The tiger mosquito, native from Asia, became a recent threat to European countries a few years ago when they discovered it already established itself in northern Italy where it has transmitted chikungunya fever to local population. The same mosquito is responsible for the dengue and yellow fever plus 20 other viral diseases. More than a dozen other countries including Germany and the Netherlands have detected the plague, too.

Because the UK climate during the summers is highly suitable for the tiger mosquito to breed, scientists at the Government’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) at Porton Down in Wiltshire are very concerned that England and the Wales may be the next areas to be invaded.

“The mosquito has popped up across Europe and although we haven’t found it yet in the UK, we have identified the potential for it to come here,” a spokesman of the HPA’s Porton Down laboratories said. Though the Health Protection Agency said they have “no confirmed reports” in August 2007, the DailyMail reported on that an Asian mosquito was found in a suburban back garden in Gloucestershire.

Once settled in the country, it could cause a locally spread epidemic. “You do need several steps in the chain for it to become an issue, but it’s something we’ve been keeping an eye on. Most people think of malaria, but there are other things you can catch from mosquitoes,” the same spokesman said.

Over the last few years more and more British people returned from Asia with the chikungunya virus, from 6 in 2004 to more than 130 in 2006. The female mosquito seems to be the most dangerous because she feeds on human blood throughout the day, not just at night, is renowned for her quick and penetrating bite that could transmit diseases extremely fast.

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Boy oh boy, nature either changes or we never knew such things can happen. Here is a fishing spider from Africa that lurks near water and feeds on fish or in this particular case, with a live frog.

Could that be the way nature responds and is it possible for these spiders to invade cities in the next centuries for a ride on our arms? It’s probably just a freaky-looking arachnid with different taste than a common spider, but that still motivates me to be greener.

via videosift.com

With the size of a small muscular dog, the Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world, only found in the Australian island state of Tasmania. It has black fur and is renowned for its disturbing call, ferocious temperament and the fact that it releases an offensive odor when stressed.

The Tasmanian Devil, also referred to simply as “the devil” is now facing extinction and was listed as an endangered species by the Tasmanian state government. The cause is a disfiguring facial cancer that kills an animal in just a few months, that decimated the island state’s wild devil population by as much as 60 percent.

The transmittable parasitic cancer causes tumors to form in and around the mouth, interfering with feeding so that an animal may starve to death. It originates from a single contagious cell that has spread through biting during fights for food or mates. However, they may be hope because David Llewellyn, Tasmanian Primary Industries Minister, said that some devils from Western Tasmania had developed antibodies to this facial tumor.

“While it is still very early days, discoveries such as this provide hope that the disease may be managed in the longer term and that devils with genetic diversity will survive it,” he said.

Photo by blather

Did you know that with more than 1 million species, insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth? No matter if they are living in large well-organized colonies or alone, insects are not welcome into our world because they don’t seem to match our morals, habits and most of the time, psychology. The fact that most of the times they are scary, is not a secret either. For all these reasons and probably more others, here are our picks for 5 giant insects in the whole world.

A native from Borneo, Phobaeticus kirbyi is in terms of body length, the longest insect in the world. It’s a stick-insect and the female is rumored to be over 14-inches long and as thin as a rail. The stick insects are one of the most popular insects kept as pets.

Phobaeticus kirbyi – Image by john1kor

The Goliath beetles, also known as Megasoma elephas (elephant beetle), Goliathus goliatus, and Goliathus regius have the greatest visible body mass of all insects in the world. They are part of the scarab beetle family and are found in Africa’s tropical forests or Central America (elephant beetle) where they feed with tree sap and fruits. Talking about “diet” and compared to it’s body, a Megasoma in captivity was able to eat a whole avocado fruit in just one day. When an adult Goliath beetle flies it makes a sound similar to a toy helicopter running.

Megasoma elephas – Images by 1, 2, 3, 4

Titanus giganteus (Titan beetle) is an extremely rare South American Longhorn Beetle and the largest known in the Amazon rainforest. One of the most interesting facts about these insects is that males do not eat, but fly around to mate or to find those bright lights they’re so attracted of. The Titan beetle is also famous for its incredible mandibles, capable of snapping small pieces of wood and even flesh. With its antennae extended the biggest specimen was reported to be 9-inch long.

Titanus giganteus – image source

Deinacrida heteracantha also known as the Little Barrier Island giant weta is an endangered species in New Zealand. During the day it stays hidden in different holes and only gets out at night to feed with seeds and leafs. Though it has no wings, a pregnant giant weta have been weighed in at a record 71 grams. It is the heaviest insect in the world.

