Monarch Conservation

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/08/26/18760735.php

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/life/2014/08/29/monarch-butterfly-decline-roundup-herbicide/14832497/

http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/common-monarch-diseases-prevention/

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/monikamaeckle/2014/08/monarch-butterflies-heading-our-way-in-promising-rebound-season/

http://www.dailynews.com/lifestyle/20140828/monarch-butterflies-strike-a-chord-with-readers

http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2014/08/30/monarch-butterfly-counts-continue-plummet-iowa/14854637/

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/13424-how-to-protect-bees-in-your-community.html

News  >  ReWild  >  Invertebrates  > Groups Want Monarch Butterfly Declared A Threatened Species  In a move that would have been nearly incomprehensible 20 years ago, environmental groups are asking the federal government to grant Endangered Species Act protection to a popular butterfly that was once one of North America's most common large insects. In a  petition   filed Tuesday with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, three conservation organizations and a leading lepidopterist are asking USFWS to declare the monarch butterfly a threatened species. The petition is prompted by a staggering drop in monarch numbers over the last two decades; current estimates put that drop at 90 percent in the last 20 years. The groups cite a rise in use of the herbicide Roundup as a key factor in the monarchs' decline. Farmers using the herbicide have wiped out much of monarch's supply of milkweed plants across the continent; monarchs ...

Larry Bogan is saving the monarch butterfly one at a time The retired Acadia University physicist and long time naturalist is trying to boost the Monarch population CBC News Posted: Aug 25, 2014 6:14 PM AT Last Updated: Aug 25, 2014 6:14 PM AT Source...  A Nova Scotia man is doing what he can to save the monarch butterfly, including raising the insects in his home in the Annapolis Valley. Larry Bogan is a retired Acadia University physicist and long time naturalist who committed himself to boosting the monarch population. “They’re a marvellous phenomena,” he says. “They're fun to watch.”  Bogan has gone as far as to allow his fields to be taken over by milkweed. Normally it’s a nuisance weed hated by farmers, but loved by the monarch butterfly. “It helps the population of the monarchs, which are very low now,” he says. That population deficit is in part because there is too little milkweed in the United States and Canada. That, in turn, stymies a migration that tak...

The first global analysis of genome variation in honeybees has been revealed by scientists. The findings show a surprisingly high level of genetic diversity in honeybees, and indicate that the species most probably originates from Asia, and not from Africa as previously thought. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is of crucial importance for humanity. One third of our food is dependent on the pollination of fruits, nuts and vegetables by bees and other insects. Extensive losses of honeybee colonies in recent years are a major cause for concern. View the Original article

Honeybee colonies are dying at alarming rates worldwide. A variety of factors have been proposed to explain their decline, but the exact cause -- and how bees can be saved -- remains unclear. A new article examines the viral landscape in honeybee colonies in New Zealand after the recent arrival of the parasitic Varroa destructor mite. View the Original article

Where are the monarch butterflies? De la Tierra Source Steve Tapia is a retired wildlife biologist who worked 23 years with the U.S. Forest Service and four years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Posted: Monday, August 25, 2014 12:15 am This familiar butterfly is one of the most beautiful of living creatures in the opinion of Marian W. Marcher, author of “Monarch Butterfly,” a book I found in special collections section at the Taos Public Library. Every summer it is a real treat to happen upon one of these “flittering art masterpieces,” but you don’t see them very often anymore, if at all. So what is the story with monarchs? A couple of “big picture” reasons for this. First, New Mexico is still in a long-term drought. Yes, it seems that we regularly get a summer rainstorm, and that helps, but according to the National Weather Service, New Mexico is well below the 100-year average for moisture, and monarch butterflies are very moisture-dependent, more so than other critters...

