Study Details Mechanics of Flea Beetles’ Big Jumps
The tribe of leaf beetles known for their incredible jumping strength use a powerful catapult-like mechanism to spring away from looming predators. A team of Chinese and U.S. scientists illustrate the biomechanics of these beetles' jumps in a new study and say the findings could hold lessons for bio-inspired robotics.
Filming Insects in 4K: A Look Inside KQED’s Deep Look Video Series
On the award-winning web video series Deep Look, producers at San Francisco PBS affiliate KQED use macro cinematography and video microscopy to bring insects and other tiny things to life.
Nuptial Gifts and Other Romantic Gestures of the Bug World
In honor of Valentine's Day, here's a look at recent entomological research on how some insects and other arthropods woo one another with gifts.
These Caterpillars Go Bananas for Fruity Smells—and So Do Their Offspring
Researchers find that the butterfly species Bicyclus anynana passes down a preference for leaves that smell like banana to its next generation—another curious example of inheritance of a learned trait.
Treasures in Gemstones: Previously Unknown Wasps Found in Prehistoric Amber
An entomologist examining wasp specimens in fossilized amber from the Eocene (34–55 million years ago) has identified them as a new species, Brachyelatus marthae, and the first fossil specimens from the chalcid wasp subfamily Chrysolampinae.
In the Blink of a Fly: Flies’ Upside-Down Landings Inspire Robot Designs
Research at Penn State University reveals the intricate flips and twists that a fly performs to execute an inverted landing. Understanding the mechanics of the motion could help engineers design robotic fliers that land upside down, too.
In a Cannibalistic Society, It’s Not About Survival—It’s All About Recycling
In honor of Halloween, Entomology Today takes a look at zombie ants, cannibalistic termites, and other spooky insect science.
Swarm Shift: How Locusts Switch Phases When Numbers Swell
After swarms of the South American locust Schistocerca cancellata reappeared in 2015 for the first time in 60 years, a study on what drives their swarm behavior finds the insects' population density acts as a trigger for a slew of biological and behavioral changes at the individual level.
You Can Thank Insects for Many Human Inventions
Even in this digital age, we continue to extract ideas and materials from insects and their relatives. However, the challenge of today may be to avoid a strictly utilitarian view of other organisms, whereby a species is expendable if it cannot demonstrate economic value that can be measured in dollars.
How a Honey Bee’s Waggle is Inspiring Aerospace Design
Engineers may recognize the internal muscle structure of a honey bee abdomen for its resemblance to a Stewart platform, a mechanical device that enables six degrees of freedom in movement. Researchers who have found its natural equivalent in bees say the discovery is already informing their work in designing articulating nose cones for rockets.
Yellowjackets: A Look at Opportunistic Raiders of Honey Bee Hives
Yellowjackets are nuisance predators of honey bees, preying on them and pillaging their honey. But bees fight back, and healthy hives are rarely at risk. Learn more about yellowjackets, their interactions with bees, and what sets yellowjackets apart from hornets and other fellow wasps.
Meet the Mosquito With a Big Appetite—for Other Mosquitoes
The mosquito species Toxorhynchites rutilus is harmless to humans but is a voracious predator of other mosquitoes. Researchers in Houston, Texas, are hoping the "mosquito assassin" could be put into action as a tool for controlling mosquitoes that carry human pathogens—if they can find an efficient way to raise the predator mosquitoes in the lab.
Show or Tell? Testing Peacock Spiders’ Multi-Modal Mating Display
Famous for their flashy colors, peacock spiders also emit vibrational signals during their mating dance. But why both kinds of courtship cues? And which kind matters more? Researchers have been studying peacock spiders to find out.
When Cicada-Killer Wasps Become Cicada-Stealer Wasps
Hunting cicadas and lugging them back to a nest is hard work for a cicada-killer wasp. But sometimes all that hard work goes to waste, when a fellow wasp swoops in and lays her egg on the other wasp's prey. And that's if the cicada isn't stolen by a bird first.
Balance, Hearing, and More: Why Some Wasps Have Fat Lower Legs
The fat lower legs that dangle below flying wasps in the family Gasteruptiidae turn out to be filled with insect fat body, and they may play key roles in flight dynamics, detecting vibrations from prey, and even detoxification.
Fossilized Insect Discovered Not in Amber, But in Opal
An opal discovered in Indonesia exhibits a rare inclusion: a preserved insect embedded within.