Fighting Flies With Flies: An In-Depth Look at the 2016 Screwworm Outbreak Response in Florida
The return of the screwworm to Florida in 2016 was a surprise, but entomologists with the USDA and local, state, and international partners were prepared to respond. A new, in-depth report in the Journal of Medical Entomology shares a detailed account of their work re-eradicating the pest via the sterile insect technique—plus new lessons learned along the way.
Gut Microbes Can Help Insects Beat Pesticides
Insects have evolved a variety of mechanisms to try to overcome the effects of insecticides—including, in some cases, help from the bacteria and other microbes living in insects' guts. A growing number of studies indicate a link between symbiotic microbes and insecticide resistance in a diverse range of insects.
The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper: Hard to Miss, But Only an Occasional Pest
Despite its large size, often bold coloration, and ostentatious defensive behaviors, the eastern lubber grasshopper is harmless to humans and is only rarely a pest of concern to plants.
This is What 2,000 Termites Eating a Model House Looks Like
A visual analogy created by termite researcher Thomas Chouvenc, Ph.D., illustrates the damage termites can wreak upon a house. Given a small, two-dimensional wooden replica of a house (30x20 cm, 2 mm thick), a colony of 2,000 Formosan subterranean termites took only three weeks to consume it.
Tick Bites Tick: A Rare Case of Hard-Tick Hyperparasitism
A scanning electron micrograph shows an engorged female Ixodes angustus tick with a male I. angustus attached to its underside in typical feeding mode—a case of hyperparasitism presumed uncommon in the species.
Spotted Lanternfly: States Urge Citizens to Report Sightings of Invasive Insect Hitchhiker
First encountered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, the spotted lanternfly had spread to New York, Delaware, and Virginia by early 2018. The invasive insect threatens Tree of Heaven as well as grapes, hops, and fruit trees, and it has a penchant for hitchhiking. Anyone sighting spotted lanternfly is urged to report it to their state agriculture department or local extension office.
Explorer or Wallflower? Study Shines Light on Cockroach Personalities
American cockroaches show different individual "personalities" that relate to their fleeing behavior and preference for venturing into open spaces or remaining close to walls or other objects. A new study suggests these differences could be an evolutionary benefit for their collective fleeing response.
Insect Common Names, as Invented by Artificial Intelligence
What would happen if you asked a machine to come up with new common names for insects? A scientist and her neural network find out.
MothBusters: Testing a Common Myth About a Small Butterfly
A common gardener's tip suggests that the imported cabbageworm butterfly (Pieris rapae, also known as the "cabbage white") can be deterred with an artificial mimic. But does it really work?
An Up-Close Look at the Tiny Sensory Pits That Ticks Use to Smell
A new study in the Journal of Medical Entomology offers the best look yet at the Haller's organ, a small sensory pit on the forelegs of ticks that they use to detect heat and chemical odors emitted by potential hosts.
“Insecta” Documentary Explores the Wonder of Entomology
This new documentary explains what makes entomologists tick.
The Flies and Beetles That Turn Death Into Dinner
Fourth in a series of posts on forensic entomology
Can a Swarm of Locusts Really Block Out the Sun?
We know the moon can do it, but what about a swarm of locusts? On Monday, August 21, 2017, denizens of North America will look skyward to witness a solar […]
Forensic Entomology: Where Insects Meet the Law
By Denise Gemmellaro This is the first part in a series of posts on forensic entomology. Stay tuned for future posts in the coming weeks here on Entomology Today. Thanks […]
What Puts the Blister Into Blister Beetles?
By John P. Roche Blister beetles produce cantharidin, a 10-carbon isoprenoid molecule that is highly bitter and is toxic to most animals. Because cantharidin is so bitter, it discourages predators, […]
Study Uncovers Unseen Details and Images of Ant Development
By Adrian Smith, Ph.D. Trap-jaw ants, with their spring-loaded jaws and powerful stings, are among the fiercest insect predators, but they begin their lives as spiny, hairy, fleshy blobs hanging […]