INSECTS

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What Happens to Mosquitoes in the Winter?

These nuisance creatures have a system for braving the cold so they can emerge in the spring and get back to the business of slurping up your blood.

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.

Journey to the Monarch Mosh Pit

Each fall, millions of migrating monarchs return to Mexico to wait out winter. The gathering makes Woodstock look like a business conference. Here’s how they get there.

Why Don’t Bugs Eat People’s Bones?

In "Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs," Caitlin Doughty explains why human bones usually don't make a very good snack.

‘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.

Massive Swarms of Migrating Dragonflies Are So Large They’re Popping Up on Weather Radar

Though scientists know the insects migrate south in the fall, there are still unanswered questions about the swarms.

‘Water’ in Kansas City Woman’s Ear Turned Out to Be a Venomous Brown Recluse Spider

She woke to the sensation that water was stuck in her ear, and thankfully went right to the doctor’s office.

Bombshell, Victoria’s Secret’s Bestselling Fragrance, Also Happens to Repel Mosquitoes

Want to ward off blood-sucking pests? DEET is still your best bet, but if you want something that smells a little sweeter, Bombshell is a reliable second pick.

Blood Collected From Mosquitoes Could One Day Be Used as Forensic Evidence

While blood collected from mosquitoes won’t be used to clone dinosaurs any time soon, it may one day be used as a tool to solve crime.

The Reason You Shouldn’t Kill the Spiders in Your House, According to an Entomologist

Even if you don’t usually see them, spiders are likely always in your house. And they’re paying rent, sort of.

Honey Bees Can Understand the Concept of Zero

Zero is an idea even young children struggle with, but bees are one of the few animal species that can figure it out.

Bees: Waugsberg via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 / Thought balloon: Noto Project

Honeybees Go "Whoop!" When They Bump Into Each Other

They make the adorable sound with their wings when they're startled. You can listen to them for yourself.

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.

Thorsten Spoerlein, iStock / Getty Images Plus

Wasps Are Living Through Winter and Building 'Super Nests' in Alabama

The super nests can hold multiple queens and up to 15,000 wasps—making them three times bigger than regular nests at their peak.

Las Vegas Is Being Invaded by Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers have invaded Las Vegas following a wet winter, and the swarms are so large that they're showing up on weather radar.

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.

A New Bee Fly Species Was Named After the Night King From Game of Thrones

'Paramonovius nightking' was collected in winter, resides solely in one region of Western Australia, and has a hairy coating that kind of looks like a crown.

A Psychotropic Fungus Is Eating Away Cicadas' Genitalia and Boosting Their Sex Drive

Even when two-thirds of their bodies are composed of fungal spores, the host cicadas continue to attempt mating in a drugged-out stupor.

Minnesota Wants to Pay Homeowners to Create Bee-Friendly Lawns

The new law will cover 75 to 90 percent of the cost of transforming homeowners' lawns into sanctuaries for bees.

The Most Painful Places to Get Stung, According to the Researcher Who Made Bees Sting Him for Science

Michael Smith created a pain map of the worst places on the human body to get stung by a bee—and he used himself as his test subject.

World’s Tiniest McDonald’s Opens in Sweden, Welcomes Bees as Customers

The outside of the model is an exact replica of a McDonald's, but the inside is a bustling beehive with room for thousands of pollinators.

This Is What Millions of Monarch Butterflies Sound Like

If you want to see and hear tens of millions of butterflies, visit Michoacán, Mexico—or just watch this video instead.

Wasps Have the Ability to Use Logic, According to a New Study

Wasps not only pack a sting. They can also exhibit a kind of logical deduction never before seen in invertebrates.

Notre-Dame's Rooftop Bees Survived the Historic Fire

A fire destroyed much of Notre-Dame's roof on April 15, but the bees living in wooden beehives above the cathedral survived.

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