1.    93

     

    reblogged: scientificillustration

    creepycrawlieslove: Periplaneta americana The American cockroach^ (native to Africa) So THAT’S what’s going on inside the head of this scourge of New York apartments…

    creepycrawlieslove:

    Periplaneta americana
    The American cockroach^ (native to Africa)

    So THAT’S what’s going on inside the head of this scourge of New York apartments…

     
    2. Feb 21st, 2013     scienceentomologyinsectcockroachbiology
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  2.    3230

     

    reblogged: sciencesoup

    sciencesoup:

    Waitomo Glowworm Caves

    For over one hundred years, millions of tourists have flocked to the ancient limestone Waitomo Caves on New Zealand’s North Island, where stunning species of fungus gnat called Arachnocampa luminosa live. The genus is unique to New Zealand and Australia, and they are found in caves, grottoes, and other sheltered places. Arachnocampa means ‘spider-worm,’ as the gnat is known for the way their larvae hang strong vertical silk threads from the ceilings of their underground habitats. The threads are from one to fifty centimetres long and are studded with evenly spaced drops of sticky mucus, acting like fishing lines to lure in prey. Since the larvae are luminescent, the thousands of tiny threads light up cave ceilings like a starry sky. Other insects are attracted to the light and fly up—but then become ensnared in the sticky mucus, which contains proteins that researchers think may act as an anaesthetic. The larvae live this way for many months, trapping and devouring their prey, before becoming a shot-lived adult gnat.

    (Image Credit: 1, 2)

    …I want to go to there.

     
    3. Nov 15th, 2012     sciencebiologyglowworminsectgnatentomologypretty...
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  3.    117

     

    reblogged: scinerds

    jtotheizzoe: Bed bug boom tracked using DNA fingerprinting These infernal blood-sucking creatures have exploded in recent years, wreaking havoc on hotels, homes and generally anywhere that is dark and might also cross paths with a human. Where are they coming from? Can they be tracked like a disease outbreak? One group in the UK thinks that they can use DNA fingerprinting (which I explained way back when Osama bin Laden was killed) in order to track subpopulations of bedbugs and determine where they are coming from. Bedbug A would have slightly different portions of their DNA from Bedbug B, depending on where they are from. If every exterminator keeps a bedbug sample, then their DNA fingerprint can tell you if it was from the bed and breakfast you stayed at last weekend, or from that missionary trip to Kenya over the summer. It would also determine if exterminators are doing their jobs … better than Angie’s List! It looks like bug-hunters might be the next CSI spin-off we have to look forward to. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go shudder in discomfort. (via BBC Nature)

    jtotheizzoe:

    Bed bug boom tracked using DNA fingerprinting

    These infernal blood-sucking creatures have exploded in recent years, wreaking havoc on hotels, homes and generally anywhere that is dark and might also cross paths with a human. Where are they coming from? Can they be tracked like a disease outbreak?

    One group in the UK thinks that they can use DNA fingerprinting (which I explained way back when Osama bin Laden was killed) in order to track subpopulations of bedbugs and determine where they are coming from. Bedbug A would have slightly different portions of their DNA from Bedbug B, depending on where they are from.

    If every exterminator keeps a bedbug sample, then their DNA fingerprint can tell you if it was from the bed and breakfast you stayed at last weekend, or from that missionary trip to Kenya over the summer. It would also determine if exterminators are doing their jobs … better than Angie’s List!

    It looks like bug-hunters might be the next CSI spin-off we have to look forward to. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go shudder in discomfort.

    (via BBC Nature)

     
    4. Jul 11th, 2012     Eeewwbedbugentomologybiologyinsect
    Comments

  4.    129

     

    reblogged: pieceinthepuzzlehumanity-deacti

    occupyallstreets: U.S. Military Using Bug-Sized Drones A micro-aviary of drones that look—and fly—like ladybugs, dragonflies, and other insects. Since 2008, George Huang, professor of engineering at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, has managed to produce a butterfly model with a 5-inch wingspan. “We haven’t done a final version where we declare victory,” Huang says. “I’ll be happy once it’s fly-sized.” Darpa and the Air Force have already invested in similarly tiny craft, though with no firm time horizon for deployment. Regardless, micro-drones’ potential goes beyond the military. “Police could use them to fly into a drug trafficker’s house,” Huang says. “Or in a nuclear or mining accident, you can send a fly inside to find victims.” This isn’t the first time hearing about bug-sized drones. In October of 2007, the Washington Post published an article about ‘insect spy’ found on U.S. streets.   No agency admits to having deployed insect-size spy drones but just a few months later the army announced that it gave the massive defense contractor, BAE Systems, $36 million to create micro-drones. The project was completed by 2010.

    occupyallstreets:

    U.S. Military Using Bug-Sized Drones

    A micro-aviary of drones that look—and fly—like ladybugs, dragonflies, and other insects. Since 2008, George Huang, professor of engineering at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, has managed to produce a butterfly model with a 5-inch wingspan. “We haven’t done a final version where we declare victory,” Huang says. “I’ll be happy once it’s fly-sized.”

    Darpa and the Air Force have already invested in similarly tiny craft, though with no firm time horizon for deployment. Regardless, micro-drones’ potential goes beyond the military. “Police could use them to fly into a drug trafficker’s house,” Huang says. “Or in a nuclear or mining accident, you can send a fly inside to find victims.”

    This isn’t the first time hearing about bug-sized drones. In October of 2007, the Washington Post published an article about ‘insect spy’ found on U.S. streets.  

    No agency admits to having deployed insect-size spy drones but just a few months later the army announced that it gave the massive defense contractor, BAE Systems, $36 million to create micro-drones. The project was completed by 2010.

     
    5. Jun 25th, 2012     sciencetechnologydroneinsectmilitary
    Comments

  5. 5 Ways Cyborg Insects Could Change The World

    Scientists have made amazing progress lately in turning insects into cyborgs. Almost every week, there’s another news story about cyborg insect first responders, or cockroach fuel cells. Soon enough, when someone plants an eavesdropping device in your house, it’ll literally be a “bug.”

    Why do insects make such great candidates to become cyborgs? And what are we learning from cyborg insects that could help design better aircraft, or unlock the secrets of the human brain?

     
    6. Feb 29th, 2012     sciencebatterybiologyinsectcyborgrobotbrainphysicsfluid dynamics
    Comments