Bad Science Journalism

It's amazing how much science journalism doesn't quite cut the mustard (I love that phrase). I haven't even read the paper Geographic parthenogenesis and the common tea-tree stick insect of New Zealand yet - but I have some doubts about this article on Voxy: Sex? Female Stick Insects Can Take It Or Leave It.

For a start they have illustrated the article with a photograph of a praying mantis.

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Giardia or Diardia?

I quite often get asked for information about insects that look like sticks but aren't stick insects. I rarely get asked about protozoans.

I recently got an e-mail asking for help controlling Diardia in somebody's water supply. Of course they don't actually have stick insects in their water supply (see The Myth of Semi-Aquatic Phasmids), but instead have the protozoan parasite Giardia.

Names are important, correct names more so!

Dressed Ants

ballerina ants
Originally uploaded by Tony Irwin's pics

Dressed fleas are quite a well known curiosity - but dressed ants?

Praying Mantids and Hummingbirds

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