Research on insects and their role in nature. Covers disease-carrying bugs, insect evolution, wildfire effects, and sensory circuitry.
Researchers found that night-flying moths match the migration speeds of songbirds, traveling between 30-65 km/h. Moths use favorable tailwinds to aid their journeys, while birds take advantage of winds from various directions.
A new study uses genetic techniques to link bat diet to habitat quality, showing that bats rely heavily on insects from aquatic environments. The research also identifies specific pollution tolerances among insect species, providing insights into the bats' foraging behavior and conservation efforts.
The University of Illinois team produces animated educational videos on topics like insect control and water treatment to reach a larger audience at a fraction of the cost. The initiative uses cell phones as a platform to distribute the content, targeting viewers in both developing and developed countries.
Research at the University of Michigan suggests that rising carbon dioxide levels associated with global warming may affect interactions between plants and insects, altering the course of plant evolution. The study found that plant families responded differently to elevated carbon dioxide in their production of chemical and physical de...
Scientists discovered an 'atmospheric imprint' in insects, revealing where they can survive under climate change. By analyzing oxygen isotopes, researchers determined the type of atmosphere each insect needs to thrive.
Researchers have discovered a 100-million-year-old ancestor of large, carnivorous insects still alive today. The genus has undergone little change since the Early Cretaceous Period.
A study investigated the impact of disease-resistant genetically-modified (GM) wheat lines on insect food webs. The findings show that the differences between GM and non-GM wheat strains are similar to those found between different conventional wheat strains, suggesting no ecological problems with GM wheat.
A recent study on bedbugs has identified potential genes associated with pesticide resistance, shedding light on the mechanisms behind their increasing resilience to insecticides. The research may lead to the development of novel control methods that are more effective against these troublesome insects.
Researchers discovered aphids on ginger and heliconia plants have genetic differences from those on banana plants, reclassifying them as a separate species Pentalonia caladii. This finding has significant implications for the biological control of banana aphids and preventing the spread of BBTV.
Researchers found that mechanical shaking was more effective than manual shaking in removing yellowjacket queens from Christmas trees. The study also showed that pre-harvest insecticide sprays can be 100% effective in killing yellowjacket queens, even after heavy rainfall.
Researchers at Caltech, with support from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, have found that flies follow horizontal edges to regulate altitude, unlike earlier studies suggesting they measure motion beneath them. This edge-following behavior is similar to their steering mechanism and relies heavily on vision.
A study published in BioScience found that nonindigenous insects are being detected at a rate of 2.5 per year, with high-impact insects and pathogens causing tree death and other effects every 2 to 2.5 years. The researchers advocate strengthening efforts to prevent arrivals of nonindigenous organisms.
Researchers identified top 100 known insect pests most likely to establish in the US and individual states, finding that many pests are missing from neighboring states. The study found significant negative relationships between state size, biodiversity, domestic air passengers, and GDP and absent pest species.
Researchers have modeled and mimicked the natural designs of falling geckoes, gliding snakes, and flying birds to improve air vehicle design. The special edition, 'Bioinspired Flight', reveals innovative approaches for controlled hovering, forward flight, and exploitation of thermal updrafts.
New study maps koala habitats using taste preferences, while ancient insects migrated to warmer climates in response to rising temperatures. Koalas prefer large trees with palatable leaves and avoid smaller unpalatable trees, highlighting the importance of habitat quality.
Researchers at Virginia Tech have discovered a single P450 enzyme responsible for producing two common plant volatiles that defend against insect attacks. The discovery provides new insights into the biosynthesis of these compounds and offers potential applications in improving crop pest controls.
Arizona State University has received a $100 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop long-acting insect repellents for malaria prevention. The project aims to create skin-bonding repellents that can provide continuous protection against mosquitoes for two to three weeks.
Researchers have developed 140 hemlock hybrids that are tolerant to the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), a devastating insect affecting eastern US forests. The most tolerant species is T. chinensis and its hybrids, which show good vigor and shape, providing a potential solution for saving US natural ecosystems.
A boom in developing chemical coatings is protecting seeds from destructive insects and diseases, with the worldwide market growing at 10-12 percent annually. These new seed treatments, also known as biologic seed defenders, use microorganisms to promote earlier and more vigorous growth.
