS Wooden

Theses from 2018 2018

Determining Bioindicators for Coastal Tidal Marsh Health Using the Food Web of Larvae of the Greenhead Horse Fly (Tabanus nigrovittatus), Devika Rajeev Bhalerao

Impact of Temperature, Plant Species, and Sorghum Cultivar on the Population Dynamics of Melanaphis sacchari, Monique Ferreira de Souza

The Effects of Juvenile Exposure to Sub-lethal Concentrations of Pesticides on the Adult Reproductive Biology of the Male Southern House Mosquitoe, Culex quinquefasciatus, Shiloh Dean Judd

Ecology of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus Planipennis: Buprestidae) in Louisiana, Balwinder Kaur

Susceptibility of Field-Collected Pupations of the Corn Earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Three Southern States of the U.S. to Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 Proteins, Gagandeep Kaur

Impact of Sorghum Cultivar, Phenology, Nitrogen, and Silicon Fertilization on Melanaphis sacchari Biology, Luna Lama

Characterizing the Physiological Role of Inward Rectifier Potassium (Kir) Channels in Tick Salivary Gland Function, Zhilin Li

Risk Assessment of Fall Armyworm Resistance To Transgenic Corn Containing Single or Pyramided Bacillus Thuringiensis Genes, YING NIU

Theses from 2017 2017

Fitness costs and inheritance of Bt Cry2Ab2 resistance in fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), Binod Acharya

Ecology and Biology of the Redbanded Stink Bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) in Louisiana, Anup Bastola

Determining the Influence of Imidacloprid and Glufosinate Ammonium on the Population Dynamics of Twospotted Spider Mite Populations in Louisiana Cotton, Sebe Anthony Brown

Evaluation of Control Tactics for Management of Sweetpotato Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Jie Chen

Effects of Elicitor Induced Host Plant Resistance on Lepidopteran Insecticide Efficacy, Abigail Cox

Susceptibility of the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, in East Baton Rouge Parish to larval insecticides, Nicholas Alexander DeLisi

Incorporation of Biorationals and Trap Crop for Stink Bug Management in Soybeans, Kukuh Hernowo

Role of Varietal Resistance in Managing the Rice Water Weevil, a Major Insect Pest of Louisiana Rice, Maisarah Mohamad Saad

Evaluation of Winter Management Methods to Enhance Survival of the Giant Salvinia Weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae, Lori Robyn Moshman

Occurrence and Phenology of Polistine Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Southern Louisiana, Scott Nacko

Cold Tolerance and Overwintering Physiology of the Salvinia Weevil (Cyrtobagous salviniae): Improving the Biological Control of Giant Salvinia in Temperate Louisiana, Alana D. Russell

Termite Gut Microbes as Tools and Targets for Termite Control, Chinmay Vijay Tikhe

Effects of Soil Silicon Amendment and Nitrogen Levels on Rice Insect Pest Complex, James Michael P. Villegas

Biology and Ecology of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, Acanthococcus Lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), Zinan Wang

Theses from 2016 2016

Analysis of Insect Pest Reports at LSU Residential Life, Namoona Acharya

Ant Diversity and Community Structure in Coastal Dunes and Wetlands, Xuan Chen

Cockroaches (Blattodea) of Southern Louisiana: Morphology, Diversity, and Life Histories, Forest Brady Huval

Results of Operation Full Stop: Terminix Service Co. Inc., control of Formosan Subterranean Termites (Coptotermes Formosanus) in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Edward Joseph Martin IV

Effects of Truck Based Ultra-Low Volume Mosquito Adulticides on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) in a Real World Scenario, Vivek Pokhrel

Mexican Rice Borer (Eoreuma loftini) Pheromone Trap Efficacy and Role in Invasive Species Monitoring and Pest Management, Blake Emerson Wilson

Theses from 2015 2015

Effects of spinosad on Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), Dependra Bhatta

Herbivore Response to Soybean Under Differing Induction Methods, John L. Dryburgh

Effects of Detrital Subsidy on Arthropod Communities in Louisiana Rice Fields and Predation on Rice Water Weevil (Lissorhoptrus Oryzophilus), Nathan Mercer

Effectiveness of an Artisanal McPhail Trap for Mass Trapping Tephritid Fruit Flies in Haiti, Fractyl Mertilus

Integrated Multiple-tactic Management of the Redbanded Stink Bug on Soybeans in Louisiana, Miyanda Nzala Moonga

Impact and Management of the Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Bioenergy Crop Agroecosystems, Matthew Travis VanWeelden

Dissertations from 2014 2014

Evaluation of Economic Injury Levels and Chemical Control Recommendations for Rice Stink Bug (Oebalus Pugnax) in Louisiana, Bryce Blackman

Effects of Induced Plant Resistance and Potassium Fertilization Rates on Soybean Looper (Chrysodeixis Includens) Development in Soybean, Xuan Chen

Characterization of Cry1F Resistance in Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) Obtained from Puerto Rico and Florida, Vikash Dangal

Resistance of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) to Bacillus thuringiensis, Ying Niu

A Revision and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genus Eutyphlus LeConte (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) with a Comparison of Sampling Methodologies, Brittany Elin Owens

Research in Biological Control of the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Cai Wang

Evaluation of Pyramided Bt Corn for Management of Corn Earworm and Fall Armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Fei Yang

Theses from 2013 2013

A survey of chemical elicitors and their effectiveness as promoters of plant defense against herbivory by Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), John Gordy

Taxonomy and systematics of New Zealand Faronitae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae), Jong-Seok Park