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Asynchrony in population abundance can buffer the effects of environmental change leading to greater community and ecosystem stability. Both environmental (abiotic) drivers and species functional (biotic) traits can influence population dynamics leading to asynchrony. However, empirical evidence linking dissimilarity in species traits to abundance asynchrony is limited, especially for understudied taxa such as insects. To fill this knowledge gap, we explored the relationship between pairwise species trait dissimilarity and asynchrony in interannual abundance change between pairs of species for 422 moth, butterfly, and bumblebee species in Great Britain. We also explored patterns differentiating traits that we assumed to capture 'sensitivity to environmental variables' (such as body mass), and traits that may reflect 'diversity in exposure' to environmental conditions and lead to niche partitioning (for example, habitat uses, and intra‐annual emergence periods). As expected, species trait dissimilarity calculated overall and for many individual traits representing response and exposure was positively correlated with asynchrony in all three insect groups. We found that 'exposure' traits, especially those relating to the phenology of species, had the strongest relationship with abundance asynchrony from all tested traits. Positive relationships were not simply due to shared evolutionary history leading to similar life‐history strategies: detected effects remained significant for most traits after accounting for phylogenetic relationships within models. Our results provide empirical support that dissimilarity in traits linked to species exposure and sensitivity to the environment could be important for temporal dissimilarity in insect abundance. Hence, we suggest that general trait diversity, but especially diversity in 'exposure' traits, could play a significant role in the resilience of insect communities to short‐term environmental perturbations through driving asynchrony between species abundances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large migrating insects, flying at high altitude, often exhibit complex behaviour. They frequently elect to fly on winds with directions quite different from the prevailing direction, and they show a degree of common orientation, both of which facilitate transport in seasonally beneficial directions. Much less is known about the migration behaviour of smaller (10–70 mg) insects. To address this issue, we used radar to examine the high-altitude flight of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae), a group of day-active, medium-sized insects commonly migrating over the UK. We found that autumn migrants, which must move south, did indeed show migration timings and orientation responses that would take them in this direction, despite the unfavourability of the prevailing winds. Evidently, these hoverfly migrants must have a compass (probably a time-compensated solar mechanism), and a means of sensing the wind direction (which may be determined with sufficient accuracy at ground level, before take-off). By contrast, hoverflies arriving in the UK in spring showed weaker orientation tendencies, and did not correct for wind drift away from their seasonally adaptive direction (northwards). However, the spring migrants necessarily come from the south (on warm southerly winds), so we surmise that complex orientation behaviour may not be so crucial for the spring movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sap-feeding insects of the order Hemiptera, such as aphids, psyllids, leafhoppers and spittlebugs/froghoppers, are vectors of a wide range of plant pathogens, including viruses, phytoplasmas, Liberibacter species and Xylella fastidiosa. These pathogens are spreading globally and are threats to global agriculture and landscapes. Research on mechanisms involved in plant-pathogen interactions has shown that the pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to modulate plant development and immunity, including the suppression of plant defences to their sap-feeding insect vectors. However, it is equally important to gather knowledge on the insect vectors. For example, genome sequence data of leafhoppers were essential for revealing a phytoplasma Achilles' heel and obtaining increased plant resistance to the phytoplasma and its insect vector. To improve our knowledge on insect vectors, the past few years my lab and I made use of recent advances in low-input next generation sequencing technologies and generated genomic and transcriptomic resources for ±40 mostly small hemipteran insect species. One of these species is the X. fastidiosa insect vector Philaenus spumarius, known as the meadow spittlebug, which is one of the most common insects in the UK. Our data gave insights into how P. spumarius dispersed globally. Moreover, we found that the P. spumarius populations that occur in the X. fastidiosa outbreak regions of southern Italy belong to a different haplogroup and have higher migration rates, distinct phenology and different plant host preferences compared to UK populations. This research has provided key information that will help to reduce the likelihood of arrival and potential impacts of X. fastidiosa outbreaks in the UK and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some insect species, females may base their choice for a suitable mate on male odor. In the red mason bee, Osmia bicornis, female choice is based on a male’s odor bouquet as well as its thorax vibrations, and its relatedness to the female, a putative form of optimal outbreeding. Interestingly, O. bicornis can be found as two distinct color morphs in Europe, which are thought to represent subspecies and between which we hypothesize that female discrimination may be particularly marked. Here we investigated (i) if these two colors morphs do indeed represent distinct, reproductively differentiated populations, (ii) how odor bouquets of male O. bicornis vary within and between populations, and (iii) whether variation in male odor correlates with genetic distance, which might represent a cue by which females could optimally outbreed. Using GC and GC-MS analysis of male odors and microsatellite analysis of males and females from 9 populations, we show that, in Denmark, an area of subspecies sympatry, the two color morphs at any one site do not differ, either in odor bouquet or in population genetic differentiation. Yet populations across Europe are distinct in their odor profile as well as being genetically differentiated. Odor differences do not, however, mirror genetic differentiation between populations. We hypothesize that populations from Germany, England and Denmark may be under sexual selection through female choice for local odor profiles, which are not related to color morph though which could ultimately lead to population divergence and speciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores on the conservation of butterflies called St. Francis' Satyr at the Fort Bragg Army Installation in North Carolina. It states that the butterfly was listed as endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It also notes that the butterfly lives along streams in open, grassy wetlands.

The yellow-legged or Asian hornet (Vespa velutina colour form nigrithorax) was introduced into France from China over a decade ago. Vespa velutina has since spread rapidly across Europe, facilitated by suitable climatic conditions and the ability of a single nest to disperse many mated queens over a large area. Yellow-legged hornets are a major concern because of the potential impact they have on populations of many beneficial pollinators, most notably the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), which shows no effective defensive behaviours against this exotic predator. Here, we present the first report of this species in Great Britain. Actively foraging hornets were detected at two locations, the first around a single nest in Gloucestershire, and the second a single hornet trapped 54 km away in Somerset. The foraging activity observed in Gloucestershire was largely restricted to within 700 m of a single nest, suggesting highly localised movements. Genetic analyses of individuals from the Gloucestershire nest and the single hornet from Somerset suggest that these incursions represent an expansion of the European population, rather than a second incursion from Asia. The founding queen of the Gloucestershire nest mated with a single male, suggesting that sexual reproduction may have occurred in an area of low nest density. Whilst the nest contained diploid adult males, haploid ‘true’ males were only present at the egg stage, indicating that the nest was detected and removed before the production of queens. Members of the public reported additional dead hornets associated with camping equipment recently returned from France and imported timber products, highlighting possible pathways of incursion. The utility of microsatellites to inform surveillance during an incursion and the challenge of achieving eradication of this damaging pest are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Bergmann’s rule we expect species with larger body size to inhabit locations with a cooler climate, where they may be well adapted to conserve heat and resist starvation. This rule is generally applied to endotherms. In contrast, body size in ectothermic invertebrates has been suggested to follow the reverse ecogeographic trend: these converse Bergmann’s patterns may be driven by the ecological constraints of shorter season length and lower food availability in cooler high latitude locations. Such patterns are particularly common in large insects due to their longer development times. As large and facultatively endothermic insects, bumblebees could thus be expected to follow either trend. In this investigation, we studied body size of three bumblebee species over a large spatial area and investigated whether interspecific trends in body size correspond to differences in their distribution consistent with either Bergmann’s or a converse Bergmann’s rule. We examined the body size of queens, males and workers of the Bombus lucorum complex of cryptic bumblebee species from across the whole of Great Britain. We found interspecific differences in body size corresponding to Bergmann’s rule: queens and males of the more northerly distributed, cool-adapted, species were largest. In contrast, the mean body size of the worker caste did not vary between the three species. These differences in body size may have evolved under selection pressures for thermoregulation or starvation resistance. We suggest that this case study in facultatively endothermic insects may help clarify the selection pressures governing Bergmann rule trends more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect pollination underpins apple production but the extent to which different pollinator guilds supply this service, particularly across different apple varieties, is unknown. Such information is essential if appropriate orchard management practices are to be targeted and proportional to the potential benefits pollinator species may provide. Here we use a novel combination of pollinator effectiveness assays (floral visit effectiveness), orchard field surveys (flower visitation rate) and pollinator dependence manipulations (pollinator exclusion experiments) to quantify the supply of pollination services provided by four different pollinator guilds to the production of four commercial varieties of apple. We show that not all pollinators are equally effective at pollinating apples, with hoverflies being less effective than solitary bees and bumblebees, and the relative abundance of different pollinator guilds visiting apple flowers of different varieties varies significantly. Based on this, the taxa specific economic benefits to UK apple production have been established. The contribution of insect pollinators to the economic output in all varieties was estimated to be £92.1M across the UK, with contributions varying widely across taxa: solitary bees (£51.4M), honeybees (£21.4M), bumblebees (£18.6M) and hoverflies (£0.7M). This research highlights the differences in the economic benefits of four insect pollinator guilds to four major apple varieties in the UK. This information is essential to underpin appropriate investment in pollination services management and provides a model that can be used in other entomolophilous crops to improve our understanding of crop pollination ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the interactions between alien species and native communities is central to understanding the ecological consequences of range expansion. Much has been learned through study of the communities developing around invading herbivorous insects. Much less, however, is known about the significance of such aliens for native vertebrate predators for which invaders may represent a novel food source. We quantified spatial patterns in native bird predation of invading gall-inducing Andricus wasps associated with introduced Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) at eight sites across the UK. These gallwasps are available at high density before the emergence of caterpillars that are the principle spring food of native insectivorous birds. Native birds showed positive spatial density dependence in gall attack rates at two sites in southern England, foraging most extensively on trees with highest gall densities. In a subsequent study at one of these sites, positive spatial density dependence persisted through four of five sequential week-long periods of data collection. Both patterns imply that invading galls are a significant resource for at least some native bird populations. Density dependence was strongest in southern UK bird populations that have had longest exposure to the invading gallwasps. We hypothesise that this pattern results from the time taken for native bird populations to learn how to exploit this novel resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many species, particularly insects, pass through a series of distinct phases during their life history, with the developmental timing directed towards appropriate resources. Any factor that creates variation in developmental timing may partition a population into discrete populations-or 'cohorts'. Where there is continued failure to recruit outside the natal cohort then alternate cohorts will have their own internal dynamics, eventually leading to independent demographic and evolutionary trajectories. By contrast, continued variation in development rates within a cohort-cohort splitting-may homogenise otherwise independent demographic units. Using a panel of 14 microsatellite loci, we quantify the genetic signature of apparent demographic isolation between coexisting, but alternate, semivoltine cohorts of the damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale at locations that span its distribution in the UK. We find consistently low levels of genetic divergence between sympatric cohorts of C. mercuriale, indicative of developmental plasticity during the larval stage (unregulated development) whereby some individuals complete their development outside the predominant 2-year (semivoltine) period. Thus, individuals that alter their developmental rate successfully recruit to a different cohort. Despite maintaining contrasting population sizes, gene flow between alternate cohorts broadly is sufficient to place them on a similar evolutionary trajectory and also buffers against loss of genetic diversity. Such flexible larval development permits a response to local conditions and may facilitate response to environmental change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the risk posed by West Nile virus vector Culex modestus in southern England. Cubstantial populations of Cx. modestus were identified by mosquito larval surveys carried out in 2010, at two sites in marshland in southeast England. The morphological identification was confirmed by the DNA barcoding of these specimens from Great Britain, and material from southern France. It is concluded that Cx. modestus seems to be established in the North Kent Marshes, possibly because of a recent introduction.

Several new taxa of snakeflies (Raphidioptera) are described from the Lower Cretaceous deposits of the Wealden, UK (Barremian), Montsec, Spain (Barremian) and the Crato Formation, Brazil (Aptian). Mesoraphidia ednae sp. nov. and M. hilli sp. nov. are described from the Wealden; Nanoraphidia lithographica sp. nov. and Iberoraphidia dividua gen. et sp. nov. are described from Montsec, and Baissoptera lisae sp. nov. is described from the Crato Formation. The geographical range of Nanoraphidia has potentially been extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Britain, most butterfly species reach the limit of their range due to climate. Such species are the ones most likely to show rapid adaptations to climate change. There are indications that several butterfly species are adapting and that these insects make good indicators of the likely effects of climate change on other animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1 This account reviews information on all aspects of the biology of Melampyrum sylvaticum that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history, and conservation. 2 Melampyrum sylvaticum is a hemiparasitic annual of upland, often birch-dominated woodlands. It is found across boreal and montane areas of Europe but within the UK it is predominantly found in the Scottish Highlands. These populations are consequently very isolated and vulnerable to a range of threats. Suitable habitat is characterized by open-canopied deciduous woodland close to water bodies, such as fast-flowing burns or lochs. Sites are typically north-facing, in cool and wet areas of Britain, on moderately acidic soils that are moist but freely draining. 3 Hemiparasitism allows M. sylvaticum to acquire nutrients from a range of hosts but very little is known about which species it is able to parasitize in the field. Melampyrum sylvaticum is associated with herb-rich patches of the understorey. 4 Melampyrum sylvaticum is insect-pollinated. Ants have been reported to be the main dispersal agents and the seed bears an elaiosome which offers them a lipid-rich reward. However, neither insect pollination nor ant dispersal has been observed directly in British populations. 5 Melampyrum sylvaticum has relatively large seeds and been described as an ‘annual K-strategist’; it has been suggested that this unusual combination makes it vulnerable to environmental change. Because of its endangered status, M. sylvaticum has been classed as a UK Biodiversity Action Plan species and a recovery project is underway to protect existing populations and to introduce it to suitable habitats in the Central Highlands of Scotland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the relationships between the distribution of British ground beetle species and climatic and altitude variables with a view to developing models for evaluating the impact of climate change.Data from 1684 10-km squares in Britain were used to model species–climate/altitude relationships. A validation data set was composed of data from 326 British 10-km squares not used in the model data set.The relationships between incidence and climate and altitude variables for 137 ground beetle species were investigated using logistic regression. The models produced were subjected to a validation exercise using the Kappa statistic with a second data set of 30 species. Distribution patterns for four species were predicted for Britain using the regression equations generated.As many as 136 ground beetle species showed significant relationships with one or more of the altitude and climatic variables but the amount of variation explained by the models was generally poor. Models explaining 20% or more of the variation in species incidence were generated for only 10 species. Mean summer temperature and mean annual temperature were the best predictors for eight and six of these 10 species respectively. Few models based on altitude, annual precipitation and mean winter temperature were good predictors of ground beetle species distribution. The results of the validation exercise were mixed, with models for four species showing good or moderate fits whilst the remainder were poor.Whilst there were many significant relationships between British ground beetle species distributions and altitude and climatic variables, these variables did not appear to be good predictors of ground beetle species distribution. The poor model performance appears to be related to the coarse nature of the response and predictor data sets and the absence of key predictors from the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Several species richness estimators (two non-parametric, four based on rarefaction curves and two from fitting of abundance distributions) were compared by examining their performance in estimating the species richness for two moth data sets from the United Kingdom. Comparisons were also made using data simulated from the fitted abundance distributions.2. The different species richness estimators gave different estimates. The non-parametric estimates and the rarefaction estimates were similar, but were smaller than the parametric estimates. When the simulated data were used, the only methods to give estimates near the true value was the parametric method using the distribution from which the data were simulated.3. At present it is impossible to decide whether any of the estimation methods will give a realistic estimate, as not enough is known about the true numbers of species in communities. Until this is rectified, the most that can be hoped for is to obtain upper and lower bounds on species richness.Journal of Animal Ecology(2005)74, 375 –386doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2005.00940.x [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects are the principal food for many animals, including bats (Chiroptera), and all species of bats in the United Kingdom feed over agricultural habitats. Bat populations are declining throughout Europe, probably in part as a result of agricultural intensification. Organic farming prohibits the use of agrochemicals, a major component of agricultural intensification, making it an ideal control for a study of intensive agricultural systems. To evaluate the impact of agricultural intensification on bat foraging, we quantified the availability of bat prey by comparing nocturnal aerial insects captured within habitats on 24 matched pairs of organic and conventional farms. Insects were identified to family and moths to species. We compared the abundance of 18 insect families commonly eaten by bats in the United Kingdom between farm types and tested for correlations of abundance with bat activity. Insect abundance, species richness, and moth species diversity were significantly higher on organic farms than on conventional farms. Insect abundance was significantly higher in pastural and water habitats on organic farms than in the same habitats on conventional farms. Of the 18 insect families that are important components of the bat diet, 5 were significantly more abundant on organic farms overall. Some were also more abundant within organic pastural, woodland, and water habitats than on conventional farmland habitats. The activity of bats that mainly ate Lepidoptera was significantly correlated with the abundance of this order. Our observations suggest that agricultural intensification has a profound impact on nocturnal insect communities. Because bats are resource limited, a reduction in prey availability through agricultural intensification will adversely affect bat populations. Less-intensive farming benefits British bat populations by providing and maintaining diverse and structurally varied habitats, which in turn support a wide selection of insect prey for bats, including insect families that are significant components of the diet of a number of rare bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aim We examined the effects of drought in the summer of 1995 and the subsequent year on contrasting species of plants, moths, butterflies and ground beetles. We tested whether population increases were associated with: (a) species of warm environments (b) species of dry environments (c) species with rapid reproduction (d) species with high rates of dispersal. Location The study was conducted at Environmental Change Network (ECN) sites throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Methods Climate monitoring, recording of plant species in permanent plots, transect walking for butterflies, light trapping for moths and pitfall trapping for carabid beetles were used. Results There was an overall increase in the number of species recorded in permanent vegetation plots between 1994 and 1996, principally among the annual and biennial vascular plants, probably as a result of gap colonization in grasslands. Most butterfly and moth species increased between 1994 and 1995. Among the butterflies, a southern distribution and high mobility were associated with species tending to increase throughout the period 1994–96, whereas declining species tended to have a northern distribution. A similar number of carabid beetle species increased as decreased in the period 1994–96; decreasing species tended to be associated with lower temperatures and wetter soils. Conclusions Current climate change scenarios indicate that the incidence of droughts in the United Kingdom will increase. A series of dry, hot summers could lead to a rapid change in the population of some species although others, including many plants, may be more resilient. This may lead to complex changes in ecosystems and needs to be considered in planning conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which reanalyzed the data on the number of species of insects associated with various trees in Great Britain. Research design and methodology; Results and discussion.

The heath fritillary butterfly, Mellicta athalia, is an endangered species in Britain and has been the subject of a detailed study in 1980–85. M. athalia is found in three types of habitat in which it uses a range of different host-plants: (i) newly cleared woodland where its sole host is Melampyrum pratense; (ii) rough, unimproved grassland where its main, primary hosts are Plantago lanceolata and Veronica chamaedrys; (iii) sheltered heathland where its main, primary host is Melampyrum pratense. Eggs are laid in large batches on plants close to the ground, chiefly in open, sunny situations. In woodland habitats some eggs are laid in fairly shady situations, but always close to sunny clearings. A large range of host-plants was observed in the field, but the range used by adult females was rather narrower than that of the larvae. One secondary host, Digitalis purpurea, which was commonly used by post-diapause larvae in heathland habitats, was apparently never used by egg-laying females. In captivity, pre-diapause larvae failed to survive on this plant but post-diapause larvae grew as quickly on it as on other hosts. Considerable variation was observed in the phenology of M. athalia between both years and regions. In the predominantly grassland habitats in Cornwall, the adult population peaked 2–3 weeks earlier than in the woodland habitats in Kent. In both regions a close relationship was found between the date of the peak flight period and the temperature during April and May when the post-diapause larvae were developing. The regional difference in phenology was therefore thought to be caused by climatic differences, but a habitat effect