Articles for category: Insects

Mosquito on a leaf

Mosquitoes Break the Rules: Global Study Reveals Unexpected Feeding Flexibility

April Joy Jovita

A sweeping global study has overturned long-held assumptions about mosquito feeding behavior, revealing that these disease-carrying insects are far more adaptable than previously believed. Published in Global Ecology and Biogeography, the research analyzed over 15,600 mosquito blood-meal records and found that environmental factors—not just innate preferences—play a major role in determining which hosts mosquitoes feed ...

Asian Longhorn Beetle

The Asian Longhorned Beetle Is Back—And Trees in Ohio Are at Risk

The tranquil forests of Ohio, with their towering maples and sturdy oaks, may seem like peaceful sanctuaries where nature thrives undisturbed. But beneath the surface of this serene landscape lurks a threat so devastating that it could transform these lush woodlands into barren wastelands. An invasive species with an appetite for destruction has returned to ...

Free stock photo of agricultural pests, aspen leaf-rolling weevil, beetle species

The Japanese Beetle: Why Your Garden Isn’t Safe in the Midwest

Picture this: you wake up on a beautiful summer morning, coffee in hand, ready to admire the roses you’ve been nurturing all season. Instead, you find skeletal remains where lush leaves once flourished. The culprit? A metallic green invader no bigger than your thumbnail, munching away with the audacity of a creature that owns the ...

a close up of a fruit on a tree branch

Murder Hornets in the Pacific Northwest: Should We Still Be Worried?

The term “murder hornet” once struck fear into the hearts of beekeepers, farmers, and nature lovers across the Pacific Northwest. These massive, aggressive insects seemed like a nightmare scenario – buzzing invaders capable of wiping out entire bee colonies in hours. But as we step into 2025, the question on everyone’s mind isn’t whether they’re ...

Two birds perched on top of a pine tree

The Pine Beetle Epidemic: How One Insect Is Reshaping the Rockies’ Forests

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine standing in a vast pine forest, the air fresh and cool, sunlight streaming through towering green canopies. Now picture that same forest, but with mile after mile of trees tinged in rust-red, their needles dying, their trunks riddled with tiny holes. This isn’t the aftermath of a wildfire or a logging operation—it’s the signature ...

The Spotted Lanternfly Invasion: Why the Northeast Is on Alert

The Spotted Lanternfly Invasion: Why the Northeast Is on Alert

Annette Uy

Picture this: you’re enjoying a peaceful evening on your porch, watching the sunset, when suddenly hundreds of colorful insects descend upon your property like confetti from hell. They’re everywhere—on your trees, your deck furniture, even crawling up your windows. Welcome to the nightmare that’s becoming all too real for millions of residents across the Northeast ...

Oranges hanging from a tree branch.

The Citrus Psyllid Plague: What’s Threatening Florida’s Orange Groves

Trizzy Orozco

Picture yourself driving through the heart of Florida, with the sun painting golden ribbons across endless seas of orange groves. For generations, these trees have been the lifeblood of Florida’s agriculture, a symbol of sunshine and prosperity. But beneath this picturesque scene, a tiny, almost invisible enemy is bringing the state’s iconic groves to their ...

Clownfish: Masters of the Sea

Intersex in the Wild: What Nature Teaches Us About Biological Diversity

Trizzy Orozco

Imagine wandering through a lush rainforest, watching a butterfly pause on a flower, or marveling at the shimmer of a fish beneath the surface of a crystal-clear stream. Now ask yourself: how much diversity is truly hidden in these scenes? The natural world is bursting with surprises, and one of its most captivating lessons is ...

How the Emerald Ash Borer Is Silently Erasing America's Ash Trees

How the Emerald Ash Borer Is Silently Erasing America’s Ash Trees

Annette Uy

Picture a killer so small it could sit comfortably on your fingernail, yet so devastating it could eliminate an entire species spanning 16 different varieties across North America. This isn’t science fiction—it’s the emerald ash borer’s reality. While you’re reading this, millions of ash trees are dying silently in forests and neighborhoods from coast to ...