College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Entomology

Fall semester is in full swing, and our entomologists have returned to campus after a summer filled with teaching, fieldwork, research and international travel. From Michigan to Thailand, their work spans the globe, exploring the many ways insects intersect with ecosystems, agriculture and daily life.  
 
Dive into what our faculty members were up to this summer: 

Max Helmberger – Teaching and Mentorship

This August, MSU Entomology faculty member Max Helmberger taught a new course: Entomology Field Techniques. This 400-level class was designed to introduce entomology students to a wide range of insect sampling techniques for aerial, foliar, aquatic and soil habitats. It prioritized hands-on learning and included frequent trips to the entomology farm and Rose Lake State Wildlife Area to familiarize students with setting traps, collection techniques and field identification practice.

"What I really liked about the course was that it involved students in the full breadth of the scientific process, from designing sampling studies to collecting and analyzing the data," said Helmberger. This summer the course was taught to six students and will be offered again next summer.

Deborah McCullough – Invasive Forest Insect Research

Late summer is an ideal time to evaluate the growth and health of ash trees, the hosts of emerald ash borer (EAB), the most destructive forest insect ever to invade North America. Professor Deborah McCullough, who holds joint appointments in the Department of Entomology and the Department of Forestry, leads a lab that studies several invasive forest insects and a pathogen affecting forests across much of Michigan.

Recently, the forest entomology crew measured the growth and health of young blue ash trees at MSU's Tree Research Center. Blue ash is the only native ash species resistant to EAB, making these trees especially significant. Someday, their progeny may grow and thrive alongside EAB in both landscapes and forests.

Anthony Cognato & Sarah Smith – International Collection

Anthony Cognato, director of the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection (ARC), and collection curator Sarah Smith traveled 22 hours to Chiang Mai, Thailand to secure 12,000 bark beetle specimens for MSU’s collection. Once in Thailand, they worked 10-hour days to carefully transfer the specimens into more travel-friendly cases and returned to East Lansing with eight luggage bags full of beetles.

The MSU scolytine and platypodine collection has grown significantly, now representing more than 2,200 species — roughly one-third of the total known diversity — making it the most speciose collection in the Western Hemisphere.

Eric Benbow – Global Symposium Travel

In June, MSU Entomology faculty member Eric Benbow traveled to Uganda with master’s student Katherine Yoskowitz and doctoral student Kelly Waters for a symposium on using insects for global food security. Having dedicated the past decade to researching insects as food and feed in Africa, Benbow co-organized the event and delivered a keynote presentation. The symposium brought together 109 delegates from 12 countries who came together to develop a plan to increase global food security through training and standardization of insect farming and sustainable food systems.

Additionally, the group of Spartans also visited former MSU Entomology postdoctoral researcher Dr. Deborah Amulen’s home village and shared in meals, dancing and friendship.

This broad scope of expertise is part of what makes MSU Entomology a national and international leader in arthropod biology, ecology and management. Their work touches daily life, with impact felt both locally and around the globe. The department looks forward to another great semester ahead.