Science
Q&A: What have decades of eradication efforts taught us about the New World screwworm?
Key Points
The value of basic science in insect biology is no more evident than when a crisis arises involving a devastating insect pest like the New World screwworm, says University of Illinois entomology professor May Berenbaum. In a 2016 essay in the journal Science, Berenbaum wrote about the successful—if temporary—eradication of the pest in many parts of the world. Here she answers common questions about the screwworm's return.
The value of basic science in insect biology is no more evident than when a crisis arises involving a devastating insect pest like the New World screwworm, says University of Illinois entomology professor May Berenbaum. In a 2016 essay in the journal Science, Berenbaum wrote about the successful—if temporary—eradication of the pest in many parts of the world. Here she answers common questions about the screwworm's return.