| 1323011 |
pig (domestic) |
Sus scrofa (domestic type) |
Baby piglet. |
| 1317005 |
pig (domestic) |
Sus scrofa (domestic type) |
Piglets are one of the main subjects of ARS animal behaviorists. These scientists study behavior of pigs and cows 'round the clock with the goal of improving animal handling practices to reduce stress on animals and lower production costs. |
| 1321099 |
star of Bethlehem |
Ornithogalum spp. |
Star of Bethlehem, an Ornithogalum hybrid. |
| 1324059 |
termites |
|
A termite monitoring/baiting station is being installed in a grassy area. The station is manufactured by Dow Agrosciences. |
| 1324063 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board entomologist Ed Freytag checks for Formosan termite infestation of living trees in New Orleans' Jackson Square. |
| 1324009 |
blacklegged tick |
Ixodes scapularis |
|
| 1324025 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Damage caused by Formosan subterranean termites to a window sill of the Southern Regional Research Center Library. The colony nest was located two floors below in the soil, but workers entered the building through mud shelter tubes that they constructed through the hollow brick walls. The damage went unnoticed until moisture from foraging galleries by the termites caused the paint to blister. Much of the wood had been consumed by the termites before they were detected. |
| 1324066 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Damage to a nest of Formosan subterranean termites brings hoards of workers and soldiers with dark, oval shaped heads scrambling to repair the hole. Termites shown about 4 times actual size. |
| 1321086 |
white-tailed deer |
Odocoileus virginianus |
|
| 1322051 |
Africanized honey bee |
Apis mellifera scutellata |
ARS chemist Raul Rivera (left), technician Jesus Maldonado (center), and entomologist William Wilson use smoke and a specially modified hand held vacuum to collect Africanized honey bees to study the impact of parasitic mites on them. |
| 1355020 |
Africanized honey bee |
Apis mellifera scutellata |
An Africanized honey bee (left) and a European honey bee on honeycomb. Despite color differences between these two bees, normally they can't be identified by eye. |
| 1322076 |
apple |
Malus domestica |
Apples are an all-American success story-each of us eats more than 19 pounds of them annually. Thanks to fruit-breeding research, we're able to enjoy more productive, healthy, and flavorful new varieties every year. And we're collecting and preserving the world's bounty of apple genestock, so that the apples of tomorrow may be even sweeter crunchier, and better than ever. Think about the quality of the apples you buy at the supermarket: They may have been stored for as long as 9 months but you can bet they'll remain crisp, thanks to controlled-atmosphere-storage methods devised by ARS. Never before have growers had a better chance against pests and diseases in the apple orchard, thanks to new, nonchemical biocontrols. ARS scientists have toiled to harness naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria and turn them against apples' enemies. We've even worked on bashless bagging-packaging systems that are used by wholesalers to bring you apples without bruises. |
| 1316096 |
blacklegged tick |
Ixodes scapularis |
An adult female blacklegged tick, engorged after a blood meal, rests on a leaf. |
| 1317009 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
Producing healthy calves like this one is the goal of researchers at ARS' Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Montana. They're currently studying hormonal and genetic causes of dystocia, or calving difficulty. |
| 1324068 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Some remnants of a nest are visible in this cavity, which was hollowed out by Formosan subterranean termites while the tree was still alive. Microbiologist Alan Lax checks the extent of the damage. |
| 1324061 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Formosan termite alates, also known as swarmers, captured on a sticky trap used to monitor populations. |
| 1319044 |
sweetpotato |
Ipomoea batatas |
New attractive sweet potato cultivar Ruddy (left) is sweet and moist and resists insects unlike the leading U.S. cultivar Beauregard. |
| 1324067 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Formosan subterranean termites can turn solid beams into shredded-wheat-like wood. Entomoligist Ed Freytag (left) and microbiologist Alan Lax inspect damage to the floor of a building in the French Quarter. |
| 1320069 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
Angus cattle on pasture. |
| 1316016 |
tobacco budworm |
Heliothis virescens |
Cell lines from budworms, Heliothis virescens, are being used to grow highly infective baculoviruses like the one that killed the smaller caterpillar. |
| 1316008 |
silverleaf whitefly |
Bemisia tabaci Biotype B |
|
| 1321066 |
blueberry |
Vaccinium spp. |
|
| 1322067 |
honey |
|
After analyzing hundreds of samples, ARS researchers wrote the definitive report on the composition and properties of honeys. These findings made it possible to detect the addition of other substances to honey. A side benefit was discovery of a new sugar in honey, which was named erlose, after ARS's Eastern Regional Research Laboratory. |
| 1323036 |
cane fruit (blackberry, raspberry) |
Rubus spp. |
A promising new spray schedule for controlling blackberry rosette may inspire more farmers to grow blackberries. |
| 1320072 |
