News

Texas A&M AgriLife experts tell how to report sightings, contact

by Gabe Saldana, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications

Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologists have seen an increase in kissing bugs collected in multiple regions of the state this year. The insects carry a parasite that can cause potentially fatal Chagas disease in humans and animals.

“We have already collected over 300 adult kissing bug specimens in a location where we only collected six individuals in 2019,” said Gabriel Hamer, Ph.D., AgriLife Research entomologist, College Station. He is also a member of the Texas Chagas Taskforce — a group of experts raising awareness about the disease.

The collection site Hamer described is near Mission, about a four-hour drive south of San Antonio. He collected 115 kissing bugs there in about three hours one night in May.

“The lab’s kissing bug collections from College Station are also higher than in normal years,” he said.

Texas Chagas Taskforce organizer Paula Stigler Granados, Ph.D., assistant professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, also cited an unusually high number of kissing bug photos from people being sent through the group’s Facebook page.

“The TAMU Kissing Bug Citizen Science program has also been very active in recent weeks,” said Sarah Hamer, Ph.D., associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, College Station. The program evaluates bug submissions from the public — more than 9,000 across 27 states since 2013.

AgriLife entomologists across the state continue to search for factors leading to above-average number of kissing bug encounters.

The kissing bug

“Kissing bug” is a common name for a group of bugs called triatomines. These blood-sucking insects persist across the southern U.S., Mexico, Central America and South America, especially during the hottest months of summer, experts said.

They are a bit longer than the width of a penny, with head and mouth parts resembling cones. Their other common name, Gabriel Hamer said, is cone-nosed bugs.

“There are many other insects that do not feed on blood, which resemble kissing bugs, so it is important to be able to distinguish the species,” he said.

About 11 species of kissing bugs are found in the U.S., each with subtle differences in dark brown, black and orange color patterns. An infographic factsheet on kissing bugs and the potentially fatal Chagas disease is available from the Texas Chagas Taskforce for free online.

Kissing Bugs and Chagas Disease

Kissing bugs usually feed on blood at night when animals or people are sleeping. Bites are often painless, and many people do not realize they have been bitten. The nocturnal insect is attracted to lights and lives in a range of outdoor environments. Kissing bugs can feed on dogs, wild mammals, birds, humans and even other insects, like crickets, said Sarah Hamer.

Chagas disease

The main risk of disease comes from a parasite in the kissing bug’s intestines and feces — Trypanosoma cruzi. Research shows about 50-60% of kissing bugs in Texas might be infected, Gabriel Hamer said. About 25% of the people they infect with Chagas develop serious chronic disease. Most infected people remain unaware of their infection and might stay symptom-free for life.

“Even so,” he said, “we know transmission is inefficient, and studies show that a person usually needs to be bitten many times by an infected kissing bug before the transmission of the parasite to the person occurs.”

Chagas disease manifests in an initial “acute” phase with symptoms that can include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting, or there may be no symptoms at all. Some infected persons, roughly 30%, later develop a “chronic” phase. It includes a range of cardiac and intestinal complications that might only appear decades after initial infection.

The disease also affects a wide range of domestic and wild animals.

“There is increasing recognition for canine Chagas disease, especially in Texas, where increasing numbers of household pets, working dogs and hunting dogs are being diagnosed with Chagas disease,” said Sarah Hamer.

The FAQ section of Texas A&M’s official kissing bug website includes detailed information on Chagas disease as well as resources for more about diagnosis and treatment.

Finding a kissing bug

Kissing bugs suspected of having bitten a human and found inside a Texas home should be sent to Texas Department of State Health Services for testing in conjunction with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Anyone bitten by a kissing bug should speak with a doctor about further testing. Animal owners who suspect animal contact with kissing bugs should consult a veterinarian.

Kissing bugs found outside, and not suspected of biting any humans, may be sent to Texas A&M University Kissing Bug Citizen Science Program for free identification and testing. The program’s website includes information resources for all Texas residents and specific information for pet owners and veterinarians.

Kissing bug environments

Texas A&M AgriLife experts suggest staying especially aware of kissing bug presences in these areas:

• Beneath porches
• Between rocky structures
• Under cement
• In rock, wood, brush piles, or beneath bark
• In rodent nests or animal burrows
• In outdoor dog houses or kennels
• In chicken coops

by Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service scientists hope you will join the ranks of Texas residents participating in a multi-state project to identify pollinator-friendly plants and ultimately help pollinator populations.

The Pollinator Citizen Science Project has been accepting new recruits for its second year as a volunteer-based information-gathering program.

The purpose of this project is to utilize volunteer “citizen-scientists” to determine the attractiveness of different commercially available annual and perennial ornamental plants to various pollinator groups in Texas and Oklahoma.

The project started as a collaboration between research and extension personnel at Texas A&M University, Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University and Oklahoma State University.

Erfan Vafaie, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Overton, said creators of the project hope to answer a long-popular question among ornamental and pollinator lovers: Which common flowers in Texas and Oklahoma do pollinators find most attractive?

“We are looking for master gardeners, master naturalists, landscapers, home garden enthusiasts and the like to participate in a citizen-science pollinator project,” Vafaie said. “Citizen scientists need to have access to outdoor flowering plants, whether it be in their own gardens or a nearby park or botanical garden, and make regular observations throughout the flowering season, at least once a week, to track pollinator visits.”

Join the Citizen Scientist Project

The project is mainly focused on southern states, but because data can be filtered by region, citizen-scientists report from anywhere in the U.S. It is also focused on introduced plant cultivars rather than native species.

Vafaie said the project asks volunteers to determine the plant species observed down to the binomial Latin name and to classify pollinators into one of many categories including honey bees, bumble bees, other bees, non-bee wasps, non-bee flies, butterflies and moths, and beetles.

Other information collected include the location, temperature and time of the observation, he said.

“These observations can be made in a backyard garden or at a botanical garden,” he said. “We want the observations to be from the same location throughout the season so we have a range of data relating to conditions and flowering, but we also want people to know they can do this at home.”

The Citizen Scientist project will provide online training modules focused on how to perform observations, identifying different pollinator groups, selecting a patch of flowering plants, and how to fill out the citizen-science survey.

“The training modules will take volunteers through the steps needed to report accurately,” he said. “It’s just as important to get reports that are consistent and accurate, whether they’re observing certain pollinators on specific plants or not seeing anything. We want the positive and negative because they both contribute to an accurate portrayal of what plants may attract pollinators and potentially why.”

The project receives no direct funding and operates through researchers’ existing programs and volunteers, Vafaie said.

Project results so far

As of April 1, there were 282 official citizen-scientist volunteers, including 172 master naturalists and 76 master gardeners, Vafaie said. But anyone who is interested in gardening, ornamental plants or pollinators and willing to commit time to the project is welcome to join.

