Backyard bugs tip sheet

Contact for reporters:
Jayme DeLoss
[email protected] 
(970) 491-8904

As Coloradans head outside to enjoy nature this time of year, they are more likely to have close encounters of the winged, many-legged and creepy-crawly kind. Colorado State University experts are here to help identify insects, interpret bug behavior and explain what they mean for our health and gardens.  

Insects in general:

Melissa Schreiner, entomologist and CSU Extension specialist for the Tri-River Area
[email protected]
(970) 244-1838
Focus areas: Colorado native bees, insect identification, plant damage identification, horticultural entomology, agricultural entomology, invasive insects 

Lisa Mason, entomologist and CSU Extension horticulture specialist for Arapahoe County
[email protected]
(303) 738-7966 

Maia Holmes, entomologist, agricultural biology instructor and CSU Bug Zoo director
[email protected]
CSU Bug Zoo: https://agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/the-bug-zoo/
[email protected] 

Garden pests:

Melissa Schreiner, entomologist and CSU Extension specialist for the Tri-River Area
[email protected]
(970) 244-1838 

Lisa Mason, entomologist and CSU Extension horticulture specialist for Arapahoe County
[email protected]
(303) 738-7966 

Crystal Cooke, entomologist and agricultural biology instructor, identifies insects for the CSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic (more information below)
[email protected]
(970) 491-8795 

Karim Gharbi, CSU Extension horticulture instructor for Denver County
[email protected]
(970) 491-7879 

Mosquitos, mosquito-borne diseases and West Nile virus:

Rebekah Kading, Kading Lab director, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
[email protected]
(970) 491-7833 

Tick- and mosquito-borne diseases:

Emma Harris, research scientist in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
[email protected]
(970) 491-8236 

Butterflies and moths:

Chuck Harp, lepidopterist and collections manager for the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity
[email protected] 
(970) 491-7419 

Pollinators (bees, butterflies, etc.):

John Mola, ecologist and assistant professor in the Warner College of Natural Resources
[email protected]
(970) 491-4575 

Lisa Mason, entomologist and CSU Extension horticulture specialist for Arapahoe County
[email protected]
(303) 738-7966 

Bees:

Melissa Schreiner, entomologist and CSU Extension specialist for the Tri-River Area
[email protected]
(970) 244-1838 

Wasps:

Marek Borowiec, entomologist and assistant professor of agricultural biology
[email protected]
(970) 491-7314 

Parasitic wasps:

Crystal Cooke, entomologist and agricultural biology instructor, identifies insects for the CSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic (more information below)
[email protected]
(970) 491-8795 

CSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic:

Having trouble identifying your backyard bug? The CSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic can help for a small fee. Send images to [email protected] with your name and a description of where and when you saw the bug(s). We may need a specimen to properly identify the insect/arthropod, but an image is a good place to start. For more information on how to submit a specimen and other services, visit our website: agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/plantclinic/submit-sample/. 

Resource on miller moths from the College of Agricultural Sciences:

agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/ipm-pests/army-cutworm/