Spread of plant diseases by insects can be described by equations that model interplanetary gravity
Researchers from Penn State University and the University of Virginia show that the spread of diseases by insects can be described by equations similar to those that describe the force of gravity between planetary objects. view more (2006-09-05)
Bright autumn colouration in trees - a warning signal to insects?
Most deciduous trees change colour in autumn. However, both within and between species, there is considerable variation both in the timing and magnitude of autumn colour change. Hamilton and Brown recently proposed a hypothesis to explain this phenomenon. Their idea was that the bright autumn colouration in trees is a warning signal to insects... view more... (2003-09-17)
Insects see crops clearly when the weeds have gone
All gardeners know that their plants have to compete against insects and weeds. We apply insecticides to protect plants from the munching hordes, and we apply herbicides, or hoe, to protect plants from weeds. But, according to Stan Finch and Rosemary Collier of Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne, the latter is a bad move that... view more... (2003-06-05)
Thale cress goes on the defensive
Thale cress has a complicated defence technique against insects and microorganisms that use the plant as a source of food. view more (2007-05-15)
Study: Rain forest insects eat no more tree species than temperate counterparts
A study initiated by University of Minnesota plant biologist George Weiblen has confirmed what biologists since Darwin have suspected-that the vast number of tree species in rain forests accounts for the equally vast number of plant-eating species of insects. view more (2006-08-24)
Chasing high flying insects with radar
New developments to vertical looking radar (VLR) mean that scientists at Rothamsted, Harpenden are now tracking insects to find out where they go and how they behave when they take to the skies. "The sheer abundance of insects is amazing," says Dr Alan Smith of Rothamsted Radar Entomology Unit. "The actual biomass of insects above us on a... view more... (2002-06-26)
Could Bt transgenic crops have nutritionally favourable effects on insects?
Researchers from Imperial College, England have just shown in a forthcoming article in the journal Ecology Letters, that insect larvae can use an engineered toxin (Cry1Ac) as a supplementary food source. They found that toxin-resistant larvae of the Diamondback Moth developed faster and had a greater pupal weight in the presence of the toxin.... view more... (2003-03-12)
'Jekyll and Hyde' bacteria offer pest control hope
New research at York has revealed so-called 'Jekyll and Hyde' bacteria, suggesting a novel way to control insect pests without using insecticides. view more (2007-12-20)
Using insects to test for drug safety
Insects, such as some moths and fruit flies, react to microbial infection in the same way as mammals and so can be used to test the efficiency of new drugs, thereby reducing the need for animal testing. view more (2009-09-08)
Folding wings - just the business for insect survival
Just like modern businesses, insects have had to diversify to survive, according to University of York scientist Peter Mayhew. The ability to fold their wings is one device they have adopted over the years as part of the struggle for survival, says Dr Mayhew. And folding wings have given the insects which adopted them - including bugs, beetles,... view more... (2002-05-01)
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)
Mosquito parasite may help fight dengue fever
Dengue fever is a terrible viral disease blighting many of the world's tropical regions. Carried by mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, 40% of the world's population is believed to be at risk from the infection. view more (2009-05-01)
Scientists discover how to send insects off the scent of crops
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)-funded research, published this week in Chemical Communication, describes how scientists have discovered molecules that could confuse insects' ability to detect plants by interfering with their sense of smell. This could reduce damage to crops by insect pests and contribute to food... view more... (2009-09-24)
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)
Tiptoe through the tulips
Scientists have discovered that plant leaves activate defence mechanisms against plant eating insects within twenty seconds of an insect walking across them. Dr Alan Bown will be presenting the results of his footsteps research at the Society for Experimental Biology conference on Tuesday 9 April. view more (2002-04-04)
Insect population growth likely accelerated by warmer climate
Insects have proven to be highly adaptable organisms, able through evolution to cope with a variety of environmental changes, including relatively recent changes in the world's climate. But like something out of a scary Halloween tale, new University of Washington research suggests insects' ability to adapt to warmer temperatures carries an... view more... (2006-10-31)
Predators: an overlooked player in plant-pollinator relationships
Biologists have long recognized that predators can help to shape ecological communities -- wolves promote the growth of young trees through predation on moose, otters keep kelp forests thriving by preying on sea urchins, etc. Yet we have seldom considered the consequences of predation on animals that help plants reproduce. Predation on pollinators... view more... (2003-08-13)
Why Plants Talk To Insects - New Research from Imperial At Chelsea Flower Show (22-25 May)
Why talking to insects is so important to a plant's well-being is the theme of an unusual display at this year's Chelsea Flower show (22-25 May). The display, jointly staged by Imperial College at Wye and the ICI subsidiary, Quest International, will show how plants use scent and colour to attract helpful insects and to repel unwelcome herbivores.... view more... (2001-05-02)
Direct link established between tropical tree and insect diversity
Higher tree species diversity leads directly to higher diversity of leaf-eating insects. view more (2006-07-19)
Gene exchange common among sex-manipulating bacteria
Certain bacteria have learned to manipulate the proportion of females and males in insect populations. Now Uppsala University researchers have mapped the entire genome of a bacterium that infects a close relative of the fruit fly. view more (2009-03-26)
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