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Entomology - Science topic

Discussion about latest research in Entomology
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Would it be possible to use existing and/or genetically modified entomological viruses to create a species specific, gonad specific virus to control and/or eliminate the mosquito that is the vector for malaria and/or the tse-tse fly which transmits trypanosomiasis.
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Yes, genetically modified entomological viruses could be developed to target gonads and control malaria mosquitoes and tsetse flies. Using techniques like CRISPR/Cas9, viruses could be engineered to disrupt reproduction, leading to population declines. Approaches like Wolbachia and genetically modified mosquitoes have shown promise, but further research is needed to ensure safety, specificity, and effectiveness.
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Can anyone recommend peer-reviewed journals in the field of entomology or insect studies that accept short communications and do not charge article processing fees?
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ZooNova publishes -
Occasional papers in Zoology.
Manuscripts are peer reviewed.
Author Instructions:
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Hi mates, I'm doing systematic work required for obtaining DNA from species that belong to a chaotic genus. I wonder if it's acceptable to apply an non-destructive extraction on the paratype? (we have more than 6 specimen for each species)
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If your method is non-destructive I don't see any reason not to proceed. Are typotypes available? If you are still nervous, you have some choices available. Best regards, Jim Des Lauriers
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Which one do you think you should suggest? according to the demand of the Middle East?
  • Plant Pathology
  • Entomology
  • Soil and Environmental science
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In the Middle East, all three fields have significant relevance, but their demand varies based on regional needs:
  1. Soil and Environmental Science is in high demand due to the region's focus on sustainable agriculture, desertification, water management, and environmental conservation. As water scarcity and soil salinity are major challenges, experts in this field are highly sought after.
  2. Plant Pathology is also important, especially for food security. Countries in the Middle East rely on plant protection to maximize crop yield, making this field valuable for addressing pest and disease management in agriculture.
  3. Entomology can be in demand, especially in agriculture, as pest control is crucial in managing crop health. However, its demand may be more niche compared to the broader scope of Soil and Environmental Science.
If you're looking for the highest demand across the region, Soil and Environmental Science might be the most strategic choice. However, Plant Pathology also has significant potential, particularly in agricultural sectors.
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Hi all,
I'm looking to mass mark Solenopsis xyloni ants during an experiment. For this experiment, I'm allowing the whole colony to feed on three feeders, and I want to mass mark all the ants that are visiting the feeder and returning to the nest with a unique color corresponding to each of the three feeders. I was reading about various mass marking techniques and it seems two main methods exist so far: Powder paint application (dusting it with a brush) and spray painting using small atomizers or airbrush. But I cannot find a good powder paint that is non-toxic to ants. Also, I do not want to permanently mark the ants. BioQuip had a couple of powder paints used by several researchers, but unfortunately, the company is no longer operational. Any suggestions for good powder paints or paints for atomizers (in the U.S. market)? Also, do any suggestions for specific atomizers or airbrushes that worked for you?
Let me know if you need more information to answer this question.
Thanks in advance!
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Thanks Gonzalo! I will go through the paper and see if I can use similar method!
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My name is Neha, and I recently completed my Master's degree in zoology. I am now embarking on my PhD journey. I am seeking guidance in identifying a research problem, particularly in the field of entomology or a related area that addresses noble and impactful challenges.
I would also be happy to discuss my background and research interests in more detail if that would be helpful. If you have any suggestions or could point me toward some key areas where further research is needed, I would be extremely grateful.
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Если захотите работать с медоносными пчелами, то я могу вас подержать
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I noticed these 'wasps' feeding on honey dew on an aphid infested perennial ornamental herb. 
It might be useful to add that prevailing temperature was 42 degree centigrade and many other members of the species were drinking water in a nearby water source. 
Care to way in.
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At Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, South Yorkshire (3 August 2024), I've just been watching Vespula vulgaris, Vespa crabro, Coccinella septempunctata , Adalia bipunctata, and Harmonia axyridis, all avid aphid predators, feeding enthusiastically on the copious (almost commercial volumes) of honeydew produced by colonies of the Giant Willow Aphid Tuberolachnus salignus(Gmelin).
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My name is Neha, and I recently completed my Master's degree in zoology. I am now embarking on my PhD journey. I am seeking guidance in identifying a research problem, particularly in the field of entomology or a related area that addresses noble and impactful challenges.
I would also be happy to discuss my background and research interests in more detail if that would be helpful. If you have any suggestions or could point me toward some key areas where further research is needed, I would be extremely grateful.
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Hi Neha
Your background in zoology and interest in entomology, you might consider researching the impact of climate change on insect-pollinator dynamics, focusing on how shifting temperatures and weather patterns alter pollinator behavior and plant-pollinator interactions. This area is crucial for understanding potential disruptions in ecosystem services and food security, as pollinators play a key role in agriculture and natural ecosystems. Investigating these changes could contribute to developing strategies for conserving pollinator species and ensuring their continued effectiveness in crop pollination.
