Department of Entomology
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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>>

Bee Lab Student Receives Award! 

1/19/2017

 
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Ph.D student Samuel Ramsey (vanEngelsdorp Lab) won the Student Competition for the American Bee Research Conference in Texas last week. Congratulations, Sammy! We are positively buzzing with pride.

St. Leger NASA Goddard talk available for streaming!

1/18/2017

 
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In October 2016, Ray St. Leger gave a colloquium talk at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. The colloquium organizers recently made a recording of his talk available. Take a listen HERE.




PhD Student Wins Awesome Travel Award

1/11/2017

 
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Brian Lovett, a PhD Student in St. Leger Lab at the UMD Department of Entomology, received the Joshua E. Neimark Travel Award to the 2017 American Association for the Advancement of Sciences annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. 

This conference is America's largest general scientific conference, and this year's focus is on "serving society through science policy." Lovett's presentation Applying transgenic fungi in a MosquitoSphere will describe the progress of the St. Leger lab's project testing the efficacy of transgenic fungi in semi-field conditions in Burkina Faso, Africa. His attendance and presentation will be financially supported by this award.

The Joshua E. Neimark Travel Award was established by Dr. Edith D. Neimark in memory of her brother. With much of his promising scientific career ahead of him, Joshua E. Neimark succumbed to respiratory disease after attaining his doctorate degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This award aims "to assist young scientists in attaining a career in their chosen field, a goal that Joshua did not live to achieve."

Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp named Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics

11/21/2016

 
Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp  is one of two college employees named to Clarivate Analytics' 2016 list of Highly Cited Researchers (HCR). HCR is a comprehensive list of influential individuals in various scientific disciplines. More on the announcement can be found on the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) home page.

Brian Lovett Featured on BioMed Central Blog as part of World Malaria Day! 

4/25/2016

 
Brian Lovett (St. Leger Lab) was featured today on the BioMed Central Blog as part of World Malaria Day for the work that won him the Fungal Biology and Biotechnology Student Prize at the European Conference on Fungal Genetics in Paris in early April. 

Check out the complete blog post here!

Brian has had a productive Spring semester overall, including talks, workshops, and posters in both Paris and Burkina Faso:
  • A poster presentation entitled “Applying Transgenic Fungi In a MosquitoSphere” at the European Conference on Fungal Genetics in Paris, France on 5 April 2016.
  • A talk entitled “The Dual Lifestyles of Metarhizium” at the Clavicipitaceae Workshop of the European Conference on Fungal Genetics in Paris, France on 3 April 2016.
  • A two-day workshop entitled “Quality In, Quality Out- Statistics In R” at the Centre Muraz in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso on 1-2 March 2015.
  • A talk entitled “Using GM Fungi to Prevent Malaria Transmission” at the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso on 29 February 2016.
Keep up the great work Brian!

Raupp and vanEgnelsdorp to appear on WAMU 88.5's Kojo Nnamdi Show

4/22/2016

 
Picture(c) arcadiafood.org
UMD Entomology's Dr. Michael Raupp and Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp will appear on WAMU 88.5's Kojo Nnamdi Show on Monday, April 25 at 12:30pm. They will discuss with Kojo whether the recent ban on neonicotinoid pesticides for homeowners in Maryland will help prevent the loss of Maryland's honeybees.

​Be sure to tune in! 

New bee habitat wall at University of Maryland

9/11/2015

 
PictureEarthern pollinator habitat wall Photo credit: Lisa Kuder
Did you know? There's a new bee habitat wall located at the University of Maryland, Arboretum Outreach Center.  The main purpose for the bee wall is to raise public awareness of wild pollinators and to monitor campus bee populations.  For pics and details please take a look at the blog by Entomology's PhD student Lisa Kuder advised by Dr. Dennis vanEngelsdorp.

Click for blog

Jonathan Wang received 1st place presentation award

8/24/2015

 
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Graduate student, Jonathan Wang, advised by Dr. Raymond St. Leger received the 1st place presentation award at the Society of Invertebrate Pathology 48th Annual Meeting held August 9-13, 2015 for his talk entitled " A Genome Wide Association Study of Resistance to Metarhizium anisopliae.

