Monthly Archives: April 2015

Insects Can Be A Drag

Posted on April 30, 2015 by jjneal

Airplanes are designed to allow air to smoothly flow over the wing surfaces and minimize turbulence. In warm weather, clouds of insects can surround airports and collide with planes during takeoff and landing. The impact disrupts the insect cuticle releasing … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Environment | Leave a comment

Living With Painless

Posted on April 29, 2015 by jjneal

Drosophila is a useful model system for the identification and study of genes and gene products. When touched with a probe heated to 38 degrees Celsius, a Drosophila larva responds with a characteristic rolling action that turns the body away … Continue reading →

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

Living With Bed Bug Vision

Posted on April 28, 2015 by jjneal

Bed bugs are a problem in need of a better solution. There is much interest in bed bug traps that intercept bed bugs traveling to and from a feeding site and a harborage. A group of scientists* asked, “How do … Continue reading →

Posted in Bed Bugs, behavior, by jjneal, Vision | 4 Comments

Living With Aspirators

Posted on April 28, 2015 by jjneal

Aspirators are devices for collecting tiny insects. The target organisms are collected by suction into the device. The device contains a plug that filters the small animals, but allows air to pass. Biologists have used their mouth to suction insects … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Health | 4 Comments

Crickets at the White House Correspondents Dinner

Posted on April 26, 2015 by jjneal

Insects as food are not yet mainstream in American culture. Not ready for prime time as appetizers or deserts, eating crickets got honorable mention in a joke told by commediene Cecily Strong at the 2015 White House Correspondent’s Dinner. When … Continue reading →

Posted in by jjneal, Food, jokes, News | 6 Comments

Living With Insect Bites

Posted on April 25, 2015 by jjneal

Most people find insect bites annoying. However, a group of scientists* have put insect bites to good use in a study of allergic reactions. Culicoides obsoletus, a European biting midge, causes a variety of reactions when it bites horses. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomaterials, by jjneal, Health | 3 Comments

Friday Cat-erpillar Blogging: Living With Listeria

Posted on April 24, 2015 by jjneal

Listeria monocytogenes , a micro-organism capable of causing serious disease and death in humans has been in the news as a contaminant of ice cream products dating back to 2010. A major recall of products has been conducted. Listeria is … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomaterials, by jjneal, Health | 3 Comments