En garde! Wasps use penis spikes to ward off predators
An accidental sting has helped Japanese scientists prove some male wasps have a rather unusual predator defence weapon: penis spikes......»»
The wasps that tamed viruses
Some insects have transformed wild viruses into tiny biological weapons. Enlarge / Xorides praecatorius is a parasitoid wasp. (credit: TorriPhoto via Getty) If you puncture the ovary of a wasp called Microplitis demolito.....»»
Alpacas found to be the only mammal to directly inseminate the uterus
A pair of biologists from Mount Holyoke College, working with a colleague from North American Camelid Studies Program, the Nunoa Project, has found that the male alpaca thrusts his penis all the way into the uterus of the female during mating, making.....»»
Report: People are bailing on Safari after DMA makes changing defaults easier
Indie browsers report significant spikes in users in the past month. Enlarge (credit: Thomas Trutschel / Contributor | Photothek) Smaller web browsers are gaining traction in the European Union after the Digital Markets.....»»
Scientists discover new phage resistance mechanism in phage-bacterial arms race
One of the most abundant and deadliest organisms on Earth is a virus called a bacteriophage (phage). These predators have lethal precision against their targets—not humans, but bacteria. Different phages have evolved to target different bacteria an.....»»
Scientists agree, the media is biased against wasps
Wasp scientists around the globe agree that media coverage of wasps skews negative and almost entirely overlooks their beneficial attributes, reports a team led by UCL researchers......»»
Amphibians use scream inaudible to humans for self-defense against predators, study suggests
A study reported in the journal acta ethologica has recorded the use of ultrasound by amphibians for the first time in South America. It also describes the first documented case of the use of ultrasound for defense against predators, in a distress ca.....»»
These Women Came to Antarctica for Science. Then the Predators Emerged
Jane Willenbring was the first to blow the whistle on sexual harassment and assault in Antarctica. Years later, women are still coming forward with tales of horror as a government investigation unfolds......»»
Behavior of ant queens found to be shaped by their social environments
The queens in colonies of social insects, such as ants, bees, and wasps, are considered the veritable embodiment of specialization in the animal kingdom......»»
Male and female crab spiders found to "cooperate" to mimic a flower to fool prey and predators
A pair of environmental scientists at Yunnan University, in China, has found an instance of a pair of spiders, one male, the other female, working together to create the image of a flower, thereby fooling both prey and predators......»»
Research uncovers a rare resin fossil find: A spider that aspires to be an ant
Arachnophobia can make humans flee at the sight of a brown recluse, black widow or even a daddy long legs, but animal predators of spiders know no such fear......»»
In a first, evolutionary biologists have identified a gene that influences visual preferences in tropical butterflies
Tropical Heliconius butterflies are well known for the bright color patterns on their wings. These striking color patterns not only scare off predators—the butterflies are poisonous and are distasteful to birds—but are also important signals duri.....»»
Characterizing salps as predators of marine microbes
A huge fraction of global flows of carbon and other nutrients pass through marine microbes. Little is known about their causes of death, however. This information determines where those nutrients will go......»»
Advancements in greenhouse spike detection with deep learning for enhanced phenotypic trait analysis
Accurate extraction of phenotypic traits from image data is essential for cereal crop research, but spike detection in greenhouses is challenging due to the environmental and physical similarities between spikes and leaves. Recent efforts include inc.....»»
"Atypical" gathering of "rare" deep-sea predators spotted for first time in Panama
Deep underwater, a group of elusive predators gathered off the coast of Panama. The gathering was "atypical" and a first of its kind for the area......»»
Research reveals traits that make fish prey tasty to tuna
A cross-border science collaboration has yielded a global database that will help researchers understand how climate change is affecting ocean predators like the albacore tuna—which also happens to be an important food source for people around the.....»»
New analysis uncovers major issues with earlier suggestions that Spinosaurus pursued prey underwater
For years, controversy has swirled around how a Cretaceous-era, sail-backed dinosaur—the giant Spinosaurus aegyptiacus—hunted its prey. Spinosaurus was among the largest predators ever to prowl the Earth and one of the most adapted to water, but.....»»
Birds, beetles, bugs could help replace pesticides: Study
Natural predators like birds, beetles and bugs might be an effective alternative to pesticides, keeping crop-devouring pests populations down while boosting crop yields, researchers said Wednesday......»»
Study highlights urgency of parasitic wasp release to save native bird
Researchers with the University of Minnesota hope to release highly specialized parasitic wasps to serve as a biological control method to save Darwin's finches from a dire threat: the invasive avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi......»»
Researcher: The true cost of food is far higher than what you spend at the checkout counter
After several years of pandemic-driven price spikes at the grocery store, retail food price inflation is slowing down. That's good news for consumers, especially those in low-income households, who spend a proportionally larger share of their income.....»»
Butterflies mimic each other"s flight behavior to avoid predators, show scientists
Researchers have shown that inedible species of butterfly that mimic each others' color patterns have also evolved similar flight behaviors to warn predators and avoid being eaten......»»