blog navigation

Natural History Survey

blog posts

  • Could Asian carp be competing for food with eagles?

    Feb 1, 2010 2:30 pm

    INHS Scientists Dr. Gregg Sass and Dr. John Chick were interviewed by Chris Young for an article that questions the cause of the decline of the Bald eagle, and other birds, at the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. One of the possible contributors to the decline may be due to the presence of Asian carp.

  • The Biology of Small Mammals published

    Mar 4, 2010 5:30 pm

    Dr. Joseph F. Merritt, INHS Mammalogist, is the author of The Biology of Small Mammals, published by the Johns Hopkins University Press. The book covers  small mammals, which are defined as weighing 11 pounds and under. The book, 336 pages long, also includes black and white photographs and illustrations. It can be ordered from amazon.com.

  • On the hunt for first flower of spring

    Mar 5, 2010 11:45 am

    Environmental Almanac, written by Rob Kanter, describes searching for skunk cabbage. Kanter, along with INHS Wetland Plant Ecologist Rick Larimore, headed out to the Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area in Vermilion County to see this "first flower" of spring. Kanter and Larimore were successful in their quest to find skunk cabbage. Skunk cabbage is able to bloom so early in the year because it generates enough heat to grow in the frozen ground. It gets it's name from the rotting flesh smell it exudes to attract ground pollinating insects. 

  • Preserving nature through art

    Mar 19, 2010 2:00 pm

    Smile Politely has an excellent article discussing the visiting art exhibit, "Nature Sketches by Gladys and Ruth Dudley", currently on display at the Forbes Natural History Building. In the article, INHS biological control specialist Sue Post discusses what makes the sketches in the collection so fascinating. The exhibit will be on display through the spring. No special arrangements or fees are needed to view the sketches, which on on display in the first-floor North West hallway.

  • Saving the Illinois cave amphipod

    Apr 21, 2010 4:30 pm

    Dr. Steve Taylor, INHS macroinvertebrate biologist, was interviewed for an article in the online magazine Smile Politely. The article discusses the habitat, range and human impacts that eventually placed the Illinois Cave Amphipod on the Endangered Species list in 1998.

  • Attack of the Flying Fish

    Jun 24, 2010 2:00 pm

    The Illinois Times talks to Kevin Irons, INHS LTRMP Fish Specialist, about sampling for Asian carp. Irons catalogs some of the things that he does to make sampling on the Illinois River safe.

  • Dr. Heads blogs as part of UK National Insect Week

    Jun 25, 2010 8:00 am

    The Illinois Natural History Survey's insect systematist, Dr. Sam Heads, has been asked by the Royal Entomological Society to keep a blog as part of the UK National Insect Week. This is an outreach project aimed at raising the profile of entomology.

  • Getting the scoop on Illinois mussels

    Aug 5, 2010 3:30 pm

    Rob Kanter, who writes Environmental Almanac spent the day with INHS field biologists as they both looked for, and relocated, some Illinois mussels. Kanter's article also discusses sampling techniques and the life-cycle of this animal. 

  • Loss of our colleague Arlo Raim

    Aug 24, 2010 9:00 am

    We are very sad to confirm that early Friday, August 20, 2010 our colleague Arlo Raim was killed in an accident while working in DuPage County. Arlo worked for the Illinois Natural History Survey in various scientific and technical capacities since 1975.

  • Asian carp still doing well

    Sep 7, 2010 9:00 am

    Thad Cook, of the Illinois River Biological Station, took an impressive photo of carp that appeared in a web log of the Peoria Journal Star.

  • Champaign County confirms West Nile in samples

    Sep 10, 2010 1:00 pm

    Richard Lampman, an INHS entomologist, was interviewed by the Daily Illini about West Nile's appearance in Champaign County. Lampman said that this summer's hot, dry weather was perfect for the spread of mosquitoes.

