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Bugs

Joshua trees rely on a single species—the yucca moth—to pollinate their flowers.

The American Southwest’s Iconic Joshua Trees Are Blooming Early—and Scientists Want Your Help to Figure Out Why

The spiky desert succulents typically blossom beginning in late February. But this season, many started growing flowers up to four months early

The larvae feed on the leaves of elm trees in a distinctive zigzag pattern.

This Invasive Wasp Is Wreaking Havoc on Elms in North America—and the Damage May Soon Spread to Other Trees

Elm zigzag sawflies can munch on plants beyond their preferred elm trees when foliage isn’t available, a new study suggests

Black soldier fly larvae grow in a high-tech facility at Innovafeed in Nesle, France. The company, which also has a facility in Decatur, Illinois, is the world’s largest producer of black soldier fly larvae.

Maggots Are an Incredibly Efficient Source of Protein, Which May Make Them the Next Superfood for Humans

Inexpensive to raise and insatiably hungry for trash, black soldier fly larvae are already on the menu for livestock, pets and, maybe soon, people

Many stingless bees are native to Peru, where they pollinate the Amazon's diverse plants and food crops.

Honey-Making Stingless Bees in the Peruvian Amazon Become the First Insects to Gain Legal Rights

Two local ordinances granted rights to at least 175 stingless bee species in Peru, which are culturally and spiritually significant to Indigenous peoples and help maintain a healthy rainforest ecosystem

The researchers examined 3D reconstructions of hundreds of ant exoskeletons.

Some Ants Sacrifice Stronger Exoskeletons for Larger Colonies, Which May Help Them Take Over New Environments

Species with thinner protective barriers may need fewer resources and tend to have a greater ability to adapt to new habitats, a study suggests

A trail camera in Vermont captured 80 photos of moths fluttering around a moose's head, likely slurping up its tears.

Trail Cameras in Vermont Captured Something Strange: Moths Sipping a Moose’s Tears

Tear-drinking, known as lachryphagy, has mostly been observed in the tropics, so scientists were somewhat surprised to find the unusual behavior so far north

Spotted lanternflies have spread to nearly 20 states since 2014.

Bees Are Turning the Sticky-Sweet Secretions of Spotted Lanternflies Into Honey—and Some People Love the Smoky-Smelling Stuff

The invasive insects have been spreading across the United States for over a decade, leaving behind poop that bees are transforming into a less sweet, sometimes savory, honey

The black parasitic ant tricks the workers into attacking their amber queen.

These Parasitic Ant Queens Found a Sneaky Way to Stage a Coup: Trick a Colony Into Killing its Mother

While ant queen violence is well-known, scientists recently documented the first evidence of parasite-induced matricide

Scientists have identified a new species of non-biting midge—a type of small fly—from 151-million-year-old specimens discovered by an amateur fossil hunter.

This Amateur Fossil Hunter Discovered a 151-Million-Year-Old Insect—and It’s a New Species

Retired teacher Robert Beattie, now 82, has been digging up remnants of the past ever since he was a child

A silver Argiope spider in a spiderweb with stabilimenta.

These Mysterious ‘Decorations’ in Spiderwebs Might Help Spiders Better Locate Their Prey

Researchers used computer models to simulate if and how these features influence prey affect vibrations of orb-weavers’ webs

Artist's reconstruction of the ancient Macromyzon siluricus leech

Leeches May Be 200 Million Years Older Than We Thought—and Haven’t Always Sucked Blood

A Wisconsin fossil find suggests leeches once ate their prey whole or simply sucked up their innards

A European stonechat with an orange-and-black-patterned Glanville fritillary butterfly in its beak

New Research

To Hide From Predators, Some Animals Camouflage Into Their Surroundings, While Others Display Bright Colors as a Warning. What Keeps Them Safest?

While many circumstances factor into the calculation, researchers found in a new study that local predators, not appearance alone, had the greatest impact on a color strategy’s success

An adult spotted lanternfly on a leaf in Pittsburgh

Swarm of Invasive Spotted Lanternflies Shows Up on Weather Radar Around Washington, D.C., Meteorologists Say

Using a variety of radar characteristics, scientists suggest the irregular detection was caused by bugs, instead of normal weather patterns

Dustin Partridge of the New York City Bird Alliance looks for migrating birds during the 2024 Tribute in Light in New York City.

The New Science of Aeroecology Reveals So Much About the Amazing Creatures That Populate the Skies and How Humans Can Ensure Their Survival

The sky above us is a complex ecosystem, just like the land and sea. A new field of research is bringing a fresh understanding of the birds, bugs and other species that live there

After seeing a picture of the stick insect on social media, the researchers spent days trying to find and collect it for further research.

Gigantic ‘Walking Stick’ Discovered in Australia Might Be the Continent’s Heaviest Insect

Scientists identified the elusive new species from a female found in a high-altitude rainforest’s canopy

A veery gets ready to rise into the Vermont skies, not long before setting off on an annual migration to the species’ wintering grounds in Brazil.

Scientists Are Tracking Worrying Declines in Insects—and the Birds That Feast on Them. Here’s What’s Being Done to Save Them Both

In Vermont, researchers have investigated the types of creepy, crawly bugs that their avian predators consume and may have found the answers to keeping them both alive

Bogong moths are brown, nondescript creatures—but scientists now suggest they are the first known invertebrates to use the stars for navigation.

Australian Moths Are the First Known Insects to Navigate by the Stars, Revealing a Migratory Superpower

Bogong moths use both Earth’s magnetic field and the starry night sky to make twice-yearly migrations spanning hundreds of miles, according to new research

The mosquitoes are dropped from drones inside small, cylindrical, biodegradable containers.

Scientists Are Using Drones to Unleash Thousands of Mosquitoes in Hawaii in a Bid to Save Native Birds. Here’s How It Works

The lab-raised, non-biting male mosquitoes are meant to breed with the invasive ones on the islands and produce sterile eggs that will help suppress avian malaria

Asian needle ants are small, shiny and dark brown, with lighter-colored leg tips and antennae.

Watch Out for These Invasive, Stinging Ants That May Cause Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions

First introduced in the 1930s, carnivorous Asian needle ants appear to be spreading across the United States

Formosan termites (Coptotermes formosanus) are among two invasive termite species that are interbreeding in South Florida.

Two Invasive Termites Are Interbreeding in Florida, Raising Concerns That the Hybrid Pests Could Spread Around the World

Previous research found that Asian and Formosan termites could produce offspring together, and now, scientists have found these creatures established in the wild

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