tarantula
dr. dolittle | October 9, 2013 Photo credit: Margaret C. Hardy
Drs. Glenn King and Maggie Hardy at the Institute of Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia have discovered a small protein, aptly named orally active insecticidal peptide-1 (OAIP-1), in the venom of Australian tarantulas (Selenotypus plumipes) that can kill prey when ingested orally. According to the study, OAIP-1 is fast acting and more potent than commercial pyrethroid insecticides and is very effective at killing the agricultural pest, cotton bollworm. The authors suggest that OAIP-1 may therefore be useful as a bioinsecticide. The…
dr. dolittle | January 20, 2013The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University that has just come out with the top 10 new species of 2012! This is the 5th year they have come out with such a list. If you would like to nominate your favorite new species discovered in 2013, click here.
Here are my favorites from the 2012 list:
The snub nose monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) from Myanmar that sneezes when it rains:
Photo reconstruction credit: Thomas Geissmann / Fauna & Flora International)
The Spongebob Squarepants sponge (Spongiforma squarepantsii), just because I LOVE that cartoon!:…