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UrduThe mosquito protein AEG12 strongly inhibits the family of viruses that cause yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Zika and weakly inhibits coronaviruses, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators. The researchers found that…
Tag: Entomology
Forget the fly swatter: Biologists map genes to fight stable flies
Stable flies cause $2B in agriculture losses each year — and they’re so annoying
University of Minnesota scientists discover attacking fungi that show promise against emerald ash borer
Since its introduction, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has become the most devastating invasive forest insect in the United States, killing hundreds of millions of ash trees at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, new research from…
Citizen scientists help expose presence of invasive Asian bamboo longhorn beetle in Europe
A worryingly high number of Asian bamboo longhorn beetles ( Chlorophorus annularis ) turn out to have been emerging across Europe for about a century already, finds an international research team, headed by researchers from the Center of Natural History…
Fewer butterflies seen across the warming, drying landscapes of American West
University of Nevada, Reno leads collaborative study on insect declines
Newly discovered millipede, Nannaria hokie, lives at Virginia Tech
Hearing the words “new species discovered” may conjure images of deep caves, uncharted rainforests, or hidden oases in the desert. But the reality is that thousands of new species are discovered each year by enterprising scientists all over the world.…
Will climate change outpace species adaptation?
Species evolve heat tolerance more slowly than cold tolerance
Dramatic decline in western butterfly populations linked to fall warming
Western butterfly populations are declining at an estimated rate of 1.6% per year, according to a new report to be published this week in Science . The report looks at more than 450 butterfly species, including the western monarch, whose…
Here’s how insects coax plants into making galls
Insects can reprogram plant growth, transforming ordinary plant parts into intricately patterned shelters that are safe havens for feeding and reproduction. These structures, called galls, have fascinated biologists for centuries. They’re crafted by a variety of insects, including some species…
Evolution of one of the fastest jaws in nature – function before form in trap-jaw ants
The trap-jaw ants are famous for having one of the natural world’s fastest movements, but how did the latch-spring mechanism that drives their jaws evolve? According to a study published on March 2nd, 2021 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology…
Pesticide imidacloprid threatens future for key pollinator
An insecticide used to control pest infestations on squash and pumpkins significantly hinders the reproduction of ground-nesting bees — valuable pollinators for many food crops, a new University of Guelph study has revealed. This first-ever study of pesticide impacts on…
Targeted spraying to prevent malaria in low-transmission setting halves cost of current practice
A study by Wits University scientists and partners has proved that a targeted malaria transmission prevention intervention is not inferior to the ‘blanket’ approach
Cryptic fleshy coat aids larvae in crawling on a moss carpet
“Fleshy lobes” in insect larvae are known as a tool for camouflage but it was found that they can also serve as a locomotion aid.
Red light put moths in the mood
Do you dim the lighting and turn on the red light for a romantic night in with your partner? It turns out moths aren’t so different in that regard. A new study published in Frontiers in Genetics shows that dim…
Models to predict dengue, zika and yellow fever outbreaks are developed by researchers
Scientists will monitor areas in which these diseases are endemic, such as São Paulo, the Amazon, the Pantanal and Panama, to investigate the factors that trigger outbreaks (monkey being examined in Manaus área.
Brain seasonality: Bean bug neurons need biological clock gene for seasonal egg-laying
Researchers from Osaka University find that a circadian clock gene is needed for a day length-dependent response in insect neurons that promote egg-laying
Scientists use machine-learning approach to track disease-carrying mosquitoes
Using genetic and environmental data, research team maps landscape connectivity in mosquitoes that are known vectors for dengue, chikungunya and Zika
Spotted lanternfly: Research accelerates in effort to contain invasive pest
New collection showcases growing body of knowledge on spotted lanternfly biology and management
In dueling ants vying to become queen, behavioral and molecular cues quickly determine who will win
“Pseudoqueens” rapidly emerge after social structure is disrupted by the loss of queen
How location dictates biological clocks of species: Study in beetles offers new insights
Scientists explore geographical variation in the biological clock of a new model organism, the Japanese red flour beetle
Termite gut microbes could aid biofuel production
Wheat straw, the dried stalks left over from grain production, is a potential source of biofuels and commodity chemicals. But before straw can be converted to useful products by biorefineries, the polymers that make it up must be broken down…
Silencing the alarm
An enzyme in the saliva of certain insects prevents their food plants from warning neighboring plants of an attack
Invasive flies prefer untouched territory when laying eggs
A recent study finds that the invasive spotted wing drosophila ( Drosophila suzukii ) prefers to lay its eggs in places that no other spotted wing flies have visited. The finding raises questions about how the flies can tell whether…
Tropical paper wasps babysit for neighbours
[Images and video available: see notes to editors] Wasps provide crucial support to their extended families by babysitting at neighbouring nests, according to new research by a team of biologists from the universities of Bristol, Exeter and UCL published today…
Biodiversity protects bee communities from disease
Photos A new analysis of thousands of native and nonnative Michigan bees shows that the most diverse bee communities have the lowest levels of three common viral pathogens. University of Michigan researchers netted and trapped more than 4,000 bees from…
Scientists discover how a group of caterpillars became poisonous
Genetic research using Smithsonian collections reveals the evolutionary path of six toxic butterfly species
Battling bugs help solve mysteries of weapon evolution
Scientists at the University of Arizona outfitted bugs with body armor and pitted them against each other in staged wrestling matches, all in the name of science.