  • Illinois Natural Areas Inventory probes health of state's habitats

    Oct 5, 2010 8:00 am

    The update of the 1978 Illinois Natural Areas Inventory was highlighted in an article in the Kankakee Daily Journal. INHS regional ecologist Connie Cunningham has been inventorying sites in Kankakee, Iroquois and 23 other counties across Illinois, documenting changes and identifying area in need of protection.

  • Kevin Johnson and colleagues find Passenger Pigeon a place in the family tree

    Oct 7, 2010 10:30 am

    INHS Ornithologist Kevin Johnson and his colleagues published a paper on the phylogenetics of the extinct Passenger Pigeon. They found that its closest living relative is not the mourning dove, but actually other large pigeons found in Central and South America, but even those are distant relatives. “The passenger pigeon is in a monotypic genus, which means there is only one species in that genus: Ectopistes migratorius,” [Johnson] said. “This bird is pretty diverged from its nearest relatives, meaning it had a unique place in the world. It represented a unique lineage that’s now gone.” For more information, read the press release or an article published by Science 2.0.

  • Mike Ward to give program in Ringwood, Tuesday Nov. 2

    Nov 1, 2010 10:00 am

    INHS Ornithologist Mike Ward will be presenting on his work studying the birds of Illinois and talk about the trends in bird populations they have found. The program will be at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park Conservation Area, Rt 31 and Harts in Ringwood. The new book, Illinois Birds: A Century of Change, will be available soon!

  • Emerald ash borer quarantine area expanded

    Nov 2, 2010 2:30 pm

    The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey program posted that Champaign and Vermilion Counties have been added to the Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Area.

  • Is there enough food in the Great Lakes to support Asian Carp?

    Nov 3, 2010 9:00 am

    In a press release issued by Illinois Indiana SeaGrant, INHS Aquatic Ecologists Walter Hill and Sandra Cooke suggest that due to other invasive species in the Great Lakes, Asian Carp may not find enough food to thrive. However, Hill does not see their results as a reason to relent on efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. "Given the potential consequences to Great Lakes ecosystems if these filter feeders do prove capable of establishing reproducing populations, efforts to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes must not be lessened." Another story discusses some of the methods being used to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes, including an experiment being led by Blake Ruebush and Greg Sass on a Sound-Bubble-Strobe-Light-Barrier.

  • INHS macro-invertebratologist Steve Taylor illuminates the unique world of caves

    Dec 2, 2010 2:45 pm

    INHS Macro-Invertebrate Scientist and cave maggot namesake, Steve Taylor was featured in an article from the Illinois News Bureau. Read about his "more than two decades plumbing the mysteries of cave life," in articles by the U of I News Bureau and Physorg.com.

  • Illinois Birds: A Century of Change applauded by USFWS and IDNR

    Jan 4, 2011 8:00 am

    The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources put out a press release praising the most recent INHS Special Publication. “This book demonstrates the importance of investing in long-term research to provide the information needed by natural resource managers to make wise, science-based resource management decisions.  It also emphasizes the importance of public-private, and state-federal partnerships in responding to landscape scale natural resource challenges,” said Marc Miller, Director of the Illinois DNR. “The long term data collected by these surveys provides the information necessary to evaluate changing bird distributions,” said Tom Melius, Midwest Regional Director of the Service. "Illinois Birds: A Century of Change is a benchmark in bird research that will inform current and future bird conservation priorities, and serve as a model for bird research across the United States.” The book was also reviewed in the Rockford Register Star, the BirdBooker Report and the Herald Review.

  • INHS ornithologists participate in Christmas Bird Count

    Jan 4, 2011 8:15 am

    Les Winkeler, the outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan, accompanied Jeff Hoover, Dave Thomas and Matt McKim-Louder on the Cypress Creek Christmas Bird Count. With 64 species identified by their team, Jeff Hoover said, "This is the birdiest Christmas bird count I can ever remember." Winkeler also wrote a side piece about his adventure with the three INHS ornithologists, likening it to "playing in a foursome with Tiger, Jack and Arnie. It's like taking batting practice with George Brett, Rod Carew and Ichiro Suzuki."

