5/02/2013-	Scientists develop new interactive key to identify Diabrotica beetles from North and Central America Flyer announcing Diabrotica identification tool  CLICK HERE TO VIEW FLYER. Diabrotica is one of the largest and most economically important leaf beetle genera in the New World with a single species, D. virgifera, costing the US economy about 1 billion dollars annually. However its classification remained confused for the last 100 years. After 2 years of extensive studies carried out mostly by University of Maryland postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Alexander Derunkov, we are now able to distinguish and reliably identify all 112 Diabrotica that occur in North and Central America.
3/11/2013-	Alicia Hodson Joins SEL Alicia Hodson joined SEL on a term appointment as a Biological Science Technician.  She earned a B.S. in Biology (2008) from the University of New Mexico and a Masters in Entomology (2011) from the University of Florida. She specializes in insect systematics, with a focus on Lampyridae (fireflies). Welcome Alicia!
3/04/2013-	Visitor from Rhodes University, South Africa Dr. Alicia Timm, a lecturer at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, is visiting the Lepidoptera Section for two weeks in March 2013 (3/4-19/2013). She is collaborating with John Brown, working on the molecular identification of tortricid moths in the tribe Grapholitini, many of which are pests of seeds and fruit not only in southern Africa, but throughout the world.
2/25/2013-	The New Weevil Curator at the Systematic Entomology Laboratory SEL welcomes its newest Research Entomologist: Dr. Lourdes Chamorro.  Dr. Chamorro’s scientific research focuses on the systematics of agriculturally important weevils (Curculionidae); this being the largest group of living organisms on the planet. She maintains and curates weevils (Curculionoidea minus Scolytinae and Platypodinae) of the U.S. National Insect Collection at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Additionally, she provides identifications of beetles submitted to the laboratory, but primarily weevils coming in on a daily basis from many U.S. ports in collaboration with Homeland Security and APHIS. Dr. Chamorro earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and was a postdoctoral fellow with the Smithsonian Institution (2009-2010) and SEL (2010-2013).   Dr. Lourdes Chamorro
2/13/2013-	Biocontrol research on Brazilian peppertree in Florida discovers new cryptic species A newly discovered species, Paectes longiformis Pogue, that is a potential biocontrol agent for the Brazilian peppertree. Male (top) and female (below) Larva of Paectes longiformis feeding on Brazilian peppertree Brazilian peppertree a serious invasive species in Florida Brazilian peppertree is one of the most damaging invasive species in Florida. It was introduced as an ornamental plant into Florida at least three times in the mid- to late 1800’s. It has now invaded a number of habitats throughout southern and central Florida.  Dr Michael Pogue, a Research Entomologist in the ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Washington, DC was sent a series of moth specimens from Bahia, Brazil for identification.  The moths had been collected as a possible biocontrol agent for the invasive Brazilian peppertree in Florida and were believed to represent a common and widespread species known as Paectes obrotunda.  However, when comparisons were made, it became evident that these particular moths belong to a related, but previously unknown species, which Dr. Pogue has named and described as Paectes longiformis (see images at left).    Further studies by Dr. Pogue, involving moth specimens collected from Southern Florida to Argentina, demonstrated that a number of similar species have been confused under a single name.  For example, in the National Museum of Natural History where Dr. Pogue works, the more than 250 specimens labeled as Paectes obrotunda were found to represent eight different species (6 new and 2 previously described), none of which match the original specimen that was discovered and named in 1852.    “What was interesting about this identification was the discovery of so many new species," said Dr Pogue. “The wing pattern was similar among these species, but their reproductive systems were quite different. It became obvious that multiple cryptic species were involved only when these dissections were made.”