Pensoft and ARPHA welcome three biodiversity-themed journals in their portfolio
The scholarly publisher and technology provider Pensoft and its self-developed publishing platform ARPHA welcome three journals to their distinguished and growing portfolio of biodiversity-themed journals. The international, peer-reviewed and open-access journals Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria , Caucasiana and Zitteliana are…
Summer weather conditions influence winter survival of honey bees
Winter survival of honey bee colonies is strongly influenced by summer temperatures and precipitation in the prior year, according to Penn State researchers, who said their findings suggest that honey bees have a “goldilocks” preferred range of summer conditions outside…
Deeper insight into how tick spit suppresses cattle immunity
A tick saliva study reveals immune responses that could lead to better protection for cattle. Scientists from Hokkaido University, Japan and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have revealed that substances…
Size matters: How the size of a male’s weapons affects its anti-predator tactics
Scientists demonstrate in a species of beetle that males adopt different survival tactics depending on the size of their mandibles, which they use as weapons
New study identifies bird species that could spread ticks and Lyme disease
Global synthesis reveals bird traits that promote Lyme and flags high-risk species
Concordia researchers find melatonin is effective against polycystic kidney disease
Hormone treatment can help reduce cysts in fruit fly renal tubules, according to Cassandra Millet-Boureima and Chiara Gamberi
A quarter of known bee species haven’t appeared in public records since the 1990s
Researchers at the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) in Argentina have found that, since the 1990s, up to 25% of reported bee species are no longer being reported in global records, despite a large increase in the…
New antifungal compound from ant farms
Attine ants are farmers, and they grow fungus as food. Pseudonocardia and Streptomyces bacteria are their farmhands, producing metabolites that protect the crop from pathogens. Surprisingly, these metabolites lack common structural features across bacteria from different geographic locations, even though…
Amber-encased fossil shines light on evolution of bioluminescent insects
Trapped in amber for ~100 million years, an exceptionally well-preserved, light-producing beetle sheds light on the diversification of bioluminescent beetles in the Cretaceous period and provides the missing fossil link between fireflies’ living relatives.
Appreciating a flower’s texture, color, and shape leads to better drone landings
If you ever saw a honeybee hopping elegantly from flower to flower or avoiding you as you passed by, you may have wondered how such a tiny insect has such perfect navigation skills. These flying insects’ skills are partially explained…
Constructing termite turrets without a blueprint
Researchers develop a mathematical model to explain the complex architecture of termite mounds
Bees respond to wildfire aftermath by producing more female offspring
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon State University have found that the blue orchard bee, an important native pollinator, produces female offspring at higher rates in the aftermath of wildfire in forests. The more severe the fire had been, the…
CCNY’s David Lohman finds Asian butterfly mimics different species as defense mechanism
Many animal and insect species use Batesian mimicry – mimicking a poisonous species – as a defense against predators. The common palmfly, Elymnias hypermnestra (a species of satyrine butterfly), which is found throughout wide areas of tropical and subtropical Asia,…
GM plant grows insect sex pheromone compounds needed for green pest control in agriculture
GM plant to give boost to green insect controls
Asian butterfly populations show different mimicry patterns thanks to genetic ‘switch’
A new study by researchers at the University of Chicago and the City College of New York (CCNY) has identified a unique, genetic “mimicry switch” that determines whether or not male and female Elymnias hypermnestra palmflies mimic the same or different species of butterflies.
Asian butterfly mimics other species to defend against predators
NEW YORK, January 13, 2021 — Many animal and insect species use Batesian mimicry — mimicking a poisonous species — as a defense against predators. The common palmfly Elymnias hypermnestra — a species of satyrine butterfly that is found throughout…
Shedding light on the secret reproductive lives of honey bees
Honey bee health has been on the decline for two decades, with U.S. and Canadian beekeepers now losing about 25 to 40% of their colonies annually. And queen bees are failing faster than they have in the past in their…
Artificial intelligence puts focus on the life of insects
Scientists are combining artificial intelligence and advanced computer technology with biological know how to identify insects with supernatural speed.
Beating the ‘billion-dollar bug’ is a shared burden
Study shows how individual farming practices associated with greater corn rootworm damage can have farther-reaching effects
Unsure how to help reverse insect declines? Scientists suggest simple ways
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Entomologist Akito Kawahara’s message is straightforward: We can’t live without insects. They’re in trouble. And there’s something all of us can do to help. Kawahara’s research has primarily focused on answering fundamental questions about moth and butterfly…
Gene-editing produces tenfold increase in superbug slaying antibiotics
Scientists have used gene-editing advances to achieve a tenfold increase in the production of super-bug targeting formicamycin antibiotics. The John Innes Centre researchers used the technology to create a new strain of Streptomyces formicae bacteria which over-produces the medically promising…
Ecologist receives grant to study pollinator habitat in utility rights-of-way
Findings will help power companies promote ecosystem health in landscapes set aside for electric power delivery lines
WVU mycologists receive National Geographic Explorers grant to study fungal diversity of millipedes
Millipedes represent some of the earliest known terrestrial animals and are highly understudied, but two West Virginia University researchers are working to shine a light on these important invertebrates. Several years ago, Matt Kasson and Angie Macias set out to…