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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

     
    Plants, land, and water

    Taxonomy

    The Taxonomy section identifies insects that are of a concern to Pennsylvania's agriculture. They also answer reports and inquires through the insasive species hotline.

     

    Call the Invasive Species Reporting Line
    Email about Invasive Species Questions

    The Taxonomy Section is responsible for identifying insects that are important to agriculture in Pennsylvania. The entomologists in this section are the main experts who identify all the target insects collected by our staff during different pest surveys.

    They also identify insects that are sent in by PDA Plant Inspectors during their regular inspections. In addition, the entomologists respond to questions and reports that come in through the invasive species hotline and the BadBug email address.

    This section also takes care of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's arthropod collection. This collection is important for academic research and federal survey programs, and it helps with collaborative projects and loans.

    Think you found an invasive species or pest? 

    If you think you have an insect that might be an invasive species or a pest of concern, please fill out a sample submission form. You can find this form in the publications sidebar. The form includes directions for how to submit your sample, what you need to include, and how to mail it.

    If you have questions, you can call the Invasive Species Reporting Line at 1-866-253-7189 or email at badbug@pa.gov. 

    For questions about general insect identification or health concerns, you should reach out to your local PennState Extension county office.

     

    Publications

     
     
     
    ​Contact 
    Lawrence Barringer
    Entomologist
    Insect Identification/Sample Submission
    Apiary Inspections
    Insect Survey
    (717) 772-5228
    lbarringer@pa.gov