Collaborate Disseminate
Amber is one of the best materials for preserving insects and small creatures, and it’s beautiful to boot. But now it might have some competition (in the preservation field, anyway) – fossilized feces. A hapless beetle has become the first species to h… Continue reading New beetle species discovered perfectly preserved in fossilized feces
One of nature’s most intriguing horror stories is that of the fungus that “zombifies” ants to spread its spores. Now, researchers have discovered the oldest known example of this kind of parasite at work, preserved in ancient amber.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Novel “zombie ant” fungus discovered in ancient amber
Although we’ve already heard about plants that mimic the smell of rotten meat or feces in order to attract pollen-spreading scavengers, botanists have now discovered that a certain plant really focuses that concept – it mimics the smell of dead beetles… Continue reading Flower mimics the scent of dead beetles to draw in helpful flies
Eternal youth is the first thing many of us might wish for if we stumbled onto a genie or a magic monkey’s paw, but there’s always a catch. Now, scientists have discovered a version of this story playing out in ant nests, as parasites drastically exten… Continue reading Parasite grants ants “eternal youth” – but there’s a dark side
Unexpected new findings from researchers at Johns Hopkins University are indicating the world’s most commonly used herbicide appears to weaken the immune systems of insects. One experiment with mosquitos known to spread malaria suggests the chemical ca… Continue reading Popular weed killer impairs insect immune systems, raising malaria risk
The success of a colony of ants is one big exercise in collaboration, with the insects known to share all manner of responsibilities, from forming conveyor belts for food transport to construction of their nest. Scientists have now discovered a fascina… Continue reading Army ants build safety scaffolds to catch their falling friends
More and more, insect protein is being suggested as a more sustainable alternative to meat. Humans aren’t the only omnivores, though, which is why a new insect-based cat food should soon be hitting the market – and it won’t be the only one.Continue Rea… Continue reading Lovebug cat food is the latest to substitute insect protein for meat
When we think of camouflage, it’s usually a visual pattern. But how do you hide from a predator that uses sound to find food, like a bat? If you’re a firefly, it turns out you might resort to a cacophony of ultrasound that acts like “musical armor.”Con… Continue reading Fireflies may use ultrasonic “musical armor” to fend off bats
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have managed to create a kind of cyborg, by integrating the ear of a locust into a robot. The robot was then able to respond to noises that the biological sensor picked up, which could pave the way for more sensitive … Continue reading Biohybrid robot wired to “hear” using locust’s ear
If a drone were to inadvertently end up upside-down while flying, it would be good if the aircraft could automatically flip itself back over again, to avoid crashing. Such may someday be the case, thanks to a recent study on dragonfly flight.Continue R… Continue reading Dragonflies’ self-righting mechanism could find use in safer drones