Black-Orange-Black Color Pattern Found in 23 Families of Wasps, Bees, and Ants
Well-known in Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, the distinct black-orange-black color pattern has never been fully documented in Hymenoptera—until now. A study of more than 1 million wasp, bee, and other hymenopteran specimens finds a wide range of variations of the pattern present in 23 families within the order Hymenoptera.
Meet the Mosquito With a Big Appetite—for Other Mosquitoes
The mosquito species Toxorhynchites rutilus is harmless to humans but is a voracious predator of other mosquitoes. Researchers in Houston, Texas, are hoping the "mosquito assassin" could be put into action as a tool for controlling mosquitoes that carry human pathogens—if they can find an efficient way to raise the predator mosquitoes in the lab.
Maximizing Mealworms: Research Aims to Improve Rearing Methods
Yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) have long been produced as fish bait and pet food, but their use as animal feed and even food for people is growing. Researchers are working to fine-tune methods to improve the quantity and quality of mass-reared mealworms.
Hidden Eyespot Reveals New Facets of Sexual Selection in Bicyclus Butterflies
A new study illustrates how ventral forewing patterns in Bicyclus anynana butterflies are used in sexual communication. Though the patterns are often hidden by hindwings when at rest, the study found the white, UV-reflecting eyespots to be a signal used by females to attract males.
Putting Bumble Bees in a Box Might Help Scientists Study Their Nesting Ecology
Bumble bee nests can be hard to find and study, so researchers hope they can create artificial nest boxes for them to use and be observed more easily. But will bumble bees use such boxes? New research offers some clues about optimal design and placement of bumble bee "domiciles."
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.