Foraging in hotter-than-desired temperatures could negatively affect ants’ biology and the forest ecosystems that they support.
insects
Plant-Nibbling Insects May Make It Cloudier and Cooler
Insects that eat plant leaves could change the local atmosphere, but current climate models do not account for this impact.
La polinización se desplomó 31% en campos contaminados
Los niveles de contaminación del aire por debajo de los límites “seguros” (y más bajos que los que comúnmente se encuentran en las ciudades) llevaron a una disminución significativa de la polinización de hasta por 10 insectos comunes.
Pollination Plummeted 31% in Polluted Fields
Air pollution levels below “safe” limits (and lower than those commonly found in cities) led to a significant decrease in pollination by 10 common insects.
Termite Fumigation in California Is Fueling the Rise of a Rare Greenhouse Gas
The insecticide sulfuryl fluoride isn’t included in federal or state emissions reduction goals.
Lyme Disease and the Dangers of the Forest Edge
Living near a forest edge may be an important risk factor for Lyme disease; these liminal spaces provide the perfect habitat for one of the black-legged tick’s favorite hosts.
Hydrology Helps Identify Future Malaria Hot Spots
Complex hydrological processes—not just the amount of rainfall—help determine where malaria-transmitting mosquitoes can thrive.
Record Locust Swarms Hint at What’s to Come with Climate Change
Warming oceans that feed cyclones have also bred record-breaking swarms of desert locusts. Such plagues could grow bigger and more widespread with climate change.
Hydropower and Bugs
Alpine hydropower plants commonly flush sediment that accumulates at intakes, but the associated rapid rise in discharge, turbidity, and streambed instability put aquatic insects at risk.
El Niño May Be a Culprit Behind the Cholera Epidemic in Yemen
Increased rainfall in East Africa and subsequent wind may have brought infected bugs to Yemen, causing the worst cholera outbreak of our time.