​WGNSS Entomology Group - Co-Chair: Christopher Brown and Ted MacRae 

The next WGNSS entomology group meeting is on Monday, November 17. We will meet in person at Webster University’s Sverdrup Hall (I’ll have more specifics on the room when I send out the reminder next week after I visit the location). I am hopeful that Webster University will provide a consistent place for us to meet going forward. I expect we’ll be able to have the virtual option as well for those not able to be there in person (Zoom link to come next week with the reminder).
 
For this meeting, I will present on one of the top threats to nature and biodiversity-- invasive species-- using the Chinese praying mantis, Tenodera sinensis, as a case study. Is the Chinese praying mantis a beneficial predator providing pest control services or an invasive species?
 
I also want to mention that the December meeting will be our first show-and-tell meeting of the season, where members share their entomological experiences, research, etc., from this past season. All are welcome to share or just listen in. Share a 5-minute single highlight or id request or maybe even a 20-minute dive into a project you’re working on. 

​Reach out if you are interested in sharing, and how much time you will need.
 
Best Regards,
 
Chris Brown
Entomology Group co-chair

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​For more information, contact Chris Brown at [email protected] or Ted MacRae at [email protected]

​Join WGNSS for botany, birds, bugs, books & photography!​

Learn More about Insects and Entomology at these Nature Websites!

Beetles in the Bush.  Ted MacRae is a Research Entomologist, and Beetle Taxonomist, Editor of the The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, Layout Editor for the journal Cicindela, and Editor of WGNSS Nature Notes. Ted has one of the top insect nature blogs on the internet, with lively informative discussions and amazing photos.
Beneficial Pollinators. The St. Louis Zoo is helping insect pollinators!  Learn about beneficial insect pollinators, how to identify them, and how you can help pollinators too!
BugGuide. Is an online community of naturalists who enjoy learning about and sharing our observations of insects, spiders, and other related creatures!
Bug Squad. Happenings in the Insect World. Kathy Keatley Garvey is a communications specialist with the Department of Entomology and Nematology at UC Davis. Her blog is part of the University of California's Agricultural and Natural Resources website.
Butterflies and Moths of North America. "Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA) is an ambitious effort to collect, store, and share species information and occurrence data. You can participate by taking and submitting photographs of butterflies, moths, and caterpillars."
Dunlap Cognitive Ecology. Dr. Aimee Sue Dunlap is a Ecology and Evolution Research Entomologist   studying cognitive ecology within the Biology Department at the University of Missouri- St. Louis. Her lab is also affiliated with the Harris World Ecology Center and the Center for Neurodynamics.
Gardening with Binoculars. Anne McCormack discussions bringing nature (especially birds) to your back yard!
Getting Into Nature.  Don Corrigan – Environmental Journalist and Nature Writer, and Professor; of Media Law, and Global & Environmental Journalism at Webster University. Author of Environmental Missouri: Issues and Sustainability-What You Need to Know (2014), and Show Me...Nature's Wrath: Tornadoes, Floods, Ice Storms, and Other Natural Disaster (2009).
Jo Alwood's YouTube channel.  Wonderful and informatively narrated videos of birds, insects, & nature! 
Another WGNSS member writes this fascinating site about the birds, butterflies and plants of Colombia. Find even more blogs by checking the links of the Nature Blog Network. 

Ozark Bill. An Illuminating and educational nature blog featuring the incredible nature and wildlife photography of Bill Duncan.
Rachel Brant- Urban Bee Ecology  With tips for starting or improving your own bee-friendly gardens!

Contact WGNSS Website Coordinator, Miguel Acosta, to have your Nature Blog listed here.

Past Programs:
​2021
February 15, 2021 – Unexplored Niches: What Treasures Pocket Gopher Burrows Hold…and Other Beetle Projects, presented by Reese Worthington, of the Missouri Department of Conservation 
​2020
November 9, 2020 – A Smell with a Spell: How 3 decades of stink bugs research would define the future of entomology, presented by Anthony Dimeglio. 
​October 20, 2020 – Threatened and endangered insect species in Missouri. Steve Buback, natural history biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation.
September 21, 2020 – workshop on “Soil food web and ecosystem services”, Harit Bal ​
January 20 – "Life in the city: Analyzing urban bee behavior, and the implications for pollination services and species persistence.",  Rachel Brant
​2019
October 21 ─ “A pollinator-centric look at pesticide safety testing and risk assessment” Daniel Schmehl
September 28 ─ Field outing to observe the splendid tiger beetle, Cicindela splendida at Hughes Mountain Conservation Area.
​2018
January 21 – "Highlights from nearly 20 years of chasing tiger beetles in Missouri"  Ted MacRae and Chris Brown
November 19 – "Habitat management in agro-ecosystems: advances and challenges to preserve and promote natural enemies to reduce the effects of pests". Dayane Reis
October 15 – "Biological control in agriculture, the factors that influence its success or failure" Peter Asiimwe 
​May 11-12 – BioBlitz at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center
April 16 – "Where Have All the Insects Gone?”, Rich Thoma, Research Biologist
March 19 – “Photographing Missouri’s Insects; Techniques, Equipment and Images” Bill Duncan, Research Biologist
​February 19 – “Not exactly insects; An introduction to spiders and their kin” James Trager, Shaw Nature Reserve naturalist 
January 15 – “Undertaking Conservation – An Effort to Save the Endangered American Burying Beetle” Bob Merz of the ​St. Louis Zoo.