Insects, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 18, 2013

'Casanova' Moths Use Mustache-Like Tufts for Courtship

Australian pygmy moths that are well equipped for courtship are appropriately borrowing their name from the 18th century Italian philanderer and adventurer Giacomo Casanova. Researchers say they named the newly designated subgenus Casanovula (within the genus Pectinivalva) because these metallic-colored species sport mustache-like patches that seem to help them lure...

Apr 16, 2013

2 Strange Moth Species Revealed in Russia

Two new species of previously unknown moths have been discovered in the Russian Far East, northeast of Mongolia. The insects strike a unique pose when resting, sticking their hind section into the air and extending their antennae forward onto the ground, or the surface of a leaf, according to a...

May 8, 2013

Moth with Ultrasonic Hearing Discovered

The ubiquitous greater wax moth is ordinary in every way but one: It has the ability to hear the highest-known sound frequency. The greater wax moth's hearing goes up to about 300 kilohertz, nearly 100 kHz higher than the hearing of some bats. This is the animal with the highest...

Jan 25, 2016

'Behemoth' Daddy Longlegs Discovered in Oregon

Scientists have unearthed a monstrous new arachnid lurking in the woods of southwest Oregon — and it's a beast. The new daddy longlegs species, dubbed Cryptomaster behemoth, towers over other creatures of its kind. And like its cousin, the equally elusive Cryptomaster leviathan, the new species is incredibly difficult to...

Jan 17, 2017

Small Honor: Tiny Moth Named for Trump

A miniscule moth with a wingspan of just 0.4 inches (9 millimeters) is the first species to be named for the soon-to-be president of the United States, Donald Trump. Yellow and white scales topping the moth's head resemble Trump's signature hairstyle, inspiring the name Neopalpa donaldtrumpi, wrote evolutionary biologist Vazrick...

Sep 28, 2017

Meet the Colorful Nocturnal Moths of 'Mariposas Nocturnas' (Photos)

In living color (Image credit: Copyright Emmet and Edith Gowin. Courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York)Anyone who thinks of moths as butterflies' drabber, duller cousins is about to see these nocturnal insects in a new light. A new book of photographs showcases the spectacular colors and patterns of nocturnal moths from...

Oct 25, 2017

What on Earth? Freaky Moth with Hairy 'Butt Appendages' Stuns Facebook

A moth that looks like it crawled out of a shadowy underworld is freaking out Facebook users, including some who are wondering whether the creature in the post is even real. First, the bad news: It's real. The moth is called Creatonotos gangis, and it lives in parts of Southeast...

Feb 6, 2019

Here's Why These Creepy Little Moths Have Noisy, Clicking Wings

A group of deaf moths developed a crunchy, loud tool for warding off bats. As the insects, from the Yponomeuta genus, flutter around, they flex clear, ridged patches on their rear wings. Those ridges bang against the air, perpetually emitting a clicking sound that scares off bats. Don't eat me!...

Nov 5, 2020

Watch a 'Godzilla' wasp dominate Mothra in this eerie lab video

Delicate ferns lay across the still water, when suddenly, a writhing caterpillar bursts to the surface, followed closely by a determined wasp. Wrenching the caterpillar into position, the wasp quickly injects the wiggly creature with eggs before releasing it back into the water. Sound like the plot to a twisted...

May 17, 2021

Rarely seen supersized moth with 10-inch wingspan found at Australian school

A gigantic moth that is almost never seen by humans was recently found on a building site at a school in Australia. The colossal insect is so heavy that it can't fly, and reaches its full size just a few days before mating. And then it dies. Giant wood moths...

Jul 11, 2023

Fuzzy caterpillar has sting 'like being hit with a baseball bat," and now we know why

Don't be fooled by the asp caterpillar's innocent look: Its fluffy coat conceals dagger-like spines with a painful venom that hospitalizes dozens of people in the U.S. every year. Now, scientists have discovered proteins in these caterpillars' venom that may explain how the bristle-covered creatures pack such a punch. Anecdotally,...

Oct 23, 2023

Caterpillars evolved their weird chubby little 'prolegs' from ancient crustaceans

Scientists have finally figured out where caterpillars got their extra sets of legs from. Turns out, these chubby little limbs originate from their crustacean ancestors over 400 million years ago. Insects have six legs, except when they don't. Caterpillars — the larvae of butterflies and moths — have additional sets...

Nov 11, 2023

Gum leaf skeletonizer: The venomous 'Mad Hatterpillar' that wears its old heads like a crown

Name: Gum leaf Skeletoniser (Uraba lugens) Where it lives: Australia and New Zealand What it eats: Eucalyptus leaves Why it's awesome: The caterpillar of the gum leaf skeletonizer moth is a hairy little creature that keeps its old head capsules and stacks them on its head. This macabre adornment has...

Dec 9, 2023

More than 1,000 species live in and around an ordinary suburban house, survey in Australia shows.

We are biodiversity researchers — an ecologist, a mathematician and a taxonomist — who were locked down together during the COVID pandemic. Being restricted to the house, it didn't take long before we began to wonder how many species of plants and animals we were sharing the space with. So...

Jan 19, 2005

Natural Mosquito Repellent Being Developed

We all know that one person who comes home from the camping trip without a single bug bite. Perhaps they advise their unlucky mates to eat more garlic, or fewer bananas. But it may be that these folks are born with a scent that keeps mosquitoes and other biting insects...