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Does anybody know of entomological Journals without page charges that would publish an extensive checklist (Hong Kong Aculeates wasps) covering 350 species (of which more than half are new to Hong Kong. It is over 100,000 words long and has 34 plates and 6 tables?
Thanks
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Dear Christophe
I recommend Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics for publishing your article. This journal has no restrictions on the number of pages and figures and can quickly publish your article as a monograph. Also,there is no page charge for publishing with JIBS. Publication of color figures is also free of charge.
Best wishes
Ali
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I'm looking for sources of funding for science communication activities. Do you have grants or calls you can recommend? I am from Latin America and work in the fields of biology, entomology, and evolution.
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just calls
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Can I chat with a European or American doctor who can supervise my thesis on entomology?
Pollinators
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Maybe I can help You
I am PhD candidate on entomology.
i will consult my menthors also.
what is your thesis?
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To calculate the food uptake by honey buzzards during the breeding season I need body mass values of the different social wasp species that occur in Europe. For Vespa Crabro, Vespula germanica and vespula vulgaris I did find literature, but on the dolichovespula slepcies I haven't found any sources with weight values of the imagos.
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Avg. weight for the three species you are looking for are available in this paper https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.20121156
Check the first paragraph of the results.
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I am looking for a database of European Carabidae traits - average body length, wing morphology, habitat preference, etc. I have come across Carabids.org but it seems to be down. Is anyone aware of an active database?
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Dear All,
As Stephen mentioned, there indeed will be the European Carabidologists' Meeting this June in Budapest, Hungary. On behalf of the organizers, I can say that talking about the possible revival of an online database of (European) carabid traits is a perfect topic for fruitful discussion (with hopefully a nice outcome).
For those, who are interested in joining ECM, we launched the website of the conference today at https://sites.google.com/view/21ecm The registration and call for abstracts is open until the end of April.
All the best,
Jana
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Since insect pheromones exhibit highly variable forms, as well as compositions, and can change based on various conditions, especially releaser pheromones, which are usually highly volatile, could someone provide information on how to prepare alive or preserved insect samples for specific pheromone analyses using mass spectrophotometry and chromatographic methods? Is there anyone who can offer insights on this topic?
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Modern Gas-liquid Chromatography with electronic processing is so wonderful, compared to what we did having to build these machines ourselves 60 years ago. GC "Standards" were essential at the beginning, so you could figure out what those thousands of "peaks" were, and thus begin to understand the incredible mixture or compounds in your beeswax! I remember well seeing my first Mass Spectrometer attached to a GC at U. California- Berkeley, California in a chem lab.
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I'm searching for Silpha punctulata Olivier, 1790 male specimens, or images representing S. punctulata's male genitalia.
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Dear colleagues, I am looking for collaboration in research in entomology field.
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Sure, we're working on several pollinator and vector species. If you'd like, we can collaborate.
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what is salmonella typhi (enteric fivers cause it) and what details in molecular basis explain it?
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The Salmonella are gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, non capsulated (except S. typhi/paratyphoid), non-spore-forming, motile rods. They possess a 4.8 Mb genome, variably modified by multiple lysogenic phage genomes, plasmids, and other mobile genetic elements.
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Which radars do you recommend? Manufacturers?
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I have no any study about it.
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Odonates tend to glide, fly, hover, and move frequently. During transect surveys, it is possible to count one individual more than once if it flies back and forth. Is there any method (statistical or some protocol to be followed by the researcher) to avoid this error?
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To avoid repeated counting of individuals during an Odonate Transect Survey you can follow these strategies:Establish Clear Survey Routes: Define specific routes or areas for your survey. Clearly mark the boundaries and ensure surveyors know where to start and finish, reducing the chances of double-counting.Use Marking Techniques: If possible, mark the individuals you have counted without harming them. For example, you can use non-toxic, temporary markers like colored dots on wings. This way, you can identify previously counted individuals and avoid counting them again.Time Gaps Between Surveys: If conducting multiple surveys in the same area, introduce time gaps between surveys. Odonates are highly mobile, so waiting for a while can allow them to disperse, reducing the likelihood of recounting the same individuals.Record Environmental Conditions: Note down environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed. These conditions can affect odonate behavior. If conditions change significantly between surveys, it's less likely that the same individuals will be present.Train Surveyors: Properly train surveyors to recognize odonate species and avoid counting the same individuals multiple times. Training can enhance the accuracy of the survey results.Use Standardized Survey Methods: Adhere to standardized survey protocols and guidelines. Following established methods ensures consistency and helps in minimizing errors related to repeated counting.Employ Technology: Consider using technology like photography or video recording to capture the odonates during the survey. Later, you can review the recordings to confirm identifications and avoid double-counting.
