Bug Bytes
As described by Edward O. Wilson — perhaps the best known American biologist, researcher, naturalist and author — invertebrates are "The Little Things That Run the World." And indeed they do, in so many ways. In terms of numbers — while most invertebrates are pretty small, the sheer number of them is astounding. Together, they have more biomass than any other animal on earth.
Learn more about the fascinating creatures that run the world, with Bug Bytes from the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium.
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When it comes to butterfly migration in the United States, the species best known for making long distance treks is the Monarch. But there is another, much more globally widespread butterfly whose migration largely flies under the radar – the Painted Lady. -
Pollination is a game of give and take …insects visiting flowers for the reward of nectar and plants using insects to transport pollen for fertilization. They both benefit from the interaction. But that’s not always the case. -
Dinocampus coccinellae is a species of parasitic wasp that focuses on adult female ladybugs. Smaller than the ladybug host, the female wasp will use her needle-like ovipositor to inject an egg into the lady beetle’s body. -
Found in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, the slingshot spider has one of the most unique ways of using its web to capture prey. -
For insects, it’s not quite that easy. So what’s the next best thing? Have yourself delivered to your food. After a long day, on a night when nobody is in the mood to cook, you might decide to order for delivery. -
An international team of researchers at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic found a species of termite that takes the act of self-sacrifice to the extreme. -
Called the “Snail Shell Spider”, this species of huntsman spider has devised a unique strategy to secure a room with a view. -
Aside from being really small, the petals of cacao flowers curve into a tiny hood that cover’s the stamen (the male, pollen-making part of the flower). This configuration of the petals basically makes it impossible for something the size of a honey bee to get the job done. -
Instead of collecting pollen in “baskets” located on their hind legs like honey bees and bumblebees, leafcutters are a unique family of bees that really dive into their work. -
As highly skilled predators, predaceous diving beetles can make easy meals of a wide variety of prey. But it’s their larvae that have the fierce reputation earning them the nickname “water tigers.”
