A "UK At The Half" segment--read by "Touchdown Kentucky" Carl Nathe, aka the voice of UK Football--featuring the Entomology Department's 120th Anniversary is scheduled for broadcast during Saturday's UK vs UL game! Listen for our segment, and go Cats!
After the game, we'll post the audio segment on our website.
Visit Carl Nathe's official media hub here:
http://uknow.uky.edu/users/carl-nathe
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sept 8: 120 Year Celebration
Join us this Thursday (Sept 8, 2011) from 6-9pm at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center for the Arts to celebrate the Department of Entomology's 120th Anniversary! The FREE event begins with a reception (refreshments included) from 6-7pm, where you can meet your entomologists and take a guided tour of our Art of Insect Illustration exhibit that is currently on display in the adjacent UK Art Museum. Also on hand will be historical artifacts and a live insect zoo.
Then at 7pm, Dr. Gary Miller (USDA) will present "Worms, Castles, & Boiled Shirts: Insects and the Civil War." Dr. Miller will be followed by UK's Urban Entomologist (and world termite authority) Dr. Mike Potter who will give "The History of Bed Bugs - with Lessons from the Past."
Read more about our 120th Anniversary here:
http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/dept/120years.asp
And here is the press release for the Sept 8th event from UKNOW:
http://uknow.uky.edu/content/uk-entomology-celebrates-120-years-sept-8
Friday, August 26, 2011
2011 Kentucky State Fair: 4-H Entomology Winners
Blake Newton, UK Extension Entomology
The winners of the 2011 4-H St. Fair insect collection competition have been chosen, and they are currently on display at the Kentucky St. Fair in Cloverville. We had a lot of very nice collections this year, with 27 total entries. Congratulations to all of the winners, and to everyone who participated!
Here are the Class Champions for each project:
1st Year (Class 687): Cody Hart, Metcalfe County
2nd Year (Class 688): Gabe Stephenson, Grant County
3rd Year (Class 689): Leslie Pike, Larue County
4th Year (Class 690): Sandra Brock, Harrison County
And the overall Grand Champion for Entomology was also Leslie Pike from Larue County.
Learn more about making a 4-H Entomology Collection.
The winners of the 2011 4-H St. Fair insect collection competition have been chosen, and they are currently on display at the Kentucky St. Fair in Cloverville. We had a lot of very nice collections this year, with 27 total entries. Congratulations to all of the winners, and to everyone who participated!
Here are the Class Champions for each project:
1st Year (Class 687): Cody Hart, Metcalfe County
2nd Year (Class 688): Gabe Stephenson, Grant County
3rd Year (Class 689): Leslie Pike, Larue County
4th Year (Class 690): Sandra Brock, Harrison County
And the overall Grand Champion for Entomology was also Leslie Pike from Larue County.
Learn more about making a 4-H Entomology Collection.
Monday, August 22, 2011
New Facebook Page: Kentucky Bugs
Like us! Become our friend!
We've just created a new Facebook page called Kentucky Bugs. It is maintained by extension Professor Dr. Lee Townsend, and it is regularly updated with pictures of insects and other arthropods that are seasonally active. It's an easy way to learn about Kentucky insects, and it can keep you updated on those creatures that are out-and-about during different times of the year.
Visit Kentucky Bugs here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kentucky-Bugs/262237810453730
We've just created a new Facebook page called Kentucky Bugs. It is maintained by extension Professor Dr. Lee Townsend, and it is regularly updated with pictures of insects and other arthropods that are seasonally active. It's an easy way to learn about Kentucky insects, and it can keep you updated on those creatures that are out-and-about during different times of the year.
Visit Kentucky Bugs here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kentucky-Bugs/262237810453730
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Kentucky Pollinator Park!
Blake Newton, UK Extension Entomology
I love it when a plan comes together! Last year, several agencies/entities/organizations (including the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Kentucky Horse Park, and my group, UK Extension) got together to improve a portion of the Cane Run watershed at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The Cane Run creek runs from Lexington to Georgetown, Ky, and supplies some of Georgetown's drinking water. In recent years, the Cane Run has become impaired. Pollution (everything from erosion to heat to livestock waste) has become common in the Cane Run, which runs through a variety of rural, urban, and industrial areas in Fayette and Scott counties.
