Products claiming to reduce mosquito populations with salt-water solutions are ineffective, according to a new study. In a series of lab tests using nine mosquito species, a team of expert mosquito researchers found no evidence that adult mosquitoes are killed by salt ingested at concentrations used in several popular mosquito-control products. The findings are reported in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
Researchers in Italy have developed a rapid method for detection of the Asian longhorned beetle, an invasive pest in Europe and North America, using a DNA-detection technique known as loop-mediated isothermal amplification.
In the United States, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) has a broad host range and is a serious concern for commercial pulse producers, especially in the Pacific Northwest region. A new guide in the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management examines pea aphid biology and ecology, as well as various management practices.
When scientists discovered specimens of the invasive giant hornet Vespa mandarinia on both sides of the border between Washington and British Columbia in 2019, they sought to find out how they arrived from Asia. Analysis of their mitochondrial DNA provided an interesting twist: The hornets on each side of the border likely did not come from the same location in Asia.
Researchers at the University of Florida and the USDA-ARS have created a mobile app for bark beetle identification, allowing users to either play a beetle ID game or browse through the bewildering diversity of morphologies in the world of bark beetles.