March 18, 2019

Lest anyone get the wrong idea about the 36th annual Insect Fear Film Festival (IFFF), the event wasn’t just to celebrate scary (or cheesy, perhaps?) movies about an insect. The February 23rd event was actually a love-fest celebrating insects, particularly the star of the evening, the termite. Sponsored by Entomology and the EGSA (Entomology Graduate Student Association), the goal of the evening was to help folks overcome their fear of insects, plus to educate them that not all insects are pests, but that many are actually useful. And of course, the overarching goal for the evening was for everyone to have fun.

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April 13, 2018

One would assume that Club Insecta is comprised solely of Entomology students; however, that’s not the case. All one needs to join is to be an Illinois undergraduate student. While having an avid interest in insects might be expected, that, too, is not a prerequisite. In fact, that might crop up after hanging around club members for a while. Besides fostering a love of insects, the RSO (Registered Student Organization) provides its members a sense of community based on an interest in insects and a fervent desire to see its oft-maligned namesake—the insect—gain some appreciation, or at least grudging respect, from the general public. And of course, a huge perk is getting to ditch one’s books and spend some time out in the fresh air and sunshine gathering insects with a net, which significantly adds to the club’s appeal for its members.

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February 28, 2018

Got a kid who is fascinated with insects? Conversely, got a kid who has a panic attack every time he or she even sees a bug? (Or, let’s get real, are you yourself perhaps a bit leery of them?) Do you love mocking really bad, really cheesy films—in this case, B horror flicks about insects? Folks who could answer “Yes!” to one or more of the above questions showed up at Foellinger Auditorium on Saturday, February 24th for the 35th Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (IFFF). Hosted by the EGSA (Entomology Graduate Student Organization), the festival not only exposed the around 500+ visitors to films about insects. Through both fun and educational activities, it possibly helped them overcome some unfounded fears and/or learn how to nurture “good” insects.

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The Bugscope project provides free interactive access to a scanning electron microscope (SEM) so that students anywhere in the world can explore the microscopic world of insects.
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May 1, 2012

Imagine a lush green prairie oasis filled with wildflowers. Bees are busily buzzing. Hummingbirds are hovering. A butterfly in search of nectar gracefully floats through the air to alight upon a brightly-colored blossom. Imagine a place where, armed with butterfly nets, "city folks" longing to escape the concrete can get back to nature. Although it sounds too good to be true, it's not an imaginary place; it's Illinois' Pollinatarium, and it's just a few minutes away on the southern edge of campus.
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November 9, 2009

MANY OF US have fond childhood memories of endless summer days, lounging in patches of fragrant clover that invaded our neighbors’ manicured lawns. Shuffled into those same memories are the equally vivid sightings of industrious and seemingly dangerous bees, which oftentimes abbreviated our lounging amidst said clover.
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October 23, 2009

Illinois’ new Pollinatarium is the first free-standing Discovery Science Center in the nation devoted to flowering plants and their pollinators.
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