Latest news with #entomology
ABC News
a day ago
- Science
- ABC News
Parasitic wasp collected by Queensland students identified as new species
A parasitic wasp captured in a trap set by Queensland school students has been identified as a new species. It was recently recognised in peer-reviewed research after it was found in 2022. Since the discovery is so new, researcher Andy Howe said not much was known about the species other than how it reproduced. "They will lay their eggs in or on a host, another insect," Dr Howe, an entomologist at the University of the Sunshine Coast, said. Despite the gruesome parasitoid life cycle, Dr Howe said the creatures had delicate features. "It has lovely long antennae and cool little wings. It's very small, which is impressive in itself, but it has really fine, beautiful detailed structure on its back and cool big eyes," Dr Howe said. But outside of that, he said it was not clear how widespread the wasps were. "We know nothing, or very little, about how abundant they are … that would depend on their host, and the type of habitat that they use." The students who discovered the species at Gin Gin, west of Bundaberg, described the wasp as "creepy" but "very cool". Gin Gin was one of 50 schools in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia involved in a citizen science program in 2022, capturing hundreds of insects. The students used Malaise traps, which are tent-like structures made of netting. Specimens were sent to the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics in Canada for DNA barcoding. It was there, the parasitoid species was identified, and the Gin Gin school community chose its name, Cotesia ginginensis. The findings have now been published in the peer-reviewed Zootaxa Journal. Karyn Goodman, head of science at Gin Gin State High School, said it had been an anxious but exciting wait for news. "The kids and the staff are just so excited that we've gone through the long process, and finally we have an outcome, and we're forever going to be in the history books," she said. Ms Goodman said the project had strengthened the students' understanding of science and respect for the land. "Making that connection for them that what they do now, what they get involved in, what they contribute to, does have that ripple effect out there in the world." Past student at Gin Gin State High School, Caitlin Caunt, said the group had not expected to find anything new. "It's very cool. We didn't really believe at first and [finding out] it was published was like, 'Wow, that actually happened,'" she said. Ms Caunt said the project gave the students some valuable life lessons. "We learnt that even though we think that we've discovered everything, we've always got to keep looking, because there's always something that we haven't found," she said. Dr Howe said it was the ideal outcome. "We thought that they would [but] we didn't make any promises," he said. "There are 220,000-plus species of insects in Australia, and like 30 to 33 per cent of them have been described, so they have a formal scientific name. "So that means that the chance of finding one of those [undescribed species] is fairly high, and thankfully, we did."
Washington Post
14-07-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
‘Ticks EVERYWHERE?': Sightings and bites in the D.C. region heighten worries
Michael Raupp is used to pulling bugs off his body. As an entomology professor and author of a blog that introduces readers to a bug a week, the 73-year-old spends a lot of time outdoors conducting field research. His work takes him into forests, meadows and other patches of greenery in Maryland, and afterward, it's not unusual for him to find winged or multi-legged creatures hitchhiking on him.
South China Morning Post
07-07-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
‘Too good to refuse': why world's top flying insect detective Jason Chapman chose China
As a world expert on insect migration, Jason Chapman knows a thing or two about the impact of travel. The top British ecologist has now made his own move, a career decision that has underscored the growing prominence of China in the fields of natural science. Chapman's decision to leave the UK for a full-time position at a Chinese university reflects the country's expanding global influence in research. This includes a cutting-edge radar that can track flying insects, technology that the acclaimed behavioural ecologist could not resist. Substantial financial support and a commitment to agricultural research have helped China to develop world-class entomological radar technology, Chapman said. 'China is now certainly the world leader in radar entomology, with many people working in this field,' said Chapman, who worked at the University of Exeter before moving to Nanjing Agricultural University (NJAU) in June. Chapman's research focuses on the evolution of insect migration strategies and the impact of long-range movements. When he joined Rothamsted Research in the United Kingdom as a postdoctoral fellow in 1999, his lab was one of the few teams worldwide pioneering the application and research of entomological radar.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The truth about flying ant day and the best way to get rid of the pesky insects
