Monthly Archives: October 2015

Grubbing Through The Soil

Posted on October 24, 2015 by jjneal

By late October, Japanese Beetle adults in Indiana have died, but their larvae are still feeding under the soil. The C-shaped grubs have powerful mouthparts for chewing on the roots of grass. A grub often feeds in one spot until the roots … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, Environment | 1 Comment

Friday Cat-erpillar Blogging: Sliming Caterpillars

Posted on October 23, 2015 by jjneal

Caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio polxenes, do not have urticating hairs, but they do have eversible glands (osmeteria) that produce noxious chemicals including butyric acid. Butyric acid is a toxin and an irritant that has a deterrent effect … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, Biomaterials, by jjneal, Caterpillar Blogging, Environment | 1 Comment

Stinging Caterpillars

Posted on October 22, 2015 by jjneal

The caterpillar of the IO moth, Automeris io, is noted for its urticating hairs. Quaoar Power demonstrates the after effects of an IO caterpillar contact with skin. (Don’t try this at home.)

Posted in Biomaterials, by jjneal, Health | 1 Comment

To Silence Bees

Posted on October 21, 2015 by jjneal

Foraging bees return to the hive and dance to communicate the location of flowers to other foragers. The communication occurs when the dancing bees transmit vibrations to the honey comb with their thoracic muscles. However, the movement of the thorax of bees and … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, communication | 1 Comment

Insect Cropping

Posted on October 20, 2015 by jjneal

Crop production can fail when climate becomes erratic or when new diseases and pests are introduced. In parts of the globe, farmers and their governments are looking for alternatives to traditional crops that fail. Recently, Kenya has been suffering from … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomaterials, by jjneal, Caterpillar Blogging | 1 Comment

Do Bees Hear?

Posted on October 19, 2015 by jjneal

For years, bees were known to detect vibrations in solid substrates with their legs, but no proof existed that bees could hear sounds traveling through air. A series of experiments in 1989 led to the conclusion that bees could respond … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, communication | 1 Comment

Living With Good Vibrations

Posted on October 18, 2015 by jjneal

Honey bees use vibrations transmitted through the honey comb for communication. The vibration of the comb vibrates the legs of the bees. A receptor that measures the extension between two leg segments, the tibia and femur was found* to produce … Continue reading →

Posted in behavior, by jjneal, communication | 1 Comment