Monarch butterflies released in Deer Lake Western Star On Saturday, 200 monarch butterflies were released at the Deer Lake gazebo to remember and honour loved ones. "Butterfly Blessings" is a fundraising initiative started last year in memory of Victoria Legge and as grown to become a community event. View the Original article

This was a great weekend for monarchs. I saw more today than I saw in the last few years combined. I even had one lay eggs on the milkweed in the yard. It's good to know that so many people are on board to help. I've been giving away seed for many years but this year I had so many requests that I had to purchase more. I'm happy and hopeful that the migration numbers will increase from last year's count. There's still the climate threat but hopefully mother nature will spare in cold weather conditions.  Join us at: http://monarchconservation.yooco.org

Climate Change Coalition To Host Presentation on Monarch Butterflies DoorCountyDailyNews.com The Door County Climate Change Coalition's monthly presentation September 3rd will explore the impacts of global climate change on the monarch butterfly . University of Minnesota professor Karen Oberhauser will give the presentation about monarch ... View the Original article

How A Female Monarch Can Prevent Mating (Creighto…: http://youtu.be/ElTrmnuVH2M

YMCA campers learn to conserve Monarch butterflies Devin Bartolotta Aug 22, 2014 9:06 p.m.    ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) - Monarch butterfly populations have been in trouble in recent years as their habitats have been destroyed by commercialization. This summer, campers at the Rochester YMCA are learning about butterflies and how they can make sure the insects are still around when they are grown ups. "You have to extend the proboscis onto the cotton ball, and if it drinks, it drinks," said camper Veronika Voss. Class is in session at the Rochester YMCA. "The kids are picking up really well with the butterflies, and the scientific processes that go into them," said camp director Patrick Franko. The kids are getting hands-on experience feeding the butterflies and making sure they're well taken care of. "This is keeping the education alive in the summer and emphasizing and encouraging their curiosity," said Monarch butterfly instructor De Cansl...

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/technology/monarch-butterfly-decline-linked-to-spread-of-gm-crops-1.2665131

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/windsor/monarch-butterfly-population-set-to-rise-this-year-1.2744262

Life is not scripted, nor is it planned. How you live your life and what you do for other people is determined by the events and people who influence your decisions. I found at a young age that I had a love and appreciation for nature. Something about it drew me in. As I grew older I realized how much the world around me was in turmoil and constant change, yet nature did its thing like it always does, to the beat of its own drum. The only changes were reflections of outside influences. Some influences good and some bad. As I grew older I began to take notice of subtle changes in the world I lived in and began to worry how far we could tip the scales before we destroyed everything around us. Corporations had become so large that that they were no longer accountable for their actions. They controlled the powers that were designed to control them. In the last five years the effects of manmade chemicals and genetic modification of produce have slowly but efficiently taken their toll on ...

Scientists have combined cookies, citizen science and robust research methods to track the diversity of ant species across the United States, and are now collaborating with international partners to get a global perspective on how ants are moving and surviving in the modern world. The School of Ants project was developed to help researchers get a handle on the diversity of ant species across the United States. View the Original article

A new study that involved fitting bumblebees with tiny radio frequency tags shows long-term exposure to a neonicotinoid pesticide hampers bees' ability to forage for pollen. The study shows how long-term pesticide exposure affects individual bees' day-to-day behavior, including pollen collection and which flowers worker bees chose to visit. View the Original article

The spread of damaging invasive forest pests is only partially powered by the insects' own wings. People moving firewood for camping can hasten and widen the insects' spread and resulting forest destruction. A new study gives state planners a tool for anticipating the most likely route of human-assisted spread they can use to enhance survey and public education efforts. View the Original article

The level of sensitivity of bees to the adverse effects of pesticides varies as a function of environmental conditions, research shows. Scientists observed that a neonicotinoid insecticide disturbed their ability to find their bearings, particularly in a complex landscape and under unfavorable weather conditions. View the Original article

The yellow crazy ant Anoplolepis gracilipes is ranked amongst the top 100 worst global invasive species and is responsible for catastrophic ecological impacts on islands. A new study examines and assesses the effects and dangers of the introduction of the yellow crazy ant to the unique and often endemic ecosystems of the mature palm forest of the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the Seychelles. View the Original article