  • INHS astacologist Christopher Taylor discovers new species of crayfish

    Jan 21, 2011 8:00 am

    A recent UI News Bureau release reported on the discovery of a new species of crayfish by INHS astacologist Chris Taylor. The new crayfish belongs to the genus Barbicambarus, which in addition to being big is very distinctive. Most notably, Barbicambarus have unusual bearded antennae; the antennae are covered with a luxurious fringe of tiny, hair-like bristles, called setae, which enhance their sensory function. The article has been picked up by Reuters and has spread to news sites everywhere including New Scientist, Discovery News, Yahoo News, Christian Science Monitor, Eureka, and Science Blog.

  • Biology of Small Mammals, by INHS mammalogist Joe Merritt selected as an "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2010

    Jan 25, 2011 4:30 pm

    The Biology of Small Mammals, by INHS mammalogist Joe Merritt was selected by Choice Reviews as one of the "Outstanding Academic Titles" of 2010. It was one of 10 books selected for the list from the Zoology category.  Choice Reviews is a publication of the American Library Association.

  • Illinois Natural Areas Inventory discovers new natural areas

    Mar 14, 2011 2:30 pm

    Illinois Natural History Survey scientists have spent the past three years evaluating thousands of sites across Illinois to assess their quality. Biologists have discovered approximately 185 more of these "beautiful little gems," as Randy Nyboer calls them, which were missed during the original inventory in 1978. The Inventory is used by the Nature Preserves Commission to determine protection and management of our remaining natural areas.

  • INHS botanists reconstruct 226 year history of fire in Southern Illinois

    Mar 14, 2011 4:45 pm

    By looking at the scars in the growth rings of 36 old-growth post oak trees, INHS botanist Greg Spyreas, affiliate John Ebinger and Illinois State Museum botanist William McClain found that there had been more than 100 fires in Southern Illinois between the 1770s and 1996. This repeated burning stabilized prairies and kept the woodlands open until the mid-1800s when fires appear to have been suppressed by the settlers in the area for a 30 year period. Fire suppression altered the plant community by allowing fast-growing, shade-loving species to survive. The study was published in the journal Castanea. Read news coverage of the story by the Science Blog, Science Codex, and Earth Times.

  • INRS Naturally Illinois Expo attracts thousands

    Mar 14, 2011 6:00 pm

    The Naturally Illinois Expo, held March 11th and 12th, was attended by a record 1700 students from 22 Illinois schools on Friday. On Saturday, many of these students returned to share the Expo with their families. There were 54 exhibits from the 5 surveys. INHS scientists provided exhibits on plants, backyard insects, fossil insects, turtles, mammals, birds, aquatic pollutants, mosquitoes and their diseases, crayfish, fish, mussels and exotic invasive species. Other favorites included Kids' Fossil Dig, Archaeological Dig, Weather on Your Birthday and Biofuels.

  • "Periodic table for flies" mapped

    Mar 17, 2011 10:00 pm

    The Fly Tree of Life project has mapped the 260-million-year evolution of the order Diptera. The 152,000 named species of flies are ecologically important as disease vectors, pollinators, and decomposers and this groundbreaking project will facilitate future research into the convergent evolution of traits such as blood feeding and wing-loss. Read the study's abstract here.

  • Illinois Birds: A Century of Change receives more attention

    Mar 28, 2011 8:00 am

    Co-author Mike Ward was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune about the recently published "Illinois Birds: A Century of Change." Mike Ward said that the results of the most recent studies were somewhat encouraging. "There's definitely reason to be concerned for certain species of birds, but I don't think we're at the worst point in the last 100 years. I think the worst point was definitely somewhere between the 1950s and now, when our waters were really contaminated and there was a wider use of nasty pesticides. There's reason for concern today, but on the flip side there are definitely triumphs."

  • US Army Corps releases report on Asian carp and electric barriers

    Mar 29, 2011 8:00 am

    The US Army Corps of Engineers released a report on the operation of the electric barrier system in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. This study focuses on the smaller individuals, which may be better able to cross the barriers. Prior research by Illinois Natural History Survey scientists about the efficacy of the electric barrier systems for adult fish is cited.

