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Insects

Synchronous fireflies put on a show each spring in the Great Smoky Mountains. Photinus carolinus is the only firefly species in the U.S. that flashes in unison.

National Parks

If You Want to See Thousands of Fireflies Light Up at Once, Head to the Great Smoky Mountains

A firefly mating ritual turns into a synchronized light show

Why We Need To Start Listening To Insects

You may not think of the buzz and whine of insects as musical, but the distinctive pitch of mosquito wingbeats could tell us how to fight malaria

Matabele ant carries a wounded comrade home

New Research

This Ant Species Rescues Wounded Comrades on the Battlefield

Though it may be counterintuitive, a new study suggests saving the injured benefits the colony more than leaving them for dead

Ingenious leafcutter ants have developed a successful symbiotic relationship with the fungi they farm. New genetic analysis helps pinpoint when, and why.

New Research

How Ants Became the World’s Best Fungus Farmers

Ancient climate change may have spurred a revolution in ant agriculture, Smithsonian researchers find

Califorctenus cacachilensis

Cool Finds

Huge New Spider Species Discovered in Mexican Cave

Califorctenus cacachilensis is the width of a softball and represents a new genus of arachnids

Clothes moth larvae are snacking on history.

Moths Are Nibbling Away at England’s Heritage Sites

Let “Operation Clothes Moths” commence

The tick discovered preserved in amber

New Research

30-Million-Year-Old Tick Full of Monkey Blood Found in Ancient Amber

Scientists think the tick was plucked from a primate before being dropped in a puddle of sticky tree resin

Ladybugs stop pests from eating our food and destroying crops.

Future of Conservation

Why Small Animals Are Huge for Conservation

The tiniest of creatures keep the fabric of our world together, but are often overlooked

The O'Briens have amassed over 1.25 million insects over six decades.

Cool Finds

This Couple Just Donated Their Collection of More Than a Million Insects

The O’Briens have carried on a decades-long love affair with the critters—and each other

The ancient damselfly's courtship ritual was caught in amber 100 million years ago.

New Research

Flirtatious 100-Million-Year-Old Damselflies Found Frozen in Amber

Scientists are learning about how insects evolved from their ancient come-hither dance

Why 10 Daily Tons of Ant Poop Keep This Rainforest Thriving

The soil in the rainforests of Barro Colorado is packed with nutrients, but where does it come from?

The notorious RPB: the rusty patched bumble bee.

Future of Conservation

The Bee That Breaks Your Heart

Insects are hard-pressed to get protection as endangered species. Can one fuzzy anomaly beat the odds?

From the same DNA, different genders can boast dramatically different characteristics. Dung beetles are helping scientists understand how.

New Research

What Dung Beetles Can Teach Us About Sexual Difference

When it comes to sex appeal, it’s not all in your genes (it’s also in your proteins!)

A spider munches on its prey.

New Research

Spiders Eat Up to 800 Million Tons of Prey Each Year

For comparison, whales eat up to 500 million tons annually

Psst--smell my feet.

New Research

Bumblebees May Smell Each Other’s Footprints to Keep Track of Flowers

In a new study, bumblebees were able to discriminate the foot odor left behind by their nestmates, strange bees and themselves

The fall armyworm is native to the Americas, but has quickly invaded southern Africa and is wreaking havoc on crops there.

A Very, Very Hungry Caterpillar Is Wreaking Havoc on Africa’s Crops

Smarter than we think.

New Research

Bees Can Learn to Play “Soccer.” Score One for Insect Intelligence

Small as they are, bumblebee brains are surprisingly capable of mastering novel, complex tasks

Why the Assassin Bug More Than Lives Up to Its Name

The assassin bug’s deadly proboscis is both sword and siphon. It uses its sharp nose to pierce and inject toxins into its victims

The woolly arctic moth caterpillar produces alcohols that allow it to avoid freezing at temperatures reaching -70 degrees F.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What Do Insects Do in Winter?

When winter comes, most bugs either migrate or time travel. But some get far more creative

Here’s How the Strongest Insect on the Planet Fights

Hercules beetles, as their name suggests, are immensely strong for their size

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