https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/insects/RSS feed for InsectsenTue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-insect-had-24-legs-and-could-help-explain-how-the-ancestors-of-modern-day-bugs-took-over-the-land-180989420/A previously undescribed critter that lived 324 million years ago appears to have been a transitional species that lived between land and sea. It could help researchers fill an 80-million-year gap in the fossil record of how crustaceans evolved into insectsTue, 01 Sep 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-ancient-insect-had-24-legs-and-could-help-explain-how-the-ancestors-of-modern-day-bugs-took-over-the-land-180989420/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-16-stunning-animal-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180989397/Now in its 62nd year, the famed competition has released a sneak peek of the entries from this contest ahead of announcing the winners in OctoberWed, 26 Aug 2026 18:28:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-16-stunning-animal-images-from-the-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-awards-180989397/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-did-medieval-builders-construct-complex-cathedrals-before-advanced-mathematics-and-more-questions-from-our-readersyouve-got-questions-weve-got-experts-180989286/You’ve got questions. We’ve got expertsMon, 24 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-did-medieval-builders-construct-complex-cathedrals-before-advanced-mathematics-and-more-questions-from-our-readersyouve-got-questions-weve-got-experts-180989286/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-dont-insects-live-in-the-ocean-scientists-just-ruled-out-one-possible-explanation-thanks-to-deep-diving-fly-larvae-180989348/Researchers thought that insects might not live there because their respiratory systems would implode from water pressure. But certain fly larvae in East Africa make daily trips toward the bottom of Lake Malawi with the help of strong air sacs that contain a stretchy proteinWed, 19 Aug 2026 20:52:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-dont-insects-live-in-the-ocean-scientists-just-ruled-out-one-possible-explanation-thanks-to-deep-diving-fly-larvae-180989348/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/Extremely wet conditions are known to help spread mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever. But based on computer simulations, researchers suspect that a severe drought may have contributed to the South American country’s recent deadly epidemicWed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brazils-first-urban-yellow-fever-outbreak-in-nearly-a-century-may-have-been-fueled-by-a-surprising-culprit-180989363/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-amazing-archive-of-animal-photography-reveals-18000-species-and-counting-heres-how-joel-sartore-built-his-photo-ark-180989282/For 20 years, the National Geographic photographer has showcased Earth’s animals in a series of striking images that make even the tiniest creatures look immenseFri, 07 Aug 2026 19:15:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-amazing-archive-of-animal-photography-reveals-18000-species-and-counting-heres-how-joel-sartore-built-his-photo-ark-180989282/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/butterflies-around-the-world-are-moving-to-new-habitats-largely-because-of-climate-change-a-study-suggests-180989279/Researchers examined data on 1,758 butterfly species—about ten percent of all those known—from 105 countries and estimated that about one in ten global species has shifted its distribution rangeFri, 07 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/butterflies-around-the-world-are-moving-to-new-habitats-largely-because-of-climate-change-a-study-suggests-180989279/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/charles-darwin-theorized-that-these-plants-were-carnivorous-150-years-ago-a-new-study-proves-him-right-180989265/As the naturalist predicted in 1875, some Saxifraga plants consume insects—using sticky hairs to trap themThu, 06 Aug 2026 19:15:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/charles-darwin-theorized-that-these-plants-were-carnivorous-150-years-ago-a-new-study-proves-him-right-180989265/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/flesh-eating-superworms-could-become-a-new-skeleton-cleaning-crew-for-museum-and-research-specimens-180989258/A new study hints that the critters would be a good alternative to traditional methods used to remove flesh from bones, including dermestid beetles, chemical treatments and boiling, which can cause damage or be time-consumingWed, 05 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/flesh-eating-superworms-could-become-a-new-skeleton-cleaning-crew-for-museum-and-research-specimens-180989258/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/Biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute investigated a flexible social bee species, which helps shed light on the evolution of more complex organizational structures among other insectsTue, 28 Jul 2026 23:05:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-seem-to-lick-their-lips-after-sweet-treats-and-shake-their-heads-at-bad-tastes-hinting-at-the-insects-inner-lives-180989098/Slow-motion videos suggest that the insects display distinct behaviors when they like or dislike a snack. The findings might offer a new way to study their emotion-like statesFri, 10 Jul 2026 15:45:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-seem-to-lick-their-lips-after-sweet-treats-and-shake-their-heads-at-bad-tastes-hinting-at-the-insects-inner-lives-180989098/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cyborg-cockroaches-could-help-find-survivors-of-natural-disasters-new-diving-suits-allow-the-insects-to-expand-their-search-underwater-180989066/Previously, researchers created electrical implants to control cockroaches' movements for search-and-rescue missions. Now, they've made 3D-printed suits that provide oxygen, allowing the critters to survive submerged for up to three hoursTue, 07 Jul 2026 16:01:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cyborg-cockroaches-could-help-find-survivors-of-natural-disasters-new-diving-suits-allow-the-insects-to-expand-their-search-underwater-180989066/