How to Get Started in Ento-preneurship
If you are an entomologist or bug lover with an insect-inspired business idea, check out these tips to get started in finding the network, support, and funding to begin your entrepreneurial journey.
Temperature Extremes May Undermine Biocontrol of Emerald Ash Borer
Sudden cold waves may be lethal to overwintering larvae of two parasitoid wasp species used for biological control of emerald ash borer, while the borer larvae appear to more easily weather the extreme cold.
Photographing Insects in the Field: Basic Tips for Success
Two experienced insect macrophotographers share their tips for both entomologists and photography enthusiasts alike to take better pictures of insects and other arthropods in their natural settings.
Rolled Cardboard Makes a Handy Insect-Sampling Tool
A group of researchers gets creative with some simple materials: strips of cardboard, rolled up and tied with string. Affixed to tree trunks or limbs, the "trunk refugia" show promise as a simple and inexpensive tool for sampling tree-dwelling insects and arthropods.
Advice for Applying to Entomology Graduate Programs
So, you want to get an advanced degree in entomology? Here's a primer on how to navigate the process of applying to a graduate program, with tips and ideas for increasing your chances of success.
Learning at Home With Bugs
Stuck at home with kids because of COVID-19? Check out this list of suggestions from bug experts about what you can do to keep kids engaged and learning.
Deep Tracks Only: Radio Telemetry Blazes a Path for Monarch Habitat Restoration
Tracking monarch butterfly movements by tagging them with tiny radio transmitters reveals flight patterns that may help researchers align habitat restoration with the natural behaviors of this iconic butterfly.
Building a Web of Connection: Spiders, Citizens, and Scientists
A look at a citizen-science effort to track an elusive purseweb spider in Pennsylvania offers lessons for entomologists on how to harness the power of citizen volunteers for research projects.
White Fringetrees Likely to Withstand Attacks by Emerald Ash Borer
Though found to be a secondary host of invasive emerald ash borers in North America in 2014, white fringetrees are more likely than ash trees to survive infestation by the beetles, according to a new study by researchers at Wright State University.
When a Mosquito Can’t Stop Drinking Blood, the Result Isn’t Pretty
An entomologist studying the biology of mosquito blood-feeding finds that a mosquito with a severed ventral nerve cord can't sense when it is full, and it will keep on feeding well beyond what its body can hold. Video captured by the researcher illustrates the results.
To Reduce Tick Encounters, Where You Dump Your Leaves Matters
Raking leaves out to the yard edge may increase tick numbers there, according to a new study by researchers looking at how landscaping practices impact tick abundance.
New, Fast DNA Method Spots Pesticide-Resistant Ticks
In its effort to keep cattle fever ticks from escaping quarantine in five counties along the southern Texas border, researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have developed an overnight DNA test that can detect ticks' genetic indicators of resistance to permethrin, a common pesticide used to manage ticks.
How to Tackle an Invasive Species Crisis? Build a Collaborative Team
The arrival of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) drove a far-reaching, collaborative response by researchers, integrated pest management professionals, government agencies, and growers. A new article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management looks back at this experience to share lessons learned for future invasive-species response efforts.
A Coast-to-Coast Tour Lands One Entomologist on the Home Team
Meet Hamilton Allen, Ph.D., BCE, the Florida Regional Technical Director for HomeTeam Pest Defense, a national specialty brand of Rollins, Inc. Within his role, Allen provides technical and operational expertise, implements training programs, and ensures that each of the 10 branches within his region adhere to federal, state, and local pesticide application guidelines. Allen is the subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.
Fantastic Bugs and Where to Find Them (Hint: Chicago)
Entomologist Ryan Gott returns with another insect-attraction review, this time on the "Fantastic Bug Encounters!" exhibit at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, which showcases the diversity of arthropods, the mysteries of their habits, and their ingenious adaptations.
Alfalfa Leafcutting Bees Like Nests That Face North, Study Shows
An experiment with four-sided nest boxes for alfalfa leafcutting bees showed small variations in environmental conditions from one nest-cavity location to another make a big difference in the bees' nesting preferences and number of offspring.
Study Details Mechanics of Flea Beetles’ Big Jumps
The tribe of leaf beetles known for their incredible jumping strength use a powerful catapult-like mechanism to spring away from looming predators. A team of Chinese and U.S. scientists illustrate the biomechanics of these beetles' jumps in a new study and say the findings could hold lessons for bio-inspired robotics.