Nagoya Univ produces world's 1st 'wingless' ladybird beetles

Tuesday 21st July, 06:58 AM JST

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notimpressed at 10:05 AM JST - 21st July

Awww, poor little buggers can't fly....seems a bit mean.
ratpack at 10:08 AM JST - 21st July

Wow!!!!! what a bummer being born a ladybug without wings!!!!! Yeah thanks guys!!!!!
cleo at 10:29 AM JST - 21st July

This is the grown-up, mad scientist version of pulling the wings and legs off a butterfly. I bet these scientists were nasty little pervs when they were boys.

Technology needs to be tempered with morality. Being able to do something doesn't mean you should do it.

Chop the legs off these scientists, see how they like it. We'll be able to restrict the scope of their activities, keep them in the labs working instead of letting them walk about enjoying themselves. On second thoughts, keep them out of the labs and away from their sick, ghoulish experiments.

Sick, sick, sick.
Altria at 10:35 AM JST - 21st July

Kind of sick, but also kind of useful. Ladybirds are great for keeping the veges pest free without using chemicals, but the little guys keep flying away. The grubs are best because they stick around and chomp through aphids like a fat kid in a room full of cakes.
Disillusioned at 10:59 AM JST - 21st July

OK, I'll bite. It's all well and good to keep the lady beetles in the fields as a non-chemical form of pest control, but how do they get rid of the flightless lady beetles? With pesticides, of course. Doh!
Osakadaz at 11:01 AM JST - 21st July

what the heck is an Antcow?? lol reminds me of Half-Life 2. I suppose it refers to the aphids that ants milk yeah?
escape_artist at 01:30 PM JST - 21st July

Stories like this remind of that film, "The Gods Must Be Crazy", though maybe "Darwin's Nightmare" would be more appropriate...

Hopefully these scientists and genetic manipulators have completely explored all the ramifications their experiment will have on the rest of the ecosystems these bugs are released into. Somehow I doubt it, though. Human experiments in manipulating various parts of ecosystems, oft forgetting these creatures are lifeforms not really unlike us in terms of being partners in ensuring ecosystems remain sustainable, often create more problems than benefits, and most of them unforeseen. Let's hope that doesn't happen here. (Lab work based on such reductionist thinking is also akin to the false notion behind nutritionism, thinking foods can be split into components that will have the same benefits on health as eating the whole food. It's often not the case.)

I always shudder when I hear phrases like "scientists produce ".
chuckers at 01:31 PM JST - 21st July

How is the ladybug going to fly home when her house is on fire and her children are all gone? Except for little Ann, who is under the frying pan.
escape_artist at 01:34 PM JST - 21st July

That last line should have said... 'I always shudder when I hear phrases like "scientists produce XXX lifeform".'
thedeath at 01:39 PM JST - 21st July

a beetle without wings? it

is going to be an awful ugly bug!

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090721a5.html
usaexpat at 11:13 PM JST - 21st July

Funny, when the US imports them they will overrun the current japanese ladybird beetles that have overrun the native species. Seriously, one year when I was still living in Milwaukee we actually had swarming ladybird beetles, they covered the sides of houses and such. The Japanese variety was originally imported to take care of aphids and released in California as early as 1916. They have since overrun the native species and become an annoyance although they are very good at eating bugs that eat plants.
Fadamor at 03:03 AM JST - 22nd July

If they don't fly, then they're less of an annoyance. The flying version will now have an advantage over the flightless version when it comes to mating.

I take issue with comparing this to kids pulling the wings off of insects. In the one case, the body is being ripped apart, in this case, parts are missing from the beginning.

Where I see problems happening is when flighted ladybugs mate with flightless ladybugs and reintroduce the inhibited gene. Over time all the ladybugs will be flying again.
Icewind007 at 04:13 AM JST - 22nd July

We've been "playing god" every time we get something new. We played god when we learned to cook our food, manipulate electricity. and even when we first started using any kind of drug, several of which manipulates our bodies in invisible, but still useful ways... which is the point. Just because we can see the difference doesn't make it any different.

Imagine what people said when we started swapping body parts (hearts, lungs whatever). We change what we can to make it easier for ourselves (even though we often stumble upon mistakes). Playing god isn't such a bad thing; in fact, playing god is human nature. But we do have to be careful what we change.
ratpack at 09:26 AM JST - 23rd July

Easy prey
Azrael at 06:30 PM JST - 23rd July

Like Mrs. Cleo said.