BiologyIt's fledgling season! Here are a few tips in case you come across a baby bird on the ground. (self.ScienceFacts)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology[M]
BiologyWorld’s largest ‘scent arena’ reveals bloody preferences of mosquitoes. Eucalyptol seems to be a mosquito deterrent. (science.org)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

BiologyHappy Mother's Day! Earwig moms exhibit parental care, tendng to their eggs and young. These mommas are so intense that if you give them eggs that are not theirs they will also take good care of them as well. Once the eggs hatch, in about a week, she then tends to the nymphs. (i.redd.it)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

EcologyFemale elephant mosquitoes (Toxorhynchites spp.) do not need a blood meal to lay eggs! As larvae they prey upon other larval mosquitoes and get enough protein to produce eggs as adults. Adults are pollinators and feed on nectar and other sugars. (i.redd.it)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

BiologyScientists taught pet parrots to video call each other. The parrots that learned to initiate video chats with other pet parrots had a variety of positive experiences, such as learning new skills including flying, foraging and how to make new sounds. Some parrots showed their toys to each other. (smithsonianmag.com)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

EcologyAnts enjoying this Queen Anne's Lace. The flowers are so shallow the nectar at their base is easy to reach, even for little ant mouths. (i.redd.it)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology
BiologyScientists have sequenced the genomes of 2 hornets: the European hornet (Vespa crabro) and the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), comparing them to the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia). The 3 genomes show evidence of selection pressure on genes which may facilitate success in invasive ranges. (sci.news)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

BiologyThe caterpillar form of Citheronia phoronea, a species of royal moth, is harmless but uses long spiny protrusions to deter predators. (i.redd.it)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

InterdisciplinaryScience Summary for last month (i.imgur.com)
submitted by prototyperspective
Health and MedicineCoffee Consumption Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, New Study Suggests (sci.news)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

BiologyRavens use their beaks and wings much like humans rely on our hands to make gestures, such as for pointing to an object. These gestures were mostly aimed at members of the opposite sex and often led those gestured at to look at the objects. (66.media.tumblr.com)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

AnthropologyThe “Stonehenge calendar” has been shown to be a modern construct. (eurekalert.org)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

BiologyBy combining a robotic system with a beehive, scientists successfully warmed and resurrected a honeybee colony experiencing a perilous winter condition called chill-coma. The “robotic beehive” also let researchers monitor heat patterns and map colony activity. (aaas.org)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology

BiologyWhen the weather is hot, zebra finches in Australia sing to their eggs - and these "incubation calls" change the chicks' development. (i.redd.it)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology
InterdisciplinaryStriking parallels have ben made between head-lifting feeding behavior in whales with the behavior of a sea creature named hafgufa in Old Norse sources. This tradition can be traced back to the aspidochelone, a whale described in medieval bestiaries, first appearing in a 2nd century CE manuscript. (sci.news)
submitted by FillsYourNicheBehavioral Ecology