Stinking Here and There: The Painted Bug Bagrada hilaris Goes From Crops to Homes
The sting bug species Bagrada hilaris, sometimes known as the painted bug or bagrada bug, arrived in Chile in 2016 and has quickly become a pest of crops—but, for the first time, it has also begun to infest homes, as reported this month in the Journal of Medical Entomology.
Fighting Flies With Flies: An In-Depth Look at the 2016 Screwworm Outbreak Response in Florida
The return of the screwworm to Florida in 2016 was a surprise, but entomologists with the USDA and local, state, and international partners were prepared to respond. A new, in-depth report in the Journal of Medical Entomology shares a detailed account of their work re-eradicating the pest via the sterile insect technique—plus new lessons learned along the way.
How an “Insect Ecologist at Heart” Got Focused on Pest Management Research
Lauren Diepenbrock, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher at North Carolina State University and soon to be an assistant professor at the University of Florida, says she enjoys "figuring out how insects, particularly invasive species, make use of the available resources to be successful."
Eastern Larch Beetle Outbreak Just Keeps Going When Winter’s Not So Cold
The current outbreak of eastern larch beetle in northern Minnesota is going into its 18th year, and researchers have found that at least some eastern larch beetles are able to reach maturity without requiring an overwintering period. In short, warmer winters mean eastern larch beetle is killing trees faster than it can be managed.