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Author Archives: joeballenger2005
Symbionts in insects part 1: What do they do?
@BugQuestions I was asked today about bacterial symbionts in insects, very disappointed I could only think of half a dozen. Any good ones? — Jimmy Conway (@InsectophileJim) January 22, 2015 This is a question we received a very long time … Continue reading
Posted in Chemistry, Ecology, Physiology
Tagged Microbial ecology, Physiology, Symbiosis, Symbiotes
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How do I relocate insects and spiders?
This is actually one of the more common questions we get, and it’s a pretty difficult one to answer because every situation is different. Insects can get themselves into a lot of awkward situations, and I can totally relate to … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Education, Insect Rearing, Pest Management
Tagged Arthropod Handling, Insects, Relocation, Spiders
6 Comments
Why are woolly apple aphids flying around everywhere?
Although we don’t think of ourselves as an insect ID blog, some of these requests give us some great opportunities to talk about stuff that’s happening seasonally. Fall is an important time for bugs, because they’re finishing up their lifecycles … Continue reading
Please stop sharing the ‘wasps are jerks’ memes.
I really try not to use this blog to jump on the soap-box too often but for some reason the internet has decided that wasps are the Martin Shkrelis of the insect world, and I think this needs to stop. … Continue reading
Why can’t male bees (or wasps) sting?
@BugQuestions I heard male bees don’t have stingers. Is that true of all bees or just some species? — Kristen Bower (@krbower) September 6, 2015 This question came to us over Twitter, and given my recent post about bee genetics … Continue reading
Posted in Developmental Biology, Evolution, Physiology
Tagged Bees, Beneficial Insects, Defenses, Human Evolution, Hymenoptera, Sexual Dimorphism, Wasps
3 Comments
Why are cicadas showing up dead on my porch?
We get a lot of letters in our inbox, and some of my favorite inquiries are ID requests where someone also notices something interesting going on. Here’s an example of one such question: Your Name: Becky Boots Your Bug Question: … Continue reading
Mosquitoes love cheese! Here’s why.
This week’s post is not a direct user submission, but it’s a picture that’s so neat that I wanted to highlight it with it’s own blog post. The picture is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a picture of a mosquito attempting to … Continue reading
Posted in Behavior, Ecology
Tagged Biochemistry, Cheese, Food, Microbiology, Parasites, Symbiotes
1 Comment
What did these wasps manage to get themselves stuck in?
We get a lot of neat pictures in our inbox, and I think this is one of the cooler images we’ve gotten because there’s a lot going on in this picture. I’m not 100% certain of what the wasps are … Continue reading
Posted in Chemistry, Ecology, Education, Taxonomy
Tagged Beneficial Insects, Biochemistry, Cockroach, Hymenoptera, Physiology
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Stink bugs: Telling the good ones from the bad ones.
At about this time of year I expect to start getting a lot of questions about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, or the BMSB as I like to call it. It’s an introduced stink bug from Asia, which has quickly … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Ecology, Education, News, Pest Management
Tagged Agriculture, Beneficial Insects, Bug, Bugs
9 Comments
I saw some roaches dancing. What are they doing?
Awhile back, we received an astute question from Tabitha who found some cockroaches acting really weird. Your Name: Tabitha Your message: Hey there! I work in an office by a beautiful flowing creek. Every time it rains, brown roaches come … Continue reading
Posted in Behavior, Chemistry, Pest Management, Physiology
Tagged Biochemistry, Cockroach, Physiology
2 Comments
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