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Penn State receives $3M grant to address insect biodiversity crisis
A team of Penn State researchers has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to spearhead a new initiative to create novel monitoring systems for insect populations, many of which are experiencing dramatic changes across the globe due to changes in land use, pollution and climate change.
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Bee populations at risk of one-two punch from heat waves, pathogen infection
A global research team led by Penn State was the first to study how extreme heat waves affect the host-pathogen relationship between two species of solitary bees (Osmia cornifrons and Osmia lignaria) and a protozoan pathogen (Crithidia mellificae).
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Gardening expertise blooms at Ag Progress Days Yard and Garden Area
Need expert gardening advice? Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences experts will offer consultations in the Yard and Garden Area during Ag Progress Days, Aug. 8-10.
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Pollination
A surprising diversity of insects are responsible for pollination of plants. This exhibit highlights these pollinators and shares some of our favorite pollination facts.
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Grozinger receives 2023 President’s Award for Excellence Academic Integration
Christina Grozinger, Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology, has been awarded the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration. The award is given to a full-time faculty member who has exhibited extraordinary achievement in the integration of teaching, research or creative accomplishment and service.
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Two ecology doctoral students receive Alumni Association Dissertation Awards
Two doctoral students in the Huck Institutes' Ecology program were recognized at a reception held earlier this month as winners of the prestigious Alumni Association Dissertation Award.
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Soil nutrients affect how attractive plants are to bees from the ground up
Pollination is vital for many plants, and nutrients present in the soil before these plants even sprout may affect how attractive they eventually are to pollinators, according to Penn State-led research.
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Squash bees flourish in response to agricultural intensification
A new study led by Penn State found that the squash bee (Eucera pruinosa) has evolved in response to intensifying agriculture — namely squashes in the genus Curcurbita. The research is the first to demonstrate the role of agriculture as an evolutionary force acting on a wild insect pollinator and may have implications for food security.
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Study: Mapping people’s knowledge of bees may aid in pollinator conservation
U.S. college students’ knowledge of bees focuses primarily on honey bees and pollination services, according to Penn State researchers, who said findings from their recent study could help in designing campaigns to generate support for protecting threatened pollinators.
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Study examines the effects of using insecticides for spotted lanternfly control
Neonicotinoid insecticides used to control spotted lanternflies have the potential to harm pollinators, but the degree of risk depends on multiple factors, such as application timing, type of neonicotinoid, the species of tree being treated and pollinator species sensitivity, according to entomologists at Penn State.