Want to teach kids about nature? Insects can help

Insects are plentiful and inexpensive. Even when children aren't attending school in person, they can learn from the encounters they have with insects outside.

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innovation biodiversity insects bees science-education citizen-science quick-reads k-12-education invertebrates moths butterflies spiders stem-education arthropods outdoor-education environmental-education pandemic-education

Monarchs lay more eggs where milkweed isn’t alone

Milkweed is key to monarch butterflies' life cycle. But adding other flowering plants may help monarchs more than milkweed alone.

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conservation insects plants butterflies earth-and-environment flowers

How gross ‘chastity belts’ shape butterfly evolution

After mating, some male butterflies seal their mate's genitalia. But females have evolved ways of fighting back or getting around the "mating plug."

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evolution biodiversity butterflies science-and-technology mating

Monarch butterflies' spectacular migration is at risk – an ambitious new plan aims to help save it

Can a plan that brings together government and private landowners create enough habitat for monarch butterflies?

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conservation insects migration wildlife-conservation pollinators trump-administration endangered-species habitat butterflies endangered-species-act

Blame milkweed loss for steep monarch declines

Loss of milkweed is the most likely reason for the incredible loss of monarchs, a new study of 1.4 million butterflies shows.

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conservation insects plants butterflies earth-and-environment

Monarchs from east and west fly differently, but still mate

Even though eastern and western monarch butterflies have different styles of migration, they're genetically the same, researchers report.

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genetics conservation butterflies science-and-technology flight

Lockdown: Label showing plants safe for bees and butterflies

People enhancing their gardens during lockdown may not realise some plants have insecticides.

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environment bees wasps butterflies llanarthney

Team cracks butterfly wing color mystery

Butterflies and bubbles can both produce irridescent colors. New research digs into how certain butterflies can create a rainbow of wing colors.

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colors butterflies featured science-and-technology bubbles

How insecticide could harm monarchs in added habitat

The research on insecticides could lead to better strategies for how to plant milkweed on agricultural land to expand monarch butterfly populations.

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conservation insects agriculture pesticides butterflies earth-and-environment

How butterfly wings get blacker than black

Researchers have finally solved the mystery of ultra-black butterflies, which have wings that rival the blackest coatings humans can make.

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insects light colors butterflies biomimicry science-and-technology coatings