Mite-y Waist: Correcting a 60-Year Error in Mite Morphology
Much of mite biology is clouded in mystery—even the delineation of their body segments. A new study upends a 60-year-old model for the proper location of mite "waists."
Study Shows American Dog Ticks in Western U.S. Are a Separate Species
Researchers have split the medically important American dog tick into two species: the existing Dermacentor variabilis in eastern states and the newly described Dermacentor similis west of the Rocky Mountains.
New Research Deepens Mystery About Evolution of Bees’ Social Behavior
A new study has mounted perhaps the most intricate, detailed look ever at the diversity in structure and form of bees, offering new insights in a long-standing debate over how complex social behaviors arose in certain branches of bees' evolutionary tree. The report offers strong evidence that complex social behavior developed just once in pollen-carrying bees, rather than twice or more, separately, in different evolutionary branches—but researchers say the case is far from closed.
Bark Beetle Identification: There’s an App for That, Too
Researchers at the University of Florida and the USDA-ARS have created a mobile app for bark beetle identification, allowing users to either play a beetle ID game or browse through the bewildering diversity of morphologies in the world of bark beetles.