How Mantises Became Nature’s Strangest Assassins
Mantises may be some of the most out-of-this-world-looking critters on Earth, but they’re uniquely adapted to life on this planet. These incredible hunters have repeatedly evolved into “ecomorphs”—groups that aren’t closely related, but share amazing adaptations to similar habitats. Mantis expert and grad student Lohit Garikipati says this happens so consistently in their history that “it’s almost baffling.” These dazzling displays of convergence may have something to tell us about evolution…
Insectarium host and entomologist Jessica Ware, Ph.D., visits Lohit at the Towson University Mantis Lab to see how researchers are using high-speed infrared cameras to track the movements of mantis prey capture. The similarities (and differences) in hunting techniques can help reveal how environments shape the animals that live in them.
#mantis #evolution #ecomorph #ethology #insectsukraine
How Ants Make Our Cities Healthier | Insectarium
In pavement cracks, roadside medians, and parking lots, there are incredible miniature civilizations booming within our concrete jungles: ants! We don’t often think of urban areas as having “ecologies” but Amy Savage, Ph.D. studies the amazing diversity of ants making their way in the city. Their combined efforts make our urban landscapes greener places to live, but their newfound love of carbs is also changing things for them...
Our host and museum curator, Jessica Ware, Ph.D. joins Amy in a search for some tiny neighbors. They're managing surprisingly well in New York and other cities by adapting to human food. But without the access to easy protein (e.g., other insects to prey on), they're doing things a bit differently in street medians than they would in a more rural setting.
Insectarium is made in partnership with PBS Digital Studios and American Museum of Natural History
#ants #cities #nyc #ecology #insects
Butterfly Effect: Can Monarchs Avoid Extinction?
Why are monarch butterflies disappearing? You may know them for their amazing transcontinental migration, but over the past few decades, monarch butterflies have been part of a vanishing act that has scientists worried. Conservation biologists Ashley Fisher and Isis Howard show us what it takes to track monarch butterfly populations at one of their favorite overwintering spots.
Join our host and museum curator Jessica Ware, Ph.D. for a close look at this iconic insect, its incredible lifecycle, and its multigenerational migration. Then, follow scientists who are working at a monarch butterfly roosting site in the western U.S. to figure out what’s behind the monarch butterfly population plunge. The series is produced for PBS by the American Museum of Natural History.
#Butterflies #MonarchButterfly #Migration #InsectScience
Image: Frank Cone
Original Production Funding Provided by National Science Foundation - Grant No. 2120006
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Subscribe to PBS Terra so you never miss an episode! https://bit.ly/3mOfd77
For Your Consideration: The Incredible… Roach!
You need roaches in your life. No, not the few pest species you might recognize scurrying across the floor, but some of their amazing, underrated cousins. Cockroaches are surprisingly diverse (there are even beautiful ones!), and they’re crucial contributors to ecosystems worldwide. Entomologist and pest control field supervisor Megan Wilson, Ph.D., helps us change our perspective on these six-legged frenemies.
Join our host and Museum Curator Jessica Ware, Ph.D., as she and her guest reveal surprising facts about the order Blattodea—roaches and termites. (Yeah, that’s right, termites are roaches, too!) We’ll also meet one of Jessica’s science heroes—termite expert Margaret Collins, the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in entomology. The series is produced for PBS by the American Museum of Natural History.
#Cockroaches #Termites #InsectScience #AwardWorthyInsect
Pssst: Ladybugs Have a Killer Secret
Ladybugs aren’t just cute nursery rhyme stars. Beneath the charming spots and vibrant colors lie killer instincts. They’re effective predators and sometime agricultural allies in their hunger for plant pests like aphids. Entomologist Sara Hermann, Ph.D. is investigating how ladybugs’ “perfume”—the chemical cocktail that makes up their odor—might even become a tool for sustainable agriculture.
Join our host and museum curator Jessica Ware, Ph.D., to find out how the delicate dance of predator-prey interactions in the insect world could help protect our crops and gardens. The series is produced for PBS by the American Museum of Natural History.
🐘 An elephant’s tusks are actually its very, very long incisor teeth!
🦣 Learn more at the Museum’s new exhibition The Secret World of Elephants. Discover new science about both ancient and modern elephants, see full-scale models of proboscideans, and more.
#amnh #museums #woollymammoth #proboscidean #elephants #thingstodoinnyc
Behind the scenes of the 2023 Museum Gala!
#amnh #museums #nyc #newyork #STEM #snl
Did you know? Mosasaurs’ closest living relatives are today’s lizards and snakes! Meet Amelia Zietlow (@tyrantlzrdqueen), a comparative biology student in the Museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School. She studies the evolution, ontogeny, morphology, and intraspecific variation of lizards and snakes, particularly mosasaurs.
Many thanks to the North Dakota Geological Survey for the Jormungandr walhallaensis footage!
#newresearch #STEM #mosasaur #museums #squamates #paleontology #amnh
Which Museum exhibits are a must-see when you visit?
#amnh #museums #nyc #givingtuesday #givingseason #thingstodoinnyc
🎄Explore the Origami Tree and The Secret World of Elephants during your next trip to the Museum!
🦃 The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day. But the Friday and Saturday after the holiday, we’ll have extended hours! On November 24 and 25, the Museum will be open 9 am to 6 pm.
#amnh #museums #holidays #thingstodoinnyc #origami #holidaysinnyc
What Makes Dragonflies So Extraordinary
Before bats, before birds, before pterosaurs, a dragonfly-like insect was probably the first thing to fly on Earth. They also happen to be our host Jessica Ware’s all-time favorite insect, both because they’re impressive predators and evolutionary innovators.
Join host and entomologist Jessica Ware to find out why dragonflies are the strongest flyers in the insect world—reaching speeds of up to 30 mph and among the few animals that can hover. Then, follow scientists into the field to discover what mapping the dragonfly family tree is revealing about incredible insects. The series is produced for PBS by the American Museum of Natural History.
Original Production Funding Provided by National Science Foundation - Grant No. 2120006
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Subscribe to PBS Terra so you never miss an episode! https://bit.ly/3mOfd77
🧬DNA sequencing has revealed that elephants belong in a superorder called Afrotheria—meet their closest relatives!
🐘Learn more at the Museum’s new exhibition The Secret World of Elephants. Discover new science about both ancient and modern elephants, see full-scale models of proboscideans, and more.
#amnh #museums #STEM #elephants #afrotheria #thingstodoinnyc #proboscideans