Groundbreaking research shows DEET's not sweet to mosquitoes
Spray yourself with a DEET-based insect repellent and the mosquitoes will leave you alone. But why? They flee because of their intense dislike for the smell of the chemical repellent and not because DEET jams their sense of smell, report researchers at the University of California, Davis. view more (2008-08-19)
K-State researchers study gene regulation in insects
Susan Brown, an associate professor of biology at Kansas State University, is interested in how evolution generates so much diversity in insects shapes and forms. view more (2006-04-28)
The bee that would be queen
A team of researchers from Arizona State University, Purdue University and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences has discovered evidence that honeybees have adopted a phylogenetically old molecular cascade - TOR (target of rapamycin), linked to nutrient and energy sensing - and put it to use in caste development. view more (2007-06-06)
Old developmental pathways spawn revolutionary evolutionary changes
When the larvae of the primitive social insect Polistes metricus, a paper wasp, slips into the quiet pupal stage, she doesn't know if she'll arise a worker or gyne (future queen) - unless she consults with Arizona State University's social insect researcher Gro Amdam. view more (2007-09-07)
Bioinsecticide for controlling plagues in greenhouses
Developing a bioinsecticide that is more effective than pesticides for controlling pests in greenhouses is the aim of the project undertaken by a research team from the Public University of Navarre and commissioned by the Almer'a Fruit & Vegetable Exporters Association (COEXPHAL). Biological efficiaciousness The COEXPHAL Association of the... view more... (2004-06-16)
X-ray images help explain limits to insect body size
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have cast new light on why the giant insects that lived millions of years ago disappeared. view more (2007-08-13)
Insects take a bigger bite out of plants in a higher CO2 world
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising at an alarming rate, and new research indicates that soybean plant defenses go down as CO2 goes up. Elevated CO2 impairs a key component of the plant's defenses against leaf-eating insects, according to the report. view more (2008-03-25)
Screw Worm Outbreak in Yemen
An outbreak of the insidious 'screw worm' fly in Yemen, is threatening livelihoods, in a country where rearing livestock is a traditional way of life. In recent weeks, a Ministerial delegation was at the IAEA in Vienna, Austria, to turn to the international community for emergency assistance to fight the deadly pest. view more (2008-05-07)
Hummingbird flight an evolutionary marvel
Humans with an appreciation of beauty may have marveled for millennia at the artistry of a darting hummingbird, but scientists announced today that for the first time they can more fully explain how a hummingbird can hover. view more (2005-06-23)
Biodegradable mulch films on the horizon
In 1999, more than 30 million acres of agricultural land worldwide were covered with plastic mulch, and those numbers have been increasing significantly since then. With the recent trend toward "going green", researchers are seeking environmentally friendlier alternatives to conventional plastic mulch. view more (2009-02-27)
Great tits can reduce caterpillar damage in apple orchards
The potential contribution of vertebrate predators to biological control in orchards has been largely overlooked to date. A few studies have shown that birds reduce numbers of pests, but data are scarce on the effects on the pattern or timing of damage. Consequently, the practical value of birds as biocontrol agents remains unclear. view more (2002-11-26)
Moths with a nose for learning
Much like Pavlov conditioned his dog to salivate in anticipation of food when a bell rang, insects can be trained to perform certain behaviors when enticed with different smells. view more (2008-10-03)
Insects implicated in the evolution of new human infectious diseases
Insects and other invertebrates are the arena for the evolution of new infectious diseases in humans, new research shows. view more (2004-10-25)
Detecting explosives with honeybees
Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a method for training the common honey bee to detect the explosives used in bombs. view more (2006-11-29)
How new diseases from insects hit people like the plague
Scientists have traced the first steps in the way some new diseases emerge, and how harmless bacteria living in insects become dangerous disease-causing bugs which can affect humans, like the plague or anthrax. Researchers from the University of Bath are presenting their results today (Wednesday, 08 September 2004) at the Society for General... view more... (2004-08-23)
As ash borer claims more trees, researcher at ISU works for species survival
Mark Widrlechner may someday be known as the modern-day Johnny Appleseed for ash trees. view more (2009-09-11)
Insecticide combo delivers knockout punch
A cocktail of insecticides containing a plant protein and a common insecticide may be more lethal to crop pests than either ingredient used alone, according to biologists. The one-two punch also inhibits the insects' growth rate and reduces their chance of developing resistance. view more (2008-03-12)
Mayo Clinic study could lead to safer pesticides
Each year millions of dollars in crops are lost to two insects notorious for devastating farms: the greenbug (Schizaphis graminum) and the English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae). view more (2006-10-13)
Insects and disease - international symposium and national meeting
The Royal Entomological Society, in association with the Entomological Society of the Netherlands and the International Union of Forest Research Organisations, is holding its bi-annual symposium at the University of Aberdeen on 10-12 September 2001. The theme of "Insects and disease" will bring together hundreds of entomologists from... view more... (2001-08-13)
Vineyard weeds found to host Pierce's disease of grapes
New research just released in the September issue of Plant Disease suggests that weeds commonly found in California's wine country may enable the spread of Pierce's disease of grapes, one of the most destructive plant diseases affecting grapes. view more (2005-09-22)
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