Insects and Arachnids

How Wasps Work

Alarming Drop in Populations Has Scientists Warning of 'Insect Armageddon'

She Mates, She Kills — and That's OK With Male Brown Widows

The Voracious Spotted Lanternfly Is Invading the Eastern U.S.

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The invasive spotted lanternfly is spreading across the Eastern U.S. Here's what you need to know about this voracious pest.

By Frank A. Hale

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a ... Flying Spider?

Spiders don't have wings, so technically can't fly. But some arachnids can soar through the air with the greatest of ease.

Ground-nesting Bees Are Solitary and Often Stingless

Most of us think all bees live in colonies, or hives, but there are far more species that don't produce honey, don't sting and live mostly solitary lives underground.

Billions of Brood X Cicadas Are About to Get Loud

And we mean really loud. Like up to 100 decibels loud. Get all the buzz on what's making these bug-eyed bugs return.

By John Cooley & Chris Simon

Yes, Female Praying Mantises Do Eat Their Mates

The praying mantis is a powerful predator, and not as robotic (or as romantic!) as it seems.

Can a Black Widow Spider Kill You?

Black widow spider venom can be deadly but how likely are you to be bitten? It might surprise you that these arachnids are on the shy side.

By Jennifer Walker-Journey

The Luna Moth Is Beautiful and Common — But Rarely Seen

While luna moths aren't exactly rare, they're hard to find so every encounter seems extra special.

Daddy Longlegs Aren't (Necessarily) Spiders; So What Are They?

That's right – daddy longlegs isn't an actual kind of spider, but a colloquial name that's been applied to a wide range of spiders and non-spiders, insects and non-insects.

Moths Are Mother Nature's Secret Pollinators

Bees get a lot of credit for pollinating important food crops, but they get a lot of secret help from their nocturnal friends, the moths.

The Elephant Hawk Moth Is the 'Ugly Duckling' of Moths

The elephant hawk moth is breathtakingly beautiful as an adult, but as a baby ... not so much.

Some Aphid Babies Are Born Already Pregnant

Born pregnant? You bet. It's a survival instinct but could also explain how these garden pests spread like wildfire.

Asian Giant Hornets Are Now in the U.S. and That's Really Bad

The deadly Asian giant hornet, the largest hornet in the world, was spotted in the U.S. for the first time in late 2019. You'll want to stay far away from this creature. Its nickname? The "murder hornet."

The Ancient Mayfly Briefly Lives Only to Reproduce and Die

Mayflies have the shortest adult life span of any animal, but swarms of them can still be seen on weather radar.

Good News! Some Butterfly Populations Bounced Back in 2019

How Cicadas Work

Some cicadas are annual breeders and some show up loudly about every 17 years, but all cicadas produce a "song" that can reach 120 decibels — very close to a level that can damage human ear drums.

By Robert Valdes

Work by volunteers and nonprofit organizations, such as butterfly waystations and increased education efforts, has turned around long-term population decline for some butterfly species.

By Laurie L. Dove

Fruit Flies: The Science Superstars You Want Gone From Your Kitchen

Fruit flies are annoying, but we also owe them a huge debt of scientific gratitude.

Inside a Locust Plague: Desert Grasshoppers Gone Wild

Locusts are just mild-mannered grasshoppers until they swarm up and become monstrous. In parts of the world, locust plagues are becoming a way of life.

Botflies Are Nasty Parasites That Get Under Your Skin

If you've never seen a botfly, it looks rather harmless — like a basic bumblebee even. Until it lays its eggs inside a living host, and that's when things get really gross.

Dragonflies: Ancient and Aggressive Insect Aviators

Dragonflies are fast, powerful and unbelievably aggressive, using a rudimentary form of 'trigonometry' to calculate distance and move in for the kill.