One of the ways to mitigate negative impacts to a watershed is to encourage riparian buffer zones. The riparian zone is the area next to a river or stream. In natural Kentucky landscapes, a riparian zone is typically thick with trees and other plants. In heavily managed urban and agricultural areas, though, riparian zones are often mowed right up to the banks. This can create several problems. The loss of shade heats the water, which can kill aquatic insects. Who cares about aquatic insects? You do, because fish can't live without aquatic insects to eat. Also, when streamside vegetation isn't allowed to grow, there isn't an extensive root system in the riparian zone. Without a root system, you get erosion, which destroys property and adds sediment to streams.
In Spring 2011, the Friends of Cane Run installed a riparian buffer at a section of the Cane Run Creek at the Kentucky Horse Park. The buffer consists of a variety of native plants, and it solves lots of problems at once. For one thing, the new plantings are a beautiful addition to the Horse Park landscape; the native flowers truly thrive in the Kentucky sunshine. More importantly, by installing native plants, invasive weeds (like honeysuckle and winter creeper) are discouraged. The new installation also works to truly "buffer" negative impacts: its roots soak up pollutants (like excess nitrogen) and its foliage helps to block the heat of the sun. This helps to protect the delicate aquatic insects (a.k.a. fish food!) that live in the water.
But the buffer doesn't just benefit the aquatic insects! It's also a terrific habitat for pollinators. Native plants like coneflowers and bee balm provide lots of food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Pictured below are some of the plants.
So now, the horse park is kind of like a pollinator park! Read more about the project (which was a part of last year's World Equestrain Games) here, and see a video of the project on YouTube.
You Can Create a Buffer Too!
Many of us live along streams and creeks, and installing a riparian buffer zone is a great way to help improve a local watershed. And there are several ways to do it. Gardeners might enjoy taking the native-plant approach, similar to what was accomplished at the horse park. But it doesn't have to be that much work. In fact, sometimes it doesn't have to be ANY WORK AT ALL! In some areas, you can create a riparian buffer simply by leaving the stream's edge unmowed, and by allowing native trees and shrubs to establish themselves in the riparian zone. You can read more about creating a riparian buffer here.
Read more about the Cane Run Watershed, and become a friend on Facebook!
I love it when a plan comes together! Last year, several agencies/entities/organizations (including the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Kentucky Horse Park, and my group, UK Extension) got together to improve a portion of the Cane Run watershed at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The Cane Run creek runs from Lexington to Georgetown, Ky, and supplies some of Georgetown's drinking water. In recent years, the Cane Run has become impaired. Pollution (everything from erosion to heat to livestock waste) has become common in the Cane Run, which runs through a variety of rural, urban, and industrial areas in Fayette and Scott counties.
One of the ways to mitigate negative impacts to a watershed is to encourage riparian buffer zones. The riparian zone is the area next to a river or stream. In natural Kentucky landscapes, a riparian zone is typically thick with trees and other plants. In heavily managed urban and agricultural areas, though, riparian zones are often mowed right up to the banks. This can create several problems. The loss of shade heats the water, which can kill aquatic insects. Who cares about aquatic insects? You do, because fish can't live without aquatic insects to eat. Also, when streamside vegetation isn't allowed to grow, there isn't an extensive root system in the riparian zone. Without a root system, you get erosion, which destroys property and adds sediment to streams.
In Spring 2011, the Friends of Cane Run installed a riparian buffer at a section of the Cane Run Creek at the Kentucky Horse Park. The buffer consists of a variety of native plants, and it solves lots of problems at once. For one thing, the new plantings are a beautiful addition to the Horse Park landscape; the native flowers truly thrive in the Kentucky sunshine. More importantly, by installing native plants, invasive weeds (like honeysuckle and winter creeper) are discouraged. The new installation also works to truly "buffer" negative impacts: its roots soak up pollutants (like excess nitrogen) and its foliage helps to block the heat of the sun. This helps to protect the delicate aquatic insects (a.k.a. fish food!) that live in the water.
But the buffer doesn't just benefit the aquatic insects! It's also a terrific habitat for pollinators. Native plants like coneflowers and bee balm provide lots of food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Pictured below are some of the plants.
So now, the horse park is kind of like a pollinator park! Read more about the project (which was a part of last year's World Equestrain Games) here, and see a video of the project on YouTube.
You Can Create a Buffer Too!
Many of us live along streams and creeks, and installing a riparian buffer zone is a great way to help improve a local watershed. And there are several ways to do it. Gardeners might enjoy taking the native-plant approach, similar to what was accomplished at the horse park. But it doesn't have to be that much work. In fact, sometimes it doesn't have to be ANY WORK AT ALL! In some areas, you can create a riparian buffer simply by leaving the stream's edge unmowed, and by allowing native trees and shrubs to establish themselves in the riparian zone. You can read more about creating a riparian buffer here.
