Monarchs In Space

Monarch Butterflies in space (BioServe Space Technologies, the University of Colorado and the International Space Station).



Painted Lady Butterflies in Space.

(Found videos on http://www.geekologie.com/2009/12/the_miracle_of_life_butterflie.php)

Unicorn Fly

The discovery of a new family, genus, and species of diptera was announced just before Halloween (yes, this post is a little late, I know...). The 100 million year old diptera has been dubbed the "Unicorn fly" by scientists because of a horn that grew on top of its head.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152934.htm

Bad News for Criminals: Introducing the Crime Thwarting Leech

Police in Tasmania, Australia have solved a case using DNA extracted from a leech found at a crime scene. This might be the first time anyone in the world has solved a case using such a method.

8 years ago, the home of an elderly woman was invaded by two robbers. They tied the 71-year-old woman to a chair, poked her body with sticks, and robbed her of $550(AUS).

One of the few things police found at the crime scene was an engorged leech. It was logical to assume that the leech might have bitten one of the perpetrators, since neither the woman nor the police present at the scene had been bitten by the leech.

"For the leech to latch onto the offender as he was probably traveling through the bush to get there, to drop off at the scene, to be found during the examination, and to extract the DNA sample from the blood in the leech -- you know, it's a fairly unique set of circumstances," Inspector Mick Johnston said.

The case went cold because there was no match to the DNA found in the leech to other DNA logged in the database at the time of the incident-- however, 8 years later, a man named Peter Alec Cannon was picked up for a drug offense and his DNA was subsequently logged into the database. And lo and behold- a match! (1)


(1) http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/20/australia.crime.leech/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Artificial Memories & Drosophila

More to come on this. I just haven't the time/energy to finish my post.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/science/20fly.html?_r=1&ref=science

Herbivorous Spider

Bagheera kiplingi, a 5-6mm jumping spider found in Central America and some parts of Mexico, has just been discovered to be the first-- and only known-- predominately vegetarian spiders in the world (out of 40,000 other arachnid species). The spider eats the protein-rich tips of Acacia plants, also known as Beltian bodies.

The vegetarian spiders do face one obstacle: a particularly aggressive specie of ants live in the hollow spines of the Acacia plant act as the plants' body gaurd-- fending off the spiders that wish to dine on its Beltian bodies. "The ants protect the trees from predators, swarming to attack any invaders; and in return for acting as bodyguards, the ants get to gorge on the acacias' Beltian bodies themselves" (1). To avoid encounters with these ants, the spiders live on the old tips of the plants-- when they are hungry, they head down to the newer, fresher leaf tips, dodging ants along the way.

Then the spiders grab a Beltian body, clip it off, hold it with their pedipalps and run to the safety of the older, less desirable leaf tips to eat it.

Dr. Curry of Villanova University has recently written a paper on the Bagheera kiplingi. In discussing the possible reasons why these spiders dine on leafy greens, Dr. Curry said that "Competition in the tropics is pretty fierce so there are always advantages to doing what someone else isn't already doing... They are jumping spiders, so they don't build a web to catch food, so they have to catch their prey through pursuit. And the Beltian bodies are not moving - they are stuck - so it is a very predictable food supply."



(1) Rebecca Morelle. "Veggie Spider Shuns Meat Diet." 12 October 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8302535.stm

Insect Slip-n-Slide

I came across an article today that discusses a new method to protect crops from insect attacks and thought it was pretty nifty. Essentially, scientists from Cambridge University have developed an insect repellent that, when applied, makes insects slip. The researchers feel that this product would be a help to farmers in keeping insects off of their crops. I am still a proponent of IPM, but this is a pretty interesting concept. I do have a few concerns: How environmentally damaging is this repellent? And what about beneficial insects-- such as pollinators-- will this effect them and their pollination? Let's hope they continue to work on and research this product so that these questions can be answered.

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200910/s2714842.htm

Japanese Rice Farmers Create Giant Paddy Art

Giant Dragonfly!!



Giant Ladybug!