SESYNC Researchers Publish Policy Commentary in Science

8/14/2015

 
Building engineered structures, such as dams and dikes, has been the conventional approach to water management.  Some suggest that such "gray" infrastructure make way for "green" ecosystem-based approaches.  Margaret Palmer, Director of the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) co-authored in support of managing water in a green way.

Click for further reading

Free Mini-Symposium sponsored event 

8/12/2015

 

The Insect Genetic Technologies Research Coordination Network presents a free Mini-Symposium

The Department of Entomology sponsored event will be held  Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at the Universities at Shady Grove.  Three cutting-edge topics, Flies, Monarchs, and Mosquitoes, from three of the world's foremost authorities will be presented. There will be free food, free drinks, and free parking.  For additional information and free registration, click on the button.
Mini-Symposium

Entomology/BEES former student makes the Washington Post

8/10/2015

 
Former graduate student of the Department of Entomology BEES program, Megan Paustian, research biologist who specializes in mollusks, specifically slugs, makes the Washington Post.  Megan studied forest moths as a graduate student while working in a laboratory with a group of entomologists at the University of Maryland.     
Click for full story

Margaret Palmer named 2015 Distinguished University Professor

7/16/2015

 
Congratulations to Dr. Margaret Palmer for being named 2015 Distinguished University Professor, the university's highest academic honor!

Mike Raupp and Paula Shrewsbury on USA Today video

7/15/2015

 
Dr. Michael Raupp and Dr. Paula Shrewsbury , Entomologist at the University of Maryland, reviews the new Ant-Man movie on USA Today video.  For the Win took them to an advance screening of the latest superhero movie to tell us what Paul Rudd and co. gets right-and wrong-about ants. 
Click for video

Mike Raupp on the Today Show

7/14/2015

 
Mike Raupp, University of Maryland Professor of Entomology provides tips on how to keep ants and other pest from your home. 
Click for video

Martison et al. featured in Journal of Pest Science

7/8/2015

 
PictureAn adult brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) feeding on the ripe fruits of a serviceberry tree. Image credit: Michael Raupp
 A new study by entomologists at the University of Maryland shows that brown marmorated stink bugs have a strong preference for ripe fruit.  The study, published online June 25, 2015 in the Journal of Pest Science, reports the number of stink bugs feeding on nearly 4,000 fruit-bearing ornamental trees representing more than 200 popular varieties grown for sale at commercial nurseries.  The researchers found that trees with ripe fruit attracted more than twice as many adult stink bugs compared with trees bearing immature fruit. 

Click for full story

Plenary Speaker, Dave O'Brochta

6/26/2015

 
Congratulations to Dave O'Brochta who was the Plenary Speaker at the Ninth Annual Arthropod Genomics Symposium, held last week in Manhattan Kansas.

Dr. Raymond St. Leger named as recipient of the Kirwan Faculty Research and Scholarship Prize

6/25/2015

 
Congratulations to Dr. Raymond St. Leger who has been named as the recipient of the Kirwan Faculty Research and Scholarship Prize for 2015 by President Loh.  The Kirwan Prize for 2015 recognizes Dr. St. Leger's accomplishments in the areas of biomedical research and agriculture and his work in genetic engineering techniques that develop new and more effective and environmentally safe technologies for controlling insect agricultural pests and vectors of important human diseases. 

Mike Raupp featured in Wtop News

6/15/2015

 

Baltimore fighting against beetle that targets its ash trees

BALTIMORE (AP) — With the arrival of an invasive green Asian beetle in Baltimore, local governments and property owners are confronting tough — and potentially costly — choices about whether to try to save ash trees at risk of infestation or cut them down.
The culprit is the emerald ash borer, which could attack any of the 5 million to 6 million ash trees across the Baltimore metropolitan area. With the infestation already underway, City Hall is seeking a contractor to inject as many as 820 curbside ash trees with insecticide.

“We are taking the initial steps to deal with what’s going to be a tragic situation,” said Erik Dihle, the city’s arborist.

