WELCOME TO ENTOMOLOGY AND WILDLIFE ECOLOGY
Our department offers outstanding academic programs for undergraduate and graduate students preparing for research, teaching, and extension careers in entomology, ecology and wildlife conservation.
Our teaching, research, and extension efforts emphasize whole-organism biology, conservation biology, and the interactions between humans and other species.
Our undergraduate programs
Our graduate programs
Ecology Woods FUND
Ecology Woods is a 35-acre forest on the southern edge of UD’s Newark Farm, adjacent to Route 4 and the UD Athletics Complex. This location has been a unique site for ecological research, conservation, and student learning since the 1960s.
It was Dr. Roland Roth, a faculty member in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, who protected and nurtured this space for nearly 35 years.
Find out how you can help preserve Dr. Roth's work with a contribution to the Ecology Woods Fund.
What's new?
Featured video
A new course exposes University of Delaware students to the sustainable world of insect cuisine: youtube.com/watch?v=ykz9uYGYgxs
UD students explore the sustainable world of insect cuisine
In Insects as Food (ENWC 267), undergraduate students learned how insects are harvested, farmed and regulated; these Blue Hens came appreciate the roles insects can play in our food systems. Learn about our unique insect ecology and conservation major.
Latest news
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A living legacy: UD's Ecology Woods named in honor of late professor
October 17, 2025 | Written by Josh Shannon | Newark PostThe 35-acre forest known as UD’s Ecology Woods was named this year in honor of Roland Roth, the late UD professor who utilized the woods as an educational resource. The Roland Roth Ecology Woods, an untouched lush forest gem in South Campus, has been used in teaching since 1965, a place for students to learn about field techniques, animal research, and a place to practice trapping birds and mammals to study. -
Five ways Jane Goodall lives on at UD
October 09, 2025 | Written by Diane Stopyra | hotos courtesy of Erika Fleury, Sarah Lacy, Stella Pettit, North American Primate Sanctuary, Save the Chimps, Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, Center for Great Apes and Chimp HavenUniversity of Delaware Blue Hens carry the torch of primatologist Jane Goodall. Among the Blue Hens inspired by Goodall is UD junior wildlife conservation major Stella Pettit. Pettit was 5 years old when she discovered Goodall through a library video. She attended a Goodall lecture at age 13 that she says changed her life. Today, Pettit is focused on protecting the natural world, especially through UD student organizations like the Wildlife Society. -
New pest kills plants by chewing, leaving cobwebs found in Delaware
September 24, 2025 | Written by Tim Furlong and Emily Rose Grassi | NBC 10 | Photo courtesy Brian KunkelA very destructive insect, the box tree moth, was discovered in New Castle County. This pest mostly feeds on boxwood species and can potentially kill them if left unchecked. The box tree moth was first found in Delaware in 2024, in Kent County. NBC 10 interviewed Extension specialist Brian Kunkel about this insect.
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