Feeding, Breeding, and Seeing: Life History and Sensory Capacity in Moths

When it comes to insects, there is a wide diversity of sensory abilities: some have amazing vision, others have an incredible sense of smell, and some have super hearing. But why do some insects have better senses than others, especially … Continue reading

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It’s too dark… is it a left or right turn? Copy when uncertain: lower light levels increase use of social information and reliance on pheromone trails in ants

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The use of information is critical for an animal’s success. Animals must decide to explore new options or rely on their preexisting knowledge in multiple facets of their lives, including foraging for food. There are two important types of information … Continue reading

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The Frog-biting Midge : an Eavesdropping Vampire

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Nobody likes to be eavesdropped on. It’s an invasion of privacy, someone listening to words not meant for their ears. But if you think that is uncomfortable, imagine if instead of another person eavesdropping, it was a parasitic midge using … Continue reading

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You are Where You Eat: Jumping Spiders and Home-Prey Preference

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Grocery shopping, while tedious at times, is relatively straightforward–the greatest danger is buying that tub of ice cream because of the enticing advertisements. But in the wild, knowing which meal to choose can be the difference between life and death. … Continue reading

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Silent Crickets: How male Pacific field crickets losing their mating song affects females

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Pacific field crickets (Teleorgryllus oceanicus) are found throughout islands in the Pacific ocean, Oceania, and coastal Australia. In most of that range, male crickets sing in order to attract mates, but in the Hawaiian Island Kauai, the crickets are surprisingly … Continue reading

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Grateful that I am not a female winter moth: insectivorous birds can detect chemical cues of female winter moths during mating season and eat them (and their mates)

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How predator and prey species interact with each other can affect the dynamics of an ecosystem and the consequent species composition and diversity of the area. Because of this, piecing together how these interactions occur and on what levels is … Continue reading

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Why do territorial white rhinos kick their dung? A cost/benefit analysis of kicking excrement

If you’ve ever walked a canine past a fire hydrant, you will know that animals use scent to communicate. While your furry friend makes use of his urine to communicate territory ownership, other animals establish dominance via the scent of … Continue reading

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Hide in Plain Sight, On the Go

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Did you see that toad in the picture? Okay that was probably an easy one. How about the owl? A bit harder, no? Lastly, that white blob on the snow? Is that a bird? Alright, you get the point. We have … Continue reading

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Electric Elephantfish: How this brilliant bottom-feeder finds its way without light

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When it comes to electric animals, the go-to  example is the electric eel dramatically stunning its prey with a powerful shock. And while electric eels do have some fascinating abilities, they’re just one of the many species of fish that … Continue reading

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When the Sun and Winds Align, Dung Beetles Orient Just Fine

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Finding a dung pile is like Black Friday in the savannas of South Africa for the dung beetle. When the beetles find a pile of dung, it’s every beetle for themselves as they cut off pieces of the nutrient-rich reward. … Continue reading

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