Videos and Photos from the ESA Eastern Branch Meeting in Hartford, CT

The 2012 ESA Eastern Branch meeting was held at the Hilton Hotel in Hartford, CT, home to Mark Twain, the Connecticut Trolley Museum, the Wadsworth Athenaeum, and numerous other historic sites.

Click here for photos.

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VIDEOS

A Future Entomologist Talks About Insects
An interview with Spencer, a first-grader from Mary Hooker Env Science Magnet School, at the "It's a Bug's Life" Insect Fair:



"It's a Bug's World" in Hartford, CT
Scenes from "It's a Bug's World, talks about the free Insect Fair held at the 2012 ESA Eastern Branch meeting in Hartford, CT on St. Patrick's Day.



2012 ESA Eastern Branch Linnaean Games Finals
Video from 2012 ESA Eastern Branch Linnaean Games Finals, featuring Penn State vs. Virginia Tech, at the 2012 ESA Eastern Branch meeting in Hartford, CT, March 2012.



The American Beekeeping Federation's 2012 American Honey Princess
Danielle Dale, the American Beekeeping Federation's 2012 American Honey Princess, talks about the importance of honey bees as pollinators at "It's a Bug's Life" Insect Fair.

Videos and Photos from the ESA SEB-SWB Meeting in Little Rock

The 2012 Joint Meeting of the Southeastern and Southwestern Branches of the Entomological Society of America was held March 4-7, 2012 at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Click here for photos.

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VIDEO

David Buntin, a professor at the University of Georgia, and Robert Wiedenmann, a professor at the University of Arkansas and Vice President of the ESA, were both featured in this news video from Little Rock, AR, where the 2012 Joint Meeting of the ESA's Southeastern and Southwestern Branches took place in March, 2012. Watch the video below.

An IPM Program for Coffee Berry Borer in Columbia

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), is considered one of the most serious pests in coffee plantations worldwide. Infestations of this small beetle are difficult to combat; most of the insect's lifecycle is completed inside coffee berries, making insecticide penetration and contact difficult. Female beetles bore holes into developing berries attached to the tree through the blossom scar and create ‘galleries’ where they remain and deposit their eggs. The developing larvae feed on the bean or endosperm of the seed, reducing yields as well as the quality of coffee and its price.

In "Implementing an Integrated Pest Management Program for Coffee Berry Borer in a Specialty Coffee Plantation in Colombia," a free, open-access article appearing in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, the authors discuss efforts to implement an integrated pest management (IPM) program for coffee berry borer in the Huila region of Colombia.

Overall, the IPM program was considered successful because problems associated with insect damage on the coffee crop decreased, despite reductions in endosulfan/chlorpyrifos use, which declined from 250 liters in 2002 to 75 liters in 2003, and 0 liters in 2004.

Harvest workers improved their efficiency at removing potential coffee berry borer breeding sites (leaving only 6.5 mature berries per tree in 2004, down from 22.2 in 2002), and the quality of parchment coffee beans increased, whereas the proportion of the harvest sold as high quality ‘specialty’ coffee increased from 50% to 86% over the same period.

This case study provides evidence that coffee berry borer potentially can be controlled using an integrated approach with minimal input of broad-spectrum insecticides. However, establishing and maintaining an effective IPM program for coffee berry borer is not a straightforward task. Some general recommendations arising from this case study include the need to convince the owners and managers of the coffee farm of the benefits of an IPM program, given the investment needed.

Click here for the full article, availabe for free.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is an open-access, peer-reviewed, extension journal covering the field of integrated pest management. The intended readership for the journal is any professional who is engaged in any aspect of integrated pest management, including, but not limited to, crop producers, individuals working in crop protection, retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of pest management products, educators, and pest control operators.

JIPM is published by the Entomological Society of America (ESA), the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are students, researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, and hobbyists. For more information, please visit http://www.entsoc.org.

Slug Ecology and Management in No-Till Field Crops

As acreage of row crops managed with conservation tillage increases, more growers are encountering slugs, elevating their importance as crop pests. Slugs can eat virtually all crops, and they are challenging to control because of the limited number of management tactics that are available.

In "Slug (Mollusca: Agriolimacidae, Arionidae) Ecology and Management in No-Till Field Crops, With an Emphasis on the mid-Atlantic Region," a free, open-access article appearing in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, the authors discuss the species of slugs that are commonly found in mid-Atlantic field crop production and discuss their natural history, ecology, and some of the factors limiting their populations.

The authors also suggest possible cultural, biological, and chemical management options, particularly for corn production, and they suggest elements of a potential integrated management program for slugs.

Over 15 slug species occur in the mid-Atlantic United States, but only four appear to be common in field crops.

The authors provide photos and descriptions of all four to make identification and management easier for growers, and they describe their life cycles as well.

Host plant species, scouting methods, environmental influences, natural enemies, biocontrol options, and management options are also discussed.

Click here for the full article for free.

The Journal of Integrated Pest Management is an open-access, peer-reviewed, extension journal covering the field of integrated pest management. The intended readership for the journal is any professional who is engaged in any aspect of integrated pest management, including, but not limited to, crop producers, individuals working in crop protection, retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of pest management products, educators, and pest control operators.

JIPM is published by the Entomological Society of America (ESA), the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are students, researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, and hobbyists. For more information, please visit http://www.entsoc.org.

Gene Kritsky to Give Entomology Founders’ Memorial Lecture

Dr. Gene Kritsky, a professor of biology at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, adjunct curator of entomology at the Cincinnati Museum Center, and editor-in-chief of American Entomologist, has been selected to deliver the Founders’ Memorial Award lecture at Entomology 2012 – the 60th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) – this November in Knoxville, Tennessee. This year’s honoree is Charles Darwin (1809-1882), whose theory of evolution by natural selection helped to transform entomology from a hobby for collectors to a science.

ESA established the Founders’ Memorial Award in 1958 to honor scientists whose lives and careers enhanced entomology as a profession and who made significant contributions to the field in general and in their respective subdisciplines. At each ESA Annual Meeting, the recipient of the award addresses the conferees to honor the memory and career of an outstanding entomologist. The theme of the 2012 ESA meeting, “A Global Society for a Global Science,” is exemplified by the work and influence of Kritsky and Darwin.

