News about Insects

Researchers get to the “bottom” of how beetles use their butts to stay hydrated

Beetles are champions at surviving in extremely dry environments. In part, this property is due to their ability to suck water from the air with their rear ends. A new collaborative study by researchers from the…

Learning how to grow super mushrooms, with termites as teachers

Termites have cultivated and eaten them for 30 million years. This incredible mushroom has more protein than chicken, soy and corn, but has yet to be grown by humans. By imitating termites, scientists at the University…

Zombie fly fungus lures healthy male flies to mate with female corpses

A unique fungus survives by 'bewitching' male flies into mating with dead female flies. The longer a female fly carcass has lain and rotted, the greater the male’s lust. This, according to a new study led by researchers…

Invasive ant species headed to Denmark: super colony builders ruled by several thousand queens

A warmer climate is causing new species of ants to head for Denmark. One of them is likely to invade soon, according to a researcher at the University of Copenhagen. The species spreads quickly and can be a great…

Insect wingbeats will help quantify biodiversity

Insect populations are plummeting worldwide, with major consequences for our ecosystems and without us quite knowing why. A new AI method from the University of Copenhagen is set to help monitor and catalogue insect…

Insects, the new experimental animals of gastrointestinal research

Flour beetles are the new experimental animals in a study of how parasites affect gut bacteria. Experiments on insects are both cheap and fast, according to a University of Copenhagen researcher.

New edible cricket species discovered in Kenya

Researchers at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi, Kenya, have discovered a new, previously undescribed edible cricket with great promise for mass production for human…

2nd Insects to feed the world confernce in China

GREEiNSECT project members very active at 2nd international conference.

Farmers to use insects as their new livestock

From 2008-2013 the idea developed and since it has been met with great interest from farmers and especially the media. Nanna Roos wants to create a food production of insects and her first endeavors to achieve this took…

Technical Brief #5 Nutrition

GREEiNSECT Technical Brief #5 on Nutrition of insects as food released

Technical Brief #4 Gastronomy

GREEiNSECT Brief #4 on insect gastronomy released

Personality of the Year

GREEiNSECT partner becomes Personality of the Year; The Insect Hunter, Dr. John Kinyuru

Crickets Delicacy: Fostering Food Security and Nutrition

GREEiNSECT partner JKUAT features a story on the ongoing field work of the nutritional impact of crickets.

GREEiNSECT PhD Defence by Afton Halloran

Afton Halloran will be the 1st GREEiNSECT PhD student to defend her thesis

Consumer attitudes Technical Brief #3

The technical brief #3 compiles information on studies regarding Kenyan consumers' preference and attitiude and willingness to pay for insect-based food products , investigated under the GREEiNSECT project.

GREEiNSECT Technical Brief #2 Farming Systems

The technical brief #2 provides an overview of farming systems for crickets and black soldier fly, currently investigated under the GREEiNSECT project.

Nordic Food Lab publishes book on eating insects

How do you harvest ants from an anthill in the forest? How does trading occur with insects in Thailand? How does an ant taste? Why does it make sense to harvest drone bee larvae, beyond the reason that they taste good?…

Climate warming favours light coloured insects in Europe

Butterflies and dragonflies with a lighter shade of colour do better in warmer areas of Europe. This gives them a competitive advantage over the darker insects in the face of climate change. Changes in Europe’s insect…

Research and Innovation Cafe

In collaboration with the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Nordic Food Lab, GREEiNSECT took part in the first Research and Innovation Cafe at the Faculty of Science in Fredriksberg. The Cafe is a new…

Gene technology deceives greedy pest insects

PhD Thesis by Morten Emil Møldrup