UMD Entomology
@umdentomology.bsky.social
UMD's Department of Entomology makes new strides everyday in Ecology, Biology, Genetics, and Pest Management.
Even with Champion status, Maryland Champion Trees are not invincible. UMD Prof Emeritus Mike Raupp names a few invasive insects that have had devastating effects on our region’s trees and shares lessons learned to mitigate their impacts. video.mpt.tv/video/growin...
MPT Presents | Growing into Greatness: Maryland's Champion Trees
Maryland is home to 12 champion trees, recognized as the largest of their species in the U.S.
video.mpt.tv
November 25, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Even with Champion status, Maryland Champion Trees are not invincible. UMD Prof Emeritus Mike Raupp names a few invasive insects that have had devastating effects on our region’s trees and shares lessons learned to mitigate their impacts. video.mpt.tv/video/growin...
👋Say hello to Ryan the newest business paw-tner in Entomology’s administrative suite. Ryan is 9 month old cuddle bug who will hold in person office hours on occasion.🐶❤️
November 25, 2025 at 5:24 PM
👋Say hello to Ryan the newest business paw-tner in Entomology’s administrative suite. Ryan is 9 month old cuddle bug who will hold in person office hours on occasion.🐶❤️
📓🐝This Thanksgiving break enjoy some reading off the sylla-buzz. Scroll through excerpts from a beekeeper's journal🐝📓
www.umdbeelab.com/last-week-in...
www.umdbeelab.com/last-week-in...
Last Week in the Apiary
Feeding the last round of 2:1 syrup with bees at the bottom of the feeder. Photo by Eric Malcolm, November 13, 2025.
www.umdbeelab.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:50 PM
📓🐝This Thanksgiving break enjoy some reading off the sylla-buzz. Scroll through excerpts from a beekeeper's journal🐝📓
www.umdbeelab.com/last-week-in...
www.umdbeelab.com/last-week-in...
🏆🪰When asked to share her research at #EntSoc25 #InsectTerp Yas Helbling said, "no probllama!" Her talk, “Comparison of 𝐴𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖 behavior on 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑔𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎 stems with and without glandular trichomes” earned her 1st place in the Undergrad 10-Min Presentation competition. go.umd.edu/251i
November 20, 2025 at 8:49 PM
🏆🪰When asked to share her research at #EntSoc25 #InsectTerp Yas Helbling said, "no probllama!" Her talk, “Comparison of 𝐴𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖 behavior on 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑔𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎 stems with and without glandular trichomes” earned her 1st place in the Undergrad 10-Min Presentation competition. go.umd.edu/251i
🦟UMD Alum Ben Burgunder (M.S. ’25, Fritz Lab) loves mosquitoes. He shares why even the peskiest species of mosquitoes are worth learning about. youtu.be/iUcaLgHRXxY?.... 🦟
🙏Thanks Natural History Society of Maryland for making this presentation available for broader audiences!
🙏Thanks Natural History Society of Maryland for making this presentation available for broader audiences!
November 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
🦟UMD Alum Ben Burgunder (M.S. ’25, Fritz Lab) loves mosquitoes. He shares why even the peskiest species of mosquitoes are worth learning about. youtu.be/iUcaLgHRXxY?.... 🦟
🙏Thanks Natural History Society of Maryland for making this presentation available for broader audiences!
🙏Thanks Natural History Society of Maryland for making this presentation available for broader audiences!
🌳🪲Biocontrol has had mixed outcomes. In some cases it has proved to be effective in others it has failed. Dan Gruner, entomologist @UofMaryland, chats w/@undarkmag about balancing the ecological risks & benefits of biocontrol strategies.🪲🌳
go.umd.edu/24ny
go.umd.edu/24ny
November 11, 2025 at 3:20 PM
🌳🪲Biocontrol has had mixed outcomes. In some cases it has proved to be effective in others it has failed. Dan Gruner, entomologist @UofMaryland, chats w/@undarkmag about balancing the ecological risks & benefits of biocontrol strategies.🪲🌳
go.umd.edu/24ny
go.umd.edu/24ny
🐝🧬 Globally, bumble bees have over 400 known color patterns - far more than the 265 bumble bee species. Dr. Heather Hines, Prof at Penn State, stops by UMD to share her investigations into the genetic basis of these color patterns. 🧬🐝 go.umd.edu/24j8
[Seminar Blog] A Tiger Can’t Change its Stripes, but a Bumble Bee Can!
