Insects That Live Inside Other Insects — The Ultimate Parasites

Rica Rosal

The natural world is filled with fascinating relationships between species, but few are as intricate and seemingly alien as the world of entomophagous parasites—insects that live inside other insects. These microscopic invaders have evolved remarkable adaptations that allow them to penetrate the defenses of their hosts, transforming their victims’ bodies into living nurseries and food ...

How Cockroach Brains Are Helping Us Build Better AI

Rica Rosal

The humble cockroach—often despised and rarely admired—is becoming an unlikely hero in the cutting-edge field of artificial intelligence. While these resilient insects might be unwelcome house guests, their remarkable neural systems are providing invaluable insights for AI researchers. The cockroach brain, despite being relatively simple compared to mammalian brains, demonstrates extraordinary capabilities in decision-making, navigation, ...

The Insects Pushing Out Native Pollinators in the U.S.

Rica Rosal

Native pollinators in the United States face an increasing threat from non-native insect species that compete for resources and disrupt established ecological balances. These invasive insects, often introduced accidentally through global trade or deliberately for agricultural purposes, are rapidly changing the pollination landscape across America. Their presence not only threatens biodiversity but also impacts agricultural ...

a green insect on a leaf

Can Bugs Hear You? How Insects Detect Sound Through Legs, Wings, and More

Rica Rosal

The world of insect sensory perception remains largely mysterious to us, despite sharing our planet with these tiny creatures for millions of years. While humans rely primarily on ears positioned on either side of our head to detect sound waves, insects have evolved remarkably different systems for sensing their acoustic environment. From detecting potential mates ...

a spider web with spider webs

How Spiders Use Webs to Hear the World Around Them

Rica Rosal

In the silent corners of our homes and the hidden spaces of nature, spiders create intricate masterpieces of silk that serve far more purposes than we once understood. While most of us recognize spider webs as ingenious hunting tools, scientists have recently discovered something remarkable: these delicate structures also function as sophisticated hearing devices. Spiders, ...

Zombie Ants: The Fungi That Turn Insects Into Puppets

Rica Rosal

In the shadowy understory of tropical forests around the world, a macabre drama unfolds daily, invisible to most human eyes. Carpenter ants, going about their foraging duties, unwittingly inhale microscopic spores that will seal their fate in a manner so bizarre it seems plucked from science fiction. These are the victims of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis and ...

When Bugs Bite Back: Invasive Insects That Affect Human Health

Rica Rosal

In a world where global travel and commerce move at lightning speed, unwelcome hitchhikers often tag along—invasive insects that not only disrupt ecosystems but also pose significant threats to human health. These tiny invaders cross borders undetected, establishing themselves in new territories where natural predators are absent and conditions favor explosive population growth. From disease-carrying ...

grasshopper, lobster, mimicry, camouflage, brown, insect

Insects That Mimic Leaves, Sticks, and Even Bird Poop

Rica Rosal

In the never-ending evolutionary arms race between predator and prey, insects have developed some of the most remarkable camouflage strategies in the animal kingdom. These masters of disguise have evolved to mimic objects in their environment with such precision that they can disappear in plain sight. From insects that perfectly resemble dead leaves with veins ...

a close up of a fly on a wooden surface

Do Flies Have Sleep Cycles What Happens in a Resting Bug Brain

Rica Rosal

When we observe flies buzzing around our homes or landing on our food, we rarely consider whether these tiny insects need rest. Yet, the question of insect sleep has fascinated scientists for decades. Research reveals that flies do indeed exhibit sleep-like states, complete with distinctive patterns and neural processes. Though vastly different from human sleep, ...

Fruit Flies in the Lab: How Tiny Bugs Help Us Understand Human Genes

Rica Rosal

In the bustling corridors of scientific research, a tiny buzzing hero has been quietly revolutionizing our understanding of human genetics for over a century. The humble fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, measuring barely 3 millimeters long, has become one of science’s most powerful tools for unraveling the mysteries encoded in our DNA. Despite their seeming simplicity, ...