

Bee-Friendly Breakthrough: Improved Method Eases Study of Small Pollen Samples, Collected Nonlethally
Acetolysis, a common method for pollen processing and identification, has typically required large samples, but researchers at North Dakota State University have developed an improved technique that makes acetolysis feasible with even the smallest of pollen samples collected from individual, live bees. The advance could allow researchers to study a broader range of bee species more closely.

How One Entomologist is Working to Solve the Mysteries of Tick-Borne Red-Meat Allergy
Meet Paulina Maldonado-Ruiz, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate at Kansas State University whose work studying ticks and the causes of alpha-gal syndrome earned her a spot in the Early Career Professional Recognition Symposium at Entomology 2023. Learn more about Maldonado-Ruiz and her work in this next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.

Broadband Buzz: Periodical Cicadas’ Chorus Measured With Fiber Optic Cables
Through an emerging technology called distributed fiber optic sensing, cables bringing high-speed internet to American households can be used to detect temperature changes, vibrations, and even sound. And periodical cicadas—the insects that emerge by the billions every 13 or 17 years and make a racket with their mating calls—are loud enough to be detected. A new study shows how fiber optic sensing could open new pathways for charting populations of these famously ephemeral bugs.

Gall-Inducing Wasps Have Enlarged Venom Glands, Study Finds
In wasps that generate abnormal plant growths called galls, a new study finds they commonly have large venom glands relative to body size, suggesting their venom plays a key role in inducing plant gall formation.
Amazing Insects ›


Curious About Edible Insects? There’s a Free Online Course for That
The first-ever massive open online course (MOOC) on edible insects was launched in March, based on one entomologist's popular university course. Learn more about the development of the "Edible Insects" MOOC and what it offers to online learners around the world.

Spider Solidarity: Scientists Discover New Species With Unprecedented Social Behavior
Sociality in spiders is quite rare, but a new species found in Madagascar takes it a step further. Isoxya manangona kite spiders build large colonies of webs, all connected by a central silk line where multiple adult males gather harmoniously. Researchers suggest the males could be "lekking," gathering in a group to perform mating displays for females, a behavior never before seen in spiders.

In Defense of Clothes Moths, Marvels of Evolution
Though they cause headaches for dining on your wardrobe, webbing clothes moths are unique creatures with fascinating specialized biology. They can eat hair and metabolize their own water. They can chew through plastic and digest mercury. And that's not all. An entomologist studying these moths makes a case for appreciating their evolutionary feats.

Brown Widow Spiders’ Aggression Likely Driver of Black Widow Decline
Black widow spiders have earned a fearsome reputation for their venomous bite. But in parts of the southern U.S. these spiders have much to fear themselves—from spider relatives who really don't like their company. A new study shows that brown widow spiders, of a species in the same genus, have a striking propensity to seek out and kill nearby black widows.
Science Policy and Outreach ›


Master’s Program in Vector-Borne Diseases Tackles Need for Medical Entomologists
With the growing occurrence and range of diseases spread by insects and arthropods, the U.S. has been in serious need of more trained medical entomologists. A CDC-supported master's degree program in vector-borne disease biology at Cornell University is one effort to address this shortage directly.

An Essential U.S. Pesticide Database is Disappearing
Responsible use of pesticides depends in part on understanding where and when they're used and their impacts on the environment. However, a key source of information on pesticide usage is being scaled back, which could leave scientists and the public in the dark.

A Fruitful Discussion: Field Tour Gathers Insect Biocontrol Community
The ESA Plant-Insect Ecosystems Section field tour series returned in May 2022, convening experts and practitioners from research, industry, and government focused on insect biological control, with in-person demonstrations and discussions featuring the Washington state tree fruit industry.

Virtual Outreach: How Students Bring an Insect Zoo to an Entire State
The Kansas State University Insect Zoo has long been an on-campus attraction, but a student entomology club's efforts to create virtual engagement opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic have built a new model for outreach that continues to spread the educational value of the Insect Zoo far and wide.
Research News ›


Bee-Friendly Breakthrough: Improved Method Eases Study of Small Pollen Samples, Collected Nonlethally
Acetolysis, a common method for pollen processing and identification, has typically required large samples, but researchers at North Dakota State University have developed an improved technique that makes acetolysis feasible with even the smallest of pollen samples collected from individual, live bees. The advance could allow researchers to study a broader range of bee species more closely.

Broadband Buzz: Periodical Cicadas’ Chorus Measured With Fiber Optic Cables
Through an emerging technology called distributed fiber optic sensing, cables bringing high-speed internet to American households can be used to detect temperature changes, vibrations, and even sound. And periodical cicadas—the insects that emerge by the billions every 13 or 17 years and make a racket with their mating calls—are loud enough to be detected. A new study shows how fiber optic sensing could open new pathways for charting populations of these famously ephemeral bugs.

