The strange world of praying mantis cannibalistic mating has produced one of the most persistent myths in nature: that a female praying mantis always kills and eats the male after …
Fallen leaves are often treated as garden waste, but keeping some fallen leaves for wildlife can support an active community of insects, spiders, decomposers, and ground-feeding birds. Beneath this natural …
A dragonfly hovering over a pond can suddenly accelerate, bank into a tight turn, reverse direction, or intercept a flying insect with extraordinary precision. Behind those maneuvers is an unusual …
At midday in the Sahara, sunlight beats down on exposed dunes and surface temperatures can climb toward 60–70°C (140–158°F). During this dangerous period, tiny silver ants emerge from underground and …
High in a tropical tree, several worker ants grip the edges of separate living leaves with their mandibles and pull. When the gap is too wide for a single worker, …
At first glance, a scorpionfly looks slightly alarming. Its elongated face, patterned wings, and—in males of many species—a bulbous, upturned genital structure can create the impression of an insect armed …