insects

By Jessica Corbett A study published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science bolsters alarm about the role that agricultural pesticides play in what scientists have dubbed the “bugpocalypse” and led authors to call for stricter regulations across the U.S. Researchers at the University of Maryland as well as the advocacy groups Friends of […]

By Jake Johnson Environmentalists and Florida residents voiced concern and outrage Monday as state government officials and the biotechnology giant Oxitec announced plans to move ahead this week with a pilot project that involves releasing up to a billion genetically engineered mosquitoes in Monroe County over a two-year period. Presented by local authorities as an […]

In just a few weeks billions of cicadas are expected to emerge after 17 years underground, swarming portions of the U.S. from Northern Georgia to New York, The Guardian reported. While some people’s skin might crawl upon hearing this news, cicada researchers are hoping to learn more about the mysterious species. Ecology and evolutionary biologists […]

By Daniel Raichel While many know Chicago as the “Second City,” the old stomping grounds of Michael Jordan or Al Capone, or perhaps even still as “Hog Butcher to the World,” I doubt many think of it as a home for endangered wildlife. However, as a recent Chicago Tribune article shows, that’s exactly what it […]

Americans take great pride in their lawns. A centuries-old practice adopted from Great Britain and Northern France, lawns have become a status symbol; a standard fixture of American communities. In the United States, more than 40 million acres of land are covered in grass, making it the single largest irrigated crop in the country, requiring […]

By Brian Lovett As winter phases into spring across the U.S., gardeners are laying in supplies and making plans. Meanwhile, as the weather warms, common garden insects such as bees, beetles and butterflies will emerge from underground burrows or nests within or on plants. Most gardeners know how beneficial insects can be for their plots. […]

By John Cooley and Chris Simon A big event in the insect world is approaching. Starting sometime in April or May, depending on latitude, one of the largest broods of 17-year cicadas will emerge from underground in a dozen states, from New York west to Illinois and south into northern Georgia. This group is known […]

By Kendra Klein Biden’s election has boosted hopes that scientific integrity will be restored in the federal government. To make good on that promise, the administration will need to take action to safeguard against the risks of an entirely new type of pesticide, one developed by genetic engineers rather than chemists. These pesticides will broadcast […]