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Natural History Survey

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  • New species of fossil insect named for Sir David Attenborough

    Jul 30, 2014 9:00 am

    INHS Paleontologist Sam Heads, Jared Thomas, and Yinan Wang found a new pygmy locust embedded in amber. In a paper released today, the species was described and named Electrotettix attenboroughi, in honor of Sir David Attenborough. Attenborough narrated a video about their research.

  • Multi-state effort to return Alligator snapping turtle populations to native range

    Aug 1, 2014 10:00 am

    Illinois Natural History Survey herpetologists, led by Michael Dreslik, are involved in a multi-state, multi-agency effort to return the Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) to its native range, which includes southern Illinois. INHS researchers are working with IIllinois DNR, US Fish and Wildlife, Peoria Zoo, and Southern Illinois University. As part of the head-starting portion of the project, students at Pontiac Township High School and Whitney Young High School have helped raise young turtles born at the St. Louis Zoo.

  • a deer

    Chronic wasting disease: hunters' perceptions and attitudes

    Aug 1, 2022 9:45 am

    For Outdoor Illinois Journal, INHS scientists describe what their surveys have revealed about deer hunters'perceptions and attitudes toward the management of chronic wasting disease in Illinois' deer population.

  • 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.

  • Mussel surveys help assess river health

    Aug 26, 2011 8:00 am

    INHS Malacologists Sarah Bales, Josh Sherwood and Amy Stultz were featured in an article in the Rockford Register Star. The team is one of three teams conducting statewide mussel surveys, documenting the location, size, age, sex and species of mussels they find. Mussels are an important part of the ecosystem, filtering pollutants, providing shelter to small organisms, as well as food for larger organisms such as raccoons and muskrats. By understanding the mussel populations in a location, biologists are better able to determine the health of that river.

  • Surveys to assess potential for Thousand Canker Disease on Illinois walnut trees

    Aug 29, 2011 8:00 am

    Illinois Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator Kelly Estes is sampling black walnuts across the state to monitor for the potential of Thousand Canker Disease. If you have black walnut stands on your property or know of stands, ICAPS asks that you submit that information for mapping purposes.

  • Gail Kampmeier receives Honorary Membership in ESA

    Sep 14, 2011 8:00 am

    INHS Entomologist Gail Kampmeier had the title of Honorary Member of the Entomological Society of America bestowed upon her this year. The purpose of Honorary Membership is to acknowledge those who have served the ESA through significant involvement in the affairs of the Society that has reached an extraordinary level. The number of Honorary Members cannot exceed 1% of the membership and thus, this is a great honor. Gail is joined in recognition this year by INHS Affiliate Kevin L. Steffey.

  • Least bittern perched on a plant.

    Study tracks waterbird use of Chicago-area wetlands

    Sep 14, 2022 9:30 am

    A three-year study in northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana found that – even at small scales – emergent wetlands or ponds support many wetland bird species. The study also found that, at least in the years surveyed, the level of urbanization had little effect on most of the studied species’ use of such sites, provided the right kinds of habitat were available.

  • How are Illinois birds faring?

    Sep 30, 2019 8:00 am

    According to a new study reported in the journal Science, bird populations in North America have experienced a troubling decline in the past five decades. The scientists estimate the continent has lost close to 3 billion birds, roughly 29% of their total numbers in 1970.

  • TJ Benson

    Do we need a new approach to prevent bird window strikes?

    Oct 23, 2023 9:00 am

    In early October, nearly 1,000 birds perished after colliding with the windows of a convention center near Lake Michigan in Chicago, marking the largest mass bird die-off in decades. But bird window-strike fatalities are an ongoing threat. Illinois Natural History Survey wildlife ecologist Thomas J. Benson, an expert in bird population trends in Illinois, spoke to News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates about the problem and what new strategies may help.

  • Fungus that causes white nose syndrome is a survivor

    Oct 24, 2013 8:00 am

    INHS Mycologist Andrew Miller and graduate student Daniel Raudabaugh recently published a paper on the fungus Pseudogymnoascus (Geomyces) destructans, which causes white nose syndrome in bats. In this first, in depth study of the basic biology of the fungus, the researchers found that P. destructans can survive on a wide variety of nutrient sources. White Nose Syndrome research at the Illinois Natural History Survey.

  • Fowl flocking to Emiquon

    Oct 27, 2011 1:45 pm

    According to the latest aerial inventories there were 63,225 ducks at Emiquon on Oct. 17. At the same time last year there were 50,775 ducks. Emiquon is a 6,900 acre Nature Conservancy reclamation along the Illinois River, established in 2005.

  • Juvenile cowbirds sneak out of the nest at night

    Nov 4, 2015 8:00 am

    INHS Ornithologists Matt Louder, Mike Ward, Wendy Schelsky, and Jeff Hoover published a new paper about the behavior of juvenile cowbirds, a nest parasite. They found that juvenile cowbirds leave the host's nest at night and return in the morning. This may be part of their strategy involved in avoiding imprinting on their host species.

  • Junior high students add to our knowledge of biodiversity in Illinois

    Nov 26, 2013 12:00 pm

    Junior High students are once again adding to our knowledge of biodiversity in Illinois. Prairie Central Junior High Science teacher Scott Saffer and his seventh grade students conduct herpetological field surveys each year in Livingston County. After catching and identifying reptiles and amphibians, the students have their finds confirmed by INHS Herpetologists Andrew Kuhns and Chris Phillips. This year the students found three more species not previously documented in Livingston County.

  • New fungal infection found in endangered Eastern Massasauga population

    Dec 16, 2011 8:00 am

    The long-term monitoring project of the endangered Eastern Massasauga population at Carlyle Lake has revealed a new species of fungal infection, which causes severe facial swelling, disfiguration and ultimately death. INHS Affiliate Dr. Matt Allender (University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine) is spearheading research on the fungus along with INHS Herpetologists Michael Dreslik, Sarah Wylie, Chris Phillips and Dan Wylie. By studying this infection they hope to develop methods for treatment and prevention.

  • Land purchase to benefit subterranean ecosystem and endangered species

    Jan 28, 2014 8:00 am

    On 25 January 2014, INHS Biologist Steve Taylor gave a presentation at a ceremony announcing the purchase of 535 acres of land over Illinois' largest and most biologically diverse cave. Fogelpole Cave is home to several protected species including the endangered Illinois Cave Amphipod and Indiana Bat. Taylor serves as science advisor for the project, which is being managed by Clifftop, a non-profit organization.

  • Illinois otters have highest dieldrin levels

    Feb 7, 2014 8:00 am

    INHS Researcher Samantha Carpenter was featured in an article in Michigan State University's Great Lakes Echo, about the high levels of dieldrin and other contaminants in the bodies of river otters. Carpenter was lead author on a study published in October in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.

  • New director starts May 1, 2008

    Mar 4, 2008 12:00 am

  • Report: Milkweed losses may not fully explain monarch butterfly declines

    Mar 13, 2017 8:00 am

    Steep declines in the number of monarch butterflies reaching their wintering grounds in Mexico are not fully explained by fewer milkweeds in the northern part of their range, researchers report in a new study.

  • Ph.D. candidate Sulagna Chakraborty, center, led a study of farmer awareness of ticks and tick-borne diseases with U. of I. pathobiology professor Rebecca Smith, left, and Illinois Natural History Survey wildlife veterinary epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla.

    Are Illinois farmers aware of the risk of tick-borne diseases?

    Apr 6, 2023 2:45 pm

    Tick-borne illnesses like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are on the rise in Illinois, and outdoor workers like farmers are at higher risk than those who spend more time indoors. 

    blog post

    blog postsTick-borne illnesses like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are on the rise in Illinois, and outdoor workers like farmers are at higher risk than those who spend more time indoors. 

    Tick-borne illnesses like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are on the rise in Illinois, and outdoor workers like farmers are at higher risk than those who spend more time indoors. 

  • Double the traps, double the turkeys

    Apr 11, 2018 11:15 am

  • Research finds that male largemouth bass should be released quickly

    Apr 16, 2014 8:00 am

    A recent study by INHS Sport Fisheries Ecologist Jeff Stein suggests that anglers involved in catch and release fishing should release male largemouth bass as quickly as possible to return to nest guarding. For more information, visit the Sportfish Ecology Lab website.

  • First comprehensive treatise on leafhopper genus Zyginama published

    Apr 17, 2008 3:30 am
  • Jeff Hoover

    How does climate change affect global bird reproduction?

    May 1, 2023 2:15 pm

    A new study reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences assessed changes in the reproductive output of 104 bird species between 1970 and 2019. Illinois Natural History Survey avian ecologist Jeff Hoover, a co-author of the paper, discusses the findings and how climate change is altering bird ecology and health around the world. 

  • 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.

  • Scouting for Black Cutworm Moth Larvae

    May 8, 2012 8:00 am

    Illinois Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator Kelly Estes advises that corn growers should begin inspecting for damage from Black Cutworm Moth larvae. Based on adult moth captures in March and April, larvae should be nearing the leaf-cutting stage. For more information, check out this Cutworm Fact Sheet.

  • 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."

  • Monitoring for Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs

    May 26, 2015 8:00 am

    Illinois Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey director Kelly Estes was asked about Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs, native to Asia, currently found in the eastern United States. Estes explained that BMSB are good hitchhikers, able to be transported by people and packages. This, and other species will be discussed during the Invasive Species Symposium this Thursday at University of Illinois.

  • Scientists find world’s oldest fossil mushroom

    Jun 7, 2017 4:30 pm

    Roughly 115 million years ago, when the ancient supercontinent Gondwana was breaking apart, a mushroom fell into a river and began an improbable journey. Its ultimate fate as a mineralized fossil preserved in limestone in northeast Brazil makes it a scientific wonder, INHS scientists report in the journal PLOS ONE.

  • 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.

  • Paleontologist Sam Heads in the lab

    A donation for the ages

    Jun 26, 2018 8:15 am

    A recent gift of thousands of fossils provides insights about a dynamic stage in the climatic evolution of North America.

  • Jorge Doña and Kevin Johnson

    Study explores coevolution of mammals and their lice

    Jul 5, 2022 7:15 am

    According to a new study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, the first louse to take up residence on a mammalian host likely started out as a parasite of birds. That host-jumping event tens of millions of years ago began the long association between mammals and lice, setting the stage for their coevolution and offering more opportunities for the lice to spread to other mammals.

    The study was led by Illinois Natural History Survey ornithologist Kevin P. Johnson and Jorge Doña, a Marie Curie postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Granada, Spain.

  • hands using tweezers to insert a tick into a tube

    Lone Star ticks in Illinois can carry, transmit Heartland virus

    Jul 23, 2020 9:45 am

    Researchers have confirmed that Heartland virus, an emerging pathogen with potentially dire consequences for those infected, is present in Lone Star ticks in two Illinois counties hundreds of miles apart. The findings are reported in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

  • Serina Taluja scans a plant specimen from the INHS herbarium

    Bringing yesterday's plants to digital life

    Jul 31, 2019 11:00 am
  • Yanghui Cao, Valeria Trivellone, and Christopher Dietrich, photo by Fred Zwicky

    Study tracks plant pathogens in leafhoppers from natural areas

    Aug 2, 2022 8:00 am

    Phytoplasmas are bacteria that can invade the vascular tissues of plants, causing many crop diseases. While most studies of phytoplasmas begin by examining plants showing disease symptoms, a new analysis by researchers at the Illinois Natural History Survey focuses on the tiny insects that carry the infectious bacteria from plant to plant. By extracting and testing DNA from archival leafhopper specimens collected in natural areas, the study identified new phytoplasma strains and found new associations between leafhoppers and phytoplasmas known to harm crop plants.

  • INHS hosts "An Evening of Entomology"

    Aug 9, 2007 8:00 am

  • Chinese researchers visit INHS field station

    Aug 18, 2009 2:00 pm

    Dr. John Chick, Director of INHS' Great Rivers Field Station, spent the first part of August with Yangtze River researchers. Chick first met the researchers while visiting China last year. The Chinese researchers were particularly interested in learning about the methodology and techniques used in the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program on the Upper Mississippi River. A long-term goal of these exchanges is to have comparable monitoring programs set up on large rivers around the globe, which would provide an excellent opportunity to advance both the scientific understanding and management of large rivers.

    In addition, both Chinese and American researchers at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center were interested in learning about Asian carp habitat. The Asian carp is native China, but invasive in the United States. To read more about this exchange, please read the August 7th article in the Belleville News-Democrat entitled, "Chinese Scientists Studying in Area."

  • Over time, an invasive plant loses its toxic edge

    Sep 1, 2009 4:15 pm

    Dr. Richard Lankau and plant ecologist Greg Spyreas, both of the Illinois Natural History Survey, just published an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) about the potency of garlic mustard over time. Garlic mustard is an invasive species that injects a toxin into the soil. Research conducted by INHS researchers indicates that over time the toxin becomes less potent.