In 2019, volunteers provided almost 8,000 contributions to the project.

Volunteer observations represented 215 plant species from 57 plant families. Some most commonly observed plant families included tickseed, purple coneflower, yarrow, black-eyed Susan, spearmint, oregano, salvia and lantana, mock verbena, frog fruit and verbena.

The 2020 observation surveys will be accepting observations through October. Vafaie said researchers hope to continue the project and collect data on pollinators into the future.

Vafaie said the Citizen Scientist project is a great opportunity for the public to participate in a scientific survey program dedicated to pollinators.

“Pollinators are getting more attention these days, and people are becoming more aware of their importance to humans and the world around us,” he said. “In the end, we hope this project helps pollinator populations.”

Anyone interested in participating in the Pollinator Project should go to the project page and complete the three-step process to become a volunteer. Volunteers will be asked to view an hour-long webinar on the project and pass a short quiz before signing up.

https://vimeo.com/417887797

Video by Texas A&M Marketing and Communication

by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Marketing and Communications

You’ve probably heard of the “murder hornet,” or Asian giant hornet, by now. It’s the world’s largest hornet. Native to Asia, it was sighted for the first time in Washington state and Canada in late 2019. Keeping these insects out of Texas is important because they are formidable predators of honey bees, which are crucial for crop pollination.

The main problem caused by this hornet, Vespa mandarinia, is that it uses honey bees as a principal food source. This level of predation could decimate Texas honey bee populations. If our bee populations decreased, crop yields would greatly suffer, as would honey production.

It’s such a potentially big problem that Gov. Greg Abbott requested a task force be mobilized to prepare Texas against the Asian giant hornet’s arrival. The team of Texas A&M AgriLife experts aims to help protect Texans, crops and honey.

Asian giant hornets are really big

The Asian giant hornet is native to many areas from Japan and South Korea to India and Pakistan. Up to 2 inches long, these insects are about a one-half inch larger than the cicada killer wasps common in Texas. A bee species that co-evolved with these hornets has a coordinated defense strategy. However, the European honey bees prevalent in Texas have no natural defense against this predator.

Like many other hornets and yellowjackets, Asian giant hornets tend to nest underground. And, like other similar species, Asian giant hornets are fiercely protective of their nests. Their painful stings are no more toxic than those of other stinging insects, but they can cause fatal allergic reactions in people already sensitive to bee stings. A standard beekeeper’s uniform does not protect against the hornets’ stings.

“A colony of honey bees with 30,000 to 50,000 workers can be killed by 15 to 30 hornets in a matter of hours,” said David Ragsdale, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and associate director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, and professor in the Department of Entomology. “The hornets then occupy the hive and kill the developing larvae, using this protein-rich meal to feed their young.”

How did the hornet get to the U.S.?

How the pests ended up in Canada and Washington is not yet clear. Most hornets are workers, which cannot reproduce or start a new hive. Experts believe that ship or airplane cargo may have inadvertently transported a fertilized female hornet. That’s why a key part of the Texas response is securing state entry points for cargo transportation.

The strategy includes preparing Customs and Border Protection staff to detect the Asian giant hornet. The work will also involve increasing surveillance of incoming containers and evaluating opportunities for specialized detection. One possibility is that scent-trained dogs might be able to find these hornets hidden in cargo.

How can Asian giant hornet be controlled?

Pest control for Asian giant hornets relies on understanding their life cycle. The hornets’ mating season is in the fall, the time period of greatest concern for the hornets’ spread. After mating, the newly mated queens find places to overwinter while the rest of the nest dies out.

Hornet queens re-emerge in the spring to raise their young. Once the queen has reared a few dozen workers, she no longer leaves the nest. To control the insects at that point, each underground nest must be located and the queen killed.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture, WSDA, has created a systematic trapping program to determine whether any of the hornets overwintered in the region where they were found last fall. If WSDA confirms the hornets are overwintering, the department’s next step will be to locate and eradicate all of these wasps’ nests before mating season in late summer.

Asian giant hornets not in Texas yet

Entomologists say that they have not seen Asian giant hornets in Texas.

If you are curious about an insect on your property, you can send a photo of the insect to Texas A&M entomologists for identification.

Or, you can also follow instructions to send an insect specimen to Texas A&M for identification.

For more information, see a thorough review of the pests’ biology, geographic distribution and control methods by USDA APHIS.

by Olga Kuchment, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

How the pests ended up in North America is not yet clear. Washington state investigations are focusing on the possibility that container ship or airplane transport may have inadvertently transported a fertilized female hornet.

“Part of our response is preparing our state entry points for cargo transportation,” said Greg Pompelli, Ph.D., director of the Center for Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense. “We are developing training for Customs and Border Protection staff to be able to detect the Asian giant hornet. We are also increasing surveillance of incoming containers and evaluating opportunities for specialized detection, such as possibly using scent-trained dogs to find these hornets hidden in cargo or luggage.”

The task force is planning several avenues of action. The team will provide science-based educational materials on the hornet for citizens and beekeepers. In addition, to guard against the hornet entering Texas, the task force will work on detection efforts for border and port-of-entry points. The team will also assist with mitigation efforts to protect Texas honey bee populations. Finally, the task force will prepare statewide identification efforts if necessary.

About Asian giant hornets

The world’s largest hornets, these insects are native to many areas, from Japan and South Korea to India and Pakistan. Up to 2 inches long, the insect is about a half-inch larger than the “cicada killer” wasp common in Texas.

“The hornets’ life cycle informs the potential control strategies,” said David Ragsdale, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and associate director of AgriLife Research, and professor in the Department of Entomology.

Autumn is the hornets’ mating period and the most crucial time for their spread. After mating in the fall, the queens find places to overwinter while the rest of the nest dies out. Hornet queens re-emerge in the spring to raise their young. Once the queen has reared a few dozen workers, she no longer leaves the nest. To control the insects at that point, the nest must be located and the queen killed.

“While widespread surveillance for the hornets in Texas is premature, we do need strategies to prevent the hornets’ arriving here in cargo,” Ragsdale said. “Right now, what we need to know is whether the Asian giant hornets have successfully overwintered in British Columbia or in Washington state.”

In Washington, the State Department of Agriculture, WSDA, has created a systematic trapping program to locate any overwintering queens or workers this spring, Ragsdale said. If WSDA confirms the hornets are overwintering in Washington, the department will work to map the infestation and eradicate all colonies before the hornets’ mating season in late summer or early fall.

For more information, please see Asian Giant Hornet FAQ, a publication of Texas A&M AgriLife.

With more and more schools and universities closing due to the Coronavirus pandemic striking the world, the demand for online learning and distance education is rising.

