insects Archives

3 Ways to Help Save Monarch Butterflies

October 2, 2020September 23, 2020 Science Connectedinsects, Monarch butterflies

Monarch butterflies face an uncertain future. Their numbers have plummeted in recent decades. Here are some ways you can help.

Biodiversity and Conservation Book Reviews SciStarter Blog

Book Review: Never Home Alone

May 13, 2020April 2, 2021 Science Connectedecology, insects, microbes

Never Home Alone is a 256 page deep dive into the mind of a chatty biologist. Every chapter focuses on a distinct use-case for biodiversity preservation.

Environment Zoology

Ants’ Love of Pee May Reduce Greenhouse Gas

March 4, 2020February 6, 2024 Science Connectedants, Australia, Greenhouse Gases, insects, Nitrogen

Ants consume urine for its nitrogen content, and a new study shows that this helps ants thrive in sandy habitats and may even reduce greenhouse gases.

Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology

Intense Lawn Mowing Lowers Biodiversity, Favors Pests

January 22, 2020April 17, 2021 Science Connectedinsects, plants

Mowing lawns less frequently and allowing grass to grow may result in greater plant and pollinator biodiversity and fewer pests. By Neha Jain Looks can be deceiving: a uniformly well-mowed lawn might look good, but ecologically, it is not desirable. According to a recent study that analyzed the results of many studies on lawn mowing, more intensely mowed lawns showed lower plant and insect diversity and a greater abundance of pests. According to the researchers, adopting low-intensity lawn management would bring about a host of environmental benefits including cutting down…

Citizen Science SciStarter Blog Zoology

Caterpillars Count

November 22, 2019April 7, 2021 Science Connectedcaterpillars, citizen science projects, insects

From big to small, we all count. Even caterpillars. Caterpillars are important Caterpillars are familiar to us. When a butterfly flutters past you, you know that it was once a caterpillar. Now it’s time to count the caterpillars and arthropods (creatures, like insects, with segmented bodies) that you see to help scientists understand how their populations are changing. You can get started today with the Caterpillars Count! project. Even though this project doesn’t just focus on caterpillars, who can resist a good alliteration? In 2015, Dr. Allen Hurlbert of North…

Biology Botany

Bug Bacteria Helps Rice Plants Boost Immunity

June 20, 2019February 6, 2024 Science Connectedinsects, microbes

Rice is the most widely consumed staple cereal crop for about half of the world’s human population, but its cultivation comes with inherent challenges, such as crop attacks by herbivorous pests.

Chemistry Zoology

Wood Ants Make Defensive Cocktails Against Microbes

April 13, 2017February 6, 2024 Science Connectedantimicrobial, ants, chemistry, insects

By Neha Jain @lifesciexplore Wood ants are natural mixologists, concocting their own defensive cocktails, a new study finds. They protect themselves from infection by mixing self-produced acid with resin collected from trees to create a potent antimicrobial. “This is an unusual case where insects combine plant defenses with their own chemical defenses to produce a potent antimicrobial substance,” says Michel Chapuisat, of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, who is the senior author of the study. We sanitize our homes using cleaners such as alcohol and bleach to protect ourselves from…