  • Mosquito larvae exposed to stress may be better able to transmit viruses

    Apr 7, 2011 8:00 am

    In a recently published article in Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, INHS Medical Entomologists Ephantus J. Muturi and Barry Alto revealed that exposing mosquito larvae to temperature and insecticide stress may actually increase their ability to transmit viruses. At 30°C but not at 20°C, Ae. aegypti larvae exposed to insecticide were more likely to transmit the virus compared to control treatments. These findings suggest that environmental factors experienced by aquatic stages of mosquitoes contribute to the risk of arbovirus transmission.

  • Dinosaurs may have had lice

    Apr 7, 2011 6:00 pm

    A recent article in Biology Letters, authored by INHS Ornithologist Kevin Johnson and his colleagues Vincent Smith, Tom Ford, Paul Johnson, Kazunori Yoshizawa, and Jessica Light, reveals that the ancestors of the lice found on modern day birds and mammals began to diversify prior to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary, 65 million years ago.

  • "Bearded" crayfish species—what else is out there?

    May 1, 2011 12:30 pm

    INHS Astacologist Chris Taylor was interviewed by On Earth about the new species of "bearded" crayfish he described earlier this year. He described crayfish as "one of the most important, if not the most important link" between primary producers (which they eat), and predators like fish and birds (which eat them). He added that uncovering a new species in a well studied area "just reinforces the point that we don't know everything about these aquatic ecosystems, and that there are still discoveries to be made."

  • Brown marmorated stink bug in Illinois

    May 2, 2011 8:00 am

    The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is a new invasive species being found in Illinois that is getting a lot of media attention. INHS Entomologist Chris Dietrich discussed the bugs in the Geneva Republican, stating that with no natural predators, these bugs can become a nuisance species. He adds that, “They’re actually considered a delicacy in some parts of Mexico.” Illinois Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey Entomologist, Kelly Estes was interviewed about the bugs on WGLT - Bloomington NPR affiliate and WILL 580. This species has been confirmed in Cook, Kane, Champaign and McLean counties but scientists are still determining the extent of its spread. She asks that if you think you have this (or other pest species) send her a photo or the actual specimen for positive identification. She can be contacted at invasives@inhs.illinois.edu.

  • INHS scientists teach students about conservation

    May 12, 2011 9:00 am

    Moultrie County 4th graders learned about Conservation at the Moultrie County 4-H Fairgrounds, with the help of INHS scientists. Tara Beveroth taught about birds and research techniques, Jean Mengelkoch taught about bats and endangered species, while Jen Mui and Patty Dickerson brought the Traveling Science Center with its display about Biodiversity and Exotic Invasive Species.

  • Cats pass disease to wildlife, even in remote areas

    May 13, 2011 1:00 pm

    INHS Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla and graduate students Shannon Fredebaugh recently published a study that found that even in remote parts of a natural area, cats spread disease to wildlife. Their study, Allerton Park in Monticello, does not have bobcats which strongly suggests feral house cats are responsible for spreading the feline dependent Toxoplasma gondii parasite.  Infection by the parasite causes neurological problems and possible death in humans and other animals. "If one infected cat defecates there, any area can become infected," Fredebaugh said. "It just takes one cat to bring disease to an area."

  • Slow spring for soybean aphids

    Jun 1, 2011 8:00 am

    INHS Entomologist Dave Voegtlin conducted his annual spring survey for soybean aphids on buckthorn in Indiana and Michigan. He found the majority of locations had no soybean aphids and only a few sites had low numbers of colonies.

  • Conservation efforts work to improve migratory bird habitat

    Jun 6, 2011 12:00 pm

    INHS Ornithologist TJ Benson was quoted in a Chicago Tribune article about migratory birds and bird habitat restoration projects in the Chicagoland area. Benson says that there has been a decrease in shrub land birds over the past century and that studies are currently being done with miniature video cameras to document predation on these birds.

