#hornet-disaster tag

3 weeks ago

Plantwatch: the Natal crocus co-opts fire, bees and ants to reproduce

The Natal crocus uses fire, bee pollination, and ant seed dispersal, with seeds mimicking ant larvae scent to trick ants into transporting them to nests.

Pets

3 weeks ago

I love vultures, mosquitoes and, yes, even wasps. This is why you should too | Jo Wimpenny

Humans hold irrational emotional biases toward animals; wasps deserve reconsideration as valuable pollinators and pest controllers despite negative perceptions.

fromMail Online

1 month ago

Basingstoke under siege from killer Asian hornets

Asian hornets are spreading through southern England via vehicles, threatening honeybees and local ecosystems with severe ecological and agricultural consequences.

1 month ago

I love midges because I know what their hearts look like': is the passion for taxonomy in danger of dying out?

When Borkent stops working, biting midges risk becoming an orphan group, a term that taxonomists give for a branch of the web of life that is no longer being studied. It is a pattern playing out across the field, he says. I am one of the last few standing. It's crisis all around. As the taxonomic community ages, we are not being replaced.

OMG science

fromwww.independent.co.uk

Warning issued after first Asian hornet nest in Wales found near Wrexham

An invasive Asian yellow-legged hornet nest was discovered in Wales for the first time, threatening honeybee colonies and prompting public vigilance and reporting.

Science

fromKqed

8 months ago

The 4 Most Ruthless Ants We've Ever Filmed | KQED

Fire ants form body rafts during floods, using larvae with air-trapping hairs for buoyancy and increased defense while afloat.

fromMail Online

Ominous warning for humanity as insects mysteriously 'fall silent'

Rapid global insect declines threaten pollination, food production, nutrient availability, and human health, signaling imminent ecological instability.

Science

fromNature

1 month ago

Parasitic wasps use tamed virus to castrate caterpillars

A parasitic wasp uses a domesticated virus to kill moth larvae testis cells, effectively castrating its hosts and benefiting wasp reproduction.

fromLos Angeles Times

'It is scary': Oak-killing beetle reaches Ventura County, significantly expanding range

Goldspotted oak borer has reached Ventura County, threatening extensive oak mortality and potential northward spread into critical oak woodlands, including the Sierras.