Discussion:
global insect decline has arrived in Australia
(too old to reply)
M***@kymhorsell.com
2018-02-24 02:30:03 UTC
Permalink
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-24/decline-in-insect-population-baffles-scientists/9481136>

Insect population decline leaves Australian scientists scratching for solutions

Mark Rigby
ABC Far North
24 Feb 2018 01:56Z

[image] An insect perched on a yellow Billy Button wildflower
Entomologists are concerned Australia's insect populations are in
decline. (ABC News: Penny McLintock)

RELATED:
* Put down the bug spray and embrace the creepy crawlies
* Here's why you should keep spiders and insects onside

A global crash in insect populations has found its way to Australia,
with entomologists across the country reporting lower than average
numbers of wild insects.

University of Sydney entomologist Dr Cameron Webb said researchers
around the world widely acknowledge that insect populations are in
decline, but are at a loss to determine the cause.

"On one hand it might be the widespread use of insecticides, on the
other hand it might be urbanisation and the fact that we're
eliminating some of the plants where it's really critical that these
insects complete their development," Dr Webb said.

"Add in to the mix climate change and sea level rise and it's
incredibly difficult to predict exactly what it is."

'It's left me dumbfounded'

Entomologist and owner of the Australian Insect Farm, near Innisfail
in far north Queensland, Jack Hasenpusch is usually able to collect
swarms of wild insects at this time of year.

"I've been wondering for the last few years why some of the insects
have been dropping off and put it down to lack of rainfall," Mr
Hasenpusch said.

[image] Rain moth
Jack Hasenpusch says he usually collects 1000s of insects at this
time of year, but this summer is particularly quiet. (ABC South East:
Cassie Steeth)

"This year has really taken the cake with the lack of insects, it's
left me dumbfounded, I can't figure out what's going on."

Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney,
Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all
had similar stories.

The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda, west of Cairns, has had
difficulty breeding the far north's iconic Ulysses butterfly for more
than 2 years.

"We've had [the problem] checked by scientists, the University of
Queensland was involved, Biosecurity Queensland was involved but so
far we haven't found anything unusual in the bodies [of caterpillars]
that didn't survive," said breeding laboratory supervisor Tina Kupke.

[image] Blue Ulysses butterfly on a leaf
There are concerns far north Queensland's iconic Ulysses butterfly
species is also disappearing from the wild. (Supplied: Australian
Butterfly Sanctuary)

"We've had some short successes but always failed in the second generation."

Ms Lupke said the problem was not confined to far north Queensland, or
even Australia.

"Some of our pupae go overseas from some of our breeders here and
they've all had the same problem," she said.

"And the Melbourne Zoo has been trying for quite a while with the same
problems."

Limited lifecycle prefaces population plummet

Dr Webb, who primarily researches mosquitoes, said numbers were also
in decline across New South Wales this year, which was indicative of
the situation in other insect populations.

"We've had a really strange summer; it's been very dry, sometimes it's
been brutally hot but sometimes it's been cooler than average," he
said.

[image] Cracked mud in a dry outback creek bed.
Entomologist Dr Cameron Webb says dry conditions can affect the
lifecycle of many insects, which in turn affects entire
populations. (ABC: Nicola Gage)

"Mosquito populations, much like a lot of other insects, rely on the
combination of water, humidity and temperature to complete their
lifecycle.

"When you mix around any one of those 3 components you can
really change the local population dynamics."

According to Dr Webb, when conditions are less than ideal the lifespan
of mosquitoes and other insects plummets, thus reducing the
sustainability of the entire population.

"If you're used to living for about 3 weeks when it's nice and
warm and humid, and then you're only living for a week or so because
it's really hot and dry then you don't have to chance to lay as many
eggs, or do as much mating," he said.

"Those things have a knock on effect and it means the overall
populations can often be much lower."

...

--
Al Jazeera Weather @AJEWeather 23 Feb 2018 13:00Z
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man crumpled, writes Michelle Grattan.