Dr. Gene Kritsky

Dr. Gene Kritsky is the author of over 125 peer-reviewed papers and six books, and is the lead scientist on five traveling museum exhibits. Dr. Kritsky received his B.A. in biology in 1974 from Indiana University, and received his M.S. and Ph.D. in 1976 and 1977, respectively, in entomology from the University of Illinois. His research has made significant contributions to our understanding of the history and evolution of periodical cicadas, the history of entomology, and apiculture. Dr. Kritsky has worked on periodical cicadas for 35 years and is the author of Periodical Cicadas: the Plague and the Puzzle. His specific contributions to our understanding of periodical cicada biology and evolution include his prediction in 2000 of a four-year acceleration of Brood X. That prediction proved true and permitted a detailed survey of off-year accelerations, which verified that such accelerations can result in populations that survive intense predation and are able to sing, mate, and reproduce. With the emergence of these cicadas in 2017, Dr. Kritsky will have documented the origin of a new brood in Ohio. His other findings have included the verification of the plasticity of nymphal cicada growth, the discovery of a 13-year brood in northern Kentucky and southwestern Ohio, and the development of a model to predict when in May a brood should emerge, permitting arboreta, parks, and cemeteries to schedule events accordingly. Finally, Dr. Kritsky, collaborating with Dr. George Poinar, Jr., co-described the oldest definitive fossil cicada nymph.

Dr. Kritsky’s apicultural contributions are focused on the history of beekeeping. He was a contributor to the American Bee Journal, and his most recent book, The Quest for the Perfect Hive, challenges the beekeeping industry to re-examine hive designs and practices for new innovations that could help deal with the many problems facing beekeeping today. The critically successful book was selected by Seed Magazine as a February 2010 “book to read now.” The Capital Area Beekeepers Association review read, "This is one of those books that will become a classic of beekeeping literature for its content, design, illustrations, and pure quality of the writing. No beekeeper should be without it." More recently, Dr. Kritsky completed a major review of beekeeping in ancient Egypt. This research started when he was a Fulbright scholar to Egypt during 1981-1982, and continued with more recent travels to Egypt and Europe. Dr. Kritsky also learned how to translate hieroglyphs to better interpret Egyptian reliefs, leading to a better understanding of how beekeeping was performed over 4,500 years ago. He also corrected earlier reconstructions of beekeeping scenes from two tombs. In addition to bees, Dr. Kritsky examined all the insects that played a role in Egyptian mythology, developing new explanations for their mythological importance. The quality of this work is documented by its inclusion as a reference in the Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt.

As a teacher, Dr. Kritsky has designed the entomology courses at three institutions and coauthored an entomology textbook for undergraduate biology students. He has published over 25 papers with undergraduate student coauthors, and this has encouraged several students to seek advanced entomology degrees. In 1985, Dr. Kritsky received the College of Mount St. Joseph’s highest teaching award, and he received the College’s Alumni Appreciation award in 1999. His efforts to promote science education through the National Association of Academies of Science were responsible for his election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Kritsky’s teaching is not limited to the classroom setting. He has served as a consultant for several television programs, including Sir David Attenborough’s Life in the Undergrowth and Supersense. He has appeared on several news programs, including the CBS Evening News, ABC Evening News, The Today Show, Good Morning America, A&E’s Biography, and CBS Sunday Morning. In 2004, he was America Online’s cicada expert for the Brood X emergence, and his cicada website received over 7 million hits. He also served as the lead scientist for the Cincinnati Museum’s Center’s traveling exhibits “The Weakening Web,” “In the Dark,” and “Beakman’s World.”

Kritsky has published on Darwin for 35 years, and he has worked closely with members of the Darwin family on a number of projects. During 2001-2002, he spent his sabbatical at Cambridge University working with the Darwin Correspondence Project to transcribe Darwin’s research notes for The Descent of Man, a publication with numerous insect references. This project led to his appointment as a contributing editor of the American Museum of Natural History’s Darwin manuscripts project, and Dr. Kritsky’s Descent transcription has been published online by AMNH. In 2008, he published a review of the 19th-century entomological reaction to Darwin’s Origin of Species in the Annual Review of Entomology. Dr. Kritsky’s work on Darwin has received international attention with features appearing in Scientific American, Discover, The New York Times, and Der Spiegel. His ESA publication on Darwin’s Madagascan hawk moth was selected by several organizations as one of the top zoology news stories of 1993. Dr. Kritsky curated the exhibit “Charles Darwin: a Portrait Biography” in 1985; it has been on exhibit for the past 27 years, including at the ESA meeting in Dallas and the AAAS meeting in Los Angeles. It was exhibited for extended periods at over 20 museums, including the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and in Darwin’s bedroom at Down House. It is currently on extended loan to the University of Nebraska State Museum. In 2009, Dr. Kritsky curated the exhibit “Darwin’s rEvolution” for the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History as part of the celebration of the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth.

Dr. Charles Darwin

Although some may not think of Darwin as an entomologist, in fact he published numerous articles on insects, used entomological examples to support his theories of species origin and sexual selection, and made countless references to insects in his books. Fifty years ago, the Annual Review of Entomology featured an article on Darwin’s contributions to entomology, in which the authors noted that the Origin of Species contains about 50 references to insects, including Darwin’s own observations on the similarity of British and Brazilian fresh water insects, the importance of insects as pollinators (a topic he later expounded on in his book, On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects), and the evolution of cellmaking in honey bees, among other topics. The authors asserted that, “Darwin’s direct contributions to entomology during his lifetime were outstanding,” adding that his theory of evolution “has had a profound impact on the direction of entomological research.” Darwin drew on insects extensively for The Descent of Man and cited 85 entomologists whose work encompassed the globe. In Insectivorous Plants, he discussed the types of insects captured by the various plants. Darwin also advanced research in the discipline by reviewing favorably and encouraging the work of his entomological colleagues H.W. Bates, Alfred Russel Wallace, and John Lubbock. A list of publications resulting from the insects Darwin collected, including those from his five-year voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, is available online.

Darwin’s interest in insects extended back to when he was ten years old and noticed insects along the English coast. By the time he entered Christ College in Cambridge, he was an avid collector, hiring young boys to procure specimens for his collection. He had a special cabinet built to house his beetle collection, and provided new county records for James Francis Stephen’s Illustrations of British Insects. He maintained a friendly but fierce competition for insect collecting with his cousin, and collected with the Reverend Frederick William Hope, who established the entomology professorship at the University of Oxford. Darwin was a charter member of the Entomological Society of London (later the Royal Entomological Society) and was an honorary member of the Entomological Society of France. He had direct contact (correspondence and/or personal meetings) with previous ESA Founders’ honorees C.V. Riley, J.H. Comstock, and B.D. Walsh.

