Firefly Tourism Can Put Insects in Peril
A new study shines light on how bug spray, flashlights, and foot traffic can spell disaster for the fragile creatures behind brilliant synchronous displays......»»
Mountain goats seek snow to shake off insects, finds study
Losing summer snow patches may hit mountain goats hard, according to a study that suggests that goats seek out snow to avoid biting insects......»»
Boom in space tourism threatens to boost the amounts of space junk and climate emissions
Commercial companies are increasingly becoming involved in transporting astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), as well as other activities in orbit. Some, such as Houston-based Axiom Space, eventually want to build their own space stati.....»»
New database unifies the information on damage to European forests over the last 60 years
The University of Córdoba is participating in the creation of the first database that harmonizes the recording of disturbances caused by insects and diseases in forests in eight European countries by combining remote sensing, satellite images and fi.....»»
Warmer, wetter winters bring risks to river insects
Research by Cardiff University has shown that the warmer, wetter winters in the U.K. caused by climate change are likely to impact the stability of insect populations in streams......»»
Moroccan archaeologists unearth new ruins at Chellah, a tourism-friendly ancient port near Rabat
Archaeologists have unearthed more ancient ruins of what they believe was once a bustling port city near the capital of modern-day Morocco, digging out thermal baths and working class neighborhoods that the country hopes will lure tourists and schola.....»»
Okinawa"s ants show reduced seasonal behavior in areas with more human development
Insects have an important role in maintaining the health of ecosystems, but our understanding of how human activities affect their populations is limited. This gap in knowledge is worrying because of the decline of insect populations and the severe c.....»»
Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
At the surface, salt marshes and their windswept grasses can look deceptively simple. But those marshes are teeming with biodiversity, from the insects and migrating birds in the air all the way down to the microbes that live in the soil. Scientists.....»»
Can AI nip tree disease in the bud?
Global trade, tourism and other forms of human movement are accelerating the spread of tree and plant pathogens between continents. Dutch elm disease, first seen in Europe in 1910, was detected in Canada just four decades later. Since then, it has de.....»»
Oldest family of jewel wasps discovered in Cretaceous amber from Lebanon
Jewel wasps (Chalcidoidea) are one of the most diverse groups of insects, with more than 120,000 species described and an estimated true diversity of nearly 1 million. The chalcids are parasitoid wasps, which attack other insects to lay their eggs up.....»»
How mosquito-controlling bacteria might also enhance insect fertility
A new study reveals biological mechanisms by which a specific strain of bacteria in the Wolbachia genus might enhance the fertility of the insects it infects—with potentially important implications for mosquito-control strategies. Shelbi Russell of.....»»
Biases found in coral reef research
Coral reefs support approximately 25% of marine species, and are essential to coastal economies, such as the fishing and tourism industries, to name a few. But coral reefs worldwide are at risk due to climate change and are on the brink of collapse......»»
Unearthing the ecological impacts of cicada emergences on North American forests
Every 13 or 17 years, billions of cicadas emerge from the ground to reproduce in eastern North American deciduous forests. One of the largest emergence events of these insects happened in 2021 when the Brood X cicadas emerged. Researchers who studied.....»»
Research shows roaches suppress immune system before giving birth
Researchers are studying the dramatic physical transformation that some insects undergo to give birth to live young. This includes suppressing their immune systems to accommodate babies, which is something some insects and people have in common. Unde.....»»
Insect researcher: Non-destructive methods are needed
New research has shed light on the importance of revolutionizing methods in entomology. A publication titled "The need for a (non-destructive) method revolution in entomology" has highlighted how to improve our understanding of insects without harmin.....»»
Study elucidates evolution of mosquitoes and their hosts
Researchers at North Carolina State University and global collaborators have mapped the mosquito's tree of life, a major step toward understanding important traits, such as how the insects choose their hosts, feed on blood and spread disease. The fin.....»»
Ocean circulation, ice melt and increasing tourism could all be contributing to Arctic microplastics
Scientists measured microplastic concentrations in the highly productive Barents Sea and suggest that ocean circulation, ice melt, tourism, inadequate waste management, shipping and fishing are all likely contributors......»»
Scientists combine evolution, physics, and robotics to decode insect flight
Some insects' wings flap without brain input. Robots help us understand how. Enlarge / A hawk moth in flight. (credit: Gregory Dubus) Different insects flap their wings in different manners. Understanding the variations.....»»
How Belize became a poster child for "debt-for-nature" swaps
When COVID hit Belize, its economy nosedived: closed borders meant fisheries and farmers had no export markets, and tourism centered on the tiny Central American nation's warm waters and wonders of biodiversity came to a halt......»»
Warming and habitat loss shrink pollinator numbers. That may hit coffee, cocoa crops hard in future
Changes in the climate and land use are combining to dramatically shrink the numbers of insects pollinating key tropical crops. As those problems interwine and intensify, it likely will hit coffee lovers right in the mug, according to a new study......»»
How do caterpillars acquire chubby legs? Scientists trace the origins to a genetic program associated with crabs
Adult insects, including butterflies and moths, typically have only three pairs of legs. But the existence of extra legs in caterpillars—chubby abdominal appendages also known as "prolegs"—has long posed an evolutionary mystery to biologists. A r.....»»