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  1. What is the largest order of insects in terms of species diversity? Answer: b) Coleoptera
  2. In insects, what is the purpose of the tracheal system? Answer: a) Oxygen transport
  3. Which insect order includes butterflies and moths? Answer: d) Lepidoptera
  4. What is the term for the process of shedding an old exoskeleton to allow for growth in insects? Answer: c) Ecdysis
  5. Which insect is known for producing light through a chemical reaction in its abdomen? Answer: b) Firefly
  6. What is the primary function of an insect's antennae? Answer: d) Sensory perception
  7. Which of the following is NOT a stage in complete metamorphosis? Answer: a) Nymph
  8. What is the primary role of the queen in a social insect colony, such as bees or ants? Answer: c) Egg laying
  9. Which insect order includes grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids? Answer: a) Orthoptera
  10. What is the term for the external skeleton of an insect? Answer: b) Exoskeleton
  11. Which of the following is NOT a type of bee in a colony? Answer: d) Larva
  12. What is the name of the process in which an insect transforms from a pupa into an adult? Answer: c) Metamorphosis
  13. What is the primary purpose of the proboscis in butterflies and moths? Answer: a) Feeding
  14. Which insect order includes mosquitoes and flies? Answer: b) Diptera
  15. What is the term for the collective behavior of a group of locusts migrating in search of food? Answer: d) Swarming
  16. What is the specialized structure used by some insects for producing sound? Answer: b) Stridulatory organ
  17. In entomology, what does the term "entomopathogenic" refer to? Answer: d) Insects that cause diseases in other insects
  18. Which insect order includes bees, wasps, and ants? Answer: c) Hymenoptera
  19. What is the primary function of the ovipositor in female insects? Answer: a) Egg laying
  20. Which order of insects is characterized by having two pairs of wings and includes beetles? Answer: b) Coleoptera
  21. What is the term for the specialized structure on a spider's abdomen used for silk production? Answer: c) Spinneret
  22. Which insect order includes dragonflies and damselflies? Answer: d) Odonata
  23. What is the primary function of the forewings in most insects? Answer: d) Flight
  24. Which of the following is a major product produced by honey bees? Answer: c) Honey
  25. What is the purpose of the cerci, which are paired appendages found on the abdomen of some insects? Answer: b) Sensory perception
  26. What is the primary function of the pheromones produced by insects? Answer: a) Communication
  27. Which insect order includes termites, known for their ability to digest cellulose? Answer: b) Isoptera
  28. What is the term for the process of an insect transforming from an egg to a nymph without a pupal stage? Answer: b) Incomplete metamorphosis
  29. Which insect order includes true bugs and cicadas? Answer: a) Hemiptera
  30. What is the purpose of the spiracles in insects? Answer: d) Gaseous exchange
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How can we sustainably manage and protect insect biodiversity and ecosystems in the face of environmental changes and human activities?
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What is the Schistosomal Life cycle and infections with the host of Public Health Entomology?
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The Schistosomal life cycle involves a complex interplay between humans and freshwater snails, and public health. While these snails are not insects, they play a vital role in the transmission of schistosomiasis, and their study is important in understanding and controlling the disease. In this context, public health entomologists may extend their expertise to include snail biology and ecology due to their relevance in the life cycle of the parasites causing schistosomiasis.
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I am looking for a doctor from a French university specializing in entomology or ecology at least.
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Innocent Zran Tia Do you belong to a French university?
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How can I get the DOI for an article by Hakobyan, S. and Jenderedzhyan, K. 2023. “Annotated checklist of cranes (Tipuloidea: Limoniidae, Pediciidae, Tipulidae) of Armenia, which is published in the Journal of Munis Entomology & Zoology? This journal does not have a DOI.
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You have published your research article and get DOI no. from figshare site.
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These ants are closely related to Apis cerana bees in South India.
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From the picture it can be guess that the ant is either Camponotus mitis or Camponotus nicoberensis.
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What is the Scope of Public Health Entomology?
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Public health entomology focuses on the population biology of vector-borne infections, seeking to understand how such pathogens perpetuate over time and attempting to devise methods for reducing the burden that they impose on human health.
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Hi All!
I am looking for occurrence data for these species that aren't found in the typical places. If anyone has any data on these species that they would be willing to share for acknowledgements, citation, etc., please reach out to me via DM.
Thanks!
EV
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What do you mean by "not typical places"? I have seen B. pennsylvanicus in central PA
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Dear colleagues. I trying of id some wasps of my community and I can´t find some papers. Maybe some of you have this and could send me? Thanks in advance!