Entomology Seminar Blog
go.umd.edu
November 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
🐝🧬 Globally, bumble bees have over 400 known color patterns - far more than the 265 bumble bee species. Dr. Heather Hines, Prof at Penn State, stops by UMD to share her investigations into the genetic basis of these color patterns. 🧬🐝 go.umd.edu/24j8
Reposted by UMD Entomology
Students: Are you ready for the 2nd annual Parasitoid Games at #EntSoc25? This networking opportunity is a great way to meet peers at the ESA Annual Meeting. What questions would you like to ask your host? Share in the comments and we may add them to the competition. www.entsoc.org/events/annua...
November 5, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Students: Are you ready for the 2nd annual Parasitoid Games at #EntSoc25? This networking opportunity is a great way to meet peers at the ESA Annual Meeting. What questions would you like to ask your host? Share in the comments and we may add them to the competition. www.entsoc.org/events/annua...
🦟Turns out St. Leger Lab results are simply irresistible (queue the music🕺), to mosquitoes that is! St. Leger Lab helped develop a floral-scented fungus to attract and kill mosquitoes🦟
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/s...
This Genetically Engineered Fungus Could Help Fix Your Mosquito Problem
www.nytimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:34 PM
🦟Turns out St. Leger Lab results are simply irresistible (queue the music🕺), to mosquitoes that is! St. Leger Lab helped develop a floral-scented fungus to attract and kill mosquitoes🦟
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/s...
🦟Fritz lab helps debunk mosquito myth👇
A new genetic study in Science overturns the myth of the “London Underground Mosquito,” revealing that this common urban insect originated not below the cities of modern Europe, but in ancient Mediterranean civilizations more than a thousand years ago. https://scim.ag/43xWovB
Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito
Understanding how life is adapting to urban environments represents an important challenge in evolutionary biology. In this work, we investigate a widely cited example of urban adaptation, Culex pipie...
scim.ag
October 31, 2025 at 3:09 PM
🦟Fritz lab helps debunk mosquito myth👇
Reposted by UMD Entomology
A new genetic study in Science overturns the myth of the “London Underground Mosquito,” revealing that this common urban insect originated not below the cities of modern Europe, but in ancient Mediterranean civilizations more than a thousand years ago. https://scim.ag/43xWovB
Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito
Understanding how life is adapting to urban environments represents an important challenge in evolutionary biology. In this work, we investigate a widely cited example of urban adaptation, Culex pipie...
scim.ag
October 28, 2025 at 7:38 PM
A new genetic study in Science overturns the myth of the “London Underground Mosquito,” revealing that this common urban insect originated not below the cities of modern Europe, but in ancient Mediterranean civilizations more than a thousand years ago. https://scim.ag/43xWovB
Making its first bugpearance on winter term schedule INSECT APOCALYPSE - REAL OR IMAGINED?
October 31, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Making its first bugpearance on winter term schedule INSECT APOCALYPSE - REAL OR IMAGINED?