Drs. Adrienne Brundage and Craig Coates recently led two webinars for the Entomological Society of America for both students and teachers to help them adjust to the online distance learning format that is in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coates said the ESA was looking for instructors willing to help hold a webinar to teach faculty and students about how to teach and learn in an online format.

Some of the resources available to teachers and students include images of insects and specimens using digital microscopy, lists of links for suggested equipment and software to purchase that are required for online learning, and resources on pedagogies and how-to teaching online materials.

“The primary goal was to provide some positive encouragement that it can be done, there are ways to adapt in-person lectures and labs to an online environment, and provide some tips on how to do so most successfully for our students,” Coates said.

Brundage has been teaching several of her classes online and wanted to share her experiences with others that are working on transitioning their face-to-face classes to an online format.

“I’ve taught online for around a decade now, and I have made A LOT of mistakes along the way,” Brundage said. “Since everyone is being thrown into this situation with little prep now (and when I made my mistakes I had the benefit of time!) I was hoping I could help them out and make the transition a bit easier.”

Both have heard positive responses from the total of 80 student and teacher students that made up the sessions on Thursday and Friday held via WebEx.

“I think both the students and the professors enjoyed the presentation,” Brundage said. “I really want to create a situation where we’re sharing resources and helping each other, because we will all benefit.”

Coates said this was a great way to help those to transition to an online format and to share learning experiences, as well as to create a central repository for instructors to use.

“I think was a good opportunity for those that may have suddenly been thrust into an online teaching role to get some ideas and best practices from our experiences,” he said.  “We are also creating a repository with shared resources, videos, photos, rubrics, teaching plans, case studies, etc, that faculty can use at other institutions and share into themselves.”

No, but use good judgment in avoiding bites from mosquitoes and ticks

by Laura Muntean, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

At this time, there is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, explained Texas A&M AgriLife experts.

“Ticks, like mosquitoes, are blood-feeding external parasites,” said Pete Teel, Ph.D., Texas A&M University interim head for the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.  “The viruses they are known to transmit to humans must survive and grow, or replicate, inside the tick as well as survive through tick developmental stages.”

Mosquitoes, ticks and other blood-feeding arthropods are vectors of other viruses and pathogens.

“People still need to exercise caution and good judgment in avoiding bites,” said Zach Adelman, professor in the Department of Entomology. “But there is no evidence that a coronavirus can survive being digested by a mosquito, let alone transmitted to another person.”

As a result of social distancing, people are also spending more time outside. This is understandable as many outdoor activities like running, biking, etc., are very compatible with social distancing, explained Kevin Myles, professor in the Department of Entomology.

“One unintended consequence of this trend is that people may be increasingly exposed to mosquitoes and other disease vectors as the weather warms. As a result, everyone should be reminded to wear appropriate clothing and insect repellant when spending time outdoors, as vector-borne diseases continue to pose a threat to public health, in addition to flu and COVID-19,” Myles said.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person including people who are in close contact with one another—within about six feet—and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

The World Health Organization has also reported there is no information nor evidence, at this time, to suggest that that novel coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes.

The American Mosquito Control Association is monitoring the situation.

For more information regarding the Coronavirus, visit Texas A&M AgriLife’s Disaster Education Network.

To help prevent the spread and protect yourself, wash hands under soap and water for at least 20 seconds, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol, avoid close contact and practice social distancing.

Four hundred pest management professionals convened at the Brazos Center on January 8-10 to learn something new during the 74^th annual Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop at the Brazos Center.

The three-day-long conference featured various speakers on topics on insect and other pest management, the latest entomological research, and updates in techniques for business owners and pest managers.

Professor and Endowed Chair of the Urban and Structural Entomology Program Dr. Ed Vargo updated the group on the latest research activities members of the Urban and Structural Entomology program, including new projects and partnerships, as well as new personnel.

Keynote speaker Dr. Dini Miller spoke on the topic titled “Why IPM has Failed to Eliminate German Cockroach Infestations: A Case for Assessment Based Pest Management”. In her talk, Miller spoke on how using assessment-based pest management could be used in assessing infestations of German cockroaches in homes.

Texas Department of Agriculture’s Allison Cuellar also updated the audience on the new laws and regulations regarding pest managers and their businesses and showed the top 10 frequent violations that have been reported to the agency in 2019.

Other events during the first day included a talk on safety while performing services, turfgrass weed management, gene drive and how it can be used to control pests, and a talk on multi-year studies on termite treatments. Some of the topics during the Hot Topics session with Vargo and Dr. Robert Puckett included the latest in termite and bed bug research.

The Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) and the 8 Hour Technician Training courses were available during the day and a tour of the Rollins Urban and Structural Building was held Monday evening. During the tour, participants could view the laboratories and ask questions about projects.

The Thursday sessions included talks on diagnosing landscape disease problems and an expert forum where participants listened to a panel of experts on topics affecting pest control professionals and their businesses.

This year’s concurrent sessions included learning about how inspectors handle complaint investigations, how to handle pests in landscape and ornamental settings, and common problems keeping lawn and ornamentals healthy. Some of the research vignettes featured included talks on termites and how to use phorid flies to control red imported fire ants.

The final day included three specialized short courses in bed bug control, fumigation techniques, and pest ant identification and management. All the courses included hands-on activities to help pest control professionals to learn the latest techniques that are in the industry today. Each course consisted of classroom type lectures and live demonstrations.

Texas A&M works to protect monarchs on Texas roads, and they need your help

by Laura Muntean, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

Monarch butterflies are moving south through Texas on their annual autumn migration to overwintering sites in Central Mexico, but millions die in collisions with vehicles while flying low across Texas highways. Monarch numbers have declined about 82% over the last 23 years, and road mortality can significantly contribute to their dwindling numbers.

The monarch butterfly, Texas’ state insect, was petitioned for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2014. In response, many individuals, agencies and organizations, including Texas A&M’s Department of Entomology, have been working to understand why the monarch population is so diminished and find solutions.

The problem for monarch butterflies in Texas

The early spring and closing autumn monarch migratory events occur in Texas. Some monarchs travel 3,000 miles from Canada to Mexico in the autumn, then return another 1,000 miles back to Texas and Oklahoma in the spring to lay eggs. This gives the monarch the distinction of the longest migration of any insect.

On their journey North in the spring, monarchs lay eggs on milkweeds and pass through two generations in Texas before dispersing throughout the Midwest and Eastern U.S. Later generations reach as far north as Canada by the end of summer. On the return journey south during the autumn, the butterflies move through narrowing areas on their migration to Mexico. They basically go through a geographic funnel during their return to Mexico in the fall.

In previous investigations, Texas A&M researchers first uncovered a large amount of autumn monarch roadkill in West Texas, such as along Interstate Highway 10 from Junction to Sheffield. They found that road mortality of autumn-migrating monarchs from Oklahoma to Mexico depleted about 2-4% of the population that would typically arrive at Mexican overwintering sites.