Hessian fly |
Mayetiola destructor |
|
| 1316017 |
scepter holly |
Ilex x 'Scepter' |
Scepter holly cultivar introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in 1999. |
| 1316009 |
brahman |
Bos indicus |
This herd of Gyr, a tropical cattle breed, is being studied as part of Labex research on cattle genetics. Above, animal caretaker José Cristiano dos Santos takes the cows for a health inspection at the Coronel Pacheco Experimental Station, near Valenca, Brazil. |
| 1317086 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
Male (brown) and female (white) medfly pupae. Pupae color was the basis of the old method of separating males from females. |
| 1321016 |
Colorado potato beetle |
Leptinotarsa decemlineata |
|
| 1318094 |
tarnished plant bug |
Lygus lineolaris |
on clover. |
| 1320071 |
tarnished plant bug |
Lygus lineolaris |
The tarnished plant bug is reared in the lab as a factory for parasites. |
| 1322039 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
A female medfly pumps eggs through her ovipositor into the soft outer layers of a ripe coffee berry. |
| 1317036 |
melon fly |
Bactrocera cucurbitae |
|
| 1324031 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
A Formosan subterranean termite soldier. Soldiers make up approximately 10 percent of the colony. Note the powerful mandibles for defense against intruders and the dark, oval head shape contrasting with the more rectangular head shape of the native Eastern subterranean termite. |
| 1320074 |
convergent lady beetle |
Hippodamia convergens |
Convergent lady beetles are imported for study at the ARS Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Laboratory in Newark, Delaware. |
| 1322040 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
The female Mediterranean fruit fly, shown here on a coffee fruit, can deposit eggs 2-3 millimeters deep in papayas. |
| 1324064 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Formosan subterranean termites are feeding on Sudan-red-stained filter paper. Tracking the termites stained with this dye allows researchers to estimate their foraging range and population numbers. |
| 1322074 |
grape |
Vitis spp. |
Sweet, juicy grapes, picked at the peak of ripeness, are one of nature's best-tasting treats. In vineyards, greenhouses, and laboratories, ARS scientists seek to bring even better grapes to your shopping cart tomorrow. The ARS laboratory that developed America's most popular red seedless grape, Flame Seedless, has also offered nurseries and breeders a delicious new black seedless grape. Called Black Emerald, the newcomer is a sweet grape with berries about the size of a dime. The flesh is translucent, firm, and almost crisp. Also watch the supermarket for Autumn Seedless, a light-green grape that became available to nurseries and growers in 1984. It is ready for harvest about 2 weeks before Thompson Seedless. Of course, all grapes need to be properly handled. ARS studies of packaging have shown that boxes with a shrink-wrap covering offer the best insurance against loss to disease, weight loss, and shatter (grapes' tendency to drop off the stem). Plastic dome-lid boxes with vent holes are also protective. Net bags, for years considered the preferred packaging, proved the least safeguard of all. From the East Coast to the vineyards of the Far West, grapes are a growing success story. And, since two ARS gene banks, in Geneva, New York, and Davis, California, are living treasure troves of grape varieties, we expect more juicy developments ahead. |
| 1318092 |
plum/cherry |
Prunus spp. |
Bluebyrd plum. |
| 1319088 |
pennycress |
Thlaspi spp. |
Hyperaccumulators like Thlaspi possess genes that regulate the amount of metals taken up from the soil by roots and deposited at other locations within the plant.. |
| 1321003 |
soybean |
Glycine max |
Shading from soybeans leaves decreases the percentage of oleic acid in the seeds in relation to other fatty acids. |
| 1318075 |
soybean |
Glycine max |
|
| 1317008 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
A cesarean section may be necessary when calving difficulty is extreme |
| 1320093 |
silverleaf whitefly |
Bemisia tabaci Biotype B |
one-sixteenth-inch long |
| 1318074 |
soybean |
Glycine max |
|
| 1323008 |
apple |
Malus domestica |
Entomologist Brad Higbee (left) explains the benefits of areawide insect pest suppression to Jerry Wattman, manager of this apple orchard near West Parker Heights, Washington. |
| 1322063 |
pecan |
Carya illinoinensis |
|
| 1323010 |
apple |
Malus domestica |
Golden Delicious apples are the second most popular apple in the United States after Red Delicious. |
| 1317055 |
giant salvinia |
Salvinia molesta |
Giant salvinia is a fast-growing fern that can clog ponds and lakes. Forming mats up to 2 feet thick, the plant gobbles up oxygen and blocks sunlight needed by other water dwellers. |
| 1321065 |
blueberry |
Vaccinium spp. |
|
| 1317085 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
Male medfly resting on a leaf. |
| 1317082 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
The production of medflies can be realized in the laboratory by bathing medfly eggs in warm water a process that kills the female embryos but doesn't harm the male embryos. In the pupal stage, the males canbe irradiated to render them sexually sterile. |
| 1320079 |
wheat |
Triticum spp. |
Wheat harvest at the ARS Central Great Plains Research Station in Akron, Colorado. |
| 1322043 |
multicolored Asian lady beetle |
Harmonia axyridis |
