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Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Be Blown Away by These 15 Images of Beautiful Butterflies
These shots from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show just why butterflies have floated into our hearts
Watch for Cicadas: Billions From Brood XIV Will Soon Emerge After 17 Years Underground
The insects from this group were last seen in 2008 and will appear across the eastern U.S. for a brief, dramatic frenzy of mating and dying
Why Do Mosquitos Bite Some People More Than Others? Your Blood Type, Sweat Contents and Even Alcohol Consumption May Make You More Attractive to the Pesky Insects
Scientists are working hard to discover the factors that drive the blood-sucking insects to target certain individuals
Scientists Discover the Oldest Known Ant Fossil, a 113-Million-Year-Old ‘Hell Ant’ Preserved in Rock in Brazil
The odd-looking specimen with scythe-like jaws indicates that early ants were spread widely across the globe while dinosaurs still roamed
Researchers Discover a Rare, Carnivorous Caterpillar That Wears Dead Insect Parts to Fool Spiders
The species, dubbed the “bone collector,” belongs to an ancient lineage of moths older than the Hawaiian island of Oahu, which is the only place it’s known to live today
Why Does This Endangered Butterfly Thrive After Hurricanes?
For Schaus’ swallowtail butterflies, the powerful storms mean clear skies and bright futures
In a World First, Researchers Mapped Part of a Mouse’s Brain in Incredible Detail. It’s a Leap Forward for Neuroscience
The 3D brain map includes more than 200,000 cells, 523 million synapses and over two miles of axons, representing the most detailed wiring diagram of a piece of mammal brain ever constructed
You Might Think of Shrimp as Bugs of the Sea. But a Remarkable Discovery Shows the Opposite: Bugs Are Actually Shrimp of the Land
A recent study suggests that insects branched out from crustaceans on the tree of life
Ancient, Parasitic Wasp Used Its Rear End Like a Venus Flytrap to Catch Insects and Lay Its Eggs on Them, Study Suggests
Scientists say they’ve never seen anything like this “truly unique” species, which was found encased in amber
Getting Annoyed at Your Noisy Neighbor? Spiders Are, Too. New Research Finds They’ll Build Webs Differently in Loud Conditions
In lab experiments, spiders changed how they constructed their webs in noisy environments, and rural and urban spiders responded differently
See 15 Captivating Images From the British Wildlife Photography Awards, From a Majestic Shark to Hungry Pigeons
The winning photographs highlight the diversity of animal and plant life in Britain as well as the often hidden behaviors of wild creatures
The Swarm of People Intent on Saving Our Bees
An army of experts and citizen scientists devoted to documenting and protecting the country’s native bees is telling us a lot about the hidden lives of these insects
This Intrepid Team of Bee Lovers Are Doing Everything They Can to Save Rare Native Species From Extinction
Iridescent sweat bees, hairy-faced mining bees, tiny Perdita minima the size of a gnat. Thanks to swarms of apiary enthusiasts, native species are finally getting the buzz they deserve
U.S. Butterflies Are Disappearing at Drastic Rates, With One in Five Gone Since 2000
A new study finds the popular, fluttering insects have declined by 22 percent in the last 20 years
What Happens to a Tree That Dies in a Forest?
Rotting logs turn out to be vital to forest biodiversity and recycling organic matter
How a Fragile Insect Living 100 Million Years Ago Becomes a Fossil
A bug, a dinosaur and a tree intersect, creating the perfect conditions for resin to capture a moment in time
Biologist Spots Rare, Flightless Grasshopper in Virginia for the First Time in Nearly 80 Years
The last time anyone in the state had officially documented the Appalachian grasshopper was in 1946, and the species was once thought to be extinct
Here’s How the Los Angeles Wildfires Are Affecting Animals, From Fish to Snakes to Birds
While scientists were able to save and move some creatures in the aftermath, researchers are worried about the prospects for other species
See 15 Winning Images From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Competition
The annual contest offers a glimpse into the hidden world of tiny scenes, from insects to fish to fungi
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