The future of fall armyworm research
As COVID-19 forces more and more people indoors, the challenges facing scientific research do not diminish. If anything, the sudden requirement to maintain a sensible distance between colleagues serves only to highlight the lack of resources currently available to facilitate remote working and collaboration in research circles.
Dogs can sniff out huanglongbing months before symptoms appear
Study finds that using dogs to survey for citrus greening disease is more accurate and efficient than current methods. Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, is a bacterial disease of citrus plants cause by Candidatus Liberibacter spp. It is thought to have been primarily an insect endophyte, but made the jump to its alternative host – citrus plants…
European ash trees resist devastating insect pest
Ash trees may be more prepared to face invasive threats than previously realised. The European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is a common site in towns, forests and parkland across the United Kingdom. Since the 1990s, ash trees across Europe have been devastated by ash dieback, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), which has…
Invading Europe’s waterways: the crayfish occupation
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans that can be found in a range of freshwater habitats, from fast-flowing rivers to swamps and ditches. Even in places where they are abundant, they are secretive and not commonly seen, so the ongoing widespread invasion by non-native crayfish species is unknown to many.
Predicting the spread of invasive spotted lanternfly
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an emerging insect pest of a number of economically important crop plants. Originating from China, its primary host plant is tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), which is itself considered to be a noxious invasive species in some areas of the United States.
Shedding light on the biodiversity impacts of the tomato leafminer
The ecological effects of a widespread crop pest The tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta is one of the most widespread and impactful invasive crop pests in the world. First reported in Peru in 1914, the tomato leafminer is now recorded throughout South America, Africa and Europe and is estimated to infest 60% of all cultivated tomatoes worldwide. Recent studies…