Beneficials
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Over 50% of the world’s population currently resides in urban areas and is projected to continue expanding. Bees are among the most populous, diverse, and effective pollinators. Approximately 70% of bee species nest in the ground, spending their larval and pupal stages underground (Figure 1). Continued urbanization poses a significant threat to natural spaces, as…
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The aesthetic and commercial value of turfgrass can be jeopardized by feeding or the mere presence of insect pests (Potter and Braman 1991). If we take a vertical section of turfgrass, it can be broadly subdivided into three zones – above ground, thatch, and below ground (Williamson et al. 2015). Many pest insects occupy and…
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Bumble bees (Fig. 1) are prone to catch your attention by their sonicating buzz or conspicuous and colorful appearance. They are robust, fuzzy-looking insects with varying bands of coloration and a hairy abdomen- a characteristic that differentiates them from the look-alike carpenter bees. Carpenter bees have bald abdomens. Similar to honey bees, bumblebees are in…
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In North America, the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus) (Fig. 1), is special as it is a classic example of a great migration. They travel on air currents and cross > 3000 miles in winter to reach the overwintering sites. Broadly, there are two populations of monarch butterflies based on their migration patterns, and they…
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