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2004-10-03, 12:24 PM
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[Ignore Me] #1 | ||
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Banned
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1243581.stm
Why locusts swarm By BBC News Online's Helen Briggs Scientists say they have identified the biological trigger that causes locusts to swarm. The discovery could lead to new insecticides capable of stopping the vast "clouds" of insects that can devastate crops. It's the G-spot of the locust - G for gregarisation, in this case Stephen Simpson, Oxford University Previous research has shown that solitary locusts change their behaviour when in company, grouping together and eventually swarming. For the first time, zoologists at the University of Oxford, UK, have pinpointed touch-sensitive hairs on the insects' hind legs which activate swarming. "It's the G-spot of the locust - G for gregarisation, in this case," team leader Stephen Simpson told BBC News Online. Crowd behaviour Locusts are normally shy, solitary creatures. But in a swarm they become a menace, capable of stripping fields of crops in a matter of hours. The Oxford team has found that "hot-spots" on the hind legs of the locusts, stimulated when they group together, turn the relatively harmless insects into destructive pests. The discovery is important because it could lead to new insecticides capable of stopping insects from swarming. "The nervous system communicates with chemicals," Professor Simpson said. "If you can work out which neural pathways are involved and what signalling chemicals they use to change locusts' behaviour from solitary to swarming, it might be possible to develop new control chemicals." Tickle technique The discovery was made by tickling lab locusts with a paintbrush. When a specific region of the insect's back leg was stimulated, it caused a shift from solitary to gregarious behaviour. Tickling other parts of the locust, such as its antennae, mouthparts or abdomen, had no effect on behaviour. The research is reported in the current edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Search BBC News Online Advanced search options BBC RADIO NEWS BBC ONE TV NEWS WORLD NEWS SUMMARY BBC NEWS 24 BULLETIN PROGRAMMES GUIDE See also: 23 Oct 00 | Sci/Tech Locust liquidator boost 11 Oct 99 | Sci/Tech Hopes for stopping locusts 04 Mar 98 | Sci/Tech Cyberbugs are go Internet links: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Zoology Department, Oxford University The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Links to more Sci/Tech stories are at the foot of the page. |
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2004-10-04, 01:34 PM
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[Ignore Me] #11 | |||
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Contributor General
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It's teh Fortinator! EDIT: You had better resize your sig. It'll get nerfed by the sig bot. Last edited by Hezzy; 2004-10-04 at 01:35 PM. |
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2004-10-04, 06:57 PM
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[Ignore Me] #12 | |||
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Contributor teh Sexb0t
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 *Ivan starts rubbing the back of Fort4Law's leg. 
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[ Penis removed by Hamma. ] NEVAR FORGET THE SHUNK! (The Shunk Logs.) Violated by ChiaHamma |
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2004-10-04, 07:11 PM
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[Ignore Me] #14 | |||
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Contributor teh Sexb0t
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Oh noes! Fort4Law is turning me into Infernus!  
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[ Penis removed by Hamma. ] NEVAR FORGET THE SHUNK! (The Shunk Logs.) Violated by ChiaHamma |
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(or some more certs for my new char! 
)
Linear Mode
