Date of Award

5-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Biology

Abstract

Cut flower production is a relatively new industry in the state of Utah, gaining momentum by 2020. However, little research concerning management of the crops and their pests has been conducted. One issue producers face are insects that harm the plants in ways such as feeding damage and transmission of diseases. Currently, it is unknown which insects target different species of cut flowers in Utah. Morphological identification of genera and species is often difficult or impossible because of the small size of many of the insects and minute differences between species. This project uses PCR and DNA sequencing to identify the genus and species of insects that were capturing while residing on cut flowers in Utah which allows for accurate identification of the species. The resulting sequences were compared to other known sequences using the NCBI BLAST search. To date, from the ~300 samples collected, 38 species of insects have been identified on 30 species of cut flowers grown on 14 cut flower farms across Utah. Additionally, a controlled study was conducted to assess the role of thrips and aphids in transmitting Dahlia mosaic virus, though conclusive results were impeded by unforeseen disruptions. This information provides crucial insights that allow producers to proactively implement integrated pest management against specific species of insects. Future research should include insect feeding behavior and disease transmission dynamics.

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Faculty Mentor

Claudia Nischwitz

Departmental Honors Advisor

Zach Gompert

Capstone Committee Member

Melanie Stock