David Held

I'm an Alumni Professor of Entomology at Auburn University. Follow me for tweets relative to landscape and turfgrass entomology.

[David Held @held_david]

I’m in the yard today seeing a very good population of spittle bug nymphs. This is common in southern grasses like Bermuda when rain of irrigation are good. The recent rain following a drought appears to have benefited these xylem feeding insects.

[David Held @held_david]

I was fortunate to video this puddling behavior yesterday. These butterflies probe the moist soil and drink water for amino acids and sodium-butterfly Gatorade! Also use sweat or juices of animal waste. It is important for their longevity and fecundity.
https://t.co/eqXfYAG6GT

[David Held @held_david]

Interesting honey bee swarm outside of Comer Hall this morning. The AU-Bees lab is on the way to collect it.

[David Held @held_david]

Ugh! hibiscus sawfly emergence started today. The adults look like love bugs and the multiple generations of larvae shred leaves on native hibiscus. There are few good control options since hibiscus blooms continuously and hosts hibiscus turret bees.

[David Held @held_david]

I get cudweed volunteering in my lawn refuge. Today I pulled a few and found a pillbug party underneath. I checked the others and found snails, pillbugs under all, and one ground beetle. The leaves low to the ground may create suitable conditions for them.

[David Held @held_david]

It's been a big week around the lab. Cora Yates graduated with her Master's and Daniel's paper on conservation biological control of CM bark scale was published online. Congrats to both of these students. Cora's papers will be forthcoming. https://t.co/ypWYrbAH4h

[David Held @held_david]

Big news in the insect world-Monarchs proposed for protection under Endangered Species Act. Efforts on Monarch conservation go back to May 2015 (Pollinator Health Task Force Action Plan). EPA can amend labels to protect endangered species or their habits. https://t.co/rEUFfBKKDM

[David Held @held_david]

Elijah Carroll, a former Master’s student, is presenting his poster on crapemyrtle bark scale at #EntSoc24.

[David Held @held_david]

Aerianna, my PhD student, is presenting her poster today at #entsoc24 in Phoenix.

[David Held @held_david]

Casey presenting on his refuge lawn research at #EntSoc24.

[David Held @held_david]

Do plant-growth promoting bacteria that kill armyworms in the lab work in the turf? We’re about to find out. My student Jose Noveron-Nunez, is about to harvest his first post-treatment challenge with fall armyworms.

[David Held @held_david]

Ants, wasps, flies common on scale insect-infested trees.Exotic wasp species associate with crape myrtle bark scale.Infested trees alter insect communities and may increase sting risks.We need better post-intro data on community impacts of exotic scales. https://t.co/v4i3TwrGvH

[David Held @held_david]

Thanks to Mary Dansak with Auburn Villager for taking time to talk with our group at one of our @RefugeLawn sites in Auburn this year. Check out her story, Refuge lawns, places for pollinators https://t.co/ldKGzNipjk via @auburnvillager

[David Held @held_david]

Jordan Melson-Jordan graduates from my program this spring with her MSc. Check out how @southernipm highlights her project, and those of the other winners of the 2024 Friends of IPM awards. Congratulations Jordan. https://t.co/IYM6OKZDBu

[David Held @held_david]

Urbanization..Think about construction near you in last 13-17 yr. This likely killed cicadas. Cicadas feed on tree roots, ground disturbed for urbanization=fewer cicadas. Cicadas dont fly far(half a football field). Rural areas will see more and they won't fly miles into cities.

[David Held @held_david]

Another 'cicada frenzy' story as we approach the concurrent emergence of two broods. In my next post I'll explain why I don't believe this will the predicted bugmageddon or anything like the broods in the days of Thomas Jefferson. https://t.co/rrhQC7JcwL

[David Held @held_david]

This weekend I noticed a large emergence of canna leaf roller moths. These moths overwintered as pupae in the debris of last year’s growth. The females will mate and lay eggs on the new growth.

[David Held @held_david]

It’s Spring! At least according to Spring Beauty (Claytonia). I transplanted about 12 bulblets (or perhaps corms) into my ⁦@RefugeLawn⁩ last year. So far, this is the only one to bloom. There’s a small native bee associated with this flower I hope to see in the future.

[David Held @held_david]

Here's a cicada brood map. I've seen some severe damage to trees in landscapes and nurseries during periodical cicada emergences. Females cut smaller limbs on plants like redbud to lay eggs.Branches with damage are weakened and often break, but hang on. https://t.co/wuHjOCCFrI

[David Held @held_david]

People are already talking about Spring '24 periodical cicadas. Periodical cicadas are the ones that..1)don't have broods every year,2)emerge in Spring versus late summer,3)have orangey red body color, not greenish,4)males produce sounds like a UFO from 1970’s sci-fi movie.