NEWSLETTER
October 2001 Entomology and Nematology News
Entomology and Nematology Student Organization
A University of Florida Publication

SMILE

Now that gene-splicing has become a reality... Cross a grasshopper and a hippopotamus, and you get a Grasshoppapotamus. It's a short-lived creature that can leap to tremendous heights ... once. (submitted by: Tom Fasulo)

WELCOME

Susana Carrasco Ballesteros has returned to The Nematode Evolution Laboratory (Adams Lab) as a visiting doctoral student. Susana comes to us from the University of Córdoba, Spain. Funded by a Spanish Ministry of Education Fellowship, she is investigating genetic variation and evolutionary relationships among species and populations of Pratylenchus (plant parasitic nematodes).

AWARDS

Dr. Billy Crow received a grant from the Florida Turfgrass Association for $10,000. This grant is for "Comparative pathogenicity of several plant-parasitic nematodes to turfgrasses".

Sally Veléz-Guzmán, a high school student participating in the 42nd Annual Student Science Training Program, won "Outstanding Oral Presentation" at the Awards Ceremony. Sally joins ten other students recognized as such to return to UF for a Junior Science and Engineering Symposium. Her project, "The Origin and Evolution of Parasitism in Tylenchid Nematodes Based on 18s Molecular Phylogeny" was carried out in The Nematode Evolution Laboratory (Adams Lab) and the DPI quarantine facility. Sally's project benefited from the expertise of Dr. Renato Inserra and Dr. Susan Wineriter (DPI). Sally was mentored by Heather Smith and Dr. Khuong Nguyen.

Heather Smith received a John A. Mulrennan, Sr. Scholarship for "outstanding Ph.D. student based on scholarship and service to the department, university, and community." The scholarship is for $500.00.

Kim McCanless, representing the Urban Entomological Society, placed 4th among clubs in the College of Agriculture in the 2001 Buck Off hosted by Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. The Buck Off is an annual mechanical bull riding competition open to any club in the College of Agriculture.

PUBLICATIONS

Dr. Billy Crow authored several Featured Creatures with Angie Brammer as co-author: Sting nematode, Belonolaimus longicaudatus Rau; Awl nematodes, Dolichodorus spp. Cobb; Lance Nematode, Haplolaimus galeatus Thorne.

IN THE NEWS

There is a little-known permit procedure being proposed, and seemingly about to be implemented, by the Physical Plant Division (PPD) that ENY people ought to know about. If it goes into effect, A PERMIT WILL BE REQUIRED TO COLLECT INSECTS ANYWHERE ON CAMPUS except for the Natural Area Teaching Lab. This would mean that any student scouring the tennis courts for insects, grabbing a beetle off of a flower, picking up a mole cricket or even catching mosquitoes for a collection and/or their own edification would technically need a permit, which is of course absolutely ridiculous. It is encouraged that students and faculty give their opinions to PPD so as to prevent this, get an exemption for any student who is in the process of getting a degree in entomology or who is taking an entomology class, or at least exclude hand-collecting (as opposed to trapping and/or leaving equipment out in the field). More information at http://www.ppd.ufl.edu/operations-urban.html, although the information at this url makes it sound as if it has already been implemented, which to my knowledge it hasn't. Thank you, David Almquist.

BUGGY SOFTWARE

Due to cost recovery, the University of Florida has reduced the price on most of its entomology CD-ROMs and CEU/Training tutorials by 40% to 60%. The tutorials are authorized for recertification in numerous pesticide applicator categories by Florida, Georgia and West Virginia. The CD-ROMs contain hundreds of photographs and drawings, as well as thousands of links to entomological definitions. Each tutorial provides computer-verification and allows users to print a report listing the name of the person completing the tutorial, the date taken, the score, the name of the tutorial and the questions incorrectly answered. These tutorials are widely used to provide technician training by pest control companies, school districts, and municipal governments. See the Buggy Software Web site at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/pests/software/ for details.

All UF departments and extension offices can receive a 40% discount off retail prices when purchasing 10 or more resources for their use or resale. UF/IFAS employees also receive the 40% discount when purchasing 10 or more copies for personal use. Bookstore and other licensed retailers also receive the 40% discount when purchasing resources for resale. Educational institutions, non-profit institutions, state recreational and nature facilities and city park departments can receive a 25% discount on purchases of 15 or more resources for personal use. The above discounts apply to any 10 or 15 items, whether they are the same or all different. Discounts do not apply to some UF/IFAS resources, but do include all entomology software mentioned above. Call (352) 392-1764 for further details on discounts or (800) 226-1764 to order.