“The mortality was observed to be clustered in “roadkill hotspots” in both the Central and Coastal flyways,” said James Tracy, Ph.D., a research associate for AgriLife Research working on the project. “Roadkill hotspots” are locations where monarch road death is highest.

A partnership to find a solution for monarch butterflies on Texas highways

The Texas Department of Transportation, TxDOT, Research and Technology Implementation Division is sponsoring research at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and the Knowledge Engineering Laboratory in the Department of Entomology, Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to systematically determine the location and extent of monarch roadkill on Texas roadways and consider mitigation strategies that could be implemented to reduce mortality.

“Over the next two years we are conducting four seasonal surveys of Texas roadways to identify the location and extent of roadkill hotspots,” said Robert Coulson, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Entomology.

The first of four Texas monarch roadkill field survey trips for this autumn was initiated in October and will continue through November. Surveys are conducted by field assistants Janice Bovankovich and Kaitlin Lopez, both experienced from previous fieldwork with Monarch Joint Venture.

Their task will be to survey dozens of 100-meter transects for road-killed monarchs along expansive stretches of Texas roadways. The surveys will be timed to follow the passage of monarchs on their southward migration. As the migration corridor narrows when approaching Mexico, populations of monarchs become more concentrated and road mortality is expected to increase.

Data from the surveys will be used to assess the impact of roadkill on the overwintering population in Mexico, to define the location and extent of roadkill hotspots, and to provide TxDOT mitigation options that could be implemented to reduce mortality.

Help identify monarch roadkill hotspots 

The autumn migration is happening right now, and generally runs from October through mid-November, occurring latest along the Gulf Coast.

“If signs of these monarch roadkill hotspots are near you, please send us an email so we can come take a look,” Coulson said. “We need to know the timing and location of roadkill hotspots as the migration moves through Texas.”

Email Robert Coulson, r-coulson@tamu.edu, if you find a monarch roadkill hotspot near you.

Congratulations to Dr. Craig Coates as he was selected to be the new associate dean for inclusive excellence starting September 1.

Coates, an instructional associate professor in the Department of Entomology, will equally apportion his time in this new role with his duties as associate department head for academic programs.

Coates will provide strategic leadership for efforts to diversify the college’s student and faculty populations. His responsibilities will include developing programming that encourages outstanding candidates from underrepresented groups to enroll in undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral programs in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. He will also lead efforts to assess improvements in diversity, inclusion, climate and equity in the college.

Coates joined the Texas A&M University faculty in 1998. A member of the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Biotechnology and the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Genetics, he has also directed research on the control of insect pests and vector-transmitted diseases.

Coates keeps a diverse group of undergraduates engaged in large courses, leads small seminars for graduates, and mentors graduate and undergraduate researchers. His teaching focuses on collaboration, peer review and high-impact experiences such as building waystations to support the monarch butterfly migration.

Students often cite Coates as one of their most inspiring professors.  He was recently named a 21st Century Classroom Faculty Fellow, received the 2018 Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching from the Southwestern Branch, Entomological Society of America, and was previously honored as a Center for Teaching Excellence Montague Scholar.

Congratulations to our students that were part of the more than 10,000 that are expected to walk the stage this spring during commencement at Reed Arena on Friday, May 10.

Approximately 43 students in the Department joined a larger number of students graduating from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during the 9am ceremony. These students included 15 undergraduate Entomology majors, 23 Forensic and Investigative Sciences majors, 3 Master of Science students, and 2 Doctors of Philosophy in Entomology.

Congratulations to all that are expected to walk the stage and good luck in whatever you do in your futures!!

Undergraduates-Entomology Majors

Undergraduates – Forensic and Investigative Sciences Majors

Masters Students

Ph.D. Students

Students in the Department of Entomology were on hand to help the youth that are involved in statewide FFA and 4-H clubs to better identify insects and teach entomology during the annual Insect Judging Clinic held in the Heep Center on Saturday, March 30.

The clinic helps to prepare youth participating in the upcoming FFA and 4-H contests. The half-day-long clinic helps them with identifying, collecting, and preparing insects, and learning insect biology and ecology.

After the opening session led by Dr. Pete Teel, participants were directed to four concurrent sessions that included topics such as correctly identifying insects, properly collecting and preserving insects for display, and a workshop for adult leaders and teachers on the different resources available for building successful teams.

Participants also had the chance to fine tune their insect identification skills at five different insect identification stations and a room where students received hands-on experience working with pinning and mounting tools.

The stations included the most common insects in Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera, as well as the most commonly missed insect orders.

Several undergraduate and graduate students also served as volunteers to help participants with any questions they had on insects and the contest in general.

Participants could also practice their skills with practice sessions in three rooms set up on the second and fourth floors.

The day ended with an overview of the contest and a panel of students where participants could ask questions about entomology, careers, and what college is about.

This year was senior Entomology major Sherrill Richarz’ first time to volunteer for the clinic and she said she loved working in the Hymenoptera room helping students with questions about the specimens.

“I really enjoyed volunteering and it makes me feel great that I’m helping the kids learn about entomology,” she said. “It’s a great experience.”

Senior Franchesca Rodriguez enjoyed working in the Hymenoptera room and seeing how interested the participants were when they looked at the insects.

“This really is a great seeing the kids and their reactions when they see the specimens,” Rodriguez said.

Grand Saline FFA leader Bryce Nations said the clinic was a great idea and also gives students a glimpse of entomology, as well as a way for them to see what college life is about.

“It’s great for the kids to see the clinic and learn from the people that are doing these contests and I think it’s a great recruiting tool for the university too,” he said.

The Department of Entomology’s Forensic and Investigative Program has a reason to celebrate this year as it was ranked in the top 25 Best Bachelors in Forensic Science Degree Programs in the country.

The Bachelor’s Degree Center, an independent resource website, ranked the program #1 out of 25 Best Bachelors in Forensic Science Programs during its latest release in late March. The rankings were based on several factors including cost, reputation, salaries of former students’ jobs, graduation and job placement rates.

The program started in 2007 after seeing growing popularity of the Department’s Science of Forensic Entomology (ENTO 431) and Applied Forensic Entomology (ENTO 432) courses that were taught by the late Dr. Jimmy Olson.

The program received its accreditation by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, or FEPAC, in 2012 and has grown from two courses to several, including a major offering courses in forensic soils, impression evidence, and crime scene investigations.

“I am flattered by the recognition of our program as the top program in the nation,” program director Dr. Jeff Tomberlin said. “I believe such a recognition is a testament to the commitment the faculty, college, and university has for its students as a well as a reflection of the type of student matriculating through our program.”

