Insects (including Butterflies) – Page 3

Antibiotic resistant genes prevalent in groundwater

October 4, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Drought, Drought Research, Environmental Issues, Insects (including Butterflies), Microbes and More, Recycling and Waste, Water

The spread of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) through the water system could put public safety at-risk. Researchers studied and compared samples from an advanced groundwater treatment facility in California and groundwater aquifers to detect differences in ARG concentrations. They found that the advanced groundwater treatment facility reduced nearly all targeted ARGs to below detection limits, but groundwater samples had a ubiquitous presence of ARGs in both control locations and locations recharged with water from the advanced water treatment facility.

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First maps of areas suitable for spotted lanternfly's establishment in US and world

October 4, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Botany, Food and Agriculture, Insects (including Butterflies), Nature, New Species, Pests and Parasites, Trees

Maps identifying the areas suitable for establishment of the spotted lanternfly (SLF) in the United States and other countries have been published.

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Bumble bee workers sleep less while caring for young

October 3, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, animals, Extinction, Food and Agriculture, Insects (including Butterflies), Mating and Breeding, mice, Nature

All animals, including insects, need their sleep. Or do they? That's the question researchers are exploring in sleep studies of a surprising group of subjects: brood-tending bumble bee workers. Their studies show that worker bees tending pupae sleep much less than other bees do, even when caring for offspring that aren't their own.

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Getting an 'eel' for the water: The physics of undulatory human swimming

October 3, 2019 0 Comments aviation, Biology, Drought, Insects (including Butterflies), Marine Biology, Nature of Water, Sports Science, Vehicles

A team of researchers captured the 3D motion of an athlete performing undulatory swimming. They find that the vortex wakes created led to jet flows that contribute to the propulsion. This research has implication for energy efficient eel-like sailing.

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CRISPRed fruit flies mimic monarch butterfly, and could make you vomit

October 2, 2019 0 Comments animals, Ecology, Endangered Plants, Environmental Science, Genetics, Hazardous Waste, Insects (including Butterflies), Rainforests

Monarch butterflies and a few other insects evolved essentially the same genetic mutations allowing them to eat toxic milkweed without getting sick. Monarch butterflies and caterpillars store the toxins to deter predators. Scientists have now used CRISPR gene editing to make these same mutations in fruit flies, successfully conferring toxin resistance. This is the first time an animal has been genetically engineered to eat a new food and employ a new type of deterrence.

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Are humans preventing flies from eavesdropping?

September 28, 2019 0 Comments animals, Evolutionary Biology, Extinction, Insects (including Butterflies), Marine Biology, Mating and Breeding, Nature, Pests and Parasites

Soundscapes may influence the evolution of tightly co-evolved host-parasitoid relationships. Both traffic noise and natural ocean noise were found to inhibit parasitoid Ormia fly orientation to sound, which affects reproduction of the fly and survival of the cricket host.

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Mosquitoes more likely to lay eggs in closely spaced habitats

September 26, 2019 0 Comments Biodiversity, Ecology, Exotic Species, Fish, Insects (including Butterflies), Nature, Recycling and Waste, Wild Animals

Patches of standing water that are close together are more likely to be used by mosquitoes to lay eggs in than patches that are farther apart.

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Monkeys like alcohol at low concentrations, but probably not due to the calories

September 25, 2019 0 Comments animals, Beer and Wine, Food, Food and Agriculture, Insects (including Butterflies), Monkeys, Spiders and Ticks, Trees

Fruit-eating monkeys show a preference for concentrations of alcohol found in fermenting fruit, but do not seem to use alcohol as a source of supplementary calories, according to a new study. The findings do not support the idea that human alcoholism originated from a predilection of primates for alcohol-containing overripe fruit.

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Mosquito eye inspires artificial compound lens

September 25, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry Research, Biology, Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Insects (including Butterflies), Nanotechnology, Optics, Pests and Parasites

Anyone who's tried to swat a pesky mosquito knows how quickly the insects can evade a hand or fly swatter. The pests' compound eyes, which provide a wide field of view, are largely responsible for these lightning-fast actions. Now, researchers have developed compound lenses inspired by the mosquito eye that could someday find applications in autonomous vehicles, robots or medical devices.

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Jackdaws learn from each other about 'dangerous' humans

September 25, 2019 0 Comments Behavioral Science, Biochemistry Research, Biology, Birds, Insects (including Butterflies), Nature, Wild Animals, Zoology

Jackdaws can learn from each other to identify 'dangerous' humans, new research shows.