Harsh winter sole hope for containing insect that has affected millions of acres—and is moving east
New York Times Nov 18, 08 1:48 PM CST
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Peanut-sized bark beetles have drilled into and killed millions of acres of green pines from New Mexico to British Columbia, threatening the Rockies’ iconic lodgepoles with extinction, reports the New York Times . With only costly and temporary fixes available, preservationists are hoping for an atypically frigid winter to contain the pests, which are moving steadily eastward.
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Bats, bedbugs, leeches, and mosquitoes have a common thirst
New York Times Oct 21, 08 8:25 PM CDT
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With Halloween nearly upon us, the author of new book on bloodsucking creatures—vampire bats, bedbugs, leeches, and the like—leads the New York Times on a sanguivore safari. The world's bloodthirsty creatures vary enormously, as Bill Schutt details in Dark Banquet , and some are mere dabblers, but many specialists have evolved similar equipment: clot busters, natural painkillers—and very sharp teeth.
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Just-discovered Phobaeticus chani roams the Borneo jungle, looking twiggy
Independent (UK) Oct 17, 08 12:00 PM CDT
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A stick insect called Phobaeticus chani has claimed the distinction of world's longest insect, beating out its nearest competitor by an inch, the Independent reports. Named after the amateur naturalist who brought it to scientists' attention, the bug measures 22.3 inches with its legs outstretched. A treetop rainforest dweller, its tiny winged eggs glide from branch to branch.
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Numbers plummeting around the world
Associated Press Sep 1, 08 8:24 AM CDT
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From backyards in Tennessee to river banks in Thailand, fireflies are disappearing. And the lights may be going out, said scientists who gathered last week in Thailand, because of human light pollution. Urban sprawl has caused a loss of habitat, AP reports, but it also may be that bright cities are interfering with the insects' love life. Mating males attract females by blinking their lights.
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To defeat a 100 milliseconds reaction time, stealthy swatting is crucial
Independent (UK) Aug 29, 08 12:00 PM CDT
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Scientists using high-speed cameras have figured out why it is so difficult to swat pesky houseflies, the Independent reports. A fly's tiny brain can detect a threat, adjust flight course, and take evasive action in 100-thousandths of a second. The researchers, writing in the journal Current Biology , recommend thinking one step ahead of the fly.
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Washington Post Aug 24, 08 1:56 PM CDT
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Walking in DC last summer, Dan Southerland felt a butterfly land on his shoulder—where it stayed perched for the next few hours, as he ducked first into a photo store to document his fluttery friend, then into a steakhouse, and finally on a taxi ride to his suburban home, where he named it Poppy. The unusual friendship lasted for more than a month, he writes in the Washington Post .
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Fast-eating bug known to cause panic among homeowners
St. Petersburg Times (Russia) Aug 2, 08 3:51 PM CDT
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One of the world's most feared termites has been caught gnawing on a Florida Gulfport home. Exterminators say they have saved the house, but admit that the "super termites"—or Formosan subterraneans—included winged swarmers, which indicates that that colony has existed for more than 5 years. "Sometimes there is hysteria with Formosan subterannean termites," expert John Mangold said.
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opinion
Why won't the US
do the right thing, ban dangerous products?
Los Angeles Times Jul 30, 08 6:20 PM CDT
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The rapid, mysterious deaths of billions of honeybees demand a closer look at how we use and control pesticides, Al Meyerhoff writes in the Los Angeles Times . A family of toxic chemicals called neonictonoids—led by two Bayer pesticides called Gaucho and Poncho—may be killing off the insects, but Washington will not ban the pesticides because of outdated regulations that require so-called "unreasonable risk."
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Huge bug infestation doing more damage than wildfires
USA Today Jul 16, 08 12:51 PM CDT
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The biggest infestation of mountain pine beetles in decades is devastating huge tracts of forest in the Western states, USA Today reports; forestry workers say the bugs are killing even more trees than the wildfires ravaging California's forests. The larvae consume the inner bark of trees, usually lodgepole pines, killing the tree—and creating fuel for more fires.
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Biological control takes a food-chain approach to invasive plants
Chicago Tribune Jul 2, 08 2:20 PM CDT
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Officials in the Midwest are returning to a tried-and-true technique to fight invasive plants, the Chicago Tribune reports. Biological control uses natural enemies to rein in pests, and importing a tiny brown beetle in the 1990s brought under control a fast-spreading European weed, known as loosestrife, that was terrorizing agriculture. There are other enemies now—but scientists worry the approach could create other problems.
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Switching from beef to protein-packed bugs could help combat climate change
Time May 31, 08 9:06 AM CDT
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Chowing down on creepy-crawlies is a concept that's likely to nauseate most Americans, but insect eats may be the way of the future, Time reports. The critters are rich in protein and far more efficient to raise than cows or pigs, making them a possible solution to the problem of feeding an increasingly crowded and hungry planet.
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Pepper compounds keep mosquitoes away 3 times longer than top dog DEET
WebMD May 27, 08 3:20 PM CDT
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Researchers have found bug repellents that keep mosquitoes from biting for up to 73 days, WebMD reports. Compounds found in pepper kept bugs away nearly three times as long as industry leader DEET, which manages just 17.5 days under the same conditions—though a normal human would sweat or wash away the spray in that length of time.
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Shocking new ants species chewing up electrical equipment
Associated Press May 15, 08 3:12 AM CDT
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Houston, you have an ant problem. Billions of ravenous ants have invaded the city and are chomping their way through the city's electrical equipment, causing shorts and failure, AP reports. The previously unknown species—dubbed "crazy raspberry ants"—apparently arrived in Texas on a cargo ship. The invading army is resistant to conventional ant pesticides.
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OPINION
Rossellini stars in Sundance Channel's take on mating practices of bugs
Mother Jones May 11, 08 1:35 PM CDT
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For those unclear about the birds and the bees (the actual ones), the Sundance Channel is screening “green porno videos” on its website, reports Mother Jones blogger Jen Phillips. The series features Isabella Rossellini, breaking out of her usual indie cocoon, carrying out the mating rituals of the snail, bee, and praying mantis, among others.
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Colony collapse means trouble for fruits, nuts—and ice cream
CNN Feb 18, 08 9:02 PM CST
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The ongoing mystery of the diminishing honeybee population is threatening an important part of the American diet: ice cream. Bee colonies have been disappearing at a rapid rate, potentially causing problems with supplies of vegetables as well as fruit and nuts, which Haagen Dazs says may keep it from offering a full variety of flavors.
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