Bees

In August 2015, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui trimmed a few leaves of red romaine lettuce and passed them to NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren. Each drizzled a few drops of dressing onto the precious produce, then popped it directly into their mouths.“That’s awesome, tastes good,” Lindgren said. The International…

In August 2015, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui trimmed a few leaves of red romaine lettuce and passed them to NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren. Each drizzled a few drops of dressing onto the precious produce, then popped it directly into their mouths.“That’s awesome, tastes good,” Lindgren said. The International…

Bees perform around 80% of all pollination worldwide, and support around $20 billion of crop production in the United States alone. Their numbers are in rapid decline. For over a decade bees have been disappearing in what National Geographic has coined the “colony collapse disorder” (30% of flying insects may…

Entomologists at UC Riverside have documented that a species of native sweat bee widespread throughout North and South America has a daily routine that makes it a promising pollinator. Because the bee can thrive in environments that have been highly modified by humans, such as cities and agricultural areas, it…

A female sweat bee (Halictus ligatus), marked with a nontoxic dot of blue paint, resting on the petals of a crepe myrtle. Credit: Jacob Cecala Entomologists at UC Riverside have documented that a species of native sweat bee widespread throughout North and South America has a daily routine that makes…

While rummaging through part of Amsterdam's city park, citizen scientists discovered new insect species. Their aim was to show that even in Earth's busiest places, biodiversity is still underexplored. Vondelpark, Amsterdam's public urban park in the southwest of the city, is anything but a remote place. Even on a weekday,…

Image: Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-NC Just like humans, animals like living near coastal plains and waterways. In fact, cities such as Sydney and Melbourne are “biodiversity hotspots” – boasting fresh water, varied topographies and relatively rich soil to sustain and nourish life. Recent research showed urban areas can support…

Just like humans, animals like living near coastal plains and waterways. In fact, cities such as Sydney and Melbourne are “biodiversity hotspots” – boasting fresh water, varied topographies and relatively rich soil to sustain and nourish life. Recent research showed urban areas can support a greater range of animals and…

Pollination by bees is vital even when crops are assumed to be pollinator independent. That’s according to a study co-authored by Ethel Villalobos, a researcher in the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences and lead of the…

Toxic farming chemicals banned in Europe are still used widely in Africa despite growing evidence that they harm the environment, food security and possibly human health. Humanity has long recognised the essential role of pollinating bees and insects in sustaining life and health, so much so that generations of parents…