Author Archives: SciBugs

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About SciBugs

Entomologist, SciBugs everywhere on the internet.

The Dress, Color Perception, and What is Real?

Posted on February 28, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli So between llamas and a technicolor dress, the internet kind of exploded on Feb 26. The dress in question is a lovely shade of … white and gold or blue and black. Or there was a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Ecology | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Through the Compound Eye

Posted on February 25, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli Eyes are remarkable structures that have evolved independently at least three times. The most obvious advantage of eyes is that they help us understand the world around us by absorbing what is essentially data, which our brains then … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Physiology | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Cough it Up – Fly Vomit

Posted on February 16, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli You’ve probably noticed an intrepid fly boldly navigating your pizza, lapping up oils and pizza sauce.  Shortly after enjoying some of your meal, the fly, assuming it’s the kind with the lapping mouth parts, will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Physiology | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Bug Valentines!

Posted on February 14, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli I love Valentine’s Day and its something that I like to share with my friends. Last year I started drawing “Insect Valentines” for my friends at work,  where I’d couple insect biology and art. I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Eating Insects: A Journey Through Time

Posted on February 11, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli Dr. Julie Lesnik, before conducting an enlightening interview with me about the present and future of entomology, gave an engaging talk as part of UGA’s entomology seminar series about our very distant past plays a role … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Why Don’t We Eat Bugs in Western Culture?

Posted on February 9, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli Would you consider adding insects to your diet? Why or why not? Well, to answer this, I had to branch out of my area of expertise and ask a Biological Anthropologist, Dr. Julie Lesnik, as to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

What do Butterflies and Poop Have in Common? They’re Green!

Posted on January 28, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli First, if you’ve never had green poop, congratulations, you’re one of the few people who haven’t had the issue … apparently. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. We got this question from Facebook, and it specifically … Continue reading →

Posted in Physiology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What Happens Inside a Cocoon or Chrysalis?

Posted on January 14, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli This is a great series of questions because I was going to tackle a butterfly coloration question this week, but would have had to talk about development. Now I can talk about development and we can … Continue reading →

Posted in Physiology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Budding Relationship of a Midge and the Chocolate Flower

Posted on January 7, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli Short answer – Yes,  but it’s impressive the system works at all. Where Does Chocolate Grow? Chocolate, or the Cacao plant (Theobroma cacao) grows all over the world but mainly in the tropical regions. Chocolate is grown … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Pollination | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is the Smallest Multicelled Organism an Insect?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli https://twitter.com/CharlesSimmins/status/544696298822443009 Well, in short. No. It’s actually a microscopic, parasitic zooplankton that attaches itself to the outside of other zooplankton. Meet the crustacean Stygotantulus stocki, which measures in at just under 0.1mm (94µm). What does that mean for … Continue reading →

Posted in Developmental Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Physiology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment