What the Fossil Record Tells Us About Insect Extinctions in Deep Time
Fossils provide the only direct evidence of how mass extinctions unfold. But the fossil record of insects is very different from the fossil records of other groups. A new review in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America explores what we can learn about past insect extinctions from their fossils.
Landscape Terrain Provides New Angle for Measuring Tick Abundance
A study of lone star ticks in the forested Missouri Ozarks found that nymphs and adults were more abundant in valleys and on north-facing hills than in other areas. Meanwhile, nymphs appeared less often in the areas of greater temperature variability, while adults were less prevalent with increased elevation.
After a Flood, How Do Insects and Other Invertebrates Recover?
After a 100-year flood struck south central Oklahoma in 2015, a study of the insects, arthropods, and other invertebrates in the area revealed striking declines of most invertebrates in the local ecosystem, a result that researchers say illustrates the hidden impacts of natural disasters.