Instructional Assistant Professor Dr. Adrienne Brundage has been teaching courses in the program since its inception 12 years ago and was impressed by the quality of service that the faculty and advising staff have done to keep it running.

“I’ve been lucky enough to watch this group of passionate, talented, and dedicated professionals work overtime and on weekends to make it happen,” Brundage said.  “Everyone involved, from Dr. Tomberlin as the director, to Ms. Pool and Mrs. Hapes as advisors, to every single professor and guest lecturer is completely focused on the success of our students. It’s that dedication and focus that really helped the program thrive.”

Brundage noted that the students have seen the results of the high quality teaching the program has worked hard to bring.

“I think the students see the amount of work everyone puts into the program and the students work hard in return,” Brundage said.  “With a team like this it’s almost impossible to not achieve great things!”

“We train our students with the goal of producing problem solvers,” said Dr. Aaron Tarone, a professor that teaches a forensics class.   “This ranking, which was determined in part by post-graduation placement rates and salaries, suggests that we are accomplishing our goal.”

Senior Forensics major Nicholas Richter said the program has been very helpful.

“The Forensic and Investigative Sciences program at Texas A&M has really pushed me to grow, not only in my understanding of technical skills related to the field of Forensic Science, but more importantly in my thinking and reasoning as a scientist,” said senior Forensics student Nicholas Richter. “The professors truly strive to encourage critical and original thought, and I think this ranking speaks to all the efforts of the department to put the students in a position to be successful and to do things the right way.”

Senior Fatimah Bouderdaben loved the fact the program is helping her to prepare for a career after graduation.

“When I saw that A&M was ranked #1, I was not surprised. Looking at the criteria that they looked at, one of the major characteristics that were put into this ranking was the success of the graduates,” said Fatimah Bouderdaben, senior Forensics major. “I know that this program prepares us to do well after college. Especially in your senior year. We are pushed to be independent and our professional skills are honed. I am proud to graduate from this program.”

Former student Charity Owings graduated with a double major in FIVS and ENTO from Texas A&M in 2010. She is currently finishing her PhD at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) studying the mediators of blow fly population genetics.

“I am not surprised this program has been ranked #1 in the country – it is truly the best forensics bachelors program out there, boasting both top-tier instructors and intensive coursework geared towards preparing students for real-world challenges,” Owings said.

Former student Casey Flint graduated in 2017 with the pre-law emphasis and is a Ph.D. student in Entomology at Texas A&M.

“I’m honored to have graduated from this program, and come back to help teach the current students. This program prepares graduates to go into extremely diverse fields and be successful wherever they go,” she said.  “We have had students enroll in straight PhD programs in toxicology and entomology, go to medical school, become officers in the Army and Marine Corps, work for city, state, and federal investigative agencies, and much more. I’m excited to see this program grow and produce more forensic science professionals.”

“Texas A&M’s forensic science program has been preeminent for years; its recent recognition comes not as a surprise but as a welcome confirmation.  I felt—and still feel—that my journey through the Forensic and Investigative Sciences (‘FIVS’) degree was tailor-made to suit my needs and goals; the faculty promote flexibility and individuality without sacrificing excellence,” Roblyer said.  “Because the degree is tucked into a small department at a massive institution, students receive the benefit of vast resources in an environment where everyone knows their names.”

Roblyer added that the high-quality curriculum and faculty and staff, as well as having numerous career opportunities are what helped the program become what it is now.

“I think the outstanding curricula, well-reasoned course planning, and endless opportunities are the bones of the program; continuous encouragement and thoughtful mentorship are the heart and mind,” she said.  “It is, of course, the natural conclusion that a program so special should be named the best in the country.  Congratulations to all those who make it what it is.”

Hundreds of pest control professionals convened at the Brazos Center to learn the latest in pest control and pest management strategies during the 73^rd meeting of the Texas A&M Pest Management Conference and Workshop on Wednesday, January 16-Friday, January 18.

The 73rd annual workshop allows pest management professionals and to learn the latest innovations and rule changes affecting their businesses. The workshop featured experts in controlling pests in urban and other settings.

The conference opened on Wednesday with a welcome by Dr. Ed Vargo and keynote speaker Dr. Bobby Corrigan. Corrigan spoke about the latest rodents that are invading homes and businesses and the latest control methods pest control professionals can use.

Allison Cuellar also gave an update on the latest changes in state rules and regulations affecting the industry and Phillip Shults spoke about field and workplace safety. Other sessions included bed bugs and the latest updates in termite biology and management, hot topics in pest control, and weed control in Texas lawns.

Other activities included a vendor’s showcase during the Wednesday afternoon sessions where vendors could speak to participants about their products and a special 8-hour technician training course conducted by Dr. Don Renchie. During the breaks, participants could visit with more than 30 exhibitors in the exhibition area.

Extension Program Specialist-IPM Erfan Vafaie opened Thursday morning with his talk on the major insect pests of turf and ornamental plants and how to control each pest. Concurrent sessions were then held for the rest of the day on topics such as kissing bugs, structural and commodity fumigation, biting and stinging insects, and how to control perimeter pests.

One of the new features the conference added this year included a special panel session on Thursday with members of the Professional Women in Pest Control. Moderated by Janet Hurley, members Betty Thornton, Jennifer Sweeney, Dr. Janis Reed, and Rachel Maldonado.

The group spoke about topics such as how to encourage more women to work in the pest control industry and challenges they face in the industry today and how to improve recruiting and outreach.

Other presentations on Thursday included research on termites, pest ants, using RNA interference for controlling ants, and using phorid and other decapitating flies to control fire ants. Participants could also test their insect identification knowledge during “The Ultimate Challenge” and could learn the latest from the Technician and the Associate Certified Entomologist testing and trainings.

During Friday’s sessions, participants received specialized instruction with three short courses in bed bugs and bed bug control, pest control in commercial kitchens, and fumigation of both commercial and residential structures.

All of the mini-courses were designed to help pest control professionals receive hands-on experience and learn the latest techniques. Each course consisted of a short classroom-type lecture mixed with demonstrations specific to the subject.

The Department of Entomology would like to congratulate the students that are expected to graduate during commencement exercises at Reed Arena on Friday May 11.

Congratulations and good luck on your futures!!

Undergraduates:

ENTO majors:

Double Majors:

FIVS Majors:

Minors:

Graduate Students-MS Degrees:

Certificate of Public Health Entomology Recipients:

Hundreds of pest control professionals descended upon the Brazos Center during the first week of January for the annual Texas A&M University Pest Management Conference and Workshop at the Brazos Center.

This year, the workshop focused on pest control operator safety, updates on laws and regulations, and the newest research the Urban and Structural Program has been working on during the past year.

