Texas honey production tops 7.4 million pounds

Beekeeper looking at comb while bees flying around him

by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Texas remained sixth in the nation for honey production in 2019, and is home to thousands of overwintering hives that contribute to the nation’s agricultural economy each growing season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Bexar County, said Texas beekeeping falls into three categories – hobbyists, sideliners and commercial. Hobbyists are backyard beekeepers who keep bees, typically less than 10 hives, to meet Texas’ agriculture exemption for… Read More →

Grunseich Receives ESA Master’s Student Achievement Award

The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University congratulates Master’s student John Grunseich as he was awarded with the Entomological Society of America’s Plant-Insect Ecosystems Master’s Student Achievement in Entomology Award. The award is given to master’s students who have demonstrated creativity and significant achievements through research, teaching and/or outreach in entomology. Grunseich joined Dr. Anjel Helms’ lab in 2019 where he is studying the chemical ecology of below ground multitrophic interactions among plants, root-feeding herbivores, and natural enemies. Grunseich is investigating the role of chemical compounds in… Read More →

Research shows insects evolved pathways for acoustic communication

Diverse singing lineages within the suborder Ensifera date back more than 300 million years. Clockwise from top left: cricket, mole cricket, grig and katydid. (Photo by Piotr Naskrecki)

Sound-making, hearing mechanisms in crickets date back 300 million years by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Songs produced by crickets, katydids, grasshoppers and other orthopteran insects are hundreds of millions of years in the making, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist’s research published in Nature Communications. Hojun Song, Ph.D., AgriLife Research entomologist and associate professor in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station, said there have been many changes to the way insects within the Orthoptera order hear and create… Read More →

New institute to study behavioral plasticity in locusts

Locusts in Yucatan, Mexico. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo courtesy of Hojun Song)

Multi-university collaboration funded by a 5-year, $12.5 million grant by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Locusts have a reputation of biblical proportions. Certain species of grasshoppers that are typically solitary and harmless can suddenly swarm and consume entire crops, including plants that support livestock. Large swarms can destroy livelihoods for farmers and entire communities’ food supply. That is why researchers from Texas A&M AgriLife, Baylor College of Medicine, Arizona State University, Washington University in St. Louis and University of California, Davis, have created the Behavioral… Read More →

Former Ph.D. Student Receives Presidential Professor Award

The Department of Entomology congratulates former Ph.D. student Dr. Asha Rao as she was recognized with the 2020 Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award. The award was announced during the September Faculty Senate virtual meeting and is the highest honor bestowed on faculty members universitywide. Rao currently is an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Biology. Rao earned her Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in 1996 and 2002 and worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Bradleigh Vinson’s lab and as a research associate at the… Read More →

How Texas became leader in safe public school pest management

AgriLife Extension school IPM specialist Janet Hurley leads a school IPM training for school district IPM coordinators.

Human, environmental health remain focus as AgriLife Extension makes school pest control safer by Gabe Saldana, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing & Communications Anyone returning to a Texas public school this semester is safer from pests and pesticides, thanks to a host of integrated pest control practices required by the state and taught to licensed professionals by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Requirements for integrated pest management, or IPM, in Texas schools were passed by the Texas Legislature in 1991. IPM is the practice of controlling pests with… Read More →

Mike Merchant Awarded with Honorary Membership at the Entomological Society of America

Mike Merchant

Congratulations to former Professor and Extension Specialist Dr. Mike Merchant as he was named an honorary member of the Entomological Society of America in 2020. Merchant recently retired from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and was one of five entomologists in the nation that were named honorary members. The award acknowledges members who have served the ESA for at least 20 years outstanding work throughout their careers to advance the organization at an extraordinary level. For 31 years, Merchant has been serving the state as Professor and Extension… Read More →

Former Ph.D. Student Named Comstock Award Winner

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate former Ph.D. student Dr. Xiaotian Tang as he was named the John Comstock Award winner for the Southwestern Branch. Tang received his Ph.D. in entomology recently in May under the direction of Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy. His research focused on the vector biology and vector-pathogen interactions between the bacterial pathogen, Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso), and its vector, the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli). Tang’s main research areas are to identify key genes involved in the interactions between the vector and the pathogen… Read More →

Texas A&M research to examine mysteries of armyworms

Fall Armyworm. Photo by Bart Drees

Texas A&M graduate student awarded grant to research fall armyworms by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications A Texas A&M University graduate student received a research grant to better identify, understand and ultimately mitigate fall armyworm populations in Texas and the central U.S. Ashley Tessnow, a doctoral candidate in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Entomology, said armyworms have long been a pest that agriculture producers throughout the central U.S have tried to manage. But despite the long-standing battle against fall… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Awards at Virtual Graduate Student Forum

Congratulations to five of the Department of Entomology’s grad students that received recognition during the 23rd annual meeting of the Graduate Student Forum that was held virtually on Tuesday, August 18. This year’s forum featured 17 students giving presentations on diverse topics. The first place award was given to Morgan Thompson for her presentation titled “Undercover operation: root herbivory modifies aboveground plant-herbivore interactions.” Jonathan Hernandez received second for his presentation titled “Co-occurrence of kdr mutations V1016I and F1534C in the voltage-gated sodium channel and their impact on the… Read More →

Professor Retires After 30+ Years with Extension

Mike Merchant

The Department of Entomology and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service celebrated the retirement of a longtime professor and Extension Entomologist during a virtual celebration held on August 7. Merchant, a Professor and Extension Entomologist in Dallas, will be retiring on August 31. He has been with Extension for more than 30 years when he joined as an Urban Entomologist in the District 4 offices located in the Dallas area. His career highlights started in 1993 when Merchant was named Chair of the statewide School IPM Advisory Committee. As… Read More →

Congratulations Summer 2020 Graduates!!

A total of seven students in the Department of Entomology celebrated their graduations this summer virtually during August graduation on Friday, August 7. The students included 1 Entomology major, 1 Forensic and Investigative Sciences major and 5 Ph.D. candidates. Congratulations to the following students that are expected to graduate and good luck on your future endeavors!! Undergraduate Students Andrew Brock Chapman Bachelor of Science – Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis Stephen Colton Matcha Bachelor of Science – Entomology Graduate Students – Ph.D. Carlos Aguero Ph.D. –… Read More →

Texas A&M research project identifies COVID-19 positive pets in Brazos County

Field research team members (from left) research associate Lisa Auckland, postdoctoral associate Italo Zecca, Ph.D., and doctoral student Edward Davila collect samples from a dog, Daisy

Sampling dogs, cats whose owners tested positive to understand how pets may be impacted by SARS-CoV-2 The transmission of COVID-19 to pets has been the source of much discussion within the scientific community. Reports have confirmed a small, but growing, list of positive cases among companion animals and exotic cats in the U.S. Now, new efforts within The Texas A&M University System are beginning to shed additional light on the topic. A team led by Sarah Hamer, Ph.D., DVM, associate professor of epidemiology at the Texas A&M College… Read More →

Researchers find gene to convert female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to non-biting males with implications for mosquito control

A collaboration between Virginia Tech and Texas A&M recently confirmed that a single gene can take the bite out of the prime carrier of viruses that cause dengue fever and Zika in humans. Researchers from Dr. Zach Adelman’s and Dr. Zhijian Tu’s labs have found that a male-determining gene, called Nix, when inserted into a chromosomal region inherited by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can convert them into non-biting males. The findings were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to the paper, the… Read More →

Kaufman takes lead of Texas A&M entomology department

Phillip Kaufman

Moving forward with classes, research by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing & Communication Taking over as head of the Texas A&M University Department of Entomology is a pretty daunting task in normal times, but during COVID-19, Phillip Kaufman, Ph.D., is finding challenges and opportunities. Kaufman, head of the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, said determining how to best serve students in-house and online amid the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as staying on top of important research issues such as tick surveillance, mosquitoes and murder… Read More →

Texas kissing bug population spike could increase risk of Chagas disease in dogs, humans

Texas A&M AgriLife experts tell how to report sightings, contact by Gabe Saldana, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologists have seen an increase in kissing bugs collected in multiple regions of the state this year. The insects carry a parasite that can cause potentially fatal Chagas disease in humans and animals. “We have already collected over 300 adult kissing bug specimens in a location where we only collected six individuals in 2019,” said Gabriel Hamer, Ph.D., AgriLife Research entomologist, College Station. He is… Read More →

Blue light assists a night hunt for bugs

by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications A blue flashlight that makes corals shine in the sea can help spot insects in nighttime forests, according to a recent Texas A&M AgriLife study. The peer-reviewed study suggests that blue light could help with pest control, natural history research and night insect collecting. A lightbulb goes on at a conference The study grew out of a chance meeting at a conference between a vendor and a former student of Hojun Song, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of… Read More →

How to get rid of fruit flies in your house

Fight the pests by removing their home inside your home by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Fruit flies can be a pesky pest, especially indoors. While they can be annoying, Mike Merchant, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service urban entomologist, Dallas, said infestations of fruit flies and other flying pests are relatively easy to control. “Fruit flies are almost impossible to keep out of homes,” Merchant said. “They can fly in doors when we come and go, hitch rides home on ripe fruit, and are… Read More →

It’s big, but it’s not a ‘murder hornet’

Texas A&M AgriLife experts say Texans mistakenly identifying cicada killer wasps as Asian giant hornets by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Since the release of information about Asian giant hornets, Texas A&M AgriLife entomologists are being inundated with cicada killers and other lookalike insects submitted for identification as a possible “murder hornet,” which thus far has only been found in Washington state in the U.S. While the agency wants to continue to encourage Texans to be vigilant in watching for the Asian giant hornet, they… Read More →

Longtime Texas A&M leader, nationally recognized entomologist passes

Dr. Perry Adkisson

From professor to chancellor, Perry Adkisson advanced agriculture, Texas A&M by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Perry Adkisson, Ph.D., former Texas A&M University System leader and internationally known agricultural scientist in the area of entomology, has died. Adkisson became a professor of entomology at Texas A&M in 1958, and went on to serve as the chancellor of the Texas A&M University System from 1986 until 1990, before retiring in 1994 as a distinguished professor. During his long career at Texas A&M, he also served as… Read More →

AgriLife Extension experts: Time to say ‘no’ to mosquitoes

by Susan Himes, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Did you know there are 85 species of mosquitoes in Texas that have been identified by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s agricultural and environmental safety unit personnel?  That’s a lot of itch-inducing painful pests to worry about. Besides being a buzzing and biting nuisance, mosquitoes carry a host of diseases and viruses that can be dangerous to people, pets and livestock.  “It’s a mosquito’s world,” said Sonja Swiger, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension veterinary entomologist in Stephenville. “Whether you see them or not,… Read More →

African horse sickness on Texas A&M, industry radar

Potential insect vectors in Texas by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications African horse sickness is not in the U.S., and it is important it stays that way. Texas A&M AgriLife faculty, various state and federal agencies and the U.S. horse industry are already monitoring the situation, ensuring surveillance and determining practices to prevent the deadly horse disease from crossing our borders. African horse sickness comes out of Africa and is common from Morocco down to the middle of the continent. But it has escaped the… Read More →

Tick surveillance, control needed in U.S., study shows

Two Asian longhorned ticks atop a dime. Photo by CDC/James Gathany

First nationwide survey of tick-management programs shows clear public health gap by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing & Communications The prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses has steadily increased in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Now, an inaugural nationwide study of tick surveillance and control describes a clear need for more funding and coordination among programs across the country. Among the coauthors is a Texas A&M AgriLife researcher, Pete Teel, Ph.D., a Regents professor in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology. Teel said… Read More →

Grad Students Receive CIRTL Certificates for Teaching

Congratulations to seven of the Department’s Ph.D. students as they received certificates from the Texas A&M Center of Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning this summer. Jeffrey Yung and Dayvion Adams received CIRTL’s Academy of Future Faculty certificate. Some of the activities they did included engaging in a semester-long learning community either in the fall or spring, participating in weekly professional development workshops about college teaching, observe faculty teaching classes, as well as adding to their teaching portfolios. Leah Buchman, Zachary Popkin-Hall and Ashley Tessnow were also named… Read More →

Ph.D. Candidate Receives Top Award for Academic Advising

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Ph.D. candidate Jennie Rhinesmith-Carranza for her hard work in advising students in the Department of Animal Science this year. Rhinesmith-Carranza was awarded the Texas A&M University President’s Award for Academic Advising, which is the highest academic advising award offered universitywide. Rhinesmith-Carranza has been pursuing a PhD in Dr. Tomberlin’s lab since 2017 and became a Ph.D. candidate in December 2019. Her dissertation research explores the inter- and intraspecific effects on carrion volatiles and attraction of two primary carrion colonizers, Nicrophorus… Read More →

Citizen Scientist Project needs input from Texas residents

by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service scientists hope you will join the ranks of Texas residents participating in a multi-state project to identify pollinator-friendly plants and ultimately help pollinator populations. The Pollinator Citizen Science Project has been accepting new recruits for its second year as a volunteer-based information-gathering program. The purpose of this project is to utilize volunteer “citizen-scientists” to determine the attractiveness of different commercially available annual and perennial ornamental plants to various pollinator groups in Texas and Oklahoma…. Read More →

Cattle fever tick numbers on the rise

AgriLife experts warn of ticks’ potential negative economic impact by Susan Himes, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are working to help thwart the spread of cattle fever. An announcement from the Texas Animal Health Commission, TAHC, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program, USDA-CFTEP, that cattle fever tick infestations have spread outside the permanent quarantine zone prompted concern from AgriLife experts, who last dealt with a large outbreak in 2017. “The discovery… Read More →

Students Receive Senior Merit Awards

Congratulations to three of our students on receiving this year’s College of Agriculture’s Senior Merit Awards during a special virtual ceremony during the second week in May. Seniors Marina Conner, Jordan Cornell, and Harlee Schneider received the awards for their leadership, scholarship and service at the department, college and university level.  The Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senior Merit Award is the highest award given to undergraduates by the College. Jordan Cornell Cornell is an Entomology major with a minor in Public Health from San… Read More →

Students Win Top Awards at North Central – Southwestern Branch Joint Virtual Student Competition

Congratulations to our students that received awards during the Entomological Society of America’s 2020 North Central and Southwestern Branch Virtual Student Competition that was held in late April. This year’s competition was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this event, students submitted a recording of their presentations and uploaded electronic versions of their posters for judging via a special website. In the undergraduate student 10-minute paper competition, Cora Garcia received first place in the Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology, Plant-Insect Ecosystems and Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity… Read More →

Get to know the Asian giant hornet, or ‘murder hornet’

Video by Texas A&M Marketing and Communication by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications You’ve probably heard of the “murder hornet,” or Asian giant hornet, by now. It’s the world’s largest hornet. Native to Asia, it was sighted for the first time in Washington state and Canada in late 2019. Keeping these insects out of Texas is important because they are formidable predators of honey bees, which are crucial for crop pollination. The main problem caused by this hornet, Vespa mandarinia, is that it uses honey… Read More →

Stinging Caterpillar Season Starts

Puss caterpillar. (AgriLife photo by Wizzie Brown)

AgriLife experts warn stinging caterpillars can cause contact rashes, painful reactions by Susan Himes, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications As the weather warms up and people begin spending more time in their yards, parks and forests, more people will be coming home with a rash or bug bite. However, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts say before you blame a flying insect or a poisonous plant for a skin ailment, you may need to consider another culprit – stinging caterpillars. “Spring foliage has brought on an abundance… Read More →

Students Join Record Number of Graduates in Spring 2020

Graduate with Aggie Ring

Departmental Celebration: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Celebration A total of 39 students in the Department of Entomology celebrated their graduations virtually on Friday, May 8. The students included 14 Entomology majors, 20 Forensic and Investigative Sciences majors, 2 Masters students, and 3 Ph.D. students. There also were 16 that received the Certificate in Public Health Entomology. Congratulations to the following students expected to graduate and good luck on your future endeavors! Undergraduate Students: Marguerite Nicole Anderson Forensic and Investigative Sciences – Science Emphasis Ryan Joseph Bannister… Read More →

Texas A&M AgriLife mobilizes task force to head off possible emergence of “murder hornet” in Texas

Asian giant hornet. (Washington State Department of Agriculture)

by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications How the pests ended up in North America is not yet clear. Washington state investigations are focusing on the possibility that container ship or airplane transport may have inadvertently transported a fertilized female hornet. “Part of our response is preparing our state entry points for cargo transportation,” said Greg Pompelli, Ph.D., director of the Center for Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense. “We are developing training for Customs and Border Protection staff to be able to detect the Asian giant… Read More →

Aggie professor helps law enforcement find answers in the soil

This story by Beth Luedeker first appeared in the March 2020 Aggie Agenda. We have seen them on TV, the crime scene investigators who sift through the minutiae such as soil to help law enforcement personnel determine what took place. Jacqui Aitkenhead-Peterson, Ph.D., fills this role for those in Texas law enforcement looking for soil-borne answers. Peterson is an associate professor in the Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Texas A&M AgriLife Research urban nutrient and water management scientist. She is also working with… Read More →

Corn Rootworm Control Project Showing Success in New York and Texas Corn Fields

   Extension Entomologist Dr. Pat porter notes that persistent entomopathogenic nematodes have remained effective for many years in New York after just one application, and our data from Texas suggest that will be the case here. While initially deployed for corn rootworm control, this technology shows promise for some of our other serious soil-dwelling pests like grubs in wheat and wireworms in several crops. Our research on these pests is in the planning stages. Also, the whitefringed beetle is a major pest of alfalfa in New Mexico… Read More →

Hapes Elected to NACADA Board of Directors

Rebecca Hapes

Congratulations to Senior Academic Advisor IV Rebecca Hapes as she was elected as one of NACADA The Global Community for Academic Advising’s Board of Directors. Hapes is the first academic advisor from Texas A&M University to be elected to the Board and will start her three-year term in October 2020. She has been a member of NACADA for 14 years and currently serves as the appointed representative for the organization’s Advising Communities Division on the Council. Hapes is involved in the associations’ Emerging Leaders Program, serving as a… Read More →

Faculty Members Hold Webinars to Help Faculty and Students Learn via Distance Delivery

With more and more schools and universities closing due to the Coronavirus pandemic striking the world, the demand for online learning and distance education is rising. Drs. Adrienne Brundage and Craig Coates recently led two webinars for the Entomological Society of America for both students and teachers to help them adjust to the online distance learning format that is in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coates said the ESA was looking for instructors willing to help hold a webinar to teach faculty and students about how to… Read More →

John Thobe Named IPM Agent for Bailey, Castro, Parmer Counties

John Thobe headshot

Excerpted from an AgriLife Today story by Susan Himes The Department of Entomology and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service welcomes Dr. John Thobe as the new integrated pest management agent for Bailey, Castro and Parmer counties. Thobe earned his bachelor’s degree in plant soil and environmental sciences from West Texas A&M University, Canyon. “We are excited to welcome John to AgriLife Extension,” said Clawson. “Between his education and past professional experience, he will be a great addition to the integrated pest management team.” Thobe most recently worked as… Read More →

Can ticks and mosquitoes transmit the coronavirus?

Graphic of a mosquito

No, but use good judgment in avoiding bites from mosquitoes and ticks by Laura Muntean, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications At this time, there is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, explained Texas A&M AgriLife experts. “Ticks, like mosquitoes, are blood-feeding external parasites,” said Pete Teel, Ph.D., Texas A&M University interim head for the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.  “The viruses they are known to transmit to humans must survive and grow, or replicate, inside the tick as… Read More →

A Prickly Situation

Initial point of entry by Cactoblastis, and hollowed-out pad, is evident in this backlighted photo of an Opuntia cactus. Photo courtesy Larry Gilbert.