False "eyes"-twin white, football-shaped markings behind the head-show this to be an Asian multicolored lady beetle |
| 1317065 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
Nelore breed of beef cattle in Itapebi County of Bahia, Brazil. |
| 1322044 |
multicolored Asian lady beetle |
Harmonia axyridis |
The Asian multicolored lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, is easy to identify from its false "eyes"-- twin white football-shaped markings behind the head. In color, the insects range from black to mustard, with zero to many spots. A common U.S. form is mustard to red and has 16 or more black spots. |
| 1321026 |
common bean |
Phaseolus vulgaris |
|
| 1323072 |
alfalfa plant bug |
Adelphocoris lineolatus |
a non-native plant pest |
| 1317002 |
pig (domestic) |
Sus scrofa (domestic type) |
Sow with piglet. |
| 1320099 |
pig (domestic) |
Sus scrofa (domestic type) |
An innovative, on-farm program to certify pigs as free of trichina parasites could become a model for excluding other meatborne diseases from foods. |
| 1321088 |
cattle tick |
Boophilus annulatus |
Quarantined cow goes through a tick treatment bath at an APHIS facility in McAllen, Texas. |
| 1319035 |
goat (domestic) |
Capra hircus (domestic type) |
Preferring woody and weedy species, goats select the young growing points first as they browse downward from the upper parts of a plant. |
| 1317031 |
honey bee varroa mite |
Varroa destructor |
European honey bee with a Varroa mite on its back. The mites cause death and disease in bee colonies. |
| 1317054 |
watermoss |
Salvinia spp. |
To perform tests of water quality, entomologist Philip Tipping collects water samples from a tank infested with giant and common salvinia. |
| 5174037 |
Hessian fly |
Mayetiola destructor |
A female Hessian fly, about one-eighth-inch long |
| 1319049 |
hairy vetch |
Vicia villosa |
Geneticist Thomas Devine inspects flowering of hairy vetch plants. Early-flowering hairy vetch is a more useful winter cover crop for farmers. |
| 1319058 |
bananas |
Musa spp. |
With the help of a donkey, an agricultural worker transports bananas on a farm in the southern region of Bahia. |
| 1319061 |
Witches broom fungus |
Crinipellis perniciosa |
Pathogenic fungi that cause witches' broom on cacao tree limbs and trunks also attack pods, destroying the valuable beans inside. |
| 1319062 |
Witches broom fungus |
Crinipellis perniciosa |
Spores released from the fan-shaped basidiocarp of this inch-wide Crinipellis perniciosa mushroom can infect cacao trees and drastically reduce yields of the beans from which cocoa and chocolate products are made. |
| 1319085 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
Medfly larvae consuming a highly nutritious corn-based diet. |
| 1319041 |
rice |
Oryza sativa |
The flourblasted wild rice grain (center) looks more like the untreated grain at right than the grain at left, which has been treated with a commercial process called scarification. |
| 1319003 |
honey bee |
Apis mellifera |
On Marsh Island, Louisiana, an isolated ARS research facility used for producing pure stocks of Russian bees, technician Gary Delatte prepares hives for transport. |
| 1319013 |
strawberry |
Fragaria spp. |
Small-fruit geneticist Stan Hokanson displays several elite wild strawberries collected by collaborators. The small, highly aromatic berries (left) are from plants collected in Alberta, Canada. The larger berries are from a type collected in Alaska that may prove to be cold hardy. |
| 1319014 |
foxtail millet |
Setaria italica |
Planting foxtail millet, a summer annual forage with low water needs, helps conserve water for subsequent crops. |
| 1319015 |
fire ant decapitating flies |
Pseudacteon spp. |
Fire ants will try hard to avoid the sting of a phorid fly (top, center). Once deposited, an egg quickly hatches into a larva that eventually kills the host by decapitation. Shown about nine times actual size. |
| 1319030 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
In an abandoned Appalachian pasture, animal scientist Ken Turner and chemist Joyce Foster label invasive shrubs for later assessment of the nutritive value of their plant tissues for browsing livestock |
| 1318006 |
root-knot nematode |
Meloidogyne spp. |
Closeup of a sugar beet with severe galling from root-knot nematodes. |
| 1318007 |
root rot/damping off |
Rhizoctonia spp. |
Root-rotting fungi can weaken, stunt, or kill sugar beet plants. Here, geneticist Leonard Panella evaluates sugar beet plants for resistance to the fungal disease Rhizoctonia root rot. |
| 1318026 |
quick gloss |
Zonitoides arboreus |
Despite their small size, these 1/4-inch-wide snails (called Zonitoides arboreus) are capable of destroying the thick corky roots of the orchid plant. |
| 1318027 |
bird-of-paradise |
Strelitzia reginae |
Flower of bird-of-paradise |
| 1318036 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
Cattle and sheep grazing together in a "flerd." The animals are bonded socially, so they remain together. |
| 1318077 |
gypsy moth |
Lymantria dispar |
Entomologist Geoffrey White temporarily raises a burlap skirt to apply an insecticidal latex caoting that will kill foraging gypsy moth larvae. |
| 1318088 |
amphipod |
Hyalella azteca |
This 1/4-inch-long crustacean, Hyalella azteca, is common in aquatic systems and is used by scientists as an indicator of environmental health and water quality in streams, lakes, and other bodies of water. |
| 1318089 |
biting midge |
Culicoides sonorensis |
