January 27, 2023
Since the spotted lanternfly’s unwelcome arrival in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014, researchers have been working tirelessly to learn more about the invasive pest, now confirmed in 45 Pennsylvania counties and reported in surrounding states.
January 24, 2023
This is the fifth of ten short news articles written by students, during the professional development class of Fall 2022, about each other's research.
January 17, 2023
December 14, 2022
A fungus that can colonize, or grow within, corn plants doesn’t just leave the plant unharmed — it also can help the plant stave off harmful bugs and other fungi, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.
December 12, 2022
Short-term, heavy feeding by adult spotted lanternflies on young maple trees inhibits photosynthesis, potentially impairing the tree’s growth by up to 50%, according to a new study by Penn State scientists.
December 7, 2022
PlantVillage, a Penn State-sponsored project, received a $2 million grant from Google's AI for Social Good program to fund the team’s work to develop accurate maps of dryland landscapes across Africa. This work aims to help communities of African pastoralists in arid drylands to adapt to climate change and restore their lands, ultimately resulting in carbon drawdown for the planet.
November 30, 2022
While a beekeeper puffing clouds of carbon dioxide into a hive to calm the insects is a familiar image to many, less is known about its other effects on bees. A recent study revealed clues about how the chemical compound affects bee physiology, including reproduction.
November 29, 2022
November 8, 2022
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences lauded outstanding accomplishments in research during the college’s inaugural Research Awards Ceremony, held Oct. 25 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.
October 21, 2022
Prescribed fire — a tool increasingly used by forest managers and landowners to combat invasive species, improve wildlife habitat and restore ecosystem health — also could play a role in reducing the abundance of ticks and the transmission of disease pathogens they carry, according to a team of scientists.
October 19, 2022
A Penn State entomologist is asking Pennsylvania deer hunters for help with research on biting flies that are active in the fall, which may be vectors of dangerous disease.
October 17, 2022
IBC Education specialist Heather Desorcie reports on how pollinators prepare for winter at the Arboretum at Penn State.
October 16, 2022
A new exhibit at the Frost Entomological Museum is aimed at cultivating awareness about gall wasps and showcasing their beauty and diversity. The exhibit also highlights current research on these insects by faculty in the Department of Entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
October 12, 2022
Penn State University Libraries will participate in the 14th annual global observation of Open Access Week, Oct. 24–30, by hosting a virtual panel of Penn State faculty at noon Tuesday, Oct. 25. The panelists will discuss questions related to this year’s theme for Open Access Week, which is “Open for Climate Justice.”
October 6, 2022
A common misconception is that viruses become milder over time as they become endemic within a population. Yet new research, led by Penn State and the University of Sydney, reveals that a virus — called myxoma —that affects rabbits has become more deadly over time. The findings highlight the need for rigorous monitoring of human viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, monkeypox and polio, for increased virulence.
October 3, 2022
After more than five years at the helm of Penn State’s Microbiome Center, founding director Carolee Bull has stepped down. Though she will continue serving as department head of plant pathology and environmental microbiology and as a professor of plant pathology and systematic bacteriology at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Bull has handed off leadership of the Microbiome Center to recent Penn State hire Seth Bordentstein.
September 19, 2022
PSU undergraduate student Celia Graef has authored a new pocket guide which provides information about PA's most common night singing insects. Email IBC Education Specialist Heather Desorcie for a physical copy/copies!
September 16, 2022
A $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will enable a team of researchers — led by Penn State entomologists — to assess foraging patterns of honey bees on organic farms, with an eye toward creating opportunities for beekeepers to produce certified-organic apiary products.
September 13, 2022
Most viral infections negatively affect an organism’s health, but one plant virus in particular — soybean vein necrosis orthotospovirus, often referred to as SVNV — may actually benefit a type of insect that commonly feeds on soybean plants and can transmit the virus to the plant, causing disease, according to Penn State research.
September 2, 2022
Emily Sandall, who completed her doctoral studies in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences in 2020, has been selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to be part of its 50th class of Science and Technology Policy fellows.
September 1, 2022
A backyard discovery by 8-year-old Hugo Deans, son of Penn State Professor of Entomology Andrew Deans, eventually led to the revelation that oak galls — plant growth triggered by insects — are part of an elaborate relationship among ants, wasps and oak trees, turning a century of knowledge about plant-insect interactions on its head.
August 29, 2022
Over a six-year period in southcentral Pennsylvania, measures of biodiversity among wild bee communities declined and one-third of species experienced decreases in abundance, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers.
August 24, 2022
Penn State Extension Master Gardeners from Centre County recently debuted “POLLINATORS! The Musical,” a 30-minute production aimed at providing pollinator education in a fun and catchy way. Two upcoming performances will be held on Sept. 11 at the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center.
August 23, 2022
Flavonoids produced by sorghum leaves have shown promising results in combating fall armyworm larvae. When sprayed on the leaves of corn, sorghum flavonoids stunt the growth of fall armyworm and often kill the pest, Penn State researchers report in a new study.
August 19, 2022
Two graduate students who work in the laboratory of an entomology faculty member in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences recently received prestigious fellowships to further their graduate education and research.
August 17, 2022
With the hopes of increasing awareness and interest in public health and medical entomology, Penn State alumna Alexis Barbarin created an annual award for graduate students pursuing research and degrees in that field. The BEDBUGS Award is being funded by yearly royalties Barbarin receives from a patent for a bedbug pesticide she helped research while pursuing her doctorate.
August 17, 2022
With Penn State’s academic year and football season starting soon, thousands of people will be visiting Happy Valley, and the University wants to make sure they are not spreading the spotted lanternfly — an invasive pest that feeds on more than 100 types of plants.
July 12, 2022
Jason Rasgon, professor of entomology and disease epidemiology, has been named Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Disease Epidemiology and Biotechnology.
July 12, 2022
By Chuck Gill
July 12, 2022
Online registration and submission of abstracts now are open for the fifth International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy, which is scheduled for June 3-6, 2023, at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center on the University Park campus.