Darwin continued this avid interest in collecting while traveling around the world on the HMS Beagle. It was during this time that Professor Hope wrote to Darwin that he had been named a charter member of the newly formed Entomological Society of London. Upon reading this, Darwin informed his cousin, “I look at the Orange Cross [the society’s crest] as the emblem of Entomological Knighthood.”

After his return to England, Darwin began to use insects as evidence for his research on species. To verify his assumptions, Darwin wrote to entomologists all over the world with questions about species diversity, honey bee comb construction, insect-plant associations, and insect sexual dimorphism. With the publication of his On the Origin of Species in 1859, he included numerous insect examples to support his views on ecological relationships, instincts, and speciation. This work inspired entomologists like no other work before or since. Henry Bates used it to develop his theory on mimicry. Benjamin Walsh, the Founders’ Memorial Award honoree for 1987, was a classmate of Darwin’s, and was inspired to apply Darwin’s work to his own research. Walsh became one of Darwin’s strongest allies in the 1860s and his greatest American proponent, challenging Louis Agassiz at every opportunity.

Darwin’s impact on entomology in the U.S. grew during the 1860s. Charles V. Riley, the second ESA Founders’ Memorial Award honoree (honored in 1959), visited Darwin at Darwin’s home outside of London. Riley peppered his annual reports with numerous observations that supported Darwin’s views. The third Founders’ Memorial Award honoree, John H. Comstock (honored in 1960), corresponded with Darwin and also sent Darwin his cotton report. Darwin corresponded with many of the early American entomologists, including Alpheus Packard and Samuel Scudder, inviting the latter to visit him in England. Darwin’s influence on many of the later Founders’ Memorial Award honorees can be seen in their writings. Vernon Kellogg (honored in 1973) and Herbert H. Ross (honored in 1981) wrote textbooks on evolutionary biology. Robert E. Snodgrass (honored in 1969) and T. D. A. Cockerell (honored in 1978) both applied evolution to their work on insect morphology and paleoentomology, respectively. Darwin’s entomology was not limited to On the Origin of Species. His book On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilised by Insects documented insect-plant coevolution, and The Descent of Man included two chapters discussing sexual dimorphism in insects. For Darwin, entomology was a global science, and American entomologists are still feeling his impact today.

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are students, researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, and hobbyists. For more information, please visit http://www.entsoc.org.

SEB Awards Presented in Little Rock, AR

Lanham, MD; March 8, 2012 – The Southeastern Branch of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) presented awards at a Joint Meeting between the Seoutheastern and Southwestern Branches in Little Rock, Arkansas, held March 3-7, 2012. The awardees are listed below:
 
2012 Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension -- DR. AMANDA C. HODGES of the Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, IFAS, has been selected for the 2012 Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension. Dr. Hodges has held a 100% Extension appointment since 2002, and she serves as Co-Associate Director of the Southern Plant Diagnostic Network, one of the five regional centers for the National Plant Diagnostic Network. In this Assistant Extension Scientist position, she coordinates First Detector education to assure proper surveillance and reporting of exotic arthropods, plant pathogens, nematodes and other emerging pests. She also conducts an extensive range of Extension activities in support of U.S. crop biosecurity. Dr. Hodges has developed a robust Extension program far in excess of the requirements of her assignment.

She designs and delivers innovative hands-on plant pest diagnostic workshops, and assists in expanding distance diagnostics in Florida, the Southern Region and the Caribbean. Moreover, she participates in a wide range of Extension activities that respond to new pest outbreaks, e.g., creating pest alerts, fact sheets, publications, posters, and other training materials. Her numerous and highly effective Extension publications have communicated critical information on a wide range of pestiferous insects and mites, and selected plant pathogens. Particularly notable are her national workshops on scale insect identification, how to conduct first detector training, how to prepare and submit samples for distance diagnostics, identification and management of thrips, common insect and disease problems in the landscape, and training for the State Agricultural Response Team. Dr. Hodges represents both the SPDN and NPDN in providing Extension training in pest detection and management, and her diagnostic workshops have provided training to more than 100 Extension agents and cooperators, and served as a model for the NPDN. This training resulted in new pest records, enhanced diagnostic capabilities, more extensive pest surveys, and increased collaboration between taxonomic experts and the Extension community. Dr. Hodges led a pioneering effort to develop the first e-learning pest-focused module for NPDN. Remarkably, her train-the-trainer approach has enabled many Extension agents to offer First Detector training workshops for their clientele. Her superb training modules and Extension publications are used extensively throughout the U.S., the Pacific and Caribbean. She frequently participates in webinars to contribute her knowledge and experience across this network. She continues to be an important collaborator with the statewide IPM program using up to date methods and technology. Dr. Hodges contributes to scientific and educational organizations by organizing symposia at ESA meetings and she is active in the Florida Entomological Society, Georgia Entomological Society, American Phytopathological Society, UF Entomology and Nematology Department, UF Extension program, and allied institutions, such as USDA and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry.
 
2011 Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology -- DR. GREGG S. NUESSLY, Associate Professor of Entomology at the University of Florida, Everglades Research and Education Center (EREC), Belle Glade, FL is the 2011 Southeastern Branch’s recipient of the ESA Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology.  He received a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, Irvine in 1978.  The research for his M.S. in Entomology from the University of California, Riverside (1981) focused on evaluating the adopted natural enemies of an insect introduced from Asia for the biological control of Russian thistle.  In 1986, he received his Ph.D in Entomology from Texas A&M University, College Station where he studied biotic and abiotic factors affecting Helicoverpa zea on east Texas cotton.  He joined the University of Florida in 1989 following a 3-yr Research Entomologist position with the USDA-ARS in Brawley, CA studying the biology and control of sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) on cotton and vegetables.  Working within one of the largest agricultural production counties in the US, he conducts pest management research, including host plant resistance, on a wide range of pests associated with fruiting, leafy green and leafy Brassica vegetables; sweet and field corn; sweet sorghum for biofuel; sugarcane; and turfgrass.

