insects

Scientists say leaving autumn leaves on the ground can add important nutrients to the soil and create needed habitat for insects.

The brown tarantula is about the size of an apple or orange. University of Missouri-St. Louis scientist Becky Hansis-O’Neill and her team of students have been using an app to track their locations, tag and measure them, and learn how to protect their populations.

Missouri is one of eight states in the country where a human has been diagnosed with Chagas disease, a parasitic infection spread by bugs. Scientists are now calling on health authorities to declare the disease endemic in the United States.

Talks of overhauling the U.S. Postal Service have picked up since President Donald Trump began his second term. With service cutbacks already underway and privatization on the table, rural residents are bracing for more disruptions. Plus: There are more than 40 species of fireflies in Missouri, but for the past few years, people have been concerned about the populations diminishing.

There are more than 40 species of fireflies in Missouri, but their populations have been diminishing over the last few years. That's why Missourians have been pleasantly surprised to see so many this summer.

A new invasive tick species was recently found in St. Louis County, with more sightings expected this spring and summer.

A University of Missouri professor spent years listening to insects — hear how his work is influencing other researchers. Plus, a 117-year-old African American church in Parkville is getting much-needed restoration work thanks to the National Heritage fund.

Thousands of insect species use vibrations to communicate. Now, in part because of the foundational research of a Midwestern biology professor, more researchers are exploring insect vibrational communication to ward against pests and understand climate change.

American burying beetles bring dead animals underground, turn them into preserved meatballs and feed them to their babies. The St. Louis Zoo is working to save the threatened beetle.

Once a chemical storage area, Olathe’s Pollinator Prairie has since been reclaimed as an ecological habitat hosting hundreds of native plants. A recent event showed off its role as a stopover for migrating pollinators like monarchs.

A small insect carrying pathogens that can lead to corn stunt was confirmed in Missouri and Oklahoma for the first time. Experts are learning more about the insect and how the disease left its mark on corn fields.

Scientists want to know how well bees are coping with habitat loss. But first, they need to be able to tell nearly identical species apart.