Townes, H. (1970). The genera of Ichneumonidae. Part 2. Gelinae. Memoirs of the American entomological Institute, 12, 1-537.
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Your library should be able to help you. That's the normal way.
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I am currently involved in research for controlling weevils in stored wheat using different essential oils.
What could be the best concentration (microlitres per litre of air) of essential oils for comparison?
We wish to test all the oils at one fixed concentration. We are trying to shortlist a few effective essential oils and test them out at different concentrations.
Is it a good idea?
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Having tested a lot of essential oils for this specific purpose, I can ensure you that different essential oils give very different results. There is also a possibility that fumigation doesn't kill the adults but stops the developements of the eggs inside the grains.
Way of applying the product (fumigation, direct spraying...) also gives different results, so there is no easy direct answer to your question
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Although they may be closely related, there are key differences
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While both fields are concerned with the transmission of diseases, parasitology focuses more on the parasites themselves and their interactions with their hosts, while medical entomology focuses more on the vectors that transmit the diseases.
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It's known that phytates are a P storage in plants, in particular seeds. Plants produce enzymes to release P upon need. Also ruminants can digest phytates thanks to their gut microbiome. However, for many animals phytic acid is an antinutrient because it binds nutrients in cationic form (Ca2+, Mg2+ etc.). Insect have proven able to digest a wide variety of substrates thanks to their gut microbiome. I found mentions of phytates in insect-based products, but it wasn't addressed whether insects can digest them. Do you know if any experiment proved they can digest phytates?
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Dear Dr.Nicolò M. Villa,
you can search about the ability of Black solider fly to digest such substrate "phytic acid" which plants enriched with such acid, as I know Black solider fly larvae their gut microbiome has the ability to digest such substrate.
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I'm working on Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and I found several articles about the role of gut microbiota in its digestion of cellulose and plastics. However, I can't find an overview of the gut physiology and microbiota of T. molitor or even coleoptera. The only reviews and chapters I found were old and/or about higher taxonomic units. Could you please recommend recent (max 10 years old) material?
Thanks in advance,
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Csaba Bozó I used scopus and web of science. I don't use google scholar and I've no reason to think that it would provide better research results
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The cubital index is a measure of the relative length of the cubital vein, which is a vein located in the forewing of a honeybee. The cubital index is calculated by dividing the length of the cubital vein by the length of the wing and expressing the result as a percentage.
The cubital index is used as a morphological character in the identification and classification of honeybee subspecies and populations. It has been found that the cubital index can vary significantly among different honeybee subspecies and populations, with some subspecies having a relatively long cubital vein and others having a relatively short one.
There is some evidence to suggest that the cubital index may be related to the foraging behavior of honeybees. Some studies have found that honeybees with a higher cubital index may be more efficient at foraging and more successful at finding food resources, while those with a lower cubital index may be less efficient at foraging.
In addition to its use in the identification and classification of honeybees, the cubital index may also have practical applications in the management of honeybee colonies. For example, some beekeepers may use the cubital index as a tool for selecting bees with desirable foraging traits for breeding purposes.
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Hello,
I am looking if anyone knows about any chemical solution that could function as an alternative way (not lactophenol cotton blue, chlorazol black...) to stain the chitin of internal sclerotized genitalia and other structures of arthropods.
Additionally, does anyone have a digital version (or just scaned) of Notes on Microscopical technique for Zoologists by C.F.A. Pantin, 1946. Or any other book or resource that describes protocols for chitin staining?
Regards,
Pedro
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Pedro Peñaherrera-R. Why don't you want to use chlorazol black? It works very well for spiders. I typically use KOH 10% for 24 hours for epigynes and then stain if needed, but usually (depending on the taxa) the structures are sufficient without need for staining for taxonomy. For large theraphosids, I simply dissect the spermathecae and remove the tissue with needles, without need for any immersion in chemicals.
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This insect was found damaging shoots of Araucaria angustifolia in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. There was a population of this insect, as in the attached images, and the attacked shoot died months later.
I ask for the help of specialists in hemiptera to identify this insect pest, as no record was found in the literature about this order associated with damage to Araucaria angustifolia.
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It looks kind of like a pentatomid, but I do not see a division between the forewings. My guess is Thyreocoridae. However, my real recommendation is to try iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/ That site is full of helpful people for just this sort of problem. At the very least they can help you focus on a small group of insects and in some cases direct you to relevant literature to make a definitive identification.
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I came across what appeared to be a large group of winged garden ants and I've included a video of the aforementioned behavior. Is this lekking?
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Per your question, Ash: To continue, it seems to me that I've read and/or heard of some ant swarms in which the males fly into the air to meet the females, or queens. This, it seems to me, would not be an example of a lek nor lek behavior.
