Pollinator project will complement Penn State solar power initiative

October 29, 2019

A unique undertaking in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will shine a light on how solar farms can contribute to healthy ecosystems and boost pollinator populations.

What are those bees doing at your library?

October 25, 2019

Recently, bumble bees have been visiting libraries and museums around Pennsylvania. The bees have been helping families learn about the life sciences and how scientists study how bees and other animals live and are adapted to their environments.

After This Fungus Turns Ants Into Zombies, Their Bodies Explode

October 24, 2019

Evolutionary biologists retrace the history of life in all its wondrous forms. Some search for the origin of our species. Others hunt for the origin of birds.

Truckers Advised to Watch for Invasive Spotted Lanternfly

October 24, 2019

State and federal agriculture officials in several Northeastern states are having limited success in containing the spread of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect from China threatening billions of dollars in crop losses.

The Frost Museum’s Metamorphosis: Museum Reopens in Time for 50th Anniversary

October 21, 2019

After entering the museum, visitors who head toward the left wall will encounter a great swarm of insects. The pinned specimens are arranged in 16 repurposed insect drawers, configured in a four-by-four grid. Looking closer, visitors will observe that the insects are clustered, not randomly—but according to their taxonomic group. The eagle-eyed may notice that the size of each cluster is proportional to that group’s diversity: a cloud of flies, a battalion of beetles, a mass of moths and butterflies; just a smattering of scorpionflies, a handful of stick insects. Within the multitudes, 100 specimens are adorned with a number corresponding to a poster with more information about that species.

‘Extremely terrified:’ Wineries in Bucks facing threat from spotted lanternfly

October 17, 2019

The invasive pest has killed vines and forced the closure of wineries in Berks and Lehigh counties. Bucks County is already seeing damages, as researchers study a nearby vineyard with an eye toward solutions.

Spotted lanternflies pose serious threat to vineyards in Pa.

October 17, 2019

Pennsylvania is the fourth largest producer of wine in the country, but there's a serious threat affecting some of the vineyards in our area.

How you can help prevent an invasive bug from making Pittsburgh home

October 17, 2019

Tailgates, football games and festivals. It's a busy time for people to be zig-zagging across Pennsylvania and that's causing new fears from the state. They don't want an invasive bug, the spotted lanternfly catching a ride into our area.

Speakers to discuss hungry plants, explosive beetles and the scent of fear

October 11, 2019

Interactions between insects, predators and plants may be difficult to observe, but they contain powerful clues to how we could save our crops and natural spaces. Enter the world of entomology, where plants and beetles are the masters of natural chemical weapons and the risk of being eaten is real.

Graduate student outreach showcases a world with and without insects at the 2019 PSU Great Insect Fair

October 10, 2019

Penn State Entomology graduate students were able to bring aspects of their research to the public at the annual Great Insect Fair (GIF). Located in the Snider Agricultural Arena, the GIF theme for 2019 was “A world with(out) insects” and students were able to showcase what our world would look like without some key critters and certainly what outreach efforts look like with graduate students at the forefront.

PSU gets $7.3 million grant for spotted lanternfly research

October 9, 2019

Spotted lantern flies have been destroying fruit trees and vineyards in the Philadelphia area.

Nanoporous Antireflection Coatings secures $75,000 in tech tournament

October 8, 2019

Invent Penn State's Tech Tournament is a showcase of disruptive technologies and early-stage companies

Penn State receives $7.3 million grant to advance spotted lanternfly research

October 7, 2019

A $7.3 million grant awarded to Penn State will support an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional team of researchers as they conduct research and develop strategies to combat the spotted lanternfly.

Stomp and squish: Pennsylvanians battle ‘nightmare’ bugs

October 3, 2019

In the Great Spotted Lanternfly War, Pennsylvania’s citizen-soldiers are fighting back with fly swatters and vacuums, dish soap and sticky tape. They’re stomping and spraying and zapping and bragging about their kills on social media. “DESTROY THEM,” a propaganda poster urges. “Die, die, die, spotted lanternfly,” a balladeer sings.