10/13/2012-	Elaine B. Jamison's Walk in Support of Cancer Survivors   Participants in the 2012 I-Pinky-Promise Walk On Saturday October 13, 2012 Elaine B. Jamison Office Assistant (SEL, USDA), organized and directed a 5km I-Pinky-Promise Walk with the Life After Cancer group (L.A.C.) around the Tidal Basin in Washington DC where the famous Cherry Blossoms and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial are located. The Walk was to show support of cancer survivors and their loved ones, and to increase awareness of cancer-related concerns in our local communities. Click here:  [1] [2]
9/28/2012-	Lady beetle discovery offers new hope for Florida's stately Sago Palms, and endangered Cycad Forests from around the World The Kashaya Lady Beetle (Phaenochilus kashaya Giorgi & Vandenberg) shown in top, front, and side views Can a handful of orange lady beetles save the King and Queen sago palms of Florida? Entomologists Ron Cave (IRREC-UF) and Ru Nguyen (FDACS), the foreign explorers who discovered the beetle in the forests of Thailand, were optimistic about its prospects, but uncertain about its identity. Specimens were forwarded to the Systematic Entomology Laboratory where resident lady beetle specialist Natalia Vandenberg recognized them as a species new to science. "The lady beetle belongs to a beneficial scale-feeding genus, Phaenochilus, but it doesn’t correspond to any of the known species," said Vandenberg. To address this problem, she enlisted the help of a colleague, José Adriano Giorgi (UFPA), and produced a co-authored publication on Phaenochilus, describing the new species, and naming it Phaenochilus kashaya Giorgi & Vandenberg—or simply the kashaya lady beetle. This paper (Giorgi & Vandenberg 2012) will eliminate confusion over the identity of the new species, and help Florida entomologists obtain the necessary federal approvals to make a release of the kashaya lady beetles against an invasive scale insect pest of sago palms. Learn more about: the invasive 'cycad aulacaspis scale' cycads (sago palms & their relatives) how interns produced beautiful lady beetle art for the publication on Phaenochilus Deep in the forests of Thailand, Ron Cave combs through the crown of a young cycad to collect the kashaya lady beetles that keep the plant healthy by consuming scale insects According to a study by Manrique et al. (2012), the kashaya lady beetle is a voracious and dedicated predator of the tiny sap-sucking scale insect (cycad aulacspis scale, or CAS) that has been killing ornamental cycads in the southeastern United States, and destroying cycad forests on the island of Guam and elsewhere. A single kashaya lady beetle will typically consume more than 5,000 scales during its short lifespan of two to several months, and each adult female can lay hundreds of eggs. This gives the kashaya lady beetle a high intrinsic rate of increase, and bodes well for its potential as a biological control candidate against CAS. Download the publication "Review of the lady beetle genus Phaenochilus..." by J.A.Adriano & N.J.Vandenberg (2012)
9/19/2012-	The Systematic Entomology Laboratory and University of Maryland partner in the Ag Discovery Day Program at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC. Summer Ag Discovery Day Students congregate on the University of Maryland campus On July 19th SEL sponsored Ag Discovery Day at the National Museum of Natural History, giving twenty-six nationally selected incoming college freshmen a tour of entomology and a generous helping of advice and encouragement in starting a career in the agricultural sciences. Learn about the UM AgDiscovery program for high school students. Download a colorful brochure about this program across the nation    David Adamski, John W. Brown, and Matt Buffington each gave presentations that emphasized the importance of collections; how they are stored and maintained; the value of specimens and their accompanying data; innovative techniques for processing newly collected specimens; and contributions of collections to the study of diversity of form and size of insects. The importance of collections to research, the dissemination of biological information, and to the identification of organisms intercepted from ports-of-entry into the US were also demonstrated.