Click for full story

Media report on Honey Bee Colony Loss Survey Results

6/12/2015

 

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences releases  media relations report on the Bee
Informed Partnership 2014-15 Honey Bee Colony Loss Survey Results

Entomology’s Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Nathalie Steinhauer, Karen Rennich and their colleagues with the Bee Informed Partnership released the 2014-15 results of their annual honey bee colony loss survey on May 13, 2015. Results of the survey suggest that beekeepers across the United States lost more than 40 percent of their honey bee colonies during the year spanning April 2014 to April 2015. While winter loss rates improved slightly compared to last year, summer losses--and consequently, total annual losses— were more severe. This is the first time summer losses have eclipsed winter losses since the survey began tracking summer losses five years ago.

The Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences communications team developed a
media outreach program to build awareness of the findings. By leveraging a CMNS press release, this outreach effort resulted in more than 190 original media stories. 
Click for full report

Raymond St. Leger featured in environment360

6/4/2015

 
PictureMarcos Teixeira de Freitas/Flickr An Aedes aegypti mosquito, the species that primarily transmits dengue fever.
Florida Keys state agency is awaiting approval from the federal government of a trial release of Oxitec's genetically modified mosquitos to prevent a recurrence of a dengue fever outbreak.  Distinguished university professor at the University of Maryland, Entomology Department, Raymond St. Leger stated "Some people don't want to see GE (genetically engineered) anything."  "It's an emotional response.  It's hard to reason people out of a decision they didn't reason themselves into."  St. Leger is now conducting field trials in Burkina Faso to test a method in which a mosquito is exposed to a fungus that prevents it from transmitting malaria.

Click for full story

vanEngelsdorp featured in today's Nature

5/21/2015

 
Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Assistant Professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland, featured in a story  about neonicotinoid pesticides and honeybees in today's Nature.  
Click for full story

Mike Raupp on The Kojo Nnamdi Show 

5/21/2015

 
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The spotted lanternfly threatens grapes, fruit crops, and ornamental plants in the United States. Mike Raupp
Mike Raupp,  Professor of Entomology and known as the University of Maryland's "Bug Guy" joins Kojo to talk about the emerald ash borer and other insects of spring. Listen to him hear.

Bee Death Increase Seen in U.S. Survey

5/13/2015

 

Bloomberg Business reported on Dennis and the Bee Informed Partnership annual honey bee survey

Beekeepers in the U.S. reported that 42 percent of the honeybees they managed last year died, the second-highest percentage since the survey began in 2010, as mites, viruses, and other maladies caused losses to spike.  Pesticides exposure also may play a role in weakening bee population, said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and project director of the Bee Informed Partnership. 

Beekeepers lost 27.4 percent of their hives from April 2014 through September, up from 19.8 percent the previous year, according to the survey. Losses from October through March fell to 23.1 percent from 23.7 percent. “We’re a little frustrated that we’ve stabilized our winter losses only to see mortality go up in the summer,” vanEngelsdorp said.
Click for full story

Bee Informed Partnership honey bee colony survey results released today

5/13/2015

 
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Nationwide annual honey bee colony losses. Image: Bee Informed Partnership/University of Maryland/Loretta Kuo

Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Nathalie Steinhauer, Karen Rennich and their colleagues with the Bee Informed Partnership, whose latest annual survey results on honey bee colony losses are released today. Results of the survey suggest that beekeepers across the United States lost more than 40 percent of their honey bee colonies during the year spanning April 2014 to April 2015. While winter loss rates improved slightly compared to last year, summer losses—and consequently, total annual losses—were more severe. This is the first time summer losses have eclipsed winter losses since the survey began tracking summer losses five years ago. "We traditionally thought of winter losses as a more important indicator of health, because surviving the cold winter months is a crucial test for any bee colony," said Dennis vanEngelsdorp, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and project director for the Bee Informed Partnership.

Click for full story
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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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Web Accessibility
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • Welcome
    • Code of Conduct
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion >
      • DEI Working Group
      • Resources
    • Departmental History
    • For Alumni
    • Support Entomology >
      • Steinhauer Scholarship Fund
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  • People
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    • Graduate >
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      • PhD Degree Requirements
      • Graduate Student Resources
      • Forms for Grad Students
      • Financial Assistance
      • Award & Funding Opportunities
      • Entomology Student Organization
    • Online Masters in Applied Entomology
    • Undergraduate >
      • Entomology Minor
      • Honors Program
  • 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)