Invasive Insect That Sucks the Life Out of Crops Is Spreading

October 3, 2019

The spotted lanternfly is damaging Pennsylvania vineyards and threatening other farm goods and trees. Researchers are looking at a fungus and tiny wasps as options to kill it.

Biopesticide holds promise in grounding spotted lanternfly

October 3, 2019

Researchers testing a biopesticide to control spotted lanternfly in areas of Norristown Farm Park this past summer are encouraged by the results and say they may have discovered a very effective weapon to stamp out the invasive pests.

Beescape Monthly Update for October

October 1, 2019

With summer now behind us and autumn nectar flows drawing to close, your honey bees will likely spend less time foraging as the temperature continues to drop.

Beescape Monthly Update for September

October 1, 2019

As the fall season approaches, we at Beescape hope you’ve all had a productive spring/summer

Seeking one Master’s student

October 1, 2019

The Barbercheck Lab is seeking one Master’s student to start in the Summer or Fall of 2020.

Idiosyncratic Insects

September 27, 2019

I didn’t think it would happen to me, but I have become one of those parents. You know the ones: the type who are always bragging about their children’s latest achievements, proudly showing photos to anyone who displays even the vaguest interest, and vocally declaring that their progeny are geniuses.

Be a Professional: Attend to the Insects

September 27, 2019

What kinds of ethical considerations, if any, are relevant to research, management, or conservation efforts involving insects? What limits might be appropriate for those actions? These are questions we ask as members of a profession—one that’s devoted to the study of certain organisms.

Marjorie A. Hoy: Undaunted Pioneer, Eminent Scholar

September 27, 2019

Marjorie A. Hoy is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research with the first laboratory-modified natural enemy deployed in a pest management program. The natural enemy had been genetically improved through selection to be resistant to three pesticide classes. Hoy is also highly regarded for the development of classical biological control of invasive pests of Florida citrus.

Expert explains why there are so many dragonflies

September 26, 2019

Rudolf Schilder, assistant professor of entomology at Penn State University, took some time to explain why Pennsylvania residents are seeing so many dragonflies this month. He studies dragonfly factors that impact their flight performance, usually in a laboratory.

World without insects envisioned at Penn State’s Great Insect Fair

September 26, 2019

With a theme of “Living With(out) Insects,” the 2019 edition of Penn State's Great Insect Fair will explore the widely publicized, worldwide decline of insects from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. Saturday, September 28, at the Snider Agricultural Arena on the University Park campus.

We Must Destroy the Spotted Lanternfly, a Useless Garbage Insect

September 26, 2019

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Pensylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is waging an all-out war on a tiny insect called the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). Researchers at the Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit (BIIRU), a subdivision of the PADA, in Newark, Delaware, have come up with a plan to eradicate the invasive insect once and for all, using a curious weapon: wasps.

‘Squash It! Smash It!’: Pennsylvania Implores Residents to Kill an Invasive Bug on Sight

September 26, 2019

Hordes of spotted lanternflies are flapping through the state, threatening agriculture. “They jump, they’re big, they’re scary,” one Pennsylvanian said. “It’s like all of your worst nightmares coming to fruition.”

Indiana in the Morning Interview: Christina Grozinger

September 25, 2019

Christina Grozinger is the director of the Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State. She joined us to talk about the health of Pennsylvania's bee population, and how we can help.

Diversity statement shows Department of Entomology's commitment to inclusivity

September 25, 2019

The Department of Entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has released its first diversity statement, which articulates the department’s goal to “cultivate a community of people who have diverse ways of thinking, views, values and perspectives and who represent the composition of our society.”

Survey aims to help citizens protect themselves from vector-borne illnesses

September 23, 2019

Penn State Extension has established a new vector-borne disease team that focuses on diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitos. To ensure that its efforts address community needs, the team is launching a survey, the results of which will allow extension educators to deliver responsive programming to educate the public on vector-borne diseases, how to prevent them, and how people can protect themselves.

Penn State's Great Insect Fair imagines a world without bugs

September 19, 2019

Appreciating insects' role in agriculture and the environment will be the focus of Penn State's 2019 Great Insect Fair, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Snider Agricultural Arena on the University Park campus.