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Trending Topics: Research News•The Entomology Profession•Amazing Insects•Science Policy and Outreach

Category: Research News

Recent entomological research from ESA journals, members, and beyond

A periodical cicada perches on a green leaf. The cicada's body is black with large red eyes. Folded backward over its body are two long translucent wings with brown veins at top and black veins toward the end of the wings.

Do Adult Periodical Cicadas Actually Eat?

A long-standing agricultural query about periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years was recently answered by a research team at USDA Agricultural Research Service:  Once periodical cicadas emerge, do they actually feed on vegetation? Their analysis of the gut contents found plant DNA in mature adult cicadas but none in freshly emerged adults, a strong sign that adult cicadas do feed on plants, since no plant matter in cicadas' guts carries over from their nymph stage.

Close-up view of a mite on a green plant surface. The mite's body is somewhat flat and oval-shaped, with mottled dark-brown coloration while elsewhere light brown and semi-translucent. It's eight short legs are also semi-translucent.

This Predatory Mite is a Rising Star in Pest Management

The mite Amblyseius swirskii feeds on various insect and mite species, including many notorious pests of vegetable crops. A new article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management explores the biology and applications of this versatile mite that have propelled it to the forefront of many IPM programs.

Closeup of an emerald ash borer adult on a green leaf. The insect is iridescent green with large black eyes and a long, narrow body. It faces to the left, with the length of its body visible. Its wing covers are a dark iridescent green, while its thorax and the underside of its abdomen are much lighter green, almost golden.

Dispelling Urban Myths With Science Can Save Your Ash

Two decades after the arrival of the emerald ash borer in North America, plenty of misinformation remains about how best to manage its impact. A group of experts on this pest bust several myths about emerald ash borer in a new article in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management.