Concern about threats to honey bees and other pollinators is mounting. The honey bee is not native to the United States, but it is an important pollinator of agricultural crops and the mainstay of commercial and backyard honey production. In the U.S., hive failure rates are increasing as honey bees deal with introduced mites, diseases, pesticides and other stressors. These and other factors also threaten native bees. Recently a new threat to honey bees, the parasitic phorid fly Apocephalus borealis (AKA the Zombie Fly), was discovered in San Francisco. Bees infected by the fly (Zombees) show disoriented zombie-like behavior leaving their hive at night to die under nearby lights. San Francisco State’s John Hafernik will discuss the importance of native bees and honey bees as pollinators, as well as implications of zombie fly parasitism for honey bees in California and beyond. He will also provide information on how the public can get involved in tracking prevalence of zombie fly parasitism across North America through the citizen science project ZomBee Watch (zombeewatch.org).
Dr. John Hafernik is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University and a past President of the California Academy of Sciences. He is also a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division; and of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society. He served as chair of the SF State Biology Department from 1992-2005 and as Interim Director of the SF State Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies from 2013-2014. John became fascinated with insects and the natural world as a young boy growing up in Texas.
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Dr. John Hafernik is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University and a past President of the California Academy of Sciences. He is also a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division; and of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society. He served as chair of the SF State Biology Department from 1992-2005 and as Interim Director of the SF State Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies from 2013-2014. John became fascinated with insects and the natural world as a young boy growing up in Texas.
Concern about threats to honey bees and other pollinators is mounting. The honey bee is not native to the United States, but it is an important pollinator of agricultural crops and the mainstay of commercial and backyard honey production. In the U.S., hive failure rates are increasing as honey bees deal with introduced mites, diseases, pesticides and other stressors. These and other factors also threaten native bees. Recently a new threat to honey bees, the parasitic phorid fly Apocephalus borealis (AKA the Zombie Fly), was discovered in San Francisco. Bees infected by the fly (Zombees) show disoriented zombie-like behavior leaving their hive at night to die under nearby lights. San Francisco State’s John Hafernik will discuss the importance of native bees and honey bees as pollinators, as well as implications of zombie fly parasitism for honey bees in California and beyond. He will also provide information on how the public can get involved in tracking prevalence of zombie fly parasitism across North America through the citizen science project ZomBee Watch (zombeewatch.org).
Dr. John Hafernik is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University and a past President of the California Academy of Sciences. He is also a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division; and of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society. He served as chair of the SF State Biology Department from 1992-2005 and as Interim Director of the SF State Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies from 2013-2014. John became fascinated with insects and the natural world as a young boy growing up in Texas.
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Dr. John Hafernik is Professor Emeritus of Biology at San Francisco State University and a past President of the California Academy of Sciences. He is also a former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Pacific Division; and of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society. He served as chair of the SF State Biology Department from 1992-2005 and as Interim Director of the SF State Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies from 2013-2014. John became fascinated with insects and the natural world as a young boy growing up in Texas.
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San Francisco County Fair Building (Hall of Flowers)
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1199 9th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122
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