November 2019
Max Helmberger and Eric Clifton took first prize in the YouTube Your Entomology competition. The Entomological Society of America chose the clay-mation video overview of the infection process of Asian longhorned beetles when exposed to a biocontrol fungus to win First Place in this year's video contest.
October 2019
Ann Hajek was chosen to receive this year’s CALS Research and Extension Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Research.
"This award recognizes outstanding contributions to research, including everything from solving critical problems facing New York state, the region and beyond, to contributions to knowledge, understanding, and theory at the disciplinary level. Ann is a leader in the study of insect pathology and the applications of pathogens as biological control agents, and this award is a fitting recognition of her outstanding research accomplishments."
--- Bryan N. Danforth, Professor & Chair, Dept. of Entomology, Cornell University
August 2019
A consortium of European universities, research institutes and private companies has a new Marie Curie EJD ITN grant from the EU. The project is called INSECT DOCTORS and will include 15 PhD projects to start in spring 2020 at multiple places in Europe. The PhD projects are open for all candidates to apply for.
For more information see: Insect Doctors 2019
May 2019
An article on the Spotted Lanternfly fungal diseases (published May 7) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is entitled "A pair of native fungal pathogens drives decline of a new invasive herbivore" (
The story was picked up in the media, including TV, newspapers, and others. The journal article was listed in the May 11 Editors's Choice from the journal Science.
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6440/twil/tab-pdf
https://www.popsci.com/fungi-invasive-species-spotted-lantern-fly-pesticide
A Pennsylvania TV station reports on the Hajek Lab's recent documentation of fungal diseases killing the invasive pest Spotted Lanternfly: http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/researchers-may-have-found-spotted-lanternfly-breakthrough/1074279931
March 2019
The New York State Integrated Pest Management program (NYSIPM) has made available our clay-mation view of the infection process of Asian longhorned beetles when exposed to a biocontrol fungus:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSTTbrTmKDc65iMZht1Z7w
The video can also be seen on youtube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXsv-H4UX_c&feature=youtu.be
Or click on the triangle in the image below to view the video here
(1 minute and 26 seconds long, with narration)
Funding for the preparation of this video came from the Litwin Foundation.
November 2018
Professor Ann E. Hajek was elected as a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America in August and presented with the award in November at the annual ESA meeting, in Vancouver.
See: https://www.entsoc.org/fellows/hajek
November 2018
Carrie Preston, second-year Masters Student in the Hajek Lab, was awarded a 2nd place prize for her presentation at the annual ESA (Entomological Society of America) meeting in Vancouver.
Her talk was on Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs and the intracellular insect pathogen Nosema maddoxi (Fungi: Microsporidia).
September 2018
An updated edition of Ann Hajek's Natural Enemies book was published by Cambridge University Press.
This 2nd edition covers a huge diversity of organisms used in the control of pests, weeds and plant pathogens, and compares the many different strategies referred to as 'biological control'.
For the revision, Dr. Jørgen Eilenberg of the University of Copenhagen joined Dr. Hajek, who had been the sole author of the first edition (published in 2004).
Hajek, A.E. & J. Eilenberg. 2018. Natural Enemies: An Introduction to Biological Control, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press. 452 pp.
Soft cover and electronic versions available:
http://www.cambridge.org/9781107668249
January 2018
Ann Hajek and David Shapiro-Ilan, as co-editors and contributors, had their book on invertebrate disease ecology published in 2018 by Wiley.
Beginning with an introductory overview of general principles and methodologies, the book continues with in-depth discussions of a range of critical issues concerning invertebrate disease epidemiology, molecular biology, vectors, and pathogens.
This publication comprises 17 chapters, contributed by a total of 30 authors representing 9 countries.
Hajek, A.E., Shapiro-Ilan, D., eds. 2018. Ecology of Invertebrate Diseases. Wiley. 688 pp.
Hardcover & E-book versions available:
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Ecology+of+Invertebrate+Diseases-p-9781119256076