Kenneth F. Raffa

Contributions of gut bacteria to Bacillus thuringiensis-induced mortality vary across a range of Lepidoptera (2009)

Broderick, Nichole A, Robinson, Courtney J, McMahon, Matthew D, Holt, Jonathan, Handelsman, Jo, Raffa, Kenneth F

Abstract Background Gut microbiota contribute to the health of their hosts, and alterations in the composition of this microbiota can lead to disease. Previously, we demonstrated that indigenous gut...

Preoutbreak Dynamics of a Recently Established Invasive Herbivore: Roles of Natural Enemies and Habitat Structure in Stage-Specific Performance of Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Populations in Northeastern Wisconsin (2008)

Rebecca Hoffman Gray, Craig G. Lorimer, Patrick C. Tobin, Kenneth F. Raffa

A major challenge to addressing biological invasions is that the need for emergency responses often precludes opportunities to analyze the dynamics between initial establishment and population...

Gut Microbiota of an Invasive Subcortical Beetle, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, Across Various Life Stages (2008)

Archana Vasanthakumar, Jo Handelsman, Patrick D. Schloss, Leah S. Bauer, Kenneth F. Raffa

We characterized gut microbial communities in the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, an invasive phloem-feeding and wood-boring beetle that has caused extensive mortality to urban and...

Multipartite Symbioses Among Fungi, Mites, Nematodes, and the Spruce Beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis (2008)

Yasmin J. Cardoza, John C. Moser, Kier D. Klepzig, Kenneth F. Raffa

The spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis, is an eruptive forest pest of significant economic and ecological importance. D. rufipennis has symbiotic associations with a number of microorganisms,...

Cross-scale Drivers of Natural Disturbances Prone to Anthropogenic Amplification: The Dynamics of Bark Beetle Eruptions (2008)

Kenneth F. Raffa, Brian H. Aukema, Barbara J. Bentz, Allan L. Carroll, Jeffrey A. Hicke, Monica G. Turner, ...

Biome-scale disturbances by eruptive herbivores provide valuable insights into species interactions, ecosystem function, and impacts of global change. We present a conceptual framework using one...

Parasitoids and Dipteran Predators Exploit Volatiles from Microbial Symbionts to Locate Bark Beetles (2008)

Celia K. Boone, Diana L. Six, Yanbing Zheng, Kenneth F. Raffa

Host location by parasitoids and dipteran predators of bark beetles is poorly understood. Unlike coleopteran predators that locate prey by orienting to prey pheromones, wasps and flies often attack...

Signal Mimics Derived from a Metagenomic Analysis of the Gypsy Moth Gut Microbiota � † (2006)

Changhui Guan, Jianhua Ju, Bradley R. Borlee, Lynn L. Williamson, Ben Shen, Kenneth F. Raffa, ...

Bacterial signaling is an important part of community life, but little is known about the signal transduction pathways of the as-yet-uncultured members of microbial communities. To address this gap,...

Contrasts in Cellulolytic Activities of Gut Microorganisms Between the Wood Borer, Saperda vestita (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), and the Bark Beetles, Ips pini and Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) (2005)

Italo Delalibera, Jo Handelsman Jr, Kenneth F. Raffa

The goal of this study was to characterize the cellulose-degrading microorganisms in the guts of wood-inhabiting beetles. We enriched for cellulose-degrading microorganisms by inoculating filter...

Effects of Diterpene Acids on Components of a Conifer Bark Beetle–Fungal Interaction: Tolerance by Ips pini and Sensitivity by Its Associate Ophiostoma ips (2005)

Brian J. Kopper, Barbara L. Illman, Philip J. Kersten, Kier D. Klepzig, Kenneth F. Raffa

Conifer resin and phloem tissue contain several phytochemical groups, composed primarily of monoterpenes, diterpene acids, and stilbene phenolics. The effects of monoterpenes and phenolics on...

Components of Antagonism and Mutualism in Ips pini–Fungal Interactions: Relationship to a Life History of Colonizing Highly Stressed and Dead Trees (2004)

Brian J. Kopper, Kier D. Klepzig, Kenneth F. Raffa

Efforts to describe the complex relationships between bark beetles and the ophiostomatoid (stain) fungi they transport have largely resulted in a dichotomous classification. These symbioses have been...

Species Assemblage Arriving at and Emerging from Trees Colonized by Ips pini in the Great Lakes Region: Partitioning by Time Since Colonization, Season, and Host Species (2004)

Brian H. Aukema, Greg R. Richards, Steven J. Krauth, Kenneth F. Raffa

The pine engraver, Ips pini (Say), colonizes jack, red, and white pines in the Great Lakes region. Males select suitable hosts, bore through the bark into phloem tissue, and emit aggregation...

