The latest news about entomology, brought to you by the Entomological Society of America
Extension agents across much of the United States often get questions from homeowners and forest managers about the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria), and their concerns are understandable. The native pest can cause significant defoliation of a variety of host trees, and they have a habit of forming their cocoons—in great abundance—on tree trunks and […]
By Andrew Porterfield The red-eyed, spotted fly first appeared in the United States in strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry crops in Santa Cruz County, California, in 2008. Then the Southeast Asian invader Drosophila suzukii began showing up in crops in other areas of coastal California, eventually making its way to the far Pacific Northwest and then […]
By Leslie Mertz Step 1: Complain about how bad the mosquitoes are this year. Step 2: Purchase a can of bug spray to keep mosquitoes away. Step 3: Use it once and be disgusted by the greasy feel and weird smell. Step 4: Put the can in a closet, never to be used again. Step […]
With the right combination of methods, landscape managers can strike an effective balance between pest management and protecting pollinators in turfgrass settings. A new, open-access guide in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management (JIPM) offers an in-depth look at best practices for protecting pollinators such as bees and butterflies while reducing pests in lawns, fields, […]
By Andrew Porterfield The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) is a major corn pest in South America, known to devour corn crops from Argentina to the Southeastern United States. Farmers have typically battled the worm’s infestation with chemical insecticides, but they have been met (unsurprisingly) with resistant insects. Transgenic corn raised to express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) […]