Deinacrida heteracantha – Image by FroggyDew

Considered one of the largest of all beetles, Megasoma acteon also known as the Acteon Beetle, is a South American rhinoceros beetle. The males can grow up to 3.5-inch long, 2-inch wide and 1.5-inch thick making it one of the bulkiest of the abundant order of beetles.

Megasoma acteon – image source

Anyone else with entomophobia (fear of insects) now that you’ve seen these large insects ?

When you build a playground for you children, the first obvious thing you think of is that it should be safe for them to play there. A family from Anchorage, Alaska, built an outdoor playground for their two sons but they missed out on one thing, the nearby bears.

“They finished building it on Saturday evening, and the following morning, as mom was about to wake up the boys and have them go out to play in their new play center, this is what she saw from the upstairs window.”

Alaskan Playground

With just a hand full of birdseed every Venice tourist in the historic St. Mark’s Square is able to gather around an avalanche of pigeons.

photo by Dimitry B

Vendors in the area used to sell corn to visitors which enjoyed what seemed to be the most entertaining activities in the plaza. They are now out of jobs, because a municipal ordinance have put a ban on selling and distributing food for the pigeons, from May 1st. Fines for ignoring this decision start from 50 Euro ($77).

One of the vendors, obviously furious about the decission said that this may put an end to a century old tradition and this would be like “removing Rialto or the Bridge of Sighs.” There is truth in his words, but the ban has real motives. The pigeons are eating away at the city’s marble statues, the buildings and the delicate mosaics on the façade of St. Mark’s Basilica, by pecking at small gaps to reach for scraps of food that were blown inside. Cleaning and restoring these monuments is not cheap and a study estimated that each Venetian taxpayer is paying up to 275 euros for the repairs.

In the meanwhile, tourists continued to feed the birds, and if birdseeds where not available, they used potato chips and bread sticks. “Word is” that pigeons really enjoyed changing their diet, in fact they really enjoyed it.

There are over 130,000 pigeons in Venice’s historic center and Sergio Lafisca, the Venice health expert responsible for the Department of Prevention said this led to a 40 times higher rate than the optimal concentration per square kilometer. “Even locusts are cute on their own, but then read what the Bible says about invasions,” he said.

Here is a small picture gallery of St Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) with Basilica di San Marc and the pigeons.

Image copyright : 1, 2, 3

David Gracer is a guy that thinks consuming insects is both pleasing to the palate and good for the planet. He’s a bug eater and likes his creatures sautéed, filleted and roasted. Most importantly, Gracer thinks we all should do it.

Though most societies associate insects with an unclean creature that cause diseases, entomologist Florence Dunkel said that this is just “a social aversion”. In fact insects are not prone to disease more than cows, pigs, chicken or fish, but they (all) require proper preparation.

David Gracer recommends the “giant water bug”

Considering that over-fishing may lead to the collapse of global fish stocks in 40 years, we may turn our heads to insects pretty soon. They provide far more edible proteins per pound of feed as cattle which means it passes the test of being environmental sustainable.

“Insects can feed the world. Cows and pigs are the SUV’s, bugs are the bicycles.” Gracer said. We all choose a bicycle over a SUV, right? David Gracer also said that from now on it’s hisduty to persuade ordinary Americans to eat insects.

Tuna is a very expensive fish for sushi restaurants and the staggering price it sells for is the main reason why more and more boats are fishing in the Mediterranean. Environmental group WWF published their report yesterday and noticed that the legal international agreement quotas regarding the number of fishing boats is higher by 35%. This is why the bluefin tunas (”floating goldmines”) are threatened with extinction because of over-fishing.

“It is crazy [...] The numerous new fleets are so modern and costly that fishermen are forced to fish illegally just to survive and worse, still, they are fishing themselves out of a job.” said WWF’s Sergi Tudela.

The quotas the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) have set are still very high but even so, the limits are being flouted. Some of the countries not declaring their full catches of tuna include Italy, Spain, Croatia and Libya.

via Reuters (picture by justaddwater2001)

… this is what you can read on the newest print ad Paul McCartney did for PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals). He’s also telling people why he wanted to choose a vegetarian lifestyle and it has something to do with fishing.

“Many years ago, I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realized, I am killing him – all for the passing pleasure it brings me. Something inside me clicked. I realized as I watched him fight for breath, that his life was as important to him as mine is to me”.

If you like the t-shirt he’s wearing (I know I do) and want to support PETA’s “Eat no animal” project then go ahead and order one for $18. Limited edition guys, grab one as you can.  – via – Ecorazzi