Dr. Art Evans talks with WCVE Public Radio producer Steve Clark about just what does make a beetle (Coleoptera) a beetle. Species in the order Coleoptera are generally characterized by a particularly hard exoskeleton and hard forewings (elytra). Beetles are endopterygotes, which means that they undergo complete metamorphosis, a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, undergoing a series of conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the its body structure. Listen to find out more.

It’s spring and many plants are in bloom. But the bright colors and scents aren’t just for our enjoyment. It is also the time for plants to attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and other insects. In this What’s Bugging You? edition, Dr. Art Evans shares with WCVE Public Radio producer Steve Clark the various ways plants recruit insects for the important job of pollination.

Dr. Art Evans talks WCVE Public Radio Producer Steve Clark about a recent visit to the University of Georgia’s Entomology Department to talk with students about career options and the various paths he has taken as an entomologist.

From Dr. Art Evans’ Blog – My insect survey at the VCU Rice Center continues to reveal species that are rarely collected and/or newly recorded for the Commonwealth of Virginia. While sorting through dozens of trap samples containing thousands of insects, I recently discovered three specimens of a rarely collected false click beetle (Eucnemidae), Xylophilus crassicornis. This collection represents the first records for the genus and species in Virginia.