The aerodynamic capabilities of spiders have intrigued scientists for hundreds of years. Charles Darwin himself mused over how hundreds of the creatures managed to alight on the Beagle on a calm day out at sea and later take-off from the ship with great speeds on windless day.
Scientists have attributed the flying behaviour of these wingless...
New wasp species with a giant stinger discovered in Amazonia
Researchers from the University of Turku, Finland have discovered a new wasp species in the Amazon which has an exceptionally large stinger that surprised even the scientists. The new insect, which is found in the extremely diverse transitional zone between the Andes and the Amazonian lowland rainforest, uses its stinger both for laying eggs and...
Exposure of hummingbirds and bumble bees to pesticides
New research reveals that hummingbirds and bumble bees are being exposed to neonicotinoid and other pesticides through routes that are widespread and complex. The findings are published in Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry.
To measure exposure to pesticides in these avian pollinators, investigators made novel use of cloacal fluid and fecal pellets from hummingbirds living near blueberry...
How 'eavesdropping' African herbivores respond to each other's alarm calls
Many animals live in a world characterised by a bewildering array of signals from other species. But to what extent are individuals able to extract useful information from these signals?
In a new study, scientists from the University of Liverpool and the University of York, led by Dr Jakob Bro-Jørgensen, have for the first time tested...
Salmon poisoning disease in grizzly bears
Salmon in the northwestern continental US often carry a fluke containing bacteria that can produce a deadly disease in bears called salmon poisoning disease (SPD). Current recovery plans for grizzly bears in the North Cascades of Washington and the mountains of central Idaho, where infected salmon currently occur, call for using bears from several interior...
Anti-Bat-Signal: Moths with larger hindwings and longer tails are best at deflecting bats
Each night, dramatic aerial battles are waged above our heads, complete with barrel rolls, razor-sharp turns, sonar jamming, cloaking devices and life-or-death consequences.
But the opponents aren't tricked-out fighter jets. They're bats and moths, adversaries locked in a 60-million-year-old duel marked by stealth and deception.
Previous work by University of Florida and Boise State University researchers showed...