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National Museum of Natural History

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Fearsome Flies: Meet the Scientist Studying the Top Predators in the Insect World

Entomologist Torsten Dikow, a leading expert on assassin flies, is working to connect a global community of researchers through the democratization of insect science

An orange-colored fly, as seen from above and below

Get to Know the Scientist Studying How Parasitic Flies Stomach Bat Blood

Microbiologist Kelly Speer uses museum specimens to study blood-feeding insects and their mammalian hosts

A small yellow frog with big eyes

Meet Seven Species Named After Musicians

On the eve of the Grammy Awards, learn how scientists sing the praises of their favorite musical artists in the names of ants, snakes, flies and more

The broad-tailed hummingbird uses its fiery throat feathers, called a gorget, to attract a mate. (Kati Fleming, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Eight of Nature’s Wildest Mating Rituals

From aerial acrobatics to sexual deception and physical battles, some species have developed more unusual rituals to show off their prowess as a potential mate.

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