New Method Makes for Faster Genetic ID of Eastern U.S. Termites
With multiple species of termites responsible for structural damage in the U.S., rapid identification is a critical part of management efforts. A team of researchers has developed a faster ID method that uses a genetic tool called inter-simple sequence repeats.
Building a Better Grasshopper Trap: New Design Offers Safer, More Efficient Harvest
In Uganda and neighboring African nations, wild grasshoppers are a delicacy and are commonly harvested for their use as food. A team of researchers has designed a new trap that improves on the traditional model by reducing nontarget bycatch, energy consumption, and use of hazardous materials.
Lab Test Rapidly IDs Potential Mite Pest of Honey Bees
Mites in the genus Tropilaelaps could follow in the footsteps of Varroa mites as significant threats to honey bees if they were to expand their range. A new test using analysis of the "melt curves" of DNA samples can discern the four known Tropilaelaps species and could be an important tool in surveillance for the mite pests in apicultural settings.
Flexible Reproduction ‘Mite’ Explain Invasion Success
Spider mites may adapt to uncertain environments by successfully inbreeding and by adjusting reproductive resources, a new study shows. The findings may help entomologists better understand and manage invasions by other haplodiploid arthropods.