Insects & Invertebrates
How do bees make honey? The astonishing process that turns nectar into liquid gold
Do you ever think about how bees make the tasty honey you enjoy on your toast? Stuart Blackman gives a step-by-step guide to this rather sophisticated production line
It looks like a snake, has a snake’s eyes and even flashes a forked, snake-like tongue – but this is far from a snake
This orange creature has one remarkable trick to keep it safe
“They burrow their way into open wounds and bodily openings, such as the ears, laying hundreds of eggs." Human flesh-eating parasite returns to the US
After a successful eradication in the 1950s, this screwworm has made its way back to the US.
null
undefined
Do any animals hold funerals?
Humans are not the only animals that mark death – across the animal kingdom, scientists have documented behaviours that seem remarkably similar to mourning, vigils and even funerals.
"In a gloriously tragic act of self-sacrifice, she stops eating and dies of starvation before her young hatch".
Mother octopuses never meet their babies, as they stop eating and die of starvation before the young hatch. However, that’s probably a good thing.
"Imagine a small chipolata sausage to which some joker has tastelessly attached a mole cricket" 12 weirdest insects on the planet
The insect world is definitely a weird one - and there are some that are even weirder than the others. Discover some of the world's strangest and bizarrest insects
"She may eat parts of her own arms to essentially accelerate her own demise." 8 females with the worst, most horrible, lives ever
In the animal kingdom, it's often females that wield the power - but that doesn't mean they have it easy.
They might look like splodges of bird poop, but these white blotches are actually living animals – and they can’t move
Spiders weave sticky, deadly webs to trap prey, so how do they avoid getting stuck themselves?
Just how spiders avoid getting stuck in their own webs involves complex anti-adhesion mechanisms, says Helen Smith
"They have the ability to supercool. They lower the freezing point of fluids in their cells, so that ice crystals don’t form"
Nick Baker takes a look at one of our toughest and fascinating winter insects, the snow flea
Can spiders really be beautiful? Definitely! Meet the world's prettiest, most stunning spiders, from bright blue tarantulas to vivid peacock spiders
We take a look at the most colourful members of the spider family
![Margaritifera margaritifera
[[Boldie]] Joel Berglund](https://d2rj6cu2ik1biv.cloudfront.net/193c804a-a673-47bd-b09b-11baf4822a17/9ac494a4-627d-4fea-a827-dcf588dd6f96/46bc0904-795c-400c-979b-1cf13d462336/thumbnails/2eb19d6b-e9cb-447e-b83b-142e7285a491.jpeg?appId=f347d34d-c1a6-4a00-b570-b78c2dcb3211&platform=WEB&w=1200&webp=1 "Margaritifera margaritifera[[Boldie]] Joel Berglund")
"It does not become sexually mature until about 15 years old and can live to be 120 years old or more"
The rare freshwater pearl mussel can play a large role in restoring water quality in our rivers
"Its head, thrashing left and right, sports 4 black eyes and 6 furtive, fleshy feelers that suggest the whiskers of a Chinese dragon puppet
In muddy estuaries live secretive worms with special ways of pulling edible morsels into their lairs. Meet the ragworm
This amazing metallic blue tarantula is the most beautiful spider in the world
If ever proof were needed that spiders can be beautiful, then this is surely it. Meet the Gooty tarantula
It drills through shells with a cocktail of acid and enzymes – then liquefies its victim inside their own home
If you're visiting a sandy beach you may like to reflect on something that might be going on below your feet. Lurking behind the veil of wet sand, a killer is on the prowl. A driller-killer, no less. Let me introduce you to the moon snail
He uses his enormous neck to show off and wrestle rivals – she uses hers to weave an intricate cradle for her one, precious egg
This curious species of long-necked
beetle is unique to Madagascar
“One of the longest-running cold cases of palaeontology.” Scientists may finally know what created these strange markings
This pattern has been puzzling scientists for centuries – now, new research uncovers part of the mystery.
Millions-strong cicada swarms may be doomed, say US biologists
The mass emergence of periodical cicadas is one of North America’s most spectacular natural events – but new research suggests changes to habitat and deforestation may spell the end for these remarkable insects.
Its fate is “sealed by a clinical decapitation” – watch this praying mantis meet a cruel end
A colony of ants is no joke, even to bigger predators such as this unfortunate praying mantis.
Insects lack the vital organ needed to breathe so how on earth do they survive?
Here's exactly how insects breathe without lungs
"Its venom feels like it’s been inflicted by a gun shot." It might look harmless but don't be fooled as it delivers the world's most painful sting, leaving you in agony for 24 hours or more
It may only be 2.5cm but it sure packs a punch. Here's all you need to know about bullet ants
"They hide in the nooks and crannies of our beds, then come out at night to slurp up our blood like a smoothie…" 8 animals that could be in your bed
We like to think that we choose who we share our bedrooms with, yet sometimes, mother nature has other ideas.
Weird wings, glass bodies and 9,000-mile relay races: Meet the world’s 9 most bizarre butterflies
The insect world is full of weird and wonderful evolutionary designs, and these remarkable species prove that butterflies are far stranger than you might expect
“They shunt the toxic burden to their eggs.” Queen bees have a morbid way of protecting themselves against chemicals
In a beehive, it’s all about survival of the fittest – and it turns out the queen bee will go far to ensure she is the healthiest of them all.