Activities acknowledged by this award are research and extension projects following his 2003 discovery of greenbug (Schizaphis graminum) severely damaging seashore pasaplum (SP) turfgrass in Belle Glade, Florida; a new pest-host plant association for the United States.  He formed a multiagency research team to determine the ecology of greenbug associated with warm season turf grasses; evaluate control strategies to develop an IPM program for stakeholders; and screen available varieties and new breeding lines of SP and other warm season turfgrass types for resistance to greenbug.  This insect represented a new virulent biotype that caused the stunting and premature death of all known greenbug-resistant varieties of small grains.  Screening for resistance led to the release of a greenbug-resistant SP (‘Aloha’) and zoysia- and Bermuda-grass cultivars (non-dwarf types) that reduced the need for pesticide applications and exposure to golf course patrons and employees.  Effective insecticide control strategies were identified and disseminated to golf course managers and sod producers through popular press and extension publications, and at private and public turfgrass field days to facilitate their adoption of the program.  Based on new infestations that have appeared on plants grown in open ranges in southern Florida, greenbug now appears to be extending its host range to zoysia and Bermuda-grasses.  Information on a second new aphid found on seashore paspalum, the rusty plum aphid (Hysteroneura setariae), was quickly disseminated at field days and on the EREC website.

Dr. Nuessly is the author or coauthor of 60 refereed publications, 130 peer-reviewed electronic publications and extension documents (not including abstracts), 5 germplasm and cultivar releases for sweet corn, celery and turfgrass, and has coauthored three book chapters.  His research activities have been supported over the last 10 yr by $790K in direct grant support, donations, and in-kind support.  He is actively involved with graduate student activities and committees in the ESA and the Florida Entomological Society.  He served as acting editor of the Journal of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists and is currently the Associate Center Director of the EREC.
 
2012 Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology -- DR. EILEEN A. BUSS, Associate Professor of Entomology and Extension Specialist in Turfgrass and Ornamental Entomology in the Entomology and Nematology Department of the University of Florida, is the 2012 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award in Horticultural Entomology.  Dr. Buss received her BS in Zoology in 1993 at Michigan State University and her MS in Entomology from the same institution in 1996.  She earned her Ph. D. at the University of Kentucky in 1999.  She began work at the University of Florida in the Turfgrass and Landscape Program in 2001, and works effectively with people in many segments of the Green Industry. She has earned the respect of her clientele, that includes turfgrass managers, landscapers, and nursery personnel, as well as state regulators, extension staff, Master Gardeners, and the general public. Dr. Buss has successfully reorganized and updated the university’s turf and landscape entomology program and disseminates information using traditional fact sheets and trade publications, and also with the use of distance learning, social media, podcasts, and webcasts. Her extension publications are accessible with well-chosen color diagnostic photos and up-to-date information.  In addition to a well-respected extension program, Dr. Buss also conducts high quality applied research on pests such billbugs, sugarcane grubs, and oak scales, investigating the biology of newly introduced pests and the compatibility of various management strategies.  Dr. Buss has served in a variety of leadership roles within her department, chairing or participating on search, awards, and mentoring committees, and as an organizing member of pest management summits. She has also represented her department on the faculty senate and at events throughout the state.  Dr Buss is active in the SEB-ESA, serving on the Nominating, Membership, and Local Arrangements committees, and in various roles in the Florida Entomological Society. Past awards include the Extension award of the Florida Entomological Society and two UF/IFAS Silver Image awards for educational materials.
 
2012 Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching -- DR. LINDA HOOPER-BÙI, Associate Professor of Entomology, Louisiana State University, is the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching.  She received her BA in Biology at California State University, Long Beach in 1991.  She earned her MS and Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of California, Riverside in 1995 and 1998, respectively.  Since she began at the Entomology Department of LSU in 1998, Dr. Hooper- Bùi has been active in educating undergraduates from many departments as well as entomology graduate students.  She has developed or co-developed or taught 14 classes during that time.  In addition to classroom teaching, Dr. Bùi has mentored undergraduate researchers, obtaining university grants to support their work.  After the students learned proper scientific research methods, they presented their projects orally and/or prepared written publications. Several have won awards for their work.  Dr. Bùi introduced service learning to her entomology class, and both she and her students have been awarded for their projects. Dr. Bùi is willing to take risks and try new methods for teaching, and her insect ecology class has been certified as a “communication intensive” course, earning a special designation on student transcripts. She has introduced “wikis” in insect ecology to teach students collaborative writing skills, and uses a variety of methods and tools to measure student learning, and adjust her teaching during the term.   Dr. Bùi’s teaching methods are widely appreciated, as evidenced by the number of invited presentations she has given at the university and at professional meetings, including ESA annual meetings. Dr. Bùi serves on curriculum committees at the department and college level, and the college committee to improve teaching evaluations. 
 
2012 Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry, And Toxicology -- DR. JULIÁN F. HILLYER, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, is the 2012 recipient of the Recognition Award in Insect Physiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology.  Dr Hillyer received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago in 1996 with a major in Biology and his MS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1999, majoring in Veterinary Science.  Dr Hillyer was awarded his Ph.D. from the same institution in 2004 with a major in Comparative Biomedical Sciences. He has established a productive lab, has been a magnet for many gifted students, and has contributed to the advancement of the field of mosquito circulatory physiology and the cellular and molecular bases of insect immunity. Dr. Hillyer’s group has developed state-of-the-art imaging and molecular methodologies for characterizing the in vivo - real-time response of mosquito hemocytes to invading pathogens. They have also developed superior visual techniques that revealed the role of the ventral abdomen in hemolymph propulsion by visualizing the real time action of heart muscles and by tracking hemolymph movement throughout the mosquito. Also notable are his contributions in molecular biology and biochemistry including his research on the peritrophic matrix formation, global transcriptomic profiling, and salivary gland biology. Dr. Hillyer’s group recently discovered that members of a salivary gland protein family, named SGS, are secreted with mosquito saliva and are highly immunogenic, and collaborative work has been conducted related to the cellular expression of the sclerotizing neurohormone bursicon in adult insects. In all of his projects he demonstrates rigorous critical thinking as well as a talent in the concise formulation of complex concepts. Dr Hillyer has served on undergraduate Honors Committees as well as graduate committees, trained medical students in research and mentored high school students. Dr. Hillyer is active in several professional societies including ESA.  An image taken by one of his graduate students while working under an NSF grant was awarded first place in the Nikon Small World Photomicrography 2010.
 
