Massive declines in insect biodiversity and biomass are reported from many regions and habitats. In urban areas, creation of native wildflower meadows is one option to support insects and reduce maintenance costs of urban green spaces. However, benefits for insect conservation may depend on previous land use, and the size …
Man’s harvesting of photovoltaic energy requires the deployment of extensive arrays of solar panels. To improve both the gathering of thermal and photovoltaic energy from the sun we have examined the concept of biomimicry in white butterflies of the family Pieridae. We tested the hypothesis that the V-shaped posture of …
MEXICO CITY — Illegal logging more than tripled in the monarch butterfly’s wintering grounds In central Mexico, reversing several years of steady improvements, investigators announced Tuesday. Almost all of the loss occurred in just one rural hamlet in the state of Michoacan. Loggers cut down 47 acres (19 hectares) of …
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing spotted in Ri Bhoi SHILLONG: The State recently got a surprise visitor in the form of Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing, the world’s largest butterfly, which was spotted in a tiny hamlet in Umroi in Ri Bhoi District. Found exclusively in the forests of Oro Province in eastern Papua …
Severe droughts caused by global warming could have a far greater impact on some UK species of butterfly than previously thought Continuing climate change caused by carbon emissions from power stations and vehicles is set to have catastrophic consequences for British butterflies including currently widespread species such as the cabbage …
As a 1991 Times Fellow, you worked on a project that involved following butterfly trails. What was the outcome? The project was titled, 'Towards the rehabilitation of Indian rivers'. It enabled me to travel over a large part of peninsular and eastern India, observing butterfly communities, forest ecosystems and water …
European food safety officials found there was no need to widen buffer zones around genetically modified (GM) crops even though research shows that pollen from GM maize, which can travel kilometres further than previously thought. The buffer zones to protect vulnerable species, such as butterflies, have been part of heated …
Nagpur: The 9th meeting of the state wildlife board, highest decision-making body on projects falling within 10km from the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, on Monday declared Blue Mormon species of butterfly as the state butterfly. Earlier, the state government has declared Giant Squirrel as state animal, Green Pigeon as …
SRIVILLIPUTHUR: As many as 113 butterfly species were found in a two-day butterfly survey carried out by the Tamil Nadu Butterfly Society in the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Srivilliputhur. Thirteen volunteers of the society participated in the survey, led by butterfly experts Pavendan Appavu and Mohan Prasad from Coimbatore …
Sixty species of bird and 70 species of butterfly were recorded in the Devalsari nature and bird training course held in Tehri district recently. Devalsari falls in the Aglar valley of Tehri Garhwal district, about 55 km from Mussoorie. The area has stunning deodar forests along with oak and rhododendron …
Now you can find rare butterflies and gather all the information regarding local and migrant ones at a single click. The Department of Science & Technology in the Ministry of Science & Technology, in course of a project, reached out to the Bengaluru-based biodiversity lab in the National Centre for …
Illegal online trafficking in imperiled wildlife is rampant, and attempted controls are few and largely ineffective. Log on to most any international internet store that deals in wildlife or wildlife parts, and you’ll find a charnel house of endangered and protected species hawked openly or under phony names and in …
Pesticides have been earning themselves a pretty bum rap these days. One of the driving factors behind the decline of honeybees and butterflies around the world, these chemicals have even recently been identified as a major water contaminant, harming aquatic life. Now, new research argues that to make pesticides acceptably …
USDA researchers have identified the neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin as a likely contributor to monarch butterfly declines in North America. The USDA research is published in the journal Science of Nature and was published online on 3rd April (Pecenka and Lundgren 2015). Monarch butterfly populations (Danaus Plexippus) have declined precipitously in …
It's no secret that the world's pollinators have been having a rough time of things these past few decades. It's also no secret that pesticides - at least in part - are to blame, although some UK officials might disagree. Now new research has determined that sprays commonly used to …
The critically endangered high brown fritillary had its best summer in a decade in 2014, with numbers rising 180% in a year thanks to conservation efforts The most endangered butterfly in Britain enjoyed its best summer for a decade last year after highly focused conservation efforts on its 30 remaining …
An environmental group sued the U.S. government on Friday, accusing regulators of discounting the dangers that a widely used herbicide poses to the declining monarch butterfly population. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in U.S. District Court in New York. The suit …
They fly through the Louisville area each year on their way from Canada to Mexico — an iconic flutter of orange and black that has taught generations of Americans about the biology of life cycles and metamorphosis, but now may be at risk of vanishing. Monarch butterfly populations have plummeted …
Choice of variables, climate models and emissions scenarios all influence the results of species distribution models under future climatic conditions. However, an overview of applied studies suggests that the uncertainty associated with these factors is not always appropriately incorporated or even considered. We examine the effects of choice of variables, …
246 SPECIES, INCLUDING RARE BABY FIRE RING, SPOTTED The recent butterfly survey carried out by volunteers in Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Kerala has thrown up several surprises. Of 32 species endemic only to Western Ghats, 95% were recorded, including Baby Five Ring, a rare species. Baby Five Ring has …
Leaves collected one year after the Fukushima nuclear disaster from surrounding regions had sufficient radioactive toxins on them to cause butterflies to die earlier and have deformed offspring. This is the dire conclusion of a study conducted by scientists of the Universities of Rukyus (Okinawa) and Nagasaki. The study is …