Gall-Inducing Wasps Have Enlarged Venom Glands, Study Finds
In wasps that generate abnormal plant growths called galls, a new study finds they commonly have large venom glands relative to body size, suggesting their venom plays a key role in inducing plant gall formation.

Marronoids: The (Mostly) Little Brown Spiders With a Big Story to Tell
A new study uncovers a clearer evolutionary tree for a broad group of spiders that previously proved difficult to classify—and illustrates the growing potential to extract useful genetic information from even the smallest of specimens in museum arthropod collections.
The Entomology Profession ›


Parasite Evolution: Why One Entomologist Studies Mites That Hitchhike on Flies
Meet Emily Durkin, Ph.D., whose research on parasitic mites at the University of Tampa earned her a spot in the Early Career Professional Recognition Symposium at Entomology 2023. Learn more about Durkin and her work in this next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.

Why One Entomologist Works to Discover New Agricultural Innovations
Meet entomologist Sajjan Grover, Ph.D., whose work as a senior scientist in early discovery and product development at Bayer Crop Science earned him a spot in the Early Career Professional Recognition Symposium at Entomology 2023. Learn more about Grover and his work in this next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.

The Growing Utility of Online Photo Sharing for Entomology Research
The increasing volume of insect photo observations shared on iNaturalist and similar sites can no longer be ignored, and entomologists are finding ways to use it. A review in Annals of the Entomological Society of America digs into best practices for bolstering entomological research with this growing body of citizen-science data.

Growing Entomology’s Reach: Meet ESA’s 2023 Science Communication Awardees
A train-the-trainer approach paired with engaging resources on pollinators and a Spanish-language online extension publication have been honored this year by the Entomological Society of America for excellence in science communication.
How Systematic Entomology Will Thrive in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
As insect systematists adopt artificial intelligence as a new tool, it is becoming clear that we still need the humans who crawl through bushes, sift leaf litter, and peer into museum drawers to be the arbiters of what is biological truth versus what is an artifact of an algorithm.
Dispelling Urban Myths With Science Can Save Your Ash
Two decades after the arrival of the emerald ash borer in North America, plenty of misinformation remains about how best to manage its impact. A group of experts on this pest bust several myths about emerald ash borer in a new article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management.
Do Adult Periodical Cicadas Actually Eat?
A long-standing agricultural query about periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years was recently answered by a research team at USDA Agricultural Research Service: Once periodical cicadas emerge, do they actually feed on vegetation? Their analysis of the gut contents found plant DNA in mature adult cicadas but none in freshly emerged adults, a strong sign that adult cicadas do feed on plants, since no plant matter in cicadas' guts carries over from their nymph stage.
Parasite Evolution: Why One Entomologist Studies Mites That Hitchhike on Flies
Meet Emily Durkin, Ph.D., whose research on parasitic mites at the University of Tampa earned her a spot in the Early Career Professional Recognition Symposium at Entomology 2023. Learn more about Durkin and her work in this next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.
Public Health Entomology Interns, Fellows Gain Interdisciplinary Experience in 2023
The Public Health Entomology for All program fosters a new generation of public health entomologists with backgrounds in a variety of scientific fields. Meet four participants in the 2023 program, who have learned through hands-on experience at CDC labs and mosquito-control districts across the United States.
The Growing Utility of Online Photo Sharing for Entomology Research
The increasing volume of insect photo observations shared on iNaturalist and similar sites can no longer be ignored, and entomologists are finding ways to use it. A review in Annals of the Entomological Society of America digs into best practices for bolstering entomological research with this growing body of citizen-science data.
This Predatory Mite is a Rising Star in Pest Management
The mite Amblyseius swirskii feeds on various insect and mite species, including many notorious pests of vegetable crops. A new article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management explores the biology and applications of this versatile mite that have propelled it to the forefront of many IPM programs.
DIY Mosquito Feeder: How to Feed Blood-Sucking Insects on a Budget
Mosquito control agencies and research centers often maintain lab colonies of mosquitoes for study—and, of course, they need to be fed. As an alternative to pricy commercial feeders, one metropolitan mosquito control agency has developed a simplified feeder that any lab could build for about $30.
Even at the Zoo, Mosquitoes Favor Local Wild Birds for Meals
In a study of mosquitoes in and around the Nashville Zoo, northern cardinals were found to be the most common source of the mosquitoes' blood meals, despite more than 300 species of animals on exhibit. None the less, the study suggests zoos are a valuable resource for monitoring mosquito species diversity, biology, and pathogen presence.