Insects - Science & research news

Wings, not webs: Certain bugs are the winners of urbanization, impacting cities’ insect diversity

March 7, 2023 // 0 Comments

By Deborah Pirchner, Frontiers science writer Image: Dr Marion Chatelain. Occurrence and abundance of the ‘cucumber green spider’ decreased along the rural-urban [...]

Sugary poo could be used to lure destructive plant pests to their doom

September 27, 2022 // 0 Comments

By K.E.D. Coan, science writer Aggregation of spotted lanternflies, Lycorma delicatula. Image credit: Jana Shea / Shutterstock.com Spotted lanternflies send signals with [...]

First release of genetically engineered moth could herald new era of crop protection

January 29, 2020 // 1 Comment

Self-limiting diamondback moth may pave the way for sustainable approach to pest control: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology [...]

Lazy moths taste disgusting

December 16, 2019 // 0 Comments

Scientists find that unappetizing moths make less effort to escape attacking bats: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

Meet the six-legged superfoods: grasshoppers top insect antioxidant-rich list

July 15, 2019 // 0 Comments

Grasshoppers and silkworms have antioxidant capacity similar to fresh orange juice, says study; Frontiers in Nutrition [...]

Taste is key in promoting insect-based food

November 7, 2018 // 1 Comment

Image of fried insect larvae. Researchers find promoting the enjoyable aspects of insect-based food is more effective than highlighting health or environmental benefits: Frontiers in Nutrition

Promoting the enjoyable aspects of insect-based food is more effective than highlighting health or environmental benefits: Frontiers in Nutrition [...]

The macabre world of mind-controlling parasites

May 15, 2018 // 1 Comment

Frontiers in Psychology: interactions between parasites and insects (neuro-parasitology) could provide insights into the neurological basis for behavior and decision-making

The gruesome new field of neuro-parasitology could provide insights into the neurological basis for behavior and decision-making: Frontiers in Psychology [...]

Moths in mud can uncover prehistoric secrets

March 2, 2018 // 1 Comment

Lepidoptera scales moths prehistoric secrets

Revolutionary new technique for studying lake sediments can reveal when prehistoric insect swarms occurred: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution [...]

Honeybee memories: another piece of the Alzheimer’s puzzle?

December 12, 2016 // 2 Comments

Researchers show a molecular mechanism that regulates memory specificity over time, and point to how understanding memory in honeybees could help us combat degenerative brain diseases [...]

The schoolyard interactions of Earth’s ecosystem

November 30, 2016 // 0 Comments

Predators eavesdrop on insect-plant interactions, while plants backstab the insects they attract, recent research shows [...]

Butterflies use differences in leaf shape to distinguish between plants

August 5, 2016 // 0 Comments

The preference of Heliconius butterflies for certain leaf shapes is innate, but can be reversed through learning, says a study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. These [...]

Fifteen shades of photoreceptor in a butterfly’s eye

March 28, 2016 // 0 Comments

When researchers studied the eyes of Common Bluebottles, a species of swallowtail butterfly from Australasia, they were in for a surprise. These butterflies have large [...]