Texas A&M Entomology Research Network

Rob Williams

Ph.D. Candidate Receives Top Award for Academic Advising

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The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Ph.D. candidate Jennie Rhinesmith-Carranza for her hard work in advising students in the Department of Animal Science this year.

Rhinesmith-Carranza was awarded the Texas A&M University President’s Award for Academic Advising, which is the highest academic advising award offered universitywide.

Rhinesmith-Carranza has been pursuing a PhD in Dr. Tomberlin’s lab since 2017 and became a Ph.D. candidate in December 2019. Her dissertation research explores the inter- and intraspecific effects on carrion volatiles and attraction of two primary carrion colonizers, Nicrophorus vespilloides and Lucilia sericata.

In addition to her research, Rhinesmith-Carranza has worked as a full-time Academic Advisor since 2013 when she started advising for the College of Nursing at the Texas A&M Health Science Center.  In 2015, Rhinesmith-Carranza started working as an undergraduate academic advisor with the Department of Animal Science.

As an advisor, Rhinesmith-Carranza advises more than 1,200 undergraduate students in Animal Sciences, as well as serves as the program coordinator for the Honors in Animal Science program. She also has served as a teaching assistant for ENTO 423, FIVS 431, and FIVS 432, and as an assistant lecturer for ENTO 482 and FIVS 482.

“I absolutely love working with undergraduate students, whether it is via academic advising or by teaching in the classroom,” she said.

Rhinesmith-Carranza was very honored to receive the award.

“It was such an honor to be selected for the President’s Award – I consider myself immensely lucky to come to a job I love, with people I love, to do something I love every day!” she said. “I find working with students in all capacities very meaningful and fulfilling, and it is a sweet sentiment just to have been nominated by my students and peers.”

Citizen Scientist Project needs input from Texas residents

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by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service scientists hope you will join the ranks of Texas residents participating in a multi-state project to identify pollinator-friendly plants and ultimately help pollinator populations.

The Pollinator Citizen Science Project has been accepting new recruits for its second year as a volunteer-based information-gathering program.

The purpose of this project is to utilize volunteer “citizen-scientists” to determine the attractiveness of different commercially available annual and perennial ornamental plants to various pollinator groups in Texas and Oklahoma.

The project started as a collaboration between research and extension personnel at Texas A&M University, Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University and Oklahoma State University.

Erfan Vafaie, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Overton, said creators of the project hope to answer a long-popular question among ornamental and pollinator lovers: Which common flowers in Texas and Oklahoma do pollinators find most attractive?

“We are looking for master gardeners, master naturalists, landscapers, home garden enthusiasts and the like to participate in a citizen-science pollinator project,” Vafaie said. “Citizen scientists need to have access to outdoor flowering plants, whether it be in their own gardens or a nearby park or botanical garden, and make regular observations throughout the flowering season, at least once a week, to track pollinator visits.”

Join the Citizen Scientist Project

The project is mainly focused on southern states, but because data can be filtered by region, citizen-scientists report from anywhere in the U.S. It is also focused on introduced plant cultivars rather than native species.

Vafaie said the project asks volunteers to determine the plant species observed down to the binomial Latin name and to classify pollinators into one of many categories including honey bees, bumble bees, other bees, non-bee wasps, non-bee flies, butterflies and moths, and beetles.

Other information collected include the location, temperature and time of the observation, he said.

“These observations can be made in a backyard garden or at a botanical garden,” he said. “We want the observations to be from the same location throughout the season so we have a range of data relating to conditions and flowering, but we also want people to know they can do this at home.”

The Citizen Scientist project will provide online training modules focused on how to perform observations, identifying different pollinator groups, selecting a patch of flowering plants, and how to fill out the citizen-science survey.

“The training modules will take volunteers through the steps needed to report accurately,” he said. “It’s just as important to get reports that are consistent and accurate, whether they’re observing certain pollinators on specific plants or not seeing anything. We want the positive and negative because they both contribute to an accurate portrayal of what plants may attract pollinators and potentially why.”

The project receives no direct funding and operates through researchers’ existing programs and volunteers, Vafaie said.

Project results so far

As of April 1, there were 282 official citizen-scientist volunteers, including 172 master naturalists and 76 master gardeners, Vafaie said. But anyone who is interested in gardening, ornamental plants or pollinators and willing to commit time to the project is welcome to join.