Cactus moth now in Texas, eating prickly pear cactus, a vital weed needed by livestock during drought   by Dr. Mike Merchant, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Prickly pear cactus has its detractors.  Long hated for its clusters of barbed spines, or glochids, that are difficult to remove, it has been cursed, hacked, burned and sprayed. But prickly pear is also used by a variety of wildlife and cattle and is prized as a part of the Mexican-American diet. There is even a small industry devoted to… Read More →

Kaufman named head of Department of Entomology, effective July 1

Phillip Kaufman joins Texas A&M as the head of the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Phillip Kaufman, Ph.D., will begin his appointment as head of the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University, starting July 1. Kaufman joins Texas A&M from the University of Florida where he served as a professor in the Entomology and Nematology Department in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. During his 15 years at the university, he helped develop and implement research programs to support Florida livestock producers, taught courses on medical and veterinary entomology and forensic entomology, as well as provided support to Florida Extension faculty… Read More →

Former Student Featured in Website Article during International Day of Women

Dr. Shavonn Whiten, former student from the Department of Entomology, has been featured in a web article about her experiences in STEM during her college career and her job.  Dr. Whiten is a Science and Technology Policy Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), placed with the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau of Food Security (USAID). A native of Baton Rouge, La., Dr. Whiten came to Texas A&M University to work toward the Ph.D. degree in Dr. Zachary Adelman’s laboratory, where her… Read More →

Research looks to beneficial insects for pest control

by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Predator insects could reduce pesticide use in commercial production A Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist is studying how a combination of beneficial insects can help control the pests in greenhouses. Erfan Vafaie, AgriLife Extension program specialist in Integrated Pest Management, Overton, just wrapped up the second year of a three-year study looking at the use of predatory beneficial insects – mites and wasps – to control sweet potato whiteflies in commercial settings. Vafaie’s study is for his doctorate dissertation under… Read More →

Undergraduate Mentorship Symposium Showcases Quality Research

The Aggie Women in Entomology recently hosted its graduate student mentorship symposium during the 2020 Mentorship Symposium in Heep 413 on Friday, February 7. The event featured talks by undergraduate students in entomology that were mentored by a graduate mentor. Each student was given 10 minutes to talk on their research projects. This year, four undergraduates presented research ranging from striped cucumber beetle’s preferences for host-plant olfactory cues to determining the effects of nutrition on honey bee pathogen defense against the Deformed wing virus. Several awards were also… Read More →

Ph.D. Candidate Named Outstanding Graduate Student

The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University would like to honor Ph.D. candidate Ashley Tessnow with the 2020 Outstanding Grad Student Award in the Ph.D. category. Tessnow was honored during the annual Graduate Student Recognition seminar during the annual Ph.D. recruitment week on January 30. Tessnow first came to the Department as a student participating in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience in Undergraduate program in 2013. During her time in the program, she worked in Dr. Greg Sword’s lab which resulted in her co-authoring a publication…. Read More →

Urban Pest Management Conference Featured Talks on Termites, Pests, Business Safety

Dr. Dini Miller speaking to audience

Four hundred pest management professionals convened at the Brazos Center on January 8-10 to learn something new during the 74th annual Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop at the Brazos Center. The three-day-long conference featured various speakers on topics on insect and other pest management, the latest entomological research, and updates in techniques for business owners and pest managers. Professor and Endowed Chair of the Urban and Structural Entomology Program Dr. Ed Vargo updated the group on the latest research activities members of the Urban and Structural Entomology… Read More →

Dagan Teague joins AgriLife Extension as integrated pest management agent

Excerpted from an AgriLife Today story by Susan Himes The Department of Entomology and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service would like to welcome Dagan Teague as the newest integrated pest management in Floydada. Teague started on January 2 and will serve Crosby and Floyd counties in District 2. Michael Clawson, AgriLife Extension district administrator, Lubbock, will be her supervisor. “As the new IPM agent for Crosby and Floyd counties, Dagan will be a welcome addition to District 2,” Clawson said. “As an undergraduate at Texas A&M, Dagan worked… Read More →

Rangel Receives COALS Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Diversity

Congratulations to Dr. Juliana Rangel as she received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Diversity on Friday, January 10. The award was given at a special awards breakfast before the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ session at the AgriLife Conference held at the Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center. Rangel is an assistant professor in the Department where she conducts honey bee biology research. Since joining the department in 2013, she has mentored a total of 19 undergraduate students in which… Read More →

Wharton Receives Lifetime Achievement Recognition

Congratulations to professor emeritus Dr. Bob Wharton as he received the Department of Entomology’s Lifetime Achievement Recognition. Since joining the Department in the early 1980s, Wharton was well-liked for his teaching and mentoring of graduate students and his success in teaching has resulted in a number of superbly-trained, equally passionate, and independent-thinking graduate students graduating from the Department. He has served on 4 thesis and dissertation committees for 8 consecutive years and created an atmosphere of candid discussion and self-discovery for students and promoted inquiry-driven and hypothesis- based… Read More →

4Ry, USDA, Texas A&M AgriLife to develop innovative spraying technology for cattle fever ticks

by Laura Muntean, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications 4Ry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research have signed a collaborative research agreement to develop a means to more efficiently and effectively spray cattle and kill cattle fever ticks, according to a 4Ry Inc. announcement. Cattle fever ticks are vectors of pathogens causing bovine babesiosis, also known as cattle tick fever, and are the focus of the U.S. Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. Pete Teel, Ph.D., AgriLife Research entomologist, regents professor and interim department… Read More →

Kerns Receives TPPA Academic Agency Award

Congratulations to Professor and Extension Specialist Dr. David Kerns as he received the Texas Plant Protection Association’s Academic Agency Award during the 2019 Texas Plant Protection Conference. Kerns is also the Assistant Department Head for Extension Programs and Statewide IPM Coordinator. He received the award for his outstanding dedication and service to Texas agriculture and to the Texas Plant Protection Association. “I am very honored to receive the award and credit the people I work with for the recognition,” Kerns said.      

Professor Participates in Post-Graduate Program Planning Workshop in Brazil

Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy speaking

Texas A&M Entomology professor Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy spent the second week in December helping members of the State University of Maringá plan the future for its post-graduate Agronomy program during a special workshop meeting at the university from December 9-12. During her visit, Tamborindeguy gave a two-day course on Tools to Study Vector-Borne Plant Diseases in Maringá, she also gave a seminar on the study of plant-psyllids-Liberibacter interactions in the Umuarama Campus. Finally, Tamborindeguy spoke about her research and what she does at the Department of Entomology at… Read More →

Congratulations Fall 2019 Graduates!

Zanthe Kotze, right, with Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin

The Department of Entomology experienced two milestones this fall as a Ph.D. student was a speaker at the Ph.D. graduation ceremony and our students joined a record number of students that are expected to graduate at Reed Arena on Friday afternoon. Recent Ph.D. graduate Zanthé Kotzé got the chance to speak at the inaugural doctoral hooding and commencement ceremony held at Rudder Theater on December 7. Kotzé was selected from thousands of applicants and wanted a way to help give back to her university. “I am honored that… Read More →

Students Create Podcast for Veterinary Entomology Class

Screenshot of the podcasts students in the Veterinary Entomology (ENTO 208) class produced this fall.

Students in Dr. Adrienne Brundage’s Veterinary Entomology class are now on the air as the first set of podcasts from the ENTO 208 class recently became live. This fall, the students created a site with various podcasts talking about insects and veterinary entomology and other things entomological. Brundage got the idea for this podcast series after seeing a disconnect between science students learned in class and trying to translate it into something that non-scientists could understand. She wanted to come up with something that would help them to… Read More →

Texas A&M Entomology Sweeps Awards at ESA National Meeting

Ruth Henderson with her poster. Photo by Pierre Lau.

Fifteen students, the Sugarcane Aphid Team, and two retired faculty members in the Department were recognized at the 2019 annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America meeting in St. Louis. The four-day-long event featured speakers from universities across the nation, symposia, and student poster and paper contests, as well as mixers and networking events held at the America’s Center and the Marriott Grand St. Louis Hotel. Professor Emeritus Dr. Jim Woolley received recognition for being editor in chief of the Thomas Say Publications from 2003-2019 during the… Read More →

Grad Student Wins Jeffery La Fage Award

Pierre Lau, right, receives the La Fage Award from Li-Byerly Hongmei. Photo by Photo by Dr. James Nieh.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Pierre Lau as he received the 2019 Jeffery P. LaFage Student Award for Applied Research on Social Insects during the Entomological Society of America annual meeting in St. Louis. Lau is completing his Ph.D. research at Texas A&M under the direction of Dr. Juliana Rangel where his doctoral work is focused on how to improve honey bee nutrition, with a focus on bees’ preferences for specific ratios of protein-to-lipid within pollen resources. Lau’s findings so far suggest that bee pollen-to-lipid ratio preferences are substantially… Read More →

Tawny crazy ants’ weird genetics may help them thrive in new environments

by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Tawny crazy ants’ pattern of genetic inheritance may have helped the South American species spread in the U.S., Texas A&M AgriLife researchers have discovered. The results could lead to a new way to control this invasive species. “We might be able to use the mechanism to drive a lethal gene into the population,” said Dr. Ed Vargo, senior investigator of the study and professor of urban and structural entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University…. Read More →

Department Names 2019 Perry Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker Award

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Suarez from the University of Illinois on receiving the annual Dr. Perry Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker Award. Dr. Suarez received the award during a special seminar on November 7 in Room 103 of the Heep Center. Dr. Suarez is professor and head of the Department of Animal Biology and Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One of the world’s leading ant ecologists, Dr. Suarez uses ants as a model system to answer broad ecological questions that span… Read More →

Tomberlin Receives Presidential Impact Fellow

Congratulations to Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow Dr. Jeff Tomberlin as he received the Presidential Impact Fellow award on November 5. Tomberlin was among 20 faculty members from the University who were honored at the ceremony for the recognition. Tomberlin has become a national and international leader in the science and applications of decomposition ecology where his work has made highly significant impacts in animal and food waste systems and forensic science. One of Tomberlin’s latest discoveries is utilizing the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) to… Read More →

Millions of monarch butterflies killed on Texas highways

Texas A&M works to protect monarchs on Texas roads, and they need your help by Laura Muntean, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Monarch butterflies are moving south through Texas on their annual autumn migration to overwintering sites in Central Mexico, but millions die in collisions with vehicles while flying low across Texas highways. Monarch numbers have declined about 82% over the last 23 years, and road mortality can significantly contribute to their dwindling numbers. The monarch butterfly, Texas’ state insect, was petitioned for protection under the federal Endangered Species… Read More →

What is Forensic Entomology? Professor shares insight on how insects assist in legal investigations

by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Insects can help fight crime by providing important scientific insights that can be applied to legal investigations – plus provide interested individuals with a truly unique profession in forensic entomology. While most may view forensic entomology as the “creepy-crawly” part of CSI-type television shows, that perspective only scratches the surface of this field. Forensic entomology is the understanding of how the biology of insects and arthropods that inhabit decomposing remains can be used for the purpose of assisting in a variety… Read More →

Some ‘spooky’ arthropods call Texas home

Tarantula on hand

Excerpted from an AgriLife Today story by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications The state of Texas is host to some interesting arthropods that are some of the most iconic symbols of Halloween. Our entomologists give some interesting facts about a few of these residents that make the Lone Star State their home. Tarantulas — More hairy than scary Extension entomologist and long-time tarantula enthusiast Molly Keck said while tarantulas are large and eerie looking, they are actually very docile and rarely bite. “The exceptions are when they… Read More →

A Kaleidoscope of Monarchs Return Through Texas – FALL 2019

    All the photos/videos on this page are taken by Shirley Woods in Midland, TX

Study abroad trip to Costa Rica leads to new king cricket species discovery

A group of four Texas A&M Department of Entomology undergraduate students took their knowledge from the classroom and put it to use in discovering a new species of king cricket during a recent study abroad trip to Costa Rica. Under the guidance of Hojun Song, Ph.D., associate professor for entomology, students Steven Richardson, Travis Trimm, Randell Paredes and Jonathan Koehl described a new species of king cricket, Glaphyrosoma stephanosoltis, (Orthoptera: Anostostomatidae), from the tropical rainforests near the Soltis Center for Research and Education in San Isidro. A new… Read More →

Grad Student Wins Graduate and Professional Student Government Fall Travel Award

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Phillip Shults on receiving the Graduate and Professional Student Government’s Fall Travel Award. The award will allow Shults to travel to Puerto Rico to attend the Society for Vector Ecology’s annual meeting. Shults will be giving a presentation titled “Taxonomic uncertainty in the C. variipennis complex part II: population genomic structure of C. sonorensis throughout North America” during the meeting. Shults will also be coordinating a symposium titled Unveiling the Ecology of North American Culicoides Vectors where he will have experts speaking on different… Read More →

Texas A&M entomology student chosen as fellow for National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Scientist Training Program

Pohlenz cultures cells in the lab for titering virus. (Photo by graduate student Sarah O’Leary.)

COLLEGE STATION — Tyler Pohlenz, a Texas A&M University doctoral student, has been selected as a fellow for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Scientist Training Program, or APHIS-NSTP, starting the 2019 fall semester. Pohlenz’s doctorate concentrates on arboviruses, such as Zika, and other important pathogens. “With the move of the USDA’s Animal Disease Center from Plum Island, New York, to Kansas, USDA needs to staff the new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, NBAF,” said Kevin Myles, Ph.D.,… Read More →

Texas A&M Entomology Faculty Visit with South Korean Officials on Future Fire Ant Control

Two faculty members from the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M recently traveled to South Korea to help South Korean officials with a recent invasion of fire ants. The group consisted of Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio, Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow, and Dr. Ed Vargo, Professor and Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology, who met with officials from South Korea. The follow-up meeting this year stemmed from a request made in 2018 when researchers from the Korean Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) requested help in… Read More →

Dr. Frank Gilstrap Named Honorary Member of Entomological Society of America

Congratulations to Professor Emeritus Dr. Frank Gilstrap upon being named a 2019 Honorary Member of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). Dr. Gilstrap is recognized for extraordinary contributions to the ESA through his career while he was with the Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research. His research included biological control of insects and mites damaging small grains, field crops, and fruit.  Dr. Gilstrap earned the B.A. Degree (1968) in biology from Fresno State College and the Master of Science Degree  and Doctor of Philosophy Degree  in Entomology… Read More →

West Nile case numbers lowest since 2012

edes mosquitoes, a known vector of West Nile virus, and other diseases, are small dark mosquitoes with distinct white bands on the legs. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo). Click to read more about this story.

by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications DALLAS COUNTY – Cases of West Nile virus in Texas have been the lowest in years, and researchers may know why, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.  Dr. Mike Merchant,  AgriLife Extension entomologist, Dallas, said a publication by health officials in Dallas County may shed light on factors that contribute to outbreaks and help forecast outbreaks in the future. There has been one case of West Nile in humans this year in Fort Worth, but Merchant said vector indexes… Read More →

Ree Set to Retire After 30 Years with Extension

The Department of Entomology recently celebrated Extension specialist Bill Ree as he announced his retirement on August 31 with a special reception on August 13. Ree began his career in Extension in 1988 as an Extension Agent-IPM with a specialization in pecans. As an Extension Agent-IPM, Ree worked with pecan growers on protecting pecans from pests such as the pecan weevil.  In 2007, he was promoted to Extension Specialist III – IPM where he was also responsible for working with pecan growers on pest issues. Ree has been… Read More →

Grad Student Receives MUVE Travel Award

Caixing Xiong. Photo by Rob Williams.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Caixing Xiong as she was named the newest recipient of the Entomological Society of America’s MUVE (Medical, Urban, Veterinary Entomology) Travel Award. The award allows Xiong to attend the ESA Annual Meeting that will be held in St. Louis, Mo. from November 17-20. Xiong is mentored by Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio and will be presenting in the President’s Prize graduate student 10-minute paper competition in the MUVE category. Xiong’s research interests include validating arthropod-specific G protein coupled receptors, or GPCRs, as targets, and discovering of… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Top Awards at Graduate Student Forum

Winners of the Graduate Student Forum for 2019

Congratulations to three of our graduate students as they received awards during the 22nd annual Graduate Student Forum that was held on August 22 in Room 103. Ph.D. candidate Zanthé Kotzé received first place for her presentation titled “Mechanisms regulating behavior of arthropods that consume vertebrate carrion: Deciphering succession as related to forensic entomology.” Ph.D. student Pierre Lau received second place for his talk “Understanding honey bee foraging preferences and nutrient regulation to improve beekeeping pollen substitutes” while Ph.D. student Xiaotian Tang received third place for his presentation… Read More →

Symposium Showcases Top Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics Research in SE Texas Area

Dr. Aaron Tarone opening the symposium. Photo by Rob Williams

Scientists from across the Southeastern Texas area gathered inside the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building for the fourth meeting of the Southeast Texas Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics Symposium on July 18. The day-long symposium featured various presentations by researchers from the Southeastern Texas area, including Texas A&M, Texas A&M Galveston, the University of Houston, the University of Texas Health Science Center, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The event was hosted by the Department of Entomology and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program faculty. The purpose of… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Top Awards at National Conference

Zanthe Kotze, left, with Lauren Beebe, right, standing with their certificates. Photo by

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate grad students Zanthé Kotzé and Lauren Beebe on receiving top marks for their presentations at the North American Forensic Entomology Association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis on August 5- 7. Kotzé is a Ph.D. candidate mentored by Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin. She received the first place platform presentation award in the Ph.D. category for her presentation titled “Mechanisms regulating behavior of invertebrate decomposers: Deciphering arthropod succession as related to forensic entomology.” “I am humbled and honored to have been awarded the PhD… Read More →

Coates appointed associate dean for inclusive excellence

Congratulations to Dr. Craig Coates as he was selected to be the new associate dean for inclusive excellence starting September 1. Coates, an instructional associate professor in the Department of Entomology, will equally apportion his time in this new role with his duties as associate department head for academic programs. Coates will provide strategic leadership for efforts to diversify the college’s student and faculty populations. His responsibilities will include developing programming that encourages outstanding candidates from underrepresented groups to enroll in undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral programs in the… Read More →

Zero waste: Maggots as recyclers and protein sources

Adult black soldier flies look similar to wasps, but without the stinger. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Tomberlin.)

Texas A&M professor invents technology to harness black soldier flies for waste removal, protein for animals by Laura Muntean, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION — Black soldier fly maggots provide a zero waste option for organic recycling, according to Jeff Tomberlin, Ph.D., professor in the department of entomology at Texas A&M University and director of EVO Conversion Systems, LLC. Despite the “ick-factor,” maggots can be helpful for the environment by reducing waste and serving as an animal feed source, he said. The larval form of the black… Read More →

Department Celebrates August Graduation

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate the students that are expected to graduate during summer commencement at Reed Arena The 10 students included 2 Entomology majors, 2 double majors, and 3 Ph.D. candidates. Three students also received their certificates in Public Health Entomology. Congratulations to all that are expected to graduate this summer and good luck with your futures! Undergraduates Lauren Bersano Bachelor of Science – Biomedical Sciences and Entomology Stephanie Rodriguez Bachelor of Science – Entomology Kejaun Jalil Tate Bachelor of Science – Forensic and… Read More →

New research helps hay producers manage Bermuda grass stem maggot

by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications OVERTON – A relatively new pest – the Bermuda grass stem maggot – is plaguing Texas hay producers this season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. However, new research from Texas A&M AgriLife is helping growers better manage this pest. “Previously, there was no information on how damaging this insect was to hay production and thus no guidelines on when an insecticide was needed to protect yields,” said Dr. Allen Knutson, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Dallas. “Our field research documented… Read More →

Holly Davis Named Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Weslaco

Holly Davis

The Department of Entomology and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service want to welcome Holly Davis as the new Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist for the Weslaco area. Davis will begin her position in Weslaco on September 1. Before being hired by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Davis was a Research/Extension Associate at Kansas State University from 2015 to 2019. At Manhattan, she worked closely with Extension agents and specialists on providing viable recommendations to growers on pest control measures to lessen the impact of pests. Davis also was co-owner… Read More →

Bynum leaves agriculture pest management behind; retires after more than 40 years

Dr. Ed Bynum, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist, speaks at a forage sorghum field day. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications AMARILLO — With more than 40 years of service to Texas A&M AgriLife under his hat, Dr. Edsel “Ed” Bynum Jr. will no longer be traipsing out to fields across the High Plains and South Plains looking for the latest insects pestering agricultural crops. Bynum, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomology specialist in Amarillo, is retiring June 30. A retirement party will be hosted from 5-7 p.m. on June 20 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 Amarillo… Read More →

Former Student Selected as ANRP Intern in Washington DC

Portrait of Bailee Higgins. Photo by TAMU ANRP Program.

Congratulations to former student Bailee Higgins as she was selected to work as an intern in Washington, DC for the Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Internship Program this summer. Higgins is currently interning in Congressman John Carter’s office. Carter represents District 31 in Texas, which includes Williamson and Bell Counties. A native of Austin, Higgins graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology in May 2019. Her career goals are to receive a master’s degree in vector biology from Cornell University and work for the Centers for… Read More →

AgriLife Research looks at gene expressions in sugarcane aphid-resistant sorghum

by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications AMARILLO – Gene expression in sugarcane aphid-resistant sorghum varieties at times when they are most prevalent in the Texas Panhandle were the focus of a recent Texas A&M AgriLife Research study. Sugarcane aphids remain the most significant threat to sorghum production, and their outbreaks can arise quickly and unexpectedly, especially in the Southern High Plains where infestations commonly coincide with sorghum bloom, said Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, AgriLife Research entomologist in Amarillo. Sugarcane aphid outbreaks in sorghum were first reported in 2013…. Read More →

Jocelyn Holt Receives 2019 Comstock Award

Jocelyn Holt in front of the Biocontrol Building

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Jocelyn R. Holt as she was named the Southwestern Branch recipient of the John Henry Comstock Award during the 2019 Branch meeting in April. Advised by Dr. Raul F. Medina, Holt is examining the interplay between population genetics and insect mutualisms in invasive species. In her research, she is also assessing the role that insect microbiota plays in mediating mutualisms among insects. Holt’s research has revealed microbial differences between sugarcane aphids (SCAs) that seem to correspond to genetic differences between sorghum and sugarcane SCA… Read More →

Ann Pool Receives President’s Award for Academic Advising

Ann Pool, right, with Bonnie Bustos-Rios. Photo by Ann Pool.

