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Insects

New Research

The Key to Biodiversity in Antarctica Is Penguin Poop

A new study shows nitrogen from penguin and elephant seal dung powers a diversity of arthropods and nematodes in surrounding areas

Moving forward, the researchers hope to study how paper wasps use transitive inference in social interactions

Wasps Are the First Invertebrates to Pass This Basic Logic Test

New research suggests paper wasps are capable of transitive inference, a form of logic used to infer unknown relationships on the basis of known ones

Close-up of a wildebeest, also called gnus or wildebai, in the grasslands of the Masai Mara in Kenya, August 2018.

Twelve Epic Migratory Journeys Animals Take Every Spring

As temperatures rise and foliage blooms in the north, creatures from insects to whales set out for long treks across the planet

Skrillex's Grammy-winning “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” could help researchers discourage the spread of mosquito-borne diseases

Playing Skrillex May Help Ward Off Mosquito Bites

The EDM artist’s mix of very high and low frequency beats discourages the insects from biting victims, having sex

New Research

Mosquitoes Can Smell Your Sweat

Researchers have identified a receptor in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that detect lactic acid and other compounds in human sweat

This moth specimen was mistakenly identified as a butterfly in 1793, leaving biologists to wonder what happened to the missing "butterfly" for more than 200 years.

One of the ‘Rarest Butterflies Ever’ May Have Been a Moth All Along

A species description from more than two centuries ago has fooled scientists until now

Colors in nature can be produced by both pigments that absorb some light and microscopic structures that change the wavelength of light.

How Do Scientists Know What Colors Prehistoric Animals Were?

Fossil expert Maria McNamara explains how paleontologists are starting to investigate the hues of the past

Honey gathered from urban beehives offers a surprisingly accurate measure of surrounding communities’ air quality

How Urban Beehives Can Help Researchers Detect Air Pollution

Trace elements found in honey may be able to lead researchers straight to the source of environmental contamination

New Research

The Carcasses That Mountain Lions Leave Behind Power Entire Insect Ecosystems

A new study shows 215 species of beetles rely on the big cats’ leftovers

Of 82 percent of American respondents who said they would be willing to try insects, 43 percent ate sushi on a regular basis

Your Opinion of Sushi Is a Good Predictor of How Willing You Are to Eat Insects

Individuals who frequently dine on sushi are more likely to try insects than their raw fish-rejecting counterparts

Previously, the only known member of the genus spotted on Sulawesi was T. fulvicornis, a species described in 1885.

Cool Finds

These 103 Beetle Species Have a Mix of Pop Culture-Inspired Names

Entomologists named the newly discovered species after Star Wars Jedi master Yoda, Greek goddess Artemis, French comic book character Asterix

Wallace's giant bee is nearly four times larger than a European honeybee.

World’s Largest Bee Spotted for the First Time in Decades

The Wallace’s giant bee has been seen only a few times since its discovery in 1858; experts weren’t sure it still existed

New Research

Insects Are Dying Off at an Alarming Rate

Forty percent of insect populations have seen declines in recent years and will drop even more without immediate action

New Research

Feeding Mosquitoes Diet Drugs Makes Them Stop Biting

The drugs—which block hunger signals in humans and the insects—keep the bugs from bloodsucking for a few days

New Research

Honey Bees Can Do Simple Math, After a Little Schooling

Researchers trained 14 bees to add and subtract by one, suggesting their tiny brains have found novel ways of doing complicated tasks

Gemologist Brian Berger purchased the Indonesian opal last year

Cool Finds

Gemologist Finds Insect Entombed in Opal Rather Than Amber

The unusual specimen appears to contain an open-mouthed insect complete with ‘fibrous structures extending from the appendages’

Beach primrose, Oenothera drummondii.

New Research

Flowers Sweeten Up When They Sense Bees Buzzing

A new study suggests plants can ‘hear’ the humming of nearby pollinators and increase their sugar content in response

New Research

Dragonflies Embark on an Epic, Multi-Generational Migration Each Year

Monarch butterflies aren’t the only migratory marathoners in North America

From L to R: Gymnetis drogoni, Gymnetis rhaegali and Gymnetis viserioni

These New Beetle Species Are Named After the ‘Game of Thrones’ Dragons

Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons—Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion—provided the inspiration for these three beetles’ new names

The mandibles of the Dracula ant, Mystrium camillae, are the fastest known moving animal appendages, snapping shut at speeds of up to 90 meters per second.

A Dracula Ant’s Snapping Jaw Is the Fastest Known Appendage in the Animal Kingdom

A new study found that the ant can snap its mandibles at a speed of up to 200 miles per hour—5,000 times faster than the blink of an eye

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