For thousands of years, artisans have been dyeing textiles, jewelry, and handicrafts with a rich, vibrant red pigment that they obtain from lac insects. The most widely-cultivated lac insect, Kerria ...

Insects are everywhere, crawling across sidewalks, hanging out in our gardens, and even invading our homes. Despite inhabiting nearly every corner of the planet, many of the most common insect species ...

John E. Woodmansee Photo: Tobacco hornworm on a tomato plant that has been attacked by a parasitic Braconid wasp. The white capsules on its back are the pupal stage of the tiny wasp. Braconid larvae ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. The Lord Howe stick insect (Dryococelus australis) was ...