ESA Names Recipients of 2017 Professional and Student Awards

November 14, 2017

The Entomological Society of America is pleased to announce the winners of its 2017 awards. The awards recognize scientists, educators, and students who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to entomology. Winners were honored at Entomology 2017, November 5-8, in Denver, Colorado.

What makes zombie ants obey

November 10, 2017

Yesterday (November 8, 2017), researchers at Penn State University released new information about one of Earth’s weirdest natural phenomena: zombie ants. These are carpenter ants in tropical locations, infiltrated and controlled by Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato, sometimes called zombie ant fungus. This fungal body-snatcher forces ants to a forest understory and compels them to climb vegetation and bite into the underside of leaves or twigs, where the ants die. The invasion culminates with the sprouting of a spore-laden fruiting body from a dead ant’s head. The fungus thereby benefits because infectious spores are released onto the ground below, where they can infect other foraging ants. The new research shows that the fungal parasite accomplishes all this without infecting the ants’ brains.

Scientists Were All Wrong About That Zombie Ant Fungus on 'Planet Earth'

November 10, 2017

An early episode of the beloved BBC show Planet Earth made it clear that Cordyceps fungus is one of the most gruesome killers in the world. Forget sharks, bears, lions, or whatever that gleaming pair of eyes hiding in the bushes might be. Targeting insects, the terrifying parasitic fungus infects their bodies and controls their movements, eventually killing them and using their discarded corpses to breed its spawn.

Penn State researchers take aim at invasive, 'pernicious' spotted lanternfly

November 7, 2017

As populations of the invasive spotted lanternfly explode — and the state-imposed quarantine area in southeastern Pennsylvania expands — researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences are looking for solutions to help stop the insect's spread and save agricultural crops from serious damage.

'Zombie ant' brains left intact by fungal parasite

November 7, 2017

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A fungal parasite that infects ants and manipulates their behavior to benefit the fungus' reproduction accomplishes this feat without infecting the ants' brains, according to a study led by Penn State researchers.

Penn State Extension: The Buzz

November 6, 2017

November 2017 Newsletter

Penn State partners to address Republic of Georgia's invasive stink bug problem

October 25, 2017

Entomologists from Penn State are working to apply what they have learned by studying the Mid-Atlantic region's brown marmorated stink bug infestation — which peaked between 2010 and 2013 — to similar recent problems impacting the Republic of Georgia in eastern Europe.

What's the buzz? Pennsylvania developing plan to help save the bees

October 17, 2017

Beekeeping was simpler 30 years ago, when Ron Bogansky first set up hives on the small hobby farm he shares with his wife.

New app diagnoses crop diseases and notifies farmers

October 11, 2017

Technology will help farmers identify crop diseases and the nearest support system

The Morning Mixtape: “Wanna study bugs with me?” “I do.”

October 11, 2017

Jared Ali and Sara Hermann are entomologists at Penn State, and they’re also married. Their research is focused on growing safer food. We also learn how they met.

Beware the invasion of venomous caterpillars

October 11, 2017

Beware the white hickory tussock moth caterpillar. It’s the time of year the crawling critters, with their distinctive furry white and black markings, are most noticeable, said Dr. Michael Skvarla, Ph.D., director of the Penn State Department of Entomology Insect Identification Lab. Despite the fuzzy appearance, contact with the caterpillar and their hair could leave people with a red, itchy rash similar to the results from a close encounter with poison ivy, Skvarla said.

2018 Graduate Student Recruitment Weekend

October 6, 2017

By invitation only - Travel expenses for eligible applicants will be paid by the Penn State Entomology Department. Apply by December 20th for priority consideration!

New York Post (via A.P.): The bacteria in a mosquito’s gut may rid us of malaria

October 4, 2017

This Associated Press story, which also appeared in the New York Times and other outlets, quotes Jason Rasgon, professor of entomology.

Phone-Powered AI Spots Sick Plants With Remarkable Accuracy

October 4, 2017

Amanda Ramcharan, Ph.D. candidate in agricultural and biological engineering, and David Hughes, associate professor of entomology and biology, talk about a mobile app they helped to develop that can help farmers diagnose crop diseases.

Graduate training program in pollinator ecology gets a boost with USDA grant

October 4, 2017

A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will enhance an innovative Penn State graduate training program in entomology and ecology aimed at helping to solve the multifaceted problem of pollinator decline.

