Why Giant Hornets Rub Their Abdomens on Bee Hives Before Attack
New research examines glands on the underside of Vespa soror wasps and the chemical signals they emit, which appear linked to behavior in which wasps rub their bodies against honey bee hives to recruit fellow wasps for a group attack.
Back-Seat Driver: The Parasite That Makes Bees Drop Off Its Babies
An insect that specializes in parasitizing bees changes its host's behavior to visit flowers and curl its body to deposit the parasite's larvae. The apparent "mind control" is another example of the unique lives of strepsipterans, or twisted wing insects.
P.M. Pollinators: Study Shines Light on Nocturnal Insects’ Role in Apple Production
A study on apple pollination highlights the valuable role that moths and other nocturnal insects play in pollinating crops and other plants.
Meet the Fungus That Slows the Spread of an Invasive Moth
One of the best tools for forest entomologists to manage outbreaks of the moth Lymantria dispar is a fungus, native to Japan, that was discovered in the U.S. in 1989. Entomophaga maimaiga can be spread via soil containing its spores or infected L. dispar larvae.