Insects (including Butterflies) News
August 6, 2025
Top Headlines
Aug. 4, 2025 — Glasswing butterflies may all look alike, but behind their transparent wings hides an evolutionary story full of intrigue. Researchers discovered that while these butterflies appear nearly identical to avoid predators, they produce unique pheromones ...
Aug. 1, 2025 — Ape behavior just got a name upgrade — “scrumping” — and it might help explain why humans can handle alcohol so well. Researchers discovered that African apes regularly eat overripe, ...
July 28, 2025 — Eggs are finally being vindicated after decades of cholesterol-related blame. New research from the University of South Australia reveals that eggs, despite their cholesterol content, aren't the dietary villains they've long been made out to be. ...
July 26, 2025 — A groundbreaking study has revealed that the mass administration of ivermectin—a drug once known for treating river blindness and scabies—can significantly reduce malaria transmission when used in conjunction with bed ...
July 25, 2025 — Millipedes, often dismissed as creepy crawlies, may hold the secret to future painkillers and neurological drugs. Researchers at Virginia Tech discovered unique alkaloid compounds in the defensive secretions of a native millipede species. These ...
July 17, 2025 — Dogs trained by everyday pet owners are proving to be surprisingly powerful allies in the fight against the invasive spotted lanternfly. In a groundbreaking study, citizen scientists taught their ...
July 8, 2025 — High heat and heavy metals dampen a bumblebee’s trademark buzz, threatening pollen release and colony chatter. Tiny sensors captured up-to-400-hertz tremors that falter under environmental stress, raising alarms for ecosystems and sparking ideas ...
July 7, 2025 — Danish and Welsh botanists sifted through 400 studies, field-tested seed mixes, and uncovered a lineup of native and exotic blooms that both thrill human eyes and lure bees and hoverflies in droves, ...
July 4, 2025 — Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they need to grow. By tapping into a built-in protein ...
June 17, 2025 — Nematodes tiny yet mighty form wriggling towers to survive and travel as a team. Long thought to exist only in labs, scientists have now spotted these towers naturally forming in rotting orchard fruit. Remarkably, the worms aren t just piling up ...
June 15, 2025 — Ten thousand years after mastodons disappeared, scientists have unearthed powerful fossil evidence proving these elephant cousins were vital seed spreaders for large-fruited trees in South America. ...
June 2, 2025 — Scientists in Australia have developed a smart, bacteria-repelling coating based on resilin the ultra-elastic protein that gives fleas their legendary jumping power. When applied to surfaces like medical implants or surgical tools, the engineered ...
Latest Headlines
updated 1:43pm EDT
July 24, 2025 — Half a billion years ago, a strange sea-dwelling creature called Mollisonia symmetrica may have paved the way for modern spiders. Using detailed fossil brain analysis, researchers uncovered neural ...
July 17, 2025 — Mango lovers and growers alike may soon rejoice: scientists at Edith Cowan University have found that a simple dip in ozonated water can drastically extend the shelf life of mangoes by up to two ...
July 15, 2025 — High in Fiji s rainforest, the ant plant Squamellaria grows swollen tubers packed with sealed, single-door apartments. Rival ant species nest in these chambers, fertilizing their host with ...
June 25, 2025 — Leafcutter ants live in highly organized colonies where every ant has a job, and now researchers can flip those jobs like a switch. By manipulating just two neuropeptides, scientists can turn ...
June 18, 2025 — Beetles that can see the color red? That s exactly what scientists discovered in two Mediterranean species that defy the norm of insect vision. While most insects are blind to red, these beetles use ...
June 15, 2025 — Aphid-hunting wasps can reproduce with or without sex, challenging previous assumptions. This unique flexibility could boost sustainable pest control if its hidden drawbacks can be ...
June 12, 2025 — Female earwigs may be evolving exaggerated weaponry just like males. A study from Toho University found that female forceps, once assumed to be passive tools, show the same kind of outsized growth ...
June 10, 2025 — Bumblebee queens don t work nonstop. UC Riverside scientists discovered that queens take strategic reproductive breaks early in colony formation likely to conserve energy and increase the chance of ...
May 30, 2025 — A new species of velvet worm, Peripatopsis barnardi, represents the first ever species from the arid Karoo, which indicates that the area was likely historically more forested than at present. In the ...
May 30, 2025 — Researchers have identified a monoacylglycerol acyltransferase-coding gene named bishu-1. It is involved in the thermal responsiveness of cool ...
Earlier Headlines
May 28, 2025 — A study finds small-scale tree cover in Costa Rica boosts biodiversity while limiting dangerous mosquito ...
May 28, 2025 — Researchers compared the whole genome sequence of two genetically distinct lineages of bed bug, and their findings indicate bed bugs may well be the first true urban ...
May 28, 2025 — Parasitic worms that infect humans are not interbreeding with those that infect cattle as previously thought. This is good news for when it comes to controlling schistosomiasis, a disease caused by ...
