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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Taking Ticks Seriously
Deer ticks pose significant health risks to Wisconsin residents and Governor Tony Evers recently signed a bill requiring the DNR to do more to warn visitors to state lands about the risks that ticks pose. Tick expert, Dr. Susan Paskewitz was featured in this recent article about the legislation and the tick situation in Wisconsin.
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Beetles Suspected in Horse Deaths
Extension entomologist PJ Liesch was recently interviewed by both the Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the potentially deadly effects of blister beetles. A riding stable in Mauston, WI recently lost 14 horses and blister beetles are suspected to have played a role. Livestock can be affected if blister beetles are present…
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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/
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.