Bug Squad

Don't ever underestimate the threat of dengue. The mosquito-borne viral disease known as breakbone fever, is three times more prevalent than originally thought, according to a research paper published today in Nature and co-authored by dengue expert Thomas Scott of UC Davis.

Most people have never seen the walnut twig beetle, a tiny insect that spreads a fungal pathogen that kills walnut trees. No wonder. The insect, measuring about 1.5 millimeters long, is much smaller than a grain of rice.

It's exciting to see a promising career unfold.

We applaud the groundbreaking news this week from the Bruce Hammock laboratory at the University of California, Davis.

The aphids know how to plan a family reunion. Grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, mom and pop, brothers and sisters, cousins and more cousins--they're all gathering to feed on the lush growth of the spring roses, the juicy shoots, the tender buds. And they multiply.