Tag: Entomology

Protecting your plate and farmer’s harvests: UF/IFAS entomologist fights for Florida’s crops against costly pests

by Lourdes Mederos
May 18, 2026

Behind every fresh head of lettuce and pepper on your plate, there’s a team of scientists working tirelessly to protect crops and farmers’ harvests from pests and plant diseases. De-Fen Mou, an assistant professor of entomology at ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, , Conservation, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Pests, Aphids, De-Fen Mou, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Diseases, Entomology, Entomology And Nematology, EREC Agricultural Vector Entomology Lab, Everglades Research And Education Center, Hemiptera, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Leafhoppers, News, Pests, Plant Diseases, Planthoppers, Samira Daroub, Thrips, Thrips Parvispinus, Thysanopterans, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Whiteflies

Trailblazing entomologist’s gift creates a home for students, future scientists – and a legacy of belonging

by Lourdes Mederos
May 18, 2026

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will celebrate a milestone moment on Nov. 1 at 4:30 p.m., when the doors open to the Pauline O. Lawrence Student Residence at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Agriculture, Dormitory, Edward "Gilly" Evans, Edward Evans, Emeritus Professor Carlton Davis, Empathy, Entomology, Enviroment, First Black Female Graduate Student, Food And Resource Economics, Fruit Flies, Future Scientists, Graduate Students, Groves, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, J. Scott Angle, Miami-Dade County, Natural Resources, News, Pauline O. Lawrence Student Residence, Resilience, Richard Baranowski, South Florida, Students, TREC, TREC Dormitory Fund, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Research And Education Center, Tropical Vegetable, Tropics, UF, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center, University Of Florida

Citizen scientists: Join the pollinator count and help the bees

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

About 70% of the world’s crop production relies on pollinator insects for survival. That makes it helpful to know how many pollinators are out there. As a citizen scientist, you can participate in this year’s Great Southeast Pollinator ... READ MORE

Category: SFYL Hot Topic
Tags: Bees, Butterflies, Carpenter Bees, Citizen Scientists, Count, Entomology, Flies, Great Southeast Pollinator Census, Honey Bees, Jeremy Rhoden, Lorna Bravo, Moths, Plants, Pollinators, Tia Silvasy, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, UF/IFAS Extension Marion County, Wasps

From itchy bites to asthma triggers: Why one scientist studies what’s bugging us

by Lourdes Mederos
May 18, 2026

From bed bugs in bedrooms and cockroaches in kitchens to the latest invasive pests spreading into new communities, the uninvited guests that sneak into our homes are more than just nuisances—they can be public health threats, economic ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Disaster Preparation, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Work & Life
Tags: Allergenic Proteins, Allergens, Bd Bugs, Bites, Bugs, Cockroaches, Data-driven, Entomology, Extension Outreach, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Health Risk, Histamine, Homes, Households, Human Immune Response, Insects, Invasive Pests, Johnalyn Gordon, Lourdes Mederos, Pest-management Solutions, Pests, Species, Structural Pests, Threats, Tropical Climate, Urban Pests

UF/IFAS program expands ag education in Florida primary, secondary schools

by Megan Winslow
May 18, 2026

Not every child grows up with a deep understanding of the agricultural systems that supply the food we eat every day. The Florida Teacher Institute, a collaboration of the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and the UF/IFAS ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Aec, Agricultural, Agricultural Education And Communication, Agriculture, Animal Sciences, CALS, Career, Charlotte Emerson, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Curriculum, Entomology, Environmental, Florida Teacher Institute, Food Science, Food Security, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Megan Winslow, Mentor, Monique Salazar, Nematology, Peer, Science, Student, Summer, Teacher, Teaching, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida

UF/IFAS Study: Termite queen and king are the best parents in the world, until they’re not

by Lourdes Mederos
May 18, 2026

Studying the parental behaviors of termites has provided a University of Florida scientist with a rare look into how a queen and king pair push the limits of parenthood. The result is a look at how the queen and king work the hardest ... READ MORE

Category: Home Management, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Allparental Behavior, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Entomology, Functional Ecology Of The British Ecological Society, Subterranean Termites, Termites, Thomas Chouvenc, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center

Banker plants effective for managing thrips on roses

by Tory Moore
May 18, 2026

Chilli thrips are a nuisance to rose growers, as their feeding causes foliar and flower damage. For the first time, UF/IFAS researchers investigated the utility of a banker plant system for managing chilli thrips on roses. Recently published ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Banker Plants, Biological Control, Chilli Thrips, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Entomology, Entomology And Nematology, Mid-Florida Research And Education Center, Predatory Mites, Thrips, UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research And Education Center

Who’s that critter? UF/IFAS wildlife series spotlights Florida’s native termites

by Megan Winslow
May 18, 2026

Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot. More than 4,000 animal species, in fact, are native to the Sunshine State. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Wildlife
Tags: Animal, Bug, Entomology, Florida Critter Of The Month, FLREC, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, IFAS, Insect, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Megan Winslow, Native, Subterranean Termites, Termite, Thomas Chouvenc, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Who's That Critter?, Wildlife

‘LIFT AI’ projects show UF/IFAS’ commitment to using artificial intelligence to help solve real-world problems

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

Faster plant breeding and improved mosquito surveillance are among the 11 projects collectively awarded $261,723 by the UF/IFAS Dean for Research Office to solve practical problems via artificial intelligence. To foster research collaborations ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Animal Behavior, Artificial Intelligence, Dean For Research Office, Entomology, Flavor, Gut Microbiome, Launching Innovative Faculty Teams In AI, LIFT AI, Plant Breeding, Precision Agriculture, Research, Yield Prediction

Researchers enlist Florida residents in the fight against citrus greening

by Megan Winslow
May 18, 2026

Most people know Florida’s citrus industry is struggling with citrus greening. The threat, however, doesn’t exist in a silo, and residential trees – where the plant disease was first detected in the state – can serve as reservoirs for ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: ACP, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Bay, Citrus, Citrus Care, Citrus Greening, Cold Hardy Citrus, Columbia, Danielle Williams, Diaphorina Citri, Educational, Entomology, Gadsden, HLB, Huanglongbing, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Integrated Pest Management, Jefferson, Laura Warner, Lauren Diepenbrock, Leon, Management, Mesh Bags, North Florida, Orange, Pest, Plant Disease, Reflective Mulch, Research, Romain Exilien, Santa Rosa, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Workshop, Xavier Martini

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