Vincetoxicum nakaianum tricks flies into pollinating it by imitating the smell of ants attacked by spiders. Ko Mochizuki stumbled upon this finding when he noticed flies clustering around the flowers and later confirmed their unusual preference. The study reveals the first known case of ant odor mimicry in plants, expanding our understanding of how diverse floral deception can be.
Read moreFor more than a century, a dazzling pink-and-yellow moth was mistaken for a common European species, but DNA analysis revealed it as entirely new: Carcina ingridmariae. Found across the eastern Mediterranean, this hidden beauty had evaded recognition until advanced barcoding techniques exposed its genetic secrets. Entomologist Dr. Peter Huemer confirmed the discovery and, in a heartfelt gesture, named the moth after his wife on their 42nd anniversary, celebrating both science and love.
Read moreTo inspire advanced robotic technology, researchers have published the most complete description of how flying insects land upside-down.
Read moreWhether they occur on holiday routes or the daily commute, traffic jams affect cars as well as pedestrians. Scientists have demonstrated that ant colonies, however, are spared these problems and circulate easily, even in the event of extremely dense traffic, thus ensuring consistent efficiency in their foraging.
Read moreA new study cross-examines classic hypotheses about the coevolution of butterflies with flowering plants and moths with bats, their key predators. The findings show flowering plants did drive much of these insects' diversity, but in a surprise twist, multiple moth lineages evolved 'ears' millions of years before the existence of bats, previously credited with triggering moths' development of hearing organs.
Read moreThe rise of dark forms of many species of moth in heavily polluted areas of 19th and 20th century Britain, known as industrial melanism, was a highly visible response to environmental change. But did the different species rely on the same gene to adapt? New research by the University of Liverpool reveals that three species of moth, including the famous peppered moth, indeed did.
Read moreBiologists have described a new species of praying mantis that displays the first documented example of conspicuous mimicking of a wasp among praying mantises.
Read moreSince its invention during the Second World War for soldiers stationed in countries where malaria transmission rates were high, researchers have worked to pinpoint precisely how DEET actually affects mosquitoes.
Read moreNew research shows that ants inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases. The small insects secrete antibiotics from glands in the body. On their legs and body, they also host colonies of bacteria that secrete antibiotics. It is probably these substances that inhibit a number of different diseases and researchers now hope to find biological pesticides that may conquer resistant plant diseases.
Read moreA new study shows that the presence or absence of moonlight has a considerable bearing on when migratory birds take flight in the autumn.
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