Mantis Update

On one of the collection trips we took to Rosemont Forest Preserve, the class spotted several mantodeas. The one I caught was pregnant so Andy suggested I keep her for a few weeks until she lay her egg sack. Pictured aboveis a photo of the egg in a jar (this will hatch in spring, so I will place this outside in a field). The video Mantis Clips is a series of clips that I documented during my care. My roommate and I would catch insect, mostly grasshoppers and large flies, from the garden about every two days. Sometimes the Mantis would hunt them, chew the, and drop the prey once they stopped squirming.


(fall 2016 Katia Perez-Fuentes)

Teaching An Old Parasitoid Wasp New Tricks

https://entomologytoday.org/2016/12/14/teaching-an-old-parasitoid-wasp-new-tricks/
-Maryiah W.

Where do the insects go during winter?

We have touched on a few of the topics discussed in this broadcast about where insects may go during the winter. Listen to Montana's Public Radio segment to learn more about the ways insects may survive the cold. From becoming "living popsicles" to producing a chemical similar to a car's antifreeze to warm them this broadcast gives a great overview of why we don't see many insects during the freezing months.

http://mtpr.org/post/field-notes-how-insects-survive-montana-winters

-Sarah Rose

Insect Game

Now that the semester is coming to a close, test your insect knowledge with this game! This could also be used as a study tool for today's exam.

http://www.purposegames.com/game/insect-orders-quiz

-Sarah Rose

You know what they say.. an insect a day keeps the doctor away.

The End Of Fish Oil Capsules

-Tara Parambi (2016)

Mantid Partyyyy

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/MYvvVt3x-Kvp5pHRn.mp4

- Tara Parambi (2016)

My mother found this insect on our window back home in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It looks like a curry leaf coincidentally. It's a little hard to identify without more detailed photos. What do you guys think it is?

- Tara Parambi (2016)

RoboBees

The decline of the Bee population poses a huge problem for the future of human agriculture, not to mention the unbalanced ecosystems that will be harmed with the bee's absence (as they are main pollinators). It seems that Harvard engineers have been working on robot bees (link) as a solution to the insect loss. 

It's interesting to think about this technological development as another industrialization of labor, and we must consider the effects this might have in the micro-ecosystems such as the  insect world. What affects might this introduction have on other insect species that co-exist with the bees in symbiotic relationships? 
(video)

- Katia Perez (fall 2016)

The Peppered Moth

Even back in high school, the case of the British peppered moth appeared in my biology textbook. The British peppered moth changed colour in the period of the industrial revolution (so called "industrial melanism"), from spotted white to black, to camouflage on the soot stained surfaces. From this article published in June, scientists have discovered the genetic reason for the transformation as well as pin pointed the year in which this mutation might have occurred -- 1819.

The scientists looked at the moth genome, identifying any difference between the two coloured samples. This could be done with the current day technologies, but could not have been investigated with this precision back in the day. Machines used would be similar to ones we saw on our field museum visit.

The specific gene found to have caused the mutation is called cortex.

They used the fact that the genome, over time, gets scrambled around as
pieces switch between chromosomes in a process called
"recombination". A close look at the stretches right next to the cortex
mutation showed very little scrambling; this was a recent event.

And with why this mutation was favoured -- natural selection. Where the mutation turned these moths from white to black, helping them with camouflage from predators in sooted surfaces, benefiting their survival rates. Eventually, the darker coloured population increased so drastically that the lighter coloured ones were outnumbered.


This article shows the importance of technological advances in solving biological mysteries from past events, like this highly recognised peppered moth. Perhaps with these new possibilities comes the need to ask whether is is necessary to spend immense amounts of funding and time to solve unknowns from the past, even if they do not necessarily aid discoveries that help solve current problems.


 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36429194

 

Entomophagy in Edinburgh Bakery

Bringing it back to the beginning of the semester when we read about entomophagy from extracts in Insect Lives, I stumbled across this article which reported on a new bakery in Edinburgh that serves insect based baked goods. In the video, the owner talked about various culinary advantages eating insects would bring.

