Khapra Beetle Can’t Beat the Heat
The khapra beetle does outsize damage to stored grains and is a top target at ports and border crossings. Researchers in Canada have found the threshold temperature that will kill the beetle at all life stages, even diapause.
How Insect Art Can Become Entomological Outreach
The inclusion of entomology in art, and vice versa, can reach new audiences and provide new insights for both fields.
In Search for Better Stink Bug Management, Scientists Look Up
A parasitoid wasp from Asia offers promise for biological control of the brown marmorated stink bug in North America, but new research suggests that monitoring efforts using primarily ground-level traps may be looking in the wrong place.
Colony Size Drives Honey Bees’ Overwinter Survival
Research in Pennsylvania shows that overall colony weight and the number of worker bees to be the leading factors in determining overwintering survival of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. For colonies in which the combined weight of adult bees, brood, and food stores exceeded 30 kilograms, overwinter survival rates were about 94 percent.
So Many Shot Hole Borers: New Research Charts Four Nearly Identical Species
Tiny beetles once known as tea shot hole borers are actually a group of four distinct species that appear almost exactly the same to even the trained eye. In a new study, researchers combine both physical measurements and molecular genetics to better define the members of the Euwallacea fornicatus cryptic species complex.
The Best of 2018 on Entomology Today
A lot of entomology happened in 2018. Take a look back at some highlights from all the news and stories shared at Entomology Today.
Extension Unplugged: Communicating Entomology to Amish and Mennonite Communities in Pennsylvania
While members of Pennsylvania's Plain Communities eschew many modern technologies, they are eager to learn how to adapt today's entomological know-how to their own agricultural practices—and extension agents at Penn State University are happy to help.
Why Taxonomic Preparedness is Critical for Invasive Species Response
The story of "Team Trissolcus," insect taxonomists who sprang into action to identify the parasitoid wasps that might help us fight the invasive brown marmorated stink bug.
Potential Range for Asian Longhorned Tick Covers Much of Eastern U.S.
The invasive Asian longhorned tick could find plenty of suitable habitat in North America that is similar to its native region, according to new research from the Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology.
Entomology Outreach: Tips for Making an Impact and Sharing Your Science
What good are knowledge and discovery if the wider world doesn't understand? Entomologists can help people learn more about their own lives by teaching them about the insects around them. Here are some tips for doing public outreach right.
Why Pesticides Pose Different Kinds of Risk to Non-Honey Bees
A new collection of reports in Environmental Entomology highlights the need for pesticide risk assessments that account for the differing qualities and behaviors between honey bees and bumble bees, solitary bees, and stingless bees.
No Buzz, No Problem: Study Shows How Honey Bees Pollinate Blueberries
Honey bees are incapable of buzz pollination, but they can (and do) perform pollination duties in highbush blueberry. A new study shows that, while honey bees rarely collect blueberry pollen in the pollen baskets on their hind legs, they frequently contact it with other body parts and transfer it to other flowers.
The Hole Story: How Mosquitoes Seek Out Gaps in Nets or Screens
A new study suggests mosquitoes actually aren't all that good at finding holes in netting, doing so mostly by chance.
How the Mighty Mite Conquered the Heart of One Entomologist
Meet Rebecca Schmidt-Jeffris, Ph.D., assistant professor at Clemson University, expert in biological control in fruit crops, a big fan of mites, and the subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.
Glowing on the Golf Course: Fluorescent Imaging Reveals Turfgrass Pest’s Most Active Period
Researchers now know the temperature range in which the annual bluegrass weevil is most active, thanks to a set of tools first adopted for underwater photography.
Not Just Maize: Africa’s Fall Armyworm Crisis Threatens Sorghum, Other Crops, Too
The fall armyworm's impact on maize earns plenty of attention, but it is in fact polyphagous. Sorghum, a key cereal crop in Africa, is also vulnerable to the pest's damage, and researchers are working on biocontrol and other integrated pest management methods in hopes of containing the fall armyworm's impact around the world.
Amazing Insects ›
So Many Shot Hole Borers: New Research Charts Four Nearly Identical Species
Tiny beetles once known as tea shot hole borers are actually a group of four distinct species that appear almost exactly the same to even the trained eye. In a new study, researchers combine both physical measurements and molecular genetics to better define the members of the Euwallacea fornicatus cryptic species complex.
How Insects Inspire the Look of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Films
Some insects look like science-fiction stars precisely because the creative minds behind popular entertainment look to insects to spark their imagination.
Need to Mail Mosquitoes? Pack Them Up Nice and Snug
Several emerging mosquito-management methods require the transport of mosquitoes to precise locations. There, lab-reared mosquitoes—for instance, sterilized males—mix with wild mosquitoes and hinder the population's ability to reproduce or transmit disease. But, getting mosquitoes from lab to wild presents logistical challenges. A team led by researchers at New Mexico State University are tackling this problem and have made a surprising discovery about just how tightly live mosquitoes can be packed up.
Tabloid Sensationalism Aside, Lady Bugs Are Still Fascinating
Despite headlines to the contrary in British tabloids this fall, harlequin ladybird beetles are not killing off native species by giving them a sexually transmitted fungal infection. "There have been stories mixing up various research findings into quite sensational headlines, which is a shame because these fungi and the ladybirds are fascinating in their own right," says ecological entomologist Helen Roy, Ph.D., of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in Wallingford, England.
