• Article: Voegtlin trap
During my M.S. research, my advisor David Voegtlin gave me a set of medium-sized suction traps that he had developed and built for catching aphids. As I sorted hundreds of aphids, I was amazed at the diversity of other insects in the traps and vowed that I would one day take a closer look at […]
• Article: Digitizing the collection
During the past few years, the Ouellet-Robert Entomological Collection personnel have been working towards increasing the use and value of the Collection. Today, entomology researchers especially need electronic data. In a recent publication, we described three computerization initiatives. First, we examined each drawer of pinned specimens and each vial rack of alcohol-preserved specimens, and we […]
• Thomas receives his PhD
In April 2018, Thomas Théry successfully defended his doctoral dissertation. Almost a year later, his erstwhile advisor publicly celebrates the completion of his first PhD student’s studies. Entitled “Molecular systematics of the genus Essigella (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha)“, Thomas’s dissertation presented three published chapters. Species of the aphid genus Essigella are found natively only in North America, […]
• Article: A North American aphid invades new territory
Aphis lugentis is an aphid species relatively common in North America, feeding primarily on Senecio, a genus of the daisy family. This aphid species had recently been found in southern France and in a new publication, we document its presence across the Mediterranean in Tunisia, as well as in South America, namely Argentina, Chile, and […]
• Article: The Cannabis aphid in North America
The recreational use of marijuana becomes legal across Canada today. Of course increased cultivation of Cannabis sativa will accelerate research on this species, as was highlighted in the scientific journal Nature. It will also mean the need to protect the crop against insects and other injurious organisms. One such insect is the Cannabis aphid, Phorodon cannabis. This Eurasian […]
• The lab is featured by the SEQ
The members of the lab were featured in the spring (2018) issue of Antennae, the Bulletin of the Quebec Entomology Society. Read it here in French.
• Article: Revision of the mealy plum aphids
The mealy plum aphid, Hyalopterus pruni, along with two other species of Hyalopterus, are important pests of peaches, apricots, plums, and almonds. Unfortunately, there were 13 separate species names for only three valid species. In order to associate the 13 names with the three species, we published a taxonomic revision of the aphid genus Hyalopterus. The project involved five […]
• Article: Protecting the name Adelgidae
Adelgids are sometime conifer insect pests; of particular note is the hemlock woolly adelgid. A large number of species alternate host, forming galls on a spruce one year and migrating to the bark or needles of another kind of conifer the next (fir, hemlock, larch, pine). While preparing a catalog of adelgid species, I discovered […]
• Article: Several introductions around the world of a Californian aphid
PhD student Thomas Théry recently published the first chapter of his thesis. Here’s a brief exposé of his work. Aphids of the genus Essigella live in North America and feed on pine needles. One of these species, Essigella californica, has been introduced in Europe, North Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America. Essigella californica is a species that could […]
• Anaïs wins best presentation at the departmental symposium
Best presentation in ecology and evolution at the 17th annual symposium. Congratulations Anaïs!