Friday, April 17, 2009

Interesting Entomology Tidbits

We all know that before they can get to the wood, subterranean termites have to move a lot of dirt. Around many structures, "dirt" often means sand. Now you can see how they do it. Dr. Nan-Yao Su and his Ph.D. graduate student Hou-Feng Li posted videos on the Web that show excavating, loading, moving and then depositing sand grains from a number of angles. You can view the videos at http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/ent_nem/structural_entomology_su_videos.shtml.

Why do monarch butterflies migrate? Scientists om the University of Massachusetts Medical School uncovered a suite of genes that may be involved in driving the butterflies to migrate towards Mexico for the winter. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330200615.htmfor details.

Eschew the "Me" Generation. Bees and ants really do have the best interests of the colony at heart. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090327124423.htm for details.

Termite Sex! It now appears that termite queens do not always have to have sex to reproduce. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326141549.htm for details.

Forget natural materials like wax, plastic and cardboard are the new IN materials for wild bee homes. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090328152243.htm for details.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Especially when the eye is on the top or bottom of a butterfly's wing. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401134417.htm for details.

Bug Quote
"Three kinds of blood vessels are arteries, vanes and caterpillars." – answer written on a high school science test.

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