Congratulations to Senior Academic Advisor Ann Pool as she received the President’s Award for Academic Advising during the University Advisors and Counselors awards breakfast meeting on May 2 at the MSC. The award is given to the advisor that goes above and beyond their usual duties to help with the mission of academic advising at the university. Since joining the Department in 2013, Pool has been advising undergrads in the Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences programs and those pursuing double majors and minors in the Department. Pool… Read More →

Department of Entomology Students Join More than 10,000 Aggies Graduating in Spring 2019

Spring 2019 Graduating Students. Photo by Rebecca Hapes.

Congratulations to our students that were part of the more than 10,000 that are expected to walk the stage this spring during commencement at Reed Arena on Friday, May 10. Approximately 43 students in the Department joined a larger number of students graduating from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during the 9am ceremony. These students included 15 undergraduate Entomology majors, 23 Forensic and Investigative Sciences majors, 3 Master of Science students, and 2 Doctors of Philosophy in Entomology. Congratulations to all that are expected to walk… Read More →

TAMU Entomology Wins Several Awards at Southwestern Branch Meeting

The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M had a good year at this year’s Southwestern Branch meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Tulsa as several students and faculty members received awards during its annual meeting in late April. Ph.D. student Jocelyn Holt received the John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award. Holt’s research is looking into increasing our understanding of the interplay between genetics and insect mutualisms in invasive species. Holt is looking at the role insect microbiomes play in mediating mutualisms among insects. Her research has… Read More →

Undergraduate Students Recognized at 23rd Annual Banquet

Congratulations to everyone that was recognized during the 23rd Annual Undergraduate Recognition Banquet that was held at the 7F Lodge on April 11. The evening started with Fatimah Bouderdaben and Katie Rowe introducing everyone and recognizing special guests and banquet organizers. Bouderdaben and Rowe gave accounts of the activities the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences and Undergraduate Entomology Student organizations have done throughout the year. Former Forensics student Michelle Jonika and current Ph.D. student Joanie King served as the keynote speakers. Jonika and King spoke about their experiences… Read More →

Conner Receives Buck Weirus Spirit and Phi Kappa Phi Gathright Outstanding Junior Award

Marina Conner with her two awards. Photo by Marina Conner.

Congratulations to junor Entomology major Marina Conner as she received the Association of Former Students’ Buck Weirus Spirit Award and the Gathright Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Junior Award. A native of Rowlett, Texas, Conner has been an active member of the COALS Council, where she served as the Entomological Department representative and is member of the Service Committee. She also plays mellophone for the Fighting Texas Aggie Band where she has participated in the Christmas Band at Holiday on the Quad and at a Salvation Army event, as… Read More →

Students Receive COALS Senior Merit Awards

Congratulations to seniors Kylee Morrison and Nicholas Richter as they received Senior Merit Awards during the College’s annual Spring Convocation at the Hildebrand Equine Complex on Saturday, April 11. Morrison, a Forensic and Investigative Sciences major and Chemistry minor, is a member of the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences Organization, where she has been a member of the Banquet Planning Committee, a mentor to underclassmen forensics majors and volunteered at the Chemistry Open House. She also has been involved in other organizations, such as the ARTISTS Organization, and… Read More →

Grad Student Receives Top Prize for Presentation at Ecological Integration Symposium

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Crys Wright on receiving first place for her talk at the Ecological Integration Symposium that was held at Rudder Tower on April 5-6. Advised by Dr. Raul Medina, Wright tied with Raven Blakeway for first place in the Graduate Student Oral Presentation section. Wright’s presentation was titled “Fecundity Compensation: Possible in the Sugarcane Aphid?” Medina was very proud of Wright and her award. “I was thrilled, yet not surprised to learn Crys got first place for her EIS talk,” Medina said. “Crys is really… Read More →

Annual Insect Identification Clinic Helps Prepare FFA, 4H Members for Contests

Students in the Department of Entomology were on hand to help the youth that are involved in statewide FFA and 4-H clubs to better identify insects and teach entomology during the annual Insect Judging Clinic held in the Heep Center on Saturday, March 30. The clinic helps to prepare youth participating in the upcoming FFA and 4-H contests. The half-day-long clinic helps them with identifying, collecting, and preparing insects, and learning insect biology and ecology. After the opening session led by Dr. Pete Teel, participants were directed to… Read More →

Forensics Program Receives #1 Best Bachelors Program in US

The Department of Entomology’s Forensic and Investigative Program has a reason to celebrate this year as it was ranked in the top 25 Best Bachelors in Forensic Science Degree Programs in the country. The Bachelor’s Degree Center, an independent resource website, ranked the program #1 out of 25 Best Bachelors in Forensic Science Programs during its latest release in late March. The rankings were based on several factors including cost, reputation, salaries of former students’ jobs, graduation and job placement rates. The program started in 2007 after seeing… Read More →

Grad Student Places Second for Talk at Student Research Week

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Joanie King as she received a top award during the 2019 Student Research Week held from March 18-22 at the Memorial Student Center. King received second place in the graduate oral competition in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences category for her talk titled “Science Communication in Entomology: Knowing What’s Bugging Them Can Help Us Connect With Communities” “It was really nice winning an award for Student Research Week,” King said. “I am glad that I stayed positive because this opportunity was a… Read More →

Students Receive Certification during Vector Biology Workshop

Congratulations to six students in the Department of Entomology as they completed the Master of Vector-Borne Disease Management Certification course in Houston. Graduate students Samantha Hays, Casey Flint, Jennie Rhinesmith-Carranza, Dongmin Kim, and Brittny Jones, and undergraduate student Cierra Briggs, a researcher for Dr. Gabe Hamer Lab, were the recipients of the certification course during the three-day-long course was held in Houston in December of 2018. The course’s focus was to help educate people on what vector-borne diseases are and how to control the insects that carry them…. Read More →

Students swarm to Insect Expo at McKenna Children’s Museum

Students wear beekeeper suits as they learn about bees and pollination at the Insect Expo. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo )

Video by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Story by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications NEW BRAUNFELS — Nearly 1,000 fourth-grade students from New Braunfels and Comal independent school districts recently attended the second annual two-day Insect Expo at the McKenna Children’s Museum in New Braunfels. “This event was presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in collaboration with these school districts and volunteer organizations,” said Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Travis County. “We had more than 20 stations with fun and educational activities for the kids to… Read More →

New research gives insight into warding off insect pests by way of nematode odors

by Laura Muntean, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION — A recent study revealed insect-killing nematodes also produce distinctive chemical cues that enhance plant defenses and deter Colorado potato beetles. Entomologists from Texas A&M University, including Dr. Anjel Helms, who led the study, and Penn State University took a look at whether Colorado potato beetles and potato plants responded to the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes, EPNs, or insect-killing nematodes. The study, “Chemical cues linked to risk: cues from below-ground natural enemies enhance plant defenses and influence herbivore behavior… Read More →

Liz Walsh Receives Outstanding Grad Student Award

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Ph.D. candidate Liz Walsh as she received the 2019 Outstanding Grad Student Award in the Ph.D. category. The award was given during a special presentation during the pre-seminar social held in the Heep Center fourth floor atrium on Thursday, February 14. Walsh is no stranger to the Department, as she joined Dr. Juliana Rangel’s laboratory in June 2013 as a student in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduate – EXCITE program. Walsh graduated from her undergraduate institution, Ripon… Read More →

Frank Gilstrap Honored with Lifetime Achievement Recognition

Congratulations to Dr. Frank Gilstrap as he received recognition for his oustanding work during his career with the Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension during a special departmental seminar on Thursday, February 14. Gilstrap joined the Department in 1974 as a teaching and biological control research faculty member. From 1996 until 2003, he worked as the director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research and then served as the director of the Urban Solutions Center in Dallas from 2005-2011. As a faculty member, Gilstrap provided leadership to the… Read More →

Brundage Receives Honoring Excellence Award

Dr. Adrienne Brundage’s engaging teaching style and her caring for students has yet garnered another award as she was recognized by Residence Life on Friday, February 1 at the Memorial Student Center. Brundage was recognized with the organization’s Honoring Excellence Award during its ceremony in the Gates Ballroom. The awards are given annually to eight outstanding and faculty staff who go above and beyond inside and outside of their daily jobs to impact student learning and academic success. As an Associate Instructional Professor, Brundage teaches the Veterinary Entomology… Read More →

Grad Student Receives Top Award at American Bee Research Conference

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Alex Payne for receiving the Student Paper Award for her presentation at the 2019 American Bee Research Conference in Tempe, Arizona. Payne received the award  presentation titled “Spillover in eusocial insects: Detection of honey bee (Apis meliifera) associated viruses in ants.” The award was given by the American Association of Professional Apiculturists to the best student papers at the conference at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Paper and presentation topics must include the genus Apis and are judged on the quality of the… Read More →

Conference Offers Training Opportunities for Pest Management Professionals

Bob Davis showing participants of the commercial kitchens mini-session. Photo by Janet Hurley

Hundreds of pest control professionals convened at the Brazos Center to learn the latest in pest control and pest management strategies during the 73rd meeting of the Texas A&M Pest Management Conference and Workshop on Wednesday, January 16-Friday, January 18. The 73rd annual workshop allows pest management professionals and to learn the latest innovations and rule changes affecting their businesses. The workshop featured experts in controlling pests in urban and other settings. The conference opened on Wednesday with a welcome by Dr. Ed Vargo and keynote speaker Dr…. Read More →

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Team, Charles Allen Win Superior Service Awards

Dr. Charles Allen, center with his award. Standing next to Allen is Dr. Bob Whitson, interim associate director for state operations (left) and Dr. Parr Rosson, Interim Director - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Members of the Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Team and Dr. Charles Allen started the New Year off on a good note as they both received Superior Service Awards from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service during the AgriLife Conference on January 8. The Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Team consists of Dr. Mengmeng Gu (Horticulture Sciences), Dr. Mike Merchant (Entomology), Erfan Vafaie (Entomology), Laura Miller (County Extension Agent- Commercial Horticulture), Janet Laminack (County Extension Agent-Horticulture), and Dr. Yu Zhang (Ag Economics). The team was established in 2013 to help educate… Read More →

Allen to Retire After 38 Years with AgriLife Extension Entomology

The Department of Entomology will be saying goodbye to a longtime leader in boll weevil eradication as Dr. Charles Allen will retire on January 31 after 38 years with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Allen’s career started with working in 1981 as an Area Extension Specialist in Weslaco for two years. He then moved to Fort Stockton in 1983 where he worked as an Extension Specialist for 13 years. In 1996, he was an Extension Entomologist at the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in Monticello, Ark. Allen then… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Honors at Texas Plant Protection Association Conference

Luke Pruter standing with Dr. Mike Brewer. Submitted photo

Four grad students received awards for their outstanding research at the 30th annual Texas Plant Protection Conference on December 4-5 during a special luncheon at the Brazos Center on December 5. Ph.D. student Luke Pruter was presented the 2018 Ph.D. Student Award in Excellence in recognition of his research and outreach efforts with his dissertation on the best use of advanced pest management technologies (Bt-hybrid corn and atoxigenic strains of A. flavus) for reducing corn yield and quality losses associated with insect ear-feeders (corn earworm and fall armyworm)… Read More →

Research Assistant Receives Staff Meritorious Service Award

Azyucena Mendoza-Herrera receiving the Staff Meritorious Service Award from Dr. David Ragsdale. Photo by Rob Williams

Congratulations to research assistant Dr. Maria Azucena Mendoza-Herrera as she received the Department of Entomology’s Meritorious Service Award during a special awards presentation on Thursday, December 13. Mendoza-Herrera has been working as a research assistant in Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy’s lab since 2014 where she has helped Tamborindeguy achieve her research goals in her lab. During her career, Mendoza-Herrera has authored five papers, including first author recognition on two. This year she published two papers describing the plant symptoms associated with two bacterial haplotypes. Mendoza-Herrera is currently working on… Read More →

Congratulations December 2018 Graduates!

  The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate the following students that joined more than 700 students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as a total of more than 5,237 universitywide that are expected to be awarded degrees during the 2pm commencement ceremonies at Reed Arena on Friday, December 14. Undergraduates Lindsay Akers Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and Entomology John Michael Grunseich Plant and Environmental Soil Science and Entomology Betty Nicole Hernandez Entomology Woojung Kim Biomedical Sciences and Entomology Jonathan Daniel Koehl Entomology… Read More →

Ibanez Recognized with 2018 Comstock Award

Freddy Ibanez

Former Ph.D. student Freddy Ibanez’s research and hard work were recently recognized as he received the Entomological Society’s John Henry Comstock Award for his research conducted in Texas A&M University under the supervision of Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy. Ibanez received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Santiago of Chile in 2006 and began his career studying molecular biology, focusing on developmental genes associated with gastrulation in Drosophila melanogaster, and epigenetic mechanisms. In 2013, Ibanez started his Ph.D. in entomology at Texas A&M University under the direction… Read More →

Students Receive Top Awards at ESA Annual Meeting

Alex Payne standing to receive her award.

The Department of Entomology had a winning year as several students received awards and were recognized at this year’s Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting in Vancouver, B.C Canada. The first of the students was Ph.D. student Alex Payne who won  first place in the Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology Section with her talk titled “Spillover in eusocial insects: Detection of honey bee (Apis Mellifera) associated viruses in ants” “I am very proud of Alex. She’s a great presenter and it doesn’t matter what project it is, she does… Read More →

Grad Student Participates in Pandemic Simulation Exercise

Jennifer Rhinesmith-Carranza at a podium speaking

Ph.D. student Jennifer Rhinesmith-Carranza recently got to see first-hand how government leaders plan and respond during a pandemic during a recent pandemic simulation event that was held at the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in October. The exercise was part of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs’ Fourth Annual Pandemic Policy Summit.  The simulation was designed to help bring graduate students together to respond to a simulated disease outbreak and demonstrated the multidisciplinary efforts necessary to respond to global challenges and gives students a chance to… Read More →

Cattle tick, handling demonstrations featured at 47th South Texas Cow-Calf Clinic

by Blair Fannin, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications BRENHAM – Ranchers working cattle this fall and winter, or surveying pastures and wildlife, need to be mindful of ticks harboring on livestock and forage habitats. Dr. Pete Teel, Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologist in College Station, recently gave a tick update at the 47th South Texas Cow-Calf Clinic in Brenham. Teel discussed a variety of ticks common to Texas, including those that have not entered the Lone Star state and pose potential health consequences not just for cattle, but for… Read More →

Professor Named 2018 TAMU Presidential Impact Fellow

Zach Adelman at a microscope in the lab

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Dr. Zach Adelman for being named a Texas A&M University Presidential Impact Fellow. Adelman was among a total of 21 faculty members from the University’s 16 colleges, two branch campuses, and its libraries, who were honored during a special ceremony in the Bethancourt Ballroom at the Memorial Student Center on October 25. Following earlier work on the generation of mosquitoes resistant to viral pathogens, Adelman’s research has more recently focused on the development of novel gene editing/gene replacement… Read More →

Incredible Edible Insect Event in San Antonio a ‘tasteful’ experience

By Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANTONIO — More than 300 people attended the recent Incredible Edible Insect Event held in the culinary garden area of the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The event, which included a four-course tasting of foods made with insect-based ingredients, was presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County in collaboration with the botanical garden and other nature-oriented organizations. Each tasting was of a chef-demonstrated recipe in which insects or insect-based ingredients were used. Featured chefs included Dave Terrazas,… Read More →

Hapes Recognized for Completing Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program

Congratulations to Senior Academic Advisor Rebecca Hapes as she recently completed the 2016-2018 National Academic Advisors Association’s Emerging Leadership Program Class this October. Hapes was recognized for completing her role as a mentor during the two-year-long program during an awards of the NACADA annual conference in Phoenix in October. Hapes was one of 10 academic advisors that were selected internationally to become a mentor to 10 Emerging Leaders, which are advisors that are interested in advancing in leadership within the NACADA organization, engaging in work on committees and… Read More →

Vargo Quoted in National Newspaper Article on Termite Research

Ed Vargo with termite carton

Professor and Endowed Chair for Urban and Structural Entomology Dr. Edward Vargo was interviewed in a recent New York Times article on the discovery of all-female termite societies in Japan. Such colonies are produced without sexual reproduction. Vargo was quoted in the article saying that determining how and why certain colonies evolved asexuality might yield insights into the purpose of sex and sexual reproduction. Read the article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/science/termites-colonies-males.html

Professor Speaks on Fire Ant Research at International Conference

Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio, professor of Entomology at Texas A&M University, was the State-of-the-Art Speaker at the 29th Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists (CECE), in August in Glasgow, Scotland. Held every two years, the purpose of the CECE meeting is to share new ideas and network with other researchers interested in the field of endocrinology. Pietrantonio’s presentation was during the “Omics and the Physiology of Insect Neuropeptides” section. Pietrantonio was invited by Professor Shireen Davis (University of Glasgow), the coordinator for nEUROSTRESSPEP. This Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme… Read More →

Advisor Receives Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Advising and Student Relations

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Senior Academic Advisor Ann Pool as she received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Dean’s Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Advising and Student Relations during the Fall Awards Ceremony at the AgriLife Center in September. Pool received the award for her outstanding efforts in advising undergraduates in both the Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences programs and conducting various outreach programs within the Department. Since joining the Department in 2013, Pool advises more than 300 undergraduates, and has been… Read More →

Study Abroad Trips to Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica Bring Valuable Field Research Experience to Students

Several students from the Department of Entomology and other departments around the university spent the summer researching in a different location as they ventured to Trinidad and Tobago and at the Soltis Research Center in Costa Rica this summer for research during two study abroad programs. The two groups developed and carried out research projects in the field and learned about the local cultures in both Trinidad and Tobago, and in Costa Rica. At the end of the program, the students turn their research into a paper that… Read More →

Grad Students Research Presentations Receive Awards During Forum

Three graduate students received top awards for their research during the 21st annual Graduate Student Forum held in the Heep Center on August 23. The forum gives graduate students the experience of presenting their research to peers in a format similar to what they would see during a research paper competition at conferences. Students were given a set amount of time to present their research and answer questions from the audience. Erfan Vafaie received first place for his presentation titled “Use of multiple natural enemies for inoculative biological… Read More →

Children learn about insects, science at Summer Bug Camp

by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANTONIO – For the past 10 summers, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist has been sharing her love of insects, nature and science with Bexar County youth. “Each summer we conduct three regular Summer Bug Camps for kids ages 7-12 along with a junior entomology camp for kids 4-6 years old,” said Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management specialist, Bexar County. “The regular camps are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. over a three-day period and the junior… Read More →

Congratulations Summer 2018 Graduates!

The summer ended well for four students in the Department of Entomology as they joined approximately 2,200 Aggies during summer commencement on August 10. The students expected to graduate this summer included 2 undergraduates and 2 Master’s degree candidates. The Department would like to congratulate the following students and wish them good luck on their future endeavors: Undergraduates Gabriel Rick Contreras Bachelor of Science – Entomology Aria Crysta Deluna Bachelor of Science – Entomology Graduate Students – Master of Science Ryan Selking Entomology Jeremy Hewlett Entomology

Mike Merchant Receives Specialist of the Year Award During County Agents Annual Meeting

The awards keep coming for Dr. Mike Merchant as he received the District 4 Texas County Agricultural Agents Association’s Specialist of the Year Award during its annual meeting. Merchant is a professor and Extension entomologist currently working at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas. He began his career as an entomologist in 1989 in District 4, which includes the Dallas area, where he started many outreach projects and programs in urban entomology. Merchant was the original author of “Texas Two-Step” method of controlling fire… Read More →

Rise of the grasshoppers: New analysis redraws evolutionary tree for major insect family

Grasshoppers are one of the most ubiquitous groups of insects in the world, found everywhere from grasslands to tropical rainforests to isolated mountain ranges to sandy deserts. And now, thanks to a decade-long analysis of grasshoppers’ genetic relationships, scientists have the clearest picture yet of the evolutionary pathways grasshoppers have followed to attain such diversity–and the findings put the birthplace of the broadest lineage of grasshoppers in South America, not Africa, as previously thought. These findings were published in the latest issue of Insect Systematics and Diversity. Led… Read More →

Professor Uses Radio Tracking Technology to Locate Elusive Kissing Bugs

A kissing bug with the radio transmitter tracker attached. Photo by Gabe Hamer

Kissing bugs are about to get a lot more visible thanks to a research team at the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, and modern radio telemetry technology. In a new study published in the Journal Medical of Entomology (https://academic.oup.com/jme/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jme/tjy094/5045691), researchers led by Dr. Gabe Hamer, successfully attached miniature radio transmitters to the bugs and tracked their movements. The bugs, also known as triatomine bugs, are sucking insects that are found in Latin America and the Southern United States and are responsible for transmitting the pathogen that causes Chagas… Read More →

Entomologists, Extension Specialists Learn Latest Research at National Conference on Urban Entomology

Several members from the Department of Entomology joined more than 200 entomologists to share their research during the 2018 National Conference of Urban Entomology and Invasive Pest Ant Conference in May at the Embassy Suites in Cary, North Carolina. The four-day-long conference helps to bring urban and medical entomologists, pest control specialists, and members of the pest control industry together in a common setting to share information and search for new and innovative ways to help control pests that threaten people’s homes and health. During the conference, several… Read More →

Texas A&M is ‘go to’ authority on controlling international fire ant invasion

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION – South Korea has asked Texas A&M University for help in stopping an alien pest new to their country, but all too familiar to most Texans, officials said. “The red imported fire ant has invaded Asia over the last few years, but the South Korean invasion is brand new,” said Dr. David Ragsdale, Texas A&M entomology department head at College Station. The red imported fire ant has made its way into South Korea where officials have asked Texas A&M… Read More →

Resistant varieties, beneficial predators can help producers win sugarcane aphid battle

Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologist in Amarillo, scouts two different planting dates of sorghum for sugarcane aphids. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications AMARILLO – While sugarcane aphids have been difficult to suppress in past years due to their natural traits and limited insecticide options, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study shows resistant sorghum varieties and beneficial predators could provide a solution. Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, AgriLife Research entomologist at Amarillo, recently authored  “Interactive effects of crop variety, insecticide seed treatment, and planting date on population dynamics of sugarcane aphid and their predators in late-colonized sorghum” in the Crop Protection journal. The full article can… Read More →

Congratulations Spring 2018 Graduates

The spring 2018 graduating class. Photo by Ann Pool

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate the students that are expected to graduate during commencement exercises at Reed Arena on Friday May 11. Congratulations and good luck on your futures!! Undergraduates: ENTO majors: Aurora Acevedo Entomology, Business minor Dayvion “AJ” Adams Entomology Mark Jeffrey S. Barbosa Entomology Erich Edward Ethridge Entomology Keyuana Andrea Hilliard Entomology Dawson David Kerns Entomology Anahi Miranda Mendoza Entomology   Double Majors: Katherine Rita Freeman Animal Science and Entomology Double Major Katie Grantham Biomedical Science and Entomology Double Major Traci Dee Hale… Read More →

Professor Uses Insects Encased in Resin to Improve Public Education Programs

Isaac Luna pouring the resin into the Petri dish.

