Study Examines Insects’ Role in Plastic Pollution
When plastic debris pollutes soil ecosystems, some insects may play a role in spreading it by breaking it down into microplastic particles. A new study sheds light on this dynamic by looking at a variety of soil invertebrates and their taste for polystyrene.
Keep on Ticking: Entomologist Tells of Ticks’ 27-Year Lifespan
An entomologist at Binghamton University kept a group of African soft ticks alive in a lab for 27 years—and their offspring are still going at age 26.
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.