The Guardian reports one New Year’s Day, ecologist Rob Wolton came up with an unusual resolution – to spend the next 12 months studying a hedge 40 metres from his house in the middle of Devon. He wanted to make a list of every plant, animal and fungus that used it. Why? Because a wildlife-enthusiast friend challenged him to do it during a long car journey.
iNews reports traffic noise makes female crickets less picky when choosing a mate, a new study from Anglia Ruskin University suggests, threatening their long-term survival. Male crickets perform courtship songs to attract a female by rubbing their wings together. Females will generally pick the male with the best serenade. But road noise is making it harder for female crickets to distinguish between a top notch song and an off-key performance, the researchers said.
The Daily Mail reports butterflies flex their wings when they beat together to trap more air.Mechanical wings that flexed had more force and were more efficient than rigid ones.Researchers say the added thrust at takeoff helps the insects escape predators.Their findings may be helpful in improving the design of ‘flapping’ drones.