Tag Archives: Insect

Best photos of 2023: Animals, aurorae and amazing landscapes

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Every year, countless stunning images are submitted to a variety of photography competitions around the world, and 2023 was no exception. From cosmic structures light-years wide to microscopic marvels and everything in between, here are some of this year’s most awe-inspiring images.

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Category: Photography, Technology

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Australia has an incredible Christmas beetle, but it’s gone AWOL

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When it comes to Australian animals, the first that come to mind are generally kangaroos, koalas and maybe a platypus or a killer crocodile. However, there’s a tiny, iridescent group of beetles that turn up every Christmas and hold a special place in t… Continue reading Australia has an incredible Christmas beetle, but it’s gone AWOL→

Newfound beetle has a penis like a bottle opener, is named after beer

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Step aside, ducks, with your corkscrew phalluses: we have a new member of the animal kingdom sporting a penis that resembles a tool you’d more likely expect to see behind a bar than in a biological body plan.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTa… Continue reading Newfound beetle has a penis like a bottle opener, is named after beer→

Parasite turns hapless ants into zombies at sunrise and sunset

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Hijacking the body of a convenient host is nothing new in the opportunistic world of parasitism. Nor are zombie ants, thanks to the fittingly named zombie-ant fungus (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis), which has even claimed top prize in photography competi… Continue reading Parasite turns hapless ants into zombies at sunrise and sunset→

Insect-inspired robot gets skinny to go through gaps

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One of the most commonly suggested uses for tiny robots is the search for trapped survivors in disaster site rubble. The insect-inspired CLARI robot could be particularly good at doing so, as it can make itself skinnier to squeeze through tight horizon… Continue reading Insect-inspired robot gets skinny to go through gaps→

Waste aloe vera peels may be a source of eco-friendly insecticide

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Although the gel of the aloe vera plant is commonly used to treat sunburn, moisturize skin and boost gut health (among other applications), its peels are typically discarded. New research now suggests that those peels could also be used, to make non-to… Continue reading Waste aloe vera peels may be a source of eco-friendly insecticide→

To give mosquito insecticide a boost … just pop it in the microwave?

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While insecticide-treated bed nets do help protect people from malaria-carrying mosquitos, the chemicals are becoming less effective as the insects develop a resistance to them. It now appears that microwaving one such insecticide, however, makes it “g… Continue reading To give mosquito insecticide a boost … just pop it in the microwave?→

PATS tech calls in drone strikes on greenhouse pests

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Just like their field-dwelling counterparts, plants grown in greenhouses are preyed upon by flying insects. The Dutch-designed PATS system is designed to help, by sending tiny drones to chop those insects up in mid-air.Continue ReadingCategory: Drones,… Continue reading PATS tech calls in drone strikes on greenhouse pests→

Student-designed robot gives crop-eating insects’ eggs the brush-off

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The spotted lanternfly is a serious invasive pest in some parts of the US, causing considerable damage to crops such as apples, grapes and hops. That’s why it’s important to destroy the insect’s eggs – which is exactly what the TartanPest robot is desi… Continue reading Student-designed robot gives crop-eating insects’ eggs the brush-off→

Student-designed robot gives crop-eating insects’ eggs the brush-off

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The spotted lanternfly is a serious invasive pest in some parts of the US, causing considerable damage to crops such as apples, grapes and hops. That’s why it’s important to destroy the insect’s eggs – which is exactly what the TartanPest robot is desi… Continue reading Student-designed robot gives crop-eating insects’ eggs the brush-off→