In 2019, volunteers provided almost 8,000 contributions to the project.

Volunteer observations represented 215 plant species from 57 plant families. Some most commonly observed plant families included tickseed, purple coneflower, yarrow, black-eyed Susan, spearmint, oregano, salvia and lantana, mock verbena, frog fruit and verbena.

The 2020 observation surveys will be accepting observations through October. Vafaie said researchers hope to continue the project and collect data on pollinators into the future.

Vafaie said the Citizen Scientist project is a great opportunity for the public to participate in a scientific survey program dedicated to pollinators.

“Pollinators are getting more attention these days, and people are becoming more aware of their importance to humans and the world around us,” he said. “In the end, we hope this project helps pollinator populations.”

Anyone interested in participating in the Pollinator Project should go to the project page and complete the three-step process to become a volunteer. Volunteers will be asked to view an hour-long webinar on the project and pass a short quiz before signing up.

Cattle fever tick numbers on the rise

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AgriLife experts warn of ticks’ potential negative economic impact

by Susan Himes, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications

Quarantine Zone sign
A million acres beyond the permanent quarantine zone is now quarantined due to cattle fever. (AgriLife photo)

Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are working to help thwart the spread of cattle fever.

An announcement from the Texas Animal Health Commission, TAHC, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program, USDA-CFTEP, that cattle fever tick infestations have spread outside the permanent quarantine zone prompted concern from AgriLife experts, who last dealt with a large outbreak in 2017.

“The discovery of more fever tick infestations, particularly outside of the permanent quarantine zone, is significant,” said Pete Teel, Ph.D., AgriLife Research entomologist, College Station. “At risk is the economy of the Texas cattle industry and the more than 400,000 cattle producers throughout the southern region of the U.S.”

Cattle fever ticks, known scientifically as Rhipicephalus annulatus and Rhipicephalus microplus, can carry the microscopic parasites that cause bovine babesiosis or cattle fever. These are the only two tick species that can transmit the disease. Once an animal is infected, these parasites attack red blood cells resulting in acute anemia, enlargement of the liver and spleen, and a high fever.

TAHC and USDA-CFTEP are currently working to determine the extent of the spread of the ticks and to trace the source.

Tracking tick locations

Cattle fever tick close up photo
Close up picture of a live cattle fever tick. (AgriLife Photo)

“When producers observe ticks on their livestock, it is imperative they contact their local TAHC livestock inspector or region office, USDA inspector, private veterinarian or local AgriLife Extension office to arrange for collection and submission of tick samples to the TAHC laboratory in Austin,” said Andy Schwartz, DVM, TAHC executive director, in a recent press release. “This extra surveillance protects the Texas cattle industry.”

So far, ticks have been found on cattle outside of the permanent quarantine zone in Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Jim Hogg and Willacy counties. Traditionally, the southern counties of Texas bordering Mexico tend to have the biggest problem with fever tick disease. Both cattle fever ticks and bovine babesiosis are endemic in the neighboring states of Mexico.

An area of a half million acres, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville to north of Del Rio, makes up the permanent quarantine zone. There are now over a million acres quarantined outside of the permanent zone.

“One of the outcomes that often comes back to AgriLife from concerned citizens is the impact of trace-outs from these infestations and how that affects producers, livestock owners and land managers who may be temporarily quarantined until it can be determined that fever ticks have not spread,” said Teel.

AgriLife Research has a long history of dedicated joint research efforts in support of the U.S. cattle industry and the regulatory agencies responsible for the USDA-CFTEP. AgriLife researchers and specialists have formed a support group and all of the agency’s county agents in infected areas are up to date on the latest information.

Anyone with questions or concerns may reach out to their local AgriLife Extension office. The TAMU TickApp for smartphones is also an informative tool.

“More than one-third of the U.S. fed cattle are produced in this region of Texas,” Teel said. “U.S. cattle are naive to bovine babesiosis and mortality is estimated to exceed 70% in naive cattle. There are no protective vaccines or approved drugs. Our focus is to prevent the only vector, cattle fever ticks, from spreading further across Texas.”

