Insect Grooming Improves Olfactory Function

Researchers at NC State University set up experiments to explore insect grooming. They compared cleaned American cockroach antennae to antennae that was not cleaned. It was found that the uncleaned antennae accumulated volatile and non-vola...tile chemicals as well as waxy secretions that protect the cockroaches from water loss.

It was found that the groomed antennae were more able to detect sex pheromones and other odors. The bugs with the groomed antennae were able to respond to these odors faster.

This research could be useful in insecticide application and other studies using insects.

Full Story: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130204153603.htm

Photo: http://tinyurl.com/akr42ue

           http://tinyurl.com/byf47kh

 

Fuel for Insects, Fuel for Cars: Using Gut Microbes and Enzymes as a Catalyst to a New Future of Biofuel

Creating efficient biofuels is a challenge. Lignin, a component of the cell wall of plants, is leftover as waste when other molecules in the plant are converted to ethanol. Breaking down lignin and using it in the production of fuel could a...dvance biofuel production as well as keep more greenhouse gasses from being released when the lignin is burned as waste.

The key to converting lignin to ethanol may be in the guts of insects. Herbivorous insects host an array of microbes and enzymes in their guts that break molecules, like cellulose and lignin, down. A recent study compared the genome of microbes found in grasshoppers, cutworms, and termites and linked the diversity and ability to break down those components to the diet of the species. In the words of the corresponding author, Joshua Yuan, "The study reveals that insect gut microbes evolve to adapt to different food types."

A grant from The U.S. Department from Energy will help Yuan and his fellow researchers at Texas A&M University explore enzymes found in termite guts and microbes as a way of using lignin for biofuel.

Story: http://tinyurl.com/abnwdwz
Photo: http://tinyurl.com/a66d4aq

Sex Ratios in Social Insect Colonies

In social insect societies of ants, bees and wasps, sterile, female workers help their mother by caring for the young. In these insects, sex determination is based on a genetic system of haplodiploidy. Larvae hatching from unfertilized eggs are haploid (have one set of chromosomes, from the mother only) and are male. Young hatching from fertilized eggs are diploid (with a set of chromosomes from both mother and father) and are female. In these colonies, the number of males is usually limited, and they typically leave the colony after reaching maturity. Their lives are short and focused around mating only. In contrast, the females stay with the colony to help raise the young, and to protect, build, and maintain the nest.

In termite societies this is not the case. The males and females share the work, and therefore the sex ratio is more or less even. This suggests that the sex ratio of social insects is biased towards the sex of the species that helps the colony.

Read more: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-babies-insect-sociality.html
http://www.zoo.ox.ac.uk/group/gardner/publications/GardnerRoss_InPress.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplodiploidy

Photo: http://tinyurl.com/a7uxsck
http://tinyurl.com/ajwocvb

Researchers Find Dung Beetles Are Able to Use The Milky Way for Orientation

For the first time, researchers have shown that an insect, the dung beetle, navigates using starlight.

Male dung beetles roll animal feces into balls in order to attract females. The dung serves a purpose as well, food for the young larvae when the female accepts her gift and mates with the male. Like many other animals, the males have competition: other males. Competitors will steal a ball of dung before the hard-working male can deliver it to his potential mate. 

To avoid having the smelly gift stolen, a male needs to make a quick getaway from the dung pile. This involves moving in a straight line. Researchers observed that on moonless nights the beetles were able to travel in a straight path.

Experimenters set out to study this observation and found the beetles were able to use the milky way, rather than individual stars, as well as the moon, to navigate. They also found that navigation was more difficult in overcast conditions or if the insects were otherwise hindered by sight.

Full Story: http://tinyurl.com/a6rgums
Photo Credit: http://tinyurl.com/acxfbfc
Summary, figures & tables: http://tinyurl.com/akqjec6

Lucy the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Lucy is my pet cockroach. She mostly hides under her peat moss all day. Every few days I spray down the moss and sides of her terrarium with water. She's been responding more quickly lately and actually walking around and taking drinks off the sides while I'm watching. One day I grabbed my phone to take some video. Enjoy!

YouTube Video: Structural Colour, Soap Films, & Nanotech Security From Butterflies