Orchid bees
Tribe Euglossini
Burying beetle
Nicrophorus orbicollis
Stingless bees
Tetragonisca angustula
Giant mayfly
Hexagenia limbata
Rusty patched bumble bee
Bombus affinis
Goldenrod soldier beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
Colorado potato beetle
Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Common blue damselfly
Enallagma cyathigerum
Valley carpenter bee
Xylocopa sonorina
Spongy moth
Lymantria dispar
Honeybee
Apis mellifera
Mining bee
Andrena sp.
Squash vine borer
Melittia cucurbitae
Bumblebee mimic robber fly
Laphria thoracica
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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Should We Worry About Murder Hornets?
Emeritus professor and Hymenoptera expert, Dr. Bob Jeanne, spoke with Madison’s Channel 3000 TV about the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) and what their presence in North America could mean for humans and honey bees.
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Rick Lindroth Among 2020 Hilldale Award Honorees
Each year, the Secretary of the Faculty recognizes four professors from the University of Wisconsin–Madison for distinguished contributions to research, teaching and service with the Hilldale Awards. One faculty member each from the arts and humanities, social sciences, physical sciences and biological sciences is selected from nominations by department chairs. The winners will be awarded…
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Can Mosquitoes Spread Coronavirus?
The novel coronavirus is catching our attention in the news and many have wondered if mosquitoes might be able to transmit the disease. As Extension entomologist PJ Liesch explains on WTMJ 620 Radio, transmission by mosquitoes is highly unlikely.
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UW Entomology Supports Wisconsin Cranberry Growers
Dr. Shane Foye and Dr. Shawn Steffan were recently featured in Fruit Growers News for their work on entomopathogenic nematodes in Wisconsin cranberry marshes. Dr. Foye recently completed his Ph.D. work studying parasitic nematodes, which he identified and used as biological controls to successfully reduce pest numbers in cranberry cropping systems.
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The Way We Eat: Bees, Citizen Science, and Colony Collapse Disorder
Pollinator researchers Katy Thostenson and Dr. Claudio Gratton recently joined Jonah Chester on WORT 89.9 Madison to discuss the status of bees. They also discuss their WiBee app—a citizen science project—to track and assess bee health in Wisconsin.
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.