Texas A&M Entomology Assistant Professor Gabe Hamer is working to make it easier for training the next generation of medical entomologists by mounting arthropods in resin. In a paper that was recently published in the Journal of Insect Science featured with the journal’s cover image  and on Entomology Today, Hamer’s lab created protocols for encapsulating medically important arthropods in resin for educators to use in educating the public on various arthropods that can vector dangerous diseases, such as Chagas disease, Lyme disease, and Rickettsiosis.  The work was led by graduate student… Read More →

AgriLife Extension program bolsters Texas schools’ pest management approach

by Gabe Saldana, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications DALLAS — More than a decade of work alongside Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts in integrated pest management, or IPM, has culminated in national certification of four Texas school districts as “IPM Stars,” said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension school IPM specialist in Dallas. IPM Star certification from the IPM Institute of North America was awarded in April to Plano, Conroe, East Central and Killeen independent school districts for consistent exemplary marks on the institute’s 37-point evaluation. IPM is the practice… Read More →

Department Celebrates Undergraduates’ Achievements During Banquet

The 2018-2019 Entomology Scholars Society. From left to right are Cory McDougal, Fatimah Bouderdaben, Kejaun Tate, Franchesca Rodriguez, Isaac Esparza, and Tammy Star. Photo by Rob Williams

The Department of Entomology celebrated the achievements of its undergraduate students during the annual Undergraduate Recognition Banquet on Thursday, April 12 at the Thomas G. Hildebrand Equine Complex. Tammy Starr and Isaac Luna began the banquet by welcoming guests while former students Dikla Medina and Elaine Chu shared their experiences when they were students in the Department and also gave graduating seniors advice after they graduate. Members of the Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization and the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences Organization then presented the group with a record… Read More →

Students, Faculty Receive Awards and Nominations During Southwestern Branch Meeting

The Department of Entomology’s faculty and students received very high honors during this year’s Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America’s 66th annual meeting during the week of March 25-29 in Albuquerque. Members of the Texas A&M Graduate Linnaean Team won first place after defeating the undergraduate team during the final round of the Linnaean Games. Graduate members Fabian List, Mackenzie Tietjen, Joanie King, and Mark Janowiecki, won against the undergraduate team, which consisted of Dayvion Adams, Jeffrey Barbosa, Betty Hernandez, and Aria Deluna. The teams faced… Read More →

Hawkings Receives Women’s Progress Student Award

Chloë Hawkings, right, with Rebecca Hapes. Photo by Rob Williams

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Chloë Hawkings as she received the Women’s Progress Student Award during the ACE Awards Ceremony in the MSC on Wednesday, April 11. Hawkings, who is currently advised by Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy, was honored for her hard work and dedication in demonstrating a commitment to improving the environment for women students through volunteer work, an elected position or advocacy programs on or off campus. Since her college career, Hawkings has been instrumental in representing the Department in several ways. She has served as a leader… Read More →

Students, Postdoc Receive Awards During TAMU Research Competitions

The winners from Student Research Week 2018. From left to right: Makaylee Crone, Pierre Lau, and Sydney, Tippelt.

The Department of Entomology has received a lot of recognition this spring as several students and one postdoctoral research associate received honors for their research during Student Research Week and the Ecological Integration Symposium in March and April. The first set of awards were awards were given during Student Research Week in March. Ph.D. student Pierre Lau and undergraduate students Sydney Tippelt and Makaylee Crone as they received awards during the university’s Student Research Week. Lau received Second Place Oral in Graduate Sciences Category for his presentation titled… Read More →

Department Names Dr. Doug Landis 2018 Adkisson Seminar Speaker

The Department of Entomology recently invited Dr. Doug Landis this year’s  Dr. Perry Adkisson Distinguished Lecturer for 2018.  The lecture was held at 4 pm in the Minnie Belle Heep Center during our regular departmental seminar  on Thursday April 5. Landis is a Professor of Insect Ecology and Biological Control in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University where his research focuses on understanding the factors that influence biodiversity in arthropods and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. He is the author of more than 140 peer-reviewed journal… Read More →

Former PhD Student Receives Top Award for Research in Malaysia

Congratulations to former Ph.D. student Chong Chin Heo as he received the research medal for his research at the 54th annual meeting of the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine. Heo was honored with the Nadchatram Silver Medal during the opening ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur. The award was given every year to scientists under 45 years old that have done outstanding research in both parasitology and tropical medicine fields. Heo received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences in 2006 and Master of Science in 2009… Read More →

Texas A&M scientist is among team to prove royalty among termites

Pictured, are the royals: a queen and king of Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite. (photo by Dr. Benoit Guenard, assistant biology professor, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION – Termites! Just the insects’ common name can strike fear in the hearts of most any homeowner, but a recently published work could go a long way in quelling some of those fears, said one of the authors. Dr. Ed Vargo, Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology at Texas A&M University, College Station, is among a team of scientists who recently published “Identification of a Queen and King Recognition Pheromone in the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes flavipes,” in the… Read More →

Honors Medical Entomology Students Create Online Journal Highlighting Medical Entomology Topics

Students in Dr. Adrienne Brundage’s honors medical entomology class (ENTO 423) have been working to make medical entomology research and concepts easier for the public to read as the class recently released its inaugural online journal. The journal, called “Bugs Decoded at Texas A&M,” was published as way for her students to provide an informational tool for the general public to learn about medical entomology topics and to help them learn more about the journal writing process. Brundage started the project as a way to help her students… Read More →

Teel Receives TAMUS Regents Professor Award

Teel with Chancellor Sharp and Board of Regents

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Dr. Pete Teel as he received Regents Professor Award from the Texas A&M System during a special recognition ceremony in February. Teel was one of 12 faculty members that were recognized during ceremonies held in the Bethancourt Ballroom by the TAMUS Board of Regents. The award is given to recognize those professors that have made exemplary contributions to the university and the people of Texas. Teel is currently Professor and Associate Department Head for Academic Programs in the Department and… Read More →

Raszick and Hawkings Receive Department’s Outstanding Graduate Student Awards

Congratulations to Ph.D. students  Tyler Raszick and Chloë Hawkings as they received this year’s Department of Outstanding Graduate Student Award during the Graduate Student Recognition Seminar on Thursday, February 15. Raszick is advised by Dr. Gregory Sword. His dissertation research utilizes high-throughput DNA sequencing technology and cutting edge bioinformatics to address critical issues in cotton entomology including boll weevil eradication efforts and risk assessment for the evolution of resistance by mirids to a new generation of Bt transgenic crops. He is active in the Entomology Graduate Student Organization,… Read More →

Hawkings Receives Ethel Ashworth-Tsutsui Memorial Award for Mentoring

Chloe with WISE officers. Click for the story

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Chloë Hawkings as she received the 2018 Ethel Ashworth-Tsutsui Memorial Award for mentorship on Thursday, February 8 during the Ethel Ashworth-Tsutsui Memorial Lecture at the Engineering Technologies Building. Hawkings is the first student in the Departmentt of Entomology that received this high honor, which recognizes the research and mentoring efforts of women on the Texas A&M campus. She was recognized for her efforts in mentoring both undergraduate and graduate women students into the field of entomology. In 2017, Hawkings was one of the founders… Read More →

Pest Management Conference Teaches Professionals Safety, Newest Control Techniques

Carlos Bogran presenting about scale insect pests.

Hundreds of pest control professionals descended upon the Brazos Center during the first week of January for the annual Texas A&M University Pest Management Conference and Workshop at the Brazos Center. This year, the workshop focused on pest control operator safety, updates on laws and regulations, and the newest research the Urban and Structural Program has been working on during the past year. The conference opened with introductions from Dr. Ed Vargo, the Endowed Chair of the program, Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale, and a representative from… Read More →

Mike Merchant Receives Award for Distinguished Career from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Dr. Mike Merchant, right, receiving the Superior Service Award for Distinguished Career from Dr. Doug Steele, Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Professor and AgriLife Extension Specialist Dr. Mike Merchant for receiving the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Superior Service Award for Distinguished Career during a ceremony in Bryan on January 9. Merchant received the award for his outstanding service and commitment to the field of urban entomology for 28 years serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He started as an entomologist in 1989 in the District 4 offices and has been instrumental in starting many important outreach projects and programs in urban… Read More →

Grad Student Receives Top Award for Research at Beltwide Cotton Conference

Congratulations to Ph.D student James Glover on receiving a top honor for his research at the 2018 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in San Antonio on January 3-5. Glover received the Best Ph.D. Oral Presentation in Entomology during the conference for his talk titled “Pathogenicity and Transmission of Cotton Seed & Boll Rotting Bacteria Vectored by the Verde Plant Bug” “James did a great job authenticating that a plant bug on cotton, the verde plant bug, transmits and retains a cotton boll rot pathogen,” Brewer said.  “His research led him… Read More →

Gold Receives Staff Meritorious Service Award, Jeanes Receives Lifetime Achievement

Teresa Gold (left) with Dr. Ragsdale (right). Photos by Rob Williams

Two people in the Department of Entomology received early Christmas gifts in December as the department announced its annual awards during the last week in December. Senior Administrative Coordinator Teresa Gold received the Department of Entomology Staff Meritorious Service Award during a special staff meeting on December 21. Gold has been working with the Department for 17 years as an administrative assistant to the Department Head. As assistant to the department head, Gold works with the Department Head by providing long-range planning and scheduling of activities and events,… Read More →

Congratulations December 2017 Graduates!!

A small group of students in the Department of Entomology had a great start to the holiday season as they joined thousands of other Aggies expecting to graduate in Reed Arena Friday afternoon. The students included seven undergraduates, four Master of Science students, two Ph.D. students, and 10 students receiving their certification in Public Health Entomology during the 2pm ceremony. Students, faculty and families joined the Department in a special celebratory lunch before graduation in the Heep Center where they shared good memories over coffee and light lunch… Read More →

Members of Aggie Women in Entomology Helped Sixth Grade Girls Get Interested in STEM and Entomology

Joanie King talking to students in a classroom.

Sixth grade girls statewide had the chance to expand their horizons in science and entomology as members of the Aggie Women in Entomology helped to increase interest in STEM fields during Expanding Your Horizons on Saturday, December 2. This event allows girls in the sixth grade the chance to experience the various areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through interactive lectures and hands-on activities taught by both faculty and student volunteers. During each 45-minute session, grad students and Aggie Women in Entomology members Jocelyn Holt, Alex Payne,… Read More →

Texas A&M scientists synthesize historical tick models to help curb the pest globally

Cattle fever tick in hand. (Texas Animal Health Commission photo)

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION – The battle against fever ticks rages on, and a group of Texas A&M University and French National Institute for Agricultural Research scientists are doing their best to determine where the fray will head by synthesizing historical models for use in curbing the pest globally. Texas A&M’s departments of wildlife and fisheries sciences and entomology and the French institute have collaborated for a number of years to model systems approaches meant to address ecological and regulatory questions about fever… Read More →

Linnaean Team Wins First Place, Department Receives Top Awards and Recognition at National Meeting

  DENVER—Several of the Department of Entomology’s undergraduate and graduate students received high recognition for their work during this year’s Entomological Society of America annual meeting at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. The conference, which was held from November 5 through 8, allows entomologists to learn the newest research and collaborate with others from across the United States and many international attendees.  It is the largest gathering of Entomologists in the world with 3,700 in attendance this year.  Our students competed in various poster and oral presentation… Read More →

Gordy Receives Larry Larson Graduate Student Award for Leadership in Applied Entomology

Portrait of John Gordy with green tree background.

Congratulations to Ph.D. student and County Extension Agent John Gordy for receiving the Larry Larson Graduate Student Award for Leadership in Applied Entomology. Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, the award recognizes Dr. Larry Larson’s role as a leader and pioneer in insect management and carries that legacy to the next generation of leaders in applied entomology. Gordy received his Bachelor of Science in both agronomy and entomology at Texas A&M University and received his Master of Science in entomology from Louisiana State Unversity where he worked with Drs. Michael… Read More →

Entomology Graduate Student Organization Participated in Monarch-Friendly Wildflower Seed Planting at Local Park

Group standing behind a sign at Richard Carter Park.

Several members of the Department of Entomology’s graduate students and postdoctoral research associates recently joined the Texas A&M Garden Club and other local organizations during a recent wildflower seed planting event at Richard Carter Park in College Station with the A&M Garden Club on Saturday, October 21. The group also included members of the A&M Garden Club, the local Daughters of the American Revolution, Butterflies in the Brazos, City of College Station, Keep Brazos Beautiful. During the morning, they planted seeds throughout the park to promote habitat that… Read More →

Tomberlin Co-Authored Paper on Ecological Effects of Mass Mortality Featured in Ecology and National Geographic

Dr. Jeff Tomberlin checking fly cage

Death is a sure thing. And, when mass mortalities happen, understanding their impact on an environment can be perplexing. This is why Dr. Jeff Tomberlin collaborated with several scientists to figure out the ecological consequences of mass mortality events and how to best minimize potential long-term negative outcomes. The research team includes Tomberlin, as well as Drs. Marcus Lashley, Heather Jordan, and Brandon Barton at Mississippi State University. The team wanted to find out what kinds of ecological changes happen both before and during the unexpected mass mortality… Read More →

Department Honors Jim Woolley’s Service during Retirement Reception

The Department of Entomology recently celebrated Dr. James Woolley’s more than 30 years of service as a Professor during a special retirement reception in the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex on Monday, October 9. Woolley retired on August 31, 2017 after he began his career 34 years ago as an assistant professor. In his teaching, Woolley taught hundreds of students both at the graduate and undergraduate level within the Department. Woolley developed and taught two graduate courses that included Principles of Systematic Entomology (ENTO 601) and… Read More →

New AgriLife Extension Service graphic guides target school pests

The front covers of new AgriLife Extension Service publications (Texas A&M AgriLife illustration)

by Gabe Saldana, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications DALLAS —Three new infographics and two detailed publications from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service help demystify the best practices for controlling pests in schools, universities and other areas where humans occupy close quarters. “The average person, while not a pest control expert, is definitely affected when an infestation occurs,” said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension specialist in school integrated pest management, Dallas. “That means the average person is integral to controlling pests, especially where large groups of people converge.” Hurley, co-author of… Read More →

Coates Uses Blog to Help Teach Scientific Method to Non-Science Majors

Dr. Craig Coates teaching a class in Spring 2017. Photo by Rob Williams

Since the course was created more than 20 years ago, the Entomology 322 Insects and Human Society has given insight into the diverse world of insects to all non-science and non-entomology majors at Texas A&M University. To help students better understand the Scientific Method and scientific writing, Instructional Associate Professor Dr. Craig Coates recently started using a popular insect and entomology blog to help his students to understand how scientists use the scientific method to solve problems and find discoveries in the field of entomology, as well as… Read More →

Medina Receives COALS Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Diversity

Congratulations to Entomology professor Dr. Raul Medina as he received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Diversity during the College’s Awards Ceremony on September 20 in the AgriLife Center. Medina has been honored with the award for his outstanding commitment and hard work in keeping diversity in both his research team and recruiting efforts both on and off campus. Since Medina joined the department in 2006, three-fourths of his graduate, undergraduate students, and postdoctoral research associates in his lab have come from… Read More →

Former Student and Current Ph.D. Student Team Up to Help with Harvey Relief Efforts in Dickinson Area

Xanthe Shirley and Tyler Raszick.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–The devastation from Hurricane Harvey has left thousands of people in the town of Dickinson without anything or very little in the aftermath. For former student Xanthe Shirley, it was a mission to help collect items for all those that were affected in the Dickinson area during Hurricane Harvey. Shirley heard about the devastation that hit Dickinson and wanted to do something for those that were affected in her hometown by the flooding. “Words can not express how heartbroken I was when I started to hear… Read More →

Website offers critical mosquito, disease information after Hurricane Harvey

by Gabriel Saldana, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications DALLAS — Visitors to the Mosquito Safari website at http://mosquitosafari.tamu.edu will find comprehensive information on common mosquitoes, the diseases they carry and instructions for controlling the pest, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologists. They said the information is critical in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, whose initial rains forced mosquitoes from their habitats into human areas, and whose residual standing waters have created new environments for mosquito breeding. “The best thing people can do to fight this pest is to… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Awards during 20th Annual Graduate Student Forum

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Three students received top recognition during the Department’s annual Graduate Student Forum on Thursday, August 24. Ph.D. student Shavonn Whiten received first place for her presentation titled “Putting the pieces together: Insight into the perimeter of protection provided by the peritrophic matrix after adult mosquito blood feeding” while Ph.D. student Chloe Hawkings got second place for her talk titled “Expression analysis of vitellogenin in the worker caste of the red imported ant, Solenopsis invicta,”and Ph.D. student Alex Payne received third place for her presentation titled “Synergistic effects… Read More →

Janowiecki Receives Shripat Kamble Urban Entomology Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research

Congratulations to Ph.D. student Mark Janowiecki as he was named the 2017 recipient of the Shripat Kamble Urban Entomology Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research. The award is given to a Ph.D. student that is currently conducting research which demonstrates innovative and realistic approaches to the field of Urban Entomology. Janowiecki received the award for his research in subterranean termite colony interactions. Through lab and field studies, Janowiecki is currently researching subterranean termite biology and specifically how subterranean termite colonies interact with each other. He said he wants… Read More →

TAMU Participates In Nation’s First NSF and NIJ Jointly-Supported Forensic Science Center

MIAMI, FLORIDA —Two faculty members from the Department of Entomology are taking the lead in Texas A&M’s participation in a newly formed Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS) funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and its government and industrial partners. Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow and director of the Texas A&M University Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program in College Station has been named the director for Texas A&M and his colleague, Associate Professor Dr…. Read More →

Congratulations August Graduates

Eight students in the Department of Entomology were among more than 2,200 Aggies that walked the stage at Reed Arena during summer commencement exercises on August 11. The total of 8 students included 2 undergraduate Entomology majors, 1 Master of Science, and 5 Ph.D. students that were at the 9am ceremony. The graduating students and families joined faculty and staff for coffee and cake during a special reception Thursday afternoon in the Heep Center fourth floor atrium. The Department would like to recognize the following and wish them… Read More →

Grad Students Hosted Entomology Outreach Program for Local Youth Center

kids looking at insects in collection at the Texas A&M Insect Collection

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–The Department of Entomology’s graduate students hosted an interactive journey in insects and their world during a special outreach event for the youth during North Bryan Community Center’s Summer Camp on July 24, 2017 in the Heep Center. The program called “Insects and Beyond! An Interactive Introduction to the Wonder-full World of Entomology” provided youths in the program a fun and interactive way to help them learn more about insects and the science of entomology and nature. During the first section, several of the grad students… Read More →

Texas A&M Entomologist Hot on the Trail to Stop Global Locust Devastation

Dr. Hojun Song, bottom, and Ph.D. student Bert Foquet examining individual locusts of a colony in the lab. Photo by Hojun Song

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION – From time immemorial, man has suffered from the devastation wrought by locust swarms of biblical proportions often visited on those least able to weather the plagues. But now a Texas A&M University entomologist at College Station with a passion for helping humanity is hot on the trail of pinpointing the cause that triggers the insects’ swarming behavior and defusing it to stop the destruction. Dr. Hojun Song’s work was published in the June 30 edition of Research Features…. Read More →

Online Journal Features Best of Undergraduate Student Research

A screenshot of the third volume of the Instars journal.

