Swarm Shift: How Locusts Switch Phases When Numbers Swell
After swarms of the South American locust Schistocerca cancellata reappeared in 2015 for the first time in 60 years, a study on what drives their swarm behavior finds the insects' population density acts as a trigger for a slew of biological and behavioral changes at the individual level.
Rise of the Grasshoppers: New Analysis Redraws Evolutionary Tree for Acrididae Family
A new study of genetic relationships in the grasshopper family Acrididae points to an origin in South America, not Africa, as previously thought. The findings about grasshopper evolution are reported in Insect Systematics and Diversity.
Can a Swarm of Locusts Really Block Out the Sun?
We know the moon can do it, but what about a swarm of locusts? On Monday, August 21, 2017, denizens of North America will look skyward to witness a solar […]
Functions of Grasshopper Genitalia Revealed, in 3D, Via Correlative Microscopy
For their study recently published in the Journal of Morphology, Derek Woller and Hojun Song created an animated, visual overview of all the anatomical components of both sexes of Melanoplus […]