Climate, genetics can affect how long virus-carrying mosquitoes live

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.

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Monarch butterflies...Are they really endangered? - Tri-County Times: Human Interests, Social News And Recipes: Fenton, Linden And Holly MI

Eradicating fatal sleeping sickness by killing off the tsetse fly

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

Radio frequency ID tags on honey bees reveal hive dynamics

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

Monarch Conservation

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