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Dear all,
We are planning to study plant volatiles in crop plants with and without aphid infestation in the field. My questions are:
(1) Which headspace sampling setup would you recommend?
(2) Which material should be used to capture the volatiles (e.g. charcoal filter)?
(3) At which temperature should we store the samples (-20 or -80°C)?
Thank you very much!
Christoph
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Perhaps a bit late, but it may help others. Have a look at PDMS (Polydimethysiloxane) to capture volatiles.
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I'm very curious about which courses did or did not stop insect collection for education purposes. And if so, what alternative methods are used now to teach taxonomy, biodiversity monitoring or insect morphology?
Because of the increasing moral concern about collecting and killing insects for the sole purpose of educating insect identification or monitoring techniques, exploration of alternatives are needed. This can be challenging.
If still traditional methods are used (i.e. collecting, killing, preserving insects) for teaching, is there a discussion about ethical arguments?
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It depends on students' major, but ... How about concentrating on agricultural pests, those which will be controlled by pesticides anyway? They must cover enough diversity of insects for education purpose.
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Other than the dead heart?
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The larvae attack the plant, especially the bases of the leaves, and burrow into them, which leads to yellowing of the plant, pallor and poor production. Severe infestation leads to permanent wilting, and the plant can be easily uprooted and an unpleasant odor appears as a result of rotting.
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I have insects stored for morphomolecular species identification in ethanol (EtOH). These weevils (Larinus spp.) were stored in 100% EtOH at the recommendation of more experienced entomologists. Now that I am trying to pin these weevils, they are quite brittle and difficult to pin without cracking an elytrum. It was suggested to me that I could dilute the EtOH in the storage vial to ~80% to 95% to rehydrate the weevils enough for pinning, but I am concerned this may result in DNA degradation.
Has anyone experienced a problem like this? Other than removing a leg prior to rehydration or pointing the weevils, does anyone have some advice on how to deal with this problem? Thank you in advance!
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Remove legs (1 or 2) prior to rehydration.
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Good seeking capacity, a vast prey range, the large number of pests devoured in a lifetime, overwintering as an adult stage, and adaptations to different locations are all potential qualities of spiders that make them effective biocontrol agents. Recent agricultural trends have highlighted the importance of spider conservation in agro environments, positioning spiders as a viable natural pest control tool. How far have spiders been incorporated as a pest biocontrol agent and has it been successful and efficient?
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Yes.
Have a look at this useful RG link.
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Some of parameters such as LT50 & LD50 needs to evaluate insecticide.
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Use
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Hi everybody,
we are using circular pitfall traps (regular yogurt cups) since many years, and unfortunately, sometimes we encounter mice and lizards as by-catch in our samples.
These animals fall in the pitfall traps, are not able to climb out of it and drown...
Researches (e.g. see link attached) and personal reflections resulted in the following possible easy-to-install preventive measures:
1) covering the pitfall traps with a thin, wide-meshed iron grid, so it is too thin to "grab and climb" for invertebrate, but slippery enough for insects and spiders
2) using funnels with a slippery surface, so small vertebrata can't enter, while insects can fall into it
I personally like more solution 1, but I wanted to ask you to share your experience :-)
We aim mostly on spiders, centipedes, millipedes, beetles and other surface insects.
Thank you and greetings,
Michael
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We know there are indices like house index, Breteau index, Stegomyia index for Entomological survey for dengue . However in practical situation we see Multi-storeyed buildings in institutes/ campuses . How to go about standardizing them in calculating the various indices or there is any framework for such situation with different indices?
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Groups (clusters) can be assessed using the Moran's I index. The Moran Index will help locate spatial correlations between areas and identify typical and atypical habitats
Regards, Sergey
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Because there is no any vaccine for COVID-19 until and in past insects have transmitted number of diseases like; chikungunya virus, yellow fever, dengue fever,Lyme disease, plague,malaria, sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, filariasis. So, what do you think, could it be possible for COVID-19?
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SARS-CoV-2 cannot be transmitted by mosquitoes.
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Does it act as a visual deterrent for predators or serves a purpose in the body's physiological processes?
Some of the horns (as attached below) are also colorful and in some cases they also match the color of the 'lines/patterns' on the body, so could it be that they are luring the potential predator away to this more 'attractive' thing and the subsequent attack would not really harm the caterpillar?
Also, is there any similarity between the Sphingidae caterpillars and the larvae of Trilocha varians (Bombycidae) which also has a horn-like structure in the larval stage ?
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The horn is absolutely not for defense. I’ve tried super hard to get hurt on the horn but the horn does nothing at all. It’s too floppy to do anything defense-related. I’m guessing it has something to do with sensory functions or tricking predators. This would be a cool capstone research project for anyone interested!