Cattle fever eradication efforts began in the U.S. in 1906 and were declared successful in the 1940s. Periodic incursions have been occurring in Texas since the 1970s. Teel said the expansion of native and exotic game, diversification of animal enterprises, changes in land-use, brush encroachment and variation in climatic cycles have all contributed to the challenge of warding off incursions.

“We ask that livestock producers help us in protecting the nation from fever ticks by being proactive when purchasing cattle from counties with known fever tick infestations,” said Schwartz. “The TAHC and USDA-CFTEP operate public dipping vats along the Texas-Mexico border and in a few South Texas counties where producers can voluntarily take their cattle to be treated before returning home.”

Horses, deer and exotic livestock may also host cattle fever ticks. Transportation of any of these hosts can spread cattle fever ticks. Once the ticks are discovered on a location, it is quarantined. Once under quarantine, the cattle and other susceptible animals are prescribed a treatment program until the ticks can be eradicated from the area.

“AgriLife is fully engaged in research projects directly focused on improving technologies, tactics and strategies to prevent these ticks from becoming re-established in the U.S. and thus preventing outbreaks of bovine babesiosis,” said Teel.

AgriLife Research, 4Ry and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service are also currently working on collaborative research projects to develop additional means to more efficiently and effectively kill cattle fever ticks on cattle, other livestock and wildlife.

Students Receive Senior Merit Awards

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTvF1aO8I00

Congratulations to three of our students on receiving this year’s College of Agriculture’s Senior Merit Awards during a special virtual ceremony during the second week in May.

Seniors Marina Conner, Jordan Cornell, and Harlee Schneider received the awards for their leadership, scholarship and service at the department, college and university level.  The Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senior Merit Award is the highest award given to undergraduates by the College.

Jordan Cornell

Cornell is an Entomology major with a minor in Public Health from San Antonio.  He was a member of the Corps of Cadets and served as Scholastic Officer.  He was a member of Army ROTC, the AMC Honor Guard and O.R. Simpson organization within the Corps of Cadets.  Jordan was a volunteer with Connecting Point Church where he was a lead classroom teacher for Pre-school Sunday School and with Robyn’s N.E.S.T. program for young children.

Cornell held a full-time summer internship with Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary in the Summer of 2018 where he assisted veterinarians with care for rescued animals and participated in Army Cadet Training in the Summer of 2019.  He has also served as USA Hockey Official and Trainer from 2013-18. He received the Gold Star Award for Academic Excellence and the American Legion Academic Medal.  He was the recipient of the Len P. Quattrochi Memorial Scholarship, Texas Armed Services Scholarship, 3-Year Advanced National Army Scholarship and the General Rudder Scholarship.

Cornell plans to commission into the Army and pursue a career as an officer in the Army working with in public health entomology to provide a healthy environment for communities across the country and around the world.

Marina Conner

Conner is an Entomology major from Rowlett, Texas Marina was a member of the Corps of Cadets where she served as Public Relations Corporal in 2017-18, Scholastics Sergeant and Squad Leader in 2018-19 and Scholastics Officer and Squad Leader in 2019-20. She was also a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band for four years and was chosen for ceremonial bands for both President George H. W. Bush’s funeral and Governor Greg Abbott’s Inauguration. She served as a host for Texas A&M Korean Guest Exchange Program for January/February 2019 and 2020 and served as primary contact to Korean cadets for their month long stay at Texas A&M.

Conner also was a member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council for two years serving as Entomology Departmental Representative and member of the Service Committee. She was a Wildlife Center Aide in 2019 for the Winnie Carter Wildlife Center, teaching facility of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences aimed to familiarize students with managing and caring for exotic and wildlife animals. Conner participated in the Texas A&M University Concert Band as a Symphonic Band French horn player for four years and Concert Band First chair French horn player for two years.

Conner has been Co-Leader of a Cadet girls Bible Study with Campus Crusade for Christ and was a 2017-19 Distinguished Member of the Pre-Vet Society assisting with annual Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine Open House and service events. Additional service activities for Marina included Cornerstone Church Soup Kitchen for the homeless, Aggieland Humane Society 2018 Wiener Fest, Special Olympics Texas Fall Classic in Bryan/College Station in 2018 and 2019 and Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of Bologna, Italy in 2017. Professional development activities include shadowing veterinarians on both large and small animals at East Lake Veterinary Hospital, VCA Park Cities Animal Hospital and Crossroads Veterinary Clinic.