Professor Eamonn Keogh will use the grant to develop automatic insect sensors that can detect and classify mosquitoes at a low cost. The project aims to understand mosquito movement to combat malaria, which kills nearly one million people worldwide each year.
A Hebrew University-developed insect control method, applied in Mali, demonstrates a significant decline in malaria-bearing mosquitoes. The Attractive Toxic Sugar Bait Method (ATSB) significantly reduced mosquito populations and is considered a powerful tool for controlling malaria vectors.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a novel approach to controlling pink bollworm pests in cotton fields. By combining pest-resistant cotton with the controlled release of sterile moths, they have virtually eliminated the pest from Arizona, allowing growers to maintain high yields without spraying insecticides.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University developed new software to analyze the three-dimensional movement of an insect's leg joints, allowing for a detailed understanding of cockroach locomotion. The software enables 90% accurate analysis of 106,496 individual points in hours, not weeks.
A massive amber deposit discovered in India's Gujarat province has yielded over 700 arthropods from 55 different genera, including insects, spiders, and mites. The findings contradict the long-held idea that India was isolated for 100 million years after breaking off from East Africa, suggesting a more complex exchange of species with ...
A new study finds that Bt corn provides significant economic benefits to neighboring farmers by reducing pest management costs and improving grain quality. The researchers estimate cumulative economic benefits of nearly $7 billion between 1996-2009, with benefits of over $4 billion for non-Bt corn farmers.
A study found that Bt corn's pest suppression benefits non-Bt farmers in Wisconsin by up to 75%, with total economic benefits exceeding $6.9 billion across the Midwest. The primary benefit of Bt corn is reduced yield losses, which non-Bt farmers also experience without paying Bt technology fees.
Researchers led by Dr. Robert Wood at Harvard University are developing micro air vehicles (MAVs) to monitor hazardous environments like collapsed structures and chemical spills. The goal is to create agile devices that can perform tasks not achieved before using robotic devices on the scale of insects.
A fungus-based biological control agent, Beauveria bassiana, is enhanced with a sunscreen made from soybean oil and ferulic acid to protect its spores from sunlight. The 'soyscreen' successfully protects the spores for 28 weeks, improving its effectiveness in wiping out insect pests.
Researchers at Harvard University developed a millionth-scale automobile differential for minuscule aerial robots. The PARITy differential generates torques up to 10 million times smaller than in a car, allowing the robots to balance aerodynamic forces and navigate unpredictable environments.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that mosquitoes and other insects use taste receptors to detect DEET and smell citronellal, leading to aversion responses. The study identified three essential taste receptors for DEET detection and two distinct types of cell surface channels required for avoiding citronellal vapor.
Researchers create 'soyscreen' oil to protect fungal spores from sunlight, expanding use of fungus as insecticide alternative. The substance successfully protects spores for 28 weeks without harming them.
Fruit flies establish a fixed height by tracking horizontal edges and fly at the same altitude as these features. The researchers used a virtual-reality space to track the flies' movements and confirmed that edge tracking is the primary mechanism.
A new study predicts that the little brown myotis bat population in the Northeast will decline by over 99% within 20 years due to White-Nose Syndrome. The disease has already affected at least seven species of bats, with millions dying from its effects.
Researchers discovered that Venus flytraps convert sugars into carbon dioxide and energy to power their traps, contradicting the idea of passive plants. The plants' digestive process provides a means to capture prey, allowing them to thrive in nutrient-poor environments.
A University of Houston researcher is using a vacuum device to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on insects and spiders in salt marshes along the Gulf Coast. The goal is to understand how the food web is structured and affected by the oil spill.
A new study reveals that consistent year-round temperatures in the tropics, rather than higher temperatures or more sunlight, are key to its stunning biodiversity. The research suggests that the world is likely less diverse today than it was tens of millions of years ago, when the entire Earth had consistent year-round temperatures.
Researchers at Rockefeller University have identified two compounds emitted by mosquito predators that deter female mosquitoes from laying eggs in pools of water. These natural insect repellents could provide an environmentally friendly alternative to controlling disease-carrying insects.
A laboratory milling device called the 'insect-o-graph' can detect internal insects in wheat that are not visible to the eye or detectable by usual grading methods. The system estimates the number of live insects hidden in a one-kilogram grain sample in about one minute.