Seasonal Activity of Adult, Ground-occurring Beetles (Coleoptera) in Forests of Northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (2003)

SHAHLA M. WERNER, KENNETH F. RAFFA

Seasonal activity of 24 species of ground-occurring, forest Coleoptera in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was assessed using pitfall traps during the spring and summer of 1996...

Population Dynamics of Ips pini and Ips grandicollis in Red Pine Plantations in Wisconsin: Within- and Between-Year Associations with Predators, Competitors, and Habitat Quality (2002)

Nadir Erbilgin, Erik V. Nordheim, Brian H. Aukema, Kenneth F. Raffa

We sampled bark beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) populations in 17 declining and healthy red pine plantations in Wisconsin over 3 yr. We tested for potential relationships among numbers of bark...

Heritability of Host Acceptance and Gallery Construction Behaviors of the Bark Beetle Ips pini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) (2002)

Kimberly F. Wallin, Jack Rutledge, Kenneth F. Raffa

We examined genetic variation in host selection behavior of a phloeophagous insect herbivore. Data from paternal families of the bark beetle Ips pini (Say) were used to estimate the heritability of...

Effect of Host Tree Seasonal Phenology on Substrate Suitability for the Pine Engraver (Coleoptera: Scolytidae): Implications for Population Dynamics and Enemy Free Space (2001)

Jacqueline S. Redmer, Kimberly F. Wallin, Kenneth F. Raffa

This study evaluated the effects of seasonal phenology on the substrate quality of susceptible hosts to the pine engraver, Ips pini (Say). We also determined the effects of the duration and method of...

Influences of Host Chemicals and Internal Physiology on the Multiple Steps of Postlanding Host Acceptance Behavior of Ips pini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) (2000)

Kimberly F. Wallin, Kenneth F. Raffa

A series of bioassays were performed to evaluate the effects of host tree monoterpenes on initial entry, within-tissue orientation, and gallery construction by the bark beetle Ips pini (Say)....

Improved Population Monitoring of Bark Beetles and Predators by Incorporating Disparate Behavioral Responses to Semiochemicals (2000)

Brian H. Aukema, Donald L. Dahlsten, Kenneth F. Raffa

Estimating populations of both pest and natural enemy species is important in the planning and implementation of biological control. For example, synthetic pheromone lures are used to sample bark...

Exploiting Behavioral Disparities Among Predators and Prey to Selectively Remove Pests: Maximizing the Ratio of Bark Beetles to Predators Removed During Semiochemically Based Trap-Out (2000)

Brian H. Aukema, Donald L. Dahlsten, Kenneth F. Raffa

Mass-trapping using semiochemical lures is a potentially useful control measure against bark beetle pests. A serious problem, however, is the inadvertent removal of predators that respond to these...

Synergy Between Zwittermicin A and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Against Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) (2000)

Nichole A. Broderick, Robert M. Goodman, Kenneth F. Raffa, Jo Handelsman

Bacillus cereus French & French increased the mortality of 3rd-instar gypsy moths, Lymantria dispar (L.), caused by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Berliner. B. cereus did not cause mortality...

Census of the Bacterial Community of the Gypsy Moth Larval Midgut by Using Culturing and Culture-Independent Methods

Broderick, Nichole A., Raffa, Kenneth F., Goodman, Robert M., Handelsman, Jo

Little is known about bacteria associated with Lepidoptera, the large group of mostly phytophagous insects comprising the moths and butterflies. We inventoried the larval midgut bacteria of a...

Census of the Bacterial Community of the Gypsy Moth Larval Midgut by Using Culturing and Culture-Independent Methods

Broderick, Nichole A., Raffa, Kenneth F., Goodman, Robert M., Handelsman, Jo

Little is known about bacteria associated with Lepidoptera, the large group of mostly phytophagous insects comprising the moths and butterflies. We inventoried the larval midgut bacteria of a...

Midgut bacteria required for Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal activity

Broderick, Nichole A., Raffa, Kenneth F., Handelsman, Jo

Bacillus thuringiensis is the most widely applied biological insecticide and is used to manage insects that affect forestry and agriculture and transmit human and animal pathogens. This ubiquitous...

Continuous time modelling of dynamical spatial lattice data observed at sparsely distributed times

Jakob G. Rasmussen, Jesper Møller, Brian H. Aukema, Kenneth F. Raffa, Jun Zhu

We consider statistical and computational aspects of simulation-based Bayesian inference for a spatial-temporal model based on a multivariate point process which is only observed at sparsely...

Signal Mimics Derived from a Metagenomic Analysis of the Gypsy Moth Gut Microbiota▿ †

Guan, Changhui, Ju, Jianhua, Borlee, Bradley R., Williamson, Lynn L., Shen, Ben, Raffa, Kenneth F., ...

Bacterial signaling is an important part of community life, but little is known about the signal transduction pathways of the as-yet-uncultured members of microbial communities. To address this gap,...