Real-life Far Side entomologist combats tiny invaders

[Staff]

Real-life Far Side entomologist combats tiny invaders
By Eric Mortenson, The Oregonian
January 31, 2010, 8:00PM

Real-life Far Side entomologist combats tiny invaders | OregonLive.com
excerpts from above:

SALEM -- Visiting the state's Insect Museum is like walking into Gary Larson Land, beginning with a sign on the door that says, "The Bug Stops Here."

Jim LaBonte, the Oregon Department of Agriculture entomologist in charge of the collection, takes no offense at being associated with the lab-coat nerds, wise-cracking cows and giant insects of "The Far Side" cartoons.

"No, Gary Larson is a god to entomologists," LaBonte says.

"Global trade is a wonderful thing, but it carries a terrible price in the form of damaging, invasive, exotic species," LaBonte says. "It's directly related to volume. The more you ship in, the greater the chance of getting something you don't want. We're seeing things we never envisioned seeing because of global trade with Asia.

[Staff]

Oregon State Insect Museum
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/PLANT/IPPM/oda_museum.shtml