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ABOVE: It was a great day at BugFest! Big thanks to our amazing UF Entomology Club!
Dr. Christine W. Miller and Ph.D. student Sara Zlotnik, traveled to the Evolution Evolving conference at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK, to deliver presentations and meet with collaborators. After the meeting, the two traveled to Imperial College, London to work with Dr. David Labonte’s research group to investigate feeding biomechanics in an invasive insect species.
ABOVE: Dr. Lawrence Reeves received first and third place in the Elegance of Science Art Contest, and two images he produced in collaboration with Jon Bremer (Daniels Lab) received Honorable Mention. Dr. Reeves gave the keynote talk at the contest's awards ceremony on April 1st at the Florida Museum.
ABOVE: Dr. Jiri Hulcr and Dr. Andrea Lucky led another Spring Bugwalk with the Alachua Conservation trust on April 6th, from 9-noon. More than 50 insect enthusiasts, young and old, came out to explore the insect life of Prairie Creek Preserve’s meadows, forests, and ponds. The weather was great and so was the biodiversity! Many thanks to our graduate students who came out to lend their expertise and share their passion for insects! (Photo of some of the group by Melissa Hill)
Dr. James P. Cuda attended the annual Fulbright Scholar reception dinner held at he the Earl and Christy Powell University House on March 28th.
Dr. James P. Cuda was a guest lecturer for the undergraduate / graduate level course titled “Aquatic Weed Control (PLS 4613 / AGR 6932)” held at the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants on March 19th. Dr. Cuda gave a presentation on biological control of aquatic weeds and IPM.
In the News
Dr. Lisa Taylor talked about jumping spiders with Ira Flatow on NPR’s Science Friday.
On March 6th, Dr. Thomas Chouvenc gave an interview to WLRN, south Florida NPR station to raise awareness about the invasive termite problem in the region.
PCTonline covered a 2018 study from the Chouvenc lab about invasive termites in trees.
Visiting Scientists
Dr. Hou-Feng Li, a UF Entomology alumni, now professor at the National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan, and president of the Taiwanese Entomological Society, visited the entomology crew at the Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center on March 25th – 29th, to discuss collaborative projects on termite biology with Dr. Su, Dr. Scheffrhan, and Dr. Chouvenc.
Dr. Alain Robert from Université de Paris Est Creteil, France, is visiting the Chouvenc lab for a month, since March 25th, to complete a collaborative project initiated in 2018 concerning termite pheromones.
Dr. Nobuaki Mizumoto, from Arizona State University visited the Chouvenc lab on March 5th to the 19th for a collaborative project on termite sexual behavior.
Ph.D. student Alex Orfinger was recently awarded the Society for Freshwater Science Systematics Endowment Award. The funds support research in taxonomy and systematics and will be applied towards Alex’s work on caddisfly systematics.
Matt Borden (DPM and MS student in the Dale Lab) has accepted a summer internship at the Bartlett Tree Experts Research Lab in Charlotte, NC. There, Matt will broaden his diagnostic skills working in their diagnostic lab where they receive plant specimens from across North America. This is a highly competitive internship program, so be sure to congratulate Matt when you see him.
Nine undergraduates in Dr. Christine Miller’s lab presented their research at a local symposium in April. Emily Angelis, Haley Lenga, Daniela Gomez, Stella Fedele, Maxwell Woolridge, Kaylie Sieber, and Christian Guier presented posters at the University of Florida Undergraduate Research Symposium. Rachel Shepherd and Robert Entzian presented their research at the University of Florida Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium.
ABOVE: Zach Emberts in the field with two of his mentees. From left to right Rachel Ricker, Zach Emberts, and Paige Carlson.