Researchers at Purdue University have successfully mapped the genome of the body louse, a human parasite that spreads through contact. The study identified key receptors in the louse's nervous system, which could be targeted for developing new, effective insecticides to combat head lice resistance.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide discovered how insects judge speed and motion in a natural setting, revealing additional brain mechanisms. Insects use visual motion analysis and adapt to different light conditions, similar to humans.
A study by University of Exeter biologists uses digital video technology, tagging, and DNA fingerprinting to examine the behavior and ancestry of field crickets in their natural environment. The research reveals that dominant males don't always have more mates or offspring, and females can benefit from having multiple partners.
Researchers at Michigan State University discovered that shiny black solar cells lure water insects away from critical breeding areas. Applying white grids or other methods can break up polarized reflection of light, making it less attractive to mayflies and other aquatic insects.
BBSRC funded researchers found that applying Bt to young plants enhances the bacteria's ability to infect insect pests. The study also reveals that the natural abundance of Bt in the environment plays a significant role in its effectiveness.
The USDA has released a new biocontrol, Megamelus scutellaris, to help control the invasive water hyacinth. The planthopper is highly host-specific and does not pose a threat to native or economically important species.
A recent study at the University of Illinois found that some impatiens plant varieties are more attractive to Western flower thrips than others. The researchers discovered that the Dazzler White variety emits volatile compounds that attract thrips, while the Cajun Carmine variety does not.
Research suggests that physical prowess was the key factor in human mate competition, with men competing for dominance and access to mates. Men are stronger than 99.9% of women, despite average differences in size, due to increased muscle mass.
Research at University of California, Riverside found that juvenile male crickets exposed to loud songs from adult males grow larger and invest more in testes. Meanwhile, those without exposure are more likely to act as 'satellites' hanging around singing males to intercept females.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a direct link between neural activity in an insect's brain and changes in behavior. The findings suggest that cockroaches can control their speed with their brains, which could inspire the development of more adaptive robots for search and rescue and space exploration.
Anna Whitfield, a Kansas State University plant pathologist, will receive a $1 million CAREER Award to study how viruses affect insect vectors. Her research may shed light on viruses that infect vertebrate animals as well as plants.
Scientists aim to prevent insects from spreading deadly diseases like Chagas' by manipulating physiology to stop the transmission of the illness. Researchers have identified genes controlling diuresis in kissing bugs and hope to create a peptide agonist to prevent waste and parasites from being left on wounds.
The gypsy moth continues to spread across the US, resistant to effective pesticides. Despite decades of pesticide use, the insect remains a threat to forests and urban landscapes.
Scientists uncover thousands of years-old hunting tools, including wooden arrows and dart shafts, as warming temperatures melt ancient ice patches in the Mackenzie Mountains. The discovery sheds new light on ancient caribou migration patterns and hunting practices.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have identified a protein in sensory cells of fruit flies that allows them to detect and avoid noxious chemicals. The discovery opens up new possibilities for controlling insect pests and protecting crops.
A study on trembling aspen found that phenolic glycosides and extrafloral nectaries are distributed together in the same leaves, contradicting previous assumptions. The presence of extrafloral nectaries is positively correlated with higher levels of chemical defenses, suggesting a complex relationship between these defense mechanisms.
Scientists at Imperial College London have created a comprehensive 3D model of a fossilized cockroach ancestor, Archimylacris eggintoni, which lived around 300 million years ago. The study reveals the physical traits that helped it thrive on the forest floor, including sticky structures on its legs and claws for climbing.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that insect-gobbling animals increase plant growth by reducing plant-feeding insects' damage. The research solidifies birds, bats, lizards, and other similar animals' importance to ecosystem health.
Researchers have developed self-pollinating almond trees that can produce high-quality nuts without insect pollination. This breakthrough is crucial for almond growers facing rising costs due to honeybee shortages.
A new study reveals that birds, bats, and lizards play a crucial role in maintaining forest health by controlling insect populations. By eating herbivores and their insect predators, these animals reduce plant damage by 40%, leading to a 14% increase in plant biomass.
A recent study found that carnivorous plants can be harmed when consuming insects contaminated with toxic metals like cadmium. The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology, highlights the importance of limiting exposure to these metals to protect endangered plant species.
Scientists found that milkweed species that grow quickly are more vulnerable to insect damage, while fast-growing plants rely on predators for protection. This study provides valuable insights into plant defense mechanisms and has implications for developing pest-resistant crops.