entomology – Kettinki

2024-05-10 @ 12.15.32 ∈ In English

The Curious Case of Bird Fleas Infesting a Home

Upon visiting the home, we found an abandoned bird’s nest behind a fire alarm bell in the front entryway of the residence. […] A total of 31 fleas were recovered by flagging from the front entryway of the residence, 20 were collected by the resident from indoors, and 387 were removed from the abandoned bird nest.

2024-04-12 @ 13.11.30 ∈ In English

Entomological Soc. of America (@entsocamerica@arthropod.social)

Brunneria borealis is the only praying mantis species that always reproduces asexually. Every individual across its U.S. range is female, and a new study finds little genetic variation among them, pointing to a relatively recent introduction. Researchers posit that a single female mantis that could reproduce without a male may be the origin for the entire population of the species in North America.

2024-02-05 @ 20.10.31 ∈ In English

Getting rid of bed bugs: Trickier than ever

[Tropical] bed bugs have turned up in the United States, Sweden, Italy, Norway, Finland, China, Japan, France, Central Europe, Spain — “even in Russia, which would have once been unthinkable,” says [Chow-Yang] Lee, of the University of California, Riverside.

2024-01-31 @ 16.09.09 ∈ In English

Are insects drawn to light? New research shows it’s confusion, not fatal attraction

Rather than being attracted to light, researchers believe that artificial lights at night may actually scramble flying insects' innate navigational systems, causing them to flutter in confusion around porch lamps, street lights and other artificial beacons.

2024-01-11 @ 14.29.24 ∈ In English

Artificial Sweetener Could Be New Tool in Cockroach Management

German cockroaches fed sucralose in lab tests were less likely to survive after several days, with apparent links to water loss and changes in gut bacteria.

2023-12-19 @ 13.01.11 ∈ In English

(bedbugboard.com)

Mapping bedbugs: S Korean blockchain engineer fights infestation with data

His fear of bedbugs drove him to create an interactive map that shows the approximate locations of reported infestations across the country, as well as real-time news stories on the issue. The site now receives as many as 50,000 visitors a day, up from around 40 when Kang launched it.

2023-12-19 @ 12.28.47 ∈ Suomeksi

(From earlier this month.)

Suurikokoinen torakkalaji havaittu ensi kertaa Suomessa – viihtyy ihmisen seurassa

Yli kolmen senttimetrin pituinen torakka löytyi joulukuun alussa Oulun alueelta ja toimitettiin Oulun yliopiston yli-intendentti Marko Mutaselle, joka määritti yksilön Periplaneta fuliginosa -torakaksi – savutorakaksi.

2023-12-04 @ 18.13.40 ∈ In English

Earliest-known fossil mosquito suggests males were bloodsuckers too

[The] well-preserved insects are two males of the same species with piercing mouthparts, suggesting they likely sucked blood. That’s noteworthy because, among modern-day mosquitoes, only females are [hematophagous.]

2023-12-01 @ 18.28.13 ∈ In English

Citizen scientists help discover new mantis species

"We have named the new species Inimia nat—I. nat for short—as it was discovered thanks to the citizen science platform iNaturalist—also iNat for short."

2023-11-06 @ 20.33.58 ∈ In English

Dengue rates plunged after release of lab-altered mosquitoes – DW – 10/31/2023

Mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria may be associated with a 97% drop in dengue infections in three cities in Colombia's Aburra Valley. Researchers for the non-profit World Mosquito Program released the results at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in late October.