Be On the Lookout: There’s a New Tick in Town
The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was discovered in the U.S. in 2017, and it poses health threats to both animals and humans. A new guide in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management outlines the different management strategies that are being developed, and surveillance and prevention are key to reducing this non-native arthropod's impact.
A Fast, Frassy Way to Detect the Asian Longhorned Beetle
Researchers in Italy have developed a rapid method for detection of the Asian longhorned beetle, an invasive pest in Europe and North America, using a DNA-detection technique known as loop-mediated isothermal amplification.
How Mitochondrial DNA Offers Clues to Giant Hornets’ Invasion
When scientists discovered specimens of the invasive giant hornet Vespa mandarinia on both sides of the border between Washington and British Columbia in 2019, they sought to find out how they arrived from Asia. Analysis of their mitochondrial DNA provided an interesting twist: The hornets on each side of the border likely did not come from the same location in Asia.
List of Known Host Plants Grows for Spotted Lanternfly
Two researchers compile existing research and additional observations to update the list of potential host plants for the invasive spotted lanternfly, bringing the worldwide total of plants the insect will feed on to 103—of which 56 are present in North America.