News & Events

There exists a phenomenon known as the “confusion effect,” which involves a human or an animal becoming confused or even disoriented when confronted with a plethora of different stimuli or information. The idea behind the confusion effect has been applied…

In response the misunderstanding people have towards bugs of all kinds biologist and artist Brandon Ballengee has created a museum of sorts that allows people to view live arthropods up close. This ambitious project took off twenty years ago, and…

Officials had hoped that the recent hurricane in Florida would help disrupt the spread of the Zika virus, but it looks like it’s only helped the mosquitos spread it even faster due to the rainwater left behind. A new zone…

We are all familiar with the Zika virus and Lyme disease, but experts have recently found some lesser known viruses that they are suggesting people watch out for in the near future, as they could possibly become a problem, especially…

During the past decade or so researchers have noticed an invasive insect that has gone largely unstudied. The invasive insect in question is known as the “bigheaded ant.” Bigheaded ants have been observed invading territory that belongs to dung beetles,…

A pair of probably bored researchers decided to sequence the genome of a Wolbachia-attacking virus for fun only to discover black widow DNA hiding within the genetic makeup of the virus. This was a surprise to the Vanderbilt researchers and…

A group of presumably bored researchers decided to feed a silkworm graphene and carbon nanotubes. As a result, the silkworms were able to spin silk that is much stronger than your typical silk. This stronger silk product can be used…

Nobody likes slugs, especially when they are laying eggs and wreaking all sorts of havoc in your garden. But it looks like there may be a method of keeping slugs and their offspring off of your vegetation. This method simply…

Researchers have confirmed that a mosquito known as Culex quinquefasciatus is able to contract the Zika virus. This is a potentially big deal since this type of mosquito thrives in colder climates. However it is not yet known whether this…

When I think of an insect bite ruining someone’s afternoon outside playing soccer or some other sport, my mind tends to draw the conclusion that the terrible itch from the bites were probably driving the injured parties insane, making it…