ecology – Kettinki

2024-11-20 @ 17.53.38 ∈ In English

Can sown wildflowers compensate for cities’ lack of natural meadows to support pollinating insects?

There was [no] difference between the meadow types concerning the species richness of butterflies, bees, and hoverflies. The number of butterflies was twice as high in natural meadows than it was in sown floral meadows, however.

2024-11-20 @ 13.47.24 ∈ In English

A bit of bling helps insects dazzle their predators, high-speed camera study shows

It turns out that jumping spiders are worse at tracking and attacking shiny targets than matte targets or those that match the background. [Their] attacks were the equivalent of two target widths further away from shiny targets.

2024-11-15 @ 16.33.24 ∈ In English

(From 2019; TIL)

This Asian Moth Is Probably Nature’s Ultimate Camouflage Master

Macrocilix maia is an Asian moth with a disgusting scene painted on its wings - realistic flies feasting on fresh bird droppings.

2024-11-11 @ 13.30.19 ∈ In English

How gophers brought Mount St. Helens back to life in one day

When Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, lava incinerated anything living for miles around. As an experiment, scientists later dropped gophers onto parts of the scorched mountain for only 24 hours. The benefits from that single day were undeniable—and still visible 40 years later.

2024-11-08 @ 20.06.03 ∈ In English

Sticky paper on bumpers reveals scale of bee deaths due to car collisions

A team in Utah has found that bee deaths due to collisions with automobiles in the western parts of the United States may be in the tens of millions every day.

2024-11-07 @ 11.29.34 ∈ In English

Are these tiny insects the world’s laziest bugs?

I was puzzled to discover that some group members appear to do nothing. Not helping out, not breeding, nothing. Few animal societies are known where group members help no one, not even themselves.

2024-10-31 @ 17.09.07 ∈ Suomeksi

Luontotohtori | Järvestä nousi laituriankkurin mukana korallia muistuttava möhkäle, jota asiantuntijakin ihailee

Kyseessä on yksi järviemme erikoisimmista ja hienoimmista eliölajeista[,] järvisieni. Se ei nimestään huolimatta ole sieni lainkaan, eikä kasvikaan[,] vaan lasketaan kuuluvaksi eläinkuntaan.

2024-10-10 @ 11.26.53 ∈ In English

Researchers find dragonfly species with darker wings have evolved to withstand heat and attract partners

Dark wing ornaments cause additional heating of 1°C to 2°C, which roughly equals the increased thermal maxima of ornamented species. Of the species studied, the arch-tipped glider (Tauriphila argo), a tropical species with very dark wing color patches near their core body, could tolerate the highest temperatures.

2024-09-26 @ 19.58.30 ∈ In English

Octopuses recorded hunting with fish — and punching those that don’t cooperate

The research […] even suggests that the famously intelligent animals organized the hunting groups’ decisions, including what they should prey upon. [The researchers witnessed the cephalopod species] punching companion fish, apparently to keep them on task and contributing to the collective effort.

2024-09-25 @ 12.32.15 ∈ In English

Scientists studying impact of painting wind turbine blade black to reduce bird collisions

The study aims to determine the effect of painted blades on reducing fatality rates among eagles, other birds, and bats. Researchers hypothesize that the black-painted blades will disrupt the visual uniformity of the airspace, making the turbines more noticeable to birds and prompting avoidance behavior.