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?

D. André Green II, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan • conversation
Sept. 18, 2020 ~9 min

Why wasps become so annoying at the end of summer

Finally we have a word to describe why wasps bother you in late summer: furlough.

Seirian Sumner, Professor of Behavioural Ecology, UCL • conversation
Aug. 27, 2020 ~7 min


Honey bees can't practice social distancing, so they stay healthy in close quarters by working together

Life in a honey bee hive is all about cooperating for the collective good.

Phil Starks, Associate Professor of Biology, Tufts University • conversation
Aug. 14, 2020 ~9 min

Air pollution could be making honey bees sick – new study

Honey bees in the most polluted parts of an Indian city were more likely to die sooner and showed clear signs of poor health.

Mark Brown, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology & Conservation, Royal Holloway • conversation
Aug. 10, 2020 ~7 min

Insect apocalypse? Not so fast, at least in North America

Recent reports of dramatic declines in insect populations have sparked concern about an 'insect apocalypse.' But a new analysis of data from sites across North America suggests the case isn't proven.

Matthew D. Moran, Professor of Biology, Hendrix College • conversation
Aug. 10, 2020 ~9 min

Bloodthirsty tsetse flies nurse their young, one live birth at a time – understanding this unusual strategy could help fight the disease they spread

This insect's unique reproductive biology could lead to new ways to control the species in the environment – and prevent the deadly sleeping sickness it spreads to people.

Geoff Attardo, Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis • conversation
July 29, 2020 ~7 min

Why allotments offer urban oases for bees and butterflies

Urban green spaces can be a rich habitat for diverse pollinators, if they're managed properly.

Matthew Pound, Senior lecturer in Physical Geography, Northumbria University, Newcastle • conversation
July 15, 2020 ~7 min

An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control populations of insects like mosquitoes and locusts

Gene drive guarantees that a trait will be passed to the next generation. But should society use this tool to control insect populations?

Brian Lovett, Postdoctoral Researcher in Mycology, West Virginia University • conversation
July 14, 2020 ~10 min


An argument for gene drive technology to genetically control insects like mosquitoes and locusts

Gene drive guarantees that a trait will be passed to the next generation. But should society use this tool to control insect populations?

Brian Lovett, Postdoctoral Researcher in Mycology, West Virginia University • conversation
July 14, 2020 ~10 min

How to manage plant pests and diseases in your victory garden

The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted interest in home gardening. Three scientists who garden explain some basic methods for controlling common insects and microbes that can spoil your crop.

Carolee Bull, Professor of Plant Pathology and Systematic Bacteriology, Pennsylvania State University • conversation
July 2, 2020 ~9 min

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