Monthly Archives: February 2014

Friday Caterpillar Blogging: Thread Climbing

Posted on February 21, 2014 by jjneal

Some caterpillars escape predators by attaching themselves to a leaf with a silk thread and dropping off the leaf. They can remain suspended in midair by their lifeline, a position more advantangeous than to plummeting all the way to the … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Caterpillar Blogging | Leave a comment

Nairobi Fly

Posted on February 20, 2014 by jjneal

The Nairobi Fly is not a fly and does not fly. It is a rove beetle in the genus, Paederus. Travelers to tropical areas of Africa and Asia may encouter these beetles. Iserson and Walton* describe a case report of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomaterials, by jjneal, Health | Leave a comment

Coffee Berry Borer

Posted on February 19, 2014 by jjneal

The Coffee Berry Borer, Hypothenemus hampei, is one of the most important pests of coffee. This pest increases the cost of your cup of coffee. Scientists have been studying the biology of the The Coffee Berry Borer to search for … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment, Taxonomy | 2 Comments

Insects and Climate Change

Posted on February 18, 2014 by jjneal

Our climate is becoming warmer and this change can have profound effects on ecosystems. In the mountain west region of the United States, from Colorado in the Southeast to Washington in the Northwest, outbreaks of Mountain Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Environment | 1 Comment

New Species of Rove Beetle

Posted on February 17, 2014 by jjneal

Stylianos Chatzimanolis recently described a new species of rove beetle among unidentified beetles in specimens borrowed from the Natural History Museum (London). In a paper published in Zookeys* (Link to pdf) he writes: Upon further inspection, I realized that the … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Taxonomy | 1 Comment

Ants and Anthropomorphism

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jjneal

Ants are popular insects to depict in animated films. Ants are familiar to all and are social. Animators often use these traits as inspiration, but then create a story and characters that minimally depict ant biology. The animated French film, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, by jjneal, Insect Inspired | Leave a comment

Avoiding Bed Bugs Gets Harder

Posted on February 15, 2014 by jjneal

The resurgence of bed bugs after decades of hiatus has made consumers think twice about used furniture. Many people buy new mattresses rather than risk a bed bug infestation from a used one. That strategy may have more risk than … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Health, News, Pest Management, Policy | 2 Comments