February 2006

Departmental Review

This issue's release finds us in the middle (February 6-10) of our Comprehensive Review. The External Review Team arrived in Gainesville and Orlando on Sunday, split into three groups and spent Monday reviewing our programs across the state. Now they are in Gainesville. The team consists of Drs. Pedro Barbosa, University of Maryland; David Denlinger, Ohio State University; John Edman (Chair), University of California; Robin Huettel, Auburn University; Marshall Johnson, University of California; Robert Nowierski, CSREES, Washington, D.C.; Doug Pfeiffer, Virginia Tech University; and Coby Schal, North Carolina State University.

The team will make their report on Friday, 10 February. In some way or another, all of us will have input into their comprehensive evaluation of our department. Since their review takes as much time, if not more, preparing for this hectic week, as well as time afterwards completing their formal report, we wish to thank them for their efforts and let them know that we deeply appreciate the time they will spend away from their normal duties.

Faculty News

The four candidates for the Apiculture/Youth Programs position scheduled for interviews and seminars are: Dr. Alonso Suazo (Feb. 13-14), Dr. Tim Haarmann (Feb. 15-16), Dr. James Strange (Feb. 20-21), and Dr. James Ellis (Feb. 23-24). If you would like to meet with a candidate, or attend any of the lunches and dinners with the candidates, please contact Pam Howell (352-392-1901 ext. 104).

Staff News

Graduate student Michael Bentley (M.S.) is the new Outreach Coordinator. You can contact Mike at (352) 392-1901, extension 169.

Student News

Lindsay Griffin, a senior entomology major, was accepted into medical schools at Boston University and Mount Sinai. She will start classes this September. Lindsay has been a leader among our undergraduates for the past two years and was the driving force behind the organization of a new entomology club for undergraduates – The Insect Collecting Society. We wish her well as she begins the long trek to board certification in medicine. Congratulations, Lindsay. - Dr. Carl S. Barfield, Undergraduate Coordinator

The department's 2005 Mulrennan Outstanding Graduate Student Awards were awarded to Frank Wessels (M.S.) and Rui Pereira (Ph.D.). In addition to the honor of being selected for developing an outstanding thesis and dissertation, each recipient receives a cash award of $500. Congratulations!

Rui Pereira's dissertation is titled "Influence of a Juvenile Hormone Analog and Dietary Protein on Male Caribbean Fruit Fly, Anastrepha suspensa (Diptera: Tephritidae), Sexual Behavior."

Frank Wessels' thesis is titled "Biology and Host Specificity of Tectococcus ovatus (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), a Potential Biological Control Agent of the Invasive Strawberry Guava, Psidium cattleianum (Myrtaceae) in Florida."

Alumni News

On 15 January, David Serrano (MS 2001) and Esther Dunn (Doctor of Plant Medicine 2005) were married in Miami, FL. Although still pursuing a Ph.D. in Forest Entomology with Dr. John Foltz, David works for the Broward County School District (teaching high school Biology and Environmental Science). Esther, who worked out of our department in the IPM program, is employed with the USDA Citrus Canker Eradication Program as a plant pathologist.

New year! New look!

Checked our Web site lately? It has a colorful new look and some new features, yet retains Dr. Skip Choate's excellent organizational structure. As with any website, it is a work in progress.

The home page (http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/) features a photo of our building with active links to "Research," "Teaching" and "Extension." The Research page is brand new and would benefit from your help to make it more interactive. If you know a good research-related link that should be included, please e-mail me the link at jcmedley@ifas.ufl.edu.

Another new feature you might like to check is Department>Our People in the News. This page lists pertinent news stories of the last four or five years. If I missed a story or a new one comes out you would like to add, e-mail me the link and I'll add it.

As you navigate through the pages and see any small insect or nematode, those images each link to a Featured Creatures or EDIS article about the critter.

Still to come are at least one slide show, some insect video footage, your links - the possibilities are endless. Let's grow! - Jane Medley

Seminar Series - Spring 2006

This semester's seminar coordinators are Seth Bybee, James Dunford, Luis Matos, Murugesan Rangasamy and Jennifer Zaspel. Seminars begin at 3:45 p.m. in room 1031, Entomology and Nematology (Bldg. 970). A complete listing of the topics and speakers is available in the January 2006 issue.

McGuire Center Seminars

The McGuire Center Seminar Series is held Tuesdays in room 233 on the second floor. Lunch is served at noon and the seminar begins at 12:15.

2/14 - "The Student Conservation Association Changing Lives Through Service to Nature"

2/22 - Drs. Jaret Daniels, Thomas Emmel, Paul Goldstein, Keith Willmott - "Synopsis of Basic Research Grant Projects Underway at the McGuire Center"

Publications

Bybee S. (December 2005). Libélulas y caballitos del diablo. UF/IFAS Featured Creatures. EENY-363. http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/odonata/odonata_Spanish.htm

Nearns EH, Branham MA, Rodriguez NG, Garcia IF. 2005. Curius punctatus (Fisher), new combination (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Insecta Mundi 19: 172.

