Termite Experts Attempt to Solve Taxonomic Cold Cases
By Richard Levine Coptotermes is one of the most economically destructive genera of termites, and it includes the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus). For years, taxonomists have struggled with a […]
Entomologists Instruct Teachers on How to Use Insects in the Classroom
By Josh Lancette – “People with tarantulas have more fun.” – “When you have an insect, you have people’s attention.” – “Those cookies you just ate? They were made with […]
Help Name a Beetle Species with Spectacular Genitalia After Stephen Colbert
By Michael L. Ferro Amazingly, many animals can only be told apart by their tallywhackers, and there is one that is so amazing that it needs to be named after […]
Higher Temperatures Impair Efficacy of Permethrin Insecticide
By Harvey Black The effectiveness of an important mosquito-fighting insecticide may be a casualty of global climate change, according to a recent study in the Journal of Medical Entomology. Two […]
Do Scorpions, Spiders, and Insects Make Good Pets?
Do Scorpions, Spiders, and Insects Make Good Pets? To find out, entomology graduate students Michael Falk and Jeremy Hemberger talked to Brent Karner of BioQuip Bugs, an expert on all […]
Open-Access Article Takes a Closer Look at Crop-Damaging Greenbugs
By Leslie Mertz Aptly named for their bright lime color, greenbugs (Schizaphis graminum) have been a major vexation for growers of wheat and sorghum for more than half a century, […]
Take Part in the Arthro-Pod Podcast at Entomology 2015
By Jonathan Larson As an extension entomologist, I am always on the lookout for new ways to reach greater numbers of people in order to provide them research-based information and […]
New Whirligig Beetle Showcases U.S. Biodiversity Hotspot
By Leslie Mertz Back in April, University of New Mexico Ph.D. candidate Grey Gustafson was on the hunt for a particular species of whirligig beetle in Alabama’s Conecuh National Forest, […]
Rice Seeds Treated with Neonicotinoids May Produce Higher Yields, But Economic Benefits Depend on Insect Pressure
By Richard Levine In October 2014, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a report that stated there were no economic benefits for soybean growers who use seed that […]
Study Finds Oil-Based Pesticides Most Effective at Killing Contents of Brown Widow Egg Sacs
By Josh Lancette While going through pre-marital counseling earlier this year, my then-fiance (now wife) and I were talking about expectations we had for each other. Of course, the typical […]
Vampire Moths Suck the Blood of Vertebrates, Including Humans
Vampire moths? Yes! Some moths that feed on the blood of vertebrates
Teach a Man to Fish (and some entomology) and You’ll Feed Him for a Lifetime
By Leslie Mertz On a cold August afternoon, Jay Buchner leads three novice fly fishermen — two men and a woman — through a mountain-ringed meadow and to the quickly […]
My Hero is Norman Borlaug, and Here’s Why
By Richard Levine At last year’s annual meeting of the National Association of Science Writers, the 800 attendees were asked to write the names of their scientific heroes on their […]
Obscure Mealybug Found on Almond Trees for First Time in California
By Jhalendra Rijal Pseudococcus viburni has been found for the first time in almond crops in California. This insect is not just an obscure mealybug, it is THE obscure mealybug […]
Study Describes Three New Species of Fruit Flies and Revises Their Genus
By John P. Roche Acanthiophilus is a genus of fruit flies that infest plants of the tribe Cardueae (thistles) within the family Asteraceae. Members of this genus live in Africa, […]
The Case of the Mysterious Mesosa Longicorn Beetle
By Bekka Brodie It was a beautiful, sleek, black beetle with long antennae. Immediately, I knew it was different than any other longicorn beetle I had seen, but its identity […]