Department of Entomology
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Spotting Red Admirals

9/25/2019

 
Red Admiral

Red Admirals can be spotted throughout the DMV, but you better hurry if you want to catch a glimpse! At first frost these little creatures will start their journey south. Bug Of The Week has what you need to know to start your search:

​http://bugoftheweek.com/blog/2019/9/23/searching-for-red-admiral-caterpillars-vanessa-atalanta

Barranco Presents at Frederick's Green Lecture Series

9/24/2019

 
Lindsay Barranco in garden
​Looking to enhance the environment? Attend Frederick’s Green Lecture Series this Thursday at 6:30PM to discover ways you can bee🐝 the change you want to see. Speaker, Lindsay Barranco (MS student, vanEngelsdorp Lab) presents “Importance of Bees, Honey Bees and Native Bees.” Her talk will cover ways individuals can optimize bee habitat through floral plantings. Follow link for more information: ​https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/things-to-know-this-week-sept/article_2c964104-a560-5c8d-95d7-87df6299bdf5.html

New Publication out in Scientific Reports by Lewis and Hamby

9/23/2019

 
Picture, Spotted wing Drosophila
Maggie Lewis (PhD student Hamby Lab) and Assistant Professor, Kelly Hamby have a new publication out in Scientific Reports titled, "Differential Impacts of Yeasts on Feeding Behavior and Development in Larval Drosophila suzukii(Diptera:Drosophilidae)" The results of their study show the critical role yeasts play in Drosophila suzukii’s ecology.

Follow link for full article: 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-48863-1

Palmer Published in Science

9/20/2019

 
mayflies
PHOTO: CHRISS_NS/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Distinguished University Professor Margaret Palmer & Berkley Assistant Professor, Albert Ruhi have a new review out in Science on river restoration. 

Check out full article, “Linkages between flow regime, biota, and ecosystem processes: Implications for river restoration​” at DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2087

Tenure Track Risk Assessment & Environmental Protection position

9/17/2019

 
Research in Field
The University of Maryland, College Park seeks applications for a faculty position in the Department of Entomology. We particularly encourage applications from those with interests in pesticide safety, including traditional, organic, and genetically engineered pest controls, environmental impacts, regulatory issues, human health effects, or related topics. For best consideration, apply by November 15, 2019. Application information at: https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/73472

Insect Zoo at Maryland State Fair

9/12/2019

 
Lindsay Barranco presents lubber grasshopper at booth
Rachel Kuipers presents Rosie the tarantula at the booth.
Mike Raupp presents at booth
Todd Waters watches MD state fair attendee hold tarantula.
Written by Todd Waters, Agricultural Technician Supervisor

On Saturday April 24 the Entomology Department joined AGNR and UME to participate in UMD Day at the Maryland State Fair. Our Insect Zoo guru, Todd Waters, organized a group of wonderful volunteers to run the tables and Dr. Michael Raupp carried a forward detachment of chitinous friends for an early morning interview on Fox45 Baltimore to advertise the event. We were provided tables in the 4-H and Home Arts Building and arrived before noon with a car full of terraria and arthropods. Before we could even set the first enclosure on the table, we were surrounded by a swarm of curious onlookers squirming in shock and fluttering with excitement. They were but moths, and our exhibit the finest lamp. Dr. Leslie Pick, covered in stick bugs, and Dr. Raupp, with a large tarantula in his hands, flourishingly convinced terrified spectators to hold Malaysian Giant Leaf Bugs, and our illustrious Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula “Rosie,” all of them becoming instant fans. 

Read More

Messersmith Celebrating 30 Years of Retirement

9/12/2019

 
Don Messersmith at St. Paul Island
Professor Emeritus, Don Messersmith, who retired in 1989, celebrated his 90th birthday last December. After he retired from the University of Maryland in 1989, he continued to teach adult courses in Orthnithology in the DMV area and still continues that work today. He teaches part-time to senior citizens enrolled in the Osher Program at Johns Hopkins University in Rockville. The course he is currently developing for the upcoming Hopkins’ program is titled "Culture and Wildlife." The course will focus on how cultures around the world incorporate wildlife into their ceremonies, traditions, art, dances, costumes, etc.

To read more about Don's past and present influence check out recent message from North American Association for Environmental Education's Executive Director, Judy Braus. Read article here>>

What buzzes around us? The bees of Maryland!

