Category Archives: News
Texas Invasives website includes emerald ash borer
In case you haven’t heard, there’s an invasion going on. It’s not something you are likely to notice walking out the front door; but it’s taking place on a scale that would have seemed incredible a few years ago. Anyone who’s been stung by a fire ant has encountered it and nearly every field biologist is painfully aware of it. It’s an invasion of exotic plants, insects and animals, and it’s never been more serious. It’s hard to completely escape the news stories about Asian carp and “killer… Read More →
Fly and wasp wings are pretty too
Butterflies aren’t the only ones with beautiful wings. A Discovery Blog by Ed Yong does a nice job of reporting research from Ekaterina Shevtsova of Lund University in Sweden. Shevtsova carefully photographed a series of wasps on a black, rather than the usual white, background, revealing a rainbow of structural colors previously ignored by most researchers. Besides being a delightful surprise to the viewer, it turns out that these colors, formed in much the same way as the colorful sheen of oil on water, can be used to… Read More →
The U.S. EPA celebrates the 40 year mark
I was in high school when the Environmental Protection Agency opened its doors 40 years ago today. That might not seem like something a high school student would be interested in, but as a budding environmentalist, passionate outdoor enthusiast and Earth Day organizer, I was very interested. At the time of the late 60’s protection of the environment was not a high priority for our government. Concerns about waste disposal, clean air and water, pesticides and wildlife were growing and regularly reported in newspapers and magazines. Thanks in… Read More →
New factsheets added to Citybugs site
A website is a terrible mistress–always in need of attention. Growth of Insects in the City seems to go in spurts, and after a period of neglect it has grown by four pages today. During a recent Master Gardener training I realized that the new site did not include an old citybugs fastsheet called Entomology Resources and Supplies. This page included a list of recommended books on insects, as well as information on where to get insect collecting supplies. I have updated the old information and re-posted it… Read More →
Junk-food honey bees
Someone forwarded a link to this New York Times story yesterday, and it got me thinking about the junk that honey bees eat. Every fall, people report problems with honey bees being attracted to trash cans, soda cans, and all variety of sweet things. I’ve always believed this phenomenon was due to the combined effect of a declining natural supply of nectar and possibly an enhanced craving for carbohydrates prior to winter (stoking the fires for a long, cold winter). While the honey bee PR groups would probably… Read More →
Insect knowledge a must for Master Gardeners
A recent study done by past Entomology Specialist, Lance Jepson (class of 2009) in Tarrant County, revealed that about 30% of all calls coming into the Fort Worth extension office relate to insects. Read More →
Butterfly talk next Monday in Austin
Just passing on information about an upcoming event for any Insects in the City readers in the Austin area (thanks to Peg Wallace for the heads up). On October 25, author of the Butterflies Through Binoculars field guides, Jeff Glassberg, will be giving a presentation titled “See the USA – the Butterfly Way!” The program will be held at the Zilker Botanical Garden Center, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., at 7:00 p.m. Glassberg will speak about his favorite places to observe butterflies in the US. He is the founder… Read More →
Native Texas ornamental grasses worth checking out
Couldn’t resist sharing a link to an Ag N More story out this week on researchers promoting native Texas grasses for urban landscape use. Why write about native grasses in a site devoted to insects? Because native insects and plants are intimately related and because planting native plants ultimately helps preserve biodiversity at all levels, from insect life to song birds. I say kudos to Barbara Storz, AgriLife Extension agent in Hidalgo County, and her colleagues working at the San Juan Park near McAllen. They are promoting improved… Read More →
The truth about bed bugs
Forget the economy, forget major league baseball playoffs, forget fall elections, if you want to have a conversation that everyone is interested in, bring up the subject of bed bugs. These tiny blood-sucking parasites have finally reached celebrity status. If you don’t believe me, check out the Google Trends data below. Google Trends is a relatively new tool that allows you to see how many people are Googling a given subject on the Internet over time. Starting in 2004 with relatively little interest, the number of online searches… Read More →
What do bulletproof vests and running socks have in common?
Last week Notre Dame and University of Wyoming scientists announced a breakthrough in the commercial mass production of spider silk. For years I have heard speakers talk glowingly of spider silk–about its tensile strength that is greater than steel, its amazing ability to stretch, and its ability to retain its strength at temperatures as low as -40 degrees C. It also is thought to possess antimicrobial properties that might make it useful in medicine. Possible uses of spider silk include making superior surgical suture thread, bullet-proof vests, automobile… Read More →
