Bug of the Month - July 2021

Buzz, buzz! This bumble bee species, Bombus impatiens, is also known as the Common Eastern Bumble Bee.

2021 Graduate and Undergraduate Pollinator Award Recipients

The Apes Valentes program funds annual awards to support student-led projects in the sciences and/or arts focused on addressing aspects of pollinator health.

PlantVillage team lauded for projects to protect food supply amid COVID, locusts

Penn State researchers responsible for PlantVillage, a mobile app that helps farmers diagnose crop diseases and monitor pests, have been lauded for their work to help African farmers overcome challenges related to desert locusts and COVID-19.

The Long-Awaited Pollinator and Bird Garden Will Be a ‘Magical’ Addition to The Arboretum at Penn State

The Arboretum at Penn State will soon open its newest project to the public, the Pollinator and Bird Garden, a space that aims to foster relaxation as well as education.

Bug of the Month: June

Imagine walking across a stream, looking down to see what you think is a penny, but when you retrieve it, you are surprised to find a little critter clinging to your finger! This factsheet was produced by Insect Biodiversity Center graduate student fellow Francesca Ferguson.

Entomologist of the Month: June

Seok Joo-myung is best known for his invaluable contributions to the taxonomy of Korean butterflies. This factsheet was produced by Center for Pollinator Research IPE graduate student fellow Katherine Barie.

New Entomology Course on Spiders Weaves Together Their Biological and Cultural Importance

Entomology graduate student and IBC Fellow Codey Mathis interviews Dr. Andy Deans about why spiders are so heckin' cool and discuss his upcoming Fall 2021 undergraduate spider course.

Penn State, University of Freiburg partner to form Virtual Classroom Project

In 2020, Penn State and the University of Freiburg launched a pilot program to create collaborative, integrated virtual classroom courses by providing development and implementation money to faculty teams.

Entomologist of the Month: May

Berta Scharrer co-founded the discipline of neuroendocrinology, which is the study of how the brain regulates the production of hormones in the body. This factsheet was produced by Center for Pollinator Research IPE student fellow Katherine Barie.

Bug of the Month: May

May's insect is a mayfly in the genus Epeorus, which belongs to the family Heptageniidae, known as the “flat headed” or “Cookie-headed” mayflies. This month's factsheet was made by IBC Fellow Francesca Ferguson.

10 Steps You Can Take to Support Local Biodiversity – Advice from Dr. Doug Tallamy

Center for Pollinator Research IPE Student Fellow Staci Cibotti outlines ten of Dr. Doug Tallamy's recommendations for improving local biodiversity.

PSU Insect Biodiversity Center seeks proposals for interdisciplinary workshops: Fall 2021/Spring 2022

The objective of this program is to provide IBC faculty, postdocs, staff and students opportunities to enhance their scientific network and develop new projects. Funding will support travel and lodging for individuals not based at the Penn State University Park campus, as well as refreshments and meals for workshop participants.

Social bees or wasps on your property? Read our new PSU Extension Notes on their biology and management

Social organisms live together in groups and interact with others of the same species. When social insects take up residence near our homes, conflicts can arise. What to do when bees and wasps are nesting in or near the home?

As Locusts Swarmed East Africa, This Tech Helped Squash Them

A hastily formed crowdsourcing operation to contain the insects in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia could help manage climate-related disasters everywhere.

Ottar Bjørnstad elected to Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters

ttar N. Bjørnstad, distinguished professor of entomology and biology and J. Lloyd & Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair of Epidemiology at Penn State, has been elected to the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters.

Frost Entomological Museum’s Hexapod Haiku challenge is back!

Ever flip a log and watch millipedes scurry away? Or seen a bumble bee buzz a flower? Have you ever opened a bag of flour, only to discover it’s infested with tiny beetles? These moments are perfect inspirations for writing haiku.

Entomologist of the Month: April

Karl von Frisch is most famous for his discovery and interpretation of the honey bee dance language, for which he and his colleagues were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1973.

The hidden world of winter bees photo album online now!

Honey bee colonies change dramatically throughout each season. In the winter, the colony is dependent on the honey they stored during the summer and fall. View a collaborative album compiled by Grozinger lab manager, Kate Anton, and Huck Designer, Brennan Dincher featuring winter bees in one of our local bee yards!

Bug of the Month: April

This insect’s brilliant golden and black coloration is characteristic for the nymph of a stonefly in the genus Acroneuria, which belongs to the family Perlidae, known as the “common stonefly” or “golden stonefly”. This month's factsheet was made by IBC Fellow Francesca Ferguson.

When Life Gave Pennsylvania Spotted Lanternflies, Its Bees Made Spotted Lanternfly Honey

A smoky-sweet flavor, courtesy of an invasive species.

NSF’s Discovery Files discusses “The Business of Bees”, highlighting collaborative studies between University of Pittsburgh and Penn State

A University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University study finds bees and other pollinators play an extremely important role in agriculture.

A wing and a prayer: Chickens, praying mantises among likely lanternfly enemies

Potential predators of the spotted lanternfly are being brought into focus thanks to shutterbugs who have captured images of birds, insects, mammals and even fish consuming the invasive planthopper.

Master Gardeners to celebrate pollinator-friendly garden program milestone

The program, which started in 2011, educates home gardeners about how to create safe havens for pollinators. A how-to guide is located on the Pollinator Garden Certification website.

12 receive grants for conservation and research efforts in Pennsylvania

The state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources last week awarded grants to several individuals to help support field research and other projects.

Penn State tied for first nationally in NSF rankings reflecting research breadth

Penn State’s research enterprise ranks first nationally, tied with Johns Hopkins University, in the breadth and depth of its expertise, according to the latest National Science Foundation rankings of Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research expenditures by key fields and subfields in science and engineering, released in January 2021.

Bug of the Month - March 2021

The Spicebush Swallowtail is a common butterfly across the eastern United States.

PSU Extension Note on carpenter bees out now!

Learn more about the biology and management of carpenter bees in and around your backyard by reading our new extension note.

InsectEye team, which includes IBC Fellow Mathis, is selected to compete in Nittany AI Challenge!

Twenty Penn State teams with students from seven different colleges and six campuses, including for the first time Penn State World Campus, will each be awarded $500 to compete in the Prototype Phase of the 2021 Nittany AI Challenge.

Undergraduate Research Award Funds Pollinator Photo Project

Penn State undergraduate Darya Alvarez recently completed a photography project aimed at helping viewers gain a greater appreciation of the critical role that pollinators play in the survival of terrestrial ecosystems. View her collection here. 2021 Apes Valente award applications are due April 1.

A Diamond in the Pumpkin Patch

CPR graduate student Laura Jones describes the joy of discovering a rare gynandromorph squash bee during the course of her field research.