9/21/2012-	Paul Johnson travels to Washington, D.C. to overhaul the National Collection of Click beetles (Elateridae) Johnson works with SEL staff to sort, identify, and label 450 drawers of click beetles A fondness for “skipjacks” and “snappers” brought Prof. Paul J. Johnson all the way from South Dakota State University to the heart of the nation’s capital. These terms may sound like menu items from one of D.C.’s elite seafood restaurants, but they’re actually common names for members of the beetle family Elateridae, more widely known as “click beetles.” Click beetles constitute a diverse group of insects with nearly 10,000 species world wide, and include a number of notorious plant pests whose larvae damage roots of important agricultural crops (potato, corn, wheat). As a world authority on the group, Paul’s recent visit to the National Click Beetle Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (8/12-17/2012) was hosted by the Systematic Entomology Lab and paid for by the museum’s Casey Fund. Click here to learn more about click beetles: [1] [2] [3]
9/11/2012-	SEL Hymenopterists present at Smithsonian Digifair 2012 Drs. Buffington and Gates in the exhibition hall for Digifair 2012 Drs. Matt Buffington and Mike Gates presented recent advances in the digitization of the USNM Hymenoptera collections at a gathering of digitization personnel across the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Gates gave a ‘lightning’ talk lasting 1 minute, describing our efforts to digitally image all of the Hymenoptera primary types, vet the type data, and integrate type data into ZooBank, CiteBank, and Global Names Interface for Taxonomic Editing (GNITE).  Dr. Buffington presented on the results of his pilot study to Gigapan the gall wasp (Cynipidae) collection, and he participated in a panel discussion on the visual digitization of collections. Interestingly, Dr. Buffington learned his frustrations in photographing whole drawers insects are shared with Air and Space folks photographing airplanes! CLICK HERE FOR MORE: [1]  [2]
9/10/2012-	The illustrations of Taina Litwak unveil a microcosm of extraordinary beauty and complexity Smaller than a mustard seed, this tiny wasp is distinguished from thousands of similar species by the exact colors, textures, and proportions captured in this illustration (click to enlarge).  Click here to learn how Litwak makes her drawings Learn more about scientific illustration and why Litwak’s job is so important Read the latest on Litwak in Science News We are surrounded by natural beauty. Most people appreciate an ethereal sunset (unless driven indoors by biting insects), and everyone admires the form of a newly opened rosebud (unless its symmetry has been marred by insect pests). Litwak captures the beauty of the natural world, but her subjects are the insects themselves, often so small they appear to the unaided eye like motes of dust. Litwak’s illustrations reveal the intricacy and perfection of her tiny subjects, and allow the scientists of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory to accurately document the diversity of the many fascinating species that share our planet.
9/06/2012-	Slides and Codes Microscope slides of the National Aphidoides Collection. Insert shows detail of one of the 90,000 microscope slides and it's collection barcode label (click to enlarge).  Ms. Aneshia McIntyre, funded by the DC Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), worked for six weeks this summer at BARC to digitize and attach USNM barcode labels to over 3,000 microscope slides and captured digital images of the U. S. National Aphidoidea Collection. She then databased 5,000 slide images that make the future curation of the collection more efficient, and data retrieval almost instantaneous. Aneshia is currently a liberal arts student attending UDC and plans to continue her biological studies as a member of one the branches of military service.
9/04/2012-	SEL scientists present at International Congress of Entomology, Daegu, Korea Downtown Daegu from the Novotel Hotel Four SEL scientists attended the International Congress of Entomology held every four years. This year it was held in Daegu, Korea, August 19-25,2012. Dr. Matt Buffington co-organized a symposium entitled “Globalized insect taxonomy in the 21st century: current accomplishments, future prospects” and presented a co-authored presentation with Dr. Mike Gates entitled “From field to screen and beyond: new methods for the collection, curation and illustration of parasitic Hymenoptera (Insecta).” Dr. Steven Lingafelter co-organized a symposium entitled “Sytematics, biogeography and ecology of Cerambycidae and Buprestidae.” He presented a paper entitled “Cerambycidae of Bolivia” and was a co-author of another presentation entitled “Cerambycidae of North Vietnam.” Dr. Lourdes Chamorro presented a co-authored presentation entitled “Phylogeny of the invasive Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (emerald ash borer-EAB) and its relatives (Coleoptera; Buprestidae) .” Dr. Alma Solis was invited to present “A molecular phylogeny for the pyraloid moths (Lepidoptera) and its implications for higher-level classification.” SEE MORE IMAGES:  [1]  [2]  [3]
8/31/2012-	APHIS identifiers visit Dr. Tom Henry for true bug identification training Drs. Emilie Bess and Susan Romero, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), from Seattle and Nogales had a successful two-week training session on the identification of Hemiptera, or true bugs, at the National Museum of Natural History with Dr. Tom Henry. Their training focused primarily on the superfamilies Lygaeoidea (seed bugs) and Pentatomoidea (stink bugs), and included an overview of pertinent research papers, catalogs and other resources that will facilitate their work at their respective ports.
