Insects questions
44 fact-checked questions — tap any to predict the answer, then read why.
- Why can artificial night light trick Aedes albopictus eggs into skipping winter dormancy?
- How can artificial night light both hurt some mosquitoes over winter and raise near-term risk for people?
- What does a Culex mosquito do instead of blood feeding when it enters winter diapause?
- Streetlights can keep Culex mosquitoes biting into fall. What signal gets scrambled?
- How does a young stick insect regrow a lost leg?
- How can trap-jaw ants snap their jaws shut so quickly?
- Why do periodical cicadas emerge together?
- Why do silkworms make silk cocoons?
- Why do earwigs have pincers?
- Why do eastern North American monarch butterflies fly south in autumn?
- Why do bombardier beetles spray?
- Why don't luna moths have mouths?
- Why do spittlebug nymphs cover themselves in foam?
- Why do leafcutter ants carry cut leaves into their underground nests?
- Why do dung beetles roll balls of dung?
- Why do aphids produce honeydew?
- Why do water striders walk on water?
- Why can fleas jump so high?
- Why do walking sticks look like twigs?
- Why do mosquitoes buzz near ears?
- Why do honeybees perform waggle dances after finding food?
- Why do stink bugs smell so bad?
- Why do butterflies taste with feet?
- Why do cockroaches run away when you turn on a light?
- Why do wasps build paper nests?
- Why do crickets chirp at night?
- Why do honeybees die after stinging?
- How can a dragonfly hover without moving forward?
- Why do ants carry heavy things?
- Why does a hunting praying mantis often wait motionless rather than chase prey?
- Why do fireflies glow in the dark?
- Why do termites eat wood?
- Why do some insects become motionless when a predator attacks?
- Why does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly inside its chrysalis?
- Why do beetles have hard shells?
- Why do grasshoppers jump so high?
- Why do dragonflies have big eyes?
- Why do moths end up circling around lights at night?
- Why do flies rub their legs together?
- Why do ladybugs have spots?
- Why do orb-weaving spiders build silk webs?
- Why do cicadas make loud sounds?
- Why do butterflies have colorful wings?
- Why do ants walk in lines?