The conference opened with introductions from Dr. Ed Vargo, the Endowed Chair of the program, Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale, and a representative from the Texas Pest Control Association.

During Ragsdale’s opening comments, he commended the Urban Center on its excellence and progress on research throughout the year.

“It’s one of the largest programs in the country and we are proud of that fact and proud of the people that make a living day-to-day dealing with pests that invade our homes and businesses,” Ragsdale said. “There will be great things coming from the Urban and Structural Entomology program for the years to come which helps keep you informed about the latest control strategies.”

Ragsdale was also proud that the Department’s faculty was awarded 34 new grants in the past year for approximately $8.5 million in new funding for all areas of the discipline of entomology.

“The Department of Entomology is really making an impact locally, throughout the State of Texas and beyond,” he said.

He also mentioned the partnership the Department has with University of Texas Medical Branch and the UT Rio Grande Valley to create the Gulf Coast Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases.  The Center is one of 5 such centers created by the CDC with a goal of training the next generation of vector biologists to help the world deal with human and animal pathogens transmitted by insects and other blood feeding arthropods.

After the opening comments, Janis Reed spoke about workplace safety and how to keep the 12 most common accidents that occur in the workplace and in the field. Danielle Dean Wallace updated participants in the latest laws and regulation changes that may affect the industry.

Mississippi State Professor Dr. Jerome Goddard spoke about current issues in the integrated pest management and newest methods on using IPM for pests such as ticks, mosquitoes, and flies. Other topics during the first day of the conference included managing weeds in Texas turfgrass, bats and birds in urban settings, termite biology and how it dictates control methods that are currently used in the industry.

The second included a panel of experts session where participants could ask questions about pests and pest control to experts in the industry, as well as Extension personnel. The panel was

followed with a talk about the biology and management of scale insect pests led by Carlos Bográn, and various mini-sessions that included laws and regulations in pest management in schools, structural and commodity fumigation, and keeping companies’ computers safe from hackers and other malicious activity.

Members of the Entomology Graduate Student Organization had a table set up for anyone that was interested in the organization and hosted the “Ultimate Challenge” where participants could test their insect identification knowledge.

Participants also received specialized instruction with three short courses in mosquito control, termite biology and control, and fumigation of both commercial and residential structures. All of the mini-courses were designed to help pest control professionals receive hands-on experience and learn the latest techniques. Each course consisted of a short classroom-type lecture mixed with demonstrations with actual equipment specific to the subject.

A small group of students in the Department of Entomology had a great start to the holiday season as they joined thousands of other Aggies expecting to graduate in Reed Arena Friday afternoon.

The students included seven undergraduates, four Master of Science students, two Ph.D. students, and 10 students receiving their certification in Public Health Entomology during the 2pm ceremony.

Students, faculty and families joined the Department in a special celebratory lunch before graduation in the Heep Center where they shared good memories over coffee and light lunch items.

Congratulations to all that are expected to graduate this fall!!

Undergraduates:                         

Graduates – Master of Science:

Graduates – Ph.D.:

Public Health Entomology Certificate Recipients:

The Department of Entomology recently celebrated Dr. James Woolley’s more than 30 years of service as a Professor during a special retirement reception in the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex on Monday, October 9.

Woolley retired on August 31, 2017 after he began his career 34 years ago as an assistant professor. In his teaching, Woolley taught hundreds of students both at the graduate and undergraduate level within the Department.

Woolley developed and taught two graduate courses that included Principles of Systematic Entomology (ENTO 601) and Quantitative Phylogenetics (ENTO 606) and supervised four postdoctoral researchers, 15 Ph.D. and Masters students as chair or co-chair, and has served on committees of 35 Master’s and 36 Ph.D. students.  He also has been dedicated to teaching undergraduates, including mentoring 21 undergrad researchers and teaching courses in Biodiversity and Biology of Insects (ENTO 301), Systematics and Biology of Insects (ENTO 302), Insect Biology (ENTO 313), and Methods of Imaging Insects.

Woolley was also known for providing immersive international research experiences through teaching a Study Abroad course with Dr. Thomas Lacher with the Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences department at the Archbold Tropical Research Centre in Dominica for more than 20 years and has taught several additional courses and workshops in Mexico and Central America.

Woolley has developed an internationally-recognized research program investigating the taxonomy and systematics and biology of parasitic wasps. His program included researching all aspects of the wasps, including the biological control, survey and curation and management of collections, as well as the evolutionary biology, phylogenetics and morphometrics.

To date, Woolley’s research has resulted in 58 peer-reviewed and two electronic publications, a co-authored book, and more than 50 invited talks at symposia and seminars worldwide. Woolley and his students have presented posters at numerous research conferences.

The research also has successfully secured funding from the National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, which included several Dissertation Improvement Grants and Research Experience for Undergraduates, or REU, grants for his students. His research on the wasps also helped lead to successes of biological control of whiteflies, Russian wheat aphids, as well as advances on sugarcane aphids.

Woolley currently serves as the editor in chief of Thomas Say Publications in Entomology for the Entomological Society of America and on the Editorial Board of the journal Biological Control, and has served as Editor and Associate Editor for Cladistics and Systematic Biology. Woolley also has served as Treasurer, Secretary and President of the International Society of Hymenopterists, as well as served on several committees both within the Department and for the ESA.

Woolley received numerous awards, including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Deans Outstanding Achievement Award for International Impact in 2015 and the Outstanding Professor of the Year Award in 1998 and 2003 from the Department of Entomology’s Undergraduate Student Organization. Woolley also received the International Society of Hymenopterists’ Distinguished Service Award in 2012.

A large number of students from the Department joined more than 10,000 Aggies that are expected to graduate Friday morning during the May graduation ceremony at Reed Arena.

The students included 23 undergraduates, 4 Masters students, and 4 Ph.D. students, as well as 26 Public Health Entomology Certificate recipients.

Students and families were also treated to a special reception in the Heep Center fourth floor atrium, where they shared memories over cake and snacks. Drs. Pete Teel and David Ragsdale also wished everyone good luck and said a few words of encouragement.

Congratulations and good luck in your futures!!

Undergraduates:

Graduates-MS         

Graduates – Ph.D.        

Certificate in Public Health Entomology

by Steve Byrns, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

COLLEGE STATION– Texas cattle fever ticks, which made Texas longhorns the pariah of the plains in the late 1800s, are once again expanding their range with infestations detected in Live Oak, Willacy and Kleberg counties, said Texas A&M AgriLife experts.

As of Feb. 1, more than 500,000 acres in Texas are under various quarantines outside of the permanent quarantine zone.

Dr. Pete Teel, Texas A&M AgriLife Research entomologist at College Station, said the vigilance and cooperation of regulatory agencies, namely the Texas Animal Health Commission and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Animal and Plant Health Service, in collaboration with the livestock and wildlife industries are needed to detect, contain and eliminate cattle fever ticks.

