Why the Connections Between Cells Could be New Targets for Managing Insect Pests
The channels that link insect cells, known as gap junctions, control a wide array of biological functions. Biologists are exploring gap junctions as potential targets for new insecticides, and a new review in Annals of the Entomological Society of America examines existing knowledge and future directions for this line of research.
Research Begins to Unravel Why Some Spiders are Social
Earlier this year, a new study combined extensive genetic and life history data to explore how sociality evolved in huntsman spiders. The findings set the stage for further research on the evolution of social behavior.
Feel the Vibe: Study Shows Spotted Lanternflies Sense Acoustic Stimuli
In a new lab study, spotted lanternflies moved toward the source of a nearby 60-hertz vibration. Further field experiments could reveal whether "vibrational trapping" might be a new tool for managing the invasive pest.
Vitamin B1 is Not a Mosquito Repellent. So Why Do Doctors Prescribe It?
Some faulty science in the 1940s gave rise to the myth that consuming a vitamin could deter mosquito bites. A new review compiles the decades of scientific studies disproving the idea and explores why it still persists.