From the UC Blogosphere...

Cooling cattle; European pepper moth examined

For an article "Should Wyoming livestock and ag adjust to climate?" in the Billings Gazette, reporter Paul Murray sought information about livestock animals' response to warmer temperatures from Frank Mitloehner, UC Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis. Mitloehner talked about ways animals can cool down and discussed shade, fans, sprinklers and even alternative cattle breeds. "We're seeing more and more extreme weather. That is a tendency we're seeing more and more often. That can stress animals. Similar to animals in the wild, that can impact animals' reproductive ability and their performance," he told the reporter.

European pepper moth widespread in California
Surendra Dara for Western Farm Press

Western Farm Press published this article about European pepper moth by Surendra Dara, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Santa Barbara County. Dara explains that the European pepper moth has been reported in several central and southern California counties. The pest prefers to feed at the plant base of crops such as corn, peppers, tomatoes, squash, strawberries and some ornamental plants. Dara has been appointed to the national Technical Working Group for European pepper moth, along with UC Cooperative Extension colleagues James Bethke and Steve Tjosvold.

Dara also wrote about this pest and shared photos of it on the UC Strawberries and Vegetables blog.

Skipping Along

In the big, beautiful butterfly world, the Fiery Skipper stands out as the most common urban butterfly in California.It may...

Close-up of Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) often head-butts the female's genitalia during courtship, says noted butterfly expert Art Shapiro of UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The male Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) often head-butts the female's genitalia during courtship, says noted butterfly expert Art Shapiro of UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Solve economy, wildfires woes at same time

Forest restoration would be one way to improve our economy, writes researcher Tong Wu of the Center for Forestry and UC Berkeley on CNN's Global Public Square news website. He states that human interference has "made many ecosystems unnaturally susceptible to catastrophic wildfires" and that global warming will exacerbate the problem.

"In economic analyses of environmental management projects across the western United States, ecological restoration produced multiplier effects (the economic 'bang for the buck' of every dollar spent) that were higher than the estimated impacts of the 2009 government stimulus," he wrote.

Gulf Frit Making a Comeback

Yes, it's back.The Gulf Frit is definitely back.Back in September of 2009, butterfly expert Art Shapiro, professor of...

Gulf Fritillary butterfly on passion flower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Fritillary butterfly on passion flower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Frits breeding on passion flower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Frits breeding on passion flower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hungry caterpillar munching passion flower leaves. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hungry caterpillar munching passion flower leaves. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A "squadron" of caterpillars on a passion flower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A "squadron" of caterpillars on a passion flower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Entomologists profiled in LA Times

Reporter Amina Khan with the LA Times profiled husband-and-wife entomologist team Christina and Mark Hoddle of UC Riverside (Mark is also a UC Cooperative Extension entomology specialist). The pair travel the world seeking parasitoids that can serve as biological control to invasive California pests and then test the results at the Center for Invasive Species Research at UC Riverside. "Bugs don't take weekends," Christina Hoddle told the reporter, "so neither do we."

Weed threatens rice-growing areas
Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise Record

A new-to-California weed has been found in rice fields near Richvale. The first identification of the winged primrose willow west of Texas was made after a farmer brought a sample to the UC Cooperative Extension office in Butte County and to the California Rice Experiment Station. The reporter spoke to Cass Mutters, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor, who is encouraging rice growers to call for assistance if they find the weed, in efforts to arrest its spread. "We have a really small window of time," Mutters told the reporter. "It will require vigilance."

Photos and more details about the weed are also available from Luis Espino on the UC Rice Blog.

Autumn is for Apples: An Interview With Carol Fall
Jennifer Jewell, aNewsCafe.com

As apple season approaches, this article examines the Trinity Heritage Orchard Project through an interview of Carol Fall, program representative for UC Cooperative Extension Trinity County. The project has identified and mapped century-old apple trees from Gold Rush-era homesteads that are now on public lands and available for gleaning. Fall also evaluates how fruits of these heirloom varieties are best picked and used—whether for baking, cider-making, eating fresh or storing for winter months—and takes cuttings from the most significant varieties to plant elsewhere in the community. The article says Fall will provide apple samples Oct. 8 at Weaverville's annual Salmon Festival.

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