Columbus is crawling with bug experts this week. Thousands of insect-science professionals have descended on the city for Entomology 2026, the Entomological Society of America's 74th Annual Meeting, running Sunday through Wednesday at the city's convention center.
The gathering, described by the Entomological Society of America as bringing together thousands of insect-science professionals, runs Nov. 8 through Nov. 11. The society says the program is built around educational sessions, career development, networking opportunities, and programming aimed at students and early-career scientists. As reported by WOSU Public Media, the conference is being hosted in Columbus at Ohio State University.
Per the society's own schedule overview, the four-day in-person meeting is packed with symposia, interactive workshops, mixers, networking sessions and an Exhibit Hall. The society's tours page notes that optional activities, including a Columbus Highlights 5K Run/Wellness Walk scheduled for Sunday, were offered as a way for attendees to explore the city beyond the conference floor.
A Packed Schedule From Grand Opening to Research Panels
WOSU reports the conference began with a Sunday grand opening featuring meet-and-greets, networking and a vendor hall. According to the station's reporting, Monday's agenda centered on student presentation and poster competitions, while Tuesday and Wednesday are dedicated to professional meetings, research presentations, panel discussions and working groups.
Carrie Elvey, a member of Ohio State University's Department of Entomology, told WOSU that the conference gives graduate students exposure to industry leaders and opportunities to demonstrate their abilities. The station also reported that the national entomology society chose Columbus partly because of a partnership opportunity with Ohio State University and the convention center's new Hilton connection, and that the society was returning to Ohio after a long interval between visits.
BUGmobile Brings Live Insects Into the Convention Center
Beyond the formal sessions, Ohio State's entomology department has put its outreach tools on display. The department operates both a BUGmobile and a Bug Zoo, and WOSU reported the BUGmobile is stationed in Columbus and displayed at the convention center, where its exhibit includes multiple displays featuring work from Ohio State research labs.
Ohio State describes the BUGmobile itself as an Airstream camper transformed into a hands-on classroom, museum, zoo and lab, according to the Ohio State University Department of Entomology. The department says it typically brings live arthropods and insect education to schools, libraries, community events and groups across the mid-Ohio region, and WOSU noted that the mobile unit also visits festivals and fairs while letting visitors handle and encounter live bugs. The department's Bug Zoo, meanwhile, is based at Ohio State's Wooster campus, though WOSU reported it has also operated as an on-site zoo for conference visitors.
Beyond the Panels: Attendees Explore the City
Conference-goers haven't been confined to the convention center. WOSU reported that attendees toured Columbus during their stay, with some participating in a foodie tour and a knitting group that made bugs at a local coffee shop.
The entomology department's outreach programs are in high demand well past this week's conference. Per its own website, Ohio State's Columbus BUGmobile and its Columbus-area entomology outreach programs are fully booked through the end of 2026, with the department already inviting requests for 2027.
Looking further ahead, the Entomological Society of America's future-meetings page lists a joint ESA, ESC and SEQ Annual Meeting for 2028, signaling that this week's gathering is just one stop on a recurring circuit that typically lands somewhere new each November.
