INSECTS

electricnude via Flickr Creative Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

Could Chickens Be the Mosquito Repellents of the Future?

Scientists found that malaria-carrying mosquitoes avoided chickens and the smell of chickens, which might make the birds (or even just their odor) an effective repellent.

Saving Gorgeous Butterflies, One Egg at a Time

Biologist Tim Wong is singlehandedly conserving San Francisco’s pipevine swallowtails…in his free time.

LG Electronics Launches Mosquito-Repelling TV in India

The televisions emit ultrasonic waves to keep the pests away.

RBG: Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain. Mantis: Rick Wherley, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Mantis Heralds New Era of Species Identification

The new technique highlights and offers a remedy to the short-sightedness of current practices.

Scientists Identify Gene Associated with Butterfly Wing Coloration

Mutations in and expression of the cortex gene may control coloration in numerous species.

Why Do Brood V Cicadas Spend 17 Years Underground?

Periodical cicadas have had scientists scratching their heads for centuries.

New Global Biodiversity Atlas Reveals the Secrets of Soil

“There are new things to discover in the soil, right here on Earth. You don’t have to go to Mars or the Moon to find something you don’t know.”

Unlike Ants, Urban Bees May Prefer a Natural Diet

Researchers found that even in the presence of spilled soda, city-dwelling honeybees opted for flower nectar.

Toxic Moths Use Sonar Signals to Tell Bats to Stay Away

Like protective coloration, the moths’ “don’t eat me” sounds keep hungry bats from biting.

17 Noisy Facts About 17-Year Cicadas

In the spring of 2021, the cicadas of Brood X will surface in the Eastern U.S. for the first time in 17 years.

5 Backyard and Balcony Habitats You Can Build to Attract Wildlife

It requires surprisingly little effort.

P. Landmann, Willott, et al. in PLOS ONE

Desert Ants’ Shiny Silver Hair Keeps Them Cool

Saharan silver ants can withstand blistering temperatures thanks to their super shiny hair.

City Moths Have Learned to Avoid Light, According to Study

Scientists think the adaptation could have an unexpected—and possibly negative—impact on their ecosystem.

6 Spectacular Praying Mantises

These insects come in an amazing variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

Do Wasps Sting in Revenge?

They’re likely motivated more by self-defense than vengeance.

Drones Are Dropping Sterilized Flies Over Ethiopia to Fight Disease

Drones Against Tsetse aims to diminish the next generation of disease-bearing insects.

Researchers Have Identified a Potentially New Alaskan Butterfly Species

The delicate, copper-winged insect is the first new butterfly discovered in Alaska in 28 years.

10,000 Ceramic Insects Swarm English Manor

Artist Anna Collette Hunt’s “Stirring the Swarm” is a gorgeous, unsettling, and immersive fairy tale.

Scorpion vs. Mouse (Spoiler: Mouse Wins!)

The Southern grasshopper mouse is shockingly tough.

Male beetles tussling in their flour-floored gladiator arena. Matthew Silk

Male Beetles Mount Other Males to Establish Dominance, Study Finds

Same-sex behavior may be a shortcut to avoiding fights.

Muhammad Mahdi Karim via Wikimedia Commons

This Tiny Dragonfly Routinely Travels a Record-Breaking 4400 Miles

"Wandering gliders" fly thousands of miles to mate.

Shenrich91 via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Black Widows’ Hourglass Markings Deter Potential Predators

Bugs, however, can’t see the warning signs.

First In-Human Trial of Malaria Vaccine Shows Some Promise

It didn't prevent the disease, but it did delay parasitemia and produced a "robust immune response.”

How Stick Bugs Move, A Motion-Capture Study

The six-legged insects help researchers build creepier (ahem BETTER) robots.

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