9/10/2019

 
Bee
Image Credit: Sam Droege
Image Credit: Sam Droege
Written by: ​ Lindsay Barranco and Krisztina Christmon
Sam Droege is a wildlife biologist at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, where he runs the Native Bee Lab and conducts research that focuses on wild bee population conservation and management. Researchers far and wide send Sam bee specimens for identification and his work involves maintaining an inventory and monitoring program for native bees, and providing an online identification guide for North American bees at  www.discoverlife.org .

Read More

Recent Publications,Talks and Presentations

9/10/2019

 
Publications
Cato A, ^ Afful E, Nayak MK and Phillips TW. Evaluation of Knockdown Bioassay Methods to Assess Phosphine Resistance in the Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Insects. 2019.
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Finsects10050140

Dively GP, Huang F, Oyediran I, Burd T and Morsello S. Evaluation of gene flow in structured and seed blend refuge systems of non-Bt and Bt corn. Journal of Pest Science. 2019. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10340-019-01126-4

Thompson BM, Bodart J and Gruner DS. Community resistance to an invasive forest insect–fungus mutualism. Ecosphere. 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2609

^Lewis MT, and Hamby K.A. Differential impacts of yeasts on feeding behavior and development in larval Drosophila suzukii (Diptera:Drosophilidae).  Scientific Reports. 2019. (manuscript accepted)

Serrano-Brañas CI, Espinosa-Chávez B and ^MacCracken SA. Teredolites trace fossils in log-grounds from the Cerro del Pueblo Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of the state of Coahuila, Mexico. Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 2019.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2019.102316

Niu K, Xiang L, Jin Y…[& 10 others including Wang J]. Identification of LARK as a novel and conserved G-quadruplex binding protein in invertebrates and vertebrates. Nucleic Acids Research. 2019. DOI:  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkz484

Shen C, Zhang Y, Xia D, Wang J and Tang Q. Sensilla on the Antennal Funiculus of the Maize Weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): A Morphological Investigation. The Coleopterists Bulletin. 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1649/0010-065X-73.2.443

Talks and Presentations
^Abell KJ,  ^Andrade RB,  Duan JJ, Gruner DS and Shrewsbury PM. “Do treated ash trees confer a protective ‘silhouette’ from emerald ash borer for neighboring trees? Joint meeting of IUFRO Working Parties: Population dynamics and integrated management of forest insects, Quebec City, Canada. 2019.

Gruner DS, Rankin EEW,  Knowlton JL, Flaspohler DJ, Giardina CP, and Fukami T. “Does forest fragment size mediate the impacts of introduced rodent predators? Foraging behavior of Hawaiian birds and their arthropod resources.” 56th Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Antananarivo, Madagascar.2019.

^Jayd K, R MacKenzie, M Apwong and DS Gruner. “Mangrove herbivory across a salinity gradient.” Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, St. Louis, MO.2019.

Pick L. "What is RNA interference, and how will it affect the future of food?" Tech Talk. USDA, Washington DC. 2019

^Tielens EK and Gruner DS. "Insect communities across a space for time chronosequence converge over time: analyzing patterns and drivers of beta-diversity on Hawai‘i." Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America, Louisville, KY.2019.

Bold ENTM Faculty; ^ENTM current/former graduate student or post-doc; *ENTM research staff

Improving roadside habitat for pollinators

9/10/2019

 
Picture of Monarch on flowersImage Credit: SHA
This summer, Lisa Kuder (PhD Student, vanEngelsdorp lab) wrapped up her research project with The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) titled, “Evaluating Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) Techniques to Improve Pollinator Habitat.” This three-year field study had two main goals: to determine which vegetation management tactics best maximize quality floral resources for pollinators in the Northeast, and to assess how those different regimes affect regional bee populations. The findings show that managing roadsides via selective herbicide use (SH) and annual fall mow (fall mow) can significantly increase floral diversity and bee abundance compared to a traditional frequent mowing (turf) regime. While differences between treatments – SH and fall mow – were detected, they were not significant. Bee diversity, which accounts for both abundance and the evenness of species in a given area, was mainly determined by site/surrounding landscape not treatment and was the sole significant factor. Given that floral abundance and diversity, as well as bee abundance, were increased under SH and fall mow compared to turf plots, both Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) practices have shown great potential in supporting pollinators.