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It is the agri entomology experiment conducted in two different contrasting locations for two years and two seasons per year. The data collected from the experiment was number of eggs, larvae, pupa, adult insect
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I would suggests you can use multivariate analysis, correlation analysis , anova using sas software accordingly you can see the intraction effect.
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I would like to test a biological method of screening vegetables/fruits for the presence of pesticide residue. Since a biological agent is used, the extraction solvent should be non-toxic.
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QuEChERS sample preparation
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Thyrinteina arnobia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is the major defoliator of eucalyptus plants in Brasil in the last 50 years. 
Since them, no parasitoid had been recorded for eggs of this pest in the field. In te lab we demonstrated that some kind of substance on the surface of these eggs protect them.    
In 2017, we a found a parasitoid in eggs of Thyrinteina arnobia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in the field.
I would like to know who can identify this parasitoid. The quality of the photo is very poor but I can take better ones if necessary.
Best regards,
José Cola Zanuncio
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Hi Murilo Fonseca Ribeiro, try reaching out to Erinn P. Fagan-Jeffries at Uni of South Australia - she works on Microgastrinae. Might be worth a shot.
Best, Andy
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Can anyone help me in identifying larvae based on Video clip and photographs?
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It is most likely a species of the family Yponomeutidae, perhaps of the genus Yponomeuta. Knowing the name of the host plant should be easy to ascertain the name of the specie.
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I am researching the geographical distribution of the most common cosmopolitan springtail species. Can you recommend sources related to collembola phylogeography?. It would be nice if we collected a significant number of references on this issue.
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Dear Nikola Z. Grujic . See the following useful link:
Sun, X., Zhang, F., Ding, Y. et al. Delimiting species of Protaphorura (Collembola: Onychiuridae): integrative evidence based on morphology, DNA sequences and geography. Sci Rep 7, 8261 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08381-4
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Looking to id below beetles, Photographs attached.. Expert comments would be appriciated
Location: Bhaderwah, J & K, India
1. Image 1949- Which Cicada Species ?
2. Image 1663- Is it june beetle ?
3. Image 1644- Have no Idea for this one
4. Image 1919- is it dung beetle ?
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in the last photo i think - Polyphylla alba
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Complete entomology newbie here...
I am analysing a large dataset of nocturnal aerial insects from light traps to look at their temporal abundance across seasons/years. I am unable to sample for diurnal aerial insects given the complications of doing so with conventional means (i.e. I don't have access to radar/lidar equipment). I am therefore hoping to find studies that compare diurnal and nocturnal aerial insect abundance (or that of insects more generally), to see if I can relate my findings on nocturnal insects abundance to that of diurnal species.
Thanks in advance!
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Dear Tyson,
This looks as an interesting topic to be discussed. So, I made a survey to maybe find related papers. You know it is so difficult to find publications that directly dealing with the issue of comparing nocturnal diurnal insects populations. But, I just found two papers one published in 2004 discussing day and night sampling of airborne insect fauna, the other one is published in 2019 discussing the effect of urbanization on diurnal and nocturnal insects abundance and species diversity.
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Thrips is serious pest in chilli. To develop thrips resistant or tolerant genotypes, it is essential to screen germplasm. Thrips lacerates abaxial surface of leaved. Can we a hedonic scale for damage assembly and use the score to discriminate genotypes. Is there any image analysis software available for such screening.
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My package pliman might help you with this. Please, see an example of plant disease severity quantification. If the severity of thrips damage has a contrasting coloration, it will be fairly easy to quantify it.
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Especially in favor of females in this case.
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I want to assess the infection status of Aedine mosquitoes with regard to dengue virus in Zambia. Very little is known about the prevalence of the disease in the country.
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I once attended a virtual event from one of the entomology societies in Europe. They say they are doing research by rearing locusts in the laboratory and then releasing them into nature for conservation purposes.
Why do you think they did that? Can you explain to me or share information regarding this?
What if one day the locusts that are released into nature actually migrate and cause harm to local agriculture and or even attack agricultural crops in other countries?
Please give your best opinion.
Thankyou. Best Regards!
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Locusts in natural ecosystems are an integral component. She plays an important role and ultimately - useful. In agroecosystems, locusts are harmful. The term harmful and useful insect was coined by man to describe the role of each insect in relation to man. But there are no harmful species in nature. The problem of locust harm lies within ourselves. An agroecosystem is a monoculture. When plants are grown in a small area field that are a food source, this causes a surge in the number of the locustes. Not all locusts harm the fields, only 3 species potentially cause crop damage.
Regards, Sergey
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Can you suggest some plant species having high mosquito repellent property?
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Ocimum tenuiflorum (Naai thulasi) plant is used for repelling the activity of mosquitoes. It is highly used in the village side.
