entomology

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'Zombie' Cicadas Are Coming, Thanks to an STD

Periodical cicadas are also nature's strongest urinators, and they're headed to 2 parts of the US

(Newser) - The periodical cicadas that are about to infest two parts of the US ( the Southeast and the Midwest ) aren't just plentiful—they're downright weird. These insects are the strongest urinators in the animal kingdom, with flows that put humans and elephants to shame. They're also...

Insects Gather at Lights Because They're Confused
Insects Gather at Lights
Because They're Confused
NEW STUDY
Feb 4, 2024 2:15 PM CST

Insects Gather at Lights Because They're Confused

Artificial light at night can scramble insects' navigation systems, researcher says

(Newser) - Moths and other flying insects end up fluttering around artificial lights at night not because they find the light itself appealing, but because the light messes with their navigation systems, researchers say. Sam Fabian, co-author of a study published in the journal Nature Communications , says moths and other insects appear...

We'll Go From Shoveling Snow to Shoveling Cicadas
We're in for a
Cicada Double-Whammy
Jan 23, 2024 8:40 AM CST

We're in for a Cicada Double-Whammy

In 221-year first, 2 cicada broods to emerge together

(Newser) - A swath of the country will soon be buzzing—loudly, with up to a trillion cicadas. This April will mark a first since 1803 with the dual emergence of two periodical cicada groups: Brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood, which surfaces every 13 years, and Brood XIII, also known...

They'll Soon Be Back, and It's Our Job to 'Eliminate' Them
They'll Soon Be Back, and It's
Our Job to 'Eliminate' Them
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Apr 29, 2023 12:55 PM CDT

They'll Soon Be Back, and It's Our Job to 'Eliminate' Them

Spotted lanternflies are due to start hatching soon; experts say we need to 'smash' invasive species

(Newser) - Since 2014, when they apparently made their way from China to the US in a shipping crate, spotted lanternflies have been the bane of farmers, agricultural officials, and plant lovers throughout the Northeast. Now, it's almost time for the eggs of the invasive species to hatch, and experts are...

Entomologist Who Created Schmidt Pain Index Dies

Justin Schmidt suffered a lot of stings for science

(Newser) - "A rare, piercing, elevated sort of pain," Justin Schmidt wrote of the sting of the bullhorn acacia ant. "Someone has fired a staple into your cheek." The Arizona-based entomologist has died at age 75, but his name will live on for as long as people are...

'Super-Rare' Bug Found at Walmart Stuns Experts
'Super-Rare' Bug Found
at Walmart Stuns Experts
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 4, 2023 12:10 PM CST

'Super-Rare' Bug Found at Walmart Stuns Experts

It's the first giant lacewing recorded in eastern North America in half a century

(Newser) - Michael Skvarla, director of Penn State's Insect Identification Laboratory, was examining an insect in front of students over Zoom in the fall of 2020 when he froze. He'd just been explaining that this insect from his personal collection—plucked from the side of an Arkansas Walmart during a...

Gypsy Moth Is Being Renamed
Gypsy Moth Gets a New Name
UPDATED
Mar 7, 2022 4:42 PM CST

Gypsy Moth Gets a New Name

The spongy moth's old name was considered a slur

(Newser) - Update: Scientists have settled on a new name for the gypsy moth, a damaging invasive species whose name was considered a slur by Romani people. The Entomological Society of America says a group of more than 50 scientists considered around 200 nominations and settled on "spongy moth," which...

Ticks Collected From a Cave in Kenya Break Records

In a lab setting, this tick species revealed several amazing adaptations

(Newser) - Back in 1976, entomologist Julian Shepherd received a delightful gift: 13 ticks. Specifically, they were Argas brumpti, a species of large argasid (soft-shelled) ticks native to dry regions of southern and eastern Africa; these had been collected from caves near Nairobi. Shepherd, an associate professor of biological sciences at Binghamton...

Boy's Bug Collection Sparks Federal Investigation
Boy's State Fair Bug Display
Spurs a Federal Investigation
in case you missed it
Sep 19, 2021 8:00 AM CDT

Boy's State Fair Bug Display Spurs a Federal Investigation

Kansas student's collection included invasive spotted lanternfly

(Newser) - A Kansas student's display at the state fair earned him a blue ribbon—and spurred an investigation by state and federal authorities. The 4-H participant's insect collection included a spotted lanternfly, an invasive species that poses a major risk to agriculture in eastern states, the Washington Post reports....

