From the desk of Kris Braman

S. Kris Braman
S. Kris Braman Department Head and Professor
Entomology

 

Wishing all a wonderful holiday break and an exciting New Year!


We have certainly had a busy semester here in the UGA Entomology Department. Highlights included Outreach Events like Insectival now in its 34th year of a collaboration between Entomology and the UGA Botanical Garden. This annual event reaches thousands. Faculty, staff and graduate students play an integral part and this year our undergraduate club joined the adventure with the ever-popular roach races.


Roach races at the Insectival event
Insectival participants look at bug displays

 

Our UGA Entomology Department is delighted to congratulate student and faculty award winners at the annual Entomological Society of America (ESA) meeting in National Harbor this year. It was a personal highlight to be recognized as an Honorary Member of ESA alongside lifetime friend and colleague Alvin Simmons who received an ESA Fellows award this year. ESA meetings are so valuable for faculty and students to share, network and build synergies. Multiple grad students shared with me this year that connections made at ESA resulted in adding new dimensions to their research programs and growing capacity for their projects. We strive to send all our students to professional meetings, but it is expensive (shameless plug for you to hit that donate button on the Hexapod Herald newsletter page :) )


Alvin Simmons and Kris Braman at the 2023 ESA meetingKris Braman (right) was recognized as an Honorary Member of ESA

 

The yellow-legged hornet (YLH), Vespa velutina, a new threat to Georgia’s beekeeping industry is receiving widespread attention and effort towards eradication and mitigation of impact. Please see the invasive species updates further in the newsletter.


Identifying Characteristics of the Yellow-legged Hornet