Tag: Michael Skvarla

Closeup of a butterfly perched on thin green leaves with its wings spread wide. The butterfly's wings have an orange base color with black veins and bordering, and small white spots within the black border and in the top middle of its forewings.

The Growing Utility of Online Photo Sharing for Entomology Research

The increasing volume of insect photo observations shared on iNaturalist and similar sites can no longer be ignored, and entomologists are finding ways to use it. A review in Annals of the Entomological Society of America digs into best practices for bolstering entomological research with this growing body of citizen-science data.

Entomology Today 4 weeks ago 2 Comments

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.

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 […]