Tag: discovery

New Moby Dick-like termite species discovered

by Lourdes Mederos
December 4, 2025

In the canopies of a South American rainforest, a tiny soldier termite has stunned a team of international scientists with its whale-like features. Cryptotermes mobydicki, the name given to the termite by the international research team ... READ MORE

Category: , SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Colombia, Cryptotermes, Cryptotermes Mobydicki, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Discovery, Dominican Republic, Entomology, Evolutionary Story, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, French Guiana, Genus, Herman Melville, International Entomologists, Moby Dick, Neotropical, New Termite Species, News, Rainforest, Rudolf Scheffrahn, Soldier, Soldier Termite, South American Rainforest, Species, Sperm Whale, Termites, Trinidad, UF-IFAS, ZooKeys

Assisted by sniffer dogs and DNA sequencing, researchers discover three new truffle species

by Megan Winslow
August 1, 2025

University of Florida biologists studying fungal evolution and ecology have discovered three new truffle species, including one capable of commanding hundreds of dollars per pound within culinary circles. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Forests, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Appalachian Mountains, Benjamin Lemmon, Biologist, Biology, Cascadia, Cooking, Culinary, Delicacy, Discovery, DNA Sequencing, Dog, Douglas Fir, Fungal, Fungus, Genetic Testing, Great Smoky Mountains, IFAS, Imaia Kuwohiensis, Inaturalist, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Leucangium, Leucangium Carthusianum, Leucangium Cascadiense, Leucangium Oneidaense, Matt Smith, Matthew Smith, Megan Winslow, Morchellaceae, Oregon Black Truffle, Pacific Northwest, Pathology, Persoonia, Plant, Plant Pathology Department, Research, Rocky Mountains, Science, Sniffer Dog, Symbiotic Relationship, Truffle, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida

Chasing the Worm, Identifying the Species–Mezcal Science

by Hannah Eason
April 10, 2023

Did you know that nobody knew what kind of worm was in mezcal? Recently, UF entomologists chased the worm all the way to the agave farms making mezcal in Mexico. Mezcal is a growing industry, and while it has been consumed for hundreds of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Agave, Bug, Caterpillar, Cflandscapes, Cinco De Mayo, Cool, Discovery, Enews, Entomology, Ethnobotany, Farm, Farmer, Hwooten, Id, Identification, Insect, Interesting, Landscape, Larvaw, Liquor, Mexico, Mezcal, Natural History, Ocextension, Ornamental, Pest, Salud, Science

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