8/16/2012-	HYM Course 2012: Tovetorp Zoological Research Station, Sweden Class for HYM Course 2012, Tovetorp Zoological Research Station, Sweden   CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION. SEL hymenopterists Matthew Buffington, Michael Gates, and Robert Kula co-taught a one-week course (August 5-12, 2012) on hymenopteran systematics at a field station in Sweden. The course consisted of nine instructors from three countries teaching 27 students from seven countries. Students learned about Hymenoptera classification and natural history, as well as how to collect, identify, and curate wasps, bees, and ants. Lectures were given during the day, and specimen identification sessions were held at night. The course included a symposium in which scientists from Denmark, Sweden, and the United States presented on various aspects of hymenopteran systematics.
8/02/2012-	PSI Employees of the Year Winners Shown above, PSI Award Winner Ms. Elaine B. Jamison and Dr. Gary Miller accepting on behalf of Dr. Alma Solis. Two SEL employees received Plant Sciences Institute Employee of the Year awards in a ceremony in August. Dr. Alma Solis for Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity and Ms. Elaine B. Jamison for Office Support Professional of the Year. In addition, Dr. Robert Kula, received the Early Scientist of the Year award for the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center to be awarded in September, 2012. Congratulations to SEL!
7/23/2012-	Technology Transfer and Enhancing the U.S. National Insect Collection in Colorado   Mike Pogue taking a GPS reading on the foothills of Mt. Shivana, Colorado     Commanche National Grassland Colorado Dr. Mike Pogue and Dr. Alma Solis attended the Lepidopterists’ Society Meeting in Denver, Colorado, July 23-29. They presented on noctuid and pyraloid moths. Pogue & Harp: “A revision of the Schinia volupia (Fitch) species complex (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Heliothelinae).” Solis et al: “A molecular phylogeny of the Pyraloidea (Lepidoptera)” and Solis: “Recent discoveries about pyraloids with aquatic immatures (Acentropinae: Crambidae).” Due to the paucity of moth specimens in the National Collection from Colorado, Pogue & Solis collected moths in southwestern Colorado at some of the highest peaks in the Rockies and at the Comanche National Grassland.
6/26/2012-	Dr. Ron Ochoa presents to the Denver Bee Keeper Association on the study of mites   Low temperature SEM photo of the honey bee tracheal mite, Acarapis woodi, male Dr. Ron Ochoa was invited to give a presentation to the Denver Bee Keeper Association, a group with about 300 members. The title of his presentation was “Bee mites from the mite perspective” where he addressed the challenges of the study of mites associated with the honey and native bees in North America. He described the low temperature SEM technique and its impact on the study of these little arthropods. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
3/30/2012-	Pyraloidea Workshop at the University of San Salvador Dr. Solis and students collecting aquatic moth caterpillars SEE MORE IMAGES:  [1]  [2]  [3] CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION Dr. Solis was invited to conduct a week-long workshop (Feb. 19-25, 2012) on the diversity and identification of economically and biologically important Pyraloidea or snout moths at the University of San Salvador, El Salvador. Specific workshops were held on the dissection of moth genitalia and their identification, collection of aquatic larvae and their preparation for study, collection of adults in the field and their preparation for study. Dr. Solis also conducted collaborative research on borers of economically important grasses, such as sugarcane and corn, with Dr. Andrea Joyce, University of California Merced.
01/12/2012-	SEL Volunteers at the Anacostia Watershed Society Service Day   Systematic Entomology Laboratory (SEL) employees, Lucrecia Rodriguez and Elisabeth Roberts, joined a team of USDA employees from ARS, NASS, NIFA, and OSEC, to participate in the January 12, 2012 USDA National Service Day, honoring Martin Luther King’s birthday. Led by members of the Anacostia Watershed Society, the team cleaned up trash and debris from Riverside Neighborhood Park, and removed invasive plants. This was a REE Team Building and Volunteer Event.  CLICK HERE TO SHOW MORE IMAGES OF THE EVENT
7/28/2011-	Downtown SEL hosts Ag Discovery!   AgDiscovery students learn about the process of finding and documenting new insect species As part of the annual USDA-APHIS AgDiscovery course at the University of Maryland, students spend a day in the Entomology Department at the National Museum of Natural History, hosted by the USDA’s Systematic Entomology Laboratory. This year, the 30 participants received a lecture on observational vs. experimental science, a behind-the-scenes tour of the entomological collections, the story of how specimens are handled from the field to the collection, and hands-on demonstrations of how graphics are prepared for scientific publications.
