New Fossil Discovery Highlights Canada-Russia Connection 53 Million Years Ago
A new 53 million-year-old insect fossil called a scorpionfly discovered at B.C.’s McAbee fossil bed site bears a striking resemblance to fossils of the same…
Entomology
Gene Editing Technique Suppresses Malaria Infection in Mosquitoes
Using a gene editing technique known as CRISPR/Cas9, scientists have shown that inactivating the gene FREP1 reduces mosquitos’ susceptibility to infection with Plasmodium, a genus…
New Butterfly Species Discovered in South Russia
What looked like a population of a common butterfly species turned out to be a whole new organism, and, moreover – one with a very…
New Species of Flea Beetle Discovered, Burumoseria Yuae
Researchers detail the discovery of a new species of flea beetle, Burumoseria yuae. Nausea, vomiting and weakness are but a few of the symptoms one…
Scientists Make Brighter LEDs by Mimicking Fireflies
Fireflies have inspired scientists to modify LEDs so that they are more than one and a half times more efficient. Researchers have studied the internal…
Wasp Larva Disinfects Roach From Within
Cockroaches feed on garbage and carrion, so anything that’s devouring a cockroach from the inside out must contend with a variety of disease-causing microbes. Now,…
Periodical Cicadas Manipulate the Populations of Predatory Birds
Periodical cicadas emerge in North America every 13 or 17 years. Scientists think that the cicadas’ cycles are timed to “engineer” the number of predatory…
Spider Building Spider Decoys Discovered in Peruvian Amazon
Discovered at the Tambopata Research Center in the Peruvian Amazon, a spider belonging to the genus Cyclosa is capable of producing elaborate, fake spider decoys. It…
Panamanian Survey Puts Global Arthropod Species at 6 Million
For two years in the Panamanian tropics, entomologists have been laboring in cranes, gliding amongst treetops using helium-filled balloons, hiking through the jungle at night…
Katydid Ears Have Structures Similar to Mammalian Ones
Katydid ears have evolved components resembling those of human ears, on a smaller scale. This is an example of convergent evolution. The scientists published their…
Common Pesticides Are Severely Affecting Bees
Bees are the world’s most important pollinator, and without them the planet would quickly go hungry. All of over the world, their populations are quickly…
Daddy Longlegs with Leg Span of 12 Inches Discovered
A daddy longlegs with a leg span of over 12 inches was discovered in the caves of Laos. Opiliones are an order of arachnids, and…
Amber Captured Cretaceous Period Spider Attacking a Wasp
A Cretaceous period juvenile spider was trapped in amber before it could devour a male wasp caught in its web. This is the first time…
3D Renderings of Carboniferous Period Insects
Two 305-million-year-old insect nymphs were scanned in high resolution in order to construct three-dimensional portraits. The two insects were scanned using fossils from the Carboniferous…
Honeybees Switch Roles within the Hive
Honeybees exhibit subtle differences in their DNA, which is tied to their roles within the hive. These DNA modifications, which are normally fixed, can be…
Aphids Use Rudimentary Sunlight Harvesting Similar to Photosynthesis
Aphids can be born pregnant and males sometimes lack mouths, causing them to die after mating. New work indicates that they might also capture sunlight…
Trogloraptor Marchingtoni Is a New Species of Spiders Discovered in the Pacific Northwest
A completely new genus and species of spiders was discovered in the Pacific Northwest, by spelunkers. Trogloraptor marchingtoni was first discovered by a group of amateur…
Hyperparasite Fungus Limits the Effects of ‘Zombie-Ant’ Fungus
New research on a parasite that fights zombie-ant fungus, an infestations that takes over the brain and then ejects its spores out of the ant’s…