Mosquitoes infected with the bacteria Wolbachia are more likely to become infected with West Nile virus and more likely to transmit the virus to humans, according to a team of researchers. "This is the first study to demonstrate that Wolbachia can enhance a human pathogen in a mosquito," one researcher said. "The results suggest that caution should be used when releasing Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes into nature to control vector-borne diseases of humans." View the Original article

Researchers examine survival rates for healthy mosquitoes and those carrying West Nile virus, under varying environments. The results were complicated, but intriguing. "Our results indicate that interactions between mosquitoes and arboviruses are really complex … these things that haven't really been taken into account previously might make a difference," said the lead author. View the Original article

Using spider toxins to study the proteins that let nerve cells send out electrical signals, researchers say they have stumbled upon a biological tactic that may offer a new way to protect crops from insect plagues in a safe and environmentally responsible way. View the Original article

Bees born in the local area manage better than bees imported from elsewhere, a study has shown. "Many beekeepers believe that it is best to buy queens from outside instead of using the queens they have in their own beehives. However, there is increasing evidence that the global honey bee trade has detrimental effects, including the spread of new diseases and pests," says one expert. View the Original article

A new company, created by scientists, uses a very unique approach to control a common pest that can carry dangerous diseases: using male mosquitoes to effectively sterilize females through a naturally occurring bacterium. "Most mosquito control companies use chemical pesticides which are sprayed out of trucks and planes, or maybe out of a backpack sprayer," one of the scientists said. "By using a natural bacterium called Wolbachia and the mosquitoes' innate ability to find mates, we are applying an approach which does not require chemicals." View the Original article

Anyone who has squashed a stink bug knows why they got their name. Although just a nuisance to homeowners, the insects feed on and damage fruits and vegetables, causing significant economic losses for farmers. Now scientists have discovered certain stink bug pheromone components and made them artificially in the lab for the first time, and these substances can be used to monitor and manage their populations. View the Original article

A 25-year-long study provides the first quantitative measurement of in situ calcium-magnesium silicate mineral dissolution by ants, termites, tree roots, and bare ground. This study reveals that ants are one of the most powerful biological agents of mineral decay yet observed. It may be that an understanding of the geobiology of ant-mineral interactions might offer a line of research on how to "geoengineer" accelerated carbon dioxide consumption by Ca-Mg silicates. View the Original article

A professor of biology has lent his expertise in understanding insect movement to help shape a UN-sanctioned eradication effort of the tsetse fly -- a creature that passes the fatal African sleeping sickness to humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. The tsetse fly is the main vector for Human African Trypanosomiasis (aka sleeping sickness), and spreads the disease by biting humans or animals. The disease affects the central nervous system and is fatal if untreated. For some forms of the disease, victims can reach the terminal stage before symptoms even start to show. View the Original article

An entomologist has found that an insecticide company can use smaller amount of chemical to treat bedbug infestations, which have been increasing in the United States. View the Original article

Many beekeepers feed their honey bees sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup when times are lean inside the hive. This practice has come under scrutiny, however, in response to colony collapse disorder, the massive -- and as yet not fully explained -- annual die-off of honey bees in the U.S. and Europe. Some suspect that inadequate nutrition plays a role in honey bee declines. Scientists took a broad look at changes in gene activity in response to diet in the Western honey bee, and found significant differences occur depending on what the bees eat. View the Original article

The fly can pinpoint the location of a chirping cricket with remarkable accuracy because of its freakishly acute hearing, which relies upon a sophisticated sound processing mechanism that really sets it apart from all other known insects. Researchers have now developed a tiny prototype device that mimics the parasitic fly’s hearing mechanism, which may be useful for a new generation of hypersensitive hearing aids. View the Original article

The bats use the way the sun's light is scattered in the atmosphere at sunset to calibrate their internal magnetic compass, which helps them to fly in the right direction, a new study has shown. View the Original article

