Meddling in the Mutualism: Fly Larva Uses Nectar to Lure Ants for Lunch
In the Brazilian savanna, the larvae of a fruit-fly species exploits an ant-plant mutualism by trapping and preying on ants atop the plant's nectar deposits.
More Research Needed to Better Balance Honey Bees and Native Bees
A review of existing research on floral resource competition between managed honey bees and wild bees shows gaps in our knowledge about such interactions and calls for further research to better inform decisions on honey bee management and pollinator protection.
Beyond the Honey Bee: How Pesticides Affect Solitary, Cavity-Nesting Bees
Solitary bees face different—and less well-understood—challenges from pesticide exposure than their colony-dwelling honey bee cousins. A pair of entomologists encourage colleagues to dedicate more research to these important pollinators.
After a Flood, How Do Insects and Other Invertebrates Recover?
After a 100-year flood struck south central Oklahoma in 2015, a study of the insects, arthropods, and other invertebrates in the area revealed striking declines of most invertebrates in the local ecosystem, a result that researchers say illustrates the hidden impacts of natural disasters.
Bumble Bee Queens Slower to Start Colonies After Neonic Exposure
Queens of bumble bee Bombus impatiens that encounter imidacloprid in their spring foraging period delay nest initiation and brood emergence
Maintaining Susceptibility to Insecticidal Traits in Populations of Corn Pests
Should growers that use Bt crops plant a separate nearby refuge field of non-insecticidal crops, or use a blended mixture of seeds that produce both in the same field?
Manage Japanese Barberry to Keep Tick Levels Low, Reduce Lyme Risk
Clearing the invasive shrub Japanese barberry from a wooded area once can lead to a significant reduction in abundance of blacklegged ticks for as long as six years
Could Repellents Be Useful in Protecting Crops From Spotted-Wing Drosophila?
By Edward Ricciuti Cornell University scientists are tuning up the entomological version of psych war tactics that, instead of killing insect pests outright, manipulate their behavior so they avoid crops […]
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 […]
Designing Effective Baits for Spotted Wing Drosophila is No Easy Task
By John P. Roche Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), is an invasive fruit fly species from eastern Asia, first seen in the United States in 2008. The species is devastating […]
New Formula Doubles Performance of Spotted Wing Drosophila Lure
To slightly modify an old adage, you can catch more flies with increased levels of acetoin, acetic acid, and ethanol than with methionol. Specifically, the fly in question is spotted […]
How the Varroa Mite Co-Opts Honey Bee Behaviors to Its Own Advantage
As the managed honey bee industry continues to grapple with significant annual colony losses, the Varroa destructor mite is emerging as the leading culprit. And, it turns out, the very […]
More Than a Pest: Termites as Models for Evolutionary Transitions
By Thomas Chouvenc, Ph.D. The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) is an infamous termite pest species, but it is also an interesting model for studying the evolution of termites and […]
Study Finds Bees Can Have Their Wildflowers and Almonds, Too
By Josh Lancette New research published this week in the journal Environmental Entomology shows that planting wildflowers next to almond orchards does not cause fewer honey bees to visit the […]
After 13 Years and 1.7 Million Flies Caught, a Model for Predicting Stable Fly Populations
Think for a moment about the date May 15, 2003. Any idea what you were doing that day? (It was a Thursday.) And can you think of anything that you’ve […]
Endangered Maritime Ringlet Shows Continued Decline in Eastern Canada
An endangered butterfly species in eastern Canada appears to be declining in numbers, but a better understanding of how environmental conditions affect its lifecycle may better inform conservation efforts, according […]