ENTOMOLOGY

A trap-jaw ant queen, prepared to smell like dessert if she's murdered.

Surprise! Some Ants Smell Like Chocolate

Trap-jaw ants have more tricks up their figurative sleeves than just trap jaws. And odorous house ants aren’t called that for nothing.

The Windshield Phenomenon: Why You See Fewer Bugs Splattering Cars Today

You may be grateful that your car's windshield is cleaner than it used to be, but the lack of bugs on the road isn't something to celebrate.

A hover fly living up to its name on a thistle.

Watching 15 Common Insects Fly in Slow Motion Is Fascinating and Kind of Terrifying

Do praying mantises fly? Sometimes—and watching them take off nearly 200 times slower than normal is undeniably cool.

A Joro spider snacking on a grasshopper.

Gigantic Joro Spiders Have Invaded Georgia—Here’s Why They Might Be Welcome Guests

Joro spiders, an invasive species in Georgia, aren’t your enemy. (Unless you’re a brown marmorated stink bug.)

"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my plants. Prepare to die." —What you should say if you see this in your yard.

If You See a Spotted Lanternfly, Officials Say ‘Kill It! Squash it, Smash it … Just Get Rid Of It!’

For this invasive species, it’s best to adopt a ‘Take no prisoners’ mentality. And that may mean drowning spotted lanternfly eggs in alcohol.

What's worse than a single mosquito? Mosquitoes that don't want to be single.

Funnel of Love: Mosquitoes Looking for Mates Formed ‘Mosquito Tornadoes’ in Siberia

A mosquito bite eventually goes away. The image of a mosquito tornado, meanwhile, will live in your brain forever.

An illustration of cochineal insects, which brought vivid red hues to Europe.

The Bug the World Fought Over

The Cochineal insect creates a red dye so incredible, Europe nearly went to war over it.

Curious About Eating Cicadas? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know

Testing some cicada recipes is the best way to get back at Brood X cicadas for all that incessant shrieking.

Curious About Eating Cicadas? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know

Testing some cicada recipes is the best way to get back at Brood X cicadas for all that incessant shrieking.

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

They may be small, but these invasive insects have caused serious damage to agriculture and the environment since invading the U.S.

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

They may be small, but these invasive insects have caused serious damage to agriculture and the environment since invading the U.S.

7 of the Most Destructive Invasive Insects

They may be small, but these invasive insects have caused serious damage to agriculture and the environment since invading the U.S.

Vincent van Gogh painted Olive Trees in 1889 perhaps without realizing it contained a dead grasshopper.

The Reason a Grasshopper Wound Up Stuck in Vincent van Gogh's Painting Olive Trees

The 1889 painting of the olive groves outside an asylum Van Gogh was staying in has been hiding a secret for years—a dead grasshopper stuck in the paint.

Who wouldn't be screaming in this situation?

Why Are Humans Afraid of Bugs?

Our ancestors may have predisposed us to fear spiders, insects, and other many-legged creatures, but there's a lot more to it.

Mike Lewinski, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

Warning: A ‘Robust' Explosion Of Stink Bugs Could Be Headed Your Way

Due to an unusually warm winter and summer, a 'robust' stink bug population is expected to invade homes in the Mid-Atlantic region when temperatures drop.

The mug shot of Washington's smallest (but still much too large) criminal.

Washington Officials Just Caught Their First ‘Murder Hornet’—Now They Have Less Than Two Months to Find Its Nest

A murder hornet’s stinger can do some serious damage to humans, but what its pincers do to bees is arguably worse.

The Cicadas Are Coming! 1.5 Million Cicadas Are Ready to Emerge After Nearly 20 Years Underground

There are roughly 1.5 million cicadas in Brood IX, and in the summer of 2020 they will make their first appearance in 17 years.

Bees are dying at an alarming rate, and murder hornets could make it even worse.

Murder Hornets: 5 Things We Know So Far

These giant hornets of Japan and other parts of Asia have been spotted in North America—and that's bad news for bees.

Insect butter could bake the world by swarm.

Belgian Waf-flies: Researchers in Belgium Have Developed ‘Insect Butter’

This dairy butter substitute involves mashing black soldier fly larvae into an appetizing, buttery grease.

7 Animals Named After Theodore Roosevelt

From big cats to tiny fish, the collection of animals named for Theodore Roosevelt is eclectic—just like our adventurous 26th president.

‘Soft and Cuddly’ Venomous Puss Caterpillars Have Been Spotted in at Least 3 States

“It felt like someone was drilling into my bones,” one Florida woman said about the caterpillar sting.

William Jones-Warner/iStock via Getty Images

Honey Bees Can Get STDs, Too

Bees, like many animals, are polyandrous—meaning females partner with multiple mates. And they might need their own PSAs about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases.

England Is Being Invaded By a Swarm of Flying Ants That Can Be Seen From Space

The radar picked up some rain showers on England’s southern coast. But it was actually billions of flying ants.

This Tick Collection in Georgia Contains Nearly Every Species Known to Science

The U.S. National Tick Collection contains millions of tick specimens—from notorious species like the deer tick to more obscure examples of the parasite.