Conner participated in a Texas A&M Caribbean Tropical and Field Biology Study Abroad Program in 2018 where she conducted a field research study on Streak Gecko, Gonatodes vittatus and currently working with Texas A&M professor and Trinidadian professor to prepare paper for submission to the Living World Journal of Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club. Marina was a Buck Weirus Spirit Award Recipient in 2019 and was recognized as Phi Kappa Phi Gathright Outstanding Junior for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2019.  Due to her excellence in campus involvement, she was selected as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Gates-Muller University Award Nominee in 2020.

Harlee Schneider

Harlee Schneider is a Forensic & Investigative Sciences major from Bastrop, TX.  She was a member the of Entomology Scholars Society and the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences Organization (AFIS).  As a member of AFIS, she volunteered with the Chemistry Open House in 2017, 2018 and 2019.  She was also a member of Texas A&M Cupcakes, a non-profit organization that hosts bake sales to benefit the Brazos Valley Food Bank. Schneider also volunteered for the Youth Adventure Program hosted by the Entomology Department to teach high school students about a variety of forensics topics. She served as a Peer Notetaker for Disability Resources.

Schneider also was an intern with the College Station Police Department Criminal Investigations Division in Fall 2019 and volunteered with the Division in Spring 2020.  She also held internships with Clinical Pathology Laboratories in Summer 2016 and with a local physician’s office, Dr. Robert Dougherty, in 2015-16.  She was involved with undergraduate research with an abstract, “Disruptions of Solenopsis invicta Pheromone Trails” published in Instars: A Journal of Student Research in 2019.  She was inducted into the honorary societies of Sigma Alpha Pi and National Society of Collegiate Scholars.  She also was the recipient of several scholarships including Dr. Adrienne Brundage, Joe and Billy Manion, Bastrop County Aggie Mom’s Club, Freedom Alliance Scholarship and the Allan A. Marburger ’60 Endowed Opportunity Award. Schneider plans to attend medical school and become a forensic pathologist.

Students Win Top Awards at North Central – Southwestern Branch Joint Virtual Student Competition

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Group of winners from the ESA Virtual Student Competition
Top row: (from left to right): Mark Janowiecki, Erfan Vafaie, Morgan Thompson. Bottom row (from left to right): Alex Payne, Jaclyn Martin, and Cora Garcia.

Congratulations to our students that received awards during the Entomological Society of America’s 2020 North Central and Southwestern Branch Virtual Student Competition that was held in late April.

This year’s competition was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this event, students submitted a recording of their presentations and uploaded electronic versions of their posters for judging via a special website.

In the undergraduate student 10-minute paper competition, Cora Garcia received first place in the Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology, Plant-Insect Ecosystems and Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity session. Her paper was titled “Honey bee (Apis mellifera) macronutrient regulation: Nurse bee nutritional preferences for proteins and lipids”.

Ph.D. candidate Mark Janowiecki placed second in Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology and Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity session for his presentation titled “Surveying termite communities in primary and secondary neotropical rainforest”. Ph.D. student Morgan Thompson received second place in the Plant-Insect Ecosystems, Session I for her presentation titled “How do plant-associated microbes modify host-plant selection for insect herbivores?” while Ph.D. student Erfan Vafaie received third place for his talk “Robustness of biological control using multiple natural enemies against whitefly influx or delayed natural enemy releases”.

In the Plant-Insect Ecosystems Session II, Ph.D. student Jaclyn Martin received second place for her talk titled “Investigating the effects of Rice hoja blanca virus on the insect vector Tagosodes orizicolus”.

Jordan Gomez placed second in the undergraduate poster contest in the Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology and Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology session for her poster titled “Determining the effects of nutrition on honey bee (Apis mellifera) pathogen defense against deformed wing virus.”

In the Ph.D. category of the Plant-Insect Ecosystems session, Ph.D candidate Alex Payne received second place “Interspecies virus transmission between ants and honey bees (Apis mellifera)”while Isaac Esquivel won third place for “Reciprocal benefits to cotton and bee pollinators in a cotton agroecosystem.”