Electrostatics facilitate midair host attachment in parasitic jumping nematodes | PNAS Jumping can be hazardous for entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) as those that fail to attach to an insect host face death by predation or starvation...

There are forces in #nature that are at work that we don't experience or aren't aware of, but that are essential parts of the lives and spectacular numbers of creatures. For example, this from Ranjiangshang Ran and colleagues @pnas.org

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Bull’s-eye! Static electricity pulls worm through air to its insect victim Electrostatic charges may help roundworms infect a wide variety of hosts

This issue of @science.org is like Santa coming at Christmas. Really interesting and important papers and pointers towards others. Video first on this one and a follow-up with the actual paper at @pnas.org

www.science.org/content/arti...

Defensive fungal symbiosis on insect hindlegs Dinidorid stinkbugs were reported to possess a conspicuous tympanal organ on female hindlegs. In this study, we show that this organ is specialized to retain microbial symbionts rather than to perceiv...

Okay, this is the kind of thing that James Cameron makes up for his movies. Really cool #symbiosis where stinkbugs deploy pet #fungi to protect their eggs from parasitoids. Fantastic paper in yesterday's @science.org

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Drone operations today. #Biodiversity and #bioeconomy on the Rio Nanay, Northern Peru

Stu!!!!!!!!!! So great to be in touch. And, yes, it is a small town

Let's dive into this a bit. A short and very incomplete thread on US Forest Service research. 1/

Bugs That Rule the World A four-part investigation into insect declines, exploring their diversity and ecological importance.

BRB, going to binge four hours of Bugs that Rule the World, featuring bug enthusiast, researcher, and science communicator @the-bug-hut.bsky.social.
www.pbs.org/show/bugs-th... @pbs.org

Rampant Reticulation in a Rapid Radiation of Tropical Trees -Insights from Inga (Fabaceae) Abstract. Evolutionary radiations underlie much of the species diversity of life on Earth, particularly within the world’s most species-rich tree flora – t

🌳⚠️Out now in Systematic Biology⚠️🌳
We find rampant reticulation in Inga, the blindingly rapid Amazonian tree radiation! ⚡

BONUS: We also find introgression and selection on genes underlying chemical defences, helping Ingas resist relentless insect herbivory 🐛☠️🌳

academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...

‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

What motivates forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes and what determines success?
Water resources are key - “sowing and harvesting water”. Terrific new paper by former PhD student @tchristmann.bsky.social : besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@oxfordgeography.bsky.social

Orrin H. Pilkey, Warrior in a Fight to Save Imperiled Beaches, Dies at 90 (Gift Article) An eminent geologist, he argued against putting condos and hotels on vulnerable coastal landscapes. Environmentalists applauded; many others didn’t.

Orrin Pilkey as passed. A hero who gave a crystal-clear answer on how to negotiate the balance of science and advocacy. This @nytimes.com obit shows his deep impact on coastal geology science and policy in an arena with multi-billion dollar stakes.
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/s...

Yes please!

Miles R. Silman ‪Andrew Sabin Professor of Conservation Biology, Wake Forest University‬ - ‪‪Cited by 23,082‬‬ - ‪Ecology‬ - ‪Conservation Biology‬ - ‪Tropical Ecology‬

Please add me to the feed. Thanks for moderating! scholar.google.com/citations?us...