The post Queen Bumblebees Can Survive Underwater For a Week While Hibernating appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The scientists were performing an experiment to determine the effects of pesticides in soil on bumblebees. As part of the experiment, hibernating queen bumblebees were placed in tubes filled with soil to mimic their natural environment. During colder seasons, male and worker bumblebees die while the queen makes its way underground and enters the state of hibernation to survive the harsh environment.
During the experiment, the tubes with queen bumblebees were placed in a refrigerator, which caused some of them to be filled with water due to condensation. However, it turned out that the water didn’t cause any harm to queen bumblebees.
The scientists then decided to run another experiment, this time filling the tubes with various degrees of water. The queen bumblebees were kept in the tubes for various amounts of time, including 21 of them being fully submerged in the water for one week to no effect. Eight weeks later, 17 of them were still alive. The control group, featuring bees that were kept dry at all times, had a similar survival rate, with 15 out of 17 queen bumblebees still being alive after eight weeks.
Scientists are not exactly sure how queen bumblebees are able to survive so long underwater, but believe it has something to do with diapause. This occurrence is common in the insect world and sees insects closing the openings in their bodies and keeping their oxygen intake at a minimum to survive in unfavorable surroundings. Queen bumblebees probably evolved to be able to survive underwater due to flooding that can take place while they are hibernating underground.
“One-third of all bumblebee species around the world are in decline right now, and so if we are able to discard flooding as being a potential threat to bees, then we can focus our attention on other threats that we know for sure are harming them,” ecologist Sabrina Rondeau, co-author of the study, told Globe and Mail.
The post Queen Bumblebees Can Survive Underwater For a Week While Hibernating appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Karina Mills’ Bewitched Oddities Will Change the Way You Look at Insects appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Mills is a talented artist from Eugene, Oregon, who specializes in making picture-perfect Victorian frames decorated with butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, and other insects. Her skills significantly evolved over the past few years, and we’ve also seen her use taxidermy animals, skulls, and bones in her work.
Everything from bugs to moss and flowers used in Mills’ art is 100% real, and she’s trying to make her frames as true to life as possible. She’ll sometimes add paint and tiny figurines to the mix, but her listings always clearly state if she made any altercations.
Mills is fully committed to using sustainably sourced materials in her art, without doing any harm to the ecosystems they came from.
“All of my insects come from breeders I have found online or sellers who source them from insect farms… I do not support deforestation and would never go out of my way to kill an animal for the sake of art,” she explains on her official website.
The post Karina Mills’ Bewitched Oddities Will Change the Way You Look at Insects appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Sarah Ritchie is Crafting Unique Ceramic Pieces Inspired by Insects appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Ritchie is a pottery artist based in Mohkinstsis, Alberta who earned a degree in archeology before deciding to pursue ceramics. Her background greatly informed her art, and she started incorporating natural and historical themes into her work as time went by.
“Ceramics have been in my life long before I started creating my own. There’s something about holding a cup and being able to see the fingerprints of the maker that turns a functional item into a personal link to those that have touched that item before us,” she explains on her official website.
Nature is her main driving force, and her pieces are often the result of her life-long admiration and respect for the less appreciated animal species. That’s one of the reasons why insects often take center stage in her work, from beetles and ladybugs to bumblebees and dragonflies.
Ritchie’s Luminaries collection is the crowning jewel of her work, and it features various unglazed translucent porcelain candles featuring hand-carved insects, illuminated by a golden glow that perfectly highlights their details.
The post Sarah Ritchie is Crafting Unique Ceramic Pieces Inspired by Insects appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Fun Facts About Ants You Probably Didn’t Know appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Ants Can Live Up to 30 Years
Being so small and fragile, most ants don’t end up welcoming the old age. However, if they manage to avoid the dangers of the world, some ants can actually live a long life. For example, queen ants are known to live for up to 30 years.
Ants Live on All Continents Expect Antarctica
Ants are similar to humans when it comes to their habitat; they can live almost anywhere. You can find ants on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.
Ants Don’t Have Ears
Ants don’t have ears, but that doesn’t stop them from “hearing” things. They make up for their lack of ears by sensing the vibrations in the ground using their feet.
Ants Have Two Stomachs
Ants have a different anatomy compared to most other insects, including the fact that they basically have two stomachs. One stomach is a regular one they use for the consumption of food like anyone else, while the other is called a “social” stomach. In this second stomach, ants store food so they can later share it with the queen or other ants.
The post Fun Facts About Ants You Probably Didn’t Know appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Beth Hoyes is Celebrating Butterflies Through the Power of Embroidery appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Hoyes is a British embroidery artist based in Hampshire, who goes by @rabbithatdesigns on Instagram. She has a background in art therapy, and she actually became passionate about embroidery while still working towards her accreditation in this field.
Hoyes’ work is largely inspired by her love for nature, which has been a formative part of her life since a young age. She grew up in a rural area, surrounded by animals and plants, and developed a big love for all things outdoors thanks to her parents and siblings, who loved nature just as much.
Hoyes celebrates the beauty of all creatures, great and small, through her embroidery art, but she’s best known for her kaleidoscope series, inspired by butterflies.