Nearns EH, Turnbow RF. 2005. First record of Plectromerus exis Zayas in the Dominican Republic (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Insecta Mundi 19: 158.

Schiefer TL, Dunford JC. 2006. New state record for Merope tuber Newman in Alabama. Journal of Entomological Science 40: 471-473.

Novak RJ, Gerberg EJ. 2005.Natural-based repellent products: efficacy for military and general public use. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 21 (4): Supplement 7-11.

FES Pioneer Lecture

The Florida Entomological Society's (FES) Pioneer Lecture Award Committee is seeking two new members, one from regular and the other from student membership. Candidates should have an interest in the history of entomology in Florida and be willing to participate in one committee meeting each year and the annual FES conference activities. The committee meeting provides an opportunity to help select the honoree and lecturer, and the conference activities include the Pioneer Lecturer dinner, presentation, student luncheon and associated events. Please refer to http://www.flaentsoc.org/archives.htm (Committee Memberships and Guidelines) for more information. Contact Dr. Joe Funderburk (jefunderburk@ifas.ufl.edu) if you are interested.

Competency Exams

There is something new being installed in all undergraduate degree programs at SUS institutions – Student Learning Outcomes and Competency Exams. All degree-granting departments have been instructed to develop individualized Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for their majors and design methods to determine each student's competency at meeting each SLO. Specifically excluded from the competency determination is a passing course grade in required courses.

We are now required to state explicitly our individual SLOs for entomology and nematology majors and have groups of faculty develop and administer the competency exams. Many UF faculty are convinced that we have now the moral equivalent of the K-12 FCAT being installed within the SUS institutions. In any case, we have no choice as this came to us as a mandate from the Board of Governors. What has been developed and how we propose to administer it will be presented in an upcoming faculty meeting. - Dr. Carl S. Barfield, Undergraduate Coordinator

LIFE in the Department

The February 3rd issue covers phorid flies, tree-climbing fireflies, aquatic weed control, a $25,000 "scholarship" award winner in our department, and our distance education courses.

The January 20th issued covers insect collections; Lt. Katie Barbara, one of our military entomologists; the redesigned Web site; and a "Walkabout" tour of our people and facilities.

The January 6th issue reviews some of the events of 2005, as well as firefly pupation, new students, and other topics.

Mike Sanford edits this photographic journal of our department, located at http://life.ifals.ufl.edu/index.html.

You Cockroach!

Looking for an unusual gift for someone who is hard to buy for, such as your domineering boss, an unpleasant in-law, or an ex-spouse? Then the Cockroach Images CD-ROM would be ideal. Developed by Dr. Rebecca Baldwin, a newly minted Ph.D., and Thomas Fasulo, this CD with 60 images of 14 different species in three different resolutions (Web-optimized, display-sized for large audiences, and print quality) is for sale at the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore for only $15. See http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/pests/software/det_roaches.htm for details.

This makes a total of 30 CD-ROMS developed in the department that are for sale through the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore. For details on all the CDs, visit the Buggy Software Web site at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/pests/software/.

Reusing the CEU Tutorials

Licensed Pesticide Applicators in Florida may now reuse the over 30 UF/IFAS computer-verified training tutorials to earn CEUs to renew their licenses. Previously, once a licensed operator used a specific tutorial, he or she could not use that tutorial again for CEUs. This has now changed and operators may reuse the tutorials every four years for CEUs. See detailed information at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/pests/software/t_training2.htm.

28 New Species!

It is not uncommon to discover new arthropod species, but 27 at once - and in California of all places? In the deep, dark caves under the Sierra Nevada mountains in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, twenty-seven previously unknown species of spiders, centipedes, scorpion-like creatures and other animals were discovered. For details, see http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/01/18/new.species.ap/index.html.

Bug Quote

"We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics." - Bill Vaughan

Newsletter Minutia

Thomas Fasulo is the newsletter editor. Send submissions to him at fasulo@ufl.edu. Issues are published the middle of each month. Submit items for an issue by the 7th of that month.

Printed copies are distributed only within Building 970. UF-Bugnews-l listserv subscribers receive notices when HTML and PDF copies are posted on the newsletter Web site at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/news/, which has instructions for subscribing and unsubscribing. Pam Howell and Nancy Sanders review the newsletter for errors and prepare the print version for distribution.

During the last twelve months, the newsletter Web site recorded 43,671 distinct visitors and 76,579 page views. In addition, visitors downloaded 625 PDF files in January 2006

February 2006.