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Entomology (Study of Bugs)/Expert Profile
Expertise
Will accept most questions in general entomology, including those related to medical entomology, taxonomy, ecology, arthropod surveillance, and pest management. If you are requesting a 'mystery bug' identification, PLEASE either attach an image to your question, or post an image on a web page (such as Flickr) so that I can look at it, as verbal descriptions frequently are insufficient for a definitive identification.
Experience in the area
21 years in the U.S. Army as a medical entomologist; duties varied from surveillance of pest populations (including mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks, and stored products pests) to conducting research on mosquito-virus ecological relationships and mosquito faunal studies. Ten years as a civilian analyst for the Department of Defense, primarily on distribution of vector-borne diseases worldwide. Limited experience on surveillance of agricultural insects in North Dakota and Indiana.
Organizations
Entomological Society of America, West Virginia Entomological Society, Society for Vector Ecology, National Speleological Society, West Virginia Association for Cave Studies.
Publications
American Journal of Public Health, Contributions of the American Entomological Institute, Japanese Journal of Sanitary Zoology, Journal of Economic Entomology, Mosquito News, and Mosquito Systematics.
Education/Credentials
B.S. in entomology from North Dakota State University in 1963, M.S. in entomology from Purdue University in 1967.
What do you like about this subject?
So many insects; so little time......
What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?
Contribute to knowledge base of distribution of terrestrial insects in southeastern West Virginia; assist in monitoring populations of caverniculous invertebrates in same area.
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response T = Timeliness P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | T | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carina | 11/06/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Carina | 11/06/09 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |
| Dawn | 11/03/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you very much Saugy for the ..... |
| Amy | 11/01/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | That's exactly what it is! I saw ..... |
| Cesar Reyes | 10/31/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thanks a lot... |
Recent Answers from Ed Saugstad
2009-11-07 dust like insect craw on wall:
Dear Ty - These most likely are nuisance pests known as household casebearers or plaster bagworms - see http://tinyurl.com/ykbhp9y for an image. These cases are constructed by larvae (caterpillars) of
2009-11-06 moth eggs:
Dear Carina - These do not look like eggs of any kind; what it resembles most is a small critter, such as a larva of some kind, that died there, and now has been colonized by fungi. I would just try cleaning
2009-11-06 moth eggs:
Dear Carina - Could you please take a photo of these and attach the image to a follow-up question? I doubt very much that these would be moth eggs, and even if they were, no pest species that I know of
2009-11-03 SEED TICK:
Dear Mickey - To the best of my knowledge, the only tick species that would actually infest a house is the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus - see http://tinyurl.com/yalywye for detailed information
2009-11-02 looks like a devil's coach horse beetle:
Dear Margaret - This is a rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), the same family as to which the devil's coach horse beetle belongs. This is a very large family with thousands of species, only a few
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