Because there is no cure for tick fever, a series of quarantine levels are used to prevent animal movement and the spread of a fever tick infestation, and to permit animal treatments for tick elimination. For an explanation of these quarantines see http://bit.ly/2jkqTNX.  For the current situation report, see http://bit.ly/2l3hhba.

“We’ve been responding to calls for several weeks now stemming from this outbreak,” said Dr. Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension veterinary entomologist at Stephenville.

“Most of Texas has been shielded from this problem for so long that there is little memory of what it took to be able to enjoy the benefit,” she said. “Now when producers are confronted with the issue without knowledge of the history and biology and risks associated with cattle fever, they are overwhelmed.”

Teel said the historic cattle drives from Texas to railheads in Missouri and Kansas in the late 1800s brought unwanted attention when local cattle died of a strange fever associated with the arrival of Texas cattle.

“Texas cattle fever was ultimately linked to ticks brought along by the Texas longhorns,” Teel said. “These ticks were appropriately named Texas cattle fever ticks, due to their ability to transmit a fever-causing agent from infected to uninfected cattle.”

By 1906, Teel said, it was determined these ticks and Texas cattle fever were found throughout 14 southern states and were limiting the economic development of the region. It was also discovered that procedures separating cattle from these ticks was essential to disease prevention and tick elimination.

“State and federal eradication programs with industry support began in 1906 and slowly eradicated the disease by eliminating these specific ticks from the eastern seaboard to the Texas-Mexico border, a task declared completed in the 1940s,” he said. “A permanent buffer zone was created and has been maintained ever since along the international border from Del Rio to the mouth of the Rio Grande to prevent re-establishment of ticks from Mexico where both ticks and pathogens remain.”

Since the 1970s, there have been periodic incursions of these ticks into Texas. One such incursion is happening now, requiring quarantine and eradication to prevent their spread, he said.

“However, the success of this program has protected our cattle industry from the risks of disease outbreaks by preventing contact with the tick vector for so long that most people do not remember the tremendous effort and significant benefits, and are often unaware that this risk still exists,” Teel said.

“Decades of changes in land-use, brush encroachment, expansion of native and exotic game, diversification of animal enterprises and variation in climatic cycles are contributing to new challenges in keeping this problem at bay.”

How risky is the disease? Teel said the Southern Region of the U.S. is home to more than 400,000 cattle operations producing a third of all fed cattle in the country. This region is the original distribution location of these ticks before the eradication program, and climate modeling indicates it would still support these ticks today.

Mortality in cattle without prior exposure to the disease is estimated to range from 70-90 percent. There are no protective vaccines and no approved drugs to treat sick animals in the U.S., he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that if eradication of these ticks had not occurred, cattle industry losses across the southern U.S. today would be about $1 billion annually.  

The technical name for Texas cattle fever is bovine babesiosis, a name related to the organisms that infect the red blood cells of cattle. It is their destruction of the red blood cells that results in anemia, fever and death, Swiger said.

“There are two closely related tick species capable of transmitting these pathogens, one called ‘the cattle tick,’ Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus, and the other called ‘the southern cattle tick,’ R. microplus,” she said. “Both of these tick species and associated pathogens were introduced to the Western Hemisphere on livestock brought by early explorers and settlers from different parts of the world.”

The origin of the cattle tick is the Mediterranean area where climates are relatively temperate, while the southern cattle tick is from the tropics of the Indian sub-continent. Thus, they were both successful in adapting to the southern climates of the U.S., as well as similar climates in Mexico, Central and South America, Teel said.

Teel said fever ticks remain on the same animal through their larval, nymphal and adult stages all the way through until the blood-engorged females drop off the host animal. Once off the host, females lay from 2,500-4,000 eggs, and then die. The males remain on the animal to mate with more females. It takes 20 days from the time the larvae arrive on the host animal until the first females start dropping off with the most females leaving the host at about Day 25. So, animal movement during this period allows ticks to be dropped into new locations.

“A successful hatch depends on moderate temperatures and high relative humidity more common to tree and brush covered areas than to open meadow or grass habitats,” Teel said. “If ticks pick up the pathogen from their host during blood feeding, the pathogen is passed through the egg to the larvae of the next generation. No other tick species in the U.S. are capable of transmitting the pathogen of Texas cattle fever.

“Cattle are the preferred host and back when cattle were basically the only host, the ticks were much easier to control,” he said. “Today white-tailed deer and several exotic ungulates including nilgai antelope serve as hosts. Nilgai, an imported exotic species that have naturalized in much of South Texas, are native to India and were historically noted as a host animal for the southern cattle tick in India. So what we’ve done is bring both the ticks and nilgai together again.”

While there are many challenges to optimizing tick suppression where there is a mix of cattle, wildlife and feral ungulate hosts, Teel said research and technology development are providing new tools to meet these challenges.

“AgriLife Research and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service are collaborating to discover new and improved methods of detecting and eliminating cattle fever ticks,” he said. “These efforts include mining sequences of the DNA of both tick species to discover sites to disrupt functions such as tick feeding or egg laying, to identify targets for new pesticides, or genetic approaches for tick suppression or prevention of pathogen transmission.

“There is evidence that the manure of tick-infested cattle contains detectable differences in chemical makeup compared to non-infested animals and may provide for improved methods of tick detection,” he said. “And, the complex interactions of tick-host-habitat-climate relationships through simulation modelling are currently being investigated to improve tactics and strategies for tick elimination where both wildlife and cattle are involved.”

To learn more, Teel and Swiger recommend using Tick App, a free smartphone application available at http://tickapp.tamu.edu, and the Texas Animal Health Commission’s website at http://www.tahc.texas.gov/regs/code.html for information on tick treatment options, tick quarantine and associated regulations, as well as the latest updates on current quarantines.

BRYAN, Texas–Hundreds of pest control professionals convened at the Brazos Center in Bryan to learn about the latest technologies and regulations to control insects and other pests during the 71^st meeting of the Urban Pest Management Conference and Workshop.

The three-day-long workshop was held from January 11-13 and featured several different topics of interest including regulations on use of chemicals, control methods for various pests, and how to keep safe on the job.

Entomology Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale opened the event with an overview of the Department’s activities in the past year and updated the audience on the acquisition of a $10 million grant to establish the Gulf Coast Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in conjunction with UTMB and UTRGV.

Professor and Endowed Chair in Urban and Structural Entomology Dr. Ed Vargo then updated everyone on the Urban Entomology program. He noted that the program has done research on over 35 projects, which included 30 that were industry-supported and 5 that were supported by the state of Texas, totaling more than $5 million.