could not be ruled out. The host selection and phenology of M. athalia in the different habitats and regions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects provide vital ecosystem services to agricultural systems in the form of pollination and natural pest control. However, there are currently widespread declines in the beneficial insects which deliver these services (i.e. pollinators and 'natural enemies' such as predators and parasitoids). Two key drivers of these declines have been the expansion of agricultural land and intensification of agricultural production. With an increasing human population requiring additional sources of food, further changes in agricultural land use appear inevitable. Identifying likely trajectories of change and predicting their impacts on beneficial insects provides a scientific basis for making informed decisions on the policies and practices of sustainable agriculture. We created spatially explicit, exploratory scenarios of potential changes in the extent and intensity of agricultural land use across Great Britain (GB). Scenarios covered 52 possible combinations of change in agricultural land cover (i.e. agricultural expansion or grassland restoration) and intensity (i.e. crop type and diversity). We then used these scenarios to predict impacts on beneficial insect species richness and several metrics of functional diversity at a 10km (hectad) resolution. Predictions were based on species distribution models derived from biological records, comprising data on 116 bee species (pollinators) and 81 predatory beetle species (natural enemies). We identified a wide range of possible consequences for beneficial insect species richness and functional diversity as result of future changes in agricultural extent and intensity. Current policies aimed at restoring semi-natural grassland should result in increases in the richness and functional diversity of both pollinators and natural enemies, even if agricultural practices remain intensive on cropped land (i.e. land-sparing). In contrast, any expansion of arable land is likely to be accompanied by widespread declines in richness of beneficial insects, even if cropping practices become less intensive (i.e. land-sharing), although effects of functional diversity are more mixed. Image 1 • We created scenarios of change agricultural land cover extent and intensity for GB. • We modelled responses of beneficial insect groups to scenarios. • Restoring grasslands increased insect richness even if cropping remained intensive. • Expanding agriculture decreased richness even if cropping became less intensive. • Functional diversity can respond differently to species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses entrepreneurial engineer Mark O'Neill, his firm Tumbling Dice in Great Britain, and O'Neill's development of a computer program called Digital Automated Identification System (DAISY) that is used for image-based identification of insects. The program matches digital images of the morphological features of insects with shapes and markings in a taxonomic database. The program is noted for the time savings it will bring to insect research, an advantage of particular note considering a reported decline in the number of trained taxonomists.

Insect pollinators provide a crucial ecosystem service, but are under threat. Urban areas could be important for pollinators, though their value relative to other habitats is poorly known. We compared pollinator communities using quantified flower-visitation networks in 36 sites (each 1 km2) in three landscapes: urban, farmland and nature reserves. Overall, flower-visitor abundance and species richness did not differ significantly between the three landscape types. Bee abundance did not differ between landscapes, but bee species richness was higher in urban areas than farmland. Hoverfly abundance was higher in farmland and nature reserves than urban sites, but species richness did not differ significantly. While urban pollinator assemblages were more homogeneous across space than those in farmland or nature reserves, there was no significant difference in the numbers of rarer species between the three landscapes. Network-level specialization was higher in farmland than urban sites. Relative to other habitats, urban visitors foraged from a greater number of plant species (higher generality) but also visited a lower proportion of available plant species (higher specialization), both possibly driven by higher urban plant richness. Urban areas are growing, and improving their value for pollinators should be part of any national strategy to conserve and restore pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article profiles Thomas Truax, a nominee for the 2008 Indy Music Award in Great Britain. It notes that Truax grew up in Colorado and becomes fascinated with insect sound. He builds his own music instruments from gramophone horns and pull-string toys, and sings about ants, ozone layer, and dogs. It mentions that one of her songs tells about an injured butterfly that has escaped from being pinned to a specimen board. Further, it informs that his other instruments for music are made from reclaimed junk.

Ground beetles are not as earthbound as had been assumed, according to readings from a new radar technology. Researcher Jason Chapman and colleagues at the Rothamsted Radar Entomology Unit in Great Britain discovered millions of Notiophilus biguttatus, a half-centimeter-long beetle previously thought to have limited mobility cruising at altitudes of up to 400 meters last summer. Vertical-looking radar technology uses a beam that scans for insects in vertical columns about 10 meters wide. Like fighter planes, insect species can be identified by their profiles.