Students in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University now have another way to display their research as the third edition of the Instars student-edited online journal was just released this june. Since its inception two years ago, the Instars open access online journal has grown from a handful of journal articles from various undergraduate student research projects into a place to where students could have a place to easily showcase their research to the public. Articles in the third volume include a variety of undergraduate projects… Read More →

Invasive Bagrada bug may cause ‘stink’ in South Central Texas

by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN MARCOS — The Bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris, an invasive stink bug that has been slowly spreading through the southwestern U.S. for the past decade, has recently been reported in Hays County, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist. “This bug can cause serious crop damage as well as cause damage to plants in commercial nurseries and home gardens and landscapes,” said Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension entomologist and integrated pest management specialist, Bexar County. Keck said adult Bagrada bugs have… Read More →

AgriLife Extension community fire ant control program a template for success

Fire ant close up

by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications ROUND ROCK – For more than a decade, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management program specialist Wizzie Brown has been engaged in a community-wide battle against one of the state’s most persistent pests – the fire ant. Since 2005, Brown and residents of the Wood Glen community in Round Rock, north of Austin, have collaborated in a neighborhood fire ant program to control the proliferation of fire ants, eliminate their unsightly mounds and keep them from biting area residents…. Read More →

Sword Named Innovation Award Recipient

Congratulations to Professor and Charles R. Parencia Chair in Cotton Entomology Dr. Greg Sword for receiving the Texas A&M Technology Commercialization’s Excellence in Innovation Award on May 4, 2017. The awards were presented during a special luncheon at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center inside the George Bush Presidential Library. Sword was recognized for his research with fungal endophytes that led to collaboration with an industry partner to produce a commercially available seed treatment for cotton. The treatment allows cotton plants plagued by dwindling irrigation water and drought to… Read More →

Entomology Students Among 10,000 Aggies Graduating in Spring 2017

A large number of students from the Department joined more than 10,000 Aggies that are expected to graduate Friday morning during the May graduation ceremony at Reed Arena. The students included 23 undergraduates, 4 Masters students, and 4 Ph.D. students, as well as 26 Public Health Entomology Certificate recipients. Students and families were also treated to a special reception in the Heep Center fourth floor atrium, where they shared memories over cake and snacks. Drs. Pete Teel and David Ragsdale also wished everyone good luck and said a… Read More →

Department of Entomology Undergraduates Recognized During Special Reception

Marina Connor, right, with Dr. Pete Teel. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–Several of the Department’s undergraduates received recognition and awards at a special recognition reception on the first floor of the Heep Center on Wednesday, May 3. Students and faculty members were first treated to food outside Room 103 before the main program started and juniors Tammy Starr and Dayvion Adams welcomed everyone to the event. After the welcome, guest speaker Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin said a few words of encouragement to the graduating seniors during the keynote address. Adams then reported highlights from the Undergraduate Entomology Student… Read More →

Texas A&M Entomology Receives Numerous Awards at Southwestern Branch Meeting

Chloë Hawkings, left, and Carl Hjelmen, right, holding their certificates. Photo by Rob Williams

AUSTIN—It looks like the spring semester 2017 is going well for the Department as several students, staff and faculty members received awards during the 2017 Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America meeting in Austin from April 11-17. Ph.D. students Carl Hjelmen and Adrian Fisher were co-recipients for first place in the Ph.D. Oral Presentation category. Hjelmen was recognized for his presentation titled “What is underreplication and how does this phenomenon contribute to the enigma of genome size evolution in Drosophila?” Fisher was awarded for his presentation… Read More →

Kilpatrick Receives 2017 COALS Senior Merit Award

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Shelby Kilpatrick’s hard work and dedication is paying off well as she received the College of Agriculture of Life Sciences’ Senior Merit Award during the College’s Spring Convocation on Saturday, April 8. Kilpatrick is a senior Entomology and Agricultural Leadership and Development double major. She is a very active member of the Department’s Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization, where she served as Outreach Coordinator in 2015-2016 and Secretary and Webmaster in 2014-2015. As the UESO’s Outreach Coordinator, she was responsible for coordinating volunteers for various outreach programs,… Read More →

Students Receive Awards for Research at Ecological Integration Symposium

Congratulations to senior Shelby Kilpatrick and Ph.D. student Tyler Raszick on receiving top awards during the 2017 Ecological Integration Symposium  held on Friday, March 24. Kilpatrick tied for first place in the Undergraduate Oral Presentation category. Kilpatrick’s presentation was titled “Density-dependent phenotypic plasticity in Schistocerca lineata Scudder, 1899 (Orthoptera: Acrididae)” Kilpatrick is an Entomology and Agricultural Leadership and Development double major and works in Dr. Hojun Song’s lab. Raszick tied for first place in the Graduate Oral Presentation category with his presentation titled “Boll Weevil (Antonomous grandis) population… Read More →

Hamer Receives $3.5 Million to Study Mosquito-Borne Viruses

Mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animal on the earth, not because of the annoying bite, but because of their ability to transmit pathogens resulting in human diseases such as Malaria, West Nile and Dengue fever, and most recently, Zika. Assistant Professor of Entomology, Dr. Gabriel Hamer, has received $3.5 million in new funds in the past year from several agencies to research mosquitoes and mosquito-borne viruses.  According to Hamer, “These applications for external support were prepared by large collaborative teams from multiple universities and agencies”. Two of these… Read More →

Department Names Frank Zalom as 2017 Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker

Dr. Frank Zalom, right, with Dr. David Ragsdale, Professor and Department Head

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Department of Entomology recently announced Dr. Frank Zalom as the recipient of the 2017 Dr. Perry Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker Award during a special seminar that was held on Thursday, March 30. Zalom is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California – Davis and has appointment as an Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Specialist for the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He teaches arthropod pest management and conducts research on integrated pest management (IPM) on vine, tree, and small fruits… Read More →

Entomology Department Helps Youths Practice for 4-H, FFA Judging Contests with Annual Clinic

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—More than 170 members of the Future Farmers of America and 4-H youth programs statewide and their agricultural science teachers, adult leaders and county agents spent a rainy Saturday morning learning about entomology, entomology contests, and testing their insect identification skills in the Heep Center during the Entomology Judging Clinic on Saturday, March 4. The annual half-day clinic is designed to help 4-H and FFA students with skills to collect, prepare, and identify insects, to learn about their biology and relationships to different environments, all in… Read More →

West Texas bees doubt groundhog’s extended winter prediction

A swarm of honey bees high atop a mesquite tree in West Texas. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Steve Byrns)

By Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANGELO – SPLAT! West Texas honey bees are on the move, so motorists shouldn’t be surprised if their windshields are strafed by a hapless swarm in coming weeks, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist. Dr. Charles Allen, of San Angelo, said the unusually warm February, touted as the warmest on record here, has put honey bees in the mood to travel. “It’s a sign spring has arrived, at least to the bees,” Allen said. “Usually the number of… Read More →

Student Team Wins Best Policy Proposal during SCONA Conference

Congratulations to Senior Entomology Shelby Kilpatrick as she was involved in a team that received Best Policy Proposal during the 62nd meeting of the MSC Student Conference on National Affairs (SCONA). Kilpatrick was one of 196 delegates that were divided into 17 roundtable discussion groups during the annual conference held on February 14-18. The team was tasked to collaborate and write a policy proposal within 60 hours addressing a topic of national importance, such as homeland security, the environment, epidemics and public health, and cybersecurity. The team she… Read More →

Extension Names Drake, Gonzales as IPM Agents

The Department of Entomology and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service would like to welcome John David Gonzales and Dr. David Drake as the newest members of the growing statewide integrated pest management group. Gonzales and Drake started their Extension Agent-IPM positions on February 1, with Gonzales serving the Muleshoe area and Drake serving the Commerce area. Gonzales replaced Erin Jones while Drake replaced Dr. Jim Swart after he retired in December 2014. Before joining the Commerce position, Drake worked as an Extension Agronomist for 8 years at the… Read More →

Carl Hjelmen and Richelle Marquess Named Outstanding Graduate Students

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–The Department of Entomology recently named Ph.D. student Carl Hjelmen and MS  student Richelle Marquess as the newest Oustanding Graduate Students at a special recognition seminar on Thursday. Hjelmen is advised by Dr. Spencer Johnston and is researching the evolution of genome size in Drosophila species. During the past year, Hjelmen has prepared and submitted a manuscript titled “The mode and tempo of genome size evolution in the subgenus Sopophora” and was a contributing author of another paper titled “The effects of natural selection and repetitive… Read More →

Alex Payne Wins Award for Her Research at National Conference

GALVESTON, Texas—Congratulations to Ph.D. student Alex Payne as she recently received an award for Best Student Paper from the American Association of Professional Apiculturists for her talk at the organization’s annual American Bee Research Conference in Galveston in January, 2017. Payne is mentored by Dr. Juliana Rangel. Her talk at the symposium was titled “The effects of honey bee (Apis mellifera) queen insemination volume on colony growth”. Her presentation looked at how the volume of semen in a queen who was artificially inseminated affects the overall growth of… Read More →

Texas cattle fever ticks are back with a vengeance

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION– Texas cattle fever ticks, which made Texas longhorns the pariah of the plains in the late 1800s, are once again expanding their range with infestations detected in Live Oak, Willacy and Kleberg counties, said Texas A&M AgriLife experts. As of Feb. 1, more than 500,000 acres in Texas are under various quarantines outside of the permanent quarantine zone. Dr. Pete Teel, Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologist at College Station, said the vigilance and cooperation of regulatory agencies, namely the… Read More →

Dr. Max Summers Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Department of Entomology honored Dr. Max Summers with the Department of Entomology Lifetime Recognition award during the January regular faculty meeting. Summers is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus and former holder of the Endowed Chair in Agricultural Biotechnology. Summers promoted inquiry-driven and knowledge-based research that generated more than $40 million in grants and patent income and over 375 scholarly publications in quality, high impact peer-reviewed journals. Together with his former student, Gale Smith, Summers was responsible for the pioneering and enabling research that developed the baculovirus… Read More →

Pest Management Conference Featured Expert Panels, Vector Control Sessions

Dr. Vargo at the Brazos Center main room stage

BRYAN, Texas–Hundreds of pest control professionals convened at the Brazos Center in Bryan to learn about the latest technologies and regulations to control insects and other pests during the 71st meeting of the Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop. The three-day-long workshop was held from January 11-13 and featured several different topics of interest including regulations on use of chemicals, control methods for various pests, and how to keep safe on the job. Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale opened the event with an overview of the Department’s… Read More →

Tomberlin Named AgriLife Research Fellow, Extension Entomology, IPM Agents Receive Superior Service Awards

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Department of Entomology has started the New Year off right as it celebrates the recipients of the latest round of awards given at the 2017 Texas A&M AgriLife Conference. The awards were given during the Research and Extension awards presentation on Tuesday in the Memorial Student Center’s Bethancourt Ballroom. Dr. Jeff Tomberlin was honored as a Texas A&M AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow, an honorific title he will keep throughout his tenure at Texas A&M.  This was awarded for his outstanding research in the field of… Read More →

Texas A&M garners $10 million grant to establish center, fight vector-borne diseases

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M AgriLife recently received a substantial monetary boost to bolster its aggressive fight to stem the spread of vector-borne diseases for the public good, said Dr. David Ragsdale, Texas A&M University entomology department head at College Station. Ragsdale said the $10 million five-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be used to establish the Western Gulf Coast Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases. The Western Gulf Coast Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne… Read More →

Entomology Students Part of Record Number of Graduating Aggies

COLLEGE STATION—Several Entomology students celebrated the holiday season early as they were part of more than 4,000 students expected to graduate this fall during commencement ceremonies at Reed Arena on Friday, December 16. The department had a total of 21 students, which included 6 undergraduate ENTO majors and 1 minor, 3 master’s students and 1 Ph.D. student that attended the 2pm ceremony with others in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. There also were 15 students that received the Certification in Public Health Entomology. “We want to… Read More →

Ann Pool Receives Staff Meritorious Service Award

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University would like to congratulate Ann Pool on receiving the 2016 Department of Entomology Staff Meritorious Service Award. Pool, an Academic Advisor II in the Department’s Advising office, received the award during a special reception in the fourth floor atrium on Wednesday, December 14. Since joining the Department in 2013, Pool has been instrumental in the daily academic operations in the department, taking care of most of the undergraduate academic advising for the Entomology, Forensic and Investigative… Read More →

Former Student Honored with Outstanding Early Career Alumni Award

BRYAN, Texas—Congratulations to Dr. Brad Hopkins as he received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Outstanding Early Career Award. The award recognizes former students in the College that have made significant accomplishments and contributions at the state, national or international levels in agriculture, natural resources or the life sciences and who graduated from the college within the past 15 years. Hopkins was recognized at the annual Legacy and Leadership banquet held at the Brazos County Expo Center on November 18. Hopkins received his bachelor’s, masters, and Ph.D…. Read More →

Kerns Named Statewide Integrated Pest Management Coordinator

COLLEGE STATION–The Department of Entomology and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service would like to welcome Dr. David Kerns to the faculty as Professor and Statewide Integrated Pest Management Coordinator. Kerns started December 1 and is based in College station. Before joining A&M, he was the Jack Hamilton Regents Chair in Cotton Production in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University since April 2011 located at Winnsboro at the Macon Ridge Research Center. At LSU, Kerns was responsible for conducting entomological research at Macon Ridge and St. Joseph… Read More →

AgriLife Research team makes strides in fight against Zika

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION – There’s a war raging on a tiny battlefield and the outcome could well touch millions of people worldwide threatened by Zika and related viruses. The key ally unlocking the mystery surrounding this conflict is the long-dreaded yellow fever virus. Dr. Kevin Myles, Glady “Hazitha” Samuel and Dr. Zach Adelman are Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists at Texas A&M University, College Station, who published “Yellow fever virus capsid protein is a potent suppressor of RNA silencing that binds double-stranded… Read More →

Former Grad Student Receives Award from Malaysian Government

Chin Heo, center, with Dato' Kamel Mohamad, Deputy Secretary General of Higher Education in Malaysia (left), and Associate Prof. Dr. Puzziawati Abdul Ghani (right)

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate former Ph.D. student Chong Chin Heo as he received the highest honor from the Malaysian government during a special ceremony held at the Embassy of Malaysia in Washington, D.C. on November 5. Chong Chin Heo received the Perdana Scholar Award in the Research, Innovation and Publication category from the Malaysian government. Given to selected Malaysian students that have studied in the United States, the award’s goal is to identify, document and promote Malaysia students that have excelled in academics, leadership… Read More →

Pietrantonio’s Fire Ant Research Featured in Podcast

Fire ants

Texas A&M Entomology professor Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio’s fire ant research project was recently featured in a video posted by the science media podcast website EarthSky. The podcast is located at http://earthsky.org/earth/science-fights-to-control-fire-ants, highlights the destructive impact of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) and the ongoing basic research efforts to conceive better strategies to control this pest. Pietrantonio’s National Science Foundation-funded project, titled “Neuropeptide Receptors and Identification of Genes in Signaling Networks Involved in Reproduction and Nutrition in the Red Imported Fire Ant”, focuses on localizing the neuropeptide… Read More →

Monarchs on the Move In Texas

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANGELO – Tens of thousands of monarch butterflies have been migrating through the Concho Valley in recent days, and a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist hopes Texans stop to appreciate what he terms is truly a royal procession. “These are special insects, and they are moving through our country here in San Angelo in a big way,” said Dr. Charles Allen who is headquartered at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo. “There were literally… Read More →

Texas A&M Entomology Hosts Joint Vector Borne Disease Workshop with UC-Davis

Group in front of classroom at the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM '56 Equine Complex

The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University recently held a two-day workshop in cooperation with the University of California-Davis’ Department of Entomology and Nematology this past weekend to discuss vector-borne diseases in humans, plants, and animals. The two-day event held at the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ‘56 Equine Complex, focused on finding solutions to problems with vector-borne diseases such as Zika, citrus greening and Lyme Disease. The event paired faculty with similar interests, such as genetics and genomics of vectors to those who deal with population structure… Read More →

Students Receive Recognition During 25th Meeting of International Congress of Entomology

ORLANDO—The month of September has been good for the Department of Entomology as six students received awards during the International Congress of Entomology (ICE) meeting in Orlando. Held every four years, ICE allows entomologists worldwide to collaborate and communicate their ideas and to make important connections with entomologists and scientists and compete in global presentation competitions. This year’s meeting featured keynotes from Nobel Prize recipients Drs. Peter Agre and Jules Hoffmann and featured various plenary speakers each day throughout the duration of the conference. In addition, several of… Read More →

Faculty Members and Student Receive Top College Awards

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Three people from the Department of Entomology received the highest honors the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences gives out annually during its annual Awards Ceremony on September 29. Drs. Juliana Rangel and Adrienne Brundage, and senior Shelby Kilpatrick won three awards for their hard work and dedication with the Department and College. Rangel was honored with the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Early Career Research for her work during the first few years since she joining the Department. Since Rangel joined the faculty as Assistant… Read More →

“Nosey” Butterflies Visit South Central Texas on Annual Migration

By Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANTONIO – What may appear to some to be a butterfly invasion in South Central Texas is really just an annual migration of the American snout butterfly, said Molly Keck, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist for Bexar County. “Right now these snout butterflies are migrating through the region in huge numbers on their way toward the Rio Grande River area,” Keck said She said the insect gets its name from the elongated mouthparts called “palps” that extend from the… Read More →

Department Remembers Dr. Horace Burke

Dr. Horace Burke, Professor Emeritus, passed away on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, in College Station, Texas. Burke was born April 1, 1926 near Elkhart, Texas to Franklin Parks Burke and Minnie Lee Walling Burke. After attending Elkhart High School, he served in the United States Army 17th Airborne Division, 194th Glider Infantry in World War II.  Burke also served as part of the 13th Airborne and 82nd Airborne Divisions. Upon resuming civilian life back in Texas, Horace attended Sam Houston State University where he earned a degree in… Read More →

New AgriLife Research scientists take aim at Zika

By Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION – Today’s news is flooded with reports on Zika; none of them good…until now. Texas A&M AgriLife Research has fielded a Zika team led by two scientists who joined the department of entomology at Texas A&M University on Aug. 1, said Dr. David Ragsdale, department head at College Station. Dr. Zach Adelman and Dr. Kevin Myles were previously at Virginia Tech and now join the ranks of a number of AgriLife Research personnel whose priority has become stopping Zika,… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Top Awards at Nineteenth Annual Forum

Four students received top awards during the Department of Entomology’s Nineteenth Annual Graduate Student Forum on August 25. Tyler Raszick received first place for his talk titled ”Boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) population genomics as a tool for monitoring and management” and Jocelyn Holt received second place for her talk “The sugarcane aphid in the continental US” This year’s competition ended up with a tie, with both winners receiving awards. The winners were Derek Woller for his presentation titled “Exploring the functional frontiers of genitalia morphology via synergistic imaging… Read More →

AgriLife Research Entomologist Creates Toolbox for Vegetable Producers

by Rod Santa Ana, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications WESLACO – It’s an imaginary toolbox, but Dr. Ismael E. Badillo-Vargas wants to create one for South Texas growers to help them revive what was once a thriving vegetable industry in the Rio Grande Valley. It would contain both short- and long-term strategies to once again harvest vast fields of produce in Texas for local, national and international markets. Badillo-Vargas, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research insect vector entomologist in Weslaco, said insects and the plant diseases they carry represent a… Read More →

Educating the public about Zika is now AgriLife Extension’s ‘priority-one’

COLLEGE STATION – Educating the public to protect themselves from Zika has become “priority one” for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, a state leader said. AgriLife Extension is tasked with educating the public on a great number of topics for all ages, but in a bold unprecedented move, the agency has harnessed its statewide presence to prepare the public against this ever-increasing threat, said Dr. Susan Ballabina, executive associate director, College Station. “As I expect most Texans are aware, the Zika virus — spread mainly by the A. aegypti and A…. Read More →

Sword’s research plays key role in new technology poised to make major cotton industry contribution

Greg Sword

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION—The dream of many Texas cotton farmers plagued by dwindling irrigation water and drought might be to someday produce more fiber using the same amount of water. That dream is fast becoming reality now thanks to a commercially available seed treatment from Indigo Ag called Indigo™ Cotton. The science behind the treatment stems directly from research started by Dr. Greg Sword, a Texas A&M entomologist. But the dream gets better. Sword and Indigo-his industry partner-say that under some conditions the… Read More →

Teel Wins Distinguished Achievement Award In Teaching from ESA

Congratulations to Professor and Associate Department Head for Academic Programs Dr. Pete Teel for winning the Entomological Society of America’s (ESA) Distinguished Award In Teaching for 2016.  This is the highest level of achievement from the ESA bestowed on its members. The award is presented annually to members of the ESA that have achieved success throughout their career in teaching.  Teel has been honored for his 38 years of teaching undergraduate and graduate entomology courses. Teel currently teaches the Occupation and Professional Development course (ENTO 482), where students… Read More →

AgriLife Research, Extension Personnel Receive Awards at Statewide Meetings

Three Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension personnel had a great summer as they received top awards during two statewide meetings held in July. Extension Agent-IPM Blayne Reed received the Texas Corn Producers’ Outstanding Corn Agent award at the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association’s annual meeting on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Reed covers Hale, Swisher and Floyd Counties. The award honored Reed’s outstanding work in educating producers in the areas of pre-plant decisions, hybrid selection, insect management and fertility of crops. Reed also was a part of a… Read More →

Grad Student Assists In Rediscovery of Grasshopper Species Not Seen in Almost 60 Years

For almost 60 years, scientists thought that Melanoplus foxi Hebard, 1923, a flightless grasshopper endemic to Georgia, was possibly extinct until Ph.D. student Derek Woller and Assistant Research Professor JoVonn Hill at Mississippi State University recently re-discovered the species in May of 2015 after nine years of active searching. Woller became aware of the species in the first place because, for his dissertation, he is examining the evolutionary history of the 24 species that make up the Puer Group (Acrididae: Melanoplinae), which includes M. foxi. He said that… Read More →

Department Welcomes Joel Webb As New Extension Agent-IPM

The Department of Entomology and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service would like to welcome Mr. Joel Webb as the new Extension Agent-IPM for the area covering Tom Green and Runnels Counties. Webb joined the IPM Program on June 1 where he replaced the position that was formerly held by Rick Minzenmayer who retired in 2015. Before joining Extension, Webb worked for three years as a Research Associate in Weed Science and Crop Systems and 3 years as a Research Technician in the Vegetable Department at the Texas… Read More →

New discovery may improve future mosquito control

Aedes aegypti females reject the sucrose solution containing the synthetic peptide. The sugary solution contained a blue dye to trace the meal in their gut. (Photo courtesy Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Fellow)

AgriLife Research scientist’s paper outlines a new mechanism of sugar feeding aversion By: Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications COLLEGE STATION – Major rainfall across most of Texas triggering hordes of mosquitoes coupled with seemingly constant mosquito-related Zika virus media reports from around the globe may have set the stage perfectly for what one researcher deems as a very significant discovery in man’s war against earth’s leading human disease carrier. Dr. David Ragsdale, head of the entomology department at Texas A&M University, College Station, credits Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio,… Read More →

Harris Receives Ta-que-ne-whap Award for Leadership and Service

TYLER, Texas–The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate professor emeritus Dr. Marvin Harris as he received the Ta-que-ne-whap Award from the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America during its annual meeting in February. Established in 1977 by the branch’s Executive Committee, the award honors members who have contributed exceptional leadership and service to the Branch over their lifetimes. Harris, a Professor Emeritus of Entomology at Texas A&M University, received the award for his outstanding efforts in the organization. A joint research (Texas A&M AgriLife Research)… Read More →

Retired Researcher’s Decades of Work on Texas Spiders Published

Allen Dean standing with a specimen in his collection. Photo by Rob Williams.