2012 Award For Excellence in Integrated Pest Management -- DR. DAVID SHAPIRO-ILAN, Research Entomologist and lead scientist, USDA-ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron GA, is the 2012 recipient of the Award for Excellence in Integrated Pest Management.  Dr. Shapiro-Ilan received his BS in Biology in 1984 at the University of Michigan, his MS in Entomology from Louisiana State University in 1989, and his Ph. D. in Entomology at the Iowa State University in 1994.  He began work at the SE Fruit and Tree Nut Research Lab in 2000, and has established himself as a leader in research on the management of agricultural pests using microbial pesticides, especially entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi.  His research focuses on developing alternative pest management methods for peach and pecan pests, and his collaborative skills have allowed him to transfer information gained through basic biological research into practical systems that are acceptable to growers. Dr. Shapiro-Ilan’s research has resulted in the integration of numerous practices including the use of entomopathogenic nematodes for the management of peachtree borer, citrus weevil, pecan weevil, and plum curculio, and the improved selection, production, and delivery of entomopathogens.  In addition to these specific targets, Shapiro-Ilan has had broad impact on incorporating biological control into IPM through discovery of new biocontrol agents, and novel approaches in production and application as detailed above. These discoveries and novel techniques have been adopted by biocontrol producers and growers in various cropping systems. This work has also resulted in over 100 refereed publications and four patents, with additional patents pending. Dr. Shapiro-Ilan has or is currently serving on the editorial board, as an associate editor or subject editor of several professional journals.  In addition to his position with USDA-ARS, he has adjunct professor appointments in the Department of Entomology, University of Georgia and the Department of Biology at Fort Valley State University and serves as a mentor to minority students, introducing them to the field of insect pathology.  He has taken leadership roles within his professional societies, regional projects and working groups, and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship.
 
2012 Recognition Award in Urban Entomology -- DR. GREGG HENDERSON, the Paul K. Adams Professor of Urban Entomology at the Louisiana State University AgCenter has been selected to receive the 2012 Recognition Award in Urban Entomology. He received his BS degree in 1976 from Rutgers University with a double major in Biology and Psychology, and his MS degree from Washington State University in 1985, majoring in Entomology.  He earned his Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1989.  Dr. Henderson conducts research on termites, ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, ticks, and fleas, developing baits, monitors, and new insecticides.  In addition to research, he devotes significant time to outreach projects that include presentations, home inspections, and insect identification. A dynamic speaker,   Dr. Henderson has been invited to present at 33 professional meetings, several universities, and over 200 trade/professional meetings.  He has published over 100 refereed papers, 4 book chapters, and over 75 non-refereed articles. The topics of these papers range from insect-fungus interactions to the chemistry of plant derivatives to termite ecology, behavior, nutrition and control. Dr. Henderson takes an ecological approach to his work, which has led him to be involved in the areawide control of termites recognizing the need for a partnership between industry, government, and people. His spirit of cooperation has involved him in a project to stabilize levees for flood mitigation using vetiver grass.  His work has resulted in 20 patents, and he has been awarded over $6.5 million in grants.  Dr. Henderson teaches classes and seminars at the graduate and undergraduate level and teaches classes to prepare pest control operators.  He has advised 14 graduate students at the M.S. and Ph.D. level.  He is a past recipient of the SEB-ESA award in Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology, the Orkin recognition award, the Editors’ choice award for Outstanding Paper in the American Entomologist, and was selected as the first Paul K. Adams professor. Dr. Henderson actively serves his department, having coached the Linnaean games team, and served as adviser to the entomology club and judging science fairs and 4-H presentations.  He served as secretary and vice president of his ESA subsection, and a moderator and judge for student presentations.  He recently served as guest editor for a special issue of the journal Psyche.
 
2012 Recognition Award in Entomology -- DR. B. ROGERS LEONARD, the Jack B. Hamilton Regents Chair in Cotton Production at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, is the 2012 recipient of the Southeastern Branch ESA Recognition Award in Entomology.  He received his BS in Agronomy in 1984 at Louisiana State University, his MS in Entomology in 1987 at LSU, and his Ph.D. at the same institution, majoring in Entomology with a minor in Agronomy.  Dr. Leonard has been an active research scientist for over 22 years with the LSU AgCenter. His initial appointments were associated with cotton IPM, but within a few years he had to broaden his work to include research and an extension appointment on all field crops in NE Louisiana. His research accomplishments in cotton IPM and demonstrations of leadership prompted his promotion to the J. Hamilton Regents Chair in Cotton Production.  Dr. Leonard is known for his grantsmanship, number of invited presentations (111), number of students advised/mentored 29 PhD, 32 MS), and his research.  His work has encompassed insecticide resistance management (IRM), mechanisms of Bt resistance, the role of larval behavior to better understand the efficacy of Bt crops (or lack thereof), and collaborative work with the F2 screen to document Bt resistance in lepidopteran pests. In addition to the direct benefit to growers, Dr Leonard has established a legacy of influence, via his graduates, who are now successful in academia, industry and government. Dr. Leonard has consistently published in high-quality refereed journals (>120 to date; 24 papers in past 3 years), which has led to numerous invited talks, and media interviews. He has been an active leader in the SEB, ESA, university, and commodity-based IPM groups. For the past 3 years, he has been active in leading the largest section of the ESA (Plant-Insect Ecosystems); this year he serves as President of P-IE. Dr. Leonard’s work has been recognized with numerous awards for student and stakeholder mentoring, as well as service, research, and extension.  He was named to the Louisiana Agricultural Consultants Association - Louisiana Hall of Fame 2009 in recognition of his work.
 
2012 John Henry Comstock Award for Outstanding Ph.D. Student -- JULIEN BEUZELIN attended the University of Rennes 1, France where he received a B.S. in cell biology & physiology. In his undergraduate experience, he studied nematodes, aphids, and pathogens attacking vegetable, melon, and carrot production. Julien received his M.S. in crop protection from the École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes, France. For his M.S. research, he worked with Drs. T. E. Reagan (Louisiana State University) and L. T. Wilson (Texas A&M University), assessing on-farm efficacy of reduced-risk insecticides and aspects of biological control for sugarcane borer management in sugarcane and rice. Julien recently completed his doctoral studies in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University with a minor in applied statistics. His dissertation research under Dr. Reagan focused on ecology and pest management of stem borers of sugarcane and rice, and involved extensive stakeholder interactions with farmers and extension agents. Research included on-farm and greenhouse non-crop host, cultural practice, and hurricane impact studies. Julien also studied sugarcane cultivar resistance to aphids, insecticide resistance in the sugarcane borer, and induced resistance to the fall armyworm in conventional and transgenic cotton. Since beginning his Ph.D. studies in 2006, he has published 17 peer-reviewed research articles, 11 Arthropod Management Tests reports, and numerous extension papers. Awards include the LSU Department of Entomology L.D. Newsom Outstanding Ph.D. Student and ESA President’s Prize.
 
