For Good of the Colony, Sick Honey Bee Brood Sounds the Alarm
Honey bees detect and remove brood afflicted with parasites or pathogens. A new study shows that part of this "hygienic behavior" relies on chemical signals emitted by unhealthy brood, and brood coming from colonies bred to be more hygienic are more effective in signaling for their own removal.
Water Mites Discovered Parasitizing Two Mosquito Species in Pennsylvania
A survey of mosquitoes in Pennsylvania discovered 12 mosquitoes parasitized by larval mites. Water mites can reduce the survival and reproductive success of mosquitoes, and entomologists are investigating such parasitism to evaluate its potential as a method for biological control efforts.
Fossilized Tick Carrying Pathogens in Mammalian Blood Cells Discovered in 15-Million-Year-Old Amber
Ticks have been pathogen-carrying parasites for a very, very long time. A new discovery in a specimen of fossilized amber, roughly 15 million to 20 million years old, reveals a […]
Nicotine and Other Natural Chemicals Protect Bees from Parasites
https://entomologytoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/bumble-bee-susan-ellis.jpg Bumble bees infected with a common intestinal parasite are drawn to flowers whose nectar and pollen have a medicinal effect, a new study shows. The findings, soon to be […]