Category Archives: Evolution

So let’s talk about another type of GMO for a minute…

Posted on February 6, 2016 by joeballenger2005

We’ve gotten this question, and it’s a really good question, but I didn’t initially understand what the person was asking. I knew what they were getting at-why is Oxitec using a tetracycline dependent system-but I wanted to wait for them … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Education, Evolution, Insect Rearing, Pest Management, Physiology, Research | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

How do butterflies make boys and girls?

Posted on December 10, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Written by Joe Ballenger We’ve gotten a lot of questions about boy and girl bugs. Nancy wrote a post titled Is that Bug a Boy or a Girl, which covered some general rules about how boy and girl bugs are … Continue reading →

Posted in Developmental Biology, Evolution, Physiology | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Why don’t spiders have wings?

Posted on November 23, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Your Name: Anarely Your Bug Question: Hello, I was wondering, why are the exact reasons that spiders don’t have wings? Is it possible for them to evolve and get them or what is stopping this from happening? I’m sure the … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, Physiology | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Black Out: How Do Insects Survive the Winter

Posted on November 2, 2015 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli What if the world went suddenly dark? Or cold? Or both? We all know what fate the dinosaurs had, but what would happen to insects? Before we get going on a wild goose chase through a … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Evolution | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why can’t male bees (or wasps) sting?

Posted on September 23, 2015 by joeballenger2005

@BugQuestions I heard male bees don’t have stingers. Is that true of all bees or just some species? — Kristen Bower (@krbower) September 6, 2015 This question came to us over Twitter, and given my recent post about bee genetics … Continue reading →

Posted in Developmental Biology, Evolution, Physiology | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Do wasps bite, and does their saliva have any defensive properties?

Posted on August 17, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Today’s question comes to us from a friend of mine, through a conversation on FB instant messenger. Wasps are a huge group, and at least 150,000 types of bees, wasps and ants have been described by scientists. Despite the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in Behavior, Chemistry, Ecology, Evolution, Physiology, Pollination, Research, Taxonomy | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Honeybee genetics: how do they work?

Posted on August 5, 2015 by joeballenger2005

Your Name: Farhad Your Bug Question: Hello. I read in a book that worker bees are clones. But how this can happen? Can you explain? Tonight’s question comes from Farhad, who emailed us and asked how bees can be clones. … Continue reading →

Posted in Chemistry, Developmental Biology, Evolution, Physiology, Pollination | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Why are some ladybugs half yellow and half brown?

Posted on May 18, 2015 by joeballenger2005

@SciBugs @Stylopidae what is a lady bug called that is half brown and half red? pic.twitter.com/E7JrP8qnzb — Mendel’s Firsties (@bridget_mendel) April 21, 2015 @UKLadybirds How unusual are half-and-half ladybirds like this? It looks pretty unusual to me but was just … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Developmental Biology, Ecology, Education, Evolution, Physiology, Research, Taxonomy | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Is the Smallest Multicelled Organism an Insect?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by SciBugs

Written by Nancy Miorelli @Robot_Insect Is an insect the smallest non one celled animal? Which one is smallest? — Charles Simmins (@CharlesSimmins) December 16, 2014 Well, in short. No. It’s actually a microscopic, parasitic zooplankton that attaches itself to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Developmental Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Physiology | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment