Freaky-looking new longhaired beetle owns its fungal flair

Would you want to eat this beetle? Probably not, as it appears to be covered in fungus. That “fungus” is actually hair, however, which the recently discovered insect may use to put off would-be predators.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: … Continue reading Freaky-looking new longhaired beetle owns its fungal flair

Australia has an incredible Christmas beetle, but it’s gone AWOL

When it comes to Australian animals, the first that come to mind are generally kangaroos, koalas and maybe a platypus or a killer crocodile. However, there’s a tiny, iridescent group of beetles that turn up every Christmas and hold a special place in t… Continue reading Australia has an incredible Christmas beetle, but it’s gone AWOL

Newfound beetle has a penis like a bottle opener, is named after beer

Step aside, ducks, with your corkscrew phalluses: we have a new member of the animal kingdom sporting a penis that resembles a tool you’d more likely expect to see behind a bar than in a biological body plan.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTa… Continue reading Newfound beetle has a penis like a bottle opener, is named after beer

Insects pollinated the first flower 140M years ago, and it wasn’t a bee

If evolutionary biologists are the detectives of the natural world’s past mysteries, then the phylogenic tree is their version of a cork board of crime-scene suspects linked together with red string and thumbtacks.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, Sci… Continue reading Insects pollinated the first flower 140M years ago, and it wasn’t a bee

Secrets behind beetle butt hydration could save world crops

One in five animal species on the planet are beetles, with around 400,000 species officially described but scientists believing there could be as many as 1.5 million different types of these resilient little bugs on Earth. And with short lifespans of b… Continue reading Secrets behind beetle butt hydration could save world crops

Tiny robots copy the click beetle to jump over obstacles

If a robot is going to be tiny, then it better have a way of getting around the many obstacles that will block its way. A new type of robot takes a unique approach to doing so, by jumping like a click beetle.Continue ReadingCategory: Robotics, Technolo… Continue reading Tiny robots copy the click beetle to jump over obstacles

Secrets of super-tough ironclad beetle point to hardier aircraft parts

For engineers pursuing advanced, ultra-tough materials, it can pay to look to the natural world for inspiration, and the diabolical ironclad beetle is not a bad place to start. This critter can survive being run over by a car and scientists have now un… Continue reading Secrets of super-tough ironclad beetle point to hardier aircraft parts

Volcano-dwelling beetle inspires passive cooling coating

Heating and cooling systems are some of the biggest consumers of energy, so finding ways to passively cool buildings and electronics could be a huge saver of money and the environment. A new photonic film could be just the ticket, made with a micro-str… Continue reading Volcano-dwelling beetle inspires passive cooling coating