A sixteenth-inch-long female biting midge, Culicoides sonorensis, feeds blood delivered through artificial membrane developed for mass insect rearing. |
| 1319001 |
honey bee |
Apis mellifera |
ARS geneticist Tom Rinderer (right foreground) and beekeeping cooperator Steve Bernard, along with ARS associates Tony Stelzer and Warren Kelley (background, L-R) of the Baton Rouge laboratory, inspect colonies of Russian and other honey bees. |
| 1317034 |
Braconid wasp |
Psyttalia fletcheri |
Psyttalia fletcheri (shown) is the only fruit fly parasitoid introduced into Hawaii capable of parasitizing the melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae). |
| 1317022 |
gray mold |
Botrytis cinerea |
Botrytis cinerea sporulation on a ripe strawberry. |
| 1317024 |
gray mold |
Botrytis cinerea |
A strawberry rachis completely engulfed by a gray mold fungus, Botrytis cinerea. |
| 1316010 |
brahman |
Bos indicus |
Cattle in Brazil, like this Zebu bull, represent a different gene pool from U.S. cattle and could help scientists locate genes for desirable traits like tick resistance and heat tolerance |
| 1316044 |
marsh rams-horn snail |
Planorbella trivolvis |
The ram's horn snail, Planorbella trivolvis, is a carrier of the Bolbophorus trematodes that infect farm-raised catfish. Two snails are seen here in their natural environment, on aquatic vegetation under water. |
| 1316045 |
Bolbophorus fluke |
Bolbophorus spp. |
A channel catfish with small bumps and inflammation on its tailfin, which indicate the presence of Bolbophorus flatworms beneath the skin. |
| 1316067 |
Pyralid moth |
Gymnancyla canella |
Well camouflaged, a larva of the Gymnancylie canella moth burrows into a Russian thistle stem. |
| 1316090 |
blacklegged tick |
Ixodes scapularis |
Technician Kenneth Young applies acaricide to paint rollers on the ARS-developed four-poster device. The acaricide rubs off on deer as they feed on corn bait dispensed by the device. |
| 1317081 |
Plum Pox Virus |
Potyvirus PPV |
These transgenic plums contain a gene that makes them highly resistant to plum pox virus. |
| 1317056 |
salvinia weevil |
Cyrtobagous salviniae |
Technician Eileen Porkorny (left) and Student Conservation Association member Laurie Bauer collect giant salvinia used for rearing the weevil Cyrtobagous Salviniae. |
| 1317057 |
salvinia weevil |
Cyrtobagous salviniae |
This one-tenth-inch-long South American weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae, is highly effective in reducing giant salvinia infestations to acceptable levels. |
| 1318042 |
strawberry |
Fragaria spp. |
Ranchers in California set aside portions of their farms for collaborative studies on methyl bromide alternatives for strawberries. Carolee Bull (right) and Adria Bordas evaluate biologically based methods for weed and disease control at Rod Koda's ranch. |
| 1318044 |
strawberry |
Fragaria spp. |
Farm manager Arthur Ayala and Carolee Bull discuss commercial variety trials being conducted at the farm of Dale and Christine Coke in San Juan Bautista, California. |
| 1318045 |
strawberry |
Fragaria spp. |
Plant pathologist Carolee Bull (left) and technicians Joel Stryker (center) and Adria Bordas discuss the effectiveness of biological weed and disease control at a research site on grower Rod Koda's ranch. |
| 1318047 |
strawberry |
Fragaria x ananassa |
|
| 1318054 |
castorbean |
Ricinus communis |
Castor beans. |
| 1318055 |
codling moth |
Cydia pomonella |
The high level of attractiveness of the pear ester could be useful in developing "attract and kill" traps that reduce pesticide use while removing moths from orchards before they reproduce. |
| 1318056 |
codling moth |
Cydia pomonella |
Codling moths of both sexes are strongly attracted to a chemical in pears. |
| 1318064 |
sand grape |
Vitis rupestris |
Rock grapes rootstock is important to the U.S. grape industry, since it is resistant to one of the world's most destructive grape pests-phylloxera. |
| 1318065 |
sand grape |
Vitis rupestris |
Botanist Diane Pavek (center, foreground) examines rock grapes growing at a proposed conservation site within. |
| 1318071 |
gray heron |
Ardea cinerea |
Great Grey Heron. |
| 1318073 |
mallard |
Anas platyrhyncos |
Wetland and streamside vegetation serves as a buffer to filter excess nutrients from water running off agricultural land. |
| 1320001 |
orange |
Citrus x sinensis |
Technician Carlos Solis, of the ARS Kika de la Garza Subtropical Agricultural Research Center, in Weslaco, Texas, places oranges in a water bath heated with radio waves to kill fruit flies. The water is circulated to heat the oranges uniformly and prevent fruit damage. |
| 1321089 |
potato |
Solanum tuberosum |
To ensure continuing worldwide availability of this valuable food staple, potato plant breeders must unite desirable processing and fresh-market characteristics with late blight resistance. |
| 1321090 |
late blight |
Phytophthora infestans |
Potatoes infected with late blight are purplish and shrunken on the outside, corky and rotted inside. |
| 1321077 |
cotton |
Gossypium hirsutum |
Soil agronomist Frank Whisler (right) and graduate student Farhad Khorsandi record cotton plant height, nodes, and fruiting sites-a process called mapping-to aid in quality and yield research. |
| 1321082 |
sweat bee |
|
Sweat bees: Small wild bees such as this one visiting a dandelion are often attracted by salty sweat on hot days. |
| 1321100 |
chihuahua flower |
Tacitus bellus |
Tacitus bellus. |
| 1322002 |
wild sugarcane |
Saccharum spontaneum |
