New University of Washington research shows that a regulatory gene named broad, known to be necessary for development of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis, also is key for the maturation of ...

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 ...

Metamorphosis is a biological process whereby an animal changes from an immature form to an adult form. It involves going through distinct physiological stages, and is seen in some fish, amphibians ...

On warm summer nights, green lacewings flutter around bright lanterns in backyards and at campsites. The insects, with their veil-like wings, are easily distracted from their natural preoccupation ...

The Greek translation of insect is “cut into segments or segmented,” which is a good description of an insect’s body. All insects have three body segments: the head, thorax and abdomen. Insects also ...

Many people use 'bug' and 'insect' interchangeably. Scientifically, insects are a broad class. True bugs are a specific order within insects, known as Hemiptera. They have unique piercing-sucking ...

The transformation of metamorphosis evolved gradually over hundreds of millions of years. It involves both genetics and natural selection pressures on species. This insect is studied by scientists to ...