http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/insects_and_butterflies/ Current event articles on insects and butterflies. Read about insect bites, butterfly migration, caterpillar growth, which insects are beneficial and how to deal with pests. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:05:01 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/insects_and_butterflies/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185654.htm In a study of the molecular underpinnings of plants' pest resistance, biologists have shown that plants use circadian rhythms to both anticipate raids by hungry insects and to time the production of defensive hormones that protect against insect attack. The researchers demonstrated that when the plants' timing was shifted, the plants were defenseless against daytime-feeding caterpillars. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213185654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172924.htm A new study examines several options for managing the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that is destroying US ash trees. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101730.htm Horseflies are unpleasant insects that deliver powerful bites and now it seems that zebras evolved their stripes to avoid attracting the unpleasant pests. New research show that zebras have the least attractive hides for horseflies. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101730.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101456.htm Beauty is more than skin deep, at least for fruit flies studied in new research that demonstrates how age-related changes in pheromone production can reduce sexual attractiveness. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209101456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220215.htm A species of mosquito has been discovered breeding in the UK that has not been seen in the country since 1945. Populations of the mosquito, found across mainland Europe and known only by its Latin name Culex modestus, were recorded at a number of sites in the marshes of north Kent and south Essex in 2010 and 2011. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120208220215.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206154122.htm Studies of diving beetles suggest sperm evolution may be driven by changes in female reproductive organs, challenging the paradigm of post-mating sexual selection being driven mostly by competition among sperm. In the process, the researchers discovered an unexpected and stunning variety of sperm form and behavior. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206154122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151608.htm By figuring out how butterflies flutter among flowers with amazing grace and agility, researchers hope to help build small airborne robots that can mimic those maneuvers. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151248.htm 'Yellow biotechnology' refers to biotechnology with insects -- analogous to the green (plants) and red (animals) biotechnology. Active ingredients or genes in insects are characterized and used for research or application in agriculture and medicine. Scientists in Germany are now using a procedure which brings forward ecological research on insects: They study gene functions in moth larvae by manipulating genes using the RNA interference technology (RNAi). RNAi is induced by feeding larvae with plants that have been treated with viral vectors. This method -- called "plant virus based dsRNA producing system" (VDPS) -- increases sample throughput compared to the use of genetically transformed plants.  Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202150825.htm The Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Peru program recently announced the discovery of 365 species previously undocumented in Bahuaja Sonene National Park in southeastern Peru. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202150825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201104637.htm Scientists analyzing the release of genetically modified insects into the environment have found that access to accurate scientific information can be misleading. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201104637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175152.htm The current issue of PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases presents a new collection of articles on the use of genetically modified (GM) insects for controlling some of the most widespread infectious diseases. Articles from across the PLoS journals describe the technological advances these tools represent, the regulatory framework, and the societal dialogue that is necessary for their wide-scale application for disease control. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175152.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092455.htm An evolutionary geneticist helped discover the gene in passion vine butterflies that keeps predators from eating them. The gene is responsible for red patterns on the butterflies' wings. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130170227.htm Forked fungus beetles are not pretty – they look like tree bark – but they're helping us better understand the evolution of social behavior, an evolutionary biologist said. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130170227.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140352.htm In August 2010, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside discovered a tiny fairyfly wasp in upstate New York that had never been seen in the United States until then. Nearly exactly a year later, he discovered the wasp in Irvine, Calif., strongly suggesting that the wasp is well established in the country. Called Gonatocerus ater, the 1-millimeter-long wasp was accidentally introduced in North America. It lays its eggs inside the eggs of leafhoppers. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:03:03 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124140352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124134431.htm Valentines Day is upon us and there is no better way to say “forever” than with the gift of a cockroach. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:44:44 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124134431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119102008.htm A comprehensive multi-disciplinary synthesis reveals the urgent need for further investigation and policy development to address significant environmental, social and economic impacts of invasive alien species and climate change. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119102008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119101555.htm Dung beetle dance provides crucial orientation cues: Beetles climb on top of ball, rotate to get their bearings to maintain straight trajectory. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119101555.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111742.htm Butterflies and birds are no longer able to keep up with climate change. Compared with 20 years ago, butterflies are now 135 kilometers behind the shifting climate zones and birds more than 200 kilometers, according to findings of a new study. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118111742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117161432.htm New research demonstrates that fruit flies keep their bearings by using the polarization pattern of natural skylight, bolstering the belief that many, if not all, insects have that capability. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117161432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117145101.htm Researchers have discovered a key amino acid essential for human nutrition is also an effective insecticide against caterpillars that threaten the citrus industry. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:51:51 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117145101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095527.htm For the past 20 years, the climate in Europe has been getting warmer. Species of bird and butterfly which thrive in cool temperatures therefore need to move further north. However, they have difficulty adapting to the warmer climate quickly enough, as shown by new research. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113205634.htm Political and economic theorists could learn lessons from studying how an ant colony allocates food resources, according to a new article. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113205634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113093634.htm A previously unnamed species of horse fly whose appearance is dominated by its glamorous golden lower abdomen has been named in honor of American pop diva, Beyoncé -- a member of the former group Destiny's Child that recorded the 2001 hit single "Bootylicious." Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120113093634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112112722.htm Honeybee populations have been in serious decline for years, and scientists may have identified one of the factors that cause bee deaths around agricultural fields. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120112112722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110192942.htm Predators select their prey in order to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and give themselves the best chance of producing healthy offspring. A new study shows for the first time that predatory animals choose their food on the basis of its nutritional value, rather than just overall calorie content. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110192942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151720.htm Thousands of broken trees line the banks of the Chattooga River. The dead gray stabs were once evergreen monsters offering shade to trout and picturesque views to visitors. These Eastern hemlocks are dying rapidly, and researchers are working to save them. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110151720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110114533.htm Virginia Tech researchers have identified a novel anti-viral pathway in the immune system of culicine mosquitoes, the insect family to which mosquitoes that spread yellow fever, West Nile fever, dengue fever, and chikungunya fever belong. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110114533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109102918.htm Females influence the gender of their offspring so they inherit either their mother's or grandfather's qualities. "High-quality" females -- those which produce more offspring -- are more likely to have daughters. Weaker females, whose own fathers were stronger and more successful, produce more sons. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109102918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105111946.htm Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the Anopheles mosquito’s innate immune system could be genetically engineered to block the transmission of the malaria-causing parasite to humans. In addition, they showed that the genetic modification had little impact on the mosquito’s fitness under laboratory conditions. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120105111946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229091845.htm The microbes on your skin determine how attractive you are to mosquitoes, which may have important implications for malaria transmission and prevention, according to a new study. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229091845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111225144318.htm RNA editing is a key step in gene expression. Scientists now report that they have engineered a gene capable of visually displaying the activity of the key enzyme ADAR in living fruit flies. Sun, 25 Dec 2011 14:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111225144318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220194810.htm Mockingbirds rarely remove the 'alien' eggs parasitic cowbirds lay in their nests because keeping them dilutes the risk of their own eggs being attacked. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220194810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219152516.htm A discovery of the unique chemical composition of a cockroach signal -- a "Let's hook up" sex pheromone emitted by certain female wood cockroaches to entice potential mates -- could have far-ranging benefits, including improved conservation of an endangered woodpecker. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111219152516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216174442.htm In the world of insects, high risk of attack has led to the development of camouflage as a means for survival. Researchers have uncovered some of the most extensive evidence of caterpillars using another strategy previously best-known in adult butterflies: mimicry. Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:44:44 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216174442.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112903.htm Marine biologists shed light on the larval stage of the barracuda, as well as several other closely related species. Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215135745.htm No one likes being bitten by whining mosquitoes, but have you ever considered what the experience is like for them as their cold-blooded bodies fill with our warm blood? Now researchers repor have uncovered the mosquitoes' secret to avoiding heat stress: they give up cooling droplets of their hard-won meals. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215135745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153129.htm Wheat's genetic resistance to Hessian flies has been failing, but a group scientists believe that other plants may soon be able to come to the rescue. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212153129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124601.htm An analysis of bee collection data over the past 130 years shows that spring arrives about 10 days earlier than in the 1880s, and bees and flowering plants have kept pace by arriving earlier in lock-step. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:46:46 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092655.htm Seabirds often live in large colonies in very confined spaces. Parasites, such as fleas and ticks, take advantage of this ideal habitat with its rich supply of nutrition. As a result, they can transmit blood parasites like avian malaria to the birds. Scientists have investigated whether this affects all seabirds equally, and whether climate conditions, the habitat or particular living conditions influence infection with avian malaria. They discovered that most seabirds are free of malaria parasites; however, some groups, especially frigatebirds, are particularly common hosts to malaria parasites. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209123210.htm Butterflies dispersal is strongly related to demography and ecological specialization, new research shows. Butterfly with narrow tolerance to temperature are also those species that have weak dispersal ability. For such species, the combination of habitat fragmentation and climate warming are a kind of 'double penalty'. Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111209123210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208141942.htm Researchers have found a signal, overlooked until now, that plays a role when honey bees split off from their mother colony and go scouting for a new home. Called the "stop signal," it is a very short buzz delivered by a scout bee while butting her head against a dancing honey bee, and is similar to signals that occur between neurons in the brains of monkeys making decisions. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208141942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111206151540.htm Studies of a protein that fruit flies use to sense heat and chemicals may someday provide solutions to human pain and the control of disease-spreading mosquitoes. Researchers have discovered how fruit flies distinguish the warmth of a summer day from the pungency of wasabi by using TRPA1, a protein whose human relative is critical for pain and inflammation. Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111206151540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111206115049.htm New research on the bed bug's ability to withstand the genetic bottleneck of inbreeding provides new clues to explain the rapidly growing problem of bed bugs across the United States and globally. After mostly disappearing in the US in the 1950s, the common bed bug has reappeared with a vengeance over the past decade. Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:50:50 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111206115049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205140616.htm A team of scientists recently rediscovered the rarest species of bumblebee in the United States, last seen in 1956, living in the White Mountains of south-central New Mexico. Known as "Cockerell's Bumblebee," the bee was originally described in 1913 from six specimens collected along the Rio Ruidoso, with another 16 specimens collected near the town of Cloudcroft, and one more from Ruidoso, the most recent being in 1956. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205140616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102704.htm Researchers have unraveled the mystery as to how the malaria mosquito uses its sensory powers to find food and spread disease. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201142756.htm Though paper wasps have brains less than a millionth the size of humans', they have evolved specialized face-learning abilities analogous to the system used by humans, according to researchers. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201142756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201105355.htm Researchers have confirmed a unique behavior within the male population of tiny fig wasps that pollinate fig trees -- they team up to help pregnant females, regardless of whether they have mated themselves. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:53:53 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201105355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130202559.htm A co-evolutionary arms race exists between social insects and their parasites. Army ants share their nests with several parasites such as beetles, snails and spiders. They also share their food with the kleptoparasitic silverfish. New research shows that the silverfish manage to hide amongst the ants by covering themselves in the ant's chemical scent. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130202559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130171103.htm A new study shows that radiation can be used to effectively sterilize the light brown apple moth, an invasive pest to the California wine industry, as well as fruit and vegetable growers. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130171103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129092428.htm Why are bee colonies worldwide suffering mysterious deaths? A unique study describes a single bee protein that can promote bee health and solve a major economic challenge. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129092428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111125160856.htm Rainforests that are subject to use by the human population and are divided into forest fragments can maintain their ecological functionality. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:08:08 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111125160856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133510.htm New developments may lead to insects monitoring hazardous situations before humans are sent in. The principal idea is to harvest the insect's biological energy from either its body heat or movements. The device converts the kinetic energy from wing movements of the insect into electricity, thus prolonging the battery life. The battery can be used to power small sensors implanted on the insect (such as a small camera, a microphone or a gas sensor) in order to gather vital information from hazardous environments. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133127.htm Each fall, millions of monarch butterflies from across the Eastern United States use a time-compensated sun compass to direct their navigation south, traveling up to 2,000 miles to an overwintering site in a specific grove of fir trees in central Mexico. Scientists have long been fascinated by the biological mechanisms that allow successive generations of these delicate creatures to travel such long distances to a small region roughly 300 square miles in size. To unlock the genetic and regulatory elements important for this remarkable journey neurobiologists have now sequenced and analyzed the monarch butterfly genome. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121114851.htm Researchers mimic the many-layered nanostructure of blue mountain swallowtail wings to make a silicon wafer that traps both air and light. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:48:48 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121114851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121104153.htm Natural selection has played a role in the development of the many skins patterns of the tiny Ranitomeya imitator poison dart frog. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121104153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140635.htm Ever wondered why flies are attracted to beer? Entomologists have, and offer an explanation. They report that flies sense glycerol that yeasts make during fermentation. Specifically, they found that Gr64e, a receptor associated with neurons located in the fly's mouth-parts, is instrumental in signaling a good taste for beer. Once a fly has settled on beer, Gr64e detects glycerol and transmits this information to the fly's neurons, thus influencing the fly's behavior. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117140635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116081757.htm The western corn rootworm represents a formidable pest. But what is the cause of its voracity? Biologists in Switzerland have put forth an explanation. The western corn rootworm larvae exploit the plant’s natural defences, which are supposed to deter them, to their benefit by using them to locate nutrient rich plant parts. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116081757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175805.htm A study detected contrasting patterns of drug resistance in malaria-causing parasites taken from both humans and mosquitoes. Parasites found in human blood samples showed a high prevalence for pyrimethamine-resistance, which was consistent with the class of drugs widely used to treat malaria. However, parasites taken from mosquitoes themselves had very low prevalence of pyrimethamine-resistance and a high prevalence of cycloguanil-resistant mutants indicating resistance to a newer class of antimalaria drug not widely used in Zambia. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175635.htm The brightest hues in nature are produced by tiny patterns in, say, feathers or scales rather than pigments. These so-called "structural colors" are widespread, giving opals their fire, people their blue eyes, and peacocks their brilliant feathers. Now, a new study brings us closer to the origins of structural colors by reconstructing them in fossil moths that are 47 million years old. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115175635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115132902.htm Parasitoid larvae that feed within caterpillars that eat cabbage plants influence the plant via the caterpillar, making the cabbage plant an unattractive prospect for moths looking for a spot to lay their eggs. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111115132902.htm