21 Answered Questions for the topic Entomology
Why arent mosquitoes found near neem trees?
I read an article yesterday that wherever neem trees or spices are cultivated mosquitoes are not seen there. So why arent mosquitoes seen near these places (neem trees , spices, etc).What is it... more
What do ants do with human finger nails?
There is place in my house where I cut my nails. Here, there is an ant hole where an ant colony is seen.Whenever I cut my nails from here, they take my nails inside their hole. I was wondering what... more
Why do ladybugs have a different number of points on their backs?
Everytime I see a ladybug I ask myself this question.Why does every ladybug have a different amount of points on its back? Is it because of its age? Or because of its genes? Is it inheritable?
How to get rid of mosquitoes in a small lake?
I own a small lake. Give or take it is about 50 meters wide and 100 meters long (or 160 feet wide, 320 feet long), with a max depth of around 2 meters / 6.5 feet. One third of the lake is... more
How can insects survive without an adaptive immune system?
How can insects survive in a world full of pathogens that are able to defeat the innate immune system?
Why is a mosquito feeding on human blood not a parasite?
I recently read in my Ecology course notes that a mosquito feeding on human blood is not considered as a parasite. However, since it sucks blood from the human body, shouldn't it be regarded as a... more
How do insects survive the winter?
I had an interesting discussion today in which the question arose how insects survive in the winter. Since they need a high enough external temperature to be active, this seems a bit difficult in... more
Can butterflies still fly after their wings are touched?
When I was a kid, I was told not to ever touch a butterflies wing, as it would lose its ability to fly. This was because of some dust which was supposed to be in place on the wings and when... more
Why do flies "rub" their front legs when resting?
I've noted that every time a house fly is resting on a surface, it appears to "rub" or "scrub" its front legs in a repetitive movement. And they do it continuously. Why?
Why does the butterfly have a cocoon stage in its life cycle?
Why does the butterfly have a cocoon stage in its life cycle? It could have simply grown up within the egg/cocoon, and emerged as a butterfly. Instead it is first an egg, then a worm, then a... more
Why is the species-diversity of deadly parasites greatest in the tropics?
There are so many parasites living in tropical regions of Africa, South America, or Asia, but very few in Europe or North America. Is this due to climate, or are there other reasons? Many of the... more
How best to count bees entering and leaving a hive to measure hive activity?
This is my first question here, so I apologize for all mistakes I could have possibly made. I'm a high school student in East-Central Europe and I need to complete some research for a biology... more
Do mosquitos excrete blood?
Since insects like mosquitos ingest only blood, and insects generally excrete their solid and liquid waste [at the same time](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a8psEYgopw) as... more
Why did a lot of common insects evolve such a thin waist?
Something that doesn't quite make sense to me is why lots of insects like ants, bees and wasps have a such a small petiole when it connects many major organs to the rest of their body from a... more
How do insects breathe?
Do ants even breathe? If they don't, how do they stay alive? On what resources do they depend upon to stay alive? How are they different form mammals?
Why do mosquitoes hover over our heads?
So I play soccer in evening at a nearby park. I noticed many times that after the game and even during it many mosquitoes hover over some of us. They sort of form a structure like a tornado. The... more
Why don't dragonflies wings collapse?
How do dragonflies manage to fly at such high speeds without their wings collapsing? Their wings are thinner than paper, but they do not even flutter. What gives them their strength?
Why do adult insects have 6 legs?
Apparently, there is an advantage to having 6 legs in the insect world. What is that advantage, if anything? Why would such an advantage exist for insects, but not for other, larger land... more
Do adult mosquitoes have color preferences?
Do adult mosquitoes get particularly attracted or repelled by any colour, or darkness or light? If so, what are they?
How do ants follow each other?
I was observing ants in my house.They all were going in a straight line and also some of the ants were coming back through the the same line. I took some water and rubbed the line with my finger,... more
Do all the members of an insect order share the same family?
Currently I am taking an entomology class and one of my projects is to collect 60 specimens. All I have to do is get them to order and family and I get full credit. I have all the orders necessary... more