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recovery efforts
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Major problems force Brisbane rain radar offline during string of stormy days
ABC News, 23 Feb 2018 20:36Z
It's one of Brisbane's go-to websites whenever it's raining, and it's
unlikely to be up and running any time soon.
The Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) weather radar at Mt Stapylton, located
south of Brisbane, was taken offline on Tue night due to major problems,
meaning anyone curious on the rain is unable to best see when it's
approaching the area.

[Projection 101:]
Florida Shooting: Donald Trump says guard 'didn't have the courage'
to intervene
<Loading Image...>
ABC News, 24 Feb 2018 09:02:40
Wally W.
2018-02-24 03:11:11 UTC
Permalink
On Sat, 24 Feb 2018 13:30:03 +1100, ***@kymhorsell.com
wrote:

Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
...

... what part of "global" doesn't MrPosingRobot understand?

If it was global, it would have already been in all parts of the globe
... it wouldn't be arriving anywhere on the globe.

"It's worse than we thought" is the mantra of the clueless.

What is a programmer to do when their bot becomes more of an
embarrassment each day?
Bret Cahill
2018-02-24 04:53:00 UTC
Permalink
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?

<CIA>

"Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney,
Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all
had similar stories."
R Kym Horsell
2018-02-24 06:25:48 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
<CIA>
"Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney,
Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all
had similar stories."
More interestingly, we've had a look on A-G.W at some of the sometimes
extensive dataset gathered from around the world related to
regional insect surveys as well as surveys from around the world
for specific types of insects.

All seem to show some kind of decline over time, sometimes
statistically linked with rise in agriculture area, sometimes with variation
in specific class of insecticide, and sometimes related to atm gases like
methane.

It isn't a matter of "some guy on twitter said".
--
[The mythical "auty monbile":]

Sometimes the historical records refer to auty monbiles with steerlink
wheels on the left but sometimes also on the right. Sometimes they
were said to have "4 cyclinders", sometimes 6 or 8 or even 12.
Sometimes they had metallic decorations on the front, the sides,
the back, or various combinations.
There are few signs of internal consistency in any of the versions
of the tale.
That all goes to show, I think, the story is most likely a folk notion --
likely signifying in some way male potency -- and not physical reality.
Wally W.
2018-02-24 15:20:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
Defective bots, and those who aspire to be as smart as defective bots,
think Australia isn't part of the globe?

What are crickets to do when their master becomes more of an
embarrassment each day?
Post by Bret Cahill
<CIA>
"Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney,
Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all
had similar stories."
Bret Cahill
2018-02-24 17:30:30 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
<CIA>
<CAP>
Post by Bret Cahill
"Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney,
Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all
had similar stories."
Wally W.
2018-02-24 17:48:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
<CIA>
<CAP>
Looks like a denier.

See a reply here:
:On Sat, 24 Feb 2018 10:20:21 -0500, Wally W. wrote:
:>On Fri, 23 Feb 2018 20:53:00 -0800 (PST), Bret Cahill wrote:
<snip for brevity. Anyone who actually cares about context can see the
referenced post in the thread>
:>What are crickets to do when their master becomes more of an
:>embarrassment each day?
Bret Cahill
2018-02-24 18:16:17 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
<CIA>
<CAP>
Post by Bret Cahill
"Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney,
Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all
had similar stories."
Wally W.
2018-02-24 18:22:03 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
<CIA>
<CAP>
Looks like a denier.

There were multiple replies, including this one:
:On Sat, 24 Feb 2018 12:48:15 -0500, Wally W. wrote:

Anyone who actually cares about context can see the referenced post.

What are crickets to do when their master becomes more of an
embarrassment each day?
Bret Cahill
2018-02-24 20:10:51 UTC
Permalink
Post by Wally W.
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
<CIA>
<CAP>
Looks like a denier.
Are you fessin up about being an evolution denier?