Zach Emberts, a finishing Ph.D. student in Dr. Christine Miller’s Lab, received a University of Florida Graduate Student Mentoring Award. This university-wide award honors graduate students who have helped undergraduates, graduates, or K-12 students succeed. During his time at the University of Florida, Zach has mentored 19 undergraduates and four high school students. Collectively, these students have presented their research 18 times at both local (e.g., University of Florida Undergraduate Symposium) and international (e.g., International Conference on Entomology) conferences. Moreover, two have gone on to co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts. Zach finds mentoring to be a highly rewarding aspect of being an academic and plans to continue mentoring students throughout his career.
ABOVE: Kristen Gaines completed the Undergraduate Scholars Program and presented her work at the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 4th. Kristen worked on development of a long term nymph bioassay for Asian citrus psyllid in Dr. Bryony Bonning’s lab.
Lauren Cirino received a national Graduate Student Teaching Award from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) society. This award recognizes graduate student instructors that excel at teaching. During her time at the University of Florida, Lauren has taught and designed two Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) courses with her advisor, Dr. Christine Miller. Not only has Lauren been a lead instructor, but she has also advocated for others to implement this teaching method as well. Specifically, Lauren has giving CURE presentations at both local and national conferences and has published a peer-reviewed manuscript about implementing this teaching method.
Need to name that bug? A host of experts are available to help Floridians identify any insect or related arthropod. If a mystery creature has six or more legs, the UF Insect ID Lab is the place to call.
ABOVE: It is tussock moth season again. The most common species in Florida is Orgyia detrita, which feeds on oaks. A couple of clients have complained recently of lots of caterpillars crawling on their cars after parking under oak trees. The caterpillars feed during March, and pupate in April. They make a real nuisance of themselves when they make their cocoons on the sides of buildings, under eaves, etc. Adult emergence and egg laying also happens in April.
If you need insect images for a publication or presentation for your UF/IFAS Extension or teaching work, you can go to this direct link, pictures are copyrighted material and intended for official UF use only. Log onto the website using your Gatorlink credentials.
Lyle Buss is the UF/IFAS Insect ID Lab manager.
Think it might be a nematode problem? The Nematode Assay Laboratory serves Florida and other states by providing nematode assays and expert advice regarding nematode management.
For more information on the Nematode Assay Laboratory, please contact the lab manager Dr. Billy Crow.
Cope GC, Campbell JW, Grodsky SM, Ellis JD. 2019. Evaluation of nest-site selection of ground-nesting bees and wasps (Hymenoptera) using emergence traps. The Canadian Entomologist. DOI: 10.4039/tce.2019.3.
Dolezal AG, Carrillo-Tripp J, Judd T, Miller WA, Bonning BC, Toth AL. 2019. Interacting stressors matter: Diet quality and virus infection in honey bee health. Royal Society of Open Science. 6(2):181803. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181803.
Fernandez-Luna MT, Kumar P, Hall DG, Mitchell AT, Blackburn MB, Bonning BC. 2019. Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis-derived pesticidal proteins Cry1Ab and Cry1Ba against Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera). Toxins pii: E173. DOI: 10.3390/toxins11030173.
George J, Shi Q, Stelinski LL, Stover E, Lapointe SL. 2019. Host selection, oviposition and feeding by a phytopathogen vector, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae), modulated by plant exposure to formic acid. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 7:78. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00078.
Just MG, Dale AG, Long LC, Frank SD. 2019. Urbanization drives unique latitudinal patterns of insect herbivory and tree condition. Oikos. DOI: 10.1111/oik.05874.
Mallinger RE, Phillips D. 2019. Pollination best practices in southern highbush blueberry in Florida. EDIS Publication #ENY-172. University of Florida, IFAS Extension.
Mallinger RE, Franco J, Prischmann-Voldseth D, Prasifka J. 2019. Annual cover crops for managed and wild bees: Optimal plant mixtures depend on pollinator enhancement goals. Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Environment. 273: 107-116.
Owens D, Seo M, Montgomery WS, Rivera-Mamounis MJ, Stelinski LL, Kendra PE. 2019. Dispersal behavior of Euwallacea nr. fornicatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in avocado groves and estimation of lure sampling range. Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 21: 199-208. DOI: 10.111/afe.12321.
