— Archaeologists find new evidence of animals being introduced to prehistoric Caribbean — An archaeological research team from North Carolina State University, the University of Washington and University of Florida has found one of the most diverse collections of prehistoric…
— Microscopic worms could hold the key to living life on Mars — The astrophysicist Stephen Hawking believes that if humanity is to survive we will have up sticks and colonise space. But is the human body up to the challenge?…
— Chemical warfare of stealthy silverfish — A co-evolutionary arms race exists between social insects and their parasites. Army ants (Leptogenys distinguenda) share their nests with several parasites such as beetles, snails and…
— Stinky frogs are a treasure trove of antibiotic substances — Some of the nastiest smelling creatures on Earth have skin that produces the greatest known variety of anti-bacterial substances that hold promise for becoming new weapons in the battle…
— Genetic code of first arachnid cracked — An international team of scientists - including Ghent VIB scientists - has succeeded in deciphering the genome of the spider mite. This is also the first known genome of an arachnid.…
— How bats 'hear' objects in their path — By placing real and virtual objects in the flight paths of bats, scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Munich have shed new light on how echolocation works. Their research is…
— Counting cats: The endangered snow leopards of the Himalayas — The elusive snow leopard (Panthera uncia) lives high in the mountains across Central Asia. Despite potentially living across 12 countries the actual numbers of this beautiful large…
— Surprise role of nuclear structure protein in development — Scientists have long held theories about the importance of proteins called B-type lamins in the process of embryonic stem cells replicating and differentiating into different varieties…
— Pregnancy is a drag for bottlenose dolphins — Lumbering around during the final weeks before delivery is tough for any pregnant mum. Most females adjust their movements to compensate for the extreme physical changes that accompany…
Whirligig beetle named after the music legend Roy Orbison
An unusual new species of whirligig beetle from India is being named Orectochilus orbisonorum in honour of the late rock 'n' roll legend Roy Orbison and his widow Barbara.
Arizona State University entomologist Quentin Wheeler announced the description and discovery of the beetle species 25 January during a Roy Orbison Tribute Concert, part of a weekend of tribute events hosted by ASU's Centre for Film, Media and Popular Culture and the Tempe Centre for the Arts.
Barbara Orbison attended the concert, as well as hundreds of fans, Orbison's sons Wesley and Roy Kelton Orbison Jr., and songwriters and filmmakers who worked with the legendary musician.
'I have never seen an honour like that,' Barbara Orbison said in expressing her appreciation for the species naming.
To mark the occasion, an original work of art - a pigment inkjet print titled 'Whirligig' - was presented to Orbison during the concert.
'It's a token of admiration for Roy's body of work and all you do to keep his music alive,' said Wheeler in presenting the art work to Orbison. Wheeler is director of the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University where he also is a professor in the School of Life Sciences and vice president and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The art, a painting with pixels on cotton water color paper, features nine images of a whirligig beetle in Andy Warhol style. It was created by Charles J. Kazilek, a senior research professional in ASU's School of Life Sciences where he hosts a popular children's podcast 'Ask a Biologist.' Kazilek also has a degree from ASU's Herberger College of the Arts.
In describing the work, Wheeler quipped: 'The style of the print is Warhol meets Carl Linnaeus,' making a reference to the father of taxonomy and the practice and science of classification.
Wheeler co-authored the research behind the discovery of the new species Orectochilus orbisonorum with two other scientists: Kelly Miller of the University of New Mexico and Paolo Mazzoldi of Brescia, Italy.
In 2005, Wheeler and Miller made news with the discovery of 65 new species of slime-mold beetle of the genus Agathidium, with one named after Darth Vader and others named for President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
A scientific paper describing the new species of Gyrinidae (Coleoptera), Orectochilus orbisonorum, sp. nov., was accepted for publication by 'Zootaxa,' an international journal for animal taxonomists. According to the trio of researchers, the new species 'is unique among Indian Gyrinidae and Orectochilus Lacordaire, in general, since the ventral surfaces are white as the result of clear areas of cuticle allowing internal tissues to be visible.'
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Scientists find diatom to reduce red tide's toxicity
Foul owls use faeces to show they are in fine feather
Scientists discover new bird species
Rare behind-the-scenes peek at national treasures