Moth-inspired nanostructures take the color out of thin films
Inspired by the structure of moth eyes, researchers at North Carolina State University have developed nanostructures that limit reflection at the interfaces where two thin films meet, suppressing the "thin-film ...
Caterpillars aren't so bird brained after all
(PhysOrg.com) -- Caterpillars that masquerade as twigs to avoid becoming a bird's dinner are actually using clever behavioural strategies to outwit their predators, according to a new study.
Amphibious caterpillars discovered in Hawaii (w/ Video)
Moths of the Hawaiian genus Hyposmocoma are an oddball crowd: One of the species' caterpillars attacks and eats tree snails. Now researchers have described at least a dozen different species that live underwater ...
Urban light pollution and its impact on nocturnal activity
Researchers in Germany have discovered that urban light pollution not only limits the visibility of stars, but also plays havoc with nocturnal animals that depend on a compass-like pattern of polarised light ...
Moth forces wine country's secret into the open
Silk moth's antenna inspires new nanotech tool with applications in Alzheimer's research
By mimicking the structure of the silk moth's antenna, University of Michigan researchers led the development of a better nanopore---a tiny tunnel-shaped tool that could advance understanding of a class of ...
Glue, fly, glue: Caddisflies' underwater silk adhesive might suture wounds
Like silkworm moths, butterflies and spiders, caddisfly larvae spin silk, but they do so underwater instead on dry land. Now, University of Utah researchers have discovered why the fly's silk is sticky when ...
Why Female Moths are Big and Beautiful
(PhysOrg.com) -- In most animal species, males and females show obvious differences in body size. But how can this be, given that both sexes share the same genes governing their growth? University of Arizona ...
Beetle declines increase concerns about wider insect trouble
Like stealth fighter plane, barbastelle bat uses sneaky hunting strategy to catch its prey
Like a stealth fighter plane, the barbastelle bat uses a sneaky hunting strategy to catch its prey. A team of researchers from the University of Bristol combined three cutting-edge techniques ...
New insect birth control strategy zaps cotton pests
Using pests as part of an insect birth control program helps to get rid of them, UA researchers find. A new approach that combines the planting of pest-resistant cotton and releasing large numbers of sterile ...
Chemical weapon in spider silk repels ant attack: study
Researchers have shown for the first time how Golden orb web spiders (Nephila antipodiana) add a chemical to their web silk to repel invading ants.
The global impact of climate change on biodiversity
New research led by the University of York which retraced the steps of a 1965 survey on Mount Kinabalu in Borneo has discovered that, on average, species had moved uphill by about 67 m over the intervening years to cope with ...
Biologist discovers pink-winged moth in Chiracahua Mountains
University of Arizona biologist Bruce Walsh has identified a new species of moth in southern Arizona. Normally, this is not a big deal. The region is one of the most biologically rich areas in the country ...