  • 2014 Illinois First Detector Workshops for invasive species announced

    Oct 1, 2013 8:00 am

    The schedule is up for the First Detector workshops for 2014. This program, a cooperative effort between University of Illinois Plant Clinic, University of Illinois Extension, and the Illinois Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Program (Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute), is a great way to learn about new pests, diseases, and plants heading into Illinois. Last year, the trainings focused on forested ecosystems; this year the focus is on Landscape and Nursery pests.

  • Chris Taylor and Eric Larson standing in a stream

    Team discovers invasive-native crayfish hybrids in Missouri

    Oct 8, 2021 7:00 am

    In a study of crayfish in the Current River in southeastern Missouri, researchers discovered that the virile crayfish, Faxonius virilis, was interbreeding with a native crayfish, potentially altering the native’s genetics, life history and ecology. Reported in the journal Aquatic Invasions, the study highlights the difficulty of detecting some of the consequences of biological invasions, the researchers say.

  • Anna Bengtson looks at tissues under a microscope

    Undergrads choose their own adventure in this wildlife research group

    Oct 20, 2017 1:15 pm

    Don’t be fooled by the name: The wildlife and chronic wasting disease research group has a broader mission than you might think. Yes, the research focuses on white-tailed deer, primarily, and on CWD, a baffliing affliction of deer and elk. But for the dozens of undergraduate students who have joined this collaborative effort over the years, the group also is a portal, of sorts, to wide-ranging adventures in research. “More than 50 undergraduates have worked with us in the past 15 years. And most have gone on to successful careers,” said Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, a veterinary epidemiologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey who leads the effort with animal sciences professors Jan Novakofski and Michelle Green.

  • Public symposium to coincide with Catalogue of Life global team meeting

    Nov 2, 2012 9:00 am

  • Students helping fill in the gaps in INHS herpetology collection records

    Nov 4, 2011 1:00 pm

    Scott Saffer, teacher at Tri-Point Junior High School and former employee at INHS, seeks out opportunities for his students to be engaged in actual science. His students have participated in bird research, studied insects, and cruised the Illinois River looking for Asian carp. This year the students are working on filling in the gaps in our knowledge of reptile and amphibian species in Livingston and Ford County. With the help of INHS Herpetologist Andy Kuhns verifying identifications and occurrence records, the students are documenting the species found in these two under-surveyed areas.

  • Miriam Schlessinger

    My experience at a Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Laboratory

    Nov 4, 2022 10:45 am

    Miriam Schlessinger writes about her experience as an intern in the Illinois Natural History Survey's Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Lab for the Outdoor Illinois Journal.

  • INHS Chief Dr. Lorin I. Nevling to Retire

    Nov 5, 1996 11:00 am

  • INHS plant ecologist finds that many retailers sell mislabeled invasive vines

    Jan 8, 2018 9:45 am

    Gardeners hoping to celebrate the beauty of American bittersweet — a native vine that produces orange berries in the fall and is used for wreaths — may be unwittingly buying an invasive bittersweet instead. That’s because many Midwestern retailers are selling oriental bittersweet with labels misidentifying it as the native plant, researchers report.

  • Fig wasps older than known fig trees

    Jan 17, 2014 8:00 am

    INHS Paleontologist Sam Heads found an ancient fig wasp that pre-dates any known fig trees. According to Heads, “This is a tiny parasitic wasp, it's the smallest fossil wasp found in this particular deposit and it's the oldest representative of its family. More importantly, it’s possible that this wasp was fig-associated, which is interesting because it’s Early Cretaceous, about 115 to 120 million years old. That's a good 65 million years or so prior to the first occurrence of figs in the fossil record.”

  • 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.

  • Soil characteristics may be related to chronic wasting disease persistence, study finds

    Feb 5, 2018 3:30 pm

    Deer infected with chronic wasting disease are doomed to a slow and certain death, eventually wasting away as they lose the ability to eat and drink. There is no cure and no vaccine, and the number of infected deer continues to rise every year. But University of Illinois scientists recently published a new study that could help explain the movement of the disease across the landscape.

  • "Life in the Soil" a must-read for naturalists and gardeners

    Feb 7, 2008 12:00 am

    Author James Nardi, adjunct scientist with INHS, discusses his new book "Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners" in a February 7, 2008 article published in the Anchorage Daily News. The well-organized book features information on a wide array of animals living in the soil beneath our feet. Readers will find taxonomic data, information on food web interactions, and species impact for gardeners. A December 20, 2007 Washington Post article discusses the book and its release. His book is available for purchase at Amazon.com.