  • Bumper crop of mosquitoes, but not West-Nile Virus, yet

    Jun 7, 2011 8:00 am

    According to INHS Medical Entomology Director Ephantus Juma Muturi, despite the large number of mosquitoes out now, the level of West-Nile Virus is still very low. The optimal breeding environment for West-Nile Virus bearing mosquitoes is dry, warmer weather, when the larvae are not washed away by heavy rains.

  • Researchers track the secret lives of feral and free-roaming house cats

    Jun 9, 2011 4:00 pm

    A team of University of Illinois researchers, including INHS wildlife veterinary epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla and mammalogist Ed Heske, conducted a two-year radio telemetry and activity tracking project on 42 adult cats in Central Illinois to answer that question. They found that pet cats spent only 3 percent of their time engaged in highly active pursuits, such as running or stalking prey while un-owned (feral) cats were highly active 14 percent of the time. Even feral cats stayed near human structures, according to Mateus-Pinilla. The study, "Home range, habitat use, and activity patterns of free-roaming domestic cats" was published in The Journal of Wildlife Management.

  • INHS waterfowl data used to set hunting seasons

    Jun 20, 2011 8:00 am

    Aerial surveys conducted by INHS Waterfowl Ecologist Aaron Yetter are being used to help determine the waterfowl hunting seasons for the next 5 years. "Aerial waterfowl surveys conducted by Aaron Yetter of the Illinois Natural History Survey show limited numbers of ducks in the Upper and Lower Mississippi Area near the proposed start date of the North Zone season. The Upper Mississippi area, which includes Keokuk, Iowa, Nauvoo and the Keithsburg Refuge, showed 1,160 ducks on Oct. 11 and 2,335 ducks on Oct. 18, according to the 2010 survey. On Nov. 2, just days after the Central Zone opener, surveys showed 22,470 ducks in the area. The same movements are reflected in the Lower Mississippi region, which includes Swan Lake, Cannon Refuge and Shanks Refuge. On Oct. 11, there were 10,280 ducks counted. On Oct. 18, there were 35,555 ducks. On Nov. 2 there were 81,765 birds. On Nov. 16, there were 171,970. One reason hunters would favor an earlier start to the season would be to avoid the late-season freeze that often negates the final week or two of hunting."

  • Vector mosquitoes detected earlier than expected

    Jun 21, 2011 8:00 am

    INHS Medical Entomologist Richard Lampman was featured on a News Channel 15 story about mosquitoes.  Because of all of the rain, the "nuisance" mosquito population is expected to be above average. The recent hot dry weather has resulted in "vector" or disease-carrying mosquito eggs being found earlier than expected this year.

  • Safety in numbers for 13- and 17-year cicadas

    Jun 24, 2011 8:00 am

    That loud buzzing heard across the southern half of Illinois this month?  It's the mating calls of periodical cicadas emerged after spending 13 years underground. Most cicada species emerge after 2 to 5 years, but some species have longer cycles and emerge en masse. According to INHS Entomologist Chris Dietrich we are should consider ourselves fortunate to have those loud inundations of periodical cicadas. "Illinois has five different (periodic) broods, two 13-year and three 17-year," he said. "We're kind of lucky. We get to see them more often than people further west. Cicadas are found mostly in the tropics, but there are 25 to 30 species in Illinois and close to 100 in the U.S."

  • Deer ticks more adaptable than previously known

    Jun 28, 2011 2:00 pm

    Deer ticks, the host species for Lyme disease, feed on a variety of animals, with white footed mice (a forest species) as the main reservoir for the disease causing bacteria. INHS Wildlife Epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, graduate student Jennifer Rydzewski and Richard Warner (NRES) found that the highest prevalence of infection at Allerton Park was from the prairie, with prairie voles as the reservoir. "What's exciting about the new findings is that we are dealing with potentially new mechanisms of disease transmission that we just have not explored and perhaps we do not understand," Mateus-Pinilla said. "We need to think outside of what we already know about Lyme disease transmission."

