Mental Floss

INSECTS

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You might be one of a lucky type who rarely attract bites, or you might be someone skeeters love to feast on—in which case, you’ll want plenty of ammunition for name-calling. Here are a few choice terms for mosquitoes courtesy of the Dictionary of America

Steve Zylius / UCI

Researchers say a brief blast of high heat can kill all the bugs on the surface of luggage without harming the contents within.

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Don't worry, the event's intended to be ironic.

Richard Bartz via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-2.5

Scientists have identified a cellular pathway in workers that makes them susceptible to their queen’s fertility-destroying pheromones.

Jacobus Houbraken via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

She was among the first to depict insects interacting with the natural world.

electricnude via Flickr Creative Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

Scientists found that malaria-carrying mosquitoes avoided chickens and the smell of chickens, which might make the birds (or even just their odor) an effective repellent.

Instagram // timtast1c

Biologist Tim Wong is singlehandedly conserving San Francisco’s pipevine swallowtails…in his free time.

RBG: Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain. Mantis: Rick Wherley, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

The new technique highlights and offers a remedy to the short-sightedness of current practices.

Mutations in and expression of the cortex gene may control coloration in numerous species.

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Periodical cicadas have had scientists scratching their heads for centuries.

Lauren Nichols

Researchers found that even in the presence of spilled soda, city-dwelling honeybees opted for flower nectar.

Joseph Scheer

Like protective coloration, the moths’ “don’t eat me” sounds keep hungry bats from biting.

The cicadas are coming!!!

In the spring of 2021, the cicadas of Brood X will surface in the Eastern U.S. for the first time in 17 years.

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It requires surprisingly little effort.

P. Landmann, Willott, et al. in PLOS ONE

Saharan silver ants can withstand blistering temperatures thanks to their super shiny hair.

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Scientists think the adaptation could have an unexpected—and possibly negative—impact on their ecosystem.

Steve Smith via Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0

These insects come in an amazing variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

They’re likely motivated more by self-defense than vengeance.

Andrew Warren

The delicate, copper-winged insect is the first new butterfly discovered in Alaska in 28 years.

Anna Colette Hunt

Artist Anna Collette Hunt’s “Stirring the Swarm” is a gorgeous, unsettling, and immersive fairy tale.

YouTube // Deep Look

The Southern grasshopper mouse is shockingly tough.

Male beetles tussling in their flour-floored gladiator arena. Matthew Silk

Same-sex behavior may be a shortcut to avoiding fights.

Shenrich91 via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Bugs, however, can’t see the warning signs.

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Thousands of orange and black butterflies are clustering for warmth amidst stunning scenery.