Scientists attached radio-frequency identification tags to hundreds of individual honey bees and tracked them for several weeks. The effort yielded two discoveries: Some foraging bees are much busier than others; and if those busy bees disappear, others will take their place. View the Original article

A leading researcher in chikungunya virus says many more people are at risk of getting infected now that mosquitoes in the U.S. are carrying the virus. At least 243 travel-related cases of chikungunya have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 31 states, with the number expected to grow. The first case acquired in the United States was reported in Florida, seven months after the mosquito-borne virus was recognized in the Western Hemisphere. View the Original article

The Leishmania parasite, which causes the human disease leishmaniasis, acts as a probiotic in the insect that transmits it to humans, protecting them from bacterial disease, research shows. Around 12 million people are currently infected with Leishmaniasis worldwide, mostly in South America, Africa and Asia. It is estimated to kill 20-50,000 people per year. Sandflies transmit the parasite by feeding on an infected mammal and, if they survive long enough, feeding on another mammal, and passing the parasite on to them. View the Original article

Non-biting blow fly Chrysomya megacephala is commonly found in dead bodies and is used in forensic investigations to determine the time of death, referred to as the post mortem interval. A report of synanthropic derived form of C. megacephala from Tamil Nadu is provided for the first time based on morphological features and molecular characterization through generation of DNA barcoding. View the Original article

Honey bees, especially the young, are highly sensitive to temperature and to protect developing bees, adults work together to maintain temperatures within a narrow range. New research also supports the theoretical construct of the bee hive as a superorganism — an entity in which its many members carry out specialized and vital functions to keep the whole functioning as a unit. View the Original article

In the group of viruses that includes dengue and chikungunya, a newcomer now has people talking about it. Also originating in Africa, zika was isolated in humans in the 1970s. Several years earlier, only a few human cases had been reported. It took until 2007 for the virus to show its epidemic capacity, with 5,000 cases in Micronesia in the Pacific, and then especially, at the end of 2013 in Polynesia, where 55,000 people were affected. View the Original article

After the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous period that triggered the dinosaurs' extinction and ushered in the Paleocene, leaf-mining insects in the western United States completely disappeared. Only a million years later, at Mexican Hat, in southeastern Montana, fossil leaves show diverse leaf-mining traces from new insects that were not present during the Cretaceous, according to paleontologists. View the Original article

Invertebrate numbers have decreased by 45 percent on average over a 35 year period in which the human population doubled, reports a study on the impact of humans on declining animal numbers. This decline matters because of the enormous benefits invertebrates such as insects, spiders, crustaceans, slugs and worms bring to our day-to-day lives, including pollination and pest control for crops, decomposition for nutrient cycling, water filtration and human health. View the Original article

Before the colonial era, 100,000s of people lived on the land now called California, and many of their cultures manipulated fire to control the availability of plants they used for food, fuel, tools, and ritual. Contemporary tribes continue to use fire to maintain desired habitat and natural resources. View the Original article

Scientists have discovered a new species of mayfly in the southern Western Ghats, a mountain range along the west coast of India. The larvae have light-brown heads with light-yellow antennae, and they grow to be about 4-5 millimeters in length. Adults are also about five millimeters long, and the males and females both lack hind wings. View the Original article

A ground breaking new book that brings together two of the major disciplines behind Jurassic Park is aiming to raise the profile of insect fossils through stunning photographs and unique illustrations. View the Original article

Scientists are searching through a massive collection of 20-million-year-old amber found in the Dominican Republic more than 50 years ago, and the effort is yielding fresh insights into ancient tropical insects and the world they inhabited. Perhaps the most striking discovery thus far is that of a pygmy locust, a tiny grasshopper the size of a rose thorn that lived 18- to 20-million years ago and fed on moss, algae and fungi. View the Original article

By tracing nearly 3,000 genes to the earliest common ancestor of butterflies and moths, scientists have created an extensive “Tree of Lepidoptera” in the first study to use large-scale, next-generation DNA sequencing. View the Original article

