How many types of insects are there in the world?

The number of insect species is mind-boggling – and they are a critical part of the environment.

Nicholas Green, Assistant Professor of Biology, Kennesaw State University • conversation
March 24, 2025 • ~8 min

Five animals that behave differently in moonlight

New technology is allowing scientists to discover unexpected behaviour linked to the Moon’s cycle.

Anders Hedenström, Professor of Theoretical Ecology, Lund University • conversation
Nov. 12, 2024 • ~8 min

The fascinating sex lives of insects

You’ll never look at spiders the same way.

Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
June 25, 2024 • ~6 min

Dung beetle mothers protect their offspring from a warming world by digging deeper

Everyone is feeling the heat these days – even species that develop underground.

Kimberly S. Sheldon, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Nov. 9, 2022 • ~9 min

Flesh-eating bugs: new research shows how carrion beetles turn death into life

Carrion beetles help stabilise the biology of the soil they live in.

Tancredi Caruso, Associate Professor, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin • conversation
June 22, 2021 • ~23 min

Tiny beetle fossil reveals how insects greeted Earth's earliest flowers

Preserved in amber, a tiny beetle has shed light on the moment the world first burst into bloom.

Chenyang Cai, Research Fellow, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol • conversation
April 15, 2021 • ~7 min

Beetle parents manipulate information broadcast from bacteria in a rotting corpse

If you think only humans engage in disinformation, think again. Here is a stunning example of a beetle manipulating the odors emitted from a rotting corpse to keep it hidden from competitors.

Stephen Trumbo, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut • conversation
Jan. 26, 2021 • ~9 min

Bitter battles between stinkbugs and carnivorous mice could hold clues for controlling human pain

Animals that regularly dine on toxic food may hold clues for designing new drugs to treat persistent pain in humans.

Lauren Koenig, PhD Candidate in Integrative Biology, Michigan State University • conversation
Dec. 9, 2020 • ~9 min

Tiny treetop flowers foster incredible beetle biodiversity

In the Amazon, beetles and flowering trees have developed a tight bond. Hundreds of beetle species thrive off of and pollinate blossoms, helping to maintain some of the highest biodiversity on Earth.

Caroline S. Chaboo, Adjunct Professor in Insect Systematics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln • conversation
Dec. 3, 2020 • ~6 min

How did insects get their colours? Crystal-covered beetle discovery sheds light

Researchers realised a dull-looking 13,000-year-old weevil was actually covered in brilliant green, blue and yellow nanoscopic crystals.

Luke McDonald, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork • conversation
April 16, 2020 • ~7 min

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