A collaborative group of scientists from Michigan State University, York University, Ohio State University and the American Museum of Natural History (United States) report the comparison of beneficial insect populations in three types of biofuel crops: corn, switchgrass and mixed native prairie (native grasses and wildflowers). They tested the hypothesis that "biofuel crops comprising more diverse plant communities would support increased levels of beneficial insects". Among the highlights of the study are: (1) bees were more abundant in switchgrass and prairie than in corn, (2) during the July sampling period, switchgrass and prairie had a higher "richness in bee species", compared to corn, (3) "beneficial insects generally responded positively to the increased vegetational diversity of prairie and switchgrass sites; however, when managed as a dedicated biofuel crop, plant and arthropod diversity may decrease. The report is published in the BioEnergy Research journal (URL above).