Former research assistant Allen Dean has turned an interest in learning about spiders into a decades-long effort to catalog all spider species of Texas. Recently, these records were turned into a 700-page catalogue of Texas spiders that was recently published online. This paper, titled “Catalogue of Texas Spiders,” is the end result of the work of several decades of collecting and researching on various spider species statewide, as well as literature reviews from other publications that were published decades ago. The catalog contains a list of 1,072 species… Read More →

Students Join Record Number of Aggies Graduating in Spring 2016

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–A large group of students celebrated another milestone in their lives as they joined 9,000 other Aggies during spring commencement on Friday, May 13. The students joined thousands of others from the College of Agriculture and and the College of Geosciences expected to walk the Reed Arena stage. These included 30 undergraduates, 4 Master of Science candidates, 1 Ph.D. candidate, and 27 Public Health Entomology Certificate recipients. Undergraduates Emily Crews, Alexandria Payne, Taylor Splawn, Colton Sweetser, and Adrianna Tirloni were also recognized during the LAUNCH recognition… Read More →

Entomology Student Discovers New Bee Species in Dominica

Shelby Kilpatrick’s experience studying abroad in Dominica has led to a very exciting and memorable learning experience as she discovered a new species of halictid bees during a recent trip to the country in 2015. What turned out to be an insect collecting and identification study for Kilpatrick, a junior Entomology major, ended up being part of the study that was featured in a paper by Jason Gibbs of Michigan State University and a species being named in her honor of her new discovery. The paper titled Bees… Read More →

AgriLife Research entomologist testing potato psyllids for insecticide resistance

by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications AMARILLO – A growing resistance of potato psyllids to the neonicotinoid classification of insecticides has Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologist in Amarillo, looking to the future. The potato psyllid is a tiny insect with sucking, piercing mouthparts that transmits a disease called zebra chip and can cause tremendous losses to producers, Szczepaniec said. Producers have used the neonicotinoid insecticides to protect their solanaceous crops, mostly potatoes, in the past. The problem, she said, is many of these psyllids… Read More →

Hewlett Receives COALS Senior Merit Award

Jeremy Hewlett with Dr. Mark Hussey

Congratulations to senior Entomology major Jeremy Hewlett as he received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Senior Merit Award during the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Spring Convocation. Hewlett is a member of the Texas A&M Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization and works in Dr. Micky Eubanks’ lab studying the ant-aphid mutualisms and how to use them in controlling other pests while increasing crop yield. He also participated in certification classes and group sailing activities in the American Sailing Association and the Kemah Sailing Club in 2011-2012… Read More →

Hapes Selected As Mentor for NACADA Emerging Leaders Class

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–Congratulations to Academic Advisor Rebecca Hapes as she has been selected to serve as a mentor for the 2016-2018 Class of Emerging Leaders for the National Academic Advisors Association. Hapes is one of 10 other academic advisors that were selected internationally as mentors to selected advisors that are called Emerging Leaders. These selected individuals are interested in advancing in leadership within the NACADA organization, such as committees and other elected positions. For the next two years, Hapes will be working closely with an Emerging Leader in… Read More →

AgriLife Extension experts inform Texans on protecting from Zika, other mosquito-borne diseases

By: Paul Schattenberg and Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANTONIO – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologists are informing Texans on how to protect themselves from the mosquito vectors that spread Zika and other diseases. “The ongoing outbreak of the Zika virus has spread throughout most of South America, Central America and the Caribbean,” said Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Stephenville. “The effects this virus will have on the United States are not entirely known, but experts are concerned about the possibilities.” According to health officials,… Read More →

Department Names Karen Wright As New Insect Collection Assistant Curator

Karen Wright

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–The Department of Entomology would like to welcome Ms. Karen Wright as the new Assistant Curator of the Texas A&M Insect Collection starting June 1. Wright will replace Mr. Ed Riley who retired in August of 2015 after working more than 27 years with the department. Before joining the Department, Wright worked as a graduate assistant in the Arthropod Division of the University of New Mexico’s Museum of Southwestern Biology in Albuquerque in 2015 and as a graduate assistant in the museum’s herbarium during the spring… Read More →

Undergraduates Recognized At 20th Annual Banquet

The Entomology Scholars Society for 2016-2017. Pictured are: Bill McCutchen, Dr. Pete Teel, members Katherina Kang, Dayvion Adams, Elaine Chu, and Shelby Kilpatrick, and Dr. David Reed

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Congratulations to all of the Department’s students that were recognized at the 20th Annual Undergraduate Entomology Student Banquet on Friday, April 8. Students and their families convened at the Thomas G. Hildebrand Equine Complex where they were treated to a barbecue dinner and desserts as members of the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences and the Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization led the program. After the welcome, UESO member Shelby Kilpatrick reported the highlights of the year’s activities for the organization while Stephanie Stratta reported highlights from AFIS… Read More →

Students Receive Top Awards During Student Research Competitions

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–Congratulations to three of the Department’s students that received top awards  while showcasing student research campuswide during both Student Research Week and the Ecological Integration Symposium held the last week in March. Entomology major Shelby Kilpatrick received first place during the Ecological Integration for her talk titled “An updated checklist of the bees of the Commonwealth of Dominica (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)” Alexandria Payne received first place in the Plant Sciences, Animal Sciences, Wildlife & Fisheries Science, Entomology, Agriculture, Ecological Restoration category for her talk titled “The… Read More →

Department Celebrates Retirement of Staff Member

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology celebrated the achievements of Sherry Boyd during a reception held in the fourth floor atrium on Wednesday, March 2016. Boyd is the Department’s Business Coordinator I and is mainly responsible for Research accounts and inventory. She will be retiring on March 31 after nine years with the Department. “Sherry is an invaluable member and a tremendous asset to the Department,” said Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale. “She will be missed greatly.”

Multi-state Sugarcane Aphid Team Receives Regional Award for Saving Grain Sorghum Crops

TYLER, Texas–Researchers and Extension specialists from Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension and three other states recently received the Friends of IPM Pulling Together Award at the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America meeting for their actions in saving sorghum crops from the sugarcane aphid. Because of the proactive actions of team members, grain sorghum producers were spared losses in the hundreds of millions. In Texas alone, sorghum is planted on 1.25 million acres and brings a value to the state of $160 million dollars each… Read More →

Texas A&M Entomology Students Receive Numerous Awards during Southwestern Branch Meeting

TYLER, Texas – Seven students walked away winners at the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society meeting February 22-25 in Tyler. Ph.D. student Derek Woller received the ESA’s Comstock Award. This prestigious award with one graduate student from each branch recognized for their accomplishments in research, service, and public engagement. The award is financial support to attend the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America which this year is co-located with the International Congress of Entomology to be held in September in Orlando, FL. Woller is a… Read More →

Linnaean Teams Win First and Second Place at Southwestern Branch Meeting

TYLER, Texas–The Department of Entomology’s graduates and undergraduate Linnaean Teams came out big during the annual Linnaean Games quiz bowl competition at the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society meeting during the last week of February. The Graduate Linnaean Team received first place after defeating the Texas A&M undergraduate team in the final round of play. Both teams also competed other teams, graduate and undergraduate, from Oklahoma State University. The graduate team consisted of Pierre Lau, Freddy Ibanez, Adrian Fisher, and Carl Hjelmen while the undergraduate team included… Read More →

AIBS to Convene Expert Panel Webinar on Science of Zika, Potential for Genetic Control

Washington, DC – The Zika virus is the most recent example of a virus spreading rapidly around the world with the assistance of an animal vector – in this case the mosquito Aedes. On March 15, 2016, the American Institute of Biological Sciences will convene a meeting of scientific experts to discuss the epidemiology of Zika, the potential for genetic control of the mosquito species that transmit it, and the ethical issues associated with the use of this new biotechnology. This webinar program is free and open to… Read More →

Grad Students Honored with Awards During Seminar

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate two of our grad students as they received top honors during the department’s spring seminar series on February 18. Ph.D. student Carl Hjelmen received the Outstanding Ph.D. Student while Devin Beach Tillman received the Outstanding Masters Student Award during the special presentation. Hjelmen is advised by Dr. Spencer Johnston and is currently researching the evolution of genome size in Drosophila species. Hjelmen is a member of the Graduate Entomology Student Organization, where he is serving as the… Read More →

Valencia and Shaffner Receive Top Departmental Awards

COLLEGE STATION — Congratulations to Cesar Valencia and Joe Schaffner in receiving the Department of Entomology’s top awards for the year during the February faculty meeting on February 11. Valencia received the Department’s Staff Meritorious Service Award while Schaffner was given the Lifetime Achievement award during the meeting. Valencia is a lab and field manager for Dr. Greg Sword’s lab and also serves as the proctor of the Entomological Research Laboratory, which houses various labs and offices for the Department. He is responsible for several tasks in the… Read More →

Dr. Gabe Hamer Featured on KBTX about Zika Virus

Assistant Professor Dr. Gabe Hamer, along with KBTX-TV’s Chief Meteorologist Shel Winkley were interviewed by KBTX-TV’s Kathleen Witte during the station’s Focus At Four segment on February 10. During the interview, Hamer discussed the mosquitoes that are vectors for the Zika, which are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, their habitats, and their distribution, as well as possible risk factors to the United States.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research Entomologists Co-Authors on Bed Bug Genome Mapping Paper

COLLEGE STATION – Two Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologists were among a team of more than 80 international scientists whose work in sequencing the genome of the bed bug was published in the scientific journal Nature Communications on Feb. 2. The AgriLife Research team members from College Station who were part of the two-year project are Dr. Ed Vargo, Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology headquartered in the Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Facility, and Dr. Spencer Johnston in Texas A&M University’s department of entomology. The paper,… Read More →

Ph.D. Student Receives Award from Beltwide Cotton Conference

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Ph.D. student James Glover for receiving the Best Ph.D. oral presentation prize in the Insect Management category at the Cotton Beltwide Conferences in New Orleans on January 5-7. Glover received the award for his talk titled, “Comparing Boll Injury and EILs for Species of a Boll-Feeding Sucking Bug Complex (Hemiptera: Miridae and Pentatomidae) on South Texas Cotton.” Texas A&M AgriLife Research professor and co-mentor Dr. Mike Brewer said that Glover’s research is on the injury of cotton plants from a… Read More →

Department Honors Dr. Brad Vinson’s Retirement with Special Reception

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Friends and family from far and near gathered at the fourth floor atrium to recognize the achievements of Dr. Brad Vinson as he retires from the University after 47 years of employment on January 31. Vinson began his career here at Texas A&M in 1969 after working at Mississippi State as an associate professor. “Most of us are standing on the shoulders of giants-those remarkable scientists who had a vision of where to lead the rest of us,” said Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale. “Dr…. Read More →

Entomology Faculty, Staff Receive Superior Service, Vice Chancellor Awards During Conference

BRYAN – Several members of the Department of Entomology started the New Year off right after they received awards at both the Superior Service Awards dinner and Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence The first award was a Superior Service Award in the Team category that was given to the Texas Sugarcane Aphid Team for their efforts in staving off a statewide disaster that came from sugarcane aphids, one of the worst pests to ever threaten the sorghum industry, and prevented millions of dollars in damage to crops across… Read More →

Department Hires Research, Extension Faculty Members

The Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension would like to welcome Dr. Ismael Badillo-Vargas and Suhas Vyavhare to its faculty roster. Badillo-Vargas will start on February 1 as the newest vector entomologist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in Weslaco while Vyavhare will start February 1 as an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock. Badillo-Vargas was born and raised in Puerto Rico and graduated from the University of Puerto Rico –… Read More →

Department Reaches Out To Local Family During Holiday Season

During this December, the Department of Entomology “adopted” a family this holiday season that needed our help to make their Christmas special. This year’s Christmas Wish List for the Adopted Family was very successful. The gifts were delivered Thursday afternoon, December 17, 2015 to a local family. The family they chose consisted of a 4-year-old boy, 5-year-old boy, 7-year-old girl, 9-year-old boy, 10-year-old boy, 12 year-old girl, and their mother. With the gifts and donations given the department was able to provide each child with a pair of… Read More →

Congratulations Fall 2015 Graduates!!

Several  students will be getting an early Christmas gift this December as they are expected to walk the stage for fall commencement at Reed Arena on Friday, December 18. A total of 22 students joined thousands of students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during the 9am commencement ceremony. “We congratulate all of today’s graduates and the family and friends who will be celebrating the achievements of their loved ones. We are so proud of all they have accomplished,” said Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale…. Read More →

Grad Students Receive High Awards for Presentations at National Meeting

Carl Hjelmen speaking

MINNEAPOLIS– Congratulations to Ph.D. students Carl Hjelmen and Liz Walsh as they were given awards for the Graduate Ten Minute Paper Presentation Competition at the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting on Monday, November 16. Hjelmen’s paper received first place in the SysEB – Citizen Science, New Methods, and Physiology section and was titled “Phylogenetic basis for understanding genome size evolution in Drosophila.” In his paper, he is looking at the evolution of the genome size in the Drosophila species of flies. In his research, he is utilizing… Read More →

Extension Bug Banquet makes a unique culinary experience

by Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications SAN ANTONIO – An Australian man made national news recently and was dubbed “Ant Man” after surviving for almost a week in the unforgiving outback by eating ants – something he had seen survival expert Bear Grylls do on television. While such a tale is unusual, entomophagy or the eating of insects for food goes back tens of thousands of years and continues today, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist Molly Keck for Bexar County. “People in the United States… Read More →

Vargo Receives Crown Leadership Award

Less than a year into his tenure as the new Endowed Chair for the Texas A&M Urban and Structural Program and Dr. Ed Vargo has already received national attention recently during a special ceremony in Nashville. Vargo was awarded the Pest Control Technology/Syngenta Crown Leadership Award, which spotlights individuals who have positively contributed to growing and developing to the pest control industry and establishing ties to their communities. Vargo became Professor and Endowed Chair for the university’s urban and structural program in December 2014 after replacing Dr. Roger… Read More →

Kate Harrell Named Extension Agent – IPM for Wharton Area

WHARTON, Texas – The Department of Entomology and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service welcomes Kate Harrell as the newest Extension Agent-IPM for Wharton County. Harrell is no stranger to Texas A&M as she graduated from the university with a Bachelor’s of Science in Entomology and Agronomy in May 2013 and is currently a grad student studying Entomology. She is expected to graduate in May 2016. Harrell began working in Wharton County on September 1, when she replaced former Extension Agent-IPM Clyde Crumley who retired on February 28,… Read More →

AgriLife Research, Extension Entomologists Respond to Invasive Sugarcane Aphids in South Texas

CORPUS CHRISTI – Entomologists and plant breeders with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension within the Departments of Entomology and Soil and Crop Sciences partnered to take care of a large outbreak of a very invasive pest: the sugarcane aphid attacking sorghum. The team included Michael Brewer, Robert Bowling, Mo Way, James Woolley, Gary Peterson, Bill Rooney, Stephen Biles, and David Kerns of LSU. Graduate students also worked on this project, including John Gordy and Erin Maxson of the Department of Entomology, and Lloyd Mbulwe of Soil and… Read More →

New AgriLife Research Entomologist Hired in Amarillo

By: Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications AMARILLO – Dr. Ada Szczepaniec has been hired as an assistant professor and research entomologist by Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Amarillo and the Texas A&M University department of entomology. She began Sept. 14. “Dr. Szczepaniec possesses an excellent academic and field research background that will allow her to quickly establish a strong entomology research program directed primarily on cropping systems that include wheat, corn or sorghum,” said Dr. John Sweeten, AgriLife Research resident director in Amarillo. “Her strong personal attributes… Read More →

Johnston Part of Group Studying How Genome Size Affects Reproductive Fitness in Seed Beetles

Beetles can teach us a lot of things about genetics, especially with regard to differences in genome size within and between species. Professor Spencer Johnston worked with a team of scientists to test how the genome size affects reproductive fitness in seed beetles. Led by Goran Arnqvist of the University of Uppsala in Sweden, the researchers have presented evidence suggesting that natural selection may be a more important determinant of genome size than chance events (genetic drift). In the study published in the September 2015 issue of the… Read More →

Entomology Student Learns Valuable Experience at Orkin Internship

Video courtesy of Orkin For junior Entomology major Colby Shodrock his dream of working at a pest control company came true as he got to intern in Georgia for the Orkin Internship program during this summer. Shodrock said he had heard about the internship when he saw a flier about the program that was posted on a bulletin board. He had always wanted to work for Orkin and wanted to see what it would be like working for the company. Shodrock interned at the company’s call center in… Read More →

Ph.D. Student Receives USDA-AFRI Travel Grant

Congratulations to Wenqing Zhou on receiving a USDA – AFRI travel award to attend the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting in Minneapolis this November. The travel grant award is funded by USDA-NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Program on Plant-Associated Insects and Nematodes. It was created to provide financial support to graduate students for new networking, presentation, and research opportunities at the meeting that will be held on November 15-18. Zhou is a Ph.D. candidiate currently being mentored under Professor and Charles R. Parencia Chair in Cotton… Read More →

Faculty, Staff Honored at Annual COALS Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Awards Ceremony

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Congratulations to Dr. Jim Woolley and Mr. Pete Krauter for receiving the highest award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for their achievements. Woolley and Krauter were honored on Wednesday, September 16, during the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony held at the AgriLife Center. Woolley, a professor of Entomology, received the Dean’s Award in the international impact category. Woolley has been with the Department for 32 years teaching and researching the taxonomy and evolution of parasitic… Read More →

Entomologists find new stink bug to help soybean farmers control damage

By Kathleen Phillips, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications BEAUMONT — Entomologists in Texas got a whiff of a new stink bug doing economic damage to soybeans in Texas and are developing ways to help farmers combat it, according to a report in the journal Environmental Entomology. Various types of stink bugs have long been a problem on soybean crops, but when sweeps of fields in southeast Texas netted 65 percent redbanded stink bugs, entomologists realized this particular bug had become the predominant pest problem, according to Dr. Mo Way,… Read More →

Chong Chin Heo Receives Top TAMU Awards For Research Excellence

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Chong Chin Heo’s research has been recognized at the higher level as he recently received the Vice President for Research’s Excellence Award and the Sigma Xi Interdisciplinary Award for his outstanding research efforts. Heo is a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin’s FLIES lab and received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and Masters in Parasitology from the National University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Heo’s interest in research started when he learned about the devastating impacts of parasites and insects to human and… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Awards During Forum

The Department of Entomology recently recognized four students as they received recognition for their outstanding research presentations during the Eighteenth Annual Graduate Student Forum on August 27. The forum allows graduate students to present their research in front of their peers. Presenters had a total of 15 minutes to present their research and field questions from the audience. Of the 15 presenters, Chong Chin Heo received first place for his talk titled “Ecosystem resilience of carrion experiencing delayed Diptera colonization” and Paula Castillo for her talk titled “RNAi… Read More →

IPM Professionals Receive Experience at New Training House

By: Paul Schattenberg, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications DALLAS – The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas recently held an inaugural hands-on integrated pest management, or IPM, training class for more than a dozen professionals and paraprofessionals in the business of pest control. The class was the first to be offered using the IPM Experience House, a facility designed to train pest-control professionals how to control pests more safely and effectively. “This was the first time for the center to host a program based on hands-on… Read More →

Texas A&M Insect Collection Associate Curator Ed Riley To Retire

COLLEGE STATION, Texas— Associate Curator of the Texas A&M Insect Collection Ed Riley will soon have more time to enjoy insect collecting as he retires on August 31. Riley will retire at the end of August after working 27+ years as the assistant and associate curator of the Texas A&M Insect Collection within the Department of Entomology. Riley has been responsible for maintenance and curation of the Texas A&M Insect Collection. During his tenure, the insect collection has nearly tripled in size from one to three million curated… Read More →

Congratulations August Graduates!

