These Insect Costume Designers are Dressed to Impress
Trick or treat? From colorful ornaments to foamy bubbles to piles of "junk," a variety of insects wear clever disguises that protect or hide them from predators. Learn about several of these insect ensembles—and perhaps find some inspiration for your next Halloween costume.
These Beetles Withstand Cyanide Blasts to Eat Millipedes
Flat-backed millipedes that defend themselves with cyanide have a fearsome foe in Promecognathus beetles, which are unfazed by the potent poison. A new study shows the beetles have evolved a unique tolerance for cyanide—rather than avoidance behavior or some other countermeasure—but the underlying mechanism remains unclear.
Limb Regeneration in Lady Beetles: Product of Selection or Developmental Byproduct?
Researchers studying the ability of several lady beetle species to regrow detached limbs during their pupal stage say the trait may be linked to genes that offer survival advantages when activated, but more research is needed.
Little Organisms, Big World: Insect Gut Bacteria Partnerships
A recent review in the open-access Journal of Insect Science shines a light on the diversity of host-symbiont relationships among holometabolous insects.