Category Archives: insects
Protecting Pollinators in Urban Landscapes Conference
October 2, 2017 It’s almost here–the second national Protecting Pollinators in Urban Landscapes Conference, October 9-11, 2017. This event brings together academic and industry researchers, practitioners, and extension educators to discuss new research and real-world challenges in pollinator conservation. I … Continue reading
Squash Bees Are Pollinating Your Pumpkins and Zucchini
from the Frank Lab Website August 17, 2015 For years, I have felt rather sheepish for never having seen a squash bee. As native bees go, these fetching little stripey, round-faced bees get a lot of press. They’re common and … Continue reading
Cities as a glimpse of the future
from the Frank Lab Website August 27, 2014 This is an essay I wrote about my recent research on cities and climate change; the results were just published in Global Change Biology. About a year ago, I found myself sitting … Continue reading
Gardening for pollinators: A quick-start guide
July 26, 2014 A few weeks ago, the Ridgewood Whole Foods Market in Raleigh kindly invited my colleague April Hamblin and me to represent native bees at their Share the Buzz event. I put together this mini-guide to providing room … Continue reading
This bench is habitat
from the Frank Lab Website May 22, 2014 A few weeks ago, while I was sitting on a bench on campus eating lunch, a female carpenter bee startled me by flying up directly between my knees. She looked me in … Continue reading
Chestnut Growers’ Guide to Pests and Diseases
from The Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation May-June 2013 Growing American chestnuts is an adventure with many rewards: stately trees, delicious nuts, and conservation of an important species. But today’s chestnuts have to fend off much more than the … Continue reading
Decoding a Flower’s Message
from American Scientist July-August 2012 Texas gourd vines unfurl their large, flared blossoms in the dim hours before sunrise. Until they close at noon, their yellow petals and mild, squashy aroma attract bees that gather nectar and shuttle pollen from … Continue reading
Insect Escape Artists
Book review in American Scientist May-June, 2012 How Not to Be Eaten: The Insects Fight Back. Gilbert Waldbauer. xiv + 221 pp. University of California Press, 2012. $27.95. Rarely does one have reason to compare a moth and a croquet … Continue reading
How a Fungus Boosts a Beetle’s Invasion
Microbial evolution helps explain why a mild-mannered American beetle has become a tree killer in Asia Continue reading
Interview: Hanging Around in the Rainforest
In a reversal of roles, I’m on somebody else’s podcast…talking about my own research: “Insect biologist Elsa Youngsteadt explains to Curiouser & Curiouser host Jai Ranganathan why tropical ants create gardens up in trees.” Click here to check out that … Continue reading