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Thirteen students  joined more than 1,800 Aggies this August in walking the stage at Reed Arena during summer graduation. The thirteen included 3 Bachelor of Science, 4 Master of Science, and 5 Ph.D. students, as well as two students that received their Public Health Entomology certificates during the 9am ceremony. Before the ceremony started, students and their families were treated with a pre-commencement breakfast reception with faculty and staff in the fourth floor atrium where they could share their memories and congratulations before lineup. Associate Department… Read More →

Grad Student Receives Top Honors at International Research Competition

LEXINGTON—Rangel Lab member and Ph.D. student Elizabeth Walsh was one of two students from Texas A&M that received a high awards for their research at a company’s international agricultural science competition. Walsh and Xiaoquiu “Churchill” Wang submitted research projects to the Alltech Young Scientist Competition that was held in Lexington, Kentucky. Walsh received second place and Wang received first out of more than 9,000 students from 61 countries that participated in the competition. A native of Johnson Creek, Wisconsin, Walsh entered her project named “The Effects of In-Hive… Read More →

Department Participates In Unique Outreach Opportunity at Butterfly Release

The air was filled with lots of butterflies as the Department of Entomology helped celebrate the fourth annual “Wish upon a Butterfly” butterfly release at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural Science on Saturday, July 25. The annual fundraiser helps the museum, and also was an opportunity for members of the Department’s Entomology Graduate Student Organization and Dr. Juliana Rangel’s lab to raise awareness of how butterflies benefit humanity. According to the museum’s website, the fundraiser pays homage and well-wishes to celebration, childhood wonder, the memory and presence… Read More →

Extension Program Specialist Enjoys Helping the Community

The Department of Entomology is featuring some of our Extension personnel and how they became interested in entomology and their jobs as entomologists. Extension Program Specialist Wizzie Brown works in the Austin/Travis county area and handles issues with integrated pest management and urban educational programs. Brown started her career in Extension in 2002 working as an Extension agent with the integrated pest management (IPM). She said that she was very interested in entomology when she was younger but didn’t start studying it as a possible field of study… Read More →

Department Remembers Dr. Jimmy Olson

The Department of Entomology remembers the life of Dr. Jimmy Olson this week after he passed away on Thursday, July 2, at St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan. Olson was born to James Francis and Ruth Ann Peck Olson on February 18, 1942 in Twin Falls, Idaho. He received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Idaho in 1965 and his Ph.D. in Entomology in 1971 from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He worked with the Department for 37 years as a Professor… Read More →

Entomologists Discover New Way For Humans to Avoid Being Bitten By Mosquitoes

Summer is usually a time for get-togethers, barbecues, and spending time outdoors. It also means a time where mosquitoes are the most active. A group of scientists, led by Dr. Jeff Tomberlin, is looking at a possible way of making humans unattractive to these biting insects by outsmarting mosquitoes simply by using the chemical communications systems bacteria on the skin. Tomberlin, along with Drs. Craig Coates, Tawni Crippen from USDA and Tom Wood from Pennsylvania State University, and former TAMU graduate student researcher Ms. Xinyang Zhang have discovered… Read More →

Workshop Helps Inspectors Improve Tick Identification Skills

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology was host to a total of 52 animal health inspectors and state-federal laboratory personnel from the Texas Animal Health Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services agencies on 16-17 and 23-24 June for workshops on Tick Identification and Foreign Animal Disease Awareness. Taught by Dr. Pete Teel, Professor, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, the workshop is designed to serve the needs of animal health inspectors in Texas conducting tick surveillance activities at… Read More →

Department Helps with Annual 4-H Roundup

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–The Heep Center on the Texas A&M Campus was alive this summer with youth, parents, and sponsors attending the annual 4-H Roundup Entomology Contests from all over Texas. The annual event, which is hosted on the Texas A&M Campus, is a qualifying invitational event that is held for youth between 11 and 18 that have already successfully qualified by participating at the district or regional level or registered to compete in an invitational event at the state level. The Department held two contests during the three… Read More →

Professor Co-Authors Article Featured In Science about Bee Eusociality

Several scientists including the Department’s own Dr. Spencer Johnston have published results in a recent edition of Science Magazine on how genetics can affect the eusociality of bees. Led by Karen Kapheim, the team studied the genomes of ten bee species that had varied social complexity that represented multiple independent transitions in the evolution of social structures in the insects. Johnston said that the scientists wanted to answer the question on how genetics played a role in determining behavior in social insects, such as bees. “Scientists have many… Read More →

Entomology Students Join Record Spring 2015 Graduating Class

Several Entomology students celebrated their hard work in their academic career as they joined more than 8,700 other Aggies expected to walk the stage during spring commencement exercises at Reed Arena on Friday, May 15. Students and their families shared memories with faculty members and were treated to a special pre-graduation breakfast with donuts and coffee in the fourth floor atrium. We want to congratulate all that are expected to graduate this spring and good luck on your future! Undergraduates Christina Kaye Alvarez Entomology Justin Bejcek Entomology Amy… Read More →

Loriann Garcia Receives 2015 Distinguished Grad Student Award

Loriann Garcia standing with her award with flowers in the background. Photo by Rob Williams.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Congratulations to Ph.D. student Loriann Garcia on receiving the Distinguished Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Teaching. Garcia was honored with the award for Excellence in Teaching during a special Distinguished Day awards ceremony that was held on April 27. Garcia is advised by Dr. Micky Eubanks and has been a teaching assistant for several courses, including General Entomology, Evolution of Insect Structure, Host Plant Resistance, and Integrated Pest Management courses since fall of 2012. She also has been an invited lecturer for a general entomology… Read More →

Department Celebrates Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Facility Grand Opening

Ribbon Cutting

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—More than 80 guests from the community and the university gathered in the beautiful weather to celebrate the grand opening of the new Rollins Urban and Structural Facility on Monday, May 4. Located at the corner of F&B and Agronomy Roads, the 10,000-square-foot facility houses laboratories, conference rooms, offices, and training rooms that help support the vision and mission of the Department’s Urban and Structural Entomology program. The luncheon featured several remarks by Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, Vice Chancellor and Dean of the… Read More →

Students Recognized During Banquet, Parents’ Weekend Convocation

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The stormy weather did not stop families and friends from celebrating the achievements of our Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences students at the 19th annual Undergraduate Student Recognition Banquet on Thursday, April 16. Students were treated to a buffet style dinner and desserts as members of the Aggie Forensic and Investigative Sciences (AFISO) and the Undergraduate Entomology Student Organization (UESO) led the event. Dr. Adrienne Brundage provided a motivational talk about discovery of one’s career path based upon her life experiences and decisions, and provided… Read More →

First-Ever Student-Edited Electronic Journal Released

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Students in the Department of Entomology now have another place to showcase their research as assistant lecturer Dr. Adrienne Brundage’s Entomology 481 Science Writing course released its first-ever online journal this month. The journal, named “Instars: A Journal of Undergraduate Research,” is an open-access journal that features a compilation of research project papers that have been done by former and current undergraduate students both in the department’s Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences programs. Students served as peer editors during the planning stages last fall. Brundage… Read More →

Insect Judging Clinic Helps Increase Youths’ Interest in Insects

Dr. Teel teaching

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –A total of 98 high school and junior high students learned the basics of entomology and insect identification during the Department of Entomology’s annual Insect Judging Clinic on March 28. This is the fifth year that the Department has hosted the event that helps students to work on refining their insect identification skills and learn about science and about Texas A&M University. The half-day-long clinic featured various demonstrations on topics such as the basics of identifying and collecting insects and recognizing features of problem insect… Read More →

Entomology Students’ Research Receives Top Awards during Spring Competitions

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—Spring 2015 has turned out to be a good semester for the Department of Entomology’s undergraduate and graduate students as they received high recognitions during two research competitions in late March. The first set of students received high marks during the student research competition at the 16th annual Ecological Integration Symposium held at Rudder Tower on Thursday. During the event, Ph.D. student Carl Hjelmen received the first place award in the Graduate Student Presentations category for his presentation titled “Size DOES Matter: Finding phylogenetic signal in… Read More →

Termite School Trains Pest Management Professionals on Latest Techniques

COLLEGE STATION, Texas–Twenty-one pest management professionals convened at the Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology Center to learn the latest termite control techniques at the Philip Hamman Termite Control Training School on March 24-26. The three-day-long event was held to allow pest control and other professionals interested in termite control to receive the proper training in the latest techniques on how to treat and control termites in structures. Each session included various hands-on demonstrations and classroom lectures that allow the participants to learn how to properly apply the appropriate… Read More →

Hapes Elected to Advising Training and Development Chair Position with National Academic Advising Organization

Rebecca Hapes Takes on Leadership Role with National Advising Organization

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Rebecca Hapes, Senior Academic Advisor in Entomology, on her recent election as chair of the Advising Training and Development Commission of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). Hapes assumes her new role at the end of the NACADA Annual Conference held in Las Vegas, NV in October and will serve in this position until October 2017. As the chair, Hapes will be responsible for providing leadership and direction to the commission regarding its special advising area of interest, promoting participation… Read More →

Students Experience Hands-On Learning With Insect Collecting Trip

Several students in Dr. Julio Bernal’s ENTO 313, Biology of Insects, lab got the experience of a lifetime this March as they learned valuable hands-on experience in collecting insects at Lick Creek Park early in March. The students worked throughout the class period learning the various techniques and the insect biodiversity that is at the park. Teaching assistant and Ph.D. student Ordom Huot led the trip and said that he wanted to teach and use some of the collection and identification techniques that were taught in the lab… Read More →

Meaghan Pimsler Receives Comstock Award from Southwestern Branch of ESA

Meaghan Pimsler with Bob Davis

TULSA—Ph.D. student Meaghan Pimsler’s hard work and determination has paid off again as she received the Entomological Society of America’s John Henry Comstock Award for 2015 at the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society’s annual meeting. The award was announced during the meeting’s awards ceremony held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa during the three-day event on February 23-26. Pimsler is co-advised by Drs. Jeff Tomberlin and Aaron Tarone and her dissertation is titled “A Functional Genetic Study of the Behavioral Ecology of Chrysomya rufifacies… Read More →

Extension IPM Agents Honored at 2015 TPMA Annual Meeting

TPMA Chairman Mark Wright, left, and Award Winners Stephen Biles, center. and Rick Minzenmayer, right. Photo by Pat Porter

AUSTIN—Three Texas A&M AgriLife Extension personnel received honors at this year’s Texas Pest Management Association in Austin. The awards were given to Extension Agent-IPM Stephen Biles, Extension Agent-IPM Danielle Sekula-Ortiz, and Extension Agent-IPM Rick Minzenmayer for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. Biles received the 2014 Excellence in IPM Programming Award for seven or more years of service to the state’s integrated pest management program. According to the nomination letter, Biles serves as the Extension Agent-IPM for Calhoun and Refugio Counties. He has also served as… Read More →

Grad Students Honored at Special Recognition Seminar

Paula Castillo with Dr. David Ragsdale holding an award

The Department of Entomology recently named its Outstanding Graduate Students of 2015 during a special seminar on Thursday, February 19. Paula Castillo and Meaghan Pimsler were honored during the Grad Student Recognition Seminar. Castillo received the Outstanding Grad Student – Masters Student while Pimsler received the Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award. Castillo is currently being mentored by Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio. She is author of an article published in PLoS One in 2013 on the immunolocalization of the sNPF receptor in all three subcastes of red imported fire ant workers…. Read More →

Department Names Dr. Hojun Song as Assistant Professor of Systematics and Biodiversity

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Department of Entomology at Texas A&M would like to welcome Dr. Hojun Song as Assistant Professor of Entomology in Arthropod Systematics and Biodiversity. Song joined the Department on January 12 and replaced the position that Dr. Wharton left after he recently retired in August 2013. Before coming to A&M, Song was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida and was curator of the Stuart M. Fullerton Collection of Arthropods at UCF. Song is broadly interested in systematics and… Read More →

Department Announces Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker Award

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology is pleased to announce that Dr. Sarjeet Gill of the University of California-Riverside was named as this year’s Perry Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker during a special seminar on January 29th. Given annually, the Perry Adkisson Distinguished Seminar Speaker Award recognizes outstanding researchers in the field of entomology and gives graduate students and the community the opportunity to hear the latest research from leading scientists. Gill is Professor and Entomologist in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at the University… Read More →

Urban and Structural Pest Management Conference Featured Glimpse of New Urban Building

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –A total of 396 participants got a glimpse of new urban insect biology and management techniques during the 69th annual Texas A&M Urban Pest Management Conference in early January. Held from January 6-8, the conference is designed to help those that work in the pest management field to learn about the latest developments, techniques and regulations in the industry that can be used to help improve their business practices. The first session began with Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale introducing Dr. Ed Vargo as… Read More →

Grad Student Receives Award at 2015 Beltwide Cotton Conference

Carrie Deans. Submitted Photo

SAN ANTONIO – For the second year in a row, Entomology Ph.D. student Carrie Deans has received an award at the 2015 Beltwide Cotton Conference in January. Deans received the Best Ph.D. Student Oral Presentation Prize in the Insect Research and Control section for her talk titled “The Impact of Nutrition on Cry1Ac Susceptibility in Helicoverpa Zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): A Case Study in Environmentally-Mediated Resistance” during the three-day long conference held in San Antonio. This is Deans’ second award at the national conference. She also received the Best… Read More →

Dr. Roger Gold Honored at Retirement Reception

Dr. Roger Gold standing with his plaque

BRYAN, Texas –More than 90 faculty and friends came to celebrate 25 years of hard work and dedication for Professor and Endowed Chair for Urban and Structural Entomology Dr. Roger Gold during a dinner at the Astin Mansion on January 8. Gold retired on January 16 after 25 years of service with the Department. He started with the Department in 1989 as Professor and Endowed Chair of the Urban and Structural Entomology program. As Professor and Endowed Chair, he was responsible for overseeing research, extension and teaching programs… Read More →

School IPM, Staff Member Receive Excellence Awards for 2015

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate several members of the faculty and staff for receiving awards for excellence. The Texas School Integrated Pest Management Program received the AgriLife Extension Service’s Superior Service Award in the Team category during the Texas A&M AgriLife Conference on January 6. The team consists of Dr. Blake Bennett, AgriLife Extension economist-management, Dallas; Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Extension program specialist, Travis County; Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension program specialist, entomology, Dallas; Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension program specialist, entomology, San Antonio;… Read More →

Ed Vargo Named As New Endowed Urban and Structural Entomology Chair

Dr. Ed Vargo. Submitted photo

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –The Department of Entomology would like to announce that Dr. Edward Vargo was recently selected to become the next endowed chair of the Urban and Structural Entomology Chair and arrived in early December. The present chair Dr. Roger Gold retires on January 15, 2015. Vargo will be continuing the work of the urban and structural entomology program’s goals. Before coming to Texas A&M, Vargo was professor and interim head of the Department of Entomology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. As interim… Read More →

Congratulations December 2014 Graduates!!

December 2014 Graduates

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A total of 22 students braved the cold and rainy early morning weather to become the newest group of fall graduates to walk the Reed Arena stage during fall graduation on Friday, December 19. Fifteen undergraduates, 4 Master’s, and 3 Ph.D. students were among the thousands of other students from the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Science, and the Mays Business School that were expected to graduate during the 9 a.m. ceremony. Students and their families also shared memories and well wishes with faculty… Read More →

Students Receive Unique Learning Experience by Creating Online Journal

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Students in senior lecturer Dr. Adrienne Brundage gave the challenge to her students in the Entomology 481 Writing Seminar class to come up with a way to combine science writing and editing an online journal. The challenge was taken as the students in the class worked on a project for an online journal that will contain submissions from student writers in the Department with the students in her class taking the role of editors of the submitted articles. The journal called “Instars: A Journal… Read More →

Graduate Linnaean Team Received Third Place at National Competition

PORTLAND, Ore. –The Texas A&M Graduate Linnaean Team received third place during the semifinals of the 2014 Linnaean Games at the annual Entomological Society of America meeting in Portland in November. The student team, consisting of graduate students Lauren Ward, James Tracy, Adrian Fisher, and Suhas Vyavhare, with alternates Pierre Lau and Carl Hjelmen, is coached by Dr. Juliana Rangel. The team competed against several other universities in the quiz-bowl style competition between universities during the meeting. The team defeated Oklahoma State during the quarter finals but lost… Read More →

Grad Student Receives First Place in National Meeting Poster Competition

Freddy with poster-frontpage. Photo by Paula Castillo

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Department would like to congratulate Ph.D. student Freddy Ibanez as he received first place at a poster competition during the national meeting of the Entomological Society of America in late November. Mentored by Dr. Cecilia Tamborindeguy, Ibanez received First Place in the Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology Section. The section is for people who study insects at the cellular or molecular levels and includes topics such as biochemistry, microbiology, toxicology and molecular biology. Ibanez’s poster titled “Vitellogenesis in potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli” looks at how… Read More →

Extension, Research Entomology Receives Three USDA Grants For Integrated Pest Management

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research have received a total of $937,345 in grant monies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture for integrated pest management work, according to a recent USDA news release announcing the successful grant projects. The agency awarded a total of $16 million in grants nationally to support research and Extension activities across the U.S. that address critical integrated pest management needs, according to the press release. The resources are meant… Read More →

Texas Apiary Inspection Service Launches New ‘Master Beekeeper’ Program

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –Beekeepers in Texas will now have a way to further their knowledge and skill set in beekeeping as the Texas Master Beekeeper program officially launched this November. Provided by the Texas Apiary Inspection Service in association with the Texas Beekeepers Association, the Texas A&M Honey Bee Lab, and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the program is an educational program to help increase the knowledge and skill level of participating beekeepers. TAIS Chief Apiary Inspector Mark Dykes said that the Texas program is modeled after… Read More →

Hillel Jewish Student Organization Visits Rangel Lab and Apiary

Pierre Lau showing his research to students from the Hillel Jewish Student Center at a recent tour. Photo by Juliana Rangel

BRYAN, Texas – Members of the Hillel Jewish Student Organization headed out for Texas A&M’s Riverside campus to get the latest buzz on honey and how honey is made during a recent tour in September. The students learned several different things about honey, including how it is made, what part honey bees played in the role, and how honey is used in such religious celebrations as the Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. Hillel’s Jewish Student Life Coordinator Veronica Beskin said that the trip was perfect because they… Read More →

Insect of the Month: Green June Beetles

It’s the time of year that green june beetles are spotted in large clusters around Central Texas. According to Extension Program Specialist Wizzie Brown, these beetles are known by their velvety green appearance and measure about one inch long and one-half inch wide. The beetle’s top is a dull green with yellow-brown markings on the wings and the underside is bright, metallic green with yellow-orange markings. The larvae, usually called grubs, are creamy white and shaped like the letter C with well-developed head capsules and legs and can… Read More →

Grad Students Receive AFRI Travel Grant for ESA Meeting in November

Carrie Deans and Freddy Ibanez

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Ph.D. students Freddy Ibanez and Carrie Deans will be able to travel to the national meeting of the Entomological Society Meeting this year thanks to a travel grant from the US Department of Agriculture. Deans and Ibanez were two of 10 students that were selected to travel to the meeting that is scheduled to be held in Portland, Ore., on November 16-19. According to the ESA’s website, the grant provides financial support to allow graduate students to travel to the annual meeting to allow… Read More →

Teel Receives COALS Award for Excellence in Teaching, ENTO Faculty Achieved Promotion

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate Professor and Associate Department Head for Academic Programs Dr. Pete Teel for receiving the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Teaching. Teel was honored for the Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Teaching in the Educational Enrichment and Innovation category during a special awards presentation at the AgriLife Center on Wednesday, Sept. 10. The main goal of the awards ceremony is to recognize and reward excellence in the College’s faculty, staff, and… Read More →

Grad Students’ Research Presentations Receive Recognition During Forum

  COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate grad students Luciano Cosme, Emily Boothe, and Kevin Deitz as they received awards for their talks during the annual Graduate Student Forum. The students received awards for having the top presentations out of sixteen participants during the seventeenth annual event that was hosted on August 28. Deitz received third place for his talk titled “Genomic Analysis of Divergence Within the Malaria Vector Anopheles melas” while Booth received second for her talk “A stable isotope mark-capture… Read More →

