@article{stahr_lytle_avila_huseth_bertone_quesada-ocampo_2024, title={<i>Drosophila hydei</i> as a Potential Vector of <i>Ceratocystis fimbriata</i>, the Causal Agent of Sweetpotato Black Rot, in Storage Facilities}, volume={7}, ISSN={["1943-7684"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-09-23-0328-R}, DOI={10.1094/PHYTO-09-23-0328-R}, abstractNote={, the causal agent of sweetpotato black rot, is a pathogen capable of developing and spreading within postharvest settings. A survey of North Carolina sweetpotato storage facilities was conducted to determine the arthropods present and identify potential vectors of}, journal={PHYTOPATHOLOGY}, author={Stahr, Madison and Lytle, Amanda and Avila, Kelly and Huseth, Anders S. and Bertone, Mathew and Quesada-Ocampo, Lina M.}, year={2024}, month={Jul} }
 @article{dorman_kudenov_lytle_griffith_huseth_2021, title={Computer vision for detecting field‐evolved lepidopteran resistance to
            <i>Bt
            maize}, volume={77}, ISSN={1526-498X 1526-4998}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ps.6566}, DOI={10.1002/ps.6566}, abstractNote={AbstractBACKGROUNDResistance evolution of lepidopteran pests to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins produced in maize and cotton is a significant issue worldwide. Effective toxin stewardship requires reliable detection of field‐evolved resistance to enable the implementation of mitigation strategies. Currently, visual estimates of maize injury are used to document changing susceptibility. In this study, we evaluated an existing maize injury monitoring protocol used to estimate Bt resistance levels in Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).RESULTSWe detected high interobserver variability across multiple injury metrics, suggesting that the precision and accuracy of maize injury detection could be improved. To do this, we developed a computer vision‐based algorithm to measure H. zea injury. Algorithm estimates were more accurate and precise than a sample of human observers. Moreover, observer estimates tended to overpredict H. zea injury, which may increase the false‐positive rate, leading to prophylactic insecticide application and unnecessary regulatory action.CONCLUSIONSAutomated detection and tracking of lepidopteran resistance evolution to Bt toxins are critical for genetically engineered crop stewardship to prevent the use of additional insecticides to combat resistant pests. Advantages of this computerized screening are: (i) standardized Bt injury metrics in space and time, (ii) preservation of digital data for cross‐referencing when thresholds are reached, and (iii) the ability to increase sample sizes significantly. This technological solution represents a significant step toward improving confidence in resistance monitoring efforts among researchers, regulators and the agricultural biotechnology industry.}, number={11}, journal={Pest Management Science}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Dorman, Seth J and Kudenov, Michael W and Lytle, Amanda J and Griffith, Emily H and Huseth, Anders S}, year={2021}, month={Aug}, pages={5236–5245} }
 @article{lytle_huseth_2021, title={Impact of foliar insecticide sprays on Melanaphis sacchari (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and natural enemy populations in grain sorghum}, volume={149}, ISSN={0261-2194}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2021.105764}, DOI={10.1016/j.cropro.2021.105764}, abstractNote={The sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari is an important pest of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in the United States. Current M. sacchari management programs aim to control M. sacchari with insecticides while minimizing impacts on natural enemies that contribute to biological control of aphid populations. As a result, balancing both insecticide efficacy on the target pest and preservation of biological control agents remains an important step toward sustainable management of M. sacchari in grain sorghum. To document tradeoffs between M. sacchari control and non-target impacts, we evaluated three common aphicides (afidopyropen, flupyradifurone, and sulfoxaflor) for M. sacchari control and natural enemy safety. Treatments were paired with surfactants when recommended. Insect abundance was measured before and after foliar insecticide application using randomized complete clock design small plot studies during the 2019 and 2020 field seasons. All plots were harvested at maturity to document the relationship between in-season aphid abundance and grain yield. In this two year study, the average aphid abundance three days after insecticide application was lower in some but not all insecticidal treatments when compared to the untreated control, suggesting some insecticides had limited aphid suppression capabilities. Mean cumulative aphid days were lower in all treated plots compared to the untreated control with the exception of Sefina (afidopyropen). Twenty-eight days after foliar insecticide application, there were no differences in total natural enemy abundance in any of the treatments including the untreated control, suggesting that while M. sacchari populations were reduced by foliar insecticide treatments, the insecticides did not have clear adverse effects to natural enemy populations.}, journal={Crop Protection}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Lytle, Amanda J. and Huseth, Anders S.}, year={2021}, month={Nov}, pages={105764} }
 @article{lytle_costa_warren_2020, title={Invasion and high-elevation acclimation of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, in the southern Blue Ridge Escarpment region of North America}, volume={15}, ISSN={["1932-6203"]}, DOI={10.1371/journal.pone.0232264}, abstractNote={The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is a non-native invasive species that rapidly spread northward in the United States after its introduction from South America in the 1930s. Researchers predicted that the northward spread of this invasive ant would be limited by cold temperatures with increased latitude and greater elevation in the Blue Ridge Escarpment region of the United States. The presence of S. invicta at relatively high elevations north of their projected limits suggests greater cold tolerance than previously predicted; however, these populations might be ephemeral indications of strong dispersal abilities. In this study, we investigated potential physiological adaptations of S. invicta that would indicate acclimation to high elevation environments. We hypothesized that if S. invicta colonies can persist in colder climates than where they originated, we would find gradients in S. invicta worker cold tolerance along a montane elevational gradient. We also predicted that higher elevation S. invicta ants might incur greater physiological costs to persist in the colder climate, so we measured colony lipid content to assess health status. For comparison, we also collected physiological temperature tolerance data for the co-occurring dominant native woodland ant Aphaenogaster picea. We found that S. invicta occurring at higher elevations exhibited greater physiological tolerance for cold temperatures as compared to lower-elevation conspecifics–a cold tolerance pattern that paralleled of the native A. picea ants along the same gradient. Both S. invicta and A. picea similarly exhibited lower thermal tolerances for colder temperatures when moving up the elevational gradient, with A. picea consistently exhibiting a lower thermal tolerance overall. There was no change in S. invicta colony lipid content with elevation, suggesting that greater metabolic rates were not needed to sustain these ants at high elevations.}, number={5}, journal={PLOS ONE}, author={Lytle, A. J. and Costa, J. T. and Warren, R. J., II}, year={2020}, month={May} }
 @article{warren_candeias_lafferty_chick_2020, title={Regional-scale environmental resistance to non-native ant invasion}, volume={22}, ISSN={["1573-1464"]}, DOI={10.1007/s10530-019-02133-3}, number={2}, journal={BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS}, author={Warren, R. J., II and Candeias, M. and Lafferty, A. and Chick, L. D.}, year={2020}, month={Feb}, pages={813–825} }