Department of entomology

López-Uribe awarded presidential honor for early career scientists

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:28:12 -0500

Margarita López-Uribe, the Lorenzo L. Langstroth Early Career Professor of Entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences, was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

‘Buzz me in:’ Bees wearing itty bitty QR codes reveal hive secrets

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 10:55:00 -0500

Several hundred bees in rural Pennsylvania and rural New York are sporting tiny QR codes on their backs to track when they go in and out of their hives. The work, a collaboration among entomologists and electrical engineers at Penn State, is the first step in solving a long-standing mystery of how far bees travel from their hives to collect pollen and nectar.

Christina Grozinger to lead Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences as director

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 14:00:00 -0500

Christina Grozinger has been appointed as the new director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State, succeeding interim director Patrick Drew. Globally recognized for her research in pollinator genetics and insect biodiversity, Grozinger's leadership is expected to significantly advance the institute's research capabilities and collaborative efforts across diverse scientific disciplines.

WATCH: Entomology doctoral candidate discusses wasp discoveries

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:54:36 -0500

Identifying two dozen new species of gall wasps was a crowning achievement of Louis Nastasi’s Penn State graduate education experience. A doctoral candidate in entomology, Nastasi and his collaborators have discovered more than 20 new species of gall wasps through their research.

Quantity over quality? Different bees are attracted to different floral traits

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:42:00 -0500

Different species of bees may be attracted to different flower traits when it comes to deciding where they’re going to get their next meal, according to a recent study led by researchers at Penn State.

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:15:13 -0500

Despite their reputation as buzzing nuisances, flies serve a critical role as some of the Earth’s most prolific pollinators — and new research led by Penn State scientists suggests they are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.

Penn State scientists educate national grape organization on spotted lanternfly

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:58:01 -0500

Members of the National Grape Research Alliance, a national nonprofit organization that supports America’s grape industry, joined Penn State’s spotted lanternfly research and extension team this fall for a two-day field trip to address the growing threat of the invasive pest jeopardizing the U.S. grape industry.

College of Ag Sciences celebrates faculty, staff achievements in research

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:44:03 -0500

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences celebrated another year of outstanding success and accomplishments in research during the 2024 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 19 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

Tick tubes help reduce the parasites on mice, but time and frequency matters

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 10:50:56 -0500

Ticks are a nuisance across many areas of the U.S., capable of spreading harmful pathogens to both animals and humans. A new study led by researchers at Penn State analyzed the effectiveness of a simple, inexpensive strategy for controlling ticks that homeowners can use in their backyards.

From Catwoman to Han Solo, newly discovered wasps named after famous thieves

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 09:46:47 -0400

Twenty-two new species of gall wasps have been identified and named for the first time, thanks to new research led by a Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences graduate student.

Penn State researchers earn funding for sustainable weed and insect management

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 11:05:26 -0400

Three Penn State research teams have received awards totaling $1.78 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to investigate climate-smart approaches to pest control in agriculture.

New specialist named to help Pennsylvanians implement integrated pest management

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 13:10:30 -0400

The Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management program — a collaboration between Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture — has announced the appointment of Raymond R. Delaney as its new community program specialist. The program provides educational and logistical resources to help develop and implement effective, sustainable and environmentally conscious pest management practices to serve Pennsylvania’s diverse regions and sector-specific needs.

Adding fall blooming plants may help both managed and wild bees in cities

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:07:24 -0400

Honey bees are not native to the U.S., leading to concerns that managed honey bee populations might negatively impact wild bees. However, a Penn State research team found that of the 33 genera of native bees studied, only a small number seemed to be negatively affected by the presence of honey bees.

Three projects receive Huck Innovative and Transformational Seed Fund grants

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 04:48:16 -0400

The Huck Innovative and Transformational Seed (HITS) Fund initiative has awarded three high-risk, potentially high-impact project seed funding.

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners shine as leaders at national conference

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 16:47:33 -0400

The entire Penn State Extension Master Gardener leadership team was selected to present at the 2024 National Extension Master Gardener Coordinators’ Conference, held Aug. 26-29 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Honey bees may play role in spreading viruses to wild bumble bees

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 03:13:57 -0400

Honey bees may play a role in increasing virus levels in wild bumble bees each spring, according to researchers at Penn State who analyzed seasonal trends of parasite and virus transmission in bees.