Tag: Michael Skvarla

How a Childhood Project Inspired a Life-Long Career

Meet Michael Skvarla, Ph.D., extension entomologist and director of the Insect Identification Laboratory at Penn State University, whose career path began with a Cub Scout insect-collection project. Skvarla is the subject of the next edition of our “Standout Early Career Professionals” series.

Entomology Today September 17, 2019 1 Comment

Curious Wasp Specimen Leads Entomologist to Find a First

When Michael Skvarla, Ph.D., joined Penn State University's entomology extension program in 2017, it wasn't long before he had a mystery on his hands: A wasp specimen from an infestation of a residence that appeared to be of a genus not previously known to invade homes in North America.

Sawfly Species Found in Arkansas Show Range Expansions of Hundreds of Miles

Sawflies and wood wasps form a group of insects that feed mainly on plants when immature. Field work by Dr. Michael Skvarla, which was conducted during his PhD research at […]