Analysis and Comment (13)

11 April 2013

Fgjcw527-1365136565 — Isolated and remote, the Kimberley could be home to untold numbers of new and endemic insects. Bruce Webber

Two million species and counting: completing the catalogue of life

By Owain Edwards, CSIRO and Raphael Didham, University of Western Australia

We have just returned from a month collecting insects in the National Heritage-listed Kimberley region of Western Australia. Together with the Wunambal Gaambera and Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporations…

11 April 2013

Hn94hcwd-1363734571 — This female Territory Imitator probably shouldn’t be on the IUCN’s Red List. But very little is known about this obscure group of insects. David Rentz

Australian endangered species: Katydids

By David Rentz, James Cook University

Consider the katydids. Katydids are related to grasshoppers and crickets. They are generally long-legged, have long antennae and are nocturnal. The majority are herbivores but some are carnivorous. Several…

4 January 2013

Tsz4zyzk-1355887168 — Not all mosquito repellents are equal. Flickr/sachman75

Aussies vs mozzies: a user’s guide to repellents

By Cameron Webb

Mosquito-borne disease is a serious concern, with millions of people worldwide impacted by pathogens spread by these blood-sucking insects. In Australia, there are more than 5,000 cases of human illness…

21 December 2012

4f8kk9rm-1355975014 — Despite having “simple” brains, dragonflies appear to be capable of more complex tasks than was first thought. Henry McLin

Enter the dragonfly: insect shows human-like visual attention

By David O'Carroll and Steven Wiederman

Being able to focus on an important object or task while surrounded by distractions is a valuable skill. It’s an ability that’s probably widespread in the animal kingdom, but is best known in large mammals…

28 November 2012

Pj4k4yxz-1353990051 — Who made this mess, and why? David Midgley

Unravelling the mystery of eucalypt scribbles

By Marianne Horak, CSIRO

Some natural phenomena are so familiar to us that they feature in our lives and culture, yet we know precious little about them. Sometimes we don’t even know how little we know. Take the subject of our…

28 November 2012

7qwhjg9f-1353475650 — Invertebrates can seem alien and “other”, but the world can’t get by without them. Thomas Shahan

Ignoring invertebrate conservation is simply spineless

By Kylie Williams

Invertebrates are all around us – crawling, squirming and buzzing about their business. From forests canopies to ocean depths, they form about 80% of the known species on Earth. By virtue of their sheer…

27 July 2012

9d437wf6-1343363287 — Goodnight, sleep tight? Not if these critters have anything to do with it. Lynn Friedman

VIDEO: bed bugs at London 2012

By Cameron Webb

In a co-production between SBS World News Australia and The Conversation, University of Sydney’s Cameron Webb explains why bed bugs will almost certainly bite at the London Olympics. It’s creepy. Enjoy…

18 July 2012

Z9yns5t8-1342401677 — Bed bugs are among the souvenirs you could bring home from a trip to the London Olympics. Armed Forces Pest Management Board

Will bugs bite at the London Olympics?

By Cameron Webb

Travelling to the London Olympics? What do you expect to bring back? Some amazing sporting memories? A medal? How about some bed bug bites, or, worse still, a few bugs to kick off an infestation at home…

31 May 2012

Dbz738nd-1338355377 — DNA barcoding uses a few standard genes to provide a sure-fire genetic species identification method. Conor Lawless

Genetically linked, a continent apart: the rise of DNA barcoding

By Andrew Lowe and Stefan Caddy-Retalic

We’ve written previously on The Conversation about how taxonomy – the science of describing and naming species – can be quite a subjective science. But taxonomists can broadly be split into two camps…

19 April 2012

4cnsz5y6-1334627529 — Biting insects cause allergic reactions because of their saliva, while stinging insects inject venom when they bite. Emilio Floris/Wikimedia Commons

Taking the ouch and itch out of insect bites

By Cameron Webb

Mosquitoes, biting midges, bedbugs, ticks and fleas will make a meal of us given the opportunity. And it isn’t the pain or annoyance of the bite but our bodies' reactions that often cause greater problems…

19 January 2012

Sx23cpd2-1326840070 — What’s in a name? A whole lot of booty, and some Latin, as it happens. asterix611

Beyoncé is a fly … but why?

By Beth Mantle, CSIRO

Late last week CSIRO announced that a new species of horse fly had been named after pop diva Beyoncé’s bottom. The story generated a real buzz across traditional and social media both in Australia and…

21 September 2011

Cotton_bollworm_aap_image_university_of_melbourne — GM crops are used in Australia to thwart pests such as the Cotton Bollworm (which also destroys corn). AAP/University of Melbourne

Will superbugs overwhelm insect-resistant GM crops?

By Richard Roush, University of Melbourne

A recent report in the Wall Street Journal spoke of rootworms in the US state of Iowa that had evolved resistance to a strain of genetically modified (GM) corn developed especially to thwart those rootworms…

17 August 2011

3749947913_143d5508c6_b-1312778404 — Flesh-flies frequently give birth to maggots on corpses of human and other animals. sankax

Forensic entomology: the time of death is everything

By Ian Dadour, University of Western Australia

FORENSICS AUSTRALIA – Insects are everywhere. Their ubiquitous nature, and the fact they represent the largest biomass of animals on the earth, means there are hardly any terrestrial niches – except when…