Tag: Entomology

Chasing the Worm, Identifying the Species–Mezcal Science

by Hannah Eason
May 18, 2026

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

UF awarded $5 million in NIFA grants to battle citrus greening disease

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

University of Florida scientists will elevate their efforts to control citrus greening, with about $5 million in grants from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, split funding ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Amit Levy, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus, Citrus, Citrus Greening, Citrus Research And Education Center, Entomology, HLB, Horticultural Sciences, Huanglongbing, Integrated Pest Management, John Chater, Jose Chaparro, Lukasz Stelinski, Microbiology And Cell Science, Microcell, Nian Wang, Nifa, Plant Pathology, UF/IFAS Citrus Research And Education Center, USDA-NIFA

From rise to rule, a UF/IFAS team records the spread of Asian subterranean termites through Florida’s southernmost point

by Lourdes Mederos
May 18, 2026

A University of Florida study published in Biological Invasions provides a one-of-a-kind evolutionary map and timeline that reconstructs the historical spread of the Asian subterranean termite over 22 years on Key West. “Although ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Subterranean Termites, Biological Invasions, Entomology, Fumigation, Geographic Information Systems, Geomatics, Ground-based Treatments, Hartwig Henry Hochmair, Invasive, Journal Management Of Biological Invasions, Key West, Rudolph Scheffrahn, Stock Island, Taxonomy, Termites, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center

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

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

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