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Insects

Campylaspis costata, a species of crawfish recently discovered in Norway.

Look Closely, And You Can Find New Species—Even in Well-Explored Countries Like Norway

Determination is all that’s needed to discover new species

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These Carnivorous Plants Glow Under Ultraviolet Light to Attract Prey

Their florescent blue glow lures ants to their death. Mask it, and the plants barely catch any

So with Turkestan roaches and Japanese roaches now calling North America home, how many cockroaches do we now have to worry about?

How Many Species of Cockroaches Plague Humanity?

There are 4,500 species of cockroaches in the world, but just 30 are considered pests

Dazzle camouflage distorts perception by pairing contrasting patterns.

Predators May Use a Bit of the Old Razzle Dazzle to Snag Prey

The bright colors and harsh angles of dazzle camouflage confounds locusts, suggesting that predators who sport the abstract patterns can hunt more easily

Silkworm pancakes. Yum!

Insect Farming Kit Lets You Raise Edible Bugs

The Tiny Farms setup comes with everything to cultivate one of the world’s most sustainable (and popular) sources of food

Periodical cicadas, like the one pictured above, have missed a lot of news about insects since they last appeared.

Leaproaches, Mutant Butterflies and Other Insect News That the 17-Year Cicadas Missed

Since 1996, scientists have found the oldest fossil insect, the largest living bug, a new taxonomic order and more

This modern-day assassin bug stacks dead ant bodies on its back to confuse predators.

This Insect Uses Its Victims’ Carcasses As Camouflage

Acanthaspis petax, a type of assassin bug, stacks dead ant bodies on its back to confuse predators

Amber Firefly

The Insect That Creates Its Own Lightshow

There are about 2,000 species of fireflies, a type of beetle that lights up its abdomen with a chemical reaction to attract a mate

A population of the wicker ancylid limpet (insert, not to scale) was found recently in Choccolocco Creek in Alabama.

Alabama Snail Returns From the Dead

The wicker ancylid, declared extinct in 2000, has been found alive and well in Choccolocco Creek

Could the same dryer sheets that keep your towels fresh and static free also repel bugs?

Dryer Sheets as Bug Repellant?

Testing the myth

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Gargantuan Spider Webs Bridge Waters of Madagascar

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Photo Contest Finalist: Spider in the Light of Daybreak

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Spiders “Under The Influence”

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The Country’s Most Dangerous Beetles

Invasive beetles of various colors and sizes have infiltrated U.S. forests, despite efforts by government experts

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Picture of the Week—Whorly Snail

The Audubon Insectarium is the largest freestanding museum in the country dedicated solely to insects and relatives.

Going Buggy at the New Audubon Museum

Crickets, spiders, ants and many other insects thrive in historic New Orleans, where kids and adults learn about creepy crawlers

Panamanian termites (Termes panamaensis).

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

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Spiders Are Not As Old As We Thought

The oldest fossil spider was thought to be Attercopus fimbriunguis, which lived around 386 million years ago

Termite digestion of wood pulp is the subject of research into potential new biofuels

Termite Bellies and Biofuels

Scientist Falk Warnecke’s research into termite digestion may hold solutions to our energy crisis

In a recent study, malaria-resistant mosquitoes —tipped off by their neon green eyes—faired better than typical wild insects after feeding on infected blood.

Can Mosquitoes Fight Malaria?

Scientists can build a mosquito that resists infection, but getting the insects to pass along the gene is a harder task

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