Insects and Arachnids

Bees can learn, make decisions and have a sense of smell 100 times more sensitive than ours. And most don't live in hives. Here are some cool facts about bees.

By Stephen Buchmann

Like something out of a horror film, this parasitic worm invades a snail's eyestalks, where it pulsates to imitate a caterpillar, attracting the ultimate target, a bird.

By Mark Mancini

Estimating ant numbers and mass provides an important baseline from which to monitor ant populations amid worrying environmental changes.

By Mark Wong

The most iconic agricultural pest of the past 200 years just wants to eat your potato plant.

By Jesslyn Shields

While they may incite fear due to their impressive dimensions, these spiders play crucial roles in their ecosystems and have become subjects of significant scientific interest and study.

By Jesslyn Shields

If you see a small hummingbird zip by your face, take a second look — what looks like a hummingbird may actually be a moth.

By Laurie L. Dove

For decades scientists assumed these insects looked so much like orchids as a form of camouflage. But they were wrong. They look this way because they're deceptive predators.

By Allison Troutner

Creating an insect hotel gives local bugs and pollinators a place to live and people of all ages a super cool garden project.

By Jesslyn Shields

The Atlas moth is one of the largest moths out there, with a wingspan of up to 12 inches, but the 'cobra' faces on its wings are even more frightening to predators than its size.

By Laurie L. Dove

A bullet ant's sting will hurt for a long time, but it probably won't kill you.

By Jesslyn Shields

Native to East Asia, the Joro spider has adapted to life in the southern U.S. and, as far as we know, is a beneficial addition to the ecosystem.

By Allison Troutner

They love your lawn and, in 2021, they're everywhere. Here's what to do about armyworms and how to spot the little critters.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

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

By Mark Mancini

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

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

By Jesslyn Shields

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

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

By Jesslyn Shields

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.

By Mark Mancini

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.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Mark Mancini

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."

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Jesslyn Shields