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.
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.
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.
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.
Different Tick, Same Repellents: CDC Study Shows How to Avoid Asian Longhorned Tick
New research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that DEET and other repellents approved by the EPA for use against native ticks are also effective against the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).
Study Shows How Prescribed Burns Benefit Bees
Freshly burned longleaf pine forests have more than double the total number of bees and bee species than similar forests that have not burned in over 50 years, according to new research from North Carolina State University.
Nuptial Gifts and Other Romantic Gestures of the Bug World
In honor of Valentine's Day, here's a look at recent entomological research on how some insects and other arthropods woo one another with gifts.
These Caterpillars Go Bananas for Fruity Smells—and So Do Their Offspring
Researchers find that the butterfly species Bicyclus anynana passes down a preference for leaves that smell like banana to its next generation—another curious example of inheritance of a learned trait.
USA National Phenology Network Aids Management of Pest Insects With Life-Stage Forecast Maps
It's easier to manage an insect pest if you can predict where and when it's likely to show up, rather than trying to react after it appears. The USA National Phenology Network's "Pheno Forecast" maps offer daily updates that model the temperature conditions necessary for a dozen forest insect pests. A new article in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America showcases the tool, part of a new special collection on geospatial analysis of invasive insects.
Twenty-Year Study Shows How Climate and Habitat Change Impact One Mantid Species
It may be just one study of one species in one field in Virginia, but 20 years of monitoring Chinese mantid numbers there illustrates the potential double whammy of habitat loss (even a naturally occurring one) and climate change.
Varroa Mites: New Guide Outlines Integrated Pest Management Options
A growing consensus deems Varroa mite infestation to be the leading factor in the struggles of honey bees in managed hives around the world. A new profile in the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management details the biology and life cycle of the Varroa destructor mite and the IPM approach to control the devastating ectoparasites.
Black Soldier Flies Show Potential as Source of Antimicrobial Compounds
Black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) live in decomposing, bacteria-rich organic material, which demands a potent immune system. A study by researchers in Peru and France has isolated four peptides from larvae of the black soldier fly that display antibacterial properties, suggesting further "bioprospecting" research into black soldier flies could one day generate useful new antibacterial compounds for medical use.
Treasures in Gemstones: Previously Unknown Wasps Found in Prehistoric Amber
An entomologist examining wasp specimens in fossilized amber from the Eocene (34–55 million years ago) has identified them as a new species, Brachyelatus marthae, and the first fossil specimens from the chalcid wasp subfamily Chrysolampinae.