Deadly beauty: Lawmakers unite at Va La Vineyards to shine light on local decimation caused by spotted lanternfly

Friend or foe? As wise people often warn, never trust a book by its cover.

Fall webworm nests spotted in Pennsylvania

No, not the eastern tent caterpillars. Those make their nests in the spring in the area where branches meet together or connect with the tree trunk.

Plant scientist gets $1 million grant to boost organic production, conservation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a researcher in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences a $1 million grant for his investigation of intensifying organic grain production while balancing production and conservation goals.

2020 Penn State Postdoctoral Society awards

The Penn State Postdoc Society is pleased to announce Dr. Karen C. Poh as the recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Postdoc Award.

Study at Penn State to examine potential for birds to eat spotted lanternfly

Do birds find the spotted lanternfly to be a tasty treat or a nauseating nibble? That is one of the questions researchers at Penn State hope to answer, and they are seeking citizen scientists, especially bird watchers, to help in their quest for knowledge.

Rats in rowhouses, opossums in bottles: Philly exterminators see booming biz as trash sits

Michelle Niedermeier, Penn State’s community and environmental health program coordinator at the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management office in Philadelphia, said there are various reasons why people have been seeing more pests lately.

More dengue fever and less malaria – mosquito control strategies may need to shift as Africa heats up

As it becomes too warm for comfort, the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria may lose the battle against climate change in Africa. But a new foe is on the horizon.

Insect Biodiversity Center to promote insect conservation, healthy ecosystems

A newly launched center at Penn State will create a focal point for the study and conservation of insects and the ecosystems with which they interact.

Bug of the Month - September 2020

Bug of the Month is a student–run monthly post which highlights the diversity of insects found in Pennsylvania.

Spotted lanternflies encroach on Weatherly area

The Hazleton area has been hearing about spotted lanternflies invading portions of the state for years, but only recently have they made an appearance locally.

Spotted lanternfly reports surge statewide with confirmed cases in Allegheny County

In just seven months, reports of the invasive and grotesque spotted lanternfly jumped 147% statewide. Confirmed cases in Allegheny County are creeping up in Swissvale, Avalon and some Pittsburgh neighborhoods, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Spotted lanternflies have infested the region and researchers are hard at work trying to control their spread

Spotted lanternflies landed on my hat, my face and every other available surface of my body on August 5, at The Woodlands in West Philadelphia. I was there tagging along with a team of Penn State researchers on a mission to collect 3,000 of the bugs that morning.

Here's how you can protect yourself from ticks

Did you know that Pennsylvania is ranked No. 1 in the nation for Lyme disease cases?

Invasive Spotted Lanternflies Reach Eight New Jersey Counties

The insect is an ‘excellent hitchhiker,’ says the New Jersey Department of Agriculture

What happened to our butterflies this summer?

Many butterfly watchers across Pennsylvania, even those with pollinator or butterfly gardens or fields packed with butterfly-attracting wildflowers, have reported a noticeable decline in the big showy butterflies like monarchs and swallowtails, this summer.

Spotted lanternfly task force brings together expertise of scientists, agencies

Since its unwelcome arrival in Pennsylvania several years ago, the spotted lanternfly has been eating away at agricultural commodities, landscapes and the commonwealth's bottom line.

The Dreaded Lanternfly, Scourge of Agriculture, Spreads in New Jersey

The insect poses a serious threat to American crops, particularly vineyards, and inspires creative backyard methods of eliminating them.

$1.2 million grant will help researchers to develop AI tools for improving adolescents' diets

With a $1.2 million grant from Fondation Botnar, an international team of researchers will assess the feasibility of creating and launching a global-scale artificial intelligence (AI) app for mobile devices that diagnoses diet-related problems and offers nutritional advice to adolescent girls living in urban settings in Ghana and Vietnam.

Spotted lanternfly tree traps can be effective, but need careful installation

For homeowners dealing with spotted lanternfly infestations, tree traps can be a cost-effective, nonchemical option.

Reducing transmission risk of livestock disease

New research identifies livestock husbandry practices that increase transmission risk of deadly livestock virus PPRV

Merit-based NSF grant extension supports expansion of gene-editing technology

Researchers who developed an improved method of gene editing for the study of arthropods will expand the technology for use in vertebrate species such as mice, fish and birds after receiving new funding from the National Science Foundation.

Penn State Pollinator Webinar Series: Bumble bee biology and management for pollination (Erin Treanore)

In previous webinars, speakers have talked about how bees are very diverse and made up of over 20,000 distinct species. It is important to understand the different characteristics of these bee species, as they can greatly impact pollination management.

Cover crop mixtures must be 'farm-tuned' to provide maximum ecosystem services

Penn State researchers, in a recent study, were surprised to learn that they could take the exact same number of seeds from the same plants, put them in agricultural fields across the Mid-Atlantic region and get profoundly different stands of cover crops a few months later.

CuriosityStream: Locust Swarm

Devastating swarms of locusts are devouring everything in their path from Africa to India. Scientists and citizens are waging a massive war with cutting edge technology to stop the infestation from becoming a deadly plague.

Why This Year's Locust Invasion Is Setting Off Global Panic

As if 2020 hasn’t thrown enough curveballs, desert locusts are setting off a global panic.

Spotted lanternfly task force brings together expertise of scientists, agencies

Since its unwelcome arrival in Pennsylvania several years ago, the spotted lanternfly has been eating away at agricultural commodities, landscapes and the commonwealth’s bottom line.

Cicadas abuzz around Western Pennsylvania as summer progresses

The annual cicadas are buzzing in Western Pennsylvania, as the large insects emerge from underground for the hottest months of summer.

Pa., N.J. vineyards brace for invasion of the spotted lanternflies

Richard Blair knows what spotted lanternflies do to vineyards. He lost eight acres of grapevines to the invasive critters in 2017, three years after he first noticed them on his Setter Ridge Vineyards in Berks County. “We were at ground zero, so to speak,” Blair said.

How To Make A DIY Spotted Lanternfly Trap

If you thought you've seen more of the invasive spotted lanternfly in southeastern Pennsylvania, you’re right.

When Is A Fly Not A Fly? When It’s The Spotted Lanternfly!

With all the attention currently on the COVID-19 Pandemic, it's little wonder that some of us haven't heard of or noticed a creature called the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF).