From a Harrisville basement to the Natural History Museum of Utah, George Andrushko’s lifelong passion has been transformed into a vital conservation resource. Over nearly 50 years, Andrushko amassed a butterfly collection of more than 4,000 specimens, including international acquisitions. In 2023, the collection found new life when Jena Andrus, an online graduate student in UF’s entomology program, partnered with Elaine Andrushko to catalog and curate it as part of her master’s capstone project.
An online student in UF’s online graduate program in entomology was a corresponding author on a a new study published in Parasites & Vectors (July 2025) that demonstrates that shortwave infrared spectroscopy can estimate the age structure of wild mosquito populations before and after ultra-low volume (ULV) adulticide treatments. Using infrared spectra signatures, researchers detected changes in age cohorts of Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti, with younger mosquito cohorts showing higher spectral outlier fractions. These trends varied by species, suggesting the method can reveal shifts in recruitment dynamics following control interventions. The researchers recommend extending post-treatment monitoring durations and expanding studies to include diverse mosquito species, environmental conditions, and factors such as mosquito diet and pathogen infection.
This method offers a promising, non‑destructive, and rapid tool to monitor mosquito age structure—a key epidemiological factor—helping public health and vector control programs assess treatment impact and refine strategies.
In her 2025 capstone project, Jackie Leibowitz—a master’s student in UF’s online entomology and nematology program—explores the potential of bladderworts, aquatic carnivorous plants, to serve as a natural solution for mosquito control. Motivated by the global health threat posed by mosquitoes, Jackie examined whether bladderwort species could thrive in everyday landscape containers like rain barrels and buckets. While the plants didn’t survive under these conditions, her project highlights the promise of bladderworts as eco-friendly biocontrol agents and contributes to an upcoming EDIS publication on the topic. Her work showcases the innovative thinking and scientific curiosity at the heart of UF’s online entomology program.
