Insect (including Butterfly) News

Research Aims for Insecticide That Targets Malaria Mosquitoes

A team of scientists is working toward an insecticide that would target malaria-carrying mosquitoes but do no harm to ...  > full story

New Target to Boost Plant Resistance to Insects and Pathogens Identified

Plants have evolved unique and sophisticated immune systems to defend themselves against insects and pathogens. Plant hormones ...  > full story

Bittersweet: Bait-Averse Cockroaches Shudder at Sugar

Sugar isn't always sweet to German cockroaches. In a new study, researchers show that glucose sets off bitter receptors in roach taste ...  > full story

Ants and Carnivorous Plants Conspire for Mutualistic Feeding

An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to new research. ...  > full story

• Insects (including Butterflies)
  Pests and Parasites
  Microbiology
  Bacteria
  Cats
  Behavioral Science
   
  

  Mosquito Behavior May Be Immune Response, Not Parasite Manipulation

  May 22, 2013 — Malaria-carrying mosquitoes appear to be manipulated by the parasites they carry, but this manipulation may simply be part of the mosquitoes' immune response, according to ... > full story
• Biodiversity
  Ecology
  Endangered Plants
  Nature
  Ecology Research
  Extinction
   
  

  Bee and Wild Flower Biodiversity Loss Slows

  May 22, 2013 — Declines in the biodiversity of pollinating insects and wild plants have slowed in recent years, according to a new study. Researchers found evidence of dramatic reductions in the diversity of ... > full story
• New Species
  Mating and Breeding
  Nature
  Invasive Species
  Exotic Species
  Insects (including Butterflies)
   
  

  The Pirate Ant: A New Species from the Philippines With a Bizarre Pigmentation Pattern

  May 21, 2013 — Scientists discovered and described a bizarre species of pirate ant. The new Cardiocondyla pirata has its name inspired by its strange pigmentation that consist of two eye-patch like dark stripes ... > full story
• Insects (including Butterflies)
  Cell Biology
  Molecular Biology
  Animals
  Genetics
  Biology
   

  Parasitic Wasps Use Calcium Pump to Block Fruit Fly Immunity

  May 20, 2013 — Parasitic wasps switch off the immune systems of fruit flies by draining calcium from the flies' blood cells, a finding that offers new insight into how pathogens break through a host's defenses. ... > full story
• Insects (including Butterflies)
  Invasive Species
  Soil Types
  Animals
  Construction
  Organic
   
  

  Ant Study Could Help Future Robot Teams Work Underground

  May 20, 2013 — Future teams of subterranean search and rescue robots may owe their success to the lowly fire ant, a much-despised insect whose painful bites and extensive networks of underground tunnels are ... > full story
• Insects (including Butterflies)
  Invasive Species
  New Species
  Nature
  Wild Animals
  Biology
   
  

  Asian Lady Beetles Use Biological Weapons Against Their European Relatives

  May 16, 2013 — Once introduced for biological pest control, Asian lady beetle populations have been increasing uncontrollably. Scientists have now found the reason for the animal's success. Its body fluid contains ... > full story
• Invasive Species
  Insects (including Butterflies)
  Wildfires
  Exotic Species
  Ecology Research
  Animals
   
  

  Invasive 'Crazy Ants' Are Displacing Fire Ants in Areas Throughout Southeastern U.S.

  May 16, 2013 — Invasive "crazy ants" are displacing fire ants in areas across the southeastern United States, according to researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. It's the latest in a history of ant ... > full story
• Optics
  Nature of Water
  Nanotechnology
  Inorganic Chemistry
  Chemistry
  Graphene
   
  

  Moth-Inspired Nanostructures Take the Color out of Thin Films

  May 16, 2013 — Inspired by the structure of moth eyes, researchers have developed nanostructures that limit reflection at the interfaces where two thin films meet, suppressing the "thin-film interference" ... > full story
• Malaria
  Insects (including Butterflies)
  Pests and Parasites
  HIV and AIDS
  Microbiology
  Infectious Diseases
   

  Malaria Infected Mosquitoes More Attracted to Human Odor Than Uninfected Mosquitoes

  May 15, 2013 — Female mosquitoes infected with malaria parasites are significantly more attracted to human odor than uninfected mosquitoes, according to new research. Scientists will now attempt to find out how ... > full story
• Insects (including Butterflies)
  Invasive Species
  Evolution
  Agriculture and Food
  Water
  Biochemistry Research
   
  

  Evolution Shapes New Rules for Ant Behavior, Research Finds

  May 15, 2013 — Biologist Deborah M. Gordon's decades-long study of collective behavior in harvester ant colonies has provided a rare real-time look at natural selection at ... > full story

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