Psyllid Movements Revealed Via Gut Content Analysis
Tracking the movements of the diminutive pests is a challenge, but a new study shows that DNA analysis of psyllid gut contents can reveal what plants psyllids have fed on, thereby pinpointing the non-crop "whistle stops" psyllids make before infesting crop fields.
New Guide Offers Latest in Carrot Weevil Management
Carrot weevil (Listronotus oregonensis) is a pest of carrots as well as parsley and celery. A new profile in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management gathers a variety of IPM methods for fending off carrot weevil and highlights where research is needed to better understand its biology and behavior.
Yellowjackets: A Look at Opportunistic Raiders of Honey Bee Hives
Yellowjackets are nuisance predators of honey bees, preying on them and pillaging their honey. But bees fight back, and healthy hives are rarely at risk. Learn more about yellowjackets, their interactions with bees, and what sets yellowjackets apart from hornets and other fellow wasps.
Meet the Mosquito With a Big Appetite—for Other Mosquitoes
The mosquito species Toxorhynchites rutilus is harmless to humans but is a voracious predator of other mosquitoes. Researchers in Houston, Texas, are hoping the "mosquito assassin" could be put into action as a tool for controlling mosquitoes that carry human pathogens—if they can find an efficient way to raise the predator mosquitoes in the lab.
Maximizing Mealworms: Research Aims to Improve Rearing Methods
Yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) have long been produced as fish bait and pet food, but their use as animal feed and even food for people is growing. Researchers are working to fine-tune methods to improve the quantity and quality of mass-reared mealworms.
When Cicada-Killer Wasps Become Cicada-Stealer Wasps
Hunting cicadas and lugging them back to a nest is hard work for a cicada-killer wasp. But sometimes all that hard work goes to waste, when a fellow wasp swoops in and lays her egg on the other wasp's prey. And that's if the cicada isn't stolen by a bird first.
Khapra Beetle Can’t Beat the Heat
The khapra beetle does outsize damage to stored grains and is a top target at ports and border crossings. Researchers in Canada have found the threshold temperature that will kill the beetle at all life stages, even diapause.
Beer Brewers’ Spent Yeast Could Be Next Bait for Fruit Fly Pest
Researchers in China say a protein bait derived from leftover brewer's yeast attracted more spotted-wing drosophila flies than existing attractants in a lab test.
High Temperature, Grasshopper Diet Boost Venom Production in Lab-Reared Scorpions
Researchers in Pakistan evaluated the factors that influence venom production in scorpions, with the aim to maximize venom extraction for research and medical uses.
Study Explores How Flower-Eating Katydids Pick Their Meals
Research in Singapore on katydid florivory could have applications in agriculture or even weed control.
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.
After 17 Years and 1,800 Tests, Researchers Find Cat Flea Pesticide Remains Effective
A 17-year study that monitored for resistance among cat fleas to the insecticide imidacloprid finds no evidence of decreased susceptibility. The study involved researchers in 10 countries, who tested more than 1,800 cat flea egg samples.
Tastes Like Chicken: Hydrogel Shows Promise as Yellowjacket Bait
Existing baits for yellowjackets require fresh meat as an attractant, but a new study finds that hydrogel makes an adequate substitute, absorbing insecticide and giving a tactile resemblance to meat to effectively bait yellowjackets in the same manner.
Bodycams Can Make for Better Agricultural Pest Management, Too
In a new study at the University of Arizona, researchers used body-mounted cameras to evaluate the efficiency of two insect pest sampling techniques—a sweepnet and a vacuum—in a cotton field. The perspective offered new insights into how such methods can be evaluated and could help growers and integrated pest management professionals further fine-tune their sampling techniques.
Got Aphids? Call in the Reinforcements With Banker Plants
To manage pest infestations in greenhouses, banker plants draw in different insect species that don’t feed on the main crop but do serve as hosts for predator insects that will also attack the pest on the main crop—a useful (and green) tool for integrated pest management.
The Collapsible Passive Trap: Mosquito Monitoring in a Lightweight Package
Evaluation of the collapsible passive trap for mosquitoes shows performs as well as other commonly used traps but in a lighter, easier-to-carry design, making it an attractive option for mosquito monitoring in remote areas.