Patel JS, Tong RL, Chouvenc T, Su NY. 2018. Comparison of temperature-dependent survivorship and wood-consumption rate among two invasive subterranean termite species (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae: Coptotermes) and their hybrids. Journal of Economic Entomology. 112: 300-304.
Reeves LE, Krysko KL, Connelly CR. 2019. Crocodylus acutus (American crocodile). Ecotoparasites. Herpetological Review. 50: 131-132.
Sourakov A. 2019. Create a butterfly garden for your home or school. HOME Living in Greater Gainesville.
Stucky BJ, Balhoff JP, Barve N, Barve V, Brenskelle L, Brush MH, Dahlem GA, Gilbert JDJ, Kawahara AY, Keller O, Lucky A, Mayhew PJ, Plotkin D, Seltmann KC, Talamas E, Vaidya G, Walls R, Yoder M, Zhang G, Guralnick R. 2019. Developing a vocabulary and ontology for modeling insect natural history data: Example data, use cases, and competency questions. Biodiversity Data Journal 7: e33303.
New on Featured Creatures:
Orchard orbweaver, orchard spider, Leucauge argyrobapta (White), Leucauge venusta (Walckenaer). Author: Donald W. Hall, Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida.
Do you have a favorite creature? Learn how to make it into a Featured Creatures!
Dr. Rachel Mallinger was invited to give a seminar to the Entomology Department at Purdue University on March 7th. Her seminar was titled From Fields to Flowers: Factors Affecting Bee Pollination Services Across Spatial Scales.
Dr. Rachel Mallinger gave a guest lecture on selecting native plants for native bees to students in the Environmental Horticulture Department at UF on March 13th.
On March 6th, Dr. Billy Crow presented “Organic amendments, biostimulants, root-enhancers, etc. as tools for nematode management” to the Southwest Florida Golf Course Superintendents at their educational event in Tampa, FL.
On March 20th, Dr. Billy Crow presented “How nematicides work” to golf course superintendents at an educational event sponsored by Harrell’s in Jacksonville, FL.
Dr. Adam Dale presented "Determining the invasive potential of elongate hemlock scale in Florida", at the ESA Southeastern Branch meeting in Mobile, AL on March 5th.
Dr. Adam Dale organized and moderated the "Turf and Ornamental Entomology" symposium at the ESA Southeastern Branch meeting in Mobile, AL on March 5th. This session included 12 presenters from eight organizations and seven states.
Dr. Adam Dale provided a two hour workshop for landscape management professionals about managing insects in urban landscapes at the IFAS Palm Beach County Extension office on March 7th.
Dr. Adam Dale was an invited speaker to present at the University of California at Riverside Nematology Department seminar series on March 13th. He presented research on invasive mole crickets and entomopathogenic nematodes.
Matt Borden (DPM and MS student) and Tanner Felbinger (IFAS Undergraduate Intern) from the Dale Lab each gave poster presentations at the UF IFAS CLCE Urban Landscape Summit on March 20th.
Dr. Adam Dale presented updates on lawn and golf course insect pest management at the South Florida Turfgrass Field Day and Expo in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on March 21st. There, he also led a breakout session on integrating pollinator protection with turfgrass pest management.
Dr. Adam Dale presented research on the effects of mixing turfgrass cultivars on insects and lawns at the International Forage and Turfgrass Breeding Conference in Orlando, FL on March 25th.
Dr. Adam Dale gave a presentation and led an interactive gardens tour about "Insect ecology in our back yards" at Bok Tower Gardens on March 27th.
Dr. Thomas Chouvenc was invited to the Edward Vargo Urban Entomology Lab at Texas A&M, in College Station, TX, and also gave a seminar to their Entomology department on March 21st.
From the Outreach Coordinator
The live critters are always a hit with children and adults alike. The critters are available for you to check out should you be leading an outreach event. We have doubles of our most popular critters, as well as various native insect species depending on the time of year. We have large wood and Plexiglas cages for viewing our native orb weaving spiders. There is one travel cage and one larger static cage. Please be sure to contact us and review the protocol on transporting and handling the critters if you are not already familiar with it. If you lead an outreach, be sure to fill out a documentation form so your event can be included in the newsletter and we can log all outreach events.
