CNAS Research & Extension

Butterfly Mother’s Food Choice for Offspring Changes with Experience

Plants communicate with animals using a blend of signals that influence animal behavior. The balance of plant attractants and deterrents partly determine the ultimate level of damage that an animal herbivore imposes on a plant. These intricate communications between the herbivore and the plant support sustainable relationships in their mutual native homelands. However, the ease […]

The Greater Banded Hornet Has Found Its Way To Guam

A new species of wasp was recently found on Guam and identified by entomologists at the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS), University of Guam as Vespa tropica, also known as the greater banded hornet. These wasps are large and aggressive which make them a possible health hazard to individuals with allergies to bees […]

The Dirt on Packaged Rhino Beetles

Seeds, insects, earthworms, parasitic worms, mushrooms and more can be found in soil. It is for this very reason that Guam law prohibits the importation of soil into the territory, in order to keep out unwanted invasive plants and animals. The College of Natural and Applied Sciences Extension and Outreach personnel at the University of […]

GovGuam, UOG and USDA Cooperate to Prevent Arrival of Invasive Species Hitch-hiking on FestPac Materials

Several invasive species have been intercepted in materials imported in support of the Pacific Festival of the Arts currently being held on Guam. In the latest incidence, on May 21, officers of the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency intercepted live insects on coconut leaves shipped from Rota Island. A small leaf sample, with insects attached, […]

Radio rhinos: CNAS scientist and colleagues tag coconut rhinoceros beetles

Coconut rhinoceros beetles were first discovered on Guam in 2007. Adults kill palms when they bore into crowns to feed on sap. Rhino beetle larvae feed only on dead plant material at breeding sites and they do no damage. In order to eradicate rhino beetles, all breeding sites must be found and destroyed. Four dogs […]

Good news about little fire ants

The little fire ant (LFA) is still steadily spreading across the island bringing its painful sting to all it encounters. Some homeowners in Umatac cannot allow their children to play outside as their yards are infested with these tiny ants. The good news is the treatments being used to control the ants are working and […]