Cleaning Dept of Ento cork boards unearthed these vintage insect information cards from Endangered Species Chocolate. Exciting to see insects showcased in conservation efforts during the late 90s and early 00s. Enjoy the throw back👇
October 31, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Cleaning Dept of Ento cork boards unearthed these vintage insect information cards from Endangered Species Chocolate. Exciting to see insects showcased in conservation efforts during the late 90s and early 00s. Enjoy the throw back👇
🧬 🐝 Dr. Stephania Sandoval Arango, USDA ARS Bee Research Lab, stopped by #UMD earlier this semester to explain why we shouldn't judge a bee by it's stripes alone. For more on her talk check out DNA on Display 🐝 🧬 go.umd.edu/2455
[Seminar Blog] Plant Phenology, Invasive Species, and Climate Change: A New Researcher in the Plant Sciences Department
Entomology Seminar Blog
go.umd.edu
October 28, 2025 at 6:29 PM
🧬 🐝 Dr. Stephania Sandoval Arango, USDA ARS Bee Research Lab, stopped by #UMD earlier this semester to explain why we shouldn't judge a bee by it's stripes alone. For more on her talk check out DNA on Display 🐝 🧬 go.umd.edu/2455
🌳🐛Our newest downstairs neighbors, Dr. Dan Buonaiuto, studies how climate change affects biodiversity and the functions of plant communities with a particular focus on phenology. His research has fascinating implications for Entomology, we’re thrilled to explore those connections!🐛🌳go.umd.edu/244j
October 28, 2025 at 3:39 PM
🌳🐛Our newest downstairs neighbors, Dr. Dan Buonaiuto, studies how climate change affects biodiversity and the functions of plant communities with a particular focus on phenology. His research has fascinating implications for Entomology, we’re thrilled to explore those connections!🐛🌳go.umd.edu/244j
Reposted by UMD Entomology
Now that mosquitoes are evolving resistance against chemical pesticides, scientists are looking to nature in the fight against deadly insect-borne diseases.
@umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger helped develop a new way to trap mosquitoes: a fungus that smells like flowers ⤵️ #BugSky
@umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger helped develop a new way to trap mosquitoes: a fungus that smells like flowers ⤵️ #BugSky
Scientists Develop Floral-Scented Fungus That Lures Mosquitoes to Their Doom | College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences | University of Maryland
This new strain of fungus mimics flowers to attract and kill mosquitoes, offering a new weapon in the fight agai
go.umd.edu
October 24, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Now that mosquitoes are evolving resistance against chemical pesticides, scientists are looking to nature in the fight against deadly insect-borne diseases.
@umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger helped develop a new way to trap mosquitoes: a fungus that smells like flowers ⤵️ #BugSky
@umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger helped develop a new way to trap mosquitoes: a fungus that smells like flowers ⤵️ #BugSky
🔬InsectTerps in action! Amy Goodman (UMD BioSci
major), intern at Entomology’s Lamp Lab is diving into research on wetland restoration. Today we caught up with her at a lab bench meticulously sorting arthropods from plant material. 🪲🌿
major), intern at Entomology’s Lamp Lab is diving into research on wetland restoration. Today we caught up with her at a lab bench meticulously sorting arthropods from plant material. 🪲🌿
October 24, 2025 at 4:00 PM
🔬InsectTerps in action! Amy Goodman (UMD BioSci
major), intern at Entomology’s Lamp Lab is diving into research on wetland restoration. Today we caught up with her at a lab bench meticulously sorting arthropods from plant material. 🪲🌿
major), intern at Entomology’s Lamp Lab is diving into research on wetland restoration. Today we caught up with her at a lab bench meticulously sorting arthropods from plant material. 🪲🌿
🔎🪲University of Maryland Insect Zoo is doing a double header this Saturday, not only teaming up with St. Mary's for some STEM fun but Carroll County Government Maryland too! Stop by these events to explore the amazing world of insects through hands-on stations. 🕷️🔍
October 23, 2025 at 2:04 PM
🔎🪲University of Maryland Insect Zoo is doing a double header this Saturday, not only teaming up with St. Mary's for some STEM fun but Carroll County Government Maryland too! Stop by these events to explore the amazing world of insects through hands-on stations. 🕷️🔍
🔎🪲UMD Insect Zoo is on tour this weekend, teaming up with St. Mary's for some STEM fun! Stop by to explore insects through hands-on stations. Learn cool bug facts, like how insects and other arthropods use mimicry to evade predators & the important role they play in our environment.🕷️🔍
October 23, 2025 at 1:25 PM
🔎🪲UMD Insect Zoo is on tour this weekend, teaming up with St. Mary's for some STEM fun! Stop by to explore insects through hands-on stations. Learn cool bug facts, like how insects and other arthropods use mimicry to evade predators & the important role they play in our environment.🕷️🔍
🌳🐝Interested in creating habitat for beneficial insects but just don't know where to start? Plant native! Ento Alums Lisa Kuder & Maddie Potter identify plants native to the region & explain how these plants support insect species with resources to thrive. go.umd.edu/23up 🐝🌳
MD Native Plant Guide Piedmont Region.pdf | Powered by Box
go.umd.edu
October 21, 2025 at 8:13 PM
🌳🐝Interested in creating habitat for beneficial insects but just don't know where to start? Plant native! Ento Alums Lisa Kuder & Maddie Potter identify plants native to the region & explain how these plants support insect species with resources to thrive. go.umd.edu/23up 🐝🌳
🎧 ‘To squish or not to squish?’ Michael Raupp, Professor Emeritus at University of Maryland shares current management strategies for spotted lanternflies.
