Flowers boost predatory insects’ pest control skills
Predatory insects are super pest controllers. Planting flowers can help them help farmers to reduce the use of pesticides.
Jan. 25, 2021 • ~6 min
insects pesticides pollination earth-and-environment flowers
Is the dormancy of flies possible in people?
New research with flesh flies clarifies how the insects switch from dormancy to arousal. The findings raise some sci-fi possibilities.
Jan. 21, 2021 • ~5 min
insects science-and-technology hibernation
Wing imprints reveal dino-era praying mantis
Researchers have identified a new species of praying mantis after discovering imprints of its fossilized wings in present-day Quebec.
Jan. 19, 2021 • ~6 min
evolution insects fossils wings new-species science-and-technology
One termite lineage took over by switching diets
"Termites are mostly misunderstood," says entomologist Thomas Chouvenc. Tracing their evolution shows they do more than eat wood and destroy homes.
Jan. 15, 2021 • ~7 min
evolution insects termites science-and-technology earth-and-environment
Killer cotton and planes dropping moths wiped out these pests
The invasive pink bollworm has inflicted tens of millions of dollars in damage annually. Biotech cotton and sterile moths helped eradicate it in the US.
Dec. 22, 2020 • ~7 min
insects pesticides genetic-engineering crops earth-and-environment cotton
Grasshopper cages reveal trouble with shifting habitats
New research looks at what could happen to plant communities on alpine grasslands if grasshoppers from lower elevations settled there.
Dec. 22, 2020 • ~6 min
climate-change insects plants ecosystems earth-and-environment
Mealworms vs. grasshoppers: Which fails the ‘yuck’ test?
Insects, like mealworms and grasshoppers, are a sustainable, climate-friendly food source. But for kids at least, grasshoppers fail the "yuck test."
Dec. 21, 2020 • ~5 min
sustainability climate-change insects food earth-and-environment
Farmer ants could teach us a thing or two
Ants have been farmers for tens of millions of years and have even solved a problem we haven't. They know how to cultivate climate-resilient crops.
Nov. 5, 2020 • ~6 min
climate-change insects ants fungus science-and-technology earth-and-environment
New wasp may be a parasite of a parasite
Researchers have discovered a new species of wasp with a role in an insect horror story playing out on the stems and leaves of oak trees.
Oct. 28, 2020 • ~10 min
evolution insects trees new-species wasps parasites science-and-technology
Beetle that can survive a car tire may inspire tough materials
Getting run over by a car isn't a near-death experience for the diabolical ironclad beetle. How it survives could lead to materials with the same toughness.
Oct. 21, 2020 • ~7 min
insects materials-science biomimicry science-and-technology
/
10