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Giant bugs have been clad in
Mad Max-esque leather armor and pitted against each other in brutal brawls. Why? All in the name of science.
To be more precise, the battling bugs (video below) were part of two new studies that looked to understand what gives an individual the edge while engaging in insect-on-insect conflict, as well as the evolution of different weapon shapes.
For the first part of the research, published in the journal Functional Ecology, scientists at the University of Arizona wanted to see whether strong armor or a powerful weapon helped the insect win the fight. Biologists have generally assumed that the individual who inflicts more damage on their opponent will be more likely to win a given fight, John J Wiens, study author and a professor at the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, said in a statement. Surprisingly, this fundamental assumption had yet to be tested in an experimental study.
Battling Bugs Help Solve Mysteries of Weapon Evolution Scientists at the University of Arizona outfitted bugs with body armor and pitted them against each other in staged wrestling matches, all in the name of science. The findings shed light on how evolution has shaped the arsenal of weapons in the animal kingdom. By Daniel Stolte, University Communications Feb. 3, 2021 To study the damage inflicted during wrestling matches between male giant mesquite bugs (Thasus neocalifornicus), the researchers outfitted some of them with body armor consisting of patches of faux leather glued onto their backs. Each bug also was given a number to keep track of the outcomes. Here, contestants 140 and 115 are about to duke it out.
The University of Arizona’s POD dates and times this week:
Tuesday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (132 K-12 teachers)
Wednesday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (132 K-12 teachers, 42 UA educators)
Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (132 K-12 teachers, 42 UA educators)
Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (last scheduled appointment 2:45 p.m.) (500 Phase 1B.1 K-12 teachers and educators in Pima County) By April 1, Robbins hopes the university will have vaccinated 60,000 childcare providers, K-12 educators, Pima County Community College employees and UA’s staff of 15,000. “If we could get to 1,000 a day, we could get 60,000 individuals vaccinated over the next two months,” Robbins said.