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.....»»
Insecticides affect aquatic insects in unexpected ways
Pesticide pollution of streams in agricultural areas has adverse effects for stream organisms. A new study, led by researchers from the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), provides evidence that aquatic insect larvae resp.....»»
Heat sensor protects the Venus flytrap from fire
The Venus flytrap can survive in the nutrient-poor swamps of North and South Carolina because it compensates for the lack of nitrogen, phosphate and minerals by catching and eating insects. It hunts with snap traps that have sensory hairs on them. If.....»»
New research shows bats feast as insects migrate through Pyrenees
Bats gather to feast as nocturnal insects fly through mountain passes in the Pyrenees each autumn, new research shows......»»
Trapped: Australia"s extraordinary alpine insects are being marooned on mountaintops as the world warms
We may not pay invertebrates much thought, but they're the workhorses of all ecosystems. Insects and other invertebrates do essential jobs such as pollinating plants, improving soils and controlling pests. They're also food for many larger animals, w.....»»
Transforming flies into degradable plastics
Imagine using insects as a source of chemicals to make plastics that can biodegrade later—with the help of that very same type of bug. That concept is closer to reality than you might expect. Researchers describe their progress to date, including i.....»»
Ivy, dandelions and other common wildflowers are a crucial resource for pollinating insects
Since the end of the second world war, factors such as more intensive farming and urbanization have reduced the abundance of wildflowers in Britain. In fact, the past 90 years have seen the loss of over 97% of the UK's wildflower meadows......»»
Feeding traces on fossil leaves help researchers identify factors leading to enormous herbivore diversity
Researchers from the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center Frankfurt have uncovered the factors that determine the enormous diversity of herbivorous insects......»»
Munching Bugs Gave the First Mammals an Edge
Early mammals got ahead by eating insects.....»»
Wildlife lovers urged to join UK"s annual butterfly count
Wildlife enthusiasts across Britain are being encouraged to log sightings of butterflies and some moths, as the world's largest annual survey of the increasingly endangered pollinating insects returns......»»
Getting to the root of the problem in tree digital twin models
Trees have immeasurable societal benefits. They provide wood, absorb carbon dioxide, and shelter animals and insects, but also provide shade and space for people to relax......»»
A butterfly"s first flight inspires a new way to produce force and electricity
The wings of a butterfly are made of chitin, an organic polymer that is the main component of the shells of arthropods like crustaceans and other insects. As a butterfly emerges from its cocoon in the final stage of metamorphosis, it will slowly unfo.....»»
When Greenland was green: Ancient soil from beneath a mile of ice offers warnings for the future
About 400,000 years ago, large parts of Greenland were ice-free. Scrubby tundra basked in the sun's rays on the island's northwest highlands. Evidence suggests that a forest of spruce trees, buzzing with insects, covered the southern part of Greenlan.....»»
Amber reveals evolution of parasitism of nematodes
Nematodes (roundworms) are distributed worldwide in almost all habitats. The Mermithidae, a family of nematodes larger than others, are obligate invertebrate parasites which occur in insects, millipedes, crustaceans, spiders, mollusks and earthworms......»»
A calculated risk: How ants judge when to commit their bodies to a ladder
How do social animals judge risk/reward? A new study with ants provides one answer. Enlarge (credit: grass-lifeisgood) Social insects, which don't have very large nervous systems, are capable of remarkably sophisticated.....»»
Clever fly offers lessons on advanced predator adaptations
The saffron robber fly (Laphria saffrana) is an extremely fast bee-colored hunter that has to determine, while perched, which insects it wants to chase and eat. This is complicated by the fact that its eyes have poor resolution, especially at distanc.....»»
How moths create invisibility cloaks preventing detection by predators using biosonar
Researchers from University of Bristol and Diamond Light Source have uncovered how moths create a powerful stealth cloak preventing detection by biosonar. This work (Bio-Inspired Urban Adaptations: What Insects Can Teach Us About Dealing with Noise).....»»
For some fire-loving insects, wildfires provide the best breeding grounds
With the summer solstice and first official day of summer on June 21, hot and dry conditions have already given rise to a very active fire season across Canada......»»
Bird Populations Are in Meltdown
Humans rely on birds to eat insects, spread seeds, and pollinate plants—but these feathered friends can’t survive without their habitats......»»
Understanding how chemical communication evolved in insects
All around us, insects are speaking to each other: jockeying for mates, searching for food, and trying to avoid becoming someone else's next meal. Some of this communication is easy to spot—like the flashes of fireflies on a summer night or a screa.....»»
Studying the parenting behavior of poison frogs using tadpole-like robots
Over the past few decades, roboticists have developed robots inspired by a wide range of animals, including dogs, snakes, birds, spiders, bats, octopus, and different types of insects. These robots were primarily designed to tackle real-world practic.....»»