An Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee’s First Meal is a Big Deal
By Meredith Swett Walker Parents often worry about what they feed their kids and how it might affect their future. But, barring genuine malnutrition, no diet or food is likely […]
In Fending Off Mosquitoes, Spatial Repellents With Pyrethroids Show Potential
By Leslie Mertz Step 1: Complain about how bad the mosquitoes are this year. Step 2: Purchase a can of bug spray to keep mosquitoes away. Step 3: Use it […]
Gas Station Windshield Wash Basins: Yet Another Habitat for Mosquito Larvae
Michael Reiskind, Ph.D., found inspiration for entomological research at a gas station. “Several years ago, I noticed an Aedes albopictus adult resting on the water in a windshield wash basin […]
A New Taxon for Worm-Like Mites: Eriophyoidea and Nematalycidae
By Samuel Bolton Eriophyoidea, the superfamily of arthropods commonly known as gall mites (though not all of them form galls) or four-legged mites (though not all mites with four legs […]
Predicting Shifts in the Range of Invasive Insect Species in the Face of Climate Change
By John P. Roche As average temperatures rise globally, the ranges of many species will be affected. Climate-induced shifts in the ranges of invasive species will be particularly important because […]
The Microscopic Spines That Many Bee Species Use to Hatch
Perhaps you’ve seen the 2015 video from photographer Anand Varma (and shared again last week via National Geographic), a time-lapse of bee larvae hatching and growing in their cells: Watch: […]
Do You Know the Harlequin Bug’s Favorite Color?
By Josh Lancette Ever wondered what a harlequin bug’s favorite color is? Some researchers from Virginia Tech and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service now have an answer. To help improve trapping […]
Could a Null-Hypothesis Model Bring Greater Clarity to Forensic Entomology?
In its popular understanding, forensic entomology is the field of science that uses certain insects’ affinity for decomposition as a tool in death investigations. It is, of course, not as […]
Mow Before You Spray, and Other Tips for Protecting Pollinators in Grassy Landscapes
With the right combination of methods, landscape managers can strike an effective balance between pest management and protecting pollinators in turfgrass settings. A new, open-access guide in the Journal of […]
Common Corn Pest Presents Major Challenge to Bt Crops
By Andrew Porterfield The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major corn pest in South America, known to devour corn crops from Argentina to the Southeastern United States. Farmers have […]
Search Continues for Methods to Control Fungus-Farming Beetle in SoCal Trees
By Meredith Swett Walker A spate of tree deaths in California has arborists, park managers, and home owners alarmed. Keen-eyed tree caretakers might notice a cluster of tiny holes in […]
How Flashy Wings, UV Light, and Seasons All Play a Role in One Butterfly Species’ Mating Rituals
By Edward Ricciuti Males of an African butterfly, with the improbable nickname of “squinting bush brown,” are the Lepidopteran version of chick magnets—if their generation of caterpillars chills out while […]
Citizen Science Delivers “Unprecedented View” of Monarch Butterfly Parasitoids
Thanks to citizen volunteers, scientists now know more than ever about the flies that attack monarch butterfly caterpillars. Since 1999, volunteers participating in the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project have collected […]
Forest Pest Invasions Can—And Should—Be Studied Before They Happen
What can we learn about ambrosia beetles in their native host ranges?
CDC Study Sheds Light on New Lyme Disease-Causing Bacteria
A new species of bacteria that causes Lyme disease needs the same amount of time for transmission after a tick bite compared to previously implicated bacteria, according to new research […]
Odorant Receptor Gene in Codling Moth Also Affects Egg Production
A funny thing happened on the way to testing the CpomOR1 odorant receptor. Researchers at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service conducted an experiment on codling moth (Cydia pomonella) using the CRISPR/Cas9 […]