Tastes Like Chicken: Hydrogel Shows Promise as Yellowjacket Bait
Existing baits for yellowjackets require fresh meat as an attractant, but a new study finds that hydrogel makes an adequate substitute, absorbing insecticide and giving a tactile resemblance to meat to effectively bait yellowjackets in the same manner.
What Gives This Butterfly Species the Only Blue Wings in its Subtribe?
Males of the butterfly species Mimeresia neavei feature blue, structurally colored wings, the only species in the Mimacraeina subtribe to do so. Researchers in Hungary credit M. neavei's blue wings to a form of coloration found in several butterfly groups but not experimentally examined within Lycaenidae.
Hessian Fly: New Guide Details Wheat Pest Management
The Hessian fly is a major pest of wheat around the world. A new guide in the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management outlines the fly's biology and life cycle and an array of tactics that can be combined to manage the pest.
Cold-Season Temperature and Rainfall Drive Climate Suitability for Ticks in California
A new CDC study finds cold-season temperature and rainfall are the two leading factors that determine climate suitability for ticks within California, deeming the state's far northern coast and the western Sierra Nevada foothills as the most likely habitat for the western blacklegged tick.
New CDC Tick Study Adds to Promise of Permethrin-Treated Clothing
Experiments conducted at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed clothing treated with permethrin had strong toxic effects on three primary germ-carrying tick species, interfering with the ticks' ability to move properly and likely interfering with their ability to bite.
Want a Wall-Walking Robot? Look to the Honey Bees
Research into the pattern of walking in honey bees as they scale a vertical surface shows they switch their style of gait when turning compared to when walking in a straight line. The insights into bees' biomechanics may have future applications in robotics.
Cannibalism in Mosquito Larvae Confounds Egg Counts
New research shows that late-stage Anopheles gambiae larvae will eat eggs and first-instar larvae of their own species, calling into question the common view that females of the mosquito species avoid laying eggs in water where other larvae are already present.
Researchers Propose Standardized Naming of Lab-Reared Insect Stocks
Entomologists at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Canada have crafted a standardized naming convention for their laboratory insect stocks, and they suggest other similar facilities could adopt the naming format, as well.
Testing Shows Dry, Red Sticky Traps Improve Spotted-Wing Drosophila Monitoring
A new study finds spotted-wing drosophila prefer red, glue-covered monitoring traps made of plastic rectangles or spheres compared to the most commonly used clear deli-cup traps. The findings will advance the pursuit of more efficient and effective monitoring techniques for the pest.
Team Develops New Protocol for Embedding Insects in Resin
Insect and arthropod specimens set in clear resin are a valuable tool for teaching entomology both in the classroom and in public outreach. A team at Texas A&M University has developed an efficient, cost-effective process for resin casting and shares the instructions with the entomological community.
Bodycams Can Make for Better Agricultural Pest Management, Too
In a new study at the University of Arizona, researchers used body-mounted cameras to evaluate the efficiency of two insect pest sampling techniques—a sweepnet and a vacuum—in a cotton field. The perspective offered new insights into how such methods can be evaluated and could help growers and integrated pest management professionals further fine-tune their sampling techniques.
In Tick Management, Species Matters
One key factor plays a role in how well any particular tick-management method might work: Which tick species is it best suited for? A new guide in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management reviews research on tick management tools and their effectiveness on three tick species: the blacklegged tick, the lone star tick, and the American dog tick.
Fruit DNA in Invasive Flies’ Guts Could Help Track Their Dispersal
A recent study at North Carolina State University shows that DNA analysis of spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) flies can detect whether they fed on strawberries as much as seven days prior. Researchers hope the proof of concept will lead to more accurate analysis of the invasive pest's dispersal in the field.
Oregon Researchers Find a Native Wasp With a Taste for Stink Bugs
A recent study in Oregon details the predatory habits of the wasp Astata unicolor—its preferred prey is the invasive brown marmorated stink bug—and notes its potential as a native natural enemy of the invasive pest.
Invasive Tick Persists in New Jersey
Officials in New Jersey report that the invasive tick Haemaphysalis longicornis has successfully overwintered and was found once again on a rural property in mid-April 2018, after an infestation was reported there in 2017, the first such appearance of the species within North American borders.
Eastern Larch Beetle Outbreak Just Keeps Going When Winter’s Not So Cold
The current outbreak of eastern larch beetle in northern Minnesota is going into its 18th year, and researchers have found that at least some eastern larch beetles are able to reach maturity without requiring an overwintering period. In short, warmer winters mean eastern larch beetle is killing trees faster than it can be managed.