Rangelands

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Yes, milkweed bugs feed on oleander aphids. This is a large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) with an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Will Milkweed Bugs Eat Aphids?

September 19, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Yes, they will! Milkweed bugs gained the nickname of "seed eaters" for primarily eating the seeds of milkweed. Actually, they are opportunistic and generalists, says Hugh Dingle, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis.
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UCCE specialist Jeff Dahlberg studies sorghum at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier.
ANR News Blog: Article

UC research could help farmers face droughts worldwide

September 19, 2019
By Jeannette Warnert
Sorghum is not only a potential drought-tolerant crop for the San Joaquin Valley, it also presents the opportunity for scientists to understand the mechanism behind drought tolerance at the genetic level, said UCCE sorghum specialist Jeff Dahlberg in a segment on ABC 30 Action News.
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A severe infestation of yellow starthistle in Calaveras County.
ANR News Blog: Article

USDA approves release of weevil to control yellow starthistle

September 19, 2019
By Jeannette Warnert
The USDA has announced it will allow the release of a weevil (Ceratapion basicorne) in the United States to help control yellow starthistle, an invasive weed found in 40 of the lower 48 states, reported Capital Public Radio. The weevils will initially be released in California.
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Make a meal out of mealworms? Danielle Wishon baked these mealworm cookies. Yes, they were good. (Photo by Danielle Wishon)
Bug Squad: Article

Bohart Museum: The Joy of Eating...Drum Roll...Insects

September 18, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you want to know what it's like to eat a bugdoesn't everybody?--ask an entomologist, a bug ambassador, or an entomophagist, one who eats insects. So we didBecause the Bohart Museum of Entomology is hosting an open house on entomophagy from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept.
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Professor James Nieh of UC San Diego. (Photo courtesy of UC San Diego)
Entomology & Nematology News: Article

James Nieh: Honey Bees and Their Predators

September 17, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Bee scientist James Nieh, a UC San Diego professor in the Section of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, Division of Biological Sciences, will present the first fall quarter seminar hosted by UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
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Biologist Iris Bright checks out a red earthworm, one of the items available for sampling at the Bohart Museum of Entomology's open house on Sept. 21. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

This Bug's for You! Enjoy Tasty Bugs at the Bohart Museum Open House

September 16, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Ever eaten a bug? Sure you have. Insect fragments are in just about all the foods we eat, from chocolate to coffee to wheat flour to pizza sauce to beer and more. An insect control company estimates that we eat, on the average, 140,000 "bug bits" every year. (See Business Insider.
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The late Robbin Thorp, distingished emeritus professor of entomology, monitored the bee garden for bee species. He detected more than 80 different species through the years. This image was taken on April 15, 2011. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Entomology & Nematology News: Article

Bee Garden to Mark 10th Anniversary

September 14, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
It was the fall of 2009 when a half-acre bee garden on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis campus, sprang to life. Headlines on colony collapse disorder dominated the news media, as scientists declared "honey bees are in trouble.
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Eye-to-eye with a gravid (pregnant) tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans morsitans. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bug Squad: Article

Geoffrey Attardo's Landmark Research on Genomics of Tsetse Flies

September 13, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
You probably don't think much about the blood-sucking tsetse fly--unless you're living in Africa or are planning to travel there. But if you're UC Davis entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo, you do. He led landmark research published Sept.
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A gravid (pregnant) tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans morsitans. (Photo by Geoffrey Attardo)
Entomology & Nematology News: Article

Geoffrey Attardo: Landmark Research on Genomics of Tsetse Flies

September 13, 2019
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
Landmark research led by UC Davis medical entomologist-geneticist Geoffrey Attardo provides new insight into the genomics of the blood-sucking tsetse fly, an insect that transmits the parasite that causes human and animal trypanosomiasis.
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