May 27, 2025 — Alterations to the diet of pests could impact how quickly they can adapt to ...
May 22, 2025 — Research reveals that for C. elegans worms, the presence of dead members of their species has profound behavioral and physiological effects, leading them to more quickly reproduce and shortening ...
May 22, 2025 — Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it ...
May 22, 2025 — An analysis of 900 species over a 20-year period showed that biodiversity enhances ecosystem stability and helps safeguard natural communities in a changing ...
May 22, 2025 — Planting flower strips in a field with at least two species can increase the number of natural enemies of pests by 70 percent. The more flower species, the better the effect, according to a new ...
May 21, 2025 — Scientists have fabricated two bed netting prototypes targeting malaria-causing blood parasites. They designed netting systems to deliver antimalarial drugs called Endochin-like Quinolones (ELQs) ...
May 21, 2025 — When pollinators visit flowers, they produce various sounds, from wing flapping during hovering, to landing and takeoff. Scientists studied these vibroacoustic signals to develop noninvasive and ...
May 21, 2025 — Bats are known as natural hosts for highly pathogenic viruses such as MERS- and SARS-related coronaviruses, as well as the Marburg and Nipah viruses. In contrast to the severe and often fatal disease ...
May 20, 2025 — What do chickens and people with a common reproductive disorder have in common? More than one might think -- and a widely-used diabetes medication might just be the surprising ...
May 19, 2025 — A new report identifies the top 12 emerging threats that could accelerate pollinator losses within the next 5-15 years, according to ten of the world's leading ...
May 19, 2025 — A team was able to show that swimming movements are possible even without a central control unit. This not only explains the behavior of microorganisms, it could also enable nanobots to move in a ...
May 19, 2025 — New research has revealed that high densities of European honey bees could be harming Australian native bees' 'fitness' by reducing their reproductive success and altering key traits ...
May 19, 2025 — A team of researchers has discovered 71 new native bee species belonging to the resin pot bees, or Megachile (Austrochile), which are unique to Australia and present in every state and territory ...
May 14, 2025 — With coral reefs in crisis due to climate change, scientists have engineered a bio-ink that could help promote coral larvae settlement and restore these underwater ecosystems before it's too ...
May 14, 2025 — have created a new type of insect cyborg that can navigate autonomously -- without wires, surgery, or stress-inducing electrical shocks. The system uses a small ultraviolet (UV) light helmet to steer ...
May 13, 2025 — Palaeontologists have discovered a remarkable new 506-million-year-old predator from the Burgess Shale of Canada. Mosura fentoni was about the size of your index finger and had three eyes, spiny ...
May 13, 2025 — Butterflies' flight trajectories often appear random or chaotic, but their hovering patterns can potentially provide critical design insights for developing micro aerial vehicles with flapping ...
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- Trees Vs. Disease: Tree Cover Reduces Mosquito-Borne Health Risk
- Bed Bugs Are Most Likely the First Human Pest, New Research Shows
- Genetic Deep Dive Dispels Fear of Hybrid Worm Threat
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Thursday, May 22, 2025
- The Scent of Death? Worms Experience Altered Fertility and Lifespan When Exposed to Dead Counterparts
- Ancient DNA Used to Map Evolution of Fever-Causing Bacteria
- Diversity Is Key to Ecosystem Stability
- Ox-Eye Daisy, Bellis and Yarrow: Flower Strips With at Least Two Sown Species Provide 70 Percent More Natural Enemies of Pests
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
- Bed-Netting Prototypes to Target Malaria-Causing Parasites
- Can Plants Hear Their Pollinators?
- Unlocking the Secrets of Bat Immunity
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Monday, May 19, 2025
- Bees Facing New Threats, Putting Our Survival and Theirs at Risk
- How to Swim Without a Brain
- Fitness Fight: Native Bees Struggle Against Invasive Honey Bee
- Scientists Describe 71 New Australian Bee Species
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
- An Ink That Boosts Coral Reef Settlement by 20 Times
- Light-Driven Cockroach Cyborgs Navigate Without Wires or Surgery
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
- Palaeontologists Discover 506-Million-Year-Old Predator
- Butterflies Hover Differently from Other Flying Organisms, Thanks to Body Pitch
Monday, May 12, 2025
Friday, May 9, 2025
- First Fossil Evidence of Endangered Tropical Tree Discovered
- Heat and Land Use: Bees Suffer in Particular
- Can Frisky Flies Save Human Lives?
