Does Multiple Mating Help Spotted Lanternflies Spread?
Producing offspring from multiple fathers can add much-needed genetic diversity to populations of invasive insects, which often arise from a small number of individuals. New research confirms such multiple paternity occurs in spotted lanternflies, though to what degree it aids their spread needs further study.
Even on Farms, Bees Look For a Balanced Diet
A study of managed bumble bees and honey bees on a blueberry farm finds that most of the pollen they collect comes from other plants, suggesting that supplementing crops with a diversity of nearby plant types makes for healthier bees.
Ground Beetles Key Allies for Slug Control in Conservation Agriculture
Slugs are a common headache for corn and soybean growers following the conservation agriculture practices of limited tillage and frequent cover cropping. A new study finds that, among slugs' natural enemies, ground beetles provide the best control, and growers should consider practices that attract ground beetles to their fields.
Is This Non-Native Mason Bee an Invasive Species?
What makes a non-native species "invasive"? And can a typically beneficial insect like a bee be deemed a threat to native species? Researchers explore these questions in a new review of the expansion of the non-native mason bee Osmia taurus since its U.S. arrival in 2002 and its effects on closely related native species.