The position of State Entomologist was originally founded in the 1890s at Purdue University to regulate and inspect for San Jose Scale and other pests that were damaging Indiana’s apple crop. Today, it is the mission of the DNR Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology to manage plant pests for the preservation and protection of Indiana’s cultivated and natural resources, facilitate trade, and enhance the quality of our environment.
We work with a wide range of cooperators and stakeholders including the USDA, Purdue University, other states, other Indiana and local government agencies, and landowners in order to protect our state resources from invasive species and other harmful pests.