The Tamilian Warrior becomes a state symbol
The southern state of Tamil Nadu has recently declared Tamil Yeoman (Cirrochroa thais) as its state butterfly to symbolise its rich natural and cultural heritage, in a move aimed at…
What is preventing the widespread adoption of biopesticides in India?
Biopesticides are yet to take off in a major way in India because of mixed constraints, despite their enormous market potential and the national and state initiatives to promote them…
A floral calendar for bee conservation
Researcher K Lakshmi Rao is habituated to bee stings. And in her quest across India, to understand what whets the appetite of the honeybee (Apis mellifera), she has been at…
Your environment this week: India’s disappearing insects, tiger den in Veerappan’s lair, sand mining crisis
This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. To receive a weekly email with a roundup of our stories, please sign-up to our newsletter. A millennial trains to spruce…
Where did insects come from?
The evolution of insects About 500 million years ago (MYA), the Earth experienced a remarkable evolutionary event. Called the Cambrian explosion, it resulted in the emergence of a plethora of…
Insects are disappearing in India, and we don’t even have data
When was the last time an insect fell in your soup? Or down your collar under a bright street lamp? Insects rarely land on window panes on a rainy night…
[Photos] City dwellers…now you see me?
The shade of a tree gives a much-needed respite from the sweltering heat. While checking messages on the phone, you see a movement out of the corner of your eye.…
As fall armyworm invades northeast India, scientists scratch the surface of a tree-killing beetle
As India battles invasion of the cereal-eating moth, fall armyworm (FAW), which is now chomping its way into northeastern states, scientists have turned their attention to another incursion, from the…
The unexpected little underdogs of the big bad desert
Deserts are harsh ecosystems defined by high daytime temperatures that can dehydrate bodies quickly and low night temperatures that demand warm shelters. Despite the extremes, deserts are sanctuaries to a…
Cooking beetles: An island in Assam is eating its farm pest
Beetle fry, anyone? A ‘Pest-aurant’ in the remote and rapidly-shrinking Majuli, world’s largest river island in northeast India, has cooked up a unique method to prevent pests from attacking crops…