Ocimum basilicum
Siriyanangai
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In early 2022 I'll be completing a length field campaign, collecting Lepidoptera, Odonata and Hymenoptera in a very humid flooded forest in central Africa. Due to the nature of this work we will not be able to use conventional drying boxes, and will not have access to any electricity (we are not taking a generator for logistical reasons). What is the best approach to drying and preserving these specimens (which will number in the thousands) in the field?
Our proposed solution currently is a makeshift drying box with an air intake we will position over a fire, before storing in tupperware with silica crystal. However, this method is difficult to maintain and ensure equal and not excessive drying. One proposed solution is direct immersion in silica crystal, but this is not possible with delicate specimens which will later be analysed for pollen loads (contamination an issue). Alternatively, one could dry specimens in direct sunlight, perhaps under black tarpaulin, but our habitat type is not convenient for this. Drying is necessary (as opposed to e.g. alcohol immersion) due to other aspects of the research.
Entomologists have been collecting tropical insects for hundreds of years - what did Russell Wallace do?
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I use indicator silica gel inside small plastic containers that can be sealed (for katydids, abdomen content replaced by cotton and enwrapped in toilet paper). The silica gel (blue when dry, pinkish with accumulated moisture) can easily be dried in a small saucepan on a stove or open fire. I keep using the same silica gel for many years.
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I am involved in setting up an entomology lab in Portugal, and we are currently looking for starter colonies of Aphis fabae, Tetranychus urticae and Dermanyssus gallinae to purchase and rear in the lab in order to conduct efficacy and behavioral studies.
Suppliers in Europe are preferred.
Any help or suggestion would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Robert
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Dear Robert,
Nice advices to hear from colleagues, but in my opinion you may contact with specialist of your requested group of arthropods from natural history museums around Europe.
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Found in Turkey on peony flower buds.
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Yes, is Tropinota squalida
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I have prepared a MS dealing with a review about behavioural pest control using HIPVs. Which journal (not open access) would be better suited? Please suggest. The journal must not take much time for decision making
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Journals of Entomology
1.International Journal of Entomology Research
2.Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology
3.Journal of Insect Behavior
4.Annual Review of Entomology
5.Agricultural Entomology and Pest Management.
6.Ecological entomology
7.Journal of Agricultural Entomology
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In designing an experiment to investigate regional influence of these elements (temperature, humidity) on decompositional stages and insects colonization of pig carcasses, how would a control be setup for the elements given its uncharacteristic nature to be carried out in a laboratory?
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Hi. I hope the folloeing article website help you:
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Hi,
I notice that oppose to many other Heteroptera, Sciocoris move their antenna fidgetly. I assume it related to an antennal sensory organ. Does anyone know why does it do that and if I can expect to fine any unique structure on its antenna compare to antenna of other Heteroptera which doesn't act like that?
See example to antennal movement in attached movie.
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Dear Assaf Nir
This effect is also observed in other insects.
I can assume that this is related:
1. When the insect is frightened: by chemical irritants or in case of danger to life.
2. It is possible that an individual examines a new stop using antennas.
Regards, Sergey
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I focus my research on Wasps in Greece.
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Hi dear
my Ph.D. subject uses Insect growth regulators, Beauveria bassiana, and Nematodes to Control Termites
best regards
Prof. Dr. Maan Abdul Azeez Shafeeq
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Dear Entomologists, I need to pick the swarm brain.
I'm planning to mark moths with fluorescent dust for better observation and recapturing at night. Can anybody provide experience with DNA extraction from insect marked with this kind of dust? Or point me towards suitable publications? I can't seem to find any. There is lots of mosquito marking, but without subsequent DNA extraction.
Thank you, swarm :-)
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@Patrick Gorring
Thanks for your answer and making me realize that my question is not clear. Should have seen this from David's answer already. My concern is the contamination of the extracted DNA with the pigments, not with DNA from unclean dust. In the past, we had trouble with eye pigments inhibiting PCR, for instance.
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I am planning on starting grad school in about a year and a half but you can never start researching project advisors too soon!
I am interested in investigating the use of fungal parasites of insects such as Cordyceps in integrated pest management. Unfortunately, this seems to be an unpopular field of study, as so far in my searches I have only seen professors who study plant-insect relationships in IPM, but not fungal-insect relationships in IPM. Ideally, I am hoping to stay on the west coast of the US. My undergraduate background is in ecology and evolutionary biology, but I am currently broadening my skills in molecular lab techniques.
Faculty pages on university websites cannot always represent the scope of a professor's research interests. That said, can anyone recommend a recommend a colleague of theirs who might be looking for graduate students in a year and a half, and with a background in mycology, entomology, and IPM?
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I work with entomopathogens fungus in biological control with avocado, berries and citrus pest. But I'm in Mexico, Universidad de Guadalajara.