Washington Crews Destroy Asian Giant Hornet's Nest

State tries to find nests before they've produced queens

(Newser) - Officials in Washington state said Thursday they had destroyed the first Asian giant hornet nest of the season, which was located near the town of Blaine along the Canadian border. The Washington state Department of Agriculture said it eradicated the nest Wednesday, the AP reports. The nest was located in...

Billions of Cicadas to Swarm Eastern US

Have earplugs ready as 17-year cicadas 'may amass in millions'

(Newser) - Residents of 15 eastern states and the District of Columbia can experience "a rare wonder of the natural world" this spring—if they can get over the noise. Billions of cicadas are expected to emerge from the ground for the first time in 17 years in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois,...

How to Fight Back Against the 'Insect Apocalypse'
Earth Is Facing an
'Insect Apocalypse'
NEW STUDY
Jan 13, 2021 2:35 PM CST

Earth Is Facing an 'Insect Apocalypse'

1% to 2% of insects disappear annually, but new habitats could help

(Newser) - Insects, considered vital to the food chain, are slowly disappearing, at a rate of 1% to 2% each year in some parts of the world, according to researchers, who are urging the general public to lend a helping hand. We're already seeing "death by a thousand cuts,"...

Crew Removes Murder Hornets
Murder Hornet Nest Is No More
Oct 25, 2020 11:05 AM CDT

Murder Hornet Nest Is No More

Washington team removes first settlement discovered in US

(Newser) - State entomologists have won the opening battle against murder hornets in Washington, successfully removing the first nest discovered in the US. Two days after it was discovered in a cavity of a tree near Blaine, the nest was shut down and the hornets removed, CNN reports. The nest held between...

Best Place to Keep Luggage in Hotel Room Is a Surprising One
Entomologist:
Keep Your
Luggage
in Hotel Tub
in case you missed it
Aug 17, 2019 2:15 PM CDT

Entomologist: Keep Your Luggage in Hotel Tub

To avoid bedbugs

(Newser) - Forget about throwing your suitcase into your hotel room's closet—and don't even think about throwing it onto your bed to unpack it. That's what an insect expert tells the Apartment Therapy blog , and the reason may make you cringe: It's to avoid bringing home any...

Scientists Make 'Critical' Find on Honeybees, Herbicide

Glyphosate, used in Monsanto's Roundup, may kill off insects' essential gut bacteria

(Newser) - Animals don't seem to be harmed by the world's most widely used weedkiller, but bees apparently don't fall under that protective umbrella. "This is really critical," one entomologist tells Science of a new study showing the digestive system of honeybees (and possibly other bees as...

Researchers See 'Horrific Decline' in Insect Numbers

Scientist warns of 'ecological Armageddon'

(Newser) - If it seems like there are fewer squished bugs on your windshield after long journeys than in years past, you're not imagining things: Researchers say there appears to have been a steep and extremely worrying decline in insect populations in recent decades. In a study published in the journal...

Girl Mocked Over Her Love of Bugs Gets Last Laugh

Sophia Spencer co-authors research paper

(Newser) - Its insights into the use of social media to promote entomology is just one reason a new scientific paper is making headlines. The other is that its co-author is an 8-year-old girl. Sophia Spencer of Canada has long loved creepy-crawlies, especially carrying them around on her shoulder, but her venture...

Couple Donates Massive Bug Collection Worth $10M

Charles and Lois O'Brien spent 60 years amassing their collection

(Newser) - Lois O'Brien tells the Guardian she and husband Charles have had "sort of an Indiana Jones life." But instead of ancient artifacts, the O'Briens spent 60 years collecting insects across 70 countries and seven continents. Those bugs—approximately 1.25 million of them—now fill more...

For 60 Years, This Bedbug Fell Off the Fla. Map. Now It's Back

Tropical bedbug has potential to wreak more havoc than regular variety

(Newser) - The last time a tropical bedbug was confirmed in Florida, the average price of a new home was less than $10,000 , and Perry Como topped the charts. But USA Today reports this jacked-up cousin of the regular bedbug has now apparently made a reappearance in the Sunshine State, after...

After 60 Years, Entomologist Returns Library's Bug Book

He must really love moths

(Newser) - A Purdue University entomology professor has returned a copy of The Moths of the Limberlost that he checked out 60 years ago at age 8, the AP reports. According to Indiana's WTWO-TV , Larry Murdock checked out the book from the Linton Public Library in in 1956. He says he...

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