There were several new additions to this year’s conference including updates and discussion on the latest hot topics in pest control, a question and answer session featuring a panel of experts including Vargo Lab members and members of the pest control industry, and a new mosquito/vector control methods short course.

Safety and Security supervisor for Calumet-San Antonio Damon Shodrock spoke to the group about being safer on the job. His talk included the top 10 safety violations that OSHA sees and how to prevent each from happening in the workplace and on job sites.  Allison Cuellar from the Texas Department of Agriculture updated the audience on new rules and regulations that are being considered for pest management professionals.

Other sessions during Wednesday included various talks on bee control and removal, weed control in turfgrasses, termite identification and control methods, and an exhibitors’ forum where audience members could ask questions with a panel of vendors that were in the exhibition room selling products. Participants also were invited to learn more about the Urban and Structural Entomology program during an evening tour of the Rollins Urban and Structural Facility Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, Vargo updated on the latest effective termite management research while Molly Keck spoke on some of the common pests that were in trees and shrubs. After the main sessions, there were various breakout sessions on school IPM, mosquito control and management, graduate research vignettes, and structural fumigation.

During the breaks, conference participants had a chance to test their insect identification abilities at the Grand Challenge hosted by the Entomology Graduate Student Organization and learn about insects through the Associate Certified Entomologist training.

Participants also received hands-on experience with short courses in vector control and vector control methods, termite biology and control, and fumigation techniques. All of the short courses/demonstrations were designed to help pest control professionals receive hands-on experience and learn the latest pest management techniques.

“The conference went really well. We had 407 attendees, the most since 2008. All three workshops on Friday morning were full,” Vargo said.  “Everything ran smoothly thanks to all the work behind the scenes by Laura Nelson and other members of the urban lab. The feedback we’ve received from participants has been very positive. All the speakers did a terrific job and we’re grateful to them for their time and effort.”

COLLEGE STATION—Several Entomology students celebrated the holiday season early as they were part of more than 4,000 students expected to graduate this fall during commencement ceremonies at Reed Arena on Friday, December 16.

The department had a total of 21 students, which included 6 undergraduate ENTO majors and 1 minor, 3 master’s students and 1 Ph.D. student that attended the 2pm ceremony with others in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. There also were 15 students that received the Certification in Public Health Entomology.

“We want to extend our congratulations to you and we wish you the very best,” said Associate Department Head for Academic Programs Dr. Pete Teel. “We are extremely proud of you guys.”

Teel also commended those that received their certificates in Public Health Entomology.

“We are most pleased to see students choosing and completing the Certificate in Public Health Entomology,” Teel said.  “This course work concentration is highly relevant to current issues and opportunities relating to vector-borne and other diseases caused directly or indirectly by mosquitoes, ticks, and many other arthropods.  We wish those who have completed this certificate the very best in their professional careers.”

Undergraduates:

Graduates – Master of Science

Graduates-Ph.D.

Public Health Entomology Certificate

Dr. Horace Burke, Professor Emeritus, passed away on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, in College Station, Texas.

Burke was born April 1, 1926 near Elkhart, Texas to Franklin Parks Burke and Minnie Lee Walling Burke. After attending Elkhart High School, he served in the United States Army 17th Airborne Division, 194th Glider Infantry in World War II.  Burke also served as part of the 13th Airborne and 82nd Airborne Divisions.

Upon resuming civilian life back in Texas, Horace attended Sam Houston State University where he earned a degree in Biology, then achieved his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Entomology from Texas A&M University.

After working for the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station for several years, he became a professor of Entomology at Texas A&M in 1958, where he continued to teach and perform scientific research for nearly 40 years. Burke retired in 1996 and was named Professor Emeritus, where he continued to serve as the historian for the Department until his death.

Burke was instrumental in the teaching program at TAMU entomology. For many years, he taught the entire insect systematics curriculum, which included graduate and undergraduate courses in biodiversity, the principles of systematic entomology, and phylogeny and classification of insects. He continued teaching part of the systematics curriculum after other systematics faculty joined the department.

To this day, his former students still remember and remark on the difficulty and challenging nature of “Burke’s classes” and note, in retrospect, just how much they gained by having had Burke as a professor and mentor. Burke advanced to Professor in 1969 and later served as Associate Department Head. In 1975, he was chosen as the Outstanding Professor in the Department for his exceptional teaching efforts.

Throughout his career Burke has encouraged his graduate students to undertake fieldwork, stressing the need to know one’s research subject in the field and encouraged the development of high-quality research collections, consisting of well-prepared specimens in series with host data. Later in his tenure, Burke was instrumental in formulating the modern systematics curriculum that is currently in place in the department.

The major emphasis of Burke’s research career has been on the systematics and biology of the weevil family Curculionidae, specializing on the tribe Anthonomini, which is a speciose and poorly known group of mostly tropical weevils that includes the boll weevil.

Burke and his associates studied the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) on its native host plants in Mexico, which subsequently opened multiple lines of research, including the revision of the systematics of the grandis group of Anthonomus. Most of the approximately 140 papers, reviews, and book chapters authored or coauthored by Horace deal with the systematics and biology of weevils.

Many of his publications on weevil morphology and systematics are well known. Among those are his treatises on the pupae and the larvae of the Anthonomini which taken together with his numerous subsequent papers on the subject make known the immature stages of more species of Anthonomini than for any other comparable group of weevils.  Burke’s first paper on Anthonomini appeared in 1959 and his most recent in 2010. He has authored or coauthored 84 new species and three new genera.  In addition to weevils, Horace has authored a few papers on other beetles other beetle families (Elmidae, Lycidae).

During his tenure as the Faculty Curator of the Texas A&M Insect Collection, Burke was instrumental in modernizing the collection storage systems, established a hard-money assistant curator position, designed the new quarters to house the collection (Room 216 in the Heep Center), received the first National Science Foundation collection improvement grant, and established of the first endowments for the collection.

As curator, the collection grew substantially from around 300,000 to over 1 million, with a significant portion of that growth being in Coleoptera. Burke emphasized to all personnel associated with the collection the need for high quality specimens and the importance of growing the collection in size and promoting its use. The collection was then, and remains now, heavily used by local, national and international researchers.  The collection’s reputation and record of use is directly traced to Burke’s influence.

Burke also served as the Departmental representative and advisor to the TAMU Library Systems (1960-1991), where he developed the campus library’s holdings of entomological literature. In 1979, he was instrumental in creating the first copy of Curculio, a newsletter directed at an international audience of weevil workers, which was the longest running taxon-specific newsletters in coleopterology.

Burkes’ passion for natural history exploration can be viewed as Sam Houston State recently opened the Horace R. Burke Library of Natural History Exploration inside of the Sam Houston State Natural History Museum. The collection houses more than 4,000 books on natural history that Burke had donated and can be considered a valuable resource for biologists and other persons interested in natural history.