Insects & Invertebrates
"It requires chilly temperatures of 0 ̊C to survive. If exposed to the balmy warmth of 4.4 ̊C, their membranes dissolve and they will melt into goo"
A leftover from the last ice age, ice worms are remarkable creatures that can survive freezing temperatures says Michael Engelhard
“With what seems like suicidal recklessness, it approaches the spider still feasting on prey”
In this clip from the BBC’s The Trials of Life, narrated by David Attenborough, two spiders compete for food – one much smaller than the other, but not less daring.
Google wants to release millions of mosquitoes across the US. Here’s why
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has applied for a permit from the US Environmental Protection Agency
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She’s equipped with deadly hooked claws that's used to pin down her prey, which only dies once all its vital organs have been eaten, left until last…
Meet the wasp that has a taste for tarantulas
“Torture. You are chained in the flow of an active volcano.” This painful stinging creature makes bizarre nests and defends them by drumming
The warrior wasp has a unique way of defending its nest – before delivering one of the most excruciating stings on the planet
"He described the sting as 'Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A bolt out of the heavens. Lie down and scream.'" 8 deadliest bees, wasps and hornets
These buzzing insects tend to have a bad reputation - but which are the deadliest?
"Working together they can subdue prey a whopping 700 times their weight - even birds aren't safe..."
If one spider is enough to get you sweating, how about webs full of thousands of them?
Its deadly sting causes paralysis and 2,600 deaths a year…
Do scorpions deserve their fearsome reputation? Stuart Blackman takes a look
"It feeds on your blood for a week before you even notice – and then leaves behind a rare and life-threatening disease…"
Carried by the lone star tick, the Bourbon virus mimics Lyme disease closely enough to slip past diagnosis entirely.
"It will slowly consume their host from the inside-out, leaving only the essential organs, to keep the surrogate womb ticking over…"
Life gets pretty grim for a caterpillar if it becomes infected with a parasitic wasp says Nick Baker? Who says zombies aren't real?
Scientists searching for a devastating crop-killing pest discovered an 'alien' nightmare instead…
Scientists found a new species of wasp in China – but it does something weird...
The truth about the famous 'worm' in the alcoholic drink mezcal is a lot stranger than you think
Biologists have finally identified the ‘worm’ added to bottles of mezcal
Researchers explore one of Africa’s deepest lakes – and found an unexpected creature lurking in its depths
A surprising insect has been observed at depths of more than 200 metres
"They are among the world's strangest creatures. Some lay eggs that hatch into a different species altogether, rather than their own – bizarre…"
Researchers have identified a new species of harvester ant in Bulgaria – part of a notoriously tricky genus Messor.
Canals were built for industry, but have become a lifeline for endangered species. Here’s why
Britain’s canals were not designed for nature, but for many species they could be what makes survival possible
"To see one, you’ll need to dive into the twilight zone where they float around looking – quite frankly – like a pair of pink, peachy pig’s buttocks"
Meet the pigbutt worm - that looks just like it sounds. Never has a name been so apt...
It lurches from the sand like a coiled spring, snapping its jaws so ferociously they can slice prey in half… 6 terrifying, spine-chilling worms
Prepare for a scare as we take a look at some of the most terrifying worms on the planet.
Prehistoric insects were absolutely massive. Here's why they needed to be so darn big
Richard Jones explains just why prehistoric insects were so large...
The day weevils hired lawyers and saw the Church in court
Meet the 16th century lawyer who defended weevils in court – centuries before ‘conservation’ existed
Do ants use toilets?
How one species of ant even have toilet attendants...
These giant insects are spreading across Europe. And they're reproducing fast
Boosted by climate change and human activity, these praying mantises have settled in – and are proving to be quite problematic residents.
“It slowly disappears under a writhing mass of earth and ants and is sliced up.” Ravenous insects devour prey alive in BBC clip
Driver ants attack everything unfortunate enough to wind up in their path – and this unlucky slug is in for a tough day.
Scientists have built a tiny diving suit for ‘cyborg cockroaches’. And it could save human lives
The invention comes after a decade of research into cyborg insects – which could be used in search and rescue missions
"As with humans, their greatest enemies are the same species. At the frontier they detect friend or foe by smell and interlopers are repulsed…"
Ants are often a much-overlooked group of insects, but they have fascinating behaviours and adaptations, as entomologist Richard Jones explains.
