For Insect Ecologists, Some Rare Species Interactions Are a Sign of Things to Come
In an era of human-driven ecological change, crucial interactions between and among insect species and plants can disappear before their participating species do. A new special collection in Annals of the Entomological Society of America looks at how insect ecologists are studying these rare interactions and what they mean for our efforts to conserve even the rarest links in the rich web of interactions all around us.
An Invasive-Species Success Story: The Eradication of the European Grapevine Moth in California
The successful eradication of the European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) in northern California after it was found there in 2009 offers important lessons for invasive species response. Researchers are studying the dynamics of the invasion and eradication effort to prepare future response plans for other potential invasive species both in California and beyond.
7 Ideas for Entomologists to Get Engaged in Science Policy
So, you want to be an advocate for science? Get your energy flowing with these thoughts and perspectives from a new special collection of articles on science policy in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America.
Mixing It Up: Mixed-Crop Fields Can Boost Natural Biocontrol of Insect Pests
A new study shows that growing a variety of crops in the same field increases local insect diversity and even improves the ratio of natural-enemy insects to pest insects.
Cuckoo Bumble Bees: What We Can Learn From Their Cheating Ways (If They Don’t Go Extinct First)
Learning how cuckoo bumble bees cheat the eusocial system can tell scientists a lot about how insect sociality evolves and how hosts and parasites coevolve. But, as other bees face declines, cuckoo bees will only get more difficult to study.
Bees Stopped Buzzing During the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
A study conducted during the 2017 total solar eclipse in North America found that bees remained active during partial-eclipse phases, but they essentially ceased flying during totality.
Butterfly Pupae Make Sounds In Never-Before-Known Ways
New research explores how pupae of certain butterfly species make a "twittering" noise—via a wiggling movement that triggers sound from tiny structures in the membranes between their abdominal segments.
For Entomologists, a Gender Gap Remains in Academic, Government Employment
Just one-quarter of university and federal entomology jobs held by women, according to a new analysis published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America.
Swim Lessons: How Two Land-Dwelling Ant Species Paddle Through Water
A new study in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America examines how two ant species swim and concludes that bigger is indeed better when it comes to which of them swims fastest.
The Case for Greater Focus on Mosquitoes and Other Arthropod Vectors in Epidemiology
The textbook approach to managing disease outbreaks focuses on pathogen, host, and environment but leaves out insect or arthropod vectors. For afflictions such as Zika, malaria, and Lyme, a report in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America proposes a new version of the classic 'epidemiologic triad' that better reflects the complexities of managing vector-borne diseases.
New Research Collection Targets Insect Pests of Pulse Crops
A new collection in the July 2018 issue of the Annals of the Entomological Society of America offers growers a treasure trove of knowledge on pulse crop insect pests and management strategies.
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.
Gut Microbes Can Help Insects Beat Pesticides
Insects have evolved a variety of mechanisms to try to overcome the effects of insecticides—including, in some cases, help from the bacteria and other microbes living in insects' guts. A growing number of studies indicate a link between symbiotic microbes and insecticide resistance in a diverse range of insects.
Listening to Larvae: How Acoustics Can Measure Efficacy of Palm Weevil Management
By listening to sounds of the palm weevil, pest managers can determine how effective insecticides are working against the insect pest.
Why Science Communication is Critical to the Future of Entomology
By Margaret Hardy, MSc, Ph.D., FRES Recent efforts to bring science communication into the scholarship of the teaching and learning umbrella has met with some success. The emergence of commercially […]
This Wasp’s Larvae Sometimes Grow Hundreds of Soldier Clones—But Why?
Imagine, for a moment, having 3,000 twin sisters. You all live inside a caterpillar, but it’s home, and your numbers serve as a veritable army against any trespassers. Such is […]