From Terror to Joy: Faced with Death, Our Minds Turn to Happier Thoughts
Philosophers and scientists have long been interested in how the mind processes the inevitability of death, both cognitively and emotionally. One would expect, for example, that reminders of our mortality--say the sudden death of a loved one--would throw us into a state of disabling fear of the unknown. But that doesn't happen. If the prospect of... view more... (2007-10-23)
International Field Campaign examines impact of beetle kill on Rocky Mountain weather, air quality
Mountain pine beetles appear to be doing more than killing large swaths of forests in the Rocky Mountains. Scientists suspect they are also altering local weather patterns and air quality. view more (2008-09-25)
What scientists know about jewel beetle shimmer
"Jewel beetles" are widely known for their glossy external skeletons that appear to change colors as the angle of view changes. view more (2009-07-24)
K-State professors discover enzyme responsible for creation of a beetle's hard shell
Kansas State University researchers think their discovery of the enzyme involved in the hardening of a beetle's exoskeleton or cuticle could lead not only to better pest control, but also help create similar strong, lightweight materials for use in aircraft and armor. view more (2005-08-03)
Structure of the yellow rice mottle virus determined for the first time
Scientists from IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement, ex-ORSTOM), the Scripps Research Institute and the International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural technology (ILTAB) have succeeded, after several years of research, in reconstructing a three-dimensional model of the rice yellow mottle virus, down to a resolution of 2.8... view more... (2001-01-26)
Pine Bark Beetles Affecting More than Forests
Pine bark beetles appear to be doing more than killing large swaths of forests in the Rocky Mountains. Scientists suspect they are also altering local weather patterns and air quality. view more (2008-09-25)
Worm genome offers clues to evolution of parasitism
The genome of a humble worm that dines on the microbial organisms covering the carcasses of dead beetles may provide clues to the evolution of parasitic worms, including those that infect humans, say scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Max-Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Germany. view more (2008-09-24)
Opals manufactured by beetles
The gemstone opal could be manufactured synthetically copying a technique employed by a beetle to control the appearance of its outer shell. Researchers from the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford have discovered the first case of opal in an animal, in this case in the weevil Pachyrhynchus argus, found in forests in north-eastern... view more... (2003-12-16)
Forest ecologist sees climate consequences
Many people worry about the link between rising bark-beetle infestations and an increase in western wildfires. But Dr. Susan Prichard, a Research Scientist at the University of Washington, adds another concern: what happens after the fires go out? view more (2009-09-15)
Do we need a paradigm change? Disputing coevolution in herbivorous insects
Coleoptera (beetles) are one of the most successful groups of organisms on Earth. Their success in evolutionary terms is recognised by their extreme adaptive diversity (occupying almost every possible ecological niche) and their longevity (fossils from the Palaeozoic, 280 million years ago). view more (2007-04-11)
Global Seed Banking Milestone Celebrated by Wildflower Center, 122 Other Organizations
An international partnership of 54 countries led by the United Kingdom's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is celebrating a decade of work to set aside seeds for future generations from 10 percent of the world's wild flowering species. view more (2009-10-16)
Why conservationists should heed Pokémon
Could you tell a Pikachu from a Pidgeotto or a Jigglypuff? The average eight-year old can identify 80 per cent of all Pokémon characters – but is much less expert at identifying real wildlife species. A team of Cambridge University scientists has, found that children were much less knowledgeable about wildlife than they were about... view more... (2002-03-27)
Female choice benefits mothers more than offspring
The great diversity of male sexual traits, ranging from peacock's elaborate train to formidable genitalia of male seed beetles, is the result of female choice. view more (2009-10-23)
Grub's passion for plastic causes water loss
Research by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has found that a small white grub is responsible for water leaking from sub-surface drip irrigation pipes used by some lucerne growers. view more (2007-09-27)
Elevated CO2 in atmosphere weakens defenses of soybeans to herbivores
In research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists in Chicago (July 7-11, 2007), scientists will show that elevated CO2 may negatively impact the relationship between some plants and insects. view more (2007-07-09)
Lichens function as indicators of nitrogen pollution in forests
Scientists have found lichens can give insight into nitrogen air pollution effects on Sierra Nevada and San Bernardino mountain ecosystems, and protecting them provides safeguards for less sensitive species. view more (2008-10-07)
Colour effects inspired by instant soup
The shimmering colors of beetle and butterfly wings are not usually due to pigments. Instead, these and rainbow effects are produced by interference - as in opal gemstones, or an oil slick on a wet road. Layers of colorless substances, of a thickness that lies within the wavelength of visible light, cancel out certain parts of the spectrum. The... view more... (2002-09-20)
New Collection Of Bacteria
In recent times, efforts in protecting plants from insect pests are aimed at reducing the use of chemical controls, i.e., pesticides, and employing biological methods. The latter, as distinct from the chemical ones, do not contaminate the environment and agricultural products, do not accumulate in soil and water, and do not poison warm-blooded... view more... (2003-03-07)
Invasive species on the march: variable rates of spread set current limits to predictability
Whether for introduced muskrats in Europe or oak trees in the United Kingdom, zebra mussels in United States lakes or agricultural pests around the world, scientists have tried to find new ways of controlling invasive species by learning how these animals and plants take over in new environs. view more (2009-09-18)
Sex is thirst-quenching for female beetles
Female beetles mate to quench their thirst according to new research by a University of Exeter biologist. The males of some insect species, including certain types of beetles, moths and crickets, produce unusually large ejaculates, which in some cases can account for around 10% of their body weight. view more (2007-08-29)
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