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Trap Door Spider Biology
Insects and arthropods are some of the most diverse creatures on the planet and have developed a number of clever techniques for hunting and survival. From butterflies that have evolved mimicry patterns to avoid detection to the blister beetle that literally shoots poison at its enemies, insects and arthropods are […]

What Are “Murder Hornets” and How Dangerous Are They?
If you have been paying attention in the past few months, you probably have heard a lot of talk about so-called “murder hornets.” Nests of murder hornets have been popping up in the American Northwestwest, drawing attention and concern from national health agencies. “Murder honrets”—another name for the Asian giant hornet […]

Monarch Butterfly Natural History
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is one of the most famous insects in America and possibly the world. Monarch butterflies (also known as milkweed butterflies, tiger butterflies, or wandered butterflies). Monarch butterflies are known for their brilliant orange colors, unique dietary habits, and annual mass migrations to the south. Monarch […]

Daddy Longlegs are not spiders.
Everyone probably remembers going into their closet or the pantry and finding one of these long-legged spiders. The creepy crawly daddy long leg spider has captured the fears of people around the globe due to its frightening appearance and long, spindly legs.Despite rumors to the contrary, the daddy longleg spider […]

Ants and Aphid Symbiosis
In the context of biology, symbiosis refers to an evolved relationship between organisms of different species that benefit each individual. When it comes to bugs, several insect species have evolved symbiotic relationships that help them survive.One interesting symbiotic relationship between insects is that between ants and aphids. Aphids produce a […]

Bee Cognition
In the early 1900s, Austrian scientist Karl von Frisch won the Nobel prize in biology for identifying the famous “waggle dance” of communication between honey bees and showing that honey bees can perceive ultraviolet light. Whereas it had generally been thought previously that honey bees (Apis mellifera) were more or […]

Do Insects Sleep?
Sleep is one of those things that everyone is familiar with but we don’t actually know much about it. Despite the relative ubiquity of sleep in the animal kingdom, scientists still understand very little about this important biological function. Pretty much every known mammal and reptile experiences sleep patterns and […]