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a fuzzy black and tan beetle chews on the bark of a pine tree sapling, whose needles can be seen in the background
Pine Trees’ Fragrances Help Neighbors Battle Bark Beetles
Polluted air impedes the trees’ ability to read one another’s signals, a study finds.
Pine Trees’ Fragrances Help Neighbors Battle Bark Beetles
Pine Trees’ Fragrances Help Neighbors Battle Bark Beetles

Polluted air impedes the trees’ ability to read one another’s signals, a study finds.

Polluted air impedes the trees’ ability to read one another’s signals, a study finds.

beetles

Tortoise leaf beetle on a green leaf
The Double Life of a Fungus: Defends Beetle, Attacks Plant
Andy Carstens | Aug 19, 2022 | 4 min read
Tortoise leaf beetles enjoy the protection the fungus provides from insect predators such as ants, then carry the microbe to a mutual plant host, which their fungal symbiont infects.
Photo of a Jewel beetle <em>(Sternocera aequisignata)</em>.
Why Are Some Beetles Shiny? It’s Not What Researchers Thought
Connor Lynch | Mar 1, 2022 | 4 min read
The glossy shell of some beetles, it has long been speculated, helps hide the insects from predators. A recent paper put the hypothesis to the test—and found it wanting.
larva
Leaping Larvae Intrigue Scientists
Chloe Tenn | Jan 20, 2022 | 6 min read
The Scientist spoke with entomologist Matt Bertone about the characteristics of Laemophloeus biguttatus larvae jumps—a previously unreported behavior in this group of beetles.
With Video
An Australian water beetle walks on the underside of the water's surface.
Australian Beetles Walk on the Underside of Water’s Surface
Lisa Winter | Jul 15, 2021 | 1 min read
Watch one scurry around upside down in a remarkably unusual form of locomotion.
eyed elater beetle
Image of the Day: Eyed Elater
Amy Schleunes | Jan 23, 2020 | 1 min read
The click beetle’s intricate false eyes cast a deep black color with the help of pigment-coated hairs.
Image of the Day: Horns and Wings
Emily Makowski | Nov 29, 2019 | 2 min read
Scarab beetle horns share a common genetic origin with wings.
Image of the Day: Beetle Evolution
Emily Makowski | Nov 19, 2019 | 1 min read
Plants, fungi, and bacteria likely contributed to insect diversity.
Eavesdropping on Soil Insects Could Aid Pest Management
Michael Graw | Nov 1, 2019 | 5 min read
Insects in the soil are difficult to monitor, but listening in on the noises they make could help farmers detect pest infestations and improve estimates of biodiversity.
Image of the Day: Attendance Record
Carolyn Wilke | Feb 11, 2019 | 1 min read
Genetic material left behind on flowers can reveal which insects have visited.
Image of the Day: Beetle Fight
Jef Akst | Dec 3, 2018 | 1 min read
The exaggerated horns and elongated forelegs of male flower beetles, which use these appendages as weapons in combat for females, do not slow down the insects in a race.
Image of the Day: Kaleidoscope
Sukanya Charuchandra | Aug 27, 2018 | 1 min read
A single transcription factor regulates a harlequin ladybird’s colors.
Fossilized Beetle Is Earliest Evidence of Insect Pollinator
Abby Olena, PhD | Aug 16, 2018 | 3 min read
A 99-million-year-old beetle preserved in amber alongside grains of pollen likely pollinated prehistoric plants.
How Corpse-Eating Beetles Avoid Infection
Yao-Hua Law | Jun 1, 2018 | 4 min read
Some beetle species may have evolved to tunnel into the ground to escape the pathogens that abound on dead and rotting animals.
Image of the Day: Beetle Escapes Toad’s Stomach
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Feb 8, 2018 | 1 min read
The bombardier beetle forced its devourer to vomit it out by releasing explosive, toxic chemicals.
Image of the Day: Colorado Potato Beetles
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Feb 6, 2018 | 1 min read
Leptinotarsa decemlineata has been decimating agricultural crops since at least the 19th century, and by sequencing its genome researchers hope to explore new strategies for controlling the pest.
Image of the Day: Ectopic Wings
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Jan 24, 2018 | 1 min read
Insect wings may have evolved from multiple origins, say researchers.
Image of the Day: An Actual “Shithole”
The Scientist | Jan 13, 2018 | 1 min read
Beetles cherish the dung they live and feed on.
Image of the Day: Beetle Penis 
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Dec 22, 2017 | 1 min read
Scientists look to a leaf beetle’s genitals for lessons on improving catheter strength.  
Gene Drive’s Achilles Heel
Kerry Grens | May 22, 2017 | 1 min read
Rare genetic variants could blunt efforts to destroy pest populations. 
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