<CIA>
Wally W.
2018-02-24 21:42:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Post by Bret Cahill
Post by Wally W.
Lessee ... a global phenomenon just arrived in one part of the globe
Deniers think Italy is the same part of the globe as Australia?
<CIA>
<CAP>
Looks like a denier.
Are you fessin up about being an evolution denier?
Look over there ... a distraction!
Post by Bret Cahill
<CIA>
Post your question (without cross-posting) to alt.evolution and see if
I answer there.
Catoni
2018-02-24 03:38:49 UTC
Permalink
Post by M***@kymhorsell.com
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-24/decline-in-insect-population-baffles-scientists/9481136>
Insect population decline leaves Australian scientists scratching for solutions
Mark Rigby
ABC Far North
24 Feb 2018 01:56Z
[image] An insect perched on a yellow Billy Button wildflower
Entomologists are concerned Australia's insect populations are in
decline. (ABC News: Penny McLintock)
Not long ago.... the Global Warming/Climate Change Alarmist screechers were yelling that Climate Change was going to make insects spread much more in the world, causing all kinds of problems...eating our plants and spreading disease...

The idiots just can't make up their minds... oh wait.... WHAT mind ? ?

LOL... 555555 ;)
Bret Cahill
2018-02-24 04:54:47 UTC
Permalink
Post by Catoni
Post by M***@kymhorsell.com
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-24/decline-in-insect-population-baffles-scientists/9481136>
Insect population decline leaves Australian scientists scratching for solutions
Mark Rigby
ABC Far North
24 Feb 2018 01:56Z
[image] An insect perched on a yellow Billy Button wildflower
Entomologists are concerned Australia's insect populations are in
decline. (ABC News: Penny McLintock)
Not long ago.... the Global Warming/Climate Change Alarmist screechers were yelling that Climate Change was going to make insects spread much more in the world, causing all kinds of problems...eating our plants and spreading disease...
Sum thangs is too komplikated for deniers' empty noggins . . . like how a frozen radiator can cause an engine to overheat.
Wally W.
2018-02-24 15:42:04 UTC
Permalink
Post by Bret Cahill
how a frozen radiator can cause an engine to overheat.
You *still* spew that example?

Search and see how many times I tried to educate you about the
difference between "causes" and "allows."
The brilliant JTEM
2018-02-24 07:28:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by Catoni
Not long ago.... the Global Warming/Climate Change Alarmist screechers were yelling that Climate Change was going to make insects spread much more in the world, causing all kinds of problems...eating our plants and spreading disease...
"Not long ago"? Does this mean that they stopped?

Insects can only be active in the warmth. They're
ectothermic -- cold blooded.




-- --

http://jtem.tumblr.com/tagged/Shower-Porn
The brilliant JTEM
2018-02-24 07:25:36 UTC
Permalink
Insects are ectothermic -- or "Cold blooded."
They thrive in the heat, are useless in the
cold.

...this is why mosquitoes & house flies
are a summer time annoyance.




-- --

http://jtem.tumblr.com/tagged/Shower-Porn
Kym Horsell
2018-02-24 07:56:29 UTC
Permalink
Post by The brilliant JTEM
Insects are ectothermic -- or "Cold blooded."
They thrive in the heat, are useless in the
cold.
...this is why mosquitoes & house flies
are a summer time annoyance.
-- --
http://jtem.tumblr.com/tagged/Shower-Porn
Not so brilliant.


Insect thermoregulation - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_thermoregulation
While many insects are ectotherms (animals in which their heat source is primarily from the environment), others are endotherms (animals which can produce heat internally by biochemical processes). These endothermic insects are better described as regional heterotherms because they are not uniformly endothermic.
The brilliant JTEM
2018-02-26 07:06:38 UTC
Permalink
Post by Kym Horsell
Insect thermoregulation - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_thermoregulation
While many insects are ectotherms (animals in which their heat source is primarily from the environment), others are endotherms (animals which can produce heat internally by biochemical processes). These endothermic insects are better described as regional heterotherms because they are not uniformly endothermic.
So you're "Argument" is that they're endothermic but that
they're not.

I see.

Can I tell you how un-surprised I am that the likes of
you is wetting their bed over the idea of it getting
warmer during an ice age?

Hmm?