2012 Kirby L. Hays Award Outstanding M.S. Student -- BLAKE EMERSON WILSON, a native of Mandeville, LA, received his BS in Biology from Louisiana State University in May of 2009.  While an undergraduate, Blake worked part time in various fields of biology including aquaculture, veterinary pathology, and fisheries ecology.  He began developing an interest in Entomology as a lab assistant in Dr. Gene Reagan’s sugarcane program where he was encouraged to pursue a Master of Science in the Department of Entomology at LSU.

Under the guidance of Dr. Reagan in Baton Rouge, LA and Dr. Alan Showler at the USDA-ARS Kika de La Garza Subtropical Research Station in Weslaco, TX, Blake conducted the majority of his thesis research working with sugarcane growers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley during 2010.  Blake’s thesis research involved greenhouse and field studies evaluating insecticidal management, larval behavior, and host plant resistance to the Mexican rice borer in sugarcane.  Blake has also been active in extension activities, participating in sugarcane field days, grower meetings and county agent training sessions.  His work is already having a positive impact on sugarcane growers in Texas and Louisiana.  While Blake was a student, he served as president of the Entomology Club at LSU, and was an active participant in ESA student competitions including the Linnaean Games and the Student Debate.  Blake received his M.S. in Entomology in May of 2011, and is currently continuing to conduct research in sugarcane entomology at LSU.

Blake plans to continue to be active in the scientific community conducting entomological research and making meaningful contributions to agriculture in Louisiana.

2011 Robert T. Gast Award Best Ph.D. Oral Presentation, Annual SEB Meeting -- JULIEN BEUZELIN attended the University of Rennes 1, France where he received a B.S. in cell biology & physiology. In his undergraduate experience, he studied nematodes, aphids, and pathogens attacking vegetable, melon, and carrot production. Julien received his M.S. in crop protection from the École Nationale Supérieure Agronomique de Rennes, France. For his M.S. research, he worked with Drs. T. E. Reagan (Louisiana State University) and L. T. Wilson (Texas A&M University), assessing on-farm efficacy of reduced-risk insecticides and aspects of biological control for sugarcane borer management in sugarcane and rice. Julien recently completed his doctoral studies in the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University with a minor in applied statistics. His dissertation research under Dr. Reagan focused on ecology and pest management of stem borers of sugarcane and rice, and involved extensive stakeholder interactions with farmers and extension agents. Research included on-farm and greenhouse non-crop host, cultural practice, and hurricane impact studies. Julien also studied sugarcane cultivar resistance to aphids, insecticide resistance in the sugarcane borer, and induced resistance to the fall armyworm in conventional and transgenic cotton. Since beginning his Ph.D. studies in 2006, he has published 17 peer-reviewed research articles, 11 Arthropod Management Tests reports, and numerous extension papers. Awards include the LSU Department of Entomology L.D. Newsom Outstanding Ph.D. Student and ESA President’s Prize.

2011 Southeastern Branch Student Award,  Best M.S. Oral Presentation, Annual SEB Meeting -- JESSICA MOORE-PARKER from the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center’s Department of Entomology was the recipient of the 2011 Outstanding M.S. Oral Paper Presentation titled, “Developing a no-choice feeding field protocol to assess stink bug injury to soybean seed.&rdquo:

Jessica is from Quemado, TX; where she grew up in a rural agricultural community.  She realized her interest in entomology after graduating from high school in 2004 by working at the Kunafin insectary rearing parasitic wasps and green lacewings.  This prompted her to earn a B.S. degree in Entomology at Texas A&M University completing her degree in May of 2008.  As an undergraduate student she gained experience as a research technician in Dr. Patricia Pietrantonio’s laboratory where she supported bollworm insecticide resistance surveys.  She also assisted Dr. Bradley Hopkins with his PhD research.  After graduation, she obtained a summer research position with the USDA-ARS in College Station, TX working with Dr. Charles Suh studying  the within-plant distribution of cotton fleahopper adults and nymphs, longevity of adult fleahoppers on various diets, and effectiveness of various action treatment thresholds. 

Jessica started her M.S. program at Louisiana State University in June of 2009 and is working with Dr. B. Rogers Leonard.  Her research characterizes the pod and seed damage produced by stink bug species of economic importance in soybean.  The goal of this project is to improve soybean IPM tactics in Louisiana.

2011 Outstanding Ph.D. Poster, Annual SEB Meeting -- VIRNA SAENZ, from North Carolina State University, was recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Ph.D. Student Display Award for “Bed bug population genetic structure in apartment buildings and a survey of Bartonella henselae in U.S. bed bug populations.” Virna was born and raised in Chimbote, Peru. She received her B.S in Agriculture from the Escuela Agricola Panamericana, Zamorano in Honduras and her M.S in Entomology at the University of Kentucky. Her research with Dr. Lee Townsend focused on the oviposition behavior of tree-hole mosquitoes. Virna is currently a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University under the advisement of Dr. Ed Vargo and Dr. Coby Schal. Her Ph.D. research focuses on bed bug population genetics, aggregation behavior and disease transmission. 

2011 Outstanding M.S. Poster,  Annual SEB Meeting -- EUTYCHUS KARIUKI was the winner of the M.S. Graduate student SEB M.S. Poster competition, with his poster entitled “Effect of light intensity on distribution and herbivory activity of Gratiana boliviana along the light intensity gradient.”  Eutychus completed his thesis working on Tropical soda apple (TSA) Solanum viarum-mediated competition among insect herbivores via induced resistance. The specific objective was to determine if previous feeding by Tortoise beetle had adverse effects on beet armyworm and thrips, resulting in reduced oviposition, preference for induced foliage and decreased performance and survival on induced foliage. The Tortoise beetle Gratiana boliviana is currently used as a biological control agent of TSA in the US. This research provided more information on TSA-mediated competition among insect herbivores and the impact of this competition on TSA as a host/reservoir to crop pests and crop disease vectors.
 
Some of the findings in his study: 1) determined that feeding of Gratiana boliviana 3rd instars on the third leaf of TSA had a substantial effect on the survival of beet armyworm neonates; 2) showed that feeding action of G. boliviana on TSA had no significant influence on WFT host choice; and 3) that the biological control agent G. boliviana provides better control on unshaded plants than on shaded plants, and it is more likely to have a greater impact in terms of defoliation. Mr. Kariuki started a Ph.D. working on biological control of Hydrilla in Florida springs.  Drs. Raymond Hix (FAMU) and Jim Cuda (UF) are his Ph.D. major advisers. He has been a member of the FAMU Linnaean Games Team and currently serves as the FAMU representative on the SEB Student Affairs Committee. 
 