A tassel of wild sugarcane, Saccharum spontaneum, shows anthesis, or release of pollen from the plant's anthers. |
| 1322004 |
sheep |
Ovis aries |
Sheep graze near Odell Lake on the 's U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in the Centennial Mountains of southwestern Montana. |
| 1322013 |
coconut palm |
Cocos nucifera |
A Manila dwarf coconut palm on the grounds of the Tropical Agriculture Research Station in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. |
| 1322014 |
plantain |
Musa x paradisiaca |
Plantains. |
| 1322015 |
star fruit |
Averrhoa carambola |
Carambolas, Arkin variety. |
| 1322018 |
fourteen-spotted lady beetle |
Propylea quatuordecimpunctata |
Three-sixteenths-inch-long Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (14-spot) lady beetles look for aphids on a fava bean leaf. Scientists think the beetles might be helpful in controlling Russian wheat aphids that now infest 17 Great Plains and Western states. |
| 1322019 |
fourteen-spotted lady beetle |
Propylea quatuordecimpunctata |
The 14-spot pattern on the Propylea quatuordecimpunctata lady beetle varies widely. |
| 1322020 |
fourteen-spotted lady beetle |
Propylea quatuordecimpunctata |
A P-14 lady beetle devours a pea aphid |
| 1321048 |
western corn rootworm |
Diabrotica virgifera virgifera |
Western corn rootworm larvae (about one-quarter inch long). |
| 1321049 |
pepper |
Capsicum spp. |
Charleston Hot peppers at varying stages of maturity. |
| 1321062 |
green mold |
Penicillium digitatum |
Grapefruit infected with green mold. |
| 1321023 |
rice |
Oryza sativa |
In Gainesville, Florida, soil scientist L. Hartwell Allen measures growth of 1 of 14 rice cultivars grown to determine the effect of elevated temperature on reproductive growth and seed yield |
| 1321025 |
soybean |
Glycine max |
To determine the effect of elevated CO2 on plant growth, University of Illinois students harvest aboveground growth of soybean plants. |
| 1322046 |
wild turkey |
Meleagris gallopavo |
Large White turkey female. |
| 1322054 |
sugarcane |
Saccharum officinarum |
An experimental ARS sugarcane field near Canal Point, Florida. |
| 1322055 |
sugarcane |
Saccharum officinarum |
Harvesting sugarcane in south Florida, where scientists in the ARS Sugarcane Production Research Unit are identifying research to help sustain both agriculture and natural Everglades ecosystems. |
| 1322056 |
sugarcane |
Saccharum officinarum |
Tasseled sugarcane growing near Canal Point, Florida. |
| 1322061 |
wheat |
Triticum spp. |
|
| 1322037 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
Medfly feeding on a cotton wick soaked with a bait-dye mixture. |
| 1321096 |
wood sorrel |
Oxalis acetosella |
Wood sorrel, Oxalis. |
| 1321097 |
leather flower |
Clematis spp. |
Clematis hybrid. |
| 1321098 |
fire lily |
Cyrtanthus spp. |
Fire lily, a Cyrtanthus hybrid. |
| 1322022 |
plum/cherry |
Prunus spp. |
Resplendent cherry trees from Japan ring the Tidal Basin at Washington, D.C. |
| 1322023 |
plum/cherry |
Prunus spp. |
Resplendent chery tree blossoms for Japan near the Tidal Basin at Washington, D.C. |
| 1322025 |
plum/cherry |
Prunus spp. |
Resplendent cherry trees from Japan near the Washington Monument in Washington D.C. |
| 1322069 |
poinsettia |
Euphorbia pulcherrima |
Colorful poinsettias, a favorite plant for the holidays, are also a favorite host for silverleaf whiteflies. New, ARS-developed computer software will help growers fight this pest in their greenhouses. |
| 1322070 |
poinsettia |
Euphorbia pulcherrima |
Poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima |
| 1322071 |
poinsettia |
Euphorbia pulcherrima |
Not only is poinsettia the most popular Christmas plant, it is the number-one flowering potted plant in the united states, even though its traditional sales period is just 6 weeks.
That was not the case back in 1976, when ARS first began its program to improve the flower's dependability. This meant discovering the exact conditions of light and temperature the plant requires. they also performed breeding experiments that defined how color develops, and they devised precision growing methods that enabled massive cultivation.
Last year, the wholesale value of the poinsettia crop reached nearly $170 million-a jump of more than 400 percent from 1976.
The poinsettia, a contemporary symbol of Christmas, was introduced to the United States and named after Joel Robert Poinsett in 1825. Poinsett was serving as the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico when he saw the plant growing on the hillsides of southern Mexico, where the plant is native. The Aztec Indians prized poinsettias and considered them a symbol of purity because of their brilliant red color. They made a reddish-purple dye from the colored "flowers", which are actually modified leaves called bracts. They also made a medicine against fevers from the latex sap of the plant |
| 1322065 |
orange |
Citrus x sinensis |
Sixty years ago, orange juice came either freshly squeezed in season or canned and tasting like the can. But in 1948, ARS scientists collaborated with Florida Citrus Commission researchers to perfect a method to produce a practical, flavorful frozen concentrate with all its vitamins and minerals. |
| 1322066 |
potato |
Solanum tuberosum |
Yes, Americans do love their spuds! We each eat about 125 pounds of them a year, about half from fresh potatoes and half in processed foods. Research has brought forth a slew of new, improved potato varieties for both uses.