The final report can be read
 here>>

13th Annual Honey Bee Survey

9/10/2019

 
Bee keeper opening bee box framePhoto Credit: CMNS
Congratulations to the vanEngelsdorp Lab for their work on the 13th Annual Honey Bee Loss Survey. The 13th Annual BIP Honey Bee Colony Loss Survey was released in June. The survey showed that U.S. beekeepers lost almost 40% of their bee colonies last winter, the largest loss recorded in 13 years. Researchers are using this data to establish best management practices that will help beekeepers improve the health of bees. 

Thanks to the Colleges’ communication teams the survey gained widespread media coverage. Read the CMNS press release 
here>>

Other notable media mentions include: The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, NPR's The Salt, The Guardian, The San Francisco Chronicle, Kojo Nnamdi, ABC7 and FOX5. 

Arthur Gahan Graduate Student Fellowship

9/10/2019

 
Picture of Gahan Fellowship Recipients
​​The Gahan Fellowship is a competitive award honoring the late Dr. Arthur B. Gahan, Professor of Entomology, intended to stimulate excellence in graduate research in the UMD Entomology Department. Established in 1981, this fellowship was made possible through a series of gifts and bequests to the department by James and Margaret Gahan, and James's sister, Winifred. 

Recipients for the 2019-2020 academic year include:

Arielle Arsenault-Benoit, PhD student, Fritz Lab
Maria Cramer, Ph.D. student, Hamby Lab 
Max Ferlauto, MS student, Burghardt Lab (not pictured) 
Margaret Hartman, MS student,  BEES, Lamp Lab
Dylan Kutz, MS student, Lamp Lab
Mintong Nan, PhD student, St. Leger Lab
Demian Nunez, MS student, Hooks Lab (not pictured) 
Darsy Smith, PhD student, Lamp Lab
Ted Striegel, MS student, Hawthorne Lab

Dubey Named ESA Science Policy Fellow

9/9/2019

 
Aditi attends meeting between UMD students and Senator Ben Cardin to discuss higher education funding and policy.
​Aditi Dubey has been selected as an ESA Science Policy Fellow for the class of 2019-2021. The Science Policy Fellows program is a two-year active training program to teach entomologists the skills needed to successfully advocate for the discipline, focusing on federal policy in Washington D.C. Active training lasts for two years, at which time SPFs become alumni and form the core of ESA's advocacy team, representing the science in their legislative districts. Picutured above, Aditi attends meeting between UMD students and Senator Ben Cardin to discuss higher education funding and policy.

NIH Awards $2M to UMD Entomologist Megan Fritz

9/9/2019

 
Megan Fritz
Assistant Professor, Megan Fritz, awarded  a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study when and where mosquitoes are most likely to transmit West Nile virus to humans. The award was covered by Maryland Today. Read full article here>> 

St. Leger Named ESA Fellow

9/9/2019

 
Ray St. LegerPhoto Credit: CMNS
Distinguished University Professor Raymond St. Leger has been elected as a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America. Dr. St. Leger is internationally known for his research on insect pathogenic fungi and for developing approaches to modify these  pathogens to combat insect vectors of human disease and agricultural pests. Ray will be recognized during the Annual ESA Meeting, November 17-20 in St. Louis, MO.

Read ESA's press release 
here>>

Witness Garden Spider Feeding Behavior!

9/4/2019

 
Garden Spider
Spider feeding live! Explore the world of entomology and see the fascinating Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) on display in the Plant Sciences Building 2nd floor lobby. Watch feeding every Tuesday & Thursday at 12:00pm beginning Sept. 5th.

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Department of Entomology 
University of Maryland 
4112 Plant Sciences Building 
College Park, MD 20742-4454
USA

Telephone: 301.405.3911 
Fax: 301.314.9290
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  • About
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    • Undergraduate >
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  • Research
    • IPM & Biological Control of Agricultural, Urban & Forest Pests
    • Ecology, Conservation, Restoration, Climate Change >
      • Pollinator Science and Apiculture
    • Evolution, Systematics and Evo-Devo
    • Genetics & Genomics and Medical Entomology
  • Extension/Outreach
    • Educational Outreach
    • Insect Camp
    • Insect Drawings
    • Insect Identification
    • Pesticide Education and Assessment Program
    • Plant Diagnostic Laboratory (PDL)