About
The Department of Entomology was founded in 1896 at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York.
Our mission is threefold: to pursue studies to understand basic and applied aspects of insect biology; to provide a robust and modern curriculum as part of preeminent undergraduate and graduate programs; and to inform and educate the public about the issues related to insects and other arthropods.
Our faculty primarily works on two campuses: Cornell University’s main campus in Ithaca and Cornell AgriTech in Geneva. We also work in two agricultural field stations in New York state. Our department houses some of the world’s preeminent resources for the study of entomology, including one of the world’s largest insect collections, working farms of all sizes, a major honey bee colony and state-of-the-art laboratories.
Credit: Allison Usavage
Credit: Sreang "C" Hok (UREL)
Credit: Allison Usavage
Entomology at a glance
Did you know?
Nation’s first entomology textbook
Founding faculty entomologists John Henry Comstock and Anna Botsford Comstock wrote the nation’s first textbook on entomology.
Limnology pioneer
In 1908, entomologist James G. Needham (Ph.D. 1898) is credited with teaching the nation’s first course in limnology, the study of the biological, chemical and physical features of lakes and other bodies of fresh water.
Small fruits research
Entomologists at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva were trailblazers for conducting the first major research program on insect and mite pests of strawberry, raspberry and other small fruits in the eastern U.S.
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Latest entomology news & discoveries
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Cannabinoids, naturally occurring compounds found in hemp plants, may have evolved to deter pests from chewing on them, according to experiments that showed higher cannabinoid concentrations in hemp leaves led to proportionately less damage from...
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An analysis of beeswax in managed honeybee hives in New York finds a wide variety of pesticide, herbicide and fungicide residues, exposing current and future generations of bees to long-term toxicity.