New mobile app diagnoses crop diseases in the field and alerts rural farmers

September 29, 2017

Researchers who developed a new mobile application that uses artificial intelligence to accurately diagnose crop diseases in the field have won a $100,000 award to help expand their project to help millions of small-scale farmers across Africa. David Hughes, associate professor of entomology and biology, Penn State, leads the project with James Legg, of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

Ag Department, Penn State seek public input on state Pollinator Protection Plan

September 28, 2017

Farmers, gardeners and other Pennsylvanians concerned about the health of pollinators — given their critically important role in growing and producing food — now have the chance to comment on a draft of the state’s proposed Pollinator Protection Plan. The plan, developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State, is designed to protect bees and other insects that pollinate nearly 75 percent of the Commonwealth’s food crops.

Agriculture Department, Penn State Researchers Seek Public Input on State Pollinator Protection Plan

September 27, 2017

Harrisburg, PA – Farmers, gardeners and other Pennsylvanians concerned about the health of pollinators given their critically important role growing and producing food now have the chance to comment on a draft of the state’s proposed Pollinator Protection Plan. The plan, developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State University is designed to protect bees and other insects that pollinate nearly 75 percent of the commonwealth’s food crops.

Platform for Big Data in Agriculture: Presenting our winners of the Inspire Challenge

September 27, 2017

We are proud to present the five winners of our US$100K Inspire Challenge grant.

Cricket cookies, carnivorous plants of Pennsylvania and more at Penn State's Great Insect Fair

September 25, 2017

Thousands of families turned out for the annual Great Insect Fair in Penn State’s Snider Ag Arena on Saturday, September 23. They encountered strange insects they thought only existed in movies, tasted fired waxworms and baked crickets, and learned about the often unseen of insects.

Bug enthusiasts swarm to the Great Insect Fair

September 25, 2017

Campus may seem quiet on an away game weekend, but on Saturday, just north of Beaver Stadium, the Snider Agricultural Arena was buzzing with excitement. Every year, the Department of Entomology hosts The Great Insect Fair, a celebration of all things creepy and crawly that aims to both amuse and educate. Stations lined the arena with activities for bug enthusiasts young and old, including honey tasting, insect-related crafts, a butterfly tent, and educators excited to share their knowledge.

Grad Student Seeks Solution for Pollinator Decline

September 15, 2017

With the decline of insect pollinators alarming scientists, Emily Erickson, a Penn State doctoral student in entomology, is focused on a conservation solution.

Maintaining the Right-of-Way in the Right Way

September 11, 2017

Faculty, staff, and students partner with energy and vegetation-management representatives to measure the impact of right-of-ways on local wildlife.

Penn State's Great Insect Fair offers a view of the 'unseen'

August 31, 2017

Although insects are all around us, we tend to pay attention primarily to the ones that sting, bite, eat our garden plants or invade our homes. But there is much more about the world of insects and other arthropods that goes unnoticed. Giving the public a glimpse into this fascinating world is the goal of Penn State's Great Insect Fair, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 23 at the Snider Ag Arena on the University Park campus.

Plant 'smells' insect foe, initiates defense

August 28, 2017

It cannot run away from the fly that does it so much damage, but tall goldenrod can protect itself by first "smelling" its attacker and then initiating its defenses, according to an international team of researchers.

Core Concept: Probing the phytobiome to advance agriculture

August 23, 2017

The Colorado potato beetle had Gary Felton stumped. Felton, an entomologist at Pennsylvania State University, has built his career on revealing how plants defend themselves against voracious insects. Plants often detect chemicals in an insect’s oral secretions and respond by producing proteins that wreak havoc on insect digestion and nutrient absorption.

Researchers win funding for new tomatoes, wood packaging pest treatment

August 23, 2017

RAIN grants from the College of Agricultural Sciences' Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program aimed at moving solutions from lab to marketplace

Grant enables study of mosquito virus as a genetic lab tool, malaria biocontrol

August 18, 2017

A virus that infects a species of malaria-transmitting mosquito could help scientists gain a better understanding of mosquito biology and eventually could lead to methods for stopping or slowing the spread of the disease, according to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

The Morning Mixtape: Insects! Bugs!

August 9, 2017

John Tooker and Elizabeth Rowen from the Penn State Department of Entomology talk about insects: what they are, why we need them, and why reaching for your shoe when you see a bug might not be the right move. This is the first installment of a monthly entomology series that will air on the second Wednesday of each month.

Student Research Spotlight - Elizabeth Davidson-Lowe

August 4, 2017

This is the 13th, and final, of the short news articles written by students, during the professional development class, about each other's research.