Understanding an herbivorous pest’s population dynamics is necessary to ensure proper integrated pest management strategies are being... Show moreUnderstanding an herbivorous pest’s population dynamics is necessary to ensure proper integrated pest management strategies are being developed and used. The western bean cutworm is a pest of both corn and dry beans that is understudied and difficult to manage due to its nocturnal lifestyle, adaptation to current management techniques and a general lack of understanding regarding its population structure. Our studies focused on the effects of host plant and pathogens on western bean cutworm population structure and found that mainly adults which developed on corn are contributing to the next generation of western bean cutworm in Michigan, making corn and dry beans unsuitable as co-refuges in insecticide resistance management strategies.We also found a 100% prevalence of the Nosema sp. in the adult population of western bean cutworm in Michigan. This prevalence, when paired with the consistent crop damage caused annually by the western bean cutworm, which confirms an abundance of cutworms are present, suggests the infection is slow acting and non-lethal to its host. Following sequencing, assembly, and annotation of the Nosema sp. genome, we were unable to provide a reason for the Nosema sp.’s low virulence, however, we were able to confirm the presence of all 6 polar tube proteins. Upon further examination of the Nosema sp. genome we were able to determine that it is a true Nosema with genome size of ~9.57 Mbp (~20% of which are transposable elements), which is within the typical range for this genus. Show less
