Articles tagged with Locusts
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Researchers used network science to study swarming behavior in locusts, finding that social interactions play a crucial role in coordinating movements. The study suggests that animals may be creating equivalent social networks to humans, with locusts convincing others to move in the same direction.
The study reveals that no single factor leads to a grasshopper outbreak, but rather multiple interacting factors are necessary. Grasshoppers have a significant impact on plants by altering nitrogen cycles in grasslands, which can either increase or decrease plant production depending on the type of vegetation they feed on.
Desert locusts that swarm together have larger brains with altered proportions compared to solitary locusts. Their bigger brains are thought to help them cope with the challenges of living in large groups and finding varied food sources.
The production Heuschrecken by Rimini Protokoll explores the marriage of theatre and science, challenging traditional skepticism. By embedding artists in a science department, new approaches to storytelling emerge.
Scientists discovered that locusts, like mammals, rely on vision rather than touch to navigate ladders. This finding highlights the complexity of insect behavior and challenges the notion that larger brains are necessary for sophisticated motor control.
A new study shows that locusts rely on visual input from a single eye to control their legs while walking, achieving similar results to vertebrates like humans or cats. This discovery emphasizes how insects can use simpler mechanisms to achieve complex behaviors with fewer neurons.
A Queen's University study found that locusts' brain disturbance during a coma-like state shares similarities with human migraines, strokes, and epilepsy. Researchers discovered that manipulating cellular signaling pathways in the brain could potentially modify the severity of these conditions.
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified a key biological reason behind locust swarming behavior, linking it to an increase in serotonin in specific parts of the insect's nervous system. This discovery could lead to new strategies for controlling locust plagues and understanding behavioral traits in animals.
Researchers discovered that desert locusts have higher serotonin levels when behaving in a swarm-like manner, which may help identify individual neurons driving this behavior and lead to more effective pest control. Desert locust swarms can devastate crop yields, with 20% of the world affected by this species.
A team of scientists led by Iain Couzin found that cannibalistic interactions are responsible for locusts' collective motion. The behavior, observed in immature locusts, leads to the formation of large mobile groups called bands that devour vegetation and eventually precede flying swarms.
Researchers at Queen's University have found a link between locusts' reaction to stress and human migraines. The study shows that the locust's coma-like state is similar to what happens in people during a migraine, suggesting an evolutionary connection.
A new study found that genetic variation in the foraging gene can protect against heat-induced neural failure, leading to potential rapid protection of brain function during extreme fevers. Researchers suggest this could lead to ways to rapidly protect the brain from damage due to extremely high fevers in mammals, including humans.
A joint study between Dr. Spencer Behmer and researchers at the University of Oxford found that locusts preferred odors associated with a deprived state, even when well-fed. This suggests that physical state plays a significant role in learning and decision-making for these insects.
Using genetic evidence from over 20 species of locusts, researchers found that ancestors of the African desert locust flew across the Atlantic, giving rise to diverse New World species. The study's findings suggest high-altitude winds were essential for the swarm's flight, with modern-day examples supporting this hypothesis.
Hebrew University researchers found that desert locusts use their polarization vision to determine if an area is land or water, avoiding water at all costs. This discovery could lead to the development of methods to deter locust swarms from flying over agricultural lands.
Researchers found that when individual insects were removed from their groups, they suffered high mortality rates due to predation. In contrast, group-traveling insects remained relatively safe, suggesting that band formation provides a protective advantage.
Researchers have developed coating technologies to improve the environmental persistence of biopesticides, increasing their resistance to UV radiation. This technology could make other biopesticides more effective as well.
Researchers found that brief exposure to high temperatures reduces potassium outflow from locust neurons, allowing them to fly normally after recovery. This discovery may have adaptive significance for heat-shocked animals.