Insect Common Names, as Invented by Artificial Intelligence
What would happen if you asked a machine to come up with new common names for insects? A scientist and her neural network find out.
MothBusters: Testing a Common Myth About a Small Butterfly
A common gardener's tip suggests that the imported cabbageworm butterfly (Pieris rapae, also known as the "cabbage white") can be deterred with an artificial mimic. But does it really work?
An Up-Close Look at the Tiny Sensory Pits That Ticks Use to Smell
A new study in the Journal of Medical Entomology offers the best look yet at the Haller's organ, a small sensory pit on the forelegs of ticks that they use to detect heat and chemical odors emitted by potential hosts.
“Insecta” Documentary Explores the Wonder of Entomology
This new documentary explains what makes entomologists tick.
The Flies and Beetles That Turn Death Into Dinner
Fourth in a series of posts on forensic entomology
Can a Swarm of Locusts Really Block Out the Sun?
We know the moon can do it, but what about a swarm of locusts? On Monday, August 21, 2017, denizens of North America will look skyward to witness a solar […]
Forensic Entomology: Where Insects Meet the Law
By Denise Gemmellaro This is the first part in a series of posts on forensic entomology. Stay tuned for future posts in the coming weeks here on Entomology Today. Thanks […]
What Puts the Blister Into Blister Beetles?
By John P. Roche Blister beetles produce cantharidin, a 10-carbon isoprenoid molecule that is highly bitter and is toxic to most animals. Because cantharidin is so bitter, it discourages predators, […]
Study Uncovers Unseen Details and Images of Ant Development
By Adrian Smith, Ph.D. Trap-jaw ants, with their spring-loaded jaws and powerful stings, are among the fiercest insect predators, but they begin their lives as spiny, hairy, fleshy blobs hanging […]
Photographing Spiders in Singapore: A Night Hike With Photographer Nicky Bay
By Laura Kraft This post is the 10th and final chapter in the “Travel Bug” series by Laura Kraft, a recent graduate from the University of Georgia, who is chronicling […]
Finally! A Peek at Mysterious Bees in the Rain Forest Treetops
By Leslie Mertz Adam Smith, Ph.D., has been studying a certain group of very unusual bees in Panama for 15 years, but he had never actually been able to witness […]
After 13 Years and 1.7 Million Flies Caught, a Model for Predicting Stable Fly Populations
Think for a moment about the date May 15, 2003. Any idea what you were doing that day? (It was a Thursday.) And can you think of anything that you’ve […]
Eat This, Not That: Why Mantids Eat Everything But the Gut of Some Caterpillar Prey
By Leslie Mertz When a Chinese mantid (Tenodera sinensis) grabs a nice, plump monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus), it not only “bites into the fleshy bits” but also eventually gnaws deeply […]
Walking With the Butterflies in Taiwan’s Maolin Valley
By Laura Kraft This post is the seventh in the “Travel Bug” series by Laura Kraft, a recent graduate from the University of Georgia, who is chronicling her travels in […]
Highlights From Reddit Science’s Honey Bee AMA
Last week, the Reddit Science community welcomed University of Illinois entomologists May Berenbaum, Ph.D., immediate past president of the Entomological Society of America, and Gene Robinson, Ph.D., an ESA Fellow, […]
Morphological Traits Relate to Mating Strategies in Male Japanese Stag Beetles
By John P. Roche Male Japanese stag beetles (Prosopocoilus inclinatus) have battles to defend territories to earn the opportunity to mate with females. They use enlarged mandibles that look like […]