Scale Insects on Urban Trees Benefit Spiders, Other Natural Enemies in Plants Below
Two new studies find even more benefits to tolerating scale insects on urban trees, boosting the abundance of a variety of spiders and attracting predator insects that serve as natural enemies of other pests in both trees and nearby plants.
How One Entomologist Turns Biological Control Into Real-World Results
Meet Nicole Quinn, Ph.D., entomologist at the University of Florida, expert in insect biological control, and subject of the next installment of our "Standout Early Career Professionals" series.
Why a Little Bit of This Tree Pest is a Good Thing in Urban Landscapes
Tiny, dome-shaped scale insects can damage or kill trees in heavy infestations, but their presence in moderate numbers actually supports a variety of other beneficial insects that protect trees and surrounding vegetation from other pests, a new study shows.
Pests, Predators, and Parasitoids: Wasps Target Flies That Eat Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
In the effort to manage the hemlock woolly adelgid in eastern North America, two fly species deployed as biological control agents are themselves targeted by parasitoid wasps. A new study examines how these parasitoids affect the flies and other predators of the hemlock pests.