The University of California, Riverside plays a central role in the Riverside Insect Fair, serving as both its organizer and scientific backbone. The event was founded with help from UCR’s Entomology Graduate Student Association and is designed to showcase the university’s research in insect science. Graduate students from UCR run many of the exhibits, giving...

The article focuses on Doug Yanega, an expert known as a “human search engine” for his ability to identify insect species with remarkable accuracy. Working at UC Riverside’s Entomology Research Museum, he helps manage a collection of over four million specimens that serves as a vital record of global biodiversity. His work is especially important...

Researchers led by Ysabel Giraldo and Sushmita Arumugam Amogh studied how fruit flies respond to hypergravity, or gravity stronger than Earth’s. They exposed the flies to forces ranging from four to thirteen times normal gravity using a centrifuge and observed their movement and behavior. At moderate levels, the flies became more active, while at higher...

Karthikeyan Chandrasegaran studies how mosquitoes develop and transmit disease. His research shows that early-life environmental conditions, like competition, can shape adult behaviors such as host-seeking. He uses gene expression analysis to understand how networks of genes interact over time rather than acting independently. His work also examines how environmental cues and internal biological rhythms influence...

Dong-Hwan Choe is an entomologist at UC Riverside who led research on a new, more effective method for controlling termites by using their natural behavior against them. Instead of relying solely on widespread pesticide use, he developed an approach that attracts termites to treated wood using pinene, a scent they associate with food. This strategy...

Genesis Chong-Echavez is a graduate researcher at UC Riverside who led a study investigating why certain hybrid honeybees in Southern California are better at surviving deadly parasites known as Varroa mites. By tracking 236 bee colonies over several years, she found that these locally adapted bees carried significantly fewer mites and were far less likely...

Research led by Erin Wilson Rankin found that Hawaiian forest birds often steal nesting materials from nearby nests, a behavior called kleptoparasitism. The study showed species like the apapane frequently both steal and are stolen from, usually targeting nearby nests at similar heights, sometimes even when they are still active. Although this can save time...

Scientists accidentally discovered that bedbugs strongly avoid water and moisture, a finding that could help develop new ways to control infestations. The study, led by entomologist Dong Hwan Choe, found that bedbugs fear moisture because it can trap them and block their breathing, and the discovery was made by chance when the insects avoided damp...

The article explains that early detection is key to controlling the avocado lace bug, an invasive pest that damages avocado leaves and reduces crop quality. Growers are encouraged to regularly inspect trees so infestations can be caught before they spread. Researcher Mark Hoddle stresses that early identification helps farmers choose effective management strategies. Overall, consistent...

The Museum of Riverside is hosting an exhibition at Heritage House about Charles Montagu Dammers, known as Riverside’s “Butterfly Man.” A former naval officer, he became a naturalist who studied butterflies and created detailed illustrations after settling in Riverside. The exhibit also explores early conservation efforts during the Victorian era and includes displays of tools...

The article explains a study showing that bed bugs strongly avoid water and wet surfaces because contact with moisture can trap them and block their tiny breathing openings. Researchers observed that bed bugs quickly turned away from damp areas during experiments, and this behavior was consistent across different ages and sexes. Dong‑Hwan Choe , a...

UC Riverside scientists have developed a small, affordable food waste recycling system that uses black soldier flies to convert food scraps into high-protein animal feed and fertilizer. Unlike large industrial facilities, this DIY bioreactor can be built from off-the-shelf materials, run by a single person, and used where food waste is generated — such as...

New research sheds light on the hidden biology and behavior of the western drywood termite ( Incisitermes minor), a major structural pest whose life cycle has been difficult to study because it lives entirely inside wood. Conducted by UC Riverside entomologist Dong-Hwan Choe, the research uses newly captured photos and videos to document behaviors that...

Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science, Second Edition is an authoritative reference edited by Peter Atkinson and Naoki Yamanaka that reviews modern advances in insect science and entomology, covering topics such as genetic control, pollinators, and the impacts of climate change on insect physiology and molecular biology. It emphasizes the growing role of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and...

Researchers in California, including Dr. Murillo, have launched a statewide monitoring program to prevent the return of the New World screwworm, a dangerous parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living tissue and can severely harm livestock and occasionally humans. Led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside and funded by the California Department of...

UC Riverside researchers have developed a new way to determine whether a termite infestation is active by analyzing microbes in termite droppings. Because many of the microbes in fresh pellets die and degrade quickly once exposed to air, measuring their DNA levels can reveal how recently the pellets were produced. Using qPCR, the team showed...

Amy Murillo and Alec Gerry are leading a new effort at UC Riverside (UCR) to prevent the return of the New World screwworm — a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on living flesh — to California. With about $507,000 in funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Murillo and Gerry will deploy...

A family in Kansas lived for years in a house infested with over 2,000 Brown Recluse Spiders yet — remarkably — none of the four occupants suffered a confirmed bite. Despite many spiders being large enough to deliver a medically significant bite, frequent contact (handling bedding, nightly spider-collection, etc.) resulted in zero envenomation's. The study...

Houston Wilson is a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in entomology at UC Riverside and the founding director of the UC Organic Agriculture Institute. Drawing on his early studies in agroecology, Wilson develops integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for high-value California crops like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and grapes. His work bridges research and real-world farming: for...

Michelle Miner’s study found that bumble bees often win individual fights against invasive Argentine ants at food sites, but these battles slow them down so much that they return to their colony with less nectar, draining energy and resources. View article here