“I’m hoping to create a connective nature experience with these and highlight how so many butterfly and insect species are vulnerable to climate change. I think by getting in touch with the beauty and amazing diversity in nature we are more inspired to protect and nurture it around us and in ourselves,” she explains on Instagram.
The post Beth Hoyes is Celebrating Butterflies Through the Power of Embroidery appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Top 4 Differences Between Butterflies and Moths appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Wings
Butterflies are known for their beautiful wings with vibrant colors and patterns. Moths, on the other hand, usually have wings that are dull in color and less eye-catching. Also, butterflies keep their wings open when they are resting, while moths tend to fold them.
Body
Butterflies have leaner bodies compared to moths, who tend to be more robust. Also, quite a few moth species have a fuzzy layer on their bodies.
Antennae
Perhaps the most telling difference, although not the easiest to notice, is in the antennae of butterflies and moths. Butterflies have straight and long antennae with balls on the end. Moths have feathery antennae without the round tips.
Activity
Finally, butterflies and moths differ when it comes to the time of the day when they are active. You’ll see butterflies during the day because they are diurnal insects. Moths are nocturnal insects, which means that they are most active during the night, and that is when you’ll encounter them most frequently.
The post Top 4 Differences Between Butterflies and Moths appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Amazing Facts That Will Make You Fall in Love With Monarch Butterflies appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Intriguing Name
It’s believed that monarch butterflies owe their common name to King William III of England. Their Greek name “Danaus plexippus” can be translated as “sleepy transformation”, and it’s believed they’re named after Danaus, Zeus’ great-grandson, and Plexippus, the son of Danaus’s twin brother.
Great Migration
One of monarch butterflies’ most interesting traits are their migratory habits. They can fly for over 3,000 miles on their migratory journeys, which takes place over four generations of butterflies, in an attempt to leave North America for the warmer climates of Mexico.
Amazing Orientation
One study suggests that monarch butterflies are such great navigators because the ultraviolet opsin protein in their eyes helps them to orient themselves with the sun during their long migratory journey.
Defense Mechanism
Monarch butterflies feed on milkweed during their larval stage. In addition to being their main source of food, milkweed also helps monarchs keep predators at bay because the milkweed toxins can be poisonous for other animals, despite not harming the caterpillars.
The post Amazing Facts That Will Make You Fall in Love With Monarch Butterflies appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Katharine Eksuzian’s Ceramics Celebrate Insects’ Underappreciated Beauty appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Eksuzian fell in love with ceramics during her time at the Minnesota Northern Clay Center, and this experience inspired her to start her own small business in 2018. Umami Pottery was born, and she received a lot of support from the Minnesota State Arts Board since opening her own art studio.
Nature is Eksuzian’s main source of inspiration, and she’s on a mission to fully reflect the fragile natural concepts through her art and stress the importance of nature’s protection.
“Her work is driven by a respect for nature and attention to intricate detail. With a focus on ecological themes, she creates scientifically accurate to-scale sculptures that are consciously crafted and completed in a high-fire soda kiln,” she explains on her official website.
Eksuzian is endlessly fascinated by insects, and her creations often take the shape of moths, butterflies, bees, crickets, and caterpillars. There are expectations to this rule, but even when she’s not sculpting insects, nature is always Eksuzian’s main driving force.
The post Katharine Eksuzian’s Ceramics Celebrate Insects’ Underappreciated Beauty appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Florida Woman Falls in Love With Moths After Saving Giant Moth and Raising Her 200 Babies appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>
(@talalovesyou)Tala had quite a following on social media thanks to her cosplaying videos, but she became an even bigger sensation after she shared a story of finding a giant female moth. It was unable to fly after being knocked to the ground by a strong breeze, and she decided to protect you overnight because a strong storm was coming.
The moth eventually flew away, but it laid eggs before departing and leaving her clutch behind. She had to do a lot of research to properly raise 200 moth eggs and eventually had to let them fly away. Those 200 moths are long gone, but Tala’s love for moths will stay with her forever.
“I thought they were something really big and scary. Now when I look at them and I see these ‘monster eyespots,’ it doesn’t scare me anymore. I see the beauty in them, and I like how they use them to scare off other big animals!” she told Epoch Times.
The post Florida Woman Falls in Love With Moths After Saving Giant Moth and Raising Her 200 Babies appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Houston’s Cockrell Butterfly Center is Home to Hundreds of Exotic Butterflies appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The Cockrell Butterfly Center is located in the heart of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It’s the best place in Texas to explore the fascinating world of insects, and you’ll be introduced to many amazing butterfly species during your visit.
This butterfly center is home to hundreds of these fascinating creatures, and you’ll probably run into around 50 different species during your visit. This living exhibit is set inside the heart of a naturalistic rainforest setting, and you’ll get to see butterflies fly around, hover over flowers, and even land on the visitors, if they’re lucky enough!
To make the whole thing even more amazing, the Cockrell Butterfly Center isn’t the only insect-related exhibit that the Houston Museum of Natural Science has in store. You should also take some time to explore the Brown Hall of Entomology, which will take you on a captivating journey in the world of bugs, inviting you to witness the beauty and complexity of these creatures up close.
The post Houston’s Cockrell Butterfly Center is Home to Hundreds of Exotic Butterflies appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>