Insect News: Page 14

Virus Makes Gypsy Moth Caterpillars Climb to the Tops of Trees and Liquefy (September 8, 2011): A baculovirus makes gypsy moth caterpillars climb to the tops of trees.

Water Striders Don't Stride. They Row Across the Surface of the Water (August 31, 2011): Water striders are insects known for their ability to travel across the surface of the water in a pond or creek.

Researchers Say Bacteria Responsible for Black Death During Middle Ages is Extinct (August 30, 2011): Researchers say a flea that lives on rats was the culprit for the Black Death that killed many humans during the Middle Ages.

Parasitoid Wasps Filmed Attacking Ants From the Air For First Time (August 29, 2011): Tiny parasitoid wasps (less than 2.

Entomologist Discovers New Species of Creepy Giant Wasp With Enormous Jaws (August 26, 2011): Entomologist Lynn Kimsey discovered a new species of wasp on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Giraffe Weevils Fight With Their Extremely Long Necks (August 21, 2011): The giraffe weevil takes it name from its extremely long neck, which is much longer than its body.

Bugnadoes Filmed Above Flooded Cornfield in Iowa (August 18, 2011): Storm chaser and photographer Mike Hollingshead captured tornado-shaped masses of bugs in southwestern Iowa following flooding along the Missouri River.

The Winter Ant Poisons Its Enemies With Toxin Secreted From Its Abdomen (August 14, 2011): Chemical warfare exists in the ant world.

Video: Assassin Bugs vs Vampire Bats (July 29, 2011): An Assassin Bug takes on a vampire bat in this National Geographic video.

Odd Cretaceous Insect Had Mayfly, Dragonfly and Praying Mantis Parts (July 20, 2011): German scientists at the Stuttgart Natural History Museum have discovered a a new insect order from the Lower Cretaceous of South America.

Six New Species of Eucalantica Micro-Moths Discovered (July 19, 2011): Six new species of Eucalantica micro-moths have been discovered.

Researchers Find Synchronous Flashing Helps Female Fireflies Recognize Suitable Mates (July 14, 2011): In some firefly species the bioluminescent flashing between males occurs synchronically.

Four New Species of Jewel Beetles Discovered (July 8, 2011): A team of researchers from the Czech University of Life Sciences discovered four new species of jewel beetles (Buprestidae) from Southeastern Asia.

Weevil's Hip Joint Fits Together Like a Screw and Nut (July 4, 2011): Researchers have discovered that the weevil's hip joint fits together like a screw and nut.

Gliding Ants Can Direct Their Descent if They Fall From a Tree (June 25, 2011): Gliding ants build nests in trees in the Amazon.

Leaproach, a Jumping Cockroach, Discovered in South Africa (May 29, 2011): The leaproach is a jumping cockroach discovered in South Africa. He has grasshopper like legs.

Wingless Firefly Females Less Likely to Get Nuptial Gift From Males (May 28, 2011): A study by researchers from Tufts University has found that species of wingless firefly females are less likely to get nuptial gifts from males.

Tiny Parasitic Wasp Filmed in Flight for the First Time (May 27, 2011): The Flight Artists team from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, has been the first to make high-speed camera footage of parasitic wasps of about 1 mm wingspan.

Study Shows Epomis Beetles Prey on Amphibians Much Larger Than Themselves (May 20, 2011): Tel-Aviv University researchers have shown that ground beetles of the genus Epomis can take on and kill amphibians much larger than themselves.

Antlion Larvae Build Pits to Capture Ants (May 13, 2011): This video from National Geographic shows how antlion larvae capture ants.

Video Shows How Fire Ants Form Living Rafts in Water (April 26, 2011): Fire ants are known for their ability to survive floods by clinging together in a floating ball or fire ant raft.

Researchers Discover Optical Secrets of Beetles' Metallic-like Appearance (April 25, 2011): Why are some beetles so metallic and shiny? A team of researchers at the University of Costa Rica believe the metallic appearance of some species of beetles may help them go unnoticed by potential predators.

Animation Explains Experiment That Proves Ants Can Count (April 17, 2011): This animation from NPR's Robert Krulwich and Odd Todd does a great job of explaining a recent experiment that proves desert ants recount their steps to find their way back home.

Creepy Insect Animation Created for Planetarium (March 28, 2011): New Scientist reports that this creepy animation was intented for the dome-shaped screens at a planetarium.

Stink Bug Population Exploding in United States (March 24, 2011): The population of Brown marmorated stink bugs is exploding in the United States. The bug was introduced from Asia in the late 1990s.