Edible Plant Oils Show Potential for Management of Aedes aegypti
A new study finds several edible plant oils—such as hempseed, sesame, and pumpkinseed oils—have potential utility as eco-friendly larvicides or egg-laying deterrents against the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
New Study Aims to Protect Parasitoids of Spotted-Wing Drosophila
Use of an insecticide can be counterproductive if it also harms natural enemies of a target pest. A new study puts several insecticides currently in use to manage spotted-wing drosophila to the test to see how they do or don't affect parasitoids of the invasive fruit fly.
No Buzz, No Problem: Study Shows How Honey Bees Pollinate Blueberries
Honey bees are incapable of buzz pollination, but they can (and do) perform pollination duties in highbush blueberry. A new study shows that, while honey bees rarely collect blueberry pollen in the pollen baskets on their hind legs, they frequently contact it with other body parts and transfer it to other flowers.
Could Insecticide Netting Help Manage Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Infestations in Homes?
New research on brown marmorated stink bug behavior indicates they prefer darker surfaces, doorways, and the north and east sides of homes—and that insecticide-treated netting offers potential as a means of nuisance control.
Testing Shows Dry, Red Sticky Traps Improve Spotted-Wing Drosophila Monitoring
A new study finds spotted-wing drosophila prefer red, glue-covered monitoring traps made of plastic rectangles or spheres compared to the most commonly used clear deli-cup traps. The findings will advance the pursuit of more efficient and effective monitoring techniques for the pest.
Flower Pots in Southwestern U.S. a Common Breeding Site for Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
The Aedes aegypti mosquito typically prefers humid climates, but it has gained a foothold in the arid southwestern U.S. by using manmade containers for breeding sites—in particular, flower pots and the saucers underneath them.
The Story of the Little Fire Ant: Modern Medicine Learns From Indigenous Cultures
Indigenous cultures in Colombia have known for a long time that stings from the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata, can cause corneal lesions. Medical doctors are just figuring it out.
Predicting Shifts in the Range of Invasive Insect Species in the Face of Climate Change
By John P. Roche As average temperatures rise globally, the ranges of many species will be affected. Climate-induced shifts in the ranges of invasive species will be particularly important because […]
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 […]
What Puts the Blister Into Blister Beetles?
By John P. Roche Blister beetles produce cantharidin, a 10-carbon isoprenoid molecule that is highly bitter and is toxic to most animals. Because cantharidin is so bitter, it discourages predators, […]
Control of West Indian Sweetpotato Weevils Informed by Their Mating Behavior
By John P. Roche West Indian sweetpotato weevils (Euscepes postfasciatus) are costly pests of sweetpotato plants (Ipomoea batatas) in the Pacific, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Entomologists in […]
Morphological Traits Relate to Mating Strategies in Male Japanese Stag Beetles
By John P. Roche Male Japanese stag beetles (Prosopocoilus inclinatus) have battles to defend territories to earn the opportunity to mate with females. They use enlarged mandibles that look like […]
New Fossil Evidence Shows Beetles Pollinated Orchids Millions of Years Ago
Beetles may play a more important role in pollinating orchids than originally thought, based on a new beetle trapped in amber 20 million years ago
Where Do Shield-back Katydids Fit within the Katydid Evolutionary Tree?
By John P. Roche With more than 7,000 species globally, the katydids are the second most diverse group within the insect order Orthoptera, after the grasshoppers. Katydids are members of […]
Did the Malaria Parasite First Evolve in the Insect Vector or the Vertebrate Host?
By John P. Roche Malaria is a terrible problem, killing nearly half a million people per year, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. This serious disease is caused by a protozoan parasite […]
Study Describes Three New Species of Fruit Flies and Revises Their Genus
By John P. Roche Acanthiophilus is a genus of fruit flies that infest plants of the tribe Cardueae (thistles) within the family Asteraceae. Members of this genus live in Africa, […]