Whereas in another BBC article, the act of eating insects is looked at upon from an environmental aspect, where the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organisation have proposed that eating insects instead of other animal proteins have the capability to help climate change. This goes back to our study on energy conservation through food chains earlier in the semester, where using the same amount of energy to produce e.g. 200 grams of beef, it could produce 2 kilograms of edible insects. Furthermore, the amount of greenhouse gases created by producing the same amount of beef would not be generated unless 20 kilograms of edible insects is produced. Due to the efficiency of producing insects in comparison to other protein sources, and the problems with supplying enough land and water for agriculture and food production (from overpopulation), it is proposed that incorporating insects in a general diet would contribute heavily to solving current environmental issues.


I think what interests me most about the phenomenon of entomophagy is the factors that people have to confront before this step could be taken. The obvious answer, the fear from the thought that insects are squirmy, 'gross' creatures that only a select few people eat, but also, whether the human body is still capable of processing and digesting all the valuable nutrients insects have to provide.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35061609

- Justin

Metal in Anthills

I meant to share this a lot earlier, but I came across this again. This is more on the artsy side, but there is this video of an artist pouring aluminum in anthills. Not encouraging to pour hot metal and massacre all the ants, but it is quite interesting to see in the sense of casting the negative space. It reveals a lot of the architecture and interior the ants naturally build which can be difficult to see from the outside. By sculpture, it's really beautiful, but I'm not too sure the moral behind all this.
(But please, don't pour hot metal on ants.)

https://www.facebook.com/thisisinsiderdesign/videos/277312672610369/?hc_ref=SEARCH


- Sabrina

Mike Libby

While scrolling through pinterest the other day I found this interesting artist Mike Libby. He takes insects and makes sculptural, Robotic creatures out of them. He puts old watches and other mechanics inside of the insects exoskeleton. It looks beautiful but why is he doing this if it does not work as a machine ... is it just for show? He explains in his statment that insects are being used as examples for new technology. But what is he doing for these insects?
I love his work, because it's so alluring, and the sculptural aspects are so beautifully and delicately
designed.  I just wonder what all you guys think about him?
http://insectlabstudio.com/collection/Beetles/
-Nicole Nienow

A 'hat' of Discarded Heads- Nicole Nienow

This article about the Uraba lugens caterpillar is like something out of a movie.  Most caterpillars use fuzz or vibrant colors to protect them from predators, but in the case of this Caterpillar it sheds its exoskeleton and leaves its exoskeleton head still attached to is body. Every time it sheds it leaves its head and a pile of heads accumulate on top of one another. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie that I really want to see.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/caterpillar-hat-helmet-skulls-heads-australia-uraba-lugens-a6950686.html

Cyborg Beetles

Cyborg Beetles (link)
Advanced developments have been made to stimulate the beetle bodies with technology in order to control them like a robots. The goal is to use these beetles for tracking/locating warm bodies (people) as an act to "save the world peacefully." It's interesting to hear these engineers wanting to use this hybrid technology for the greater good, but really how ethical is this when this greater good using the beetles solely for the human benefit? Would this not be considered a parasitic relationship between insect and human? Since the beetles are being used as tool does this mean their lives are of lesser value? It's hard to advocate for the beetles when watching this video of men flying their little bodies into the wall like toy helicopters.

(post by Katia Perez for fall 2016)

Ants vs. Legos

The New York Times Science section recently posted a video of Longhorn Crazy Ants (Paratrechina Longicornis) tackling obstacle courses. Today in class we talked about why ants cooperate, so here is an experiment on how they cooperate to solve specific problems.

Who knew ants would like tuna?

-Sarah Rose

https://www.facebook.com/nytimesscience/videos/1210302582383099/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE

https://www.facebook.com/natgeo/videos/10153986127783951/

Any of you looking for a quick buck!?This entomologist is researching the venom in insects to help treat chronic pain. I certainly think this is worth looking into, since chronic pain is a side affect to many illnesses.

Daphne

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/animal-science-insects-biggest-moth-weta-butterfly/
This article goes over the largest insects that have ever lived after studying fossils from 30-40 million years old. It also goes over the largest insect that lives presently. The largest insect is the white witch mother, and the heaviest insect happens to be a kind of cricket that is found in New Zealand. However the article goes over some other insects as well. It's pretty short, not too much information. Just enough to feed your curiosity!