-- --

http://jtem.tumblr.com/post/171299595328
Kym Horsell
2018-02-26 07:51:31 UTC
Permalink
Post by The brilliant JTEM
Post by Kym Horsell
Insect thermoregulation - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_thermoregulation
While many insects are ectotherms (animals in which their heat source is primarily from the environment), others are endotherms (animals which can produce heat internally by biochemical processes). These endothermic insects are better described as regional heterotherms because they are not uniformly endothermic.
So you're "Argument" is that they're endothermic but that
they're not.
Dee tovarish hillbilly,

No.

My argyment were tha yo wer not brillyunt.

The evdense refootued yo naive statmunt bout insects.

The rest of tha proof you continy ter supply yourself.

--
Denialist HOWTO:
It's easy! All you have to do is ignore anything that contradicts your
theory, nitpick others' arguments, force them to explain themselves,
accuse them of lying, accuse them of conspiring against the truth,
exhaust them with dumps of links or citations, repeat yourself, and
compare yourself to Galileo, because he had problems convincing the
orthodoxy too. Also, don't forget to call yourself a skeptic, or
dissident, or iconoclast.
-- Mark Hoofnagle, http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/about.php
The brilliant JTEM
2018-02-27 05:18:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Kym Horsell
My argyment
Let's not go overboard here, you never made an
"Argument." You posted a cite which states that
some insects are endotherms but they're not, and
you did this implying that the supposed diminishing
insect populations are all endotherms that aren't
endotherms.

You never established any such thing.

So, exceptions aside, insects are ectothermic and
if you ever decide to spell out which insects are
vanishing you can then move on to claiming that
they are endotherms.

THAT would be an argument, if you ever did it...



