Today’s Termites Offer Clues to Ancient Migrations Across Asia
How did a ground-dwelling insect like the termite Macrotermes gilvus get from mainland Myanmar all the way out to the islands of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia? The answer lies in ancient land bridges.
Natural Compound Deters Lone Star Tick Larvae
A naturally occurring botanical compound found in anise, fennel, vanilla, and cranberries might be effective in deterring the larval stage of the lone star tick
Some “Green” Oils Can Stop a Bed Bug—But Many Can’t
Most Essential oils don't work to control bed bugs, although there are a few exceptions
Beware the “Dark Side” of Light Traps
Light traps are useful collecting devices to sample large numbers and species of insects, but they also may mask infestations of some insect-borne illnesses and even expose humans to disease vectors.
Butterfly Color Patterns Reveal Clues About Genes That Build Insect Wings
New research identifies the genetic code by which butterflies assign color patterns to different parts of their wings
The Role of School Nurses in Integrated Pest Management for Public Health
School nurses deal directly with the effects of lice, ticks, and mosquitoes on students and can be an important addition to the IPM team.
Hormones Control Eyespot Size in the Butterfly Bicyclus anynana
Male and female Bicyclus butterflies have different levels of the hormone ecdysone, which regulates their different-sized eyespots.
Another Step Forward in Genetic Engineering of Mosquitoes
The disruption of mosquitoes' cuticle, wing, and eye development is “proof of concept" for a new advance in the genetic engineering method known as CRISPR/Cas9.
Nutritional Symbionts: Why Some Insects Don’t Have to Eat Their Vegetables
While many animals, like humans, consume a varied diet to get their necessary nutrition, some insects can extract nourishment from a nutritionally poor food source through symbioses with microbial symbionts.
Short Bait Exposure Controls Asian Subterranean Termite Colonies
A new study in the Journal of Economic Entomology shows exposure to an insecticide bait known as a chitin synthesis inhibitor for as little as one day may be sufficient to eliminate a colony of Asian subterranean termites
Little Yellow Ant is Next Invasive to Arrive in Florida
The little yellow ant is a tropical species, native to Madagascar, but now it's been found in Florida.
Pennies for Parasitoids: Savings Add Up When Rearing Wasps on Alternate Hosts
The parasitic wasp Telenomus remus can be cheaper to raise on a commercial scale on the eggs of an alternate host, rather than those of the fall armyworm, the pest the wasp naturally parasitizes in the field
Managing Pests in Organic Greenhouses
While a greenhouse structure affords growers pest control options that are not available for field crops, such as physical exclusion, it can also create challenges.
For Termites, Home is Where the Molt Is
Formosan subterranean termites have a strong urge to return to their central nest when it's time to molt.
A Potential New Tool in the Battle Against a Bee-Killing Bacteria
American foulbrood disease is caused by a difficult-to-control and highly destructive bacterium. New research may have found a way to prevent infections of honey bees
Fallen Fruit Breeds Invasive Flies
By removing potential breeding sites such as fallen fruit, population levels of invasive spotted wing drosophila could be reduced