Tag Archives: Physiology

Symbionts in insects part 1: What do they do?

Posted on October 20, 2015 by joeballenger2005

@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 , , , | Leave a comment

What did these wasps manage to get themselves stuck in?

Posted on September 2, 2015 by joeballenger2005

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 , , , , | Leave a comment

I saw some roaches dancing. What are they doing?

Posted on August 25, 2015 by joeballenger2005

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 , , | 2 Comments

What makes a good model organism? How are models different from one another?

Posted on June 25, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Post written by Joe Ballenger This question started out as a conversation with Enlightened Bugs on Twitter. They sent us a picture of a deformed wasp, and asked what could have caused her wings to appear like this: There’s a … Continue reading →

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

How Would One Go About Raising Cicadas in Captivity?

Posted on April 23, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger Today’s question comes from Trevor Knight, via our Facebook page. He wants to know if it’s possible to rear cicadas in captivity. It’s a good question, and one I’ve been curious about myself. Insect rearing is … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Ecology, Education, Physiology, Research | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Can Arachnids Regenerate Blood Lost After an Injury?

Posted on April 16, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger @BugQuestions once the injury “seals”, pressure goes back to normal? Hemolymph somehow regenerates? Thanks for answering. — Katzider (@katzider) April 11, 2015 Just as knowing what to do in an emergency is important, understanding how invertebrate … Continue reading →

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

When a Spider Loses a Leg, Does Its Whole Hydraulic System Lose Pressure?

Posted on April 13, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger @BugQuestions whenever a spider loses a leg, does its whole hydraulic system loses pressure as well? My ghost spider lost a leg and froze. — Katzider (@katzider) April 10, 2015 This question came to us from … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Physiology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The truth about GMO mosquitoes.

Posted on February 4, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger People have asked Nancy and me a lot of questions about the sterile GMO mosquitoes the British company Oxitec is planning to release in Florida. We get these questions on a Facebook page we administrate as … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Education, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Wait, Insects Breathe!? But How? Part I

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Polistes fuscatus

Post by Nancy Miorelli and Joe Ballenger One day, while puttering around on Twitter we noticed that there was a #BugQuestions already…and there are some really neat questions here. The question of how insects breathe is one which is commonly … Continue reading →

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