Indonesia enlists wasps in war on crop killer
They are the size of a pinhead and don't even pack a sting, but these tiny wasps are cold-blooded killers nonetheless. They work as nature's SWAT team, neutralizing a pest that threatens to destroy one of ...
Mown grass smell sends SOS for help in resisting insect attacks, researchers say
The smell of cut grass in recent years has been identified as the plant's way of signalling distress, but new research says the aroma also summons beneficial insects to the rescue.
Taking the 'sting' out of reproduction
(Phys.org) —Female parasitic wasps have more reproductive success when working together with other females, which can also explain sex biased reproduction, according to new research.
Mummy-making wasps discovered in Ecuador
Some Ecuadorian tribes were famous for making mummified shrunken heads from the remains of their conquered foes. Field work in the cloud forests of Ecuador by Professor Scott Shaw, University of Wyoming, ...
Using different scents to attract or repel insects
Flowering plants attract pollinating insects with scent from their flowers and bright colours. If they have become infested with herbivores like caterpillars, they attract beneficial insects like parasitic ...
Exploring the natural enemies of insect pests
A method of investigating whether aphid pests have been targeted by their gruesome enemies could shed new light on how farmland organisms interact, and potentially help protect important food crops.
DNA barcodes change our view on how nature is structured
Understanding who feeds on whom and how often is the basis for understanding how nature is built and works. A new study now suggests that the methods used to depict food webs may have a strong impact on how ...
Ancient 'fig wasp' lived tens of millions of years before figs
A 115-million-year-old fossilized wasp from northeast Brazil presents a baffling puzzle to researchers. The wasp's ovipositor, the organ through which it lays its eggs, looks a lot like those of present-day ...
Smaller islands host shorter food chains
That smaller islands will typically sustain fewer species than large ones is a widespread pattern in nature. Now a team of researchers shows that smaller area will mean not only fewer species, but also shorter ...
Altruism or manipulated helping? Altruism may have origins in manipulation
Manipulation is often thought of as morally repugnant, but it might be responsible for the evolutionary origins of some helpful or altruistic behavior, according to a new study.
Caterpillars attracted to plant SOS
Plants that emit an airborne distress signal in response to herbivory may actually attract more enemies, according to a new study published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Plant Science .
Chinese wasps are taking on the emerald ash borer
The emerald ash borer (EAB), a relatively new invasive insect pest, has killed tens of millions of ash trees throughout the eastern United States since it was first detected in 2002 in Michigan and Canada. ...
Getting to the bottom of the zombie ant phenomenon
(Phys.org) —While unraveling a dramatic case of mind control, biologist David Hughes is taking calls from Hollywood—and gaining new insights into the role behavior plays in spreading disease.
Study sheds light on production of parasitic wasp's courtship song
A new study published in the April issue of PLoS One by an interdisciplinary team of Virginia Commonwealth University researchers sheds light on the way a tiny parasitic wasp produces its courtship song. ...