Insects and Arachnids

Residents and tourists are urged to take precautions after two people died after contracting Murray Valley Encephalitis in WA's Pilbara.

A 12-month trial using Goterra's black soldier fly larvae system will begin with hopes it can be extended to all Sydney residents. 

The ACT government is encouraging farmers to use dung beetles to recycle the nutrients in cow dung into their pastures, with experts saying they improve soil quality and reduce fly numbers — and are cheaper than fertiliser.

Butterflies are flying free in a picturesque forest recently created in the Italian Alps to help with biodiversity research.

An "absolutely shocking" number of bush flies has caught both locals and visitors to the Gascoyne off guard, with a hot summer followed by a mild autumn blamed for the outbreak. 

Flowers, honey and plenty of produce: bees play a vital role in nature's ecosystem, and without them, we wouldn't have any of these things. 

World Bee Day celebrates and raises awareness of bees and those who work with them like Alan Dorin, Head of the Native Bee and Tech facility at Monash University.

A University of the Sunshine Coast researcher working with the world's "largest arachnid venom collection" is aiming to invent a honey-bee-friendly bio-insecticide for farmers battling swarms of hungry locusts. 

A South Australian winery is turning the tables on wine tastings by pairing gourmet crunchy critters with cabernet to celebrate its focus on sustainability.

Persistent rain has created some of the most impressive poinciana blooms in recent years, but it's also led to ideal breeding conditions for some caterpillars.

While there is no shortage of research on European honey bees and the various threats to their survival, experts fear a paucity of data on native species means they are quietly dying out.

The ants with slender, ghostly bodies now bear the name of Voldemort, the iconic villain, after being discovered recently in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

There are some things that are cute to us like ladybirds — but not if you're a tomato potato psyllid, a wasp-like pest that can halve crop yields.

Ant breeder Paul Hailes discusses how social media is booming the business as he breeds and exports ants around the world. 

Researchers investigating the discovery of the spiky-haired specimen say nothing of its kind has been seen in Australia before.

Helicopters are being used in northern New South Wales as part of a $600 million program to stamp out red imported fire ants, after nests were detected south of the Queensland border late last year.

A Victorian plant nursery is growing a native shrub to help expand the habitat of the golden-rayed blue butterfly, found exclusively in western Victoria.

Natural selection is very good at shedding superfluous traits, but in an evolutionary decluttering that would make Marie Kondo proud, some species have taken it to the extreme.

A varroa mite has been detected in Brisbane. So how do we detect and contain it?

Animal behaviouralist James O'Hanlon is debunking five long-held myths about spiders and is sharing his own skin-crawling encounter in the process.

An inquiry has heard eradication of insects is possible in Australia, but warned it would come at a huge expense, as farmer urge for the control of fire ants. 

Citizen scientist Dion Maple has a special interest in moths. His favourite is the crayon emerald but it's another rare species that is proving tantalisingly elusive. He unwittingly photographed it years ago and hasn't been able to find it since.

When it comes to blending in, there's a lot we can learn from the animal kingdom. And while the reasons for camouflage vary, they all come back to survival.

The University of Sydney has been studying Asian honey bee populations in north Queensland.

They may be one of Australia's most deadly animals but Peter Marchal says it is not the first time he has seen a redback spider triumph against an eastern brown snake.