2011 Outstanding B.S. Oral Presentation, Annual SEB Meeting -- JATAYAH SHEED was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised by a single mother in Perry, Georgia. Jatayah is the oldest of her four siblings.  She is completing her studies in Biology and Spanish at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia.  Her research, entitled “Activity in trans-Cinnamic Acid, a Bioactive Component of P. luminescens”, attempted to determine if the trans-Cinnamic Acid has antifungal activity against peach scab.  The research was conducted in Byron, Georgia under the mentorship of Dr. David Shapiro and was funded by the HBCU-UP grant that was awarded to Dr. George Mbata.

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are students, researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, and hobbyists. For more information, please visit http://www.entsoc.org.

SWB Awards Presented in Little Rock, AR

The Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) presented awards at a Joint Meeting between the Seoutheastern and Southwestern Branches in Little Rock, Arkansas, held March 3-7, 2012. The awardees are listed below.

2012 John Henry Comstock Award Outstanding Ph.D. Student -- APURBA BARMAN grew up in a small village of India in the state Assam, where his family farmed for their livelihoods. Apurba was fortunate to receive a well-rounded education and experience in agriculture during his undergraduate years at Assam Agricultural University, India. The impressive diversity and enormous economic impact of insects beckoned him to pursue a career in entomology. Apurba investigated how to incorporate botanicals with biological control agents for efficient insect pest management in rice ecosystems. Following his research interest in entomology, Apurba studied modes of action of insect growth regulator (chitin synthesis inhibitor) to be used for pest management. He has also had the opportunity to work with two key pests of vegetables in India, i.e., Plutella xylostella, and Helicoverpa armigera, especially populations’ genetic variation and resistance to insecticides.

Apurba’s interest in entomology and dream for international experience steered him to join the Cotton Entomology Program at former Texas A & M Agricultural Experiment Station at Lubbock, TX, where he received a MS degree from Texas Tech University. Apurba then pursued a doctoral program at Texas A&M University, where he conducted his dissertation research on genetic and phenotypic variation in cotton fleahopper populations as influenced by host plant species and geography.

More than 10 years of postgraduate research experience, education, and the fascination of insects have convinced Apurba to pursue an entomology research career. Apurba’s envisioned goal is to address pest problems in agricultural crops and finding ways to manage these pest species by understanding their ecological interactions and evolutionary history. In addition to research, Apurba enjoys communicating his interest and ideas to interested students by mentoring and classroom teaching. Apurba has taught laboratory sections of “Integrated Pest Management” and has directly and indirectly mentored several undergraduate students.

2011 PH.D. Oral Presentation, 1st Place -- RACHEL MOHR is a native Texan, who received her BS in entomology from Texas A&M University in 2004. She earned an MS in entomology from the University of California - Riverside in 2007 under the direction of Dr. Alec Gerry. She returned to Texas A&M in 2008, and will be graduating in May, 2012 with a PhD focused on forensic entomology under the direction of Dr. Jeffery Tomberlin. Her dissertation work focused on the seasonal behavior and ecology of common Texas blow flies such as Cochliomyia macellaria and Chrysomya rufifacies. She developed a novel framework for characterizing the postmortem interval of a decedent based on the interaction of insects with the corpse, which was published in the Annual Review of Entomology in 2011. Her other research focus has been on the developmental trade-offs made by blow fly larvae under nutritional stress and competition. In 2011, Rachel and her labmates were invited to Malaysia to speak on their current research in forensic entomology. She also competed on the Texas A&M Linnaean Games team, which earned a place in the semi-finals at the 2011 ESA national meeting in Reno. She is currently seeking employment in academia or in national criminal investigation.

2011 PH.D. Poster Presentation, 1st Place -- REBECCA PACE - In 2003 I entered college as an Entomology major. As I moved through my classes I developed an interest in microbiology. So as I prepared for graduation I applied and was accepted into a microbiology graduate program at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. In Spring of 2007 I graduated with my BS in Entomology from Oklahoma State University. The following fall I began my graduate program at the University of Oklahoma. My research focused on Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface proteins. As I worked through the microbiology class work and research, I started to miss my Entomology. So as I was finishing my Master’s degree, I decided to go back to the field of entomology for my Doctorate degree. In the Summer of 2009 I graduated with my Master’s degree in microbiology. The following fall I returned to Oklahoma State to begin my Doctoral program in entomology. When I joined the program with Dr. Wayadande, I knew that it was the perfect fit because it combines both microbiology and entomology. These are my two passions. As I have continued to learn about the connection between entomology and microbiology, I have become increasingly interested in livestock entomology.

This is my third year in the doctoral program. My projects focus on the interactions of plants, flies and bacteria. Last year I finished one of my objectives and have begun my second objective. The first objective focused on the interaction of calliphorid flies (blow flies) with various plants. It gave some insight into the preferences of flies for resting on plants such as lettuce. These interactions are important for understanding the reasons why flies may land on a plant and thus contaminate it. I presented the data from these experiments at the 2010 ESA National Meeting. Then I presented a continuation of this work at the Southwest branch meeting 2011. My other two objectives focus on the fly/bacteria interaction. The purposes are to discover how the flies (house flies and blow flies) carry the bacteria, importantly if the bacteria remain viable and if the flies can transfer viable bacteria to lettuce plants. The bacteria we are using are E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica, which are two of the common food-borne bacteria. I presented data for this portion of my work at the 2011 ESA National Meeting.

2011 M.S. Oral Presentation, 1st Place -- CASSIE SCHOENTHAL, originally from Paradise, Texas, is a graduate student at Tarleton State University where she studies the effects of condensed tannins on house flies. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Entomology at Texas A&M University in 2010 and will be returning this June to start her PhD with Dr. Roger Gold.

2011 M.S. Poster Presentation, 1st Place -- HELEN KIM VESSELS graduated from New Mexico State University in 2010 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science. She currently is working on her Master’s degree in the graduate program at NMSU. Her research is on the life history, laboratory rearing, and morphological description of the immature stages of Narnia femorata, a cactus-feeding coreid found in southern New Mexico. During this final semester of her graduate work, she looks forward to being an active participant on the NMSU Linnaean team.

