Won’t somebody please think of the insects?!
Global protected areas safeguard many plants and animals, but insects? Not so much. Enlarge / This butterfly is also referred to as the Cairns Birdwing. (credit: Jodi Jacobson) Nearly 17 percent, or 22.5 million square.....»»
Study shows birds disperse eaten insects" eggs
Relationship patterns among flightless stick insects suggest that birds disperse the eggs after eating gravid females. Lab experiments previously suggested the possibility, but a new genetic analysis of natural populations in Japan by Kobe University.....»»
Study finds tropical ecosystems more reliant on emerging aquatic insects, potentially at greater risk
A team of researchers from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Campinas in Brazil has found that tropical forest ecosystems are more reliant on aquatic insects than temperate forest ecosystems and are therefore more vulnerable to di.....»»
Unearthing the leaf miners of ancient times: 312-million-year-old fossil sheds light on insect behavior and evolution
Insects are fragile, soft-bodied animals whose remains are difficult to preserve. Wings are often fossilized, but insect bodies, if present, are usually bits and pieces of the original prehistoric animal, making it difficult for scientists to study t.....»»
Consistent metabolism may prove costly for insects in saltier water
Increased salinity usually spells trouble for freshwater insects like mayflies. A new study from North Carolina State University finds that the lack of metabolic responses to salinity may explain why some freshwater insects often struggle in higher s.....»»
International study characterizes diversity of bees in apple orchards across the globe
By carrying pollen from flower to flower, pollinator insects play an essential role in the reproductive cycle of flowering plants. Bees do more of it than any other, both here in Canada and around the world......»»
How air pollution is making life tougher for bugs
Whether you love them or loathe them, we all depend on bugs. Insects help to pollinate three-quarters of the world's crop varieties, making them a treasured resource......»»
Some stick insects that normally reproduce through parthenogenesis found to mate on occasion
A team of ecologists and evolutionary biologists at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, has found that some normally asexual species of stick insects, which are known to reproduce via parthenogenesis, occasionally mate to enhance the gene pool......»»
Experiments on fossilized insects help reveal their true colors
A team of paleontologists and ecological scientists from Nanjing University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and University College Cork, has found that it might be possible to estimate coloration for some fossilized insects using a new technique. In.....»»
Diesel exhaust gases found to harm insects: Animal ecologists study the effects on bumblebees for the first time
The decline of insects threatens many ecosystems worldwide. While the effects of pesticides are well researched, there has been a lack of knowledge about the effects of other anthropogenic pollutants. Animal ecologists at the University of Bayreuth h.....»»
Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals, study shows
Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the.....»»
Eating insects: The UK seems much more reluctant than the EU to let this industry flourish
Like it or not, there are lots of good arguments for eating insects—both in animal feeds and on human plates. You can farm them with much less land, water and feed than the likes of cows and sheep. Their greenhouse gas emissions are significantly l.....»»
Bees and other flying insects at greater risk of extinction as they migrate to higher elevations in changing climate
In response to rising global temperatures, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations to survive in cooler temperatures. But a new study from the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech.....»»
Aloe vera peels could fight staple food crop pests
The discarded peels of aloe vera can be used as a natural pesticide, helping farmers protect staple food crops from harmful insects, research suggests......»»
Tracking the migration adventures of Black-winged Monarchs
Black-winged Monarchs (Monarcha frater) are songbirds that live in the rainforests of New Guinea and northern Australia. They feed on insects and belong to the same bird family, Monarchidae, as flycatchers and magpie-larks......»»
Climate change, pests threaten Mexico City"s iconic palms
Climate change and a deadly disease spread by insects have forced authorities in Mexico City to chop down palm trees beloved by residents as an emblem of the capital......»»
Curious and cryptic: New leaf insects discovered
An international research team including the University of Göttingen has described seven previously unknown species of leaf insects, also known as walking leaves. The insects belong to the stick and leaf insect order, which are known for their unusu.....»»
Ant wars: How native species can win the battle over invasive pests
New research using insight from virtual gaming and real-world ant battles shows how native insects can be given an upper hand against some aggressive introduced species, which could help guide non-native invasive ant management......»»
Fungal–plant symbiosis offers a promising tool to boost crop resilience
Researchers inoculated oilseed rape plants with a species of fungus that is known for its ability to combat pest insects. Utilizing the relationship between beneficial fungi and crop plants may introduce a new era of agriculture where the plant resil.....»»
Crowd-sourced science sheds light on how new species form across space and time
Imagine a jungle. It's probably a lush forest, filled with different bird songs and the hum of thousands of different kinds of insects. Now imagine a tundra: barren, windswept terrain with relatively few kinds of plants or animals......»»
Researchers target lifecycle of parasite behind Chagas disease
Almost everything about insects called kissing bugs is revolting, from the insidious way they bite people's faces at night to drink their blood while they sleep to the way they spread disease through their poop......»»