insects

National Climate Assessment Pulls No Punches About US Options

(All figures are from the 2014 National Climate Assessment draft.) Later today (Tuesday, May 6), at 8 a.m. EDT, the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee of experts meets by conference call to approve the final version of the Third National Climate Assessment. The gist of their message, as Suzanne Goldenberg of The Guardian

138 Beetle Species Discovered

138 new beetle species from Central and South America were identified last month by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History researchers Michael Caterino and Alexey Tishechkin. Specimens were gathered from Argentina, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama,  Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. Analysis of the male genitalia helped  the researchers identify the different species. In forests,

Bird Ancestors Caused The Extinction Of Prehistoric Giant Insects

  Giant insects with wingspans of more than two feet used to rule the skies from 300-150 million years ago. New research is suggesting that they were killed off by the emergence of birds, not by declining oxygen levels as had previously been believed. When birds first appeared 150 million years ago, insect sizes shrunk

Seattle to Create Nation's First Public Food Forest

In the heart of Seattle, a public park is planned like no other: an urban food forest that is free for the plucking! Due to its mild temperatures and routinely wet climate, Seattle is one of the very few cities in the US with a year-round growing season. Taking advantage of this vegetation-friendly environment, and

Eat Insects, Save on Food, Help the Environment

A long time ago, 50 years or so, I was invited to a party that promised some unusual and tasty snacks, along with the usual supply of beer and other alcoholic libations. Never one to pass up free food and booze, I showed up at my friends apartment , said hello to everyone, grabbed a

Climate Change to Bring Plagues of Insects?

New research from the National Science Foundation suggests a warming Earth could mean a significant increase in voracious, plant-eating insects. Scientists studying the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a period about 55 million years ago when global carbon dioxide levels spiked rapidly, found that plant fossils from that time show noticeably more insect damage than plants

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