Orchid bees
Tribe Euglossini
Photo: Tony Shen
Burying beetle
Nicrophorus orbicollis
Photo: Tony Shen
Stingless bees
Tetragonisca angustula
Photo: Tony Shen
Giant mayfly
Hexagenia limbata
Photo: Tony Shen
Rusty patched bumble bee
Bombus affinis
Photo: Jeremy Hemberger
Goldenrod soldier beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
Photo: Tony Shen
Colorado potato beetle
Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Photo: Ben Bradford
Common blue damselfly
Enallagma cyathigerum
Photo: Jeremy Hemberger
Valley carpenter bee
Xylocopa sonorina
Photo: Jeremy Hemberger
Spongy moth
Lymantria dispar
Photo: Jeremy Hemberger
Honeybee
Apis mellifera
Photo: Ben Bradford
Mining bee
Andrena sp.
Photo: Ben Bradford
Squash vine borer
Melittia cucurbitae
Photo: Jeremy Hemberger
Bumblebee mimic robber fly
Laphria thoracica
Photo: Jeremy Hemberger
Welcome to the Department of Entomology!
The Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison is a world-class graduate training and research institution committed to advancing research in insect biology in both basic and applied contexts. We offer MS and Ph.D. degrees in Entomology and two undergraduate majors (Entomology & Global Health). Our faculty and staff members along with our graduate students, postdoctoral associates, affiliated and emeritus professors offer a dynamic and interdisciplinary research and teaching environment to prepare students for a future in entomology.
The Department is housed in Russell Laboratories and makes extensive use of campus greenhouse facilities and the agricultural research stations located throughout the state for research, outreach and educational purposes. Russell Labs houses three departments: Entomology, Forest and Wildlife Ecology, and Plant Pathology. The building is centrally located on the UW-Madison campus making it ideal for collaborative work with other departments.
Values such as inclusion, integrity, community, and respect are an integral part of department culture and official code of conduct.
Quick Links
Department News
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PJ Liesch talks to the Badger Herald about his work as the Wisconsin Bug Guy
PJ Liesch, Director of the Insect Diagnostic Lab and colloquially known as “The Wisconsin Bug Guy”, was recently interviewed by The Badger Herald about his work and how he became interested in insects from an early age. Read the piece here.
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Entomology Digest – Spring 2023
Letter from the Chair Entomology Community and Friends of the Department, On Saturday, April 15 our Undergraduate Entomology Society together with support from Slow Food UW, and MIGHTi hosted the 2023 Swarm To Table event, from 2:00-5:00 pm, at The Crossing Event Center. Swarm to Table is a celebration of insects in food, art, and…
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2023 Wisconsin Insect Fest coming Saturday, August 19th to Upham Woods
Mark your calendars! The 2023 Wisconsin Insect Fest event is being planned as a one-day afternoon/evening event on Saturday August 19th, 2023 at the Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center near the Wisconsin Dells. Watch this space or the WIF page for more event details to come. Upham Woods is a 300+ acre UW/Extension-affiliated property along…
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New paper co-authored by Sean Schoville explores the genetic history of a rare color morph of Colias butterflies
A new paper recently published in Scientific Advances explores the genetic history of a rare color morph of Colias butterflies. Read the abstract below, or read the full paper here. Title: Evidence for a single, ancient origin of a genus-wide alternative life history strategy Abstract: Understanding the evolutionary origins and factors maintaining alternative life history…
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PJ Liesch recognized as Best Communicator by the Agriculture Institute
PJ Liesch, extension entomologist and director of the insect diagnostic lab, received Best Communicator in the 2023 UW-Madison Agriculture Institute staff and faculty awards! Congratulations, PJ! The Best Communicator award is for a colleague who has done an exceptional job communicating research-based information in an accessible, approachable way. The award notes that “PJ is an…
Meaningful Research
Advancing research in insect biology in both basic and applied contexts.
Top-notch Instruction
Interdisciplinary instruction to inform students, collaborators, and the community.
Far-reaching Impact
Embodying the Wisconsin Idea, making the boundaries of our work the boundaries of the Wisconsin and beyond.
Vision
We focus on high-impact science that leverages our collective expertise on arthropod biology to solve problems in agriculture, the environment, and human health.