Dr. Spencer Johnston Co-Authored Article on Antarctic Midge Genome

Who would have thought that there would be an insect (or any other terrestrial animal) tough enough to survive the brutal Antarctic environment? A group of scientists including the Department’s own Dr. Spencer Johnston just published an article featured in Nature Magazine on the Antarctic midge that not only survives year round in the South Pole, but also has the smallest insect genome sequenced to date. Led by Dr. Joanna Kelley of Washington State University, the scientists have set out to study the Antarctic midge (Belgica antartica) and… Read More →

Department, Extension Names Robert Puckett as Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist

Robert Puckett. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Department of Entomology and Texas AgriLife Extension would like to welcome Dr. Robert Puckett as its newest member. Puckett will be starting his position as Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist on September 1,and will be co-located at the Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology facility where he will work with Dr. Edward Vargo, the next Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology.“We are very fortunate to be able to hire Dr. Robert Puckett as Extension Entomologist at College Station,” said Dr. Charles Allen, Extension… Read More →

Congratulations Graduates! Seven Students Celebrated Summer Graduation

Congratulations Graduates! Seven Students Celebrated Summer Graduation

It was a great summer for the seven students in the Department of Entomology that were expected to walk the stage for summer graduation this August. The students joined other students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as five other colleges, that were expected to walk the stage at Reed Arena early Friday morning during summer commencement ceremonies. The students consisted of three undergraduate entomology majors, one biomedical science and entomology double major, and three Ph.D. candidates. Biomedical Sciences and Entomology double major Meng… Read More →

Grad Students Help High School Students Become Stars at Statewide Summer Camp

Ordom Huot teaching high school students about entomology

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Grad students Xanthe Shirley and Ordom Huot presented to several high school students during a recent youth camp at the Memorial Student Center. The STARS Camp is a camp held during the summer for students interested in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University. During the two-day camp, participants learned about degree programs and networking, as well as career and college preparation. The group hosted students from various Houston and San Antonio area schools during the last week of July…. Read More →

Rangel Has Exceptional Harvest, Aggie Honey Back On Sale at Rosenthal

Mark Dykes and Laura Weller with honeycomb

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — After a productive summer from the newly-installed apiary at the Janice and John G. Thomas Honey Bee Facility, Dr. Juliana Rangel and her students have a bumper crop of Aggie Honey™ for sale. The honey, is one way to highlight the research ongoing at Texas A&M in honey bee health and management. Honey sales is one way to support the Rangel lab’s research program on honey bee biology and health. Aggie Honey is available for $12 for a 16 oz jar and $7 for… Read More →

Insect of the Month: Paper Wasps

Paper wasp

Since we are now in the “dog days” of summer, you probably have seen these paper wasps buzzing around or have seen their nests on eaves and other items around homes, or have been stung accidentally by these insects before. Extension Program Specialist II Wizzie Brown said that paper wasps are reddish brown wasps, sometimes with yellow markings and are about ¾- 1 inch in length with smoky wings. Mated queens overwinter and emerge in spring to start a small, new nest in which to lay eggs. The… Read More →

Hamer Research Team Collaborates to Protect Endangered Whooping Crane Populations from Vector-Borne Parasites

Whooping Crane at Aransas Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Dave and Liz Smith.

A collaboration among Dr. Gabriel Hamer’s Research Team in the Department of Entomology, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, and the International Crane Foundation is helping to save the whooping crane populations by studying vector-borne parasites in both whooping and sandhill cranes in the United States and Canada. PhD student and veterinarian Miranda Bertram is leading the project, and works closely with Gabe as well as Dr. Sarah Hamer of the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, and Dr. Barry Hartup of the International Crane Foundation and… Read More →

Two Grad Students Receive TAMU Dissertation Fellowship

Carrie Deans and Meaghan Pimsler

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The continuing dedication and hard work of our graduate students paid off again as Ph.D. candidates Meaghan Pimsler and Carrie Deans received the Dissertation Fellowship from the Texas A&M Office of Graduate and Professional Studies. Both Deans and Pimsler are doctoral candidates in Entomology. Deans is co-advised by Drs. Spence Behmer and Gregory Sword and Pimsler is co-advised by Drs. Jeff Tomberlin and Aaron Tarone. Deans’ proposed dissertation title is “The Interaction between Nutrition and Stress in Insects.” Some of the topics covered include characterizing the… Read More →

Robert Bowling Named Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Corpus Christi

Robert Bowling

CORPUS CHRISTI – The Department of Entomology and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service recently named Robert Bowling to the position of Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Corpus Christi. Bowling will start his position on July 1 and will replace the position that was recently held by Dr. Roy Parker until he retired on August 31, 2013. Bowling first joined the Department and Extension in 2000 as an Extension Agent – Integrated Pest Management in Dumas, Texas. While he was in Dumas, he has cooperated with area consultants,… Read More →

Insect of the Month: Cicadas

Editorial note: This is a monthly series highlighting the most interesting facts about a featured insect. by Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist, Austin Cicadas are fairly large insects but can vary in size with some growing over 1 ½ inches. Color may also vary depending upon species, but many are browns or greens. All cicadas have bulging eyes and, on adults, wings that are held roof-like over the body. The wings are semi-transparent with thick wing veins. The majority of their life cycle is spent underground. Cicadas have… Read More →

Hacking for a Good Cause: KEL Members Receive Recognition For Application at Programming Event

The team working on the City of Houston Blighted Properties project. Photo by College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

HOUSTON –Two members of the Department of Entomology’s Knowledge Engineering Laboratory received an award during a recent event held for developers. The five member team came up with a solution to help the city of Houston with improving an information system dealing with blighted properties during the annual City of Houston Open Invitational Hackathon in early June. The team consisted of KEL members Reza Teshnizi  and Elvis Takow, as well as Biological and Agricultural Engineering grad student Rahuveer Modala City of Stafford staff member and former TAMU student… Read More →

Beekeepers Learn Latest Buzz about Honey Bees at Annual Summer Clinic

E.T. Ash demonstrating how to extract honey.

BRYAN, Texas – More than 300 honey bee keepers and bee enthusiasts statewide descended upon the John G. and Janice Thomas Honey Bee Facility on June 7 for the annual Texas Beekeepers Association’s Summer Clinic. Held every summer, the clinic allows bee keepers, gardeners, and honey bee enthusiasts to come together to learn about the latest research and the latest techniques and tips from experts from the Dr. Juliana Rangel Lab, members of the Texas Apiary Inspection Service and other presenters. Since this summer’s clinic was the first… Read More →

Professor Studied Stick Insects to Test Prediction of Population Divergence

A male stick insect (Timema knulli) sitting on its host redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in the Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve, Big Sur, California. The process of Timema populations adapting to different hosts has repeatedly initiated parallel genetic changes in this group of insects. In turn, these replicate instances of differentiation have resulted in predictable and repeatable patterns of genome divergence by natural selection. See page 738. Photo: © Moritz Muschick

Who would have thought that stick insects would be so helpful in studying the predictability of the adaptive process that occurs when an insect adapts to a new host plant? It is a question of more than academic interest. Many agricultural insect pests are the consequence of just such a host switch. A group of scientists including Dr. Spencer Johnston of Texas A&M Department of Entomology recently captured the May 16 cover of Science magazine with a paper on the genetic changes driving the divergence of populations into… Read More →

Bockoven Receives National Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching

Alison Bockoven, center, with Dr. David Reed, left, and Dr. Micky Eubanks, right. Photo by Rob Williams

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For Ph.D. student Alison Bockoven, teaching is a part of life. On Friday, May 9 she received the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture’s Graduate Student Teaching Award of Merit Award. The Department of Entomology congratulates her on this outstanding accomplishment. The award recognizes all graduate students who excel as teachers in the agricultural disciplines. Bockoven received the award during a special reception held for graduation on May 9. Bockoven is advised by Dr. Micky Eubanks and her research focuses on the extent,… Read More →

Department Sees Record Number of Students Graduating in Spring 2014

ENtomology undergraduate students at graduation

What a great early Mother’s Day gift to see loved ones walk the stage at graduation! That’s exactly what a total of 42 Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences students did when they graced the stage at Reed Arena to celebrate their graduation along with thousands of other students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on Saturday, May 10. In addition to Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences, eight students also had the honor of completing the 15 credit hours required to earn the Public Health… Read More →

Insect of the Month: Gall-Making Insects

Editorial note: This is a series highlighting the most interesting facts about a featured insect each month. Have you ever wondered what makes those small balls that you see underneath leaves and stems of plants, such as trees? According to Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist Dr. Mike Merchant, the growths, called galls, are often the result of insects laying eggs inside or feeding on the branches or leaves of trees and other plants. The galls, Merchant said, were tumor-like growths that are produced by the plant in response… Read More →

Heinz Receives Kunze Award from TAMU Graduate Student Council

Dr. Kevin Heinz, center, stands with Graduate Student Council Executive Vice President Amanda Rutherford (left) and GSC President Brittany Bounds (right). Photo by Charlotte Garroway.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Department of Entomology would like to extend its congratulations to Dr. Kevin Heinz as he received the Kunze Award for his hard work and accomplishments with the Office of Graduate Studies and the Department of Entomology during a special ceremony on Monday, April 28. Heinz is currently the Assistant Provost of Graduate and Professional Studies and also serves as the Director of the Texas A&M Forensic and Investigative Sciences program and is a Professor in the Department of Entomology. The Kunze Award was… Read More →

Students Recognized for Senior Merit, ANRP Internship Announced

students standing with Dr. Ragsdale, Entomology Department Head

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –Four students were recently recognized at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ annual Spring Awards Convocation on April 12. Seniors Courtney Weldon, Barrett Riddle, and Jeffrey Ng received Senior Merit Awards for their leadership, scholarship and service at the department, college and university level.  The Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senior Merit Award is the highest award given to undergraduates by the College. Senior Merit Awards have been given by our college at this convocation for more than 50 years.  Junior… Read More →

Graduate Students Receive Awards at Campuswide Research Events

Graduate Students Receive Awards at Campuswide Research Events

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Three graduate students from the Department of Entomology recently received honors for their research during two student research events. Master’s student Milo Lewis and Ph.D. student James Tracy placed in the University’s annual Student Research Week competition for oral papers and posters at the competition in the MSC while Ph. D. student Warren Sconiers received an award during the Ecological Integration Symposium in late March. Lewis received second place in the graduate section in the Plant subject at Student Research Week for his oral… Read More →

Department Names New Chief Apiary Inspector

Mark Dykes checking a piece of beekeeping equipment

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Things are really buzzing this spring just in time for the honey bees to become active as the Department announces the arrival of Mark Dykes as the new Chief Apiary Inspector. Dykes joined the Department in March after working as a supervisor at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Apiary Inspection Service. He replaced Paul Jackson after his retirement in June 2013. During the time he was a supervisor of the Region 2 with Florida Department of Agriculture, Dykes oversaw the inspections… Read More →

Mosquito Task Force Releases Manual for Mosquito Control and Management

female mosquito biting

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – A collaboration between several Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agents, mosquito control experts and environmental experts has come together to help Texans control mosquitoes just in time for the mosquito season to begin this year. The final product –called Texas Mosquito Management–is a manual that contains everything that Texas city and county health departments need to know about managing mosquitos and mosquito borne diseases. Assistant Professor and Extension Entomologist Sonja Swiger said demand for the manual was created as Texas county and city governments searched to… Read More →

Graduate Student Linnaean Team Receives Second Place at Branch Meeting, Bid To National Competition

Graduate Student Linnaean Team Receives Second Place at Branch Meeting, Bid To National Competition

SAN ANTONIO—This is the second time the graduate Linnaean Team is going to nationals to compete in the Linnaean Games at the National Entomological Society of America meeting in November. The team, consisting of James Tracy, Adrian Fisher, Lauren Ward, Kate Harrell and Suhas Vyavhare, defeated both University of Texas – Tyler and the Texas A&M undergraduate teams during the final competition of the Linnaean Games during the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society Meeting in San Antonio this February. The Linnaean Games are a fast-paced question-and-answer, college… Read More →

Parker, Drees Receive Emeritus Status from TAMUS Board of Regents

Roy Parker and Bart Drees head photos

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –Drs. Bart Drees’ and Roy Parker’s dedication and hard work were honored as they received Emeritus status at a recent Board of Regents meeting in February. Drees and Parker both received the status for their outstanding achievements and service with both the Department of Entomology and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service during their time of employment. Drees retired from the Department and Extension in August of 2013 after 33 years of employment as an Extension Entomologist. Initially, Drees had responsibilities for educational programming on pests… Read More →

Grad Students Receive Recognition for Outstanding Service and Research

Grad Students Receive Recognition for Outstanding Service and Research

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Two of the Department’s graduate students received high honors from the Department for their outstanding research and service as they were honored during a special seminar on Thursday. Marion Le Gall received the Outstanding Ph.D. Student and Milo Lewis was honored with the Outstanding Masters student Award during the special presentation. Le Gall is currently working in Dr. Spence Behmer’s lab, where she is examining how interactions between macro nutrients and allelochemicals influence feeding behavior and nutrient utilization in insect herbivores. Le Gall also… Read More →

Department Recognizes Faculty, Staff with Awards During Monthly Meeting

Department Recognizes Faculty, Staff with Awards During Monthly Meeting

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—The Department recognized the outstanding accomplishments of a few staff and faculty members during its annual awards meeting held on February 14, 2014. The first award given out was the Lifetime Achievement recognition, which was given to Professor Emeritus Dr. Larry Keeley. Keeley jo ined the Department of Entomology as Assistant Professor in 1966, became Professor in 1976 and Professor Emeritus 2004 following retirement in 2003.  Keeley taught Insect Physiology to undergraduate and graduate students, and received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award. Keeley’s computer animations of… Read More →

Insect Pests Have Strategies to Survive Cold Weather

Insect Pests Have Strategies to Survive Cold Weather

by Robert Burns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications OVERTON – Will the extremely cold weather Texas experienced recently have any effect on insect populations this spring? Probably not, said Erfan Vafaie, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management specialist at Overton. “It depends upon the insect,” said Vafaie. Red imported fire ants, for example, burrow down so deeply in the soil that they’re unlikely to be affected by cold weather, Vafaie said. “They tend to be quite ‘insulated’, if you will, from the extreme temperature changes — unless… Read More →

Paula Castillo Receives Third Place in Campuswide Poster Competition

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Master’s candidate Paula Castillo’s research on fire ant neurochemistry and caste system has received her third place prize in the Junior Graduate Student category at a campuswide poster competition. Castillo received the award during the Texas A&M Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience & Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience’s 2013-2014 Poster Session at the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building on Wednesday, January 29. The award was given for her poster titled “Differences in sNPF receptor-expressing neurons in brains of fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) worker… Read More →

George Teetes Named ESA Legends of Entomology

AUSTIN, Texas — A well-known former professor was recently named a legend by the Plant-Insect Ecosystems (PIE) section of the  Entomological Society of America. The award recognizes entomologists for their outstanding contributions to the science of entomology and as their role as a student mentor. Professor Emeritus Dr. George Teetes was the third Legends after announcement during the P-IE’s annual networking session at the ESA Annual Meeting in Austin in November of 2013. During his 36 years as a professor, Dr. Teetes identified and deployed insect-resistant sorghums pivotal… Read More →

68th Urban Pest Management Conference Focuses on Latest Trends, Regulations for Professionals

Janet Hurley fielding questions during the beginning of her presentation. Photo by Rob Williams

BRYAN, Texas –A total of 380 pest control professionals from the state and across the country convened at the Brazos Center to keep up with the changing world of regulations and technologies that concern pest control businesses at the 68th Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop. Held the week of January 8-10, the conference is designed to help those that work in the pest management field to learn about the latest developments, techniques and regulations in the industry that can be used for their businesses. The conference began… Read More →

Ph.D. Student Receives Top Award For Research at Beltwide Cotton Conference

Carrie Deans with her award. Deans received the award after participating in the oral presentation competition at the Beltwide Cotton Conference in New Orleans this January. Submitted photo.

NEW ORLEANS – Ph.D. Student Carrie Deans has some great news to celebrate in 2014 as she received first place for her research at the 2014 Beltwide Cotton Conference. Deans received the Best PhD Student Oral Presentation Prize in the Insect Control section for her talk titled “Macronutrient preference and effect on performance in Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae).” The competition was held during the conference in New Orleans on January 6-7. Deans was among several other students nationwide that gave talks on various subjects on cotton insects during… Read More →

Texas A&M AgriLife Vice Chancellor Award in Excellence Winners Were Announced for Entomology

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –A member of the administrative office at the Department of Entomology and one collaborative partnership are starting the New Year off right as they received the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence d uring the Centennial Conference in January. Administrative Services Officer Carla Smith received the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence in the business and operational staff category and the Salt Cedar Biological Control Team received the Vice Chancellor Award in Excellence in the Team category during the awards ceremony in College Station. Smith has served… Read More →

Students Joined 3,700+ Graduating Students for Fall Commencement Exercises

Students Joined 3,700+ Graduating Students for Fall Commencement Exercises

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Fourteen students in the Department of Entomology braved the cold mid-December morning to celebrate an early Christmas gift as they waited to graduate at Reed Arena during fall graduation on December 13. The graduating class, comprised of 12 Bachelor of Science, 1 Master of Science, and 1 Ph.D. candidate, were among more than 3,700 students  from the university that were expected to graduate this fall. This commencement also marks a milestone in that four of the Bachelor of Science graduates were the first to… Read More →

Exotic Weevils Battle Giant Salvinia at Caddo Lake

KARNACK, Texas–Texas A&M AgriLife scientists are seeing significant areas of giant salvinia destroyed by salvinia-eating weevils at Caddo Lake on the Texas-Louisiana border as part of project to control this exotic weed invading east Texas lakes. After releasing approximately 100,000 weevils at two research sites in the last two years, Dr. Allen Knutson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist at Dallas, and Lee Eisenberg, AgriLife Extension assistant at Karnack for the Texas Water Resources Institute, recently found large mats of salvinia destroyed by the weevils at the sites,… Read More →

Texas A&M Entomology Recognized at National ESA Meeting

Texas A&M Entomology Recognized at National ESA Meeting

AUSTIN — Several members of the Department of Entomology traveled westward to Austin to attend the annual national meeting of the Entomological Society of America meeting. Held at the Austin Convention Center this year, the meeting allows entomologists to learn the newest research and collaborate with others from across the United States. Three students and the Department’s debate team received awards during two of the ceremonies at the event. Ph.D. student Suhas Vyavhare was recognized for receiving the USDA-AFRI Student Grant. The award was created to provide financial… Read More →

Aggie Honey Featured As Tastiest Aggie Foods

Aggie Honey Featured As One of Tastiest Aggie-Made Foods

Over the years, researchers across Texas A&M and The Texas A&M University System have cultivated and fine-tuned countless varieties of grains, fruits, vegetables and meats. By focusing these projects on creating high-quality, efficient, economical and environmentally-sound products, Texas A&M has left its mark across the food industry, on everything from carrots to salsa. The Department of Entomology recently released one of the sweetest foods ever made by insects a few weeks ago — Texas Aggie Honey! It’s one of the newest Aggie-created foods and how sweet it is:… Read More →

Hapes Takes on Leadership Role with National Advising Organization

Senior Academic Advisor Rebecca Hapes now has another title to add to her resume –National Chair for the Advising Graduate and Professional Students Commission. Hapes was elected this position in early 2013 and assumed the position during the National Academic Advising Association’s (NACADA) annual meeting in early October held at Salt Lake City. The committee is comprised of those who advise graduate and post-baccalaureate and professional students and provides a collegial and mutually supportive context for discussing issues concerning graduate and professional students. Hapes said this is her… Read More →

‘Aggie Honey’ Makes its debut

‘Aggie Honey’ makes its debut

BRYAN, Texas — After months of preparation and hard work, members of the public can now get a taste of the sweet rewards that are coming in for the newly-established apiary at the Janice and John G. Thomas Honey Bee Facility. In an effort to raise awareness of the work being done at the university’s new facility, the staff there are proudly offering their first summer crop of genuine Aggie Honey, said Dr. Juliana Rangel, Texas A&M AgriLife Research assistant professor of apiculture at the facility. The 450… Read More →

Department, Extension Names Erfan Vafaie As Program Specialist In Overton

OVERTON, Texas — The Department of Entomology and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recently named Erfan Vafaie as the Extension Program Specalist I in Overton. Vafaie will start his position at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center team in Overton on December 2. Before being hired at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Vafaie was a research technician at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario, Canada. While at Vineland, he researched biological control of whiteflies and spotted wing Drosophila flies. He also was responsible for… Read More →

Honey bee nutrition might be key to healthy populations

AgriLife Research, USDA project looks to honey bee diets to reduce population losses by Gabe Saldana, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications A newly funded Texas A&M AgriLife Research project seeks to slow population losses among more than 2.6 million managed honey bee colonies in the U.S. Honey bees provide pollination services that uphold $16 billion in U.S. agricultural crops. However, managed colonies have seen annual declines. Those include a 40% decline as recently as 2018-2019, said Juliana Rangel, Ph.D, AgriLife Research honey bee scientist in the Department… Read More →