- Wasp Mums Use Remarkable Memory When Feeding Offspring
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
- A 'roadmap' Of the Fruit Fly Brain
- Fewer Parasites in the Indian River Lagoon Signal Big Ecosystem Problems
- Birds Form Bonds That Look a Lot Like Friendship
Tuesday, May 6, 2025
- Replanted Rainforests May Benefit from Termite Transplants
- Discovery: A Better, More Targeted Termite Terminator
- Fruit and Microbes Boost Biogas Production and Fermentation
Monday, May 5, 2025
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- Deciphering the Migratory Behavior and Connectivity of Mediterranean and Atlantic Cory's Shearwaters
Monday, April 28, 2025
- Social 'hippie' Spiders Don't Believe in Labels: Study Challenges Long-Held Assumptions About Animal Personalities
- Flower Strips Could Save Apple Farmers Pest Control Costs
- Blackberries With No Thorns? Scientist Assembles Genome of a Blackberry in Major Step to Breed Better Fruit
- 'Extremely Rare Event': Bone Analysis Suggests Ancient Echidnas Lived in Water
- Chip-Shop Fish Among Key Seabed Engineers
Friday, April 25, 2025
Thursday, April 24, 2025
- Female Bonobos Keep Males in Check -- Not With Strength, but With Solidarity
- The Oldest Ant Ever Discovered Found Fossilized in Brazil
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
- Nature Accounting in Colombia Makes Sound Economic Case for Protecting Native Ecosystems
- Newborns Living Near Trees Tend to Be Healthier: New Data Suggests It's Not Because Healthier People Reside Near Parks
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
- Insects Are Disappearing Due to Agriculture -- And Many Other Drivers, New Research Reveals
- Evidence of Potential Bed Bug Insecticide Resistance in Gene Mutation
Monday, April 21, 2025
- Wild Chimps Filmed Sharing 'boozy' Fruit
- Immune System Proteins Involved in Severe Parasitic Disease Identified
- Even Sublethal Insecticide Dose May Disrupt Pollinator Mating Process
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
- New Pollen-Replacing Food for Honey Bees Brings New Hope for Survival
- Growing Wildflowers on Disused Urban Land Can Damage Bee Health
- Foraging on the Wing: How Can Ecologically Similar Birds Live Together?
Monday, April 14, 2025
- To Avoid Parasites, Some Fruit Flies Sacrifice Sleep
- Unlocking the Genetic Basis of Animal Behavior Using Fruit Flies
- A Mysterious Pathogen: Oropouche Virus More Common in Latin America Than Previously Thought
Friday, April 11, 2025
Thursday, April 10, 2025
- Drug Pollution Alters Salmon Migration
- Running on Empty: Poor Nutrition Increases Injury Risk for Female Athletes
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
- Protein Necessary for Fruit Fly Fertility
- With New Database Researchers May Be Able to Predict Rare Milky Seas Bioluminescent, Glowing Event
- Reduced Movement of Starlings With Parasite Infections Has a Negative Impact on Their Offspring
- Scientists Discover That Fruit Fly Larvae Can Sense Electric Fields
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Monday, April 7, 2025
- Rain Barrel Basics: Conserving Water but Not Mosquito Habitats
- Termite Stowaways: Study Reveals Boats as Perfect Vessels for Global Termite Spread
- Saturn's Moon Titan Could Harbor Life, but Only a Tiny Amount, Study Finds
- The New Season of The Last of Us Has a Spore-Ting Chance at Realism
Friday, April 4, 2025
Thursday, April 3, 2025
- Picky Eaters by Day, Buffet by Night: Butterfly, Moth Diets Sync to Plant Aromas
- Corpse Flowers Are Threatened by Spotty Recordkeeping
- Migrating Roach Fish Have Sharper Eyesight
- Bees Actively Adjust Flower Choice Based on Color and Distance: Updating 'flower Constancy' Beyond Darwin's Theory
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Monday, March 31, 2025
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
- Ecologists Document Utah's Bee Species and Say Beehive State Is Rich in Bee Diversity
- Antibiotic Exposure in Infancy May Boost Type 1 Diabetes Risk
- How Zika Virus Knocks out Our Immune Defenses
- Technology Makes Pesticides Stick to Plant Leaves
- Insecticides May Contribute to Bigger Problems With Certain Weeds
Monday, March 24, 2025
- Teaching Kids About Bugs Benefits the Environment
- Chimpanzees Act as 'engineers', Choosing Materials to Make Tools Based on Structural and Mechanical Properties
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Monday, March 17, 2025
Thursday, March 13, 2025
- The Long Wait for Bees to Return to Restored Grasslands
- Social Media Can Help Track Species as Climate Changes
- 'Surprising' Cause of Sargassum Blooms in Caribbean
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
- Analyzing Genetic 'signatures' May Give Insight Into What Stresses Wild Bees
- Temperature During Development Influences Connectivity Between Neurons and Behavior in Fruit Flies
- Mosquito Pain Receptors Are Less Sensitive During Extreme Heat
- No Need to Wing It: Bat Activity in Winter Analyzed
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Thursday, March 6, 2025
- Early-Life Gut Microbes May Protect Against Diabetes, Research in Mice Suggests
- Study Raises the Possibility of a Country Without Butterflies