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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Can Monarchs Change with the Climate?
Monarch expert Dr. Karen Oberhauser was recently featured in the Washington Post regarding monarch butterflies and the challenges they face due to climate change.
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The Color of Butterfly Wings
Dr. Sean Schoville and graduate student Khuram Zaman were recently featured in Molecular Ecology Spotlight. Zaman and Schoville have been studying butterfly wings and the evolutionary reasons behind the color patterns:
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Bugs and Suds: Liesch to Talk Insects at Science on Tap Event
Extension entomologist PJ Liesch will be discussing insects at the Science on Tap Event in Minocqua on Wednesday, December 4th. Science on Tap events are held at the Minocqua Brewing Company the first Wednesday of each month and are an informal way for the public to interact with scientists from around Wisconsin. http://www.scienceontapminocqua.org/
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UW Students Take 2nd Place at ESA Linnaean Games
Every year, teams of entomology students from around the country face off at the Linnaean Games—a head-to-head entomology-themed trivia competition held at the annual Entomological Society of America meeting. UW Entomology took second place overall in 2019! https://www.entsoc.org/awards/student/linnaean_list
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Early Cold Snap Doesn’t Faze Ticks
Despite the early snow around Halloween and unseasonably cold temperatures, ticks can still be encountered. Tick levels seem to be similar to last year or possibly higher in some areas according to Dr. Susan Paskewitz. https://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/story/news/2019/11/06/wisconsin-tick-season-continues-more-ticks-mean-more-lyme-disease/4095890002/
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.