Posts Tagged ‘insects’
Dung Beetles: Nature’s Cleanup Crew
From JeffCorwinConnect.com By Laurel NemeJuly 4, 2011 Dung beetles are part of nature’s cleanup crew. These beneficial insects eat and bury dung and, in the process, recycle nutrients back into the soil while removing breeding grounds for pests. As their name suggests, the main food source for dung beetles is animal feces, which provides nutrition and…
Read MoreMongabay.com: Dung Beetles: A Sewage SWAT Team
By Laurel Neme, special to mongabay.com This interview originally aired June 7, 2010 and was rebroadcast June 13, 2011. Dung beetles live all over the world (except in Antarctica) and thrive in virtually every type of habitat, from deserts to rainforests. Their main food source is dung, which provides nutrients and water for both the adults…
Read MoreWinged Obsession: New Book Sheds Light on Little Recognized Target of Wildlife Smugglers
“Butterfly collectors with the financial means will do whatever necessary to obtain the specimens they want,” says Jessica Speart, author of the new book Winged Obsession: The Pursuit of the World’s Most Notorious Butterfly Smuggler. For some, it’s like stamp collecting. For others, it’s the equivalent of collecting a Renoir or Van Gogh. In detailing the US…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Dung Beetle Adventures, Part II, Doug Emlen
Doug Emlen, a University of Montana biology professor, discusses his research into the developmental and evolutionary biology of dung beetles in the second part of his two-part interview. He tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme about his many adventures doing research–from being charged by cape buffalo as he picks through dung on the plains of Africa to…
Read MoreThe WildLife: Dung Beetles & Weaponry, Part I, Doug Emlen
Doug Emlen, a University of Montana biology professor, reveals the strange and endearing characteristics of dung beetles. In this first part of a two-part interview, Dr. Emlen tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme about the biology of dung beetles and what the diverse sizes and shapes of dung beetle horns and armaments reveals about their lifestyle.…
Read More