Insects, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 13, 2021

Invasive 'murder hornets' are officially back in the US

An invasive and destructive murder hornet has been spotted in Washington state for the first time this year, and the alien-looking insect was behaving accordingly — attacking a hive of paper wasps. A Whatcom County resident reported the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), which can reach 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters)...

Aug 24, 2021

Strange wasp nests glow neon green under UV light

While trekking through the tropical forests of northern Vietnam, scientists unexpectedly discovered wasp nests that glow fluorescent green under ultraviolet light. The nests, which look like a cluster of hexagonal cells, were built by several species of paper wasp, all belonging to the genus Polistes. The wasps seal off the...

Aug 28, 2021

'Murder hornet' nest leads to discovery of 180 adults, 1,500 larvae

There's one less murder hornet nest in the world, now that workers with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) have used a vacuum and cutting tools to suction up the invasive species and dispose of their home this week. This is the first discovery of an Asian giant hornet...

Sep 30, 2021

American bumblebee could be officially declared endangered

The American bumblebee (Bombus pensylvanicus) population has plummeted by 89% over the past 20 years, and an endangered species listing could be imminent, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency will conduct a one-year review, after which the species could become protected under the Endangered Species Act...

Oct 7, 2021

Murder hornet: Asian giant hornets invading North America

Murder hornets, also known as Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia), are the world's largest wasps. These hornets naturally occur in Asia, but humans have accidentally introduced them into North America where they pose a threat to native wildlife, as they kill other insects, including smaller wasps and bees. The name...

May 18, 2022

Cannibal wasp babies eat their siblings, because nature is brutal

When you're a growing wasp baby with a ravenous appetite and a dwindling supply of insect corpses to eat, home delivery isn't an option. Your next meal is whatever's nearby in your sealed nursery, and for some larvae that means tomorrow's dinner will likely be their closest brother or sister....

May 21, 2022

Do bees really die if they sting you?

It's an oft-spouted legend: If a bee stings you, it will die as a result. But is this tale, introduced to most of us in childhood and something many of us have recounted at one time or another, really true? In a word, no. While some bees undoubtedly do die,...

Jul 13, 2022

Scientists Finally Figure Out How Bees Fly

Proponents of intelligent design, which holds that a supreme being rather than evolution is responsible for life's complexities, have long criticized science for not being able to explain some natural phenomena, such as how bees fly. Now scientists have put this perplexing mystery to rest. Using a combination of high-speed...

Jul 21, 2022

Amber tomb of 'dancing' wasp and delicate flower also hides a gruesome secret

A tiny flower that blossomed 30 million years ago still lingers today in near-perfect condition, preserved inside an airless amber tomb with only a wee wasp — also frozen in place — for company. Finding this insect and bloom suspended close together offers clues about their relationship in the tropical...

Oct 24, 2022

Swarming bees may potentially change the weather, new study suggests

Swarming bees produce so much electricity that they may affect local weather, new research suggests. The finding, which researchers made by measuring the electrical fields around honeybee (apis mellifera) hives, reveals that bees can produce as much atmospheric electricity as a thunderstorm. This can play an important role in steering...

Dec 20, 2022

This wasp uses its prickly penis to escape certain death

Only female wasps carry the equipment necessary to sting predators and inject them with toxins. It's therefore widely thought that male wasps are completely defenseless — but now, a study shows how some male wasps can escape certain death using nonvenomous but extremely spiky genitalia. Two thin, retractable genital spines...

Feb 4, 2023

Do bees have knees?

If anyone has ever called you the bee's knees, take it as a compliment! The phrase dates back to the 1920s and describes a highly admired person or thing, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. But have you ever really stopped to imagine a bee with knees? Do bees — and...

Feb 14, 2023

Wild queen bees attempt to invade commercial hives, but get slaughtered by rival workers

Wild, free-roaming queen bees in search of a new kingdom are often lured to commercial hives — where resident workers murder the queens almost as soon as they get through the door, a new study shows. However, it's not all bad news: a new device could help stem the queen...

May 3, 2023

How do bees make honey? From the hive to the pot

How is honey made? Unlike many other bees, honeybee species don't hibernate in winter. Instead, they stay active in their hives. During the coldest months, honeybees cluster together to keep warm and survive on the sweet substance that they have been hoarding for weeks in advance. That substance is honey....

Jun 27, 2023

Where do honey bees come from? New study 'turns the standard picture on its head'

Western honey bees may have first evolved in northern Europe before spreading throughout Asia and Africa, a new analysis suggests. The new finding, published June 9 in the journal Scientific Reports, upends the traditional view of the bees' origins. The accepted wisdom is that European honey bees evolved from Africa...