Tsukuba, Japan—Some beetles, such as Anomala albopilosa, strongly reflect left circularly polarized light (electromagnetic waves that oscillate leftward relative to the direction of light reception).

A team of biologists has discovered the structure and genetic sequence of the hormone that makes insects develop their hard outer shells and allows them to spread their wings. The findings answer more ...

The tough shells that protect insects can now be replicated in a lab as polymer composites that could be very useful in medical applications including sutures that bear high loads, such as in hernia ...

(Beyond Pesticides, June 14, 2023) The exoskeleton of the black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetica illucens) has the potential to be an effective organic fertilizer. A study in the journal Agriculture, ...

The diabolical ironclad beetle is so tough that engineers are hoping to copy features of its exoskeleton to design stronger and more robust structures. “You can run these things over with a car and ...

An observation of an insect exoskeleton on a potted plant may lead to the identification of a new species of cicada. The 17-year cicadas emerging dramatically by the billions in 15 U.S. states from ...

Sightings of Brood X cicadas are popping up all over the eastern U.S. Reports of the bulbous-eyed bugs—including plenty of photos and videos—are starting to spill into social media. These insects are ...

Almost all living primates still have working versions of the gene needed to produce a stomach enzyme that breaks down exoskeletons. This means that the 'yuck' factor when it comes to eating insects ...

Ever eat an insect and notice how hard the outer shell, or exoskeleton, is? I hope you answered no to that question. But you can imagine that if you ever did bite into an insect it would be crunchy -- ...

Soft-bodied robots have numerous desirable qualities, such as the ability to squeeze through gaps, or survive being stepped on. And so far, they've typically been manually assembled on a one-off basis ...