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- 1Bumblebees filmed landing on sideways-moving flower model●🐝 NEW: # Bumblebees returning to a hive were filmed landing on a # flower model sliding sideways twice a second. Three h
Researchers filmed bumblebees landing on an artificial flower sliding sideways twice per second, using three high-speed cameras to record 48 landings reconstructed in 3D. The bees banked their bodies to match the platform's motion, lagging slightly behind it, and the resulting models offer new insight into how insects control mid-air landings.
- 2CabotFest returns with community, food and cricket-spitting▼CabotFest returns: Community, food & cricket-spitting
CabotFest is back in Cabot, Arkansas, drawing residents together for a celebration featuring local food, community activities and the quirky crowd favorite: cricket-spitting contests. The festival's return gives the town a chance to showcase its community spirit, with the insect-spitting competition once again serving as an unusual attraction that sets the event apart from typical local festivals.
- 3Insects sustain vertebrate life as food, shelter and medicine▼Insects are essential to vertebrate life — as food, shelter and medicine
Researchers at Binghamton University argue that insects are essential to vertebrate life, serving not just as food but also as a source of shelter and medicine. The finding highlights how deeply vertebrate species depend on insects, reinforcing warnings that insect decline could have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems worldwide.
- 4New Paper Maps Wide Range of Vertebrate-Insect Interactions▼New Paper Highlights Breadth of Vertebrate-Insect Interactions
A newly published paper, covered by the University of Connecticut, highlights the breadth of interactions between vertebrates and insects. The research underscores how widespread these relationships are across ecosystems, though further details of its findings and methods are not yet widely reported.
- 5McDaniel College biology students present fall research symposium▼Antennae, Tentacles, and Beyond: McDaniel Biology Fall Research Symposium
McDaniel College's biology department held its Fall Research Symposium, titled 'Antennae, Tentacles, and Beyond,' showcasing student and faculty research on organisms from insects to invertebrates. The campus event featured presentations of undergraduate research projects in the life sciences.
- 6Butterfly wing patterns found to confuse predators' perception of flight●Wing patterns, flight dynamics create “motion dazzle” effect, make it harder to gauge speed, direction. https:// arstech
Researchers describe how butterfly wing patterns combined with flight dynamics produce a 'motion dazzle' effect, making it harder for observers to judge the insects' speed and direction. The phenomenon is compared to classic barbershop pole illusions, where moving stripes create misleading impressions of motion. The finding offers new insight into how visual deception evolves as a survival strategy in nature.
- 7EHD outbreak in Wisconsin spreads to dairy heifers and captive deer▼EHD outbreak in Wisconsin also has affected dairy heifers, captive deer
An epizootic hemorrhagic disease outbreak in Wisconsin is no longer limited to wild deer. State officials report the viral disease, spread by biting midges, has now also affected dairy heifers and captive deer herds. The development raises concerns for livestock producers, as EHD can cause illness and deaths in cattle, prompting closer monitoring of farms in affected areas during the insect season.
- 8Native hoverflies busy pollinating in Canberra gardens●There were so many native hoverflys milling about and doing their pollination thing before I tried to grab this snap. #
A gardener in Canberra shared a photo of numerous native hoverflies swarming around plants and pollinating before the picture was taken. The snapshot highlights how these beneficial insects support garden pollination, and prompts appreciation of native pollinators in home gardens. Replies in gardening circles reflect growing interest in attracting hoverflies and other insects to backyard spaces.
- 9Trump Signs Order Targeting Mosquitoes and Ticks in Washington●Трамп оголосив нову війну: тепер комарам і кліщам Президент США Дональд Трамп підписав указ про масштабну боротьбу з ком
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order launching a large-scale campaign against mosquitoes and ticks in Washington, DC. Under the directive, federal agencies must cut the capital's invasive mosquito population by 90% by 2028, along with significant reductions in tick numbers. The unusual use of presidential authority against insect pests is drawing attention and amusement online, with Ukrainian-language outlets among those covering the story widely.
- 10Common blue butterfly captured in striking macro photo●Icarusblauwtje - Polyommatus icarus #insectsofthefediverse #insect #insects #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturephot
A close-up photograph of a common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus), shared in Dutch as 'Icarusblauwtje', is drawing small-scale appreciation among nature and macro photography enthusiasts. The image highlights the insect's delicate detail, with viewers engaging through wildlife and nature photography communities.
