Giant Joro spiders, originally from East Asia, are rapidly expanding across the United States. Known for their large size and impressive webbing, they can survive colder conditions and adapt to urban environments, helping them move into new regions. Researchers say they’re unlikely to pose a threat to people, though their arrival is shifting local insect populations, tracked partly through citizen science.
A new Kerala study is investigating whether ethanol-blended fuels are attracting an invasive beetle that could bore into vehicle fuel pipes, potentially triggering fire incidents. The insect is nicknamed “boozy” for its suspected link to ethanol. Ethanol producers in India have dismissed any claims of global scientific evidence, even as the research continues amid a broader climate context.
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Sri Lanka will ban four species of predatory ornamental fish after they escaped into rivers and lakes, where they’re harming native species and stressing fragile freshwater ecosystems. The fisheries minister cited rapidly multiplying snakeheads in a northwestern lake and warned that larger predators like piranhas could continue to devastate local biodiversity.
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