Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. A UC Riverside entomology student chose names for four newly described Australian insect species that were inspired by the world-famous pop star. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search.

Researchers have developed a low-cost, semi-automated, AI-driven method that uses remote cameras to survey bumblebees and potentially other insects. The new tool could have important implications for efforts to conserve declining insect populations . This includes bumblebee species, several of which have been petitioned to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Researchers also say the technology could benefit agriculture, given that many crops depend on insects as pollinators. "Insects are vitally important, and we need methods to better understand their populations," said Michael Getz, a data scientist at Biodiversity Research Institute in Maine, who led this research as a master's student at Oregon State University.

The newly named UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to 620 plant species. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Red sundews are known for suffocating insects. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

Lake flies challenge the explanation of why there are no insects in the open ocean. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . Like it or not, insects are everywhere, including places where you may not want them to be.

Cyborg cockroach fitted with a tiny diving suit can survive underwater for up to three hours, potentially aiding search and rescue teams in flood and earthquake disaster zones.

Bees seem to show when they are pleased and like something, rather than just needing it, in one of the strongest signs yet that insects have subjective experiences. In recent decades, it has become clear that bees are capable of more complex behaviours than we previously thought, such as counting and demonstrating a sense of rhythm . But discerning whether they have inner states akin to our emotions is more difficult. For one thing, insects don't have the flexible facial musculature of mammals, which we use to communicate our feelings. "How can we get any behavioural readout of these insects with a hard body and their mask of a face," asks Andrew Barron at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Swarms of cyborg insects controlled remotely via electrical implants can now operate underwater, thanks to tiny diving suits supplying them with oxygen - which could one day enable them to explore Mars. Hirotaka Sato at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and his colleagues first demonstrated in 2021 that Madagascar hissing cockroaches () could be remotely controlled with electrodes embedded in sensory organs known as cerci. In 2024, they demonstrated that a swarm of 20 of these cyborg insects could coordinate. The aim was to develop biological robots equipped with infrared sensors that could be released in large numbers after natural disasters to search for survivors. Cockroaches represent a ready-made platform for such applications with a working fuel source, efficient locomotion and in-built reflexes to dodge obstacles - capabilities that engineers still struggle to replicate mechanically at such a small scale.

These luminous beetles use light to flirt and fend off predators. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . Growing up, Clyde Sorenson loved catching bugs, especially fireflies.

The'Parasite of Parasites' Has Been Discovered in the Tropical Forests of Borneo A newly identified species of fungus attacks the famous "zombie mushrooms" that control ants. Scientists from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah have discovered a newly identified "parasite of parasites " in the tropical forests of Borneo. More specifically, it is what the researchers describe as a hyperparasite--an organism capable of parasitizing other parasites. In this case, its targets are zombie fungi. The new fungal species, named for its distinctive horn-shaped structure, has been described in the journal Phytotaxa.

But this leaf-masquerading katydid hasn't been changed for good. An international team of scientists spotted the color-changing insect on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In the pitch black hours nearing midnight last March on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, a team of scientists came across a startling discovery: a hot pink leaf-masquerading katydid (), striking a pose in the glow of a research station light. Leaf-masquerading katydids are camouflage insects that usually resemble green leaves to ward off predators.