Study is the first to show that invertebrates use differing signals in response to different species of predators. Like setting off alarms in a beehive,…
A study led by the University of Cambridge has found that periodic mass outbreaks of leaf-munching caterpillars can improve the water quality of nearby lakes…
Young birds that eat insects with conspicuous warning coloration to advertise their toxicity to would-be predators quickly learn to avoid other prey that carry the…
Worldwide, the quantity and diversity of insects are declining: scientists have reported more and more evidence for this in recent years. In politics and society,…
Analysis of data collected over 20 years suggests the decline is due to the construction of over 180 dams on the Paraná basin and its…
For home gardeners and farmers, herbivorous insects present a major threat to their hard work and crop yields. The predator insects that feed on these…
Research from Wellesley College shows that despite being a clonal insect species, weevils use gene regulation to adapt to new food sources and pass down…
Millions of years ago, aphid-like insects called whiteflies incorporated a portion of DNA from plants into their genome. A Chinese research team, publishing today (March…
Many animals feign death to try to escape their predators, with some individuals in prey species remaining motionless, if in danger, for extended lengths of…
Insects have difficulties handling the higher temperatures brought on by climate change, and might risk overheating. The ability to reproduce is also strongly affected by…
A study of more than 1,400 protein-coding genes of fleas has resolved one of the longest standing mysteries in the evolution of insects, reordering their…
The tiniest creatures on the planet are vital to their environment … so always look on the small side of life. Some of the tiniest…
New viruses that cause diseases often come from animals. Well-known examples of this are the Zika virus transmitted by mosquitoes, bird flu viruses, as well…
Insect pollination played an important role in the evolution of angiosperms. Little is known, however, about ancient pollination insects and their niche diversity during the…
Researchers detail the discovery of a new species of flea beetle, Burumoseria yuae. Nausea, vomiting, and weakness are but a few of the symptoms one…
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have discovered a natural example of a functioning gear mechanism in an insect. Previously believed to be only man-made,…
By using elevated pressures and temperatures to simulate the effects of burial on structurally colored cuticles of modern beetles, researchers at Yale University show how…
Katydid ears have evolved components resembling those of human ears, on a smaller scale. This is an example of convergent evolution. The scientists published their…