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Invertebrates

Zimmergel from Israel. Photo - Yitzhak Cohen, Society for the Protection of Nature

For the first time: freshwater crabs were discovered in Modi'in

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The ecological environment was discovered as part of a nature survey conducted by the Society for the Protection of Nature for the Municipality of Modi'in Maccabim Re'ot and financed and accompanied by the Ministry of Environmental Protection
A wandering wire, February 2024. Photo: Dr. Dor Edalist, University of Haifa

Jellyfish of the "wandering thread" species of unprecedented sizes have been observed in recent days along the coast of Israel

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After a summer without jellyfish, and the enormous size of the jellyfish in the winter swarms, we expect that the coming summer will be relatively abundant in jellyfish," said Dr. Dor Edelist, a marine biologist from the University of Haifa
Fruit flies mate. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Sexual frustration leads to stress in fruit flies

The research insights of Yulia Rivkin from the Faculty of Life Sciences in Bar-Ilan open up an opportunity for in-depth research into the effect of stress on the nervous system
Jellyfish swarm winter 2023. Photo: Dr. Gur Mizrahi and Dr. Eli Shemesh from the Charni School of Marine Sciences at the University of Haifa

A swarm of wandering filamentous jellyfish arrived on the shores of the country precisely in the winter

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After an unusually jellyfish-free summer, a swarm of wandering filamentous jellyfish has been seen in recent days off the coast of Haifa
The means for surveying agricultural areas: satellites, photo planes, drones. From the study

Satellites and drones can save the pollinating insects

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Satellites and drones can provide vital information that can contribute to the protection of nature's pollinators. New research is exploring new ways to utilize these technologies to track the availability of flowers, where this research may be combined with behavioral studies to see the world through the eyes of insects
Tristram butterfly box. Photography - Ofir Tomer

Butterflies collected in the 19th century were donated by the Oxford Natural History Museum to the Tel Aviv University Natural History Museum

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The box contains dried butterflies that were collected in the Land of Israel between the years 1863-1865 by delegations of the Anglican Church and have now been donated to the Steinhart Museum of Nature at Tel Aviv University
The white cells in the shrimp tail. Photo: Ben Gurion University

The shrimp redefines the laws of optics

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The shrimp has a particularly bright white color on its back and limbs that are intended to attract fish, which it 'cleanses' of pests it feeds on. An in-depth examination of the white substance using special electron microscopes revealed that the substance consists of an incredibly thin layer of very dense nanospheres (spheres of very tiny diameter)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0045682

Chinese researchers are proposing to create tardigrade super-soldiers

Chinese researchers propose combining genes from tardigrades (water bears) to improve the ability of human cells to deal with radioactive radiation
Although the attacking ants far outnumber the attackers, they are not able to defend themselves against them - nor do they try. A polyergus ant surrounded by enslaved formica anthills, photo: Adrian A. Smith, CC BY 2.5

We were slaves to the ant and the butterfly

Special for Passover: It turns out that slavery is not limited to humans, and various insects survive and multiply in nature thanks to the "slavery" of other species. So what do an army of small ants and Sparta have in common? What were the ladybugs telling their psychologist? And who survives thanks to an army of drugged security guards?
Namib desert beetle. Photo: Igor Karamlev, Paxel

Removes insects

Development of water collection and transport systems based on the characteristics of the desert beetle and the female beetle
The webbing of the clustered citrus bar is unique. Photo: Olaf Leillinger, CC BY-SA 2.5

Spiders for tomatoes

A clam washed ashore. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Freckled? Maybe you share a common chemical with oysters

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By using an innovative microscope, they were able to identify for the first time the process in which the seashell produces crystals used for vision, and discovered that it is similar to the process of the formation of freckles in humans
wasp Illustration: depositphotos.com

An ecological tragedy

A wasp gathers as food for its future offspring larvae that contain maggots of another wasp in their bodies, thus harming their survival
Different types of insects. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The Arthropod Census: A Weighty Environmental Issue

In a first calculation of its kind, the weight of all the insects, spiders and their terrestrial relatives in the world was found
A swarm of bees returns to the hive. The researchers found that the bees created an electric field in the range of 1,000-100 volts per meter. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Is there electricity in the air? These are the bees

The power of a group - the electrifying version: British researchers discovered that swarms of bees carry a particularly powerful electrical charge. It turns out that the buzz is literal
Elongation of the body of the female locust while laying eggs in the ground. From the study

The superpowers of the female locust

The flexibility of her central nervous system allows her to stretch when laying her eggs in the soil to 2 or 3 times her original length, then quickly return to her normal length without damage
Honey bees in the hive. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The life expectancy of the honey bee may be half of what it was 50 years ago

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The researchers estimate that this figure is the cause or at least strongly related to the beehive collapse syndrome
Diagram showing the neural circuit for sensing danger in the female worms (above), the male worms (center), and the transgenic male worms (below) which adopted female behavior following the creation of a connection between two nerve cells in the circuit

Scientists added only one connection between two nerve cells in worms. This was enough to turn male behavior into female

The research findings illustrate how changing the synapse map may lead to a change in behavior
Real desert. Image: depositphotos.com

Dislocated joints:

Arthropods are the "main force" that breaks down plants in the desert - thus they help the functioning of the desert ecosystem
Lemlibrachia worms are attached to the rock that was created as a result of bacterial activity in the gas seeps at a depth of one kilometer in front of Palmahim Beach. (Photo: Dr. Yitzhak Makovsky, University of Haifa, as part of the SEMSEEP project)

An oasis in the deep sea

Symbiosis with bacteria allows worms and oysters to feed on natural gas and sulfur compounds - and teaches us about ways to produce energy
American cockroach climbing on a sandwich. Image: depositphotos.com

Things that donors know: is the cockroach dangerous to humans? Is the person dangerous to fix?

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Gidi shares with us a dispute in his family: are cockroaches dangerous to health or just a nuisance? Another question: can cockroaches really survive a nuclear attack
A bee during the pollination operation. Photo: Doron Zucker

A new study found: the honey bee can distinguish between even and odd numbers just like humans

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The Honey Council: due to the massive disappearance of honey bees in the world, the studies on the honey bee and the act of pollination - without which humanity would not have food from plants - were expanded
In bumble bees, each worker is important to the functioning of the hive. Photo: Reut Alon

Not just any bee

Impressive learning abilities, unique pollination methods and fur that is nice to pet (but not worth it): studies from recent years reveal the amazing world of bumblebees, and warn against the severe damage to them due to the climate crisis. Special for International Bee Day
A wandering thread that drifted to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Photo: depositphotos.com

The source of the summer swarms of the migratory otters in Israel: the beaches in front of the Nile Delta

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Although they have been on Earth for over 500 million years, researchers still do not know enough about jellyfish, the reasons for their reproduction, their migration routes, and more, and measures from different scientific fields were required to reach a conclusion
mussels Illustration: depositphotos.com Soyuz launcher on the launch pad in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Illustration: depositphotos.com

An innovative adhesive inspired by marine molluscs

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Researchers used an innovative method to replace proteins used to stick molluscs to different surfaces, developing a stronger-than-expected glue
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