Read more about the Cane Run Watershed, and become a friend on Facebook!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Scorplings at the Explorium
A baby scorpion is called a "scorpling." I just learned this today... because our mamma scorpion just gave birth to about a dozen of them! They will ride on her back for a few weeks until they can live on their own:
The proud mamma is one of ten emperor scorpions that are on display at our new Small World exhibit at the Lexington Explorium (AKA the Lexington Children's Museum). Small World--a partnership between UK Entomology and the Lexington Explorium--is a permanent entomology exhibit featuring several live arthropods, including scorpions, tarantulas, darkling beetles, aquatic insects, and lots of other cool things. It just opened in April, and we are very proud of it. The exhibit is open Tuesday-Sunday (and Mondays in the summer) and admission is included with a ticket to the Explorium. Even more fun: every Saturday is Small World Saturday, when representatives from UK Entomology will be on-hand from 10am-1pm to answer questions about the exhibit, and about entomology in general. And come early, because feedin' time on Saturday is 10am... if you're lucky, you might get to throw a cricket into the scorpion cage!
So come visit us this Saturday, June 11, from 11am-2pm, and don't forget to offer our mamma scorpion "congratulations" (and you'll need to say it twelve times... one for each scorpling). Click here for Explorium directions and ticket information.
Read more about our new Small World exhibit: http://goo.gl/GW0q9
The proud mamma is one of ten emperor scorpions that are on display at our new Small World exhibit at the Lexington Explorium (AKA the Lexington Children's Museum). Small World--a partnership between UK Entomology and the Lexington Explorium--is a permanent entomology exhibit featuring several live arthropods, including scorpions, tarantulas, darkling beetles, aquatic insects, and lots of other cool things. It just opened in April, and we are very proud of it. The exhibit is open Tuesday-Sunday (and Mondays in the summer) and admission is included with a ticket to the Explorium. Even more fun: every Saturday is Small World Saturday, when representatives from UK Entomology will be on-hand from 10am-1pm to answer questions about the exhibit, and about entomology in general. And come early, because feedin' time on Saturday is 10am... if you're lucky, you might get to throw a cricket into the scorpion cage!
So come visit us this Saturday, June 11, from 11am-2pm, and don't forget to offer our mamma scorpion "congratulations" (and you'll need to say it twelve times... one for each scorpling). Click here for Explorium directions and ticket information.
Read more about our new Small World exhibit: http://goo.gl/GW0q9
Friday, May 20, 2011
Beetle vs. Frog
It is always amazing to see an insect (or insect relative) successfully prey upon vertebrates or other creatures that are considered to be more-advanced, or higher on the food chain.
We already know that giant water bugs (Kentucky natives!) are able to catch and eat fish and frogs. And many people have probably seen videos of giant tropical centipedes preying upon mice and snakes. There are even reports of praying mantids capturing hummingbirds.
But today I learned that beetles will attack and eat frogs!
Most of the time, beetles do not eat frogs. Instead, they are usually frog-food. American toads, in particular, seem to love eating ground beetles. But scientists have recently discovered that a type of predatory ground beetle will--in captivity, anyway--attack and kill frogs. You can read about the study here. This study was based out of Israel and was conducted with ground beetles in the Epomis genus. I don't think that these beetles are found in the United States, but we do have some species of ground beetles in Kentucky that are similar in shape and size, such as the so-called Searchers in the Calosoma genus. I wonder if our beetles will eat frogs? Sounds like it's time for a death-match! Um, I mean, an experiment.
We already know that giant water bugs (Kentucky natives!) are able to catch and eat fish and frogs. And many people have probably seen videos of giant tropical centipedes preying upon mice and snakes. There are even reports of praying mantids capturing hummingbirds.
But today I learned that beetles will attack and eat frogs!
Most of the time, beetles do not eat frogs. Instead, they are usually frog-food. American toads, in particular, seem to love eating ground beetles. But scientists have recently discovered that a type of predatory ground beetle will--in captivity, anyway--attack and kill frogs. You can read about the study here. This study was based out of Israel and was conducted with ground beetles in the Epomis genus. I don't think that these beetles are found in the United States, but we do have some species of ground beetles in Kentucky that are similar in shape and size, such as the so-called Searchers in the Calosoma genus. I wonder if our beetles will eat frogs? Sounds like it's time for a death-match! Um, I mean, an experiment.
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