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

Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops

Mosquitoes cause around a million deaths per year. So, scientists are coming up with genetic engineering techniques that could lower their numbers.

Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University • conversation
Feb. 21, 2025 ~8 min


Planning for spring’s garden? Bees like variety and don’t care about your neighbors’ yards

A biologist explains what to focus on if you’re designing a garden with pollinators in mind − and what you don’t need to worry about.

Laura Russo, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Jan. 7, 2025 ~7 min

What do insects do all winter?

Bugs that buzz and flutter at other times of year are conspicuously absent during winter months.

Anna Brødsgaard Shoshan, PhD Candidate, Zoology Department, Stockholm University • conversation
Dec. 23, 2024 ~7 min

Climate change is making plants less nutritious − that could already be hurting animals that are grazers

Rising carbon dioxide levels in the air are making plants grow larger and faster, but diluting their nutritional content. This could threaten the health of herbivores worldwide.

Ellen Welti, Research Ecologist, Great Plains Science Program, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
Dec. 20, 2024 ~9 min

How tiny hoverflies migrate thousands of miles

New research shows how hoverflies adapt so they can migrate extremely long distances.

Richard J. Massy, Postdoctoral Researcher in Insect Migration, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter • conversation
Dec. 13, 2024 ~7 min

Making farming better for bees: can we breed crops that produce more nectar and pollen?

Our research shows this idea is likely to benefit bees more in summer than in spring.

Ciaran Harris, PhD Candidate in Pollinator Ecology, University of Sussex • conversation
Nov. 6, 2024 ~7 min

Are these tiny insects the world’s most bone-idle bugs?

If you’ve ever struggled with chores while your freeloading siblings looked on, you might relate to these tiny insects.

James Gilbert, Lecturer in Zoology, University of Hull • conversation
Nov. 6, 2024 ~7 min


Pesticides: farming chemicals make insects sick at non-deadly doses – especially in hot weather

New research highlights the flaws of pesticide regulation.

Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology (Evolution, Behaviour and Environment), University of Sussex • conversation
Oct. 28, 2024 ~8 min

Could fungi actually cause a zombie apocalypse?

Be very afraid – if you’re an insect.

Matt Kasson, Associate Professor of Mycology and Plant Pathology, West Virginia University • conversation
Oct. 21, 2024 ~8 min

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