Don’t Bet Your Hedges: IPM Guide Outlines Ficus Whitefly Management
The invasive whitefly Singhiella simplex can quickly defoliate Ficus hedges in North America. A new guide in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management provides a key for identification and an in-depth management plan.
New Guide Details IPM for Thousand Cankers Disease in Black Walnut
Thousand cankers disease is a fungal disease primarily affecting walnut trees, spread by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis). While impacts vary greatly, diagnostic tools and an updated integrated pest management program are urgently needed. A new paper in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management highlights strategies that can be effective in managing TCD in commercial walnut plantations.
Study Sheds Light on Origins of Unique Silkworm Strain
Dubbed a "living fossil" by researchers, the Yao silkworm has been domesticated in virtual isolation for a millennium by the Baiku Yao ethnic group in China. New genetic research on the strain finds that the Yao silkworm is a primitive form of the domestic silkworm species Bombyx mori and more distantly related to other wild silkworm species.
Counting Bees: How Mark-Recapture Methods Can Validate Wild Bee Sampling Protocols
Monitoring wild bee populations is a tricky proposition, with common methods all having inherent biases. A new study uses mark-recapture to get a better picture of how various bee sampling methods measure up.