Little Organisms, Big World: Insect Gut Bacteria Partnerships
A recent review in the open-access Journal of Insect Science shines a light on the diversity of host-symbiont relationships among holometabolous insects.
List of Known Host Plants Grows for Spotted Lanternfly
Two researchers compile existing research and additional observations to update the list of potential host plants for the invasive spotted lanternfly, bringing the worldwide total of plants the insect will feed on to 103—of which 56 are present in North America.
The Curious Case of the Spiders in the Ant-Acacia Mutualisms
Deep in the Panamanian rain forest, researchers document two species of orb-weaver spiders that have inserted themselves into the typically two-way relationship between certain ant colonies and the acacia plants they live in.
Volcanic Rock Yields a New Kind of Insecticide for Mosquitoes
A derivative of volcanic rock called perlite shows effectiveness as a mechanical insecticide against Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. The substance is believed to act by causing dehydration in the mosquitoes.