Monthly Archives: August 2015

Don’t Feed the Squirrels!

Posted on August 17, 2015 by jjneal

Yosemite National Park is increasing efforts to monitor and suppress bubonic plague after a child who visited the Park in July contracted plague. The child has since recovered due to early diagnosis and treatment. The National Park Services has posted … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Health, Pest Management | 4 Comments

Cochineal On Exhibit

Posted on August 16, 2015 by jjneal

The Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, NM has an exhibit about cochineal and its historical uses called, The Red That Colored The World. Cochineal is a scale insect used to make the red dye carmine. Cochineal scale … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Biomaterials, by jjneal | 3 Comments

Aphids and Disease

Posted on August 16, 2015 by jjneal

Aphids are a concern in many crops because of their ability to transmit viruses. Aphid mouthparts drill through a plant’s protective tissues and insert their mouthparts directly into the phloem. When an aphid feeds, it can acquire viruses from infected … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

What the Aphids Are Eating

Posted on August 14, 2015 by jjneal

Many aphid species provide ants with honeydew and ants in turn provide aphids with protection: a mutualistic interaction. A gall aphid, Paracletus cimiciformis follows this paradigm but also has interctions not beneficial to ants. The primary host of the aphid … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment | 1 Comment

What’s Eating the Aphids?

Posted on August 13, 2015 by jjneal

Entomologists who study predator prey interactions must find creative ways to identify the predators. A single crop such as wheat can have over 100 taxa that are potential predators. Which species eat aphids and which do not? The answer to … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Environment, Pest Management | 2 Comments

Ants In Cars

Posted on August 12, 2015 by jjneal

It must be a slow news day when ants in cars are a top story. A story popping up on the internet today involves a family who left an SUV in an airport parking lot in Charlotte, NC for 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Environment, Pest Management | 1 Comment

June Beetles and Digger Wasps

Posted on August 11, 2015 by jjneal

I had several reports of large flights of the Green June Beetle this summer over the last several weeks. The males fly low to the ground actively searching for females. After mating, the females begin laying eggs in tunnels in … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment | 2 Comments