-Daphne

Boxelder

I was able to experience the crazed Boxelder Beetles this weekend. I was on a farm in Wisconsin,and they were swarming to find a home for the winter(the farmhouse). Here are some Pictures/Video and an article about this wonderful time of season.
-Nicole Nienow
https://vimeo.com/187765007

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiZ0IXGm-PPAhWB2T4KHb5XDNMQvIgBCC0wBg&url=http%3A%2F%2Flacrossetribune.com%2Fcourierlifenews%2Flifestyles%2Ftime-to-battle-asian-beetles-and-boxelder-bugs%2Farticle_883909ca-31db-11e3-9686-001a4bcf887a.html&usg=AFQjCNGAauP4qGTWBOl6TBUFmRjtrcf1Cw&sig2=7uq91K-rt183kRFzLnBJJA

 

This Is the Worst Insect Sting in the World

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/worlds-most-painful-insect-sting-science/

It is a very interesting article about making a pain scale table by being stung by bees. The scientist noted that a bullet ant would probably top the chart for intensity if they stung your nostril. They also bring out the idea that where you are being stung is as important as the different in species in deciding the pain levels. ---- Kian Wong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tsPuWFtrFY

Super gross and big insects. The assassin bug is my favorite, but there's a few specimens they show that aren't insect, for example they show a giant spider from Australia. Also there's some african killer bees, I wonder if you can find them in Chicago? I hope not!- Daphne

https://www.facebook.com/scienceofus/videos/653969904758553/

Ball of Fire Ants! You might have to log into Facebook to watch this. These ants pretty much work together, as you can see after watching this video. They're kind of like one huge mass. It's called "viscoelastic behavior." I wonder how they do this out in their natural habitat. I'm assuming they don't all move together like this? -Daphne

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/10/03/u-s-bees-were-just-added-to-the-endangered-species-list-for-the-first-time/

Bees are endangered according to Washington Post! However, I read another article that says bees "aren't endangered." There's been debate in the past and a noticeable decline in honeybees (I know that because my dad is a beekeeper) so this isn't too surprising. Maybe we shouldn't catch bees for our insect collecting? -Daphne

Class Field Trip?

"This pop-up dinner menu is full of bugs. Yes, those kinds of bugs."

http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-bug-dinner-20160928-snap-story.html

Joey

Eating a Giant Water Bug, Rhino Beetle, Sago Worm, and Crickets... :~0!

WOULD YOU DO IT??? WATCH THIS VIDEO BY emmymadeinjapan... 

Joey

Speaking of Kinky Bugs (Arachnid)... :~0!

"Daddy Longlegs Are Having Rough, Kinky Sex All Around You"
https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/daddy-longlegs-are-having-rough-kinky-sex-all-around-you?utm_source=vicefbus



Hello classmates~  Read this Broadly article about daddy longlegs and watch the crazy video!

 Joey

Recognizing Insects in Science and as Pests - Japan style

As you know, in this class we collect insects and sacrifice them in the name of first-hand discovery, study, and deeper understanding.  Countless animals have (and will) die for the purpose of scientific biological study, and in my view the very least you can do is honor and acknowledge that taking of a life. We had a small shrine in the insect lab where I did my PhD study, a place where innumerable moths, butterflies, ants, and others where reared and researched A small gesture, but I think necessary to remind us of the essential contradictions wrapped up in close study of life and all of its wondrous complexity.

Recall I mentioned the variability in cultural attitudes towards insects, including the Japanese tendency to to acknowledge, and sometimes revere, the form, function, and role of insects.

Kaneiji Temple in Tokyo is a Zen Buddhist temple part of which is devoted to the souls of insects that died for scientific research (that second pictogram on the rock refers to "insects")

A whole other step further is perhaps the monument to souls of termites at the Koya-san Buddhist cemetery sponsored and paid for by who.....?  A pest control company!  A very different attitude towards insects life indeed. The epitaph reads "Termites - Rest peacefully!"

David Gracer, insect eater

The David Gracer insect-eater interview from the Colbert Report that we missed in class this week - here it is!  I love his energy, he is unflappable in the face of Colbert's sarcastic doubt par excellence.

Meanwhile, I stumbled on this webpage with a ridiculous wealth of entomophagy resources -

Ant Egg Fried Chicken!

The Chicago Reader runs series called "Key Ingredient" where they challenge local chefs at Honey Butter Fried Chicken with ingredients out of their usual comfort zone.

In this episode from last month they have some fried chicken chefs include ant eggs into their menu roster. In this case by "eggs" I think they likely in fact mean "larva" as the eggs would be too small to see very well, much less use in a dish!  Seems like it was a success?