2011 B.S. Oral Presentation, 1st Place -- CASSIE SKIPPER is a native of Tyler, Texas. This past spring, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Tyler, where she currently works in a molecular biology lab under the direction of Dr. Blake Bextine. She is continuing her studies to pursue a second Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. In the Bextine Laboratory, her primary research goal is to develop inexpensive and rapid protocols for subspecies differentiation of the xylem-feeding bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, one of which adversely affects the wine industry. Cassie has presented oral and poster presentations on this subject at several meetings over the past 3 years; the Entomological Society of America annual meeting in San Diego, California, the Kansas Entomological Society Annual Meeting in Stillwater, Oklahoma (won second place in the student competition), and the annual meeting of the Southwestern Branch of the Entomological Society of America (SWB ESA) in Amarillo, Texas (won first place in the oral competition). At the 2011 SWB ESA meting Cassie was presented with the Undergraduate Student Achievement in Entomology award. She will be entering graduate school in the Fall of 2012 and aims to receive her doctorate degree in Biological Anthropology. Ultimately, she plans to obtain a professorial position at a respectable university and begin working on her own bioarchaeological research.

2011 B.S. Poster Presentation, 1st Place -- MELISE SCHMIDT-TAYLOR graduated from New Mexico State University in December of 2011, earning her Bachelor’s of Science degree in the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science. As an undergraduate she helped design and conduct an independent research project on the seasonal dynamics of flea beetles associated with chile in southern New Mexico. This work led to Melise being the recipient of second and first place awards at the ESA SWB student poster competitions in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Melise recently began her Master’s degree in the graduate program at NMSU with Dr. Scott Bundy in the Integrated Pest Management laboratory. She looks forward to starting her master’s project on Bagrada hilaris, an invasive stink bug species new to New Mexico. Melise stays active in her department as the president of the NMSU entomology club and as an active member on the NMSU Linnaean team.

2012 Undergraduate Student Achievement In Entomology -- CHRIS POWELL is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology at the University of Texas at Tyler. Chris was involved in molecular toxicology, working on a project involving vector mosquitoes in the genera Aedes and Anopheles. Chris’ research has resulted in three poster presentations, including one at the national meeting of the Entomological Society of America in 2010. Chris’ current research focuses on the red imported fire ant and naturally-occurring virus as a potential control agent. This work has resulted in five poster presentations, including the national ESA meeting in 2011 and the upcoming Southwestern branch of ESA meeting.

Chris’ excellence in research has been recognized by a number of awards, including President’s Prize Runner Up at the 2011 ESA meeting, 1st place in the university-wide poster competition at UT Tyler, and two competitive, monetary research awards. Chris is in the process of applying for graduate schools to pursue a MS degree in entomology.

2012 Percival Scientific Undergraduate Student Activity Award -- JUAN MACIAS is the recipient of the inaugural Percival Scientific Undergraduate Entomology Student Activity Award ($250). Juan Macias is a Biology major at The University of Texas at Tyler. Juan has received a fellowship from The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). As an LSAMP fellow Juan has won one poster competition held at UT-Tyler, given a poster presentation at the system wide LSAMP conference, and was selected to deliver an Oral presentation to the conference. Through Juan’s participation in LSAMP he was invited to attend the World Science Forum held in Budapest, Hungary, sponsored by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Juan has subsequently been invited to the European Science Forum in 2012. Juan has also participated in the last ESA-SWB meeting where he gave a poster presentation. Juan is a participant of UT-Tyler’s Linnaean Team and has served as a volunteer at the Southwestern Association of Naturalists (SWAN) meeting hosted at UT-Tyler. Juan has also taught a free unofficial course in PERL programming and plans to offer the course again in the spring semester. Juan also serves as a T.A for Dr. Bextine’s Cell Biology, an undergraduate mentor to Project SEED students, a summer internship for economically disadvantaged high school students designed to introduce them to the world of Scientific Research, and upholds several responsibilities in the Lab. Juan is the second author on "Rapid biotype differentiation of the potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) using quantitative real time PCR melt curve" which has been submitted to the Journal of Insect Science. Juan has reviewed an article for the Florida Entomologist, "Phoresis between Serratia marcescens and Steinernema carpocapsae (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) During the Infection of Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Larvae." In addition, Juan is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Entomological Society of America, Beta Beta Beta biological honor society, Eta Sigma Phi Latin honor society, Biologists of UT Tyler, and The UT Tyler Math club.

The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines. Founded in 1889, ESA today has more than 6,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health agencies, private industry, and government. Members are students, researchers, teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing representatives, research technicians, consultants, and hobbyists. For more information, please visit http://www.entsoc.org/.

Dung Beetle Diversity Affects Florida Livestock Producers

Many livestock producers are unaware that herd management practices influence the effectiveness of dung beetles.

Dung beetles are important to healthy cattle pasture ecosystems as they provide for nutrient recycling, removal of waste products from the soil surface and assist in the reduction of pestiferous flies.

Numerous exotic dung beetles have been accidentally or intentionally introduced to the North American continent and several of these have become established.

In "Indigenous and Exotic Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) Collected in Florida Cattle Pastures," which will appear in the next issue of Annals of the Entomological Society of America, entomologists from the University of Florida surveyed for the presence and distribution of dung beetles on four cattle farms in north central Florida over a 3.5-yr period, and they identified 39 species from 20 genera, with a total of 62,320 beetles collected in traps.

Although most were natives, six exotic species were found as well, including four of the six most commonly collected species. Furthermore, none of these exotics were intentionally introduced to Florida.

This study provides evidence that each of these farms exhibited dynamic and unique dung beetle diversity.

According to the authors, many livestock producers request information on rearing dung beetles, but they are unaware that in most cases they alreadyhave a complementary assemblage of dung beetles on their farms, and that their herd management practices greatly influence the effectiveness of these beetles.

The study also offers a profile of dung beetle activity of much longer duration than others published in the United States, and it documents that variations between sites can be substantial. Four of the six most commonly collected beetles were introduced species, suggesting that either a niche was available for these species on cattle farms in Florida or that these species displaced the more generalist and perhaps adaptive native species.

Click here for the full article.

The Annals of the Entomological Society of America is published by the Entomological Society of America, the largest organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs of entomologists and people in related disciplines.

Entomology 2012 Program Co-Chairs Talk about Knoxville

In this video, Jonas King, a student at Vanderbilt University, interviews Dr. Jerome Grant and Dr. Mike Jackson, the Program Co-Chairs of Entomology 2012, the 60th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, which will take place November 11-14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. 3,000 researchers, professors, graduate and undergraduate students, extension service personnel, administrators, research technicians, consultants, and others from around the globe will attend the meeting for four days of science, networking and fun.

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