The selective logging of trees in otherwise intact tropical forests can take a serious toll on the number of animal species living there. Mammals and amphibians are particularly sensitive to the effects of high-intensity logging, according to researchers who conducted a meta-analysis of almost 50 previously published studies from around the world. View the Original article

New discoveries about how butterflies feed could help engineers develop tiny probes that siphon liquid out of single cells for a wide range of medical tests and treatments, according to researchers. The technology could be used for medical devices, nanobioreactors that make complex materials and flying "micro-air vehicles" the size of an insect. View the Original article

Scientists have chosen the most fleeting of mediums for their groundbreaking work on biomimicry: They've changed the color of butterfly wings. In so doing, they produced the first structural color change in an animal by influencing evolution. The discovery may have implications for physicists and engineers trying to use evolutionary principles in the design of new materials and devices. View the Original article

Scientists report they can crank up insect aggression simply by interfering with a basic metabolic pathway in the insect brain. Their study, of fruit flies and honey bees, shows a direct, causal link between brain metabolism -- how the brain generates the energy it needs to function -- and aggression. View the Original article

A synopsis of the carabid beetle tribe Lachnophorini reveals a remarkable 24 new species. This research is the beginning of series of steps towards the provision of taxonomic relationships of carabid beetles. For the near future the path forward to be followed will lead to an attempt, using morphological and molecular attributes to provide a firm basis for firm classification. View the Original article

When the ants come marching in, having miles of linked habitats may not be such a good idea after all. In a classic example of the law of unintended consequences, new research suggests that wildlife corridors – strips of natural land created to reconnect habitats separated by agriculture or human activities -- can sometimes encourage the spread of invasive species such as one type of fire ant. View the Original article

A group of scientists has built an online interactive website to help state and federal identifiers safeguard the US ports-of-entry from alien scale insect pests. The interactive website facilitates pest identifications by gathering, in one place, photos, drawings and current information on 194 species that have the potential to become serious pests to U.S. agriculture. View the Original article

Scientists are urgently trying to determine the causes of colony collapse disorder and the alarming population declines of honeybees. The effects of fipronil and imidacloprid on honeybees has been addressed by a new study. While damage at sublethal levels may not be evident, low level exposure inhibits the ability to forage and return to the hive, which could result in declining bee populations. View the Original article

The tiny fruit fly can be used to study how mutations associated with the development of diabetes affect the production and secretion of the vital hormone insulin, researchers report for the first time. The advance is due to a new technique that allows scientists to measure insulin levels in the insects with extremely high sensitivity and reproducibility. View the Original article

Native bacteria living inside mosquitoes prevent the insects from passing Wolbachia bacteria -- which can make the mosquitoes resistant to the malaria parasite -- to their offspring, according to a team of researchers. The team found that Asaia, a type of bacteria that occurs naturally in Anopheles mosquitoes, blocks invasion of Wolbachia into the mosquitoes' germlines -- the cells that are passed on through successive generations of an organism -- thus stopping the insects from transmitting Wolbachia to their offspring. View the Original article

Scientists who sequenced the genome of the Antarctic midge suspect the genome’s small size -- the smallest in insects described to date -- can probably be explained by the midge’s adaptation to its extreme living environment. View the Original article

Researchers have developed a prototype insect trap that utilizes motion sensor and wireless technology to detect insect and transmit data to the researcher at the base station located away from the study area. View the Original article

Releasing genetically engineered fruit flies into the wild could prove to be a cheap, effective and environmentally friendly way of pest control, according to scientists. New research reveals how the release of genetically engineered male flies could be used as an effective population suppression method -- saving crops around the world. View the Original article

More than 900 species of wild bees are found in France, but many of them - such as bumblebees - are in decline. Researchers have carried out the first exhaustive study in Europe to evaluate the impact of urbanization on the wild bee community. View the Original article