Take, for example, Atlantic-it makes potato chips with lower fat content than any other variety, thanks to its low ratio of water-to-solid-tissue. Atlantic is now the Nation's number one chipping potato.
Are you one of the millions of Americans who never peels potatoes? Then perhaps you rely on our instant potato flakes. We invented the process in 1954 to help use up surplus potatoes. Our instant flakes were an instant hit and a big improvement over earlier powdered potatoes. Today, abut 400 million pounds of potato flakes are produced each year in the United States.
Ever have a bag of potatoes go bad? Then you've probably met Phytophthora infestans, a fungus that can suddenly turn potatoes into a slimy, smelly mess. Over the years, this fungus, which affects potatoes in storage and in the field alike, has been controlled by chemicals. Lately, though, the microorganism has been showing a worrisome resistance. ARS scientists are developing new solutions to combat this old problem. |
| 1322079 |
melon |
Cucumis melo |
Cantaloupes, sometimes called muskmelons. |
| 1322080 |
melon |
Cucumis melo |
Cantaloupes, sometimes called muskmelons. |
| 1323006 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
Senopol surrogate mother with Romosinuano embryo transfer calf. A tropically adapted breed from the Caribbean, Senopols are increasingly popular throughout warmer U.S. regions. |
| 1324012 |
annual wormwood |
Artemisia annua |
Annual wormwood, Artemisia annua L., yields the important antimalarial drug artemisinin. |
| 1324037 |
common bean |
Phaseolus vulgaris |
A closeup look at Burke, the latest pinto bean from ARS and university plant scientists. It resists a host of harmful fungi and viruses that can otherwise cheat growers of a bountiful harvest. |
| 1324040 |
long-jawed orbweaver |
Tetragnatha spp. |
Long-jawed orb weavers are abundant spiders in Colorado and Oklahoma wheat fields. They feed on greenbugs, which are serious pests of winter wheat. |
| 1324041 |
long-jawed orbweaver |
Tetragnatha spp. |
Researchers are just beginning to evaluate the potential for native insect predators including spiders such as this long-jawed orb weaver to hold agricultural pests in check. |
| 1324057 |
bee |
Anthophora abrupta |
A mustached mud bee, Anthophora abrupta. |
| 1323009 |
codling moth |
Cydia pomonella |
Entomologist Brad Higbee (left) and technician Chey Temple assess codling moth damage on Red Delicious apples. |
| 1323034 |
striped cucumber beetle |
Acalymma vittatum |
|
| 1323021 |
Braconid wasp |
Aleiodes indiscretus |
Aleiodes indiscretus wasp parasitizing a gypsy moth caterpillar. |
| 1323024 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
Dryland grazing on the Great Plains in Colorado. Each cow on a pasture can emit about 350 liters (230 grams) of methane per day. |
| 1323025 |
Root and stem rot |
Phytophthora sojae |
A cultured Phytophthora sojae sample (on white pad) is inserted into a naturally resistant soybean seedling. |
| 1323037 |
root-knot nematode |
Meloidogyne incognita |
Susceptible pepper plant roots with extensive galling [thickened, lumpy portions] are heavily infested by the southern root-knot nematode. |
| 1323038 |
blue orchard bee |
Osmia lignaria |
A blue orchard bee pollinates a zinnia. |
| 1323039 |
blue orchard bee |
Osmia lignaria |
Blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria. |
| 1323074 |
Braconid wasp |
Peristenus digoneutis |
A quarter-inch-long parasitic wasp, Peristenus digoneutis, prepares to lay an egg in a tarnished plant bug nymph, Lygus lineolaris. |
| 1323086 |
Malaysian fruit fly |
Bactrocera latifrons |
The malaysian fruit fly, Bactrocera latifrons, is native to southern and southeastern Asia. |
| 1323088 |
longan |
Dimocarpus longan |
Longans, Euphoria longana. |
| 1323095 |
Braconid wasp |
Biosteres arisanus |
Biosteres arisanus wasps inject their eggs into oriental fruit fly eggs. |
| 1323100 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
A computer will tie breed evaluations made by specialists like animal scientist Tom Jenkins (left) and geneticist Larry Cundiff together with other databases needed by livestock producers for efficient decisionmaking. |
| 1324001 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
Holstein dairy cows. |
| 1265113 |
Plum Pox Virus |
Potyvirus PPV |
An alate (winged) green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), an important vector of plum pox virus. |
| 1317038 |
Plum Pox Virus |
Potyvirus PPV |
The yellow spots on this leaf are evidence of infection by the Pennsylvania isolate of plum pox virus. The leaf is from Chenopodium foetidum, an important indicator species of plum pox disease. |
| 1355021 |
Africanized honey bee |
Apis mellifera scutellata |
Closeup of Africanized honey bees (AHBs) surrounding a European queen honey bee (EHB), marked with a pink dot for identification. Since AHBs arrived in Texas in 1990, they've mated with EHBs and spread throughout the Southwest. But rather than commingling, AHBs tend to replace EHBs, partly because EHB queen bees mate disproportionately with African drones. |
| 1355022 |
Africanized honey bee |
Apis mellifera scutellata |