BUG WRITER

Angela Brammer is an entomology M.S. student with a degree in Journalism who plans to become a science writer. While her faculty advisor is Jim Lloyd, Tom Fasulo is directing and scheduling her writing assignments, and she works out of Tom's computer lab. She is engaged in a number of wide ranging writing activities, as well as her normal course load. She is the copy editor for the new National Public Health Pest Control manual [with David Dame and Tom Fasulo], is writing Featured Creatures publications on nematodes [with Billy Crow] and urticating caterpillars [with Tom Fasulo], news releases on mole crickets [with Norm Leppla], magazine articles on bromeliad weevils [with Barbara Larson], and will soon begin managing a Web site on fireflies [with Jim Lloyd].

Angela's articles have already appeared in several magazines and one on mosquito repellents was the cover article for the September issue of PCO, the monthly magazine of the Florida Pest Management Association. She is also converting the pest files on the School IPM Web site [http://schoolipm.ifas.ufl.edu/] to create different sized newsletter/magazine formats from them. Her first effort was on yellowjackets, and bee and wasp stings. The three on yellowjackets come in 1 page, 2/3 page and 1/3 page formats. The two on bee and wasp stings come in 1 page and 1/2 page formats. The reduced sized files are available from the URL above under Educational Presentations - News Release or Latest Additions off the main menu.

FEATURED CREATURES

The UF Entomology and Nematology Department and the FDACS Division of Plant Industry have added files on the following organisms to the Featured Creatures WWW site at: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/

Weems, Jr., H.V., and W.H. Whitcomb. Brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch and Mulaik.

Dekle, G.W. Red wax scale, Ceroplastes rubens Maskell.

Edwards, G.B. Common house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum (C.L. Koch)

Crow, W.T., and A. Brammer. Sting nematode, Belonolaimus longicaudatus Rau

Dekle, G.W., and T.R. Fasulo. Brown garden snail, Helix aspersa Muller.

Crow, W.T., and Brammer, A. Awl nematodes, Dolichodorus spp.

New text and/or photographs were added to the files on: io moth, click beetles, Florida predatory stink bug, palmetto weevil, cottony cushion scale, rove beetles (of the world), European earwig, hover fly.

To save space, these publications are not listed exactly as they should be cited. The complete correct citation is: Author(s). (date of publication). Full title. UF/IFAS Featured Creatures. EENY- ##.

SOME FEATURED FEATURED CREATURES

"Thank you very much for passing along all the links in Featured Creatures - these are EXCELLENT, and I have already linked them all to Pestweb, or in a couple of cases to our companion site for the turf and ornamental industries - www.turfweb.com This is one of my current endeavors - to find new and valuable web sites that we can link to our sites so we can continue to provide the industries we sell to an excellent resource of information. I plan to look over your entire site to see what others we also should link. You have provided me with a great service, so thanks again." - Jeff Smith - E-Business Content Manager, www.pestweb.com

"I have been wondering for quite some time just who these ladies of my windowsills are. I just did a thorough web removal two weekends ago and was very careful not to remove anymore of the spiders than I could help. Personally, I rather like them and don't mind them being around, I just wish they were better housekeepers. I was wishing I knew more about our common household spiders with a slant toward knowing which ones have the best household manners. I have harvestmen too and about once a year when I can no longer stand it, their old webs simply have to go. I have finally resigned to keeping the lights off and the doors closed on the laundry room to discourage their numbers. What I don't know is if this will only encourage another species that I will be less happy to have around. I really appreciate the spider additions to Featured Creatures as I am interested in them and don't have a good book on spiders of Florida that is written for a novice like me. Thank you all!!!" - JoAnn Hoffman, Urban Horticulture Program Assistant, Hillsborough County Cooperative Extension Service

Two days after we posted the Featured Creatures file on the brown garden snail, Robert Favrin, the Plant Health Survey Coordinator for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recommended that his agency link their site on the brown garden snail to ours. That same day, Joseph Beckwith, quarantine officer with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, received a call from his California counterpart, who requested some additional information after reading the Featured Creatures file.

SOMETHING MISSING FROM YOUR NEWSLETTER?

If there is something you would like to see in future editions of the newsletter, pleas send all thoughts, suggestions and supportive criticisms to Rebecca Baldwin.

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This version of the newsletter is prepared for the Web by Andy Koehler.

October 2001. Updated May 2003.