In the USA, the Californian Universities has a lot of tradition about thouse topics (Berkley, Riverside, Davis, etc)
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It was collected in Colombia, the larva sticks the leaves and feeds on coffee plants (Coffea arabica). It measures approximately 1 cm. Probably  genus Platynota sp.
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Agree with Houda Kawas
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Kandy (7.270 80.600 E 467m msl), Central Province, Sri Lanka is the type locality of Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith) a stingless bee species reported to occur throughout India. I need samples of these stingless bees from this type locality. If any one can send me samples of these bees from this locality, it would be a great help for my studies. My address is as follows
Shashidhar Viraktamath, Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru 560065, India.
Many thanks.
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How can you get it from other country?
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Biological experiments are nowadays being added as preprint in different archives such as biorixv.. Can an author add taxonomic descriptions as well before published as a journal article?
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Publishing descriptions of new taxa as preprints is definitely a bad idea.
(i) the name would very probably not be made available through use in a preprint
(ii) others could start using the name before the description has been officially published, causing confusion with regard to priority and date of publication
(iii) as Thierry Bouyer pointed out, someone else could come in and quickly describe the same taxon using their own name. Taxonomic vandalism is a thing...
Under the rules of the Code, nothing could modify that (although herpetology has challenged those rules in recent years).
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i need to identify the wild species existing in local area especially  which help me to identify Tetragonula iridipennis  species in wild . can i get the details how to identify this species in wild ? . please do the need full .
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I am searching for Tetragonula iridipennis for the last four years. Still I have not come across this species.
Does this species really occur in India is a debatable question.
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I’m Shengbin Chen, from Chengdu University of Technology in China. My team is conducting dung beetle research along an altitudinal gradient in Mountain Emei, which is near Chengdu City.
To make comparison on dung beetle communities among different localities at global scale, we make great effort to gather references.
The 5 works listed below were published early and in regional journal. I tried by can’t get them. So, could someone please kindly send me a copy of each of the five papers (if possible)?
1. Avila, J.M. & Pascual, F. 1988. Contributión al conocimiento de los escarabeidos coprófagos (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) de Sierra Nevada: III. Distributión altitudinal y temporal. Bollettino Del Museo Regionale Di Scienze Naturali Torino 6: 217-240.
2. Celi, J., Terneus, E., Torres, J. & Ortega, M. 2004. Diversidad de escarabajos del estiercol (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) en una gradiente altitudinal en la Cordillera del Cutucu, Morona Santiago, Amazonia ecuatoriana. Lyonia 7:37-52.
3. Hanski, I. & Niemela, J. 1990. Elevational distributions of dung and carrion beetles in northern Sulawesi. In W. J. Knight, & J. D. Holloway (Eds.), Insects and the rainforest of Southeast Asia (Wallacea). (pp. 145-152). London: The Royal Entomological Society.
4. Hanski, I. 1983. Distributional ecology and abundance of dung and carrion-feeding beetles (Scarabaeidae) in tropical rain forests in Sarawak, Borneo. Acta Zoologica Fennica 167:1-45.
5. Lumaret, J.P. & Stiernet, N. 1989. Inventaire et distribution des coléopteres scarabéides coprophages dans le massif de la Vanoise. Trav. Sci. Pare Natl. Vanoise 17:193-228.
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Shengbin Chen and the article by Celi et al. 2004 seems to be on RG:
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Hi everyone, i am researching on Plutella xylostella, and was feeding the caterpillars with cabbage, but i does not know if the moth need to a specific artificial diet or simple solution with sugar or honey and water. If someone could help me with this  I will be very grateful.
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February 13
I feed my adults of Tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta on a water and sugar (10%) solution. I place a swab of cottonin a plastic petri dish and change it every week.And sometimes i feed my adults on 10% diluted honey, soaked in cotton
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I would like to observe/ record insects behavior under webcam setting at night. So we are looking for some suitable infrared(Red light) lamps or IR LED to do this. Can anybody recommend us some proper products?
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Hi,
In the paper attached, we used DC-Infra, 620.5–645 nm LED. It's not infrared per se, but it's red light, close to the IR spectrum. It was enough to keep our carabid beetles undisturbed by the light source.
In another project on aphids, I have used Sima 36-LED (Hauppauge, NY, USA) and Vision Technologies IR-130 (Houston, TX, USA) infrared lights, coupled with a full spectrum Sony A6000 camera. It worked nicely and we recorded nice footage of insect behavior at night.
Hope this helps,
Kevin
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Hi, i have been working with Canada balsam as mount medium for Thysanoptera slices, but it´s too old and thick, i´ve tried using xylene to dissolve it, but it´s not working. So my question it´s maybe someone has tried using other mount medium for Thysanoptera species?
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Dear