  • Swarms of mayflies are short-lived

    Jul 6, 2011 4:00 pm

    INHS Entomologist Chris Dietrich was interviewed about the infestation of mayflies long the Illinois River this week. After spending most of their life in the water, they emerge en masse, overwhelming predators, mate and then die, typically within 24 hours. According to Dietrich, mayflies are an environmental indicator for our rivers, so large numbers of them is a good thing.

  • Japanese beetles thrive in human landscapes

    Jul 18, 2011 8:00 am

    According to INHS entomologist Chris Dietrich, Japanese beetles are generalists and will eat approximately 300 different types of plants, which is not unusual for an introduced species. Human lawns make perfect habitat for the grubs which feed on the roots of grass, but killing the grubs will do little, as adults will fly in from other yards.

  • Corn rootworm on the rebound?

    Jul 18, 2011 9:00 am

    After a couple of years with low levels of damage from Western Corn Rootworms, INHS Insect Behaviorist Joe Spencer and his colleagues have found significant damage to roots and a higher level of adult emergence compared to last year. For more information, visit Farms.com.

  • Western corn rootworm webinar

    Jul 28, 2011 2:00 am

    INHS Behavioral Entomologist Joe Spencer recently presented a webinar on Western Corn Rootworm, a longtime pest of corn crops in the United States. INHS scientists have been studying WCR, and ways to control them, for over 100 years. This webinar presents a review of WCR biology, the history of corn rootworm as a pest species and the WCR's adaptation to crop rotation that began in Illinois. The use of Bt-transgenic corn for rootworm management is introduced along with assumptions about WCR behavior in refuge and Bt corn. Data on WCR behavior and mating in several different configurations of refuge and Bt- corn are presented to illustrate how the placement of refuge affects the biology and ecology of mating WCR beetles.

  • Japanese beetles spreading westward

    Aug 1, 2011 8:00 am

    INHS Entomologist and Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey coordinator Kelly Estes was interviewed about the spread of Japanese Beetles westward. Their ability to spread in a given year is dependent on fluctuating populations, which can be affected by rainfall. The best way to get rid of them is collecting them in a bucket of hot soapy water.

  • Freshwater mussels: overlooked and under appreciated

    Aug 10, 2011 8:00 am

    Environmental Almanac writer Rob Kanter wrote "Freshwater mussels: overlooked, under appreciated residents of Illinois streams" earlier this month, referencing the INHS publication Field Guide to Freshwater Mussels of the Midwest. Malacologist Kevin Cummings was consulted for the post and reported that North America has the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels, with nearly three hundred species and subspecies. Illinois is/was home to eighty of these species, but only about half of them are currently found with regularity.

  • West Nile found in Champaign county mosquitoes

    Aug 15, 2011 8:00 am

    INHS Medical Entomology Program confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus in a mosquito sample from the Champaign Department of Public Health. Champaign is the 12th county to have positive mosquito samples this year. No human cases have been reported yet this year, but the CDPH recommends dumping standing water and taking general precautions.

  • Heavy rains wash away mosquito larvae, but mosquitoes repopulate standing waters

    Aug 16, 2011 8:00 am

    Entomologist Rich Lampman was interviewed by Chicago's CBS affiliate WBBM about mosquitoes.  According to Lampman heavy rains in northern Illinois in July may have flushed out larvae in standing water. Unfortunately, any puddles left over will be colonized by new mosquitoes. Dumping standing water every couple of days can help keep mosquito numbers down.

  • Negative image aside, Asian carp are a boon

    Aug 18, 2011 8:00 am

    Although there is widespread concern about the spread of Asian Carp, for some people, they represent a new industry and economic boon. Asian Carp harvest has increased thirtyfold in the past ten years. In 2010, a fisheries company in Thomson IL sold 20 million pounds of Asian carp to consumers globally. According to Greg Sass, director of the INHS Illinois River Biological Station, that while Asian Carp represent 80% of fish in parts of the Illinois River, scientific research has not yet established a direct connection between the presence of Asian Carp and the decline of native species.