3/03/2011-	Two-volume Manual of Central American Diptera published   Click Here to Enlarge The Manual of Central American Diptera, a two-volume identification manual for all of the genera of flies from Central America, has been completed with the publication of Volume 2 in November 2010. All of the dipterists of the Systematic Entomology Laboratory, 2 current staff members, Allen Norrbom and Norman Woodley, and 2 retirees, Chris Thompson and Ray Gagné, contributed to the manual by serving as an editor and by contributing 22 authoritative chapters on their areas of expertise. This manual will undoubtedly be the definitive work for identifying flies from Central America for many decades.
2/09/2011-	An overview of the joint ARS-FS project on the Emerald Ash Borer was presented at the Interagency Research Forum on Invasive Species, Annapolis, MD Poster presented at the forum CLICK HERE TO VIEW POSTER. SEL and FS have a 3-year project aimed at developing an illustrated handbook for the detection and identification of adults and larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and its closest relatives. We will use morphological and DNA sequence data coupled with modern phylogenetic methods to infer their phylogeny. This joint project benefits from the collaboration of a number of international (China, Russia, Canada) and national experts. Fieldwork will take place in China, Japan, S. Korea, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and India with workshops held in Beijing and Washington, DC.
10/18/2010-	SEL conducts arthropod survey at VCNP as part of a national reforestation campaign   Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico SEL has had a 3-year project at the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP), New Mexico, to create a baseline survey of arthropods. Recently the USDA Secretary awarded funds to the VCNP and the adjoining Santa Fe National Forest for forest health and water quality (see Southwest Jemez Mountains in the site below) that includes funds to monitor the re-colonization of arthropods in the restoration areas. NEWSROOM: Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announces selection of collaborative forest restoration projects
10/8/2010-	Funding received for the molecular characterization and analysis of pest fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)   The proposal “Molecular characterization and analysis of pest fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae)” written by Dr. Allen Norrbom was selected for funding by ARS Headquarters. $100,000 was awarded for a 2-year postdoctoral fellow, who will obtain and analyze DNA sequence data to find new characters to more rapidly and reliably identify all life stages of pest fruit fly species and analyze fruit fly phylogeny. The DNA database resulting from this project will be a powerful diagnostic tool for agencies responsible for port security and detecting invasive species.
9/27/2010-	Research Scientist, Michael Gates, helps save Hawaii's endangered Wiliwili Trees   Dr. Michael Gates identified and described a beneficial wasp, Eurytoma erythrinae, from East Africa to control the Erythrina gall wasp, an invasive species that's decimating Hawaii's native wiliwili trees and introduced coral bean trees. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
9/10/2010-	Emerald Ash Borer Research in the Systematic Entomology Laboratory Dr. Lourdes Chamorro studied the systematics of cryptocephaline leaf beetles as a Smithsonian Institution Minority Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Terry Erwin. She is concluding a six month EOL (Encyclopedia of Life) - Rubenstein Fellowship also with Dr. Erwin. The Systematic Entomology Laboratory recently teamed up with the International Programs Division of the Forest Service to develop a three year project to revise the the species group of Agrilus related to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a notorious invasive wood-boring beetle in the United States. An important part of the project will involve capacity-building with Chinese collaborators by teaching workshops on wood-boring beetle identification. There will be a significant amount of fieldwork throughout Asia in support of the project and this work will be facilitated through the Sino-American Biological Control Institute and Foreign Agriculture Service. In addition to a great deal of valuable material for the Smithsonian Institution, the project will culminate in a well-illustrated revision and identification manual for the Emerald Ash Borer and related species.