Entomologist David Gilley is part of the team investigating the usurpation of European honey bee colonies by swarms of Africanized honey bees. Because queenless colonies are particularly susceptible to usurpation, the team maintains a group of queenless colonies to lure usurpation swarms into their apiary to be studied. Gilley is shown here requeening one of these "bait colonies." |
| 1355023 |
Africanized honey bee |
Apis mellifera scutellata |
Entomologist Justin Schmidt examines an ARS honey bee trap used to lure Africanized bee swarms and prevent their establishment in walls of buildings. Captured swarms are easily removed or destroyed with soapy water. |
| 1324073 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Microbiologist Alan Lax examines carton nest material on insulation and framing damaged by the Formosan subterranean termite. |
| 1324008 |
bollworm |
Helicoverpa zea |
A normal corn earworm larva (right) dwarfs one fed on a genetically altered baculovirus. Both larvae are 10 days old. |
| 1323033 |
squash bug |
Anasa tristis |
|
| 1323035 |
cane fruit (blackberry, raspberry) |
Rubus spp. |
Black Butte is a new blackberry release by ARS scientists in Corvallis, Oregon. Fruit averages 1 inch in diameter, and 2 inches long, and weighs almost twice as much as other varieties of fresh blackberries. |
| 1324065 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
The French Quarter in New Orleans harbors one of the heaviest Formosan subterranean termite infestations in the country. Here, a tamper-proof metal cap in the street marks the location of a monitor/baiting station in an area that is already under treatment. |
| 1324022 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
A view of the Vieux Carre' which is already under a monitoring/baiting treatment regimen. The silver cap in the foreground marks the location of a monitoring/baiting station. The unobtrusive cap was developed by the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board to provide tamper- proof protection of the monitoring/baiting stations. Special screws allow easy access for inspections and bait placement. The stations are placed approximately ten feet apart around the perimeter of treated structures and the wooden monitoring stakes are replaced with toxic baits only when termites are present. |
| 1323073 |
tarnished plant bug |
Lygus lineolaris |
a serious pest of alfalfa being grown for seed. |
| 1324034 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
The Cabildo, maintained by the Louisiana State Museum, was the site for signing of the Louisiana Purchase. It was infested by the Formosan subterranean termite as is the rest of the French Quarter (Vieux Carre') where the museum is located. This building was one of the first to be treated using the technologically advanced monitoring and baiting. After several months of baiting there have been no further signs of the termite in the building. |
| 1324035 |
formosan subterranean termite |
Coptotermes formosanus |
Formosan subterranean termites show no respect for historic Jackson Square (foreground), St. Louis Cathedral, or the neighboring Cabildo at left, where the Louisiana Purchase transfer ceremony took place in 1803. |
| 1317037 |
green peach aphid |
Myzus persicae |
An alate (winged) green peach aphid, an important vector of plum pox virus. |
| 1316093 |
blacklegged tick |
Ixodes scapularis |
ARS tick-control efforts are targeting the female blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, which can lay up to 3,000 eggs in her lifetime. Her young offspring are key links in the transmission of Lyme disease, a flulike illness in humans that can become chronic and progressive if not treated. |
| 1316094 |
blacklegged tick |
Ixodes scapularis |
A nymph-stage blacklegged tick on a leaf. Infected nymphs transmit most cases of Lyme disease. |
| 1316024 |
beet armyworm |
Spodoptera exigua |
A moth is attached to a flight mill, which allows it to fly in a circular pattern. Each revolution of the low-friction flight arm represents 1 meter of flight distance. |
| 1319004 |
honey bee varroa mite |
Varroa destructor |
An adult female Varroa mite feeds on a developing bee. |
| 1319002 |
honey bee varroa mite |
Varroa destructor |
Visible as a dark, oval shape, an adult female varroa mite feeds on the midsection of a developing worker bee. |
| 1318095 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
A small dairy farm in western Maryland. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines "small farms" as those averaging $50,000 in gross sales annually which net, on average, around $23,159. |
| 1318100 |
honey bee varroa mite |
Varroa destructor |
A family of varroa mites found at the bottom of a honey bee brood cell. |
| 1318037 |
cattle |
Bos spp. |
On the 300-square-mile Jornada Experimental Range near Las Cruces, New Mexico, technicians Rob Dunlap (left) and John Smith round up cattle the time-honored way. High-tech equipment may make roundups easier in the future. |
| 1322075 |
apple |
Malus domestica |
Apples are an all-American success story-each of us eats more than 19 pounds of them annually. Thanks to fruit-breeding research, we're able to enjoy more productive, healthy, and flavorful new varieties every year. And we're collecting and preserving the world's bounty of apple genestock, so that the apples of tomorrow may be even sweeter crunchier, and better than ever.