- 11Macro photo of common carder bumblebee shared online●Akkerhommel - Bombus pascuorum #insectsofthefediverse #insect #insects #macro #macrophotography #nature #naturephotograp
Nature photographers are sharing close-up images of the common carder bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum), a widespread European species known in Dutch as the akkerhommel. The shots highlight the bee's fuzzy, ginger-coloured body and its role as a pollinator, with enthusiasts exchanging macro photography tips and tagging wildlife and insect photography communities.
- 12Macro photographers share weevil photos for Weevil Wednesday●It's #weevilwednesday ! Unknown weevil on a clover leaf #bugreport #insects #insect #nature #naturephotography #macro #m
Nature photographers are posting close-up shots of weevils to mark Weevil Wednesday, a recurring online tradition celebrating the beetles. One new entry shows an unidentified weevil resting on a clover leaf, photographed in macro detail. Participants share images under the hashtag each week, swapping identifications and admiring the insects' distinctive snouts.
- 13Photographer's lioness shot breaks from nature photo routine●We're pausing the regular mushrooms and insects posting to show you this lioness. #photography #iphoneography #shotoniph
A wildlife photographer who regularly shares mushroom and insect photos posted a striking image of a lioness, temporarily setting aside their usual subjects. The picture, taken on an iPhone, is drawing attention among nature and photography enthusiasts.
- 14Wildlife found in Montreal lawns this summer●Trouvé dans le gazon cet été 🐛 🐰 🐀 🙏 # photography # wildlifephotography # nature # montréal
A Montreal-based nature photographer shared images of small creatures discovered in local lawns over the summer, including insects, a rabbit and a rodent. The post, tagged wildlife photography and nature, highlights the everyday biodiversity thriving in urban green spaces, accompanied by a gesture of gratitude toward the animals found.
- 15Butterfly wings share a trick with barbershop poles●What butterfly wings have in common with barbershop poles https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/what-butterfly-wings-h
Ars Technica reports that butterfly wings and the classic rotating barbershop pole rely on the same visual phenomenon: motion illusions created by how light and structure interact. In both cases, patterns moving in one direction can appear to shift the opposite way, a property tied to the microscopic structure of wing scales and the geometry of the striped pole, with implications for studying optics and perception in biology.
- 16
Scientists are developing gene-silencing technology, such as RNA interference, as a new tool to protect forests from invasive insect pests. The approach targets specific pest genes without chemicals, offering a potential alternative to pesticides for safeguarding vulnerable tree species and woodland ecosystems from damage caused by non-native species.
- 17Macro photographers share striking citrus butterfly images●Citrus butterfly #butterfly #insect #macro #macrophotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #olympus #omsystem #ol
Wildlife photographers are posting close-up images of citrus butterflies, highlighting the insect's detailed wing patterns through macro photography. The shots, taken with Olympus camera equipment, are being shared across nature and photography communities, drawing appreciation for the colours and detail captured. The citrus butterfly, a common swallowtail species, remains a popular subject for macro photographers.
- 18Native plants seen as key to fighting bird and bee declines●Native plants fight bird and bee declines
Gardeners are being encouraged to plant native species as a way to help reverse declines in bird and bee populations. Local reporting highlights how native plants support the insects and food sources that pollinators and birds depend on, making home gardens and public green spaces part of the conservation effort.
- 19Sado Wildlife Series Shows Lesser Emperor Dragonfly Egg-Laying●Sado Wildlife in Focus | How Lesser Emperor Dragonflies Lay Their Eggs
Japan Forward's Sado Wildlife in Focus series spotlights how the lesser emperor dragonfly lays its eggs on Sado Island in Japan. The piece documents the insect's egg-laying behaviour in detail, continuing the series' coverage of the island's distinctive wildlife and its natural habitats.
- 20Insects are essential to vertebrate life, scientists say●Insects are essential to vertebrate life—as food, shelter and medicine
A new report argues that insects underpin vertebrate life far beyond pollination, serving as food, shelter and even medicine for a wide range of animals. The piece highlights how declines in insect populations could cascade through ecosystems, affecting birds, fish and other vertebrates that depend on them. Conservationists are pointing to the findings as a warning about the consequences of insect loss.