-- --

http://jtem.tumblr.com/post/171299595328

DESMODUS
2018-02-26 14:18:50 UTC
Permalink
We in Britain have long wondered what has been going on as when we were children in the summer the air was thick with amazing moths, butterflies and other bugs but now they are almost never seen .It is appalling to think that we humans have almost obliterated whole genera which have lived on earth for hundreds of million of years in about 60 years ! just so we can monster the planet with our greedy ovebloated population -it is about time we accepted that we have to back right off and reduce our impact on the planet or risk turning the planet into a sludge ball -desmodus
Post by M***@kymhorsell.com
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-24/decline-in-insect-population-baffles-scientists/9481136>
Insect population decline leaves Australian scientists scratching for solutions
Mark Rigby
ABC Far North
24 Feb 2018 01:56Z
[image] An insect perched on a yellow Billy Button wildflower
Entomologists are concerned Australia's insect populations are in
decline. (ABC News: Penny McLintock)
* Put down the bug spray and embrace the creepy crawlies
* Here's why you should keep spiders and insects onside
A global crash in insect populations has found its way to Australia,
with entomologists across the country reporting lower than average
numbers of wild insects.
University of Sydney entomologist Dr Cameron Webb said researchers
around the world widely acknowledge that insect populations are in
decline, but are at a loss to determine the cause.
"On one hand it might be the widespread use of insecticides, on the
other hand it might be urbanisation and the fact that we're
eliminating some of the plants where it's really critical that these
insects complete their development," Dr Webb said.
"Add in to the mix climate change and sea level rise and it's
incredibly difficult to predict exactly what it is."
'It's left me dumbfounded'
Entomologist and owner of the Australian Insect Farm, near Innisfail
in far north Queensland, Jack Hasenpusch is usually able to collect
swarms of wild insects at this time of year.
"I've been wondering for the last few years why some of the insects
have been dropping off and put it down to lack of rainfall," Mr
Hasenpusch said.
[image] Rain moth
Jack Hasenpusch says he usually collects 1000s of insects at this
Cassie Steeth)
"This year has really taken the cake with the lack of insects, it's
left me dumbfounded, I can't figure out what's going on."
Mr Hasenpusch said entomologists he had spoken to from Sydney,
Brisbane, Perth and even as far away as New Caledonia and Italy all
had similar stories.
The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in Kuranda, west of Cairns, has had
difficulty breeding the far north's iconic Ulysses butterfly for more
than 2 years.
"We've had [the problem] checked by scientists, the University of
Queensland was involved, Biosecurity Queensland was involved but so
far we haven't found anything unusual in the bodies [of caterpillars]
that didn't survive," said breeding laboratory supervisor Tina Kupke.
[image] Blue Ulysses butterfly on a leaf
There are concerns far north Queensland's iconic Ulysses butterfly
species is also disappearing from the wild. (Supplied: Australian
Butterfly Sanctuary)
"We've had some short successes but always failed in the second generation."
Ms Lupke said the problem was not confined to far north Queensland, or
even Australia.
"Some of our pupae go overseas from some of our breeders here and
they've all had the same problem," she said.
"And the Melbourne Zoo has been trying for quite a while with the same
problems."
Limited lifecycle prefaces population plummet
Dr Webb, who primarily researches mosquitoes, said numbers were also
in decline across New South Wales this year, which was indicative of
the situation in other insect populations.
"We've had a really strange summer; it's been very dry, sometimes it's
been brutally hot but sometimes it's been cooler than average," he
said.
[image] Cracked mud in a dry outback creek bed.
Entomologist Dr Cameron Webb says dry conditions can affect the
lifecycle of many insects, which in turn affects entire
populations. (ABC: Nicola Gage)
"Mosquito populations, much like a lot of other insects, rely on the
combination of water, humidity and temperature to complete their
lifecycle.
"When you mix around any one of those 3 components you can
really change the local population dynamics."
According to Dr Webb, when conditions are less than ideal the lifespan
of mosquitoes and other insects plummets, thus reducing the
sustainability of the entire population.
"If you're used to living for about 3 weeks when it's nice and
warm and humid, and then you're only living for a week or so because
it's really hot and dry then you don't have to chance to lay as many
eggs, or do as much mating," he said.
"Those things have a knock on effect and it means the overall
populations can often be much lower."
...
--
Floods and landslides in Indonesia leave 7 dead with 13 still missing
Atlanta's flirting with record temps again
Atlanta Journal Constitution, 23 Feb 2018 13:40Z
Renewable energy players leading the way in Ukraine
Kyiv Post, 23 Feb 2018 13:46Z
Alibaba Cloud steps up its game as it offers quantum computing service
South China Morning Post, 23 Feb 2018 15:04Z
Barnaby Joyce's unlikely rise and self-inflicted fall
ABC News, 24 Feb 2018
For a fortnight Barnaby Joyce resembled someone out in the snow who had
broken through the pain threshold, as he defied massive pressure and
political common sense to try to cling to his job. But in the end, the tough
man crumpled, writes Michelle Grattan.
Alarming dry conditions in California setting new records
Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb 2018 15:39Z
Airbus Readies Its Project Vahana Autonomous Air Taxi With A Flight Video
CleanTechnica, 23 Feb 2018 15:56Z
European migration to UK slows as Brexit transition nears
Christian Science Monitor, 23 Feb 2018 16:53Z
Stanford professor withdraws lawsuit over renewable energy paper
The San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb 2018 16:57Z
Europe is set to plunge into historic deep freeze as extreme weather pattern
takes hold
Mashable, 23 Feb 2018 17:49Z
Cyclone Remnant Spawns Horrifying River of Rock in New Zealand
Gizmodo, 23 Feb 2018 17:51Z
Defying NRA, Florida Lawmakers Back Raising Age Limits on Assault Rifles
New York Times, 23 Feb 2018 19:47Z
Trump extends disaster funding for Puerto Rico for Hurricane Maria
recovery efforts
The Week Magazine, 23 Feb 2018 19:52Z
Major problems force Brisbane rain radar offline during string of stormy days
ABC News, 23 Feb 2018 20:36Z
It's one of Brisbane's go-to websites whenever it's raining, and it's
unlikely to be up and running any time soon.
The Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) weather radar at Mt Stapylton, located
south of Brisbane, was taken offline on Tue night due to major problems,
meaning anyone curious on the rain is unable to best see when it's
approaching the area.
[Projection 101:]
Florida Shooting: Donald Trump says guard 'didn't have the courage'
to intervene
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/9480840-3x2-700x467.jpg>
ABC News, 24 Feb 2018 09:02:40
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