Green June Beetle

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

Green June Beetles – members of the Scarab family of beetles – are out in vast numbers this time of year. Seen flying low to the ground, the females scan for the ideal grassy place to lay their eggs. Green June Beetles can be found during hot summer days across the eastern United States.

Green June Beetle

European Hornets

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

European Hornets, also known as Japanese Hornets, first hitched their way to America in the 1840s. These large hornets can be found throughout the Eastern United States, with their paper nests hidden away in tree holes, under steps or in out buildings.

European Hornets

Winged Obsession

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

Dr. Art Evans interviews Jessica Speart the author of several mysteries and a freelance journalist in wildlife enforcement issues. Her latest book is the non-fiction thriller Winged Obsession which exposes a world of greed and smuggling – the illegal and lucrative trade in exotic butterflies.

Winged Obsession

Water Striders

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

Some refer to Water Striders as “Jesus bugs” because of their ability to “walk on water.” Specially designed legs allow them to displace their weight across the surface tension of water. They also have waxy hairs that make them virtually waterproof.

Water Striders

Wicked Bugs

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

WCVE Public Radio producer Steve Clark and entomologist Dr. Art Evans talked with best selling author Amy Stewart about her latest book Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects. Her most recent effort details some 100 "bug" culprits that have or have had the most dangerous effects on humans.

Find out more and listen to an extended interview with Amy here.

Wicked Bugs

Citizen Science

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

What does one do these days if they are interested in data gathering? WCVE Public Radio producer Steve Clark presented the question to Dr. Art Evans. He offered up answers from an entomology perspective, as well as other popular “citizen science” opportunities.

Citizen Science

What Makes a Beetle a Beetle

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

Dr. Art Evans talks with WCVE Public Radio producer Steve Clark about just what does make a beetle (Coleoptera) a beetle. Species in the order Coleoptera are generally characterized by a particularly hard exoskeleton and hard forewings (elytra). Beetles are endopterygotes, which means that they undergo complete metamorphosis, a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, undergoing a series of conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the its body structure. Listen to find out more.

Beetle

Ticks

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

Ticks are out en masse. Nymphal and adult deer ticks can be carriers of Lyme disease. Nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed and can be hard to detect, so it is a good practice to check for ticks often throughout the warm season. Learn more about Lyme Disease here.

Ticks

Springtime for the Pollinators

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

It’s spring and many plants are in bloom. But the bright colors and scents aren’t just for our enjoyment. It is also the time for plants to attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and other insects. In this What’s Bugging You? edition, Dr. Art Evans shares with WCVE Public Radio producer Steve Clark the various ways plants recruit insects for the important job of pollination.

Pollinators

Emerald Ash Borer

Dr. Art Evans in What's Bugging You?

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis or Agrilus marcopoli) also known as EAB, was accidentally imported from Eastern Asia in the late 1990s. Since then, the insect has made itself at home in vulnerable ash trees. EAB females bore into an ash’s bark and lay eggs. The resultant larvae bore further into the tree and into the cambium, the area between the bark and wood where nutrient levels are high. The larvae kill the trees by destroying the water and nutrient conducting tissues under the bark. Once an infestation is noticed it’s already too late.

emerald ash borer