Science Policy and Outreach ›
Extension Unplugged: Communicating Entomology to Amish and Mennonite Communities in Pennsylvania
While members of Pennsylvania's Plain Communities eschew many modern technologies, they are eager to learn how to adapt today's entomological know-how to their own agricultural practices—and extension agents at Penn State University are happy to help.
Why Taxonomic Preparedness is Critical for Invasive Species Response
The story of "Team Trissolcus," insect taxonomists who sprang into action to identify the parasitoid wasps that might help us fight the invasive brown marmorated stink bug.
Entomology Outreach: Tips for Making an Impact and Sharing Your Science
What good are knowledge and discovery if the wider world doesn't understand? Entomologists can help people learn more about their own lives by teaching them about the insects around them. Here are some tips for doing public outreach right.
Not Just Maize: Africa’s Fall Armyworm Crisis Threatens Sorghum, Other Crops, Too
The fall armyworm's impact on maize earns plenty of attention, but it is in fact polyphagous. Sorghum, a key cereal crop in Africa, is also vulnerable to the pest's damage, and researchers are working on biocontrol and other integrated pest management methods in hopes of containing the fall armyworm's impact around the world.
Research News ›
In Search for Better Stink Bug Management, Scientists Look Up
A parasitoid wasp from Asia offers promise for biological control of the brown marmorated stink bug in North America, but new research suggests that monitoring efforts using primarily ground-level traps may be looking in the wrong place.
Colony Size Drives Honey Bees’ Overwinter Survival
Research in Pennsylvania shows that overall colony weight and the number of worker bees to be the leading factors in determining overwintering survival of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. For colonies in which the combined weight of adult bees, brood, and food stores exceeded 30 kilograms, overwinter survival rates were about 94 percent.
So Many Shot Hole Borers: New Research Charts Four Nearly Identical Species
Tiny beetles once known as tea shot hole borers are actually a group of four distinct species that appear almost exactly the same to even the trained eye. In a new study, researchers combine both physical measurements and molecular genetics to better define the members of the Euwallacea fornicatus cryptic species complex.
Potential Range for Asian Longhorned Tick Covers Much of Eastern U.S.
The invasive Asian longhorned tick could find plenty of suitable habitat in North America that is similar to its native region, according to new research from the Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology.
The Entomology Profession ›
The Best of 2018 on Entomology Today
A lot of entomology happened in 2018. Take a look back at some highlights from all the news and stories shared at Entomology Today.
Extension Unplugged: Communicating Entomology to Amish and Mennonite Communities in Pennsylvania
While members of Pennsylvania's Plain Communities eschew many modern technologies, they are eager to learn how to adapt today's entomological know-how to their own agricultural practices—and extension agents at Penn State University are happy to help.
Why Taxonomic Preparedness is Critical for Invasive Species Response
The story of "Team Trissolcus," insect taxonomists who sprang into action to identify the parasitoid wasps that might help us fight the invasive brown marmorated stink bug.
Entomology Outreach: Tips for Making an Impact and Sharing Your Science
What good are knowledge and discovery if the wider world doesn't understand? Entomologists can help people learn more about their own lives by teaching them about the insects around them. Here are some tips for doing public outreach right.
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Propolis Power-Up: How Beekeepers Can Encourage Resin Deposits for Better Hive Health
When honey bees produce more propolis, a waxy resin they use for sealing up their hives, overall health benefits to the colony ensue. A new study tests a few simple methods beekeepers can use to encourage more propolis production in their hives.
Glowing on the Golf Course: Fluorescent Imaging Reveals Turfgrass Pest’s Most Active Period
Researchers now know the temperature range in which the annual bluegrass weevil is most active, thanks to a set of tools first adopted for underwater photography.
Whatever Happened to People in Integrated Pest Management?
As integrated pest management continues to grow and evolve, one practitioner urges us not to forget the people side of IPM. However well-crafted an IPM plan may be, it can only be effective when the various individuals asked to carry it out are fully committed.
The Hole Story: How Mosquitoes Seek Out Gaps in Nets or Screens
A new study suggests mosquitoes actually aren't all that good at finding holes in netting, doing so mostly by chance.
Why Taxonomic Preparedness is Critical for Invasive Species Response
The story of "Team Trissolcus," insect taxonomists who sprang into action to identify the parasitoid wasps that might help us fight the invasive brown marmorated stink bug.
How Insect Art Can Become Entomological Outreach
The inclusion of entomology in art, and vice versa, can reach new audiences and provide new insights for both fields.
Colony Size Drives Honey Bees’ Overwinter Survival
Research in Pennsylvania shows that overall colony weight and the number of worker bees to be the leading factors in determining overwintering survival of honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies. For colonies in which the combined weight of adult bees, brood, and food stores exceeded 30 kilograms, overwinter survival rates were about 94 percent.
Fossilized Insect Discovered Not in Amber, But in Opal
An opal discovered in Indonesia exhibits a rare inclusion: a preserved insect embedded within.
Mixing It Up: Mixed-Crop Fields Can Boost Natural Biocontrol of Insect Pests
A new study shows that growing a variety of crops in the same field increases local insect diversity and even improves the ratio of natural-enemy insects to pest insects.