Keng-Lou James Hung

@wraslor86 Nice! Yes, blue bees in TX are likely one of several carpenter bee (Xylocopa) species you've got. These days lots of awesome discoveries are made by "regular" people! If you can snap a pic of critters you encounter and post to inaturalist.org, we would appreciate it!

@kljhung Id seen blue bees before. Years ago, they were attracted to my cactus blooms. I have no comparison, for their size I guessed they were a type of carpenter bee or such. I'm in texas and near a university but no one ever seems to care when us "regular" people point out something.

NEW BEE JUST DROPPED! The sparkly blue Andrena androfovea might be the first of roughly 1700 Andrena species to be a specialist of the Solanaceae (tomato family), and has a sternal hairbrush for pollen collection! doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7…

This is a dream-team collaboration with Silas Bossert @thecriticalbee and Jack Neff at Central Texas Melittological Institute! Hopefully many more to come! :)

Hot off the press! Our new study led by three amazing @UofOklahoma undergrads found that ornamental plants--especially woody species--can support urban pollinators active in the early spring when food is otherwise scarce doi.org/10.1007/s10841…

@susta1nabeelity @TernestJ @Ingwell_vegIPM @msuvegent @Kaplan_Lab @KGoodell66 @EntsocAmerica @OxfordJournals Our bottom line is that YES, systemic pesticides (at least thiamethoxam) and foliar sprays DO reduce pests, BUT we're often using more than necessary to control pests, and may instead be (1) harming pollinators and (2) spending too much on those chemicals.

Check out our recent work on balancing pest and pollinator management by @kljhung, @TernestJ, @Ingwell_vegIPM, @msuvegent, @Kaplan_Lab, @KGoodell66 and Tom Wood (not on X)! Free and OA through @EntsocAmerica @OxfordJournals! academic.oup.com/jee/advance-ar…

Calling y'all fitness enthusiasts and martial artists out there! The portable punching bag for on-the-go training my little brother designed is launching soon! Sign up for exclusive Kickstarter discounts at impaktraining.co!

Soooooo I'm recruiting a postdoc! The research topic is wide open, so long as it advances pollinator conservation in the Southern Great Plains and/or surrounding areas. Please tell your friends and recent grads! Thank you! ou.taleo.net/careersection/…

Very honored to be featured on the podcast of my friend and colleague Dr. Sean O'Brien of @natureserve, chatting about #pollinator biology and conservation! natureserve.org/conservation-c…

Thank you to @NSERC_CRSNG, @USDA, and @Cornell for funding; @DanforthLab for supporting data collection; and @ArchibaldWinery, @DixieOrchards, @SpiritTreeCider for letting us chase bees around their orchards and providing their insight as growers!

#Pollination is more than single-visit pollen deposition and visitation frequency: pollinator movement and #pollen #carryover can be just as important! doi.org/10.1002/eap.29… please share with any #apple growers you know :)

New paper! Insects can invade islands from the mainland, and vice versa too. We can better detect such invaders by forging collaborations between community scientists and professional biologists. It takes a village to respond to species invasions! doi.org/10.1007/s13592…

Our study on the impacts of drought on bee assemblages doi.org/10.3390/insect… was featured in Episode 5 of the Bee's Knees! thebeesknees.website/bees-the-clima… Here's to a better and wetter 2023, for you and for the bees!

@BeeBabette There are certainly people like that, but I also know many stellar academics who are devoted parents, active community members, amazing mentors, and top-notch friends... so it's doable! I have yet to find out what their secret is though...

I see older academics - bitter with the world, single, without a partner or kids, lonely, loveless, with just a big ego and a big CV, and the thought of my life leading to that makes me sick . No thanks , I’m out. #AcademicChatter #AcademicLyfe

I thought San Diego is a hotbed of Africanized honey bees, but new research shows instead that SD's feral honey bees retain a high level of genetic diversity with representation from all major lineages. Cool stuff! doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8…

@eli_wyman Happy birthday my friend! You can fit SO many collecting jars in that bandolier! 🤣

Was feeling slightly down about turning 40 and having another low key covid bday, but then a friend gave me a bee costume and a beer bandolier. Miracles are real y’all!

What happens when you plant a pollinator habitat and just leave it alone? Our decade-long project (doi.org/10.1002/eap.24…) shows that most planted species don't stick around😢. So, build ecological succession into your seed mix and be sure to include hardy, competitive species!

Just realized that "Anthidium psoraleae" is a real species and not just my brain jumbling up the more familiar "Anthidium paroselae" (whose species names are anagrams of each other)...🤣

@jessperapis @maryajamieson @inaturalist @joseph_ferraro @OCParksAndRec Yes!! I'm definitely interested! Thanks @jessperapis for the connection!

Fennel can be an allelopathic invasive plant. Our latest research shows that it can also act as a magnet plant for pollinators, and export heterospecific pollen to neighboring natives. Let's keep our eyes on this cheeky plant... doi.org/10.1007/s10530…