Brits have been basking in the sunshine recently, with the UK recording some of the hottest temperatures of the year so far. But as lovely as hot weather can be, the heat tends to herald the arrival of some unwelcome guests: flying ants. You might have heard of Flying Ant Day. But speaking to experts from the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) about what and when it is, we discovered it's something of an urban myth. There isn't actually a specific 'Flying Ant Day' (if there was, we'd certainly stay inside). Instead, it's more of a "flying ant season," which usually occurs from late June into September – depending on the weather. "We had thousands of amateur scientists across the UK recording sightings and what we concluded is there isn't one Flying Ant Day," Susie Rabin, RSB's director of communications and public affairs, tells Yahoo UK. "It's really just the weather that triggers them to start flying; when it's warm, not very windy, and a bit humid." You'll generally see flying ants when the queen ants (which are easy to spot as they're the biggest and can grow up to 15mm long) are on the lookout for a new home. Unfortunately for us, they don't leave their pals behind. When the queens decide to up and flee, they bring the male ants with them. "They're basically trying to find a mate and a new place to set up a colony," Rabin explains. "The males die pretty much straight after mating, which is why you'll often see lots of dead ants soon after a swarm." Flying ants need the right mix of heat and humidity to trigger their so-called 'nuptial flight'. "It usually needs to be above about 25 degrees, not too windy, and a bit humid," says Rabin. "If those conditions happen multiple times a year, you'll get more than one flight. Some years you might see them in July, other years in August." Flying ants tend to build nests in dry soil so can be found beneath flower beds, lawns and paving slabs. They're common in almost any dry, open area that is warmed by sunlight – including gardens, pavements, brownfield sites, heathland, grassland and coastal areas. In the few weeks before the swarming event happens, you may see heaps of soil appearing above the nests. Although they're not dangerous, flying ants can prove incredibly irritating. They've been known to bite or sting, but this is fairly uncommon. "They're part of the ecosystem – burrowing, breaking down plant matter, and feeding birds," Rabin continues. "If they're outside, it's best just to leave them alone." If you really need to deal with them, your options include: Pouring boiling water into visible nest entrances can kill ants on contact, but it may take repeated treatments. Use insecticide carefully and follow instructions – Rabin advises considering the impact on other wildlife. "Remember birds could eat dead ants," she notes. Check around doors and windows if you're seeing ants indoors, and seal any gaps where they might be getting in. Rabin adds: "Unless they're in your house, they're really not doing any harm. They'll be gone in a few hours. And if they are inside, then it's really something pest control need to deal with." Read more about pests: Seven common pests and how to keep them out of your home (ECHO, 6-min read) Property DIY: How to get rid of pests in the home (Yahoo Finance UK, 4-min read) The surprising harvesting tip that protects your tomatoes from pests (Country Living UK, 3-min read)
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Science
- New York Times
Squashing Spotted Lanternflies Will Get Us Only So Far. We Need Wasps.
Back in the late 1880s, California citrus farmers found themselves dealing with a crisis caused by a fat bug covered in a shieldlike, granular white wax. Known as the cottony cushion scale, this insect, which had hitchhiked aboard ships from Australia, usually spends its entire life with its mouth affixed to a single plant, greedily sucking out nutrients. Now the bugs were making meals of the state's citrus trees. Some farmers resorted to erecting large canvas tents around their trees and fumigating the inside with hydrogen cyanide in attempts to murder the insect, which proved ineffective. That's when Charles Valentine Riley, who pioneered the field of entomology in the United States, was called in. In his role as chief entomologist of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mr. Riley sent an assistant to the land down under in 1888 to hunt for the bugs' natural predator. Within three months, a shipment of small branches arrived in California. The branches carried not only cottony cushion scale, but also another bug: the Vedalia beetle, a species of ladybug and a natural predator of the scale. As more shipments arrived, entomologists in California bred the beetles and eventually released them, marveling as the ladybugs dined ravenously. By the end of 1889, the fat cottony cushion scale was no longer a grave threat to citrus growers. 'It's hard to imagine what California's economy would have been like if citrus had collapsed and never taken off,' said Mark S. Hoddle, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside. The sharp reduction of cottony cushion scale was one of the United States' first large-scale programs in biological control, the broad term for using one organism — an animal, a fish, an insect or even a bacterium — to suppress another organism. These efforts won't fully eliminate a targeted pest. But if done right, they can drive down a pest population to levels where future damage is minimal. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
