Insect Jewelry of the Victorian Era
The wing-cases of gold-enameled weevils hung from necklaces; muslin gowns were embroidered with the iridescent green elytra of jewel beetles.
I Spent Three Hours Staring at an Anthill
And all I got were these fascinating observations of parasitic ants that kidnap other ants.
How Does a Scorpion Decide When to Sting?
There are actually two decisions to make: whether to sting at all and whether to use prevenom or full venom.
Camouflage Gets Weird
Some animals use chemical camouflage, even altering the way they smell in order to avoid predation.
Love, Sex, and Cyanide—The Private Life of a Toxic Butterfly
Heliconian butterflies choose mates with similar wing patterns. Their genes make them do it.
The Tangled History of Weaving with Spider Silk
Spider silk is as strong as steel and as light as a feather, but attempts to industrialize its production have gotten stuck, so to speak.
War and Pest Control
Since World War I, the connections between pest control and war have been scientific, technological, institutional, and metaphorical.
New Study Finds Insects Speak in Different “Dialects”
Different fruit flies species can learn each other’s language to warn against parasitic wasps.
The Incredible Phasmid Egg
Stick insects have eggs that look exactly like seeds. Scientists can't figure out why these masters of camouflage would lay eggs that resemble bird snacks.
A Brief History of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is seeing an upswing. But the-now widespread condition was not formally described until 1977, based on a case in Old Lyme, Connecticut.