Think about the quality of the apples you buy at the supermarket: They may have been stored for as long as 9 months but you can bet they'll remain crisp, thanks to controlled-atmosphere-storage methods devised by ARS. Never before have growers had a better chance against pests and diseases in the apple orchard, thanks to new, nonchemical biocontrols. ARS scientists have toiled to harness naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria and turn them against apples' enemies.
We've even worked on bashless bagging-packaging systems that are used by wholesalers to bring you apples without bruises. |
| 1322073 |
grape |
Vitis spp. |
Sweet, juicy grapes, picked a the peak of ripeness, are one of nature's best-tasting treats. In vineyards, greenhouses, and laboratories, ARS scientists seek to bring even better grapes to your shopping cart tomorrow.
The ARS laboratory that developed America's most popular red seedless grape, Flame Seedless, has also offered nurseries and breeders a delicious new black seedless grape. Called Black Emerald, the newcomer is a sweet grape with berries about the size of a dime. The flesh is translucent, firm, and almost crisp.
Also watch the supermarket for Autumn Seedless, a light-green grape that became available to nurseries and growers in 1984. It is ready for harvest about 2 weeks before Thompson Seedless.
Of course, all grapes need to be properly handled. ARS studies of packaging have shown that boxes with a shrink-wrap covering offer the best insurance against loss to disease, weight loss, and shatter (grapes' tendency to drop off the stem). Plastic dome-lid boxes with vent holes are also protective. Net bags, for years considered the preferred packaging, proved the least safeguard of all.
From the East Coast to the vineyards of the Far West, grapes are a growing success story. And, since two ARS gene banks, in Geneva, New York, and Davis, California, are living treasure troves of grape varieties, we expect more juicy developments ahead. |
| 1322064 |
peanut |
Arachis hypogaea |
When you add it all up, peanuts aren't just peanuts-they're quite an important crop. The United States produces between 3 and 4 billion pounds of peanuts annually, and about 40 percent of these go into processed foods, from salted peanuts, candy, crackers, and cookies to peanut butter. They're a major source of vegetable oil too.
peanuts have been the object of scientific study since George Washington Carver's day. ARS scientists have worked to improve peanut flavor and quality both by breeding better peanuts and by finding better ways to process them. Success came with the discovery of ways to extend the shelf life of peanut products, since unstable fatty acids in peanuts can cause unpleasant flavor changes. We've also found ways to remove part of the oil from the peanut without serious loss of flavor. Partially defatted peanuts are now sold by several companies, and the market is growing.
With the help of precision lab instruments and the sensitive noses of volunteers, ARS chemists have pinpointed chemicals that are crucial to that unmistakable peanutty flavor. This work reveals that roasted peanuts probably owe their rich, nutty aroma to a blend of about a dozen natural compounds. The findings could be used to enrich the flavor of roasted peanuts by adding back compounds that are sometimes lost in processing. |
| 1322052 |
honey bee |
Apis mellifera |
For centuries, beekeeping has been a traditional part of Mexican agriculture and a reliable source of income in rural areas. Scientists in the United States have closely followed the arrival of Africanized honey bees and two species of parasitic mites that have created hive management problems and reduced honey production. |
| 1322036 |
European red-bellied clerid |
Thanasimus formicarius |
This predatory beetle, Thanasimus formicarius, can eat about three pine shoot beetles daily for up to 3 months. The pine shoot beetle is a destructive pest of pine trees in about 150 U.S. counties. |
| 1322042 |
Mediterranean fruit fly, Medfly |
Ceratitis capitata |
ARS scientists in Hilo, Hawaii are collaborating with ARS researchers at Weslaco, Texas, to investigate phloxine B, better known as the FDA-approved red dye number 28. The dye, might prove a safe, effective alternative to today's malathion insecticide. Medflies often share regurgitated food. This helps spread the insecticidal dye-and-bait blend through the population. |
| 1321059 |
Parasites |
Catolaccus grandis |
A female Catolaccus grandis wasp homes in on a boll weevil larva. This 3/8 inch parasitic wasp, a native of Mexico, inserts her ovipositor through the plastic film covering the individual rearing cell and immobilizes the larva. From the larva she withdraws nourishment sufficient to complete development of her eggs. Later, she or another female will revisit the boll weevil larva and deposit an egg next to it. The larva soon becomes an easy meal for a newly-hatched wasp larva. |
| 1321060 |
honey bee varroa mite |
Varroa destructor |
|
| 1320097 |
bollworm |
Helicoverpa zea |
|
| 1320098 |
bollworm |
Helicoverpa zea |
|
| 1320087 |
soybean |
Glycine max |
Mature soybeans, sitting within their pod. |
| 1320088 |
soybean |
Glycine max |
|
| 1322021 |
forest bachac |
Atta cephalotes |
Leaf-cutting ants are the primary herbivores of tropical areas such as Central America. they can be serious agricultural pests |
| 1321085 |
white-tailed deer |
Odocoileus virginianus |
|
| 1321080 |
red imported fire ant |
Solenopsis invicta |
Widely disliked for their venomous, painful stings, fire ants have spread across much of the southern United States. |
| 1321092 |
gypsy moth |
Lymantria dispar |
|
| 1321093 |
gypsy moth |
Lymantria dispar |
Gypsy moth caterpillars are the number one forest and shade tree pest in the Northeast. |
