Scarlett Howard, Author provided The intense colours of flowers have inspired us for centuries. They are celebrated through poems and songs praising the red of roses and blue of violets, and have inspired iconic pieces of art such as Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflowers. But flowers did not evolve their colour for our […]
There are thousands of bee species, both little and large ZESTIN SOH Scientists have mapped the distribution of all 20,000 bee species on earth. The new global map of bees will help in the conservation of the insects we rely on to pollinate our crops, say researchers in Singapore and […]
A new conservation plan weighs the burden and interests of landowners, biologists, and butterfly enthusiasts alike. Monarch butterflies cover a tree at El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Michoacán, Mexico.D. André Green II D. André Green II is an assistant professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of […]
The aim is to reduce the population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes GETTY IMAGES Local officials in Florida have approved the release of 750 million mosquitoes that have been genetically modified to reduce local populations. The aim is to reduce the number of mosquitoes that carry diseases like dengue or the […]
You don’t need a can full of DEET to keep ticks and mosquitoes at bay. Neither bugs nor the chemical smell of commercial repellent are invited to this relaxing evening by the water. Julie Rotter/Unsplash This story was originally featured on Outdoor Life. Unless you’re an entomologist (and on the clock), […]
HANNIER PULIDO Scientists have discovered a new behaviour among bumblebees that tricks plants into flowering early. Researchers found that when deprived of pollen, bumblebees will nibble on the leaves of flowerless plants. The damage done seems to fool the plant into flowering, sometimes up to 30 days earlier than normal. […]
GETTY IMAGES Long seen as annoying creatures that can leave holes in your clothes, moths have been badly misjudged, say scientists. New research suggests they play a vital role as overnight pollinators of a wide range of flowers and plants. The study says that the moths’ transport networks are larger and more […]
Locusts swarm from ground vegetation in northern Kenya, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Image: © Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty) Billions of locusts have been swarming throughout eastern Africa for months, ravaging crops and threatening the food source for millions of people in the region. Thankfully, NASA’s Earth-observing satellites might be able to help. Traveling locust […]
The UN says the situation in the Horn of Africa is the worst in 25 years EPA Somalia has declared a national emergency as large swarms of locusts spread across east Africa. The country’s Ministry of Agriculture said the insects, which consume large amounts of vegetation, posed “a major threat […]
One wasp species has evolved the ability to recognize individual faces among their peers, signaling an evolution in how they have learned to work together. One wasp species has evolved the ability to recognize individual faces among their peers — something that most other insects cannot do — signaling an […]