Praying mantises, like most other complex organisms, mate to reproduce, but there’s a wrinkle. Female praying mantises often kill the male after they’re done mating, but one species of mantis has developed a defense. New research shows how male springbok mantises manage to escape sexual encounters without dying in the process. Sex is the reason …
Purina is making a move to test out a sustainable source of insect-based protein for some of its dog and cat food. The company’s Beyond Naturals foods will soon include a product that sources protein from fly larvae. Scientists have long suggested that insect proteins may save us from food shortages in the future. The …
An analysis of over 80 studies shows a direct link between mobile phone and Wi-Fi radiation and declining insect populations. Radiation can affect insects at the cellular level and cause serious problems with their behavior and health. There is no clear solution, as we’re unlikely to give up our mobile communications any time soon. Mobile …
Scientists developed a tiny backpack with a camera system so small it can be worn by an insect. The camera can relay images and videos to a special smartphone app. The researchers used their work to develop a tiny robot capable of relaying observations in a similar manner. Insects are so prolific that it can …
Murder hornets are terrifyingly large and recently made their way to the United States. A murder hornet is beyond painful, but the giant hornets pose a greater threat to local bee populations than to humans. Japanese honeybees can defend themselves from a murder hornet attack by effectively “cooking’ the murder hornet alive with heat from …
Murder Hornets are terrifyingly large and recently made their way to the United States. Some females can grow to be more than 2 inches long. Murder Hornets have an incredibly painful bite, but one man decided to get stung on purpose and record his experience. Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories. 2020 is going to …
If your first instinct upon noticing a pesky fly buzzing around your person is to swat at it in the hopes of sending it elsewhere or even killing it, well, you’re pretty normal. We don’t often think twice when it comes to dispatching insects we find in our homes or even ones that get too …
When you’re particularly sick, you go to the hospital. Health care facilities like clinics and hospitals can improve our quality of life, but they may also have the potential to bolster so-called “superbugs” which are antibiotic-resistant versions of some of the most troublesome bacteria. In a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, …
Running into a wasp — or even worse, several wasps — on a nice summer day can be terrifying. Unlike honeybees, some wasp species are aggressive, and if they decide your can of Mt. Dew is actually their can of Mt. Dew you could be in for a painful confrontation. But just how smart are …
How can we best measure the largely negative impact mankind has had on the planet? Well, we can measure the increasingly dramatic global temperature spikes, observe the disappearance of arctic ice, or tally the number of species that have been pushed to extinction by human expansion. Those are all great data points that we should …
