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Insects

In total, there are 3,200 species of water scavenger beetles belonging to the family Hydrophilidae. These beetles have previously been known to use tiny hairs lining their abdomens and legs to trap air bubbles.

New Research

Some Bugs Walk on Water, but This Talented Beetle Scurries Underneath Its Surface

The aquatic critter may use bubbles to stay inverted

Scientists reconstructed a new beetle species in 3-D thanks to X-ray scans of fossilized poop.

New Species of Beetle Found in 230-Million-Year-Old Feces

The insect is older than any amber-encased specimen, and may inspire scientists to look for more insects in fossilized dung

Fire ant swarms form tentacles when they float on water.

Floating Fire Ant Rafts Form Mesmerizing Amoeba-Like Shapes

Researchers say the morphing colonies help ants feel for solid land in a flooded environment—and might inspire swarming robots one day

A photo of the Asian giant hornet specimen found near Marysville, Washington.

Dead ‘Murder Hornet’ Found North of Seattle

The dried out male hornet is 2021’s first confirmed sighting of the Asian giant hornet, but scientists say the corpse doesn’t look fresh

A giant replica of the Aedes mosquito, a known vector for the disease yellow fever, has been waiting for visitors to return the National Museum of Natural History’s “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World” exhibit.

Smithsonian Voices

Don’t Miss These Objects When the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum Reopens

See everything from a giant replica of a mosquito, to an Allosaurus fossil, to a pink fairy armadillo when the museum opens June 18

Samples gathered at Wells Beach, shown here, revealed that the mysterious brown substance was made up of millions of bug carcasses.

Millions of Microscopic Fly Carcasses Left Dark Stains on People’s Feet at New England Beaches

The unusual event affected a 70-mile stretch of beaches from Massachusetts to Maine

Billions of cicadas have emerged across 14 states and Washington, D.C.

As Brood X Numbers Grow, Cicadas Interfere With Cars, Planes and Radar

Lawnmower-like singing isn’t the only way that these bugs have made themselves known

Carle wrote and illustrated dozens of books over six decades.

Eric Carle, Author and Illustrator of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ Dies at 91

The beloved story of a ravenous insect has sold 40 million copies and been translated into 60 languages

From Insects, their way and means of living.

Smithsonian Voices

Cicada Folklore, or Why We Don’t Mind Billions of Burrowing Bugs at Once

The earliest documented examples of cicada folklore come from China

While other flowers deceive pollinators with gorgeous blossoms, A. microstoma isn't as extravagant. The plant has small brown bulb-like flowers that look similar to the bowl of a tobacco pipe.

This Stinky Plant Smells Like Dead Bugs to Attract Coffin Flies

The plant attracts corpse flies to its opening with the aroma of rotting insects

Leafcutter ants can be found across Central and South America. They build gigantic, subterranean nests with complex societies.

Smithsonian Voices

Thinking of Eating Cicadas? Here Are Six Other Tasty Insects to Try, Too

The practice of eating insects, known as entomophagy, is widespread around the world

A 17-year Brood X cicada.

Smithsonian Voices

Will 17-Year Cicadas Be a Buffet or Big Disturbance for Birds?

Local songbirds, including chickadees, bluebirds and cardinals, will take advantage of their abundance and Smithsonian scientists are eager to study

When male cicadas are infected with Massospora, they exhibit both male and female mating behavior: singing to attract females and flicking their wings to attract males.

Cicadas Fall Prey to a Psychedelic-Producing Fungus That Makes Their Butts Fall Off

This ‘zombie’ fungus isn’t going after the bugs’ brains—it’s after their genitals

Oxitec placed six hexagonal boxes of mosquitoes on private properties in the Florida Keys.

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Take Flight to Fight Invasive Species in Florida

Invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can carry disease, so Oxitec’s modified strain is designed to reduce their numbers

A statue of Benjamin Bannecker on view at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, as seen in 2020

History of Now

Meet Benjamin Banneker, the Black Scientist Who Documented Brood X Cicadas in the Late 1700s

A prominent intellectual and naturalist, the Maryland native wrote extensively on natural phenomena and anti-slavery causes

This 17-year Brood X cicada nymph is one step away from adulthood. After emerging from the dirt, cicadas typically crawl up the base of a tree to complete their final molt, expand their wings and fly away.

Smithsonian Voices

Will Animals at the Zoo Find Brood X Cicadas a Tasty Snack?

What will animals think of the impending bug buffet?

A female dragon mantis with her forked pheromone gland protruding from her rear abdomen.

New Research

This Mantis Attracts Males With a Y-Shaped, Balloon-Like Pheromone Gland

Female dragon mantises attract mates in the dark by inflating a forked, translucent-green organ that researchers say also wiggles

Grasses and coastal scrub photographed at Salt Point State Park in Northern California. This park is one of several coastal areas researchers surveyed as part of a new study of disease-carrying ticks.

New Research

California Study Finds Lyme Disease-Carrying Ticks by the Beach

Researchers found as many ticks carrying the bacterium that causes Lyme disease in coastal areas as they did in woodlands

Researchers found low levels of radiation from Cold War nuclear tests in local honey produced in the Eastern United States.

New Research

Fallout From Cold War Nuclear Testing Detected in U.S. Honey

The radiation found doesn’t represent a health risk for humans, but it might impact bees

Butterflies in Mexico’s monarch reserve. Their wings can function as solar panels, converting sunlight into energy for flight.

An Epic Monarch Migration Faces New Threats

The butterflies’ path, which stretches thousands of miles, is endangered by an array of challenges, including changes in climate and pesticides

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