🙏WAMU885 for reporting on insects and their impacts in the DMV!
wamu.org/story/25/10/...
🙏WAMU885 for reporting on insects and their impacts in the DMV!
wamu.org/story/25/10/...
'To squish or not to squish?': an insect expert's guide to spotted lanternflies
Michael Raupp at the University of Maryland, College Park and author of the "Bug of the Week" blog, gives all you need to know about spotted lanternflies.
wamu.org
October 21, 2025 at 4:05 PM
🎧 ‘To squish or not to squish?’ Michael Raupp, Professor Emeritus at University of Maryland shares current management strategies for spotted lanternflies.
🙏WAMU885 for reporting on insects and their impacts in the DMV!
wamu.org/story/25/10/...
🙏WAMU885 for reporting on insects and their impacts in the DMV!
wamu.org/story/25/10/...
Reposted by UMD Entomology
New York health officials recently confirmed the state's first locally acquired case of the chikungunya virus.
See how @umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger is fighting chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases with fungi 🦟
See how @umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger is fighting chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases with fungi 🦟
Fighting Mosquitoes with Fungi
YouTube video by UMD Science
youtu.be
October 16, 2025 at 7:03 PM
New York health officials recently confirmed the state's first locally acquired case of the chikungunya virus.
See how @umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger is fighting chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases with fungi 🦟
See how @umdentomology.bsky.social's Raymond St. Leger is fighting chikungunya and other mosquito-borne diseases with fungi 🦟
Reposted by UMD Entomology
Maryland State Entomologist Max Ferlauto (Ph.D. '24, @umdentomology.bsky.social) spoke with @nytimes.com's @margaretroach.bsky.social about the role of fallen leaves in your yard's ecosystem 🍂 🪲🪳
Why Leaving the Leaves Is Better for Your Yard
www.nytimes.com
October 16, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Maryland State Entomologist Max Ferlauto (Ph.D. '24, @umdentomology.bsky.social) spoke with @nytimes.com's @margaretroach.bsky.social about the role of fallen leaves in your yard's ecosystem 🍂 🪲🪳
🎃🕸 Ento Alum, collaborators and friends - happen to be in the DMV Saturday, Oct 25th? Think about attending ESO's 2025 Oktoberfest. We would love to catch up! Need more details reach out to [email protected] . 🕷🎃
October 10, 2025 at 7:35 PM
🎃🕸 Ento Alum, collaborators and friends - happen to be in the DMV Saturday, Oct 25th? Think about attending ESO's 2025 Oktoberfest. We would love to catch up! Need more details reach out to [email protected] . 🕷🎃
Not sure what to eat this weekend? Consider insects! The Lamp Lab shares the global benefits of entomophagy and tips on how, even the apprehensive, can introduce insects into their diets. 👇
today.umd.edu/surf-turf-an...
today.umd.edu/surf-turf-an...
Surf, Turf—and Chirp? | Maryland Today
Entomology Team Delves Into Benefits, Challenges of Eating Insects
today.umd.edu
October 3, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Not sure what to eat this weekend? Consider insects! The Lamp Lab shares the global benefits of entomophagy and tips on how, even the apprehensive, can introduce insects into their diets. 👇
today.umd.edu/surf-turf-an...
today.umd.edu/surf-turf-an...