If you have any questions, please email me.
Thank you —Clayton Bania, Outreach Coordinator.
If you would like to schedule an event or have any outreach questions, go to the Outreach pages on our Bug Club website and contact us.
Getting social!
We have several social media sites for the Entomology & Nematology Department. To make them easily searchable, all three (YouTube, Facebook and Twitter) have the same page name: UFEntomology. Please share these links with past students or colleagues who may have an interest in departmental activities.
You can participate in UF DNA Day 2019!
Website: http://dna.ufgi.ufl.edu/
Twitter: @UFGenetics, @DNADay, #DNADay19
Announcing the 102nd meeting of the Florida Entomological Society
Hold the date and plan to attend the annual meeting of the Florida Entomological Society, July 21 to the 24th in Jupiter, Florida!
This year will be back at the Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa which has been a wonderful venue for our meeting in the past (https://www.jupiterbeachresort.com/). Rooms will be $139/night (single/double occupancy or quad for students), with no resort fee, and government rate rooms will also be available. Plan to bring your family and enjoy the same room rates for up to three days before or after the meeting. Look for announcements soon requesting symposia topics, your submitted and student competition papers, member honors and awards nominations, and student scholarships, travel awards and mini-grants. We will be working hard to assemble an exciting and diverse scientific program and look forward to seeing you there.
Your FES annual meeting organizing team,
Heather McAuslane, Jawwad Qureshi, Gregg Nuessly and Teresa Duchene
FES Honors and Awards 2019
The Florida Entomological Society Honors and Awards Committee is requesting nominations for 2019 in the following categories:
- Entomologist of the year
- Annual Achievement Award for Research
- Annual Achievement Award for Extension
- Annual Achievement Award for Industry
- Annual Achievement Award for Teaching
- Annual Achievement Award for Regulatory Entomology
- Achievement Award for a Collaborative Research Team
Each nomination should be accompanied by a clear justification for why the nominee is deserving of the award and a concise justification narrative that will be read at the awards luncheon. Winners will be announced at the 2019 Annual Meeting in Jupiter.
The deadline for nominations is June 20, 2019.
Nominations should be sent to,
Adam Dale [Chair, Honors and Awards Committee]
University of Florida, IFAS
Entomology and Nematology Department
Gainesville, FL 32611
Ph: 352-273-3976
Fax: 352-392-0190
E-mail: agdale@ufl.edu
The 2019 Termite Course registration is open for non-credit students. This weeklong course is an in-depth session on general termite biology, and will focus on evolution, ecology, symbiosis, behavior, and control. The course will be provided by a panel of 12 international instructors with robust knowledge of termite biology. The course will take place on June 3rd to the 8th, 2019 at the Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center.
The program for the 2019 international termite course is now completed and registration is open. This session will feature 12 speakers from all around the world, and will have an large international student attendance. Seats are limited in number.
Want to stay up to date? Check out our website home page for a link to our Google calendar.
Dr. Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman is the newsletter editor and does the HTML coding. Issues usually are published by mid-month. Submit items for an issue by the seventh of that month.
We like to share news when it happens using our social media outlets: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Follow us on these sites for daily updates! When you send news, we will post it on one or more of these sites and again in the monthly newsletter. Please be sure you have permission from people in photographs you submit for publication.
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Special thanks to Eleanor Phillips and Nancy Sanders, who reviewed the newsletter for errors, and to Jane Medley and Don Wasik, who built the web page design.
Give Back
Want to support the UF Entomology & Nematology Department? Consider making an online gift today! Questions can be directed to Christy Chiarelli at (352) 392-1975 or ccw@ufl.edu.
PO Box 110620, 970 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611
Phone: 352-273-3901, Fax: 352-392-0190
© UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Department. All rights reserved.