When Cicada-Killer Wasps Become Cicada-Stealer Wasps
Hunting cicadas and lugging them back to a nest is hard work for a cicada-killer wasp. But sometimes all that hard work goes to waste, when a fellow wasp swoops in and lays her egg on the other wasp's prey. And that's if the cicada isn't stolen by a bird first.
The Hole Story: How Mosquitoes Seek Out Gaps in Nets or Screens
A new study suggests mosquitoes actually aren't all that good at finding holes in netting, doing so mostly by chance.
Need to Mail Mosquitoes? Pack Them Up Nice and Snug
Several emerging mosquito-management methods require the transport of mosquitoes to precise locations. There, lab-reared mosquitoes—for instance, sterilized males—mix with wild mosquitoes and hinder the population's ability to reproduce or transmit disease. But, getting mosquitoes from lab to wild presents logistical challenges. A team led by researchers at New Mexico State University are tackling this problem and have made a surprising discovery about just how tightly live mosquitoes can be packed up.
The Best Look Yet at the Tiny Fungus Storage Units Inside Ambrosia Beetles
Advances in microscopic imaging techniques are revealing, in unprecedented detail, the structure of mycangia—the internal organs that ambrosia beetles use to store and transport the symbiotic fungi they farm.
High Temperature, Grasshopper Diet Boost Venom Production in Lab-Reared Scorpions
Researchers in Pakistan evaluated the factors that influence venom production in scorpions, with the aim to maximize venom extraction for research and medical uses.
Busy Bees: An Up-Close Look at One Bee Species’ Scramble to Mate
With high-speed, high-definition cameras, researchers at the University of Arizona got an unprecedented look at the mating habits of the solitary bee species Diadasia rinconis and gained new insights into their courtship behaviors and the selective pressures those behaviors produce.
Why Smoking Soothes the Stressed-Out Bee Hive
A new study that explores the effect of smoke on honey bee (Apis mellifera) behavior finds that it reduces the instance of bees releasing a venom droplet in their signaling of danger to other bees, which researchers speculate may thereby reduce the amount of alarm pheromone released.
Funny Honey at the Zoo Reveals Bees’ Foraging on Sugar Baits
In the course of a study on mosquito movement, researchers discovered that local colonies of honey bees had foraged on a nontoxic sugar bait meant for the mosquitoes. The bait was dyed red to track mosquitoes that fed on it, but the dye also showed up in much of the bees' honey.
Harlequin Bug Coloration Influenced by Temperature During Nymphal Stages
A new study shows that harlequin bugs can adapt their pigmentation (or melanin levels) during their developmental stages based on outside temperatures. Such thermal melanism enhances the pest species' potential to invade new regions and environments.
Hungry, Hungry Larvae: How Entomologists Design the Diet for Mass-Reared Screwworm Flies
Ever wondered how one might feed 20 million fly larvae every week? Get a glimpse into the work of entomologists who fine-tune the diet for mass-reared screwworm flies at the Panama – United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm.
New and Easy Marking Method Tracks Bees Without Killing Them
A new study published in the Journal of Insect Science outlines a new technique that quickly, simply, and inexpensively marks bees to track their movement—and it's non-lethal, too. It could make for an valuable improvement for mark-and-recapture methods for these pollinators.
Got Spotted Lanternfly Eggs on Your Tree? Send ‘Em Through the Wood Chipper
The invasive spotted lanternfly often lays its eggs on tree limbs and trunks. A new study finds that putting infested wood through a wood chipper effectively destroys spotted lanternfly egg masses, and researchers recommend the practice for reducing the potential spread of the pest.
What Gives This Butterfly Species the Only Blue Wings in its Subtribe?
Males of the butterfly species Mimeresia neavei feature blue, structurally colored wings, the only species in the Mimacraeina subtribe to do so. Researchers in Hungary credit M. neavei's blue wings to a form of coloration found in several butterfly groups but not experimentally examined within Lycaenidae.
Researchers Propose Standardized Naming of Lab-Reared Insect Stocks
Entomologists at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Canada have crafted a standardized naming convention for their laboratory insect stocks, and they suggest other similar facilities could adopt the naming format, as well.
Team Develops New Protocol for Embedding Insects in Resin
Insect and arthropod specimens set in clear resin are a valuable tool for teaching entomology both in the classroom and in public outreach. A team at Texas A&M University has developed an efficient, cost-effective process for resin casting and shares the instructions with the entomological community.
Bodycams Can Make for Better Agricultural Pest Management, Too
In a new study at the University of Arizona, researchers used body-mounted cameras to evaluate the efficiency of two insect pest sampling techniques—a sweepnet and a vacuum—in a cotton field. The perspective offered new insights into how such methods can be evaluated and could help growers and integrated pest management professionals further fine-tune their sampling techniques.