7/31/2010-	4th Quadrienniel Meeting of the International Heteropterists’ Society   Dr.Thomas Henry presented a talk at the 4th Quadrienniel Meeting of the International Heteropterists’ Society (IHS), at Nankai University, Tianjin, China, in July 2010 titled “Phylogeny and Revision of the Plant Bug Tribe Ceratocapsini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Miridae).” Dr. Henry also was elected IHS Program Chairman and will host the 5th Quadrenniel Meeting in Washington, DC, in 2014.
7/23/2010-	SEL announces the publication of The Plant Bugs, or Miridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), of Cuba by Luis Hernandez and Thomas Henry Luis Hernandez (Natural History Museum, London) and Thomas Henry (SEL) just published “The Plant Bugs, or Miridae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), of Cuba.” Pensoft Publishers, Sofia, Bulgaria. 212 pp. This taxonomic review of the Cuban Miridae treats 105 species in 57 genera. Twelve new species are described, two new synonyms are recognized, and four previously recorded species are removed from the list. All genera and species are diagnosed, and a thorough literature review and information on host plants and distribution are given. Male genitalia are illustrated and a color image is provided for nearly all species. Identification keys to subfamilies, tribes, genera, and species are included, and the biogeography of the Cuban and West Indian mirid fauna is discussed. This work will form a solid foundation for future research on the plant bugs of Cuban, providing a summary of the information known about each species and the means to accurately identify them. Because Cuba is only 90 miles from the United States, this work will be of great interest to U.S. researchers concerned with invasive species, especially those working on subtropical taxa.
5/13/2010-	Taina Litwak receives medal in the 2010 Juried Exhibition of the Illustrators Club Click Here to Enlarge  SEL Staff Scientific Illustrator, Taina Litwak, won a medal in the Technical, Medical, Scientific Category of the 2010 Juried Exhibition of the Illustrator's Club. The color painting recognized with the award is a dorsal habitus digital piece, done with Adobe Photoshop. The painting of Elaphidion costipenne is one of a series of illustrations she did for Dr. Steve Lingafelter. It was exhibited May 13 to June 26 at PEPCO¹s Edison Place Gallery, 702 Eighth Street NW, Washington, DC. The same illustration was also selected and hung in a juried exhibition at the Guild of Natural Science Illustrator¹s Annual Meeting. This show was in the D.H. Hill Library Exhibit Gallery at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.
3/01/2010-	U.S. NATIONAL ENTOMOLOGICAL COLLECTION helps protect American Agriculture With nearly 35 million specimens, the U.S. National Entomological Collection, is one of the best resources in the world to support identifications and research affecting trade, quarantine issues, biological control, and other aspects of agriculture. Read more about our entomological staff, and how they use the collection to make identifications of 35,000 specimens annually and conduct research on complex problems affecting our environment. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH MAGAZINE:  Our Invaluable Invertebrate Collection SCI4KIDS (story #26): Bug Smuggling Can Mean Big Trouble! Dr. Natalia Vandenberg identifies a specimen of Dynastes hercules, part of a shipment of exotic contraband beetles seized by Homeland Security and ARS
9/10/2009-	Ronald Ochoa, SEL acaralogist, discovers the Chilean flat mite in Argentina Brevipalpus chilensis is a major pest of grapes and kiwis, but also attacks citrus, Annona, and other fruit trees.  Previously, it was known only from Chile. Some tiny mite specimens, collected in Argentina, were submitted by APHIS botanist Mark Thurmond to SEL for identification. Dr. Ronald Ochoa, resident mite specialist, identified the mite as the Chilean flat mite using the keys and type specimens located at the National mite collection. This finding caused grave concern at APHIS headquarters at Riverdale, and prompted visits from several important Argentine Agricultural officials this past September. During these visits, Dr. Ochoa supplied material and important data on B. chilensis and provided the Argentine mite identifier with key characters for the identification of this species. The Argentine Agricultural Department is concerned about this mite and is working on a survey program for the study of flat mites in their commercial grape and citrus areas.The genus Brevipalpus has several species that are vectors of important plant viruses.   Learn more about Chilean flat mite and the role of SEL: Citrus Leaf Newsletter, pg. 3