Entomology

Gypsy moth caterpillars cause widespread defoliation of shade trees and forests, sapping strength from the trees and leading to their early demise. Yet 99% of the pests succumb to natural causes.

Saddleback caterpillars are great to look at, but not so great if you pick one up. They are loaded with extremely irritating venom and their hairs that will stick in your skin are their delivery system. So, stay away from them and teach your children to keep their distance from all caterpillars.

Spiders are fascinating animals that help us by removing harmful insects from the environment. Spider silk is very strong and is potentially useful for humans.

There are more than 300 known species of rhinoceros beetles, and they are among the largest of beetles, with some reaching lengths of more than six inches.

An article about the Sydney funnel web spider (found in Sydney, Australia), which is one of the world's most deadly spiders. Unlike many other spiders, this one will actually charge its victim and deliver a full dose of painful venom, so it is best to avoid them whenever possible.

The Sunshine State has all sorts of over-sized bugs and creep-crawlies. This article looks at the biggest spiders in Florida.

Bumble bees have surprisingly capable brains. They can play a simple version of soccer and pull a string to get a reward. They may even experience optimism.

There are two spiders in California whose bite you really want to avoid: widows and recluses.

Its hard to find a simple answer to the question, How long do ants live? It could depend on caste, habitat, diet, and a lot of other factors that differ from one species to another. Ants have been around for at least 100 million years, and to this day there are at least 12,000 different ant species.

Honey bees are complex and fascinating creatures. Here are 20 questions--with answers-- to help you understand honey bees and their place in our world.

This caterpillar identification guide is easy to use and accurate. Find out if your caterpillar is rare, or if it stings.

Their name implies that the Goliath birdeater tarantulas eat birds, and they do, but not as often as you might think. They also eat a lot of other things, such as lizards, frogs, insects, and pretty much anything else that's smaller than they are, which is a pretty long list.

Bees play a very important role in pollinating flowers, but the insects are disappearing. Pesticides may be at least partly responsible for this disappearance.

Exploring the diversity of insects that fly at dusk and into the night is enhanced by using an age old formula of 'moth-bait' painted onto tree trunks on a well known path.

Few people are aware of how black widow spiders contributed to the World War II effort, but they had a significant impact. In fact, a LIFE magazine article published on August 30thof 1943 credited each of several government employed arachnids with spinning between 100 and 180 feet of thread a week.This thread was then used to make cross hairs in the gunsights of U.S. Army instruments of war.

The very colorful stinging nettle catterpillar will eventually become a very drab-looking moth, but while it is colorful and in the larval stage, stay as far away from it as you can because it's sting is extremely painful.