Tag: host preference

A bright red cardinal, viewed from the side and looking to the right, perches on a dead tree branch in front of a blurry brown and gray mottled background.

Even at the Zoo, Mosquitoes Favor Local Wild Birds for Meals

In a study of mosquitoes in and around the Nashville Zoo, northern cardinals were found to be the most common source of the mosquitoes’ blood meals, despite more than 300 species of animals on exhibit. None the less, the study suggests zoos are a valuable resource for monitoring mosquito species diversity, biology, and pathogen presence.

Entomology Today 3 days ago Leave a Comment

Fall Armyworm Study Shows Maize, Sorghum as Preferred Host Plants

Studies have shown host plants for fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) potentially numbering in the hundreds, but a group of researchers suggests differentiating between plants that the insect prefers for its full life cycle versus those that are more likely to be secondary food sources.