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A close-up of the gynandromorph cricket

Rare half-female, half-male cricket leads a complicated life

27 July 2018

An extremely rare cricket with female sex organs but male wings  –  known as a gynandromorph – could tell us more about how sex differences arise


When a daddy longlegs is attacked by a flatworm things get messy

When a daddy longlegs is attacked by a flatworm things get messy

14 June 2018

In the forests of Brazil, pitched gladiatorial contests are being fought between flatworms armed with slime and spider-like arachnids with body-chopping spikes


Giant sea spiders sit and wait for prey to knock themselves out

Giant sea spiders sit and wait for prey to knock themselves out

2 May 2018

Huge sea spiders move excruciatingly slowly, but they can still catch prey animals that move much faster than them – because their prey sometimes crash into the seafloor


Cute but dim quolls have been taught to stop eating toxic toads

Cute but dim quolls have been taught to stop eating toxic toads

27 April 2018

Northern quolls are an endangered species thanks to an epidemic of poisonous cane toads in Australia, but now some of them have been trained to steer clear


Neanderthals ambushed cave bears as they awoke from hibernation

Neanderthals ambushed cave bears as they awoke from hibernation

26 March 2018

Our extinct cousins the Neanderthals seem to have targeted cave bears, which were normally intimidating foes, while they were sleepy and weak from hibernating through the winter


Fish called ‘sarcastic fringehead’ has a wider mouth than body

Fish called ‘sarcastic fringehead’ has a wider mouth than body

2 March 2018

Sarcastic fringeheads have a truly spectacular threat display: they open their mouths until they’re gaping wide, displaying two rows of teeth and fluorescent cheeks


Newly-discovered fungi turn luckless ants into kamikaze zombies

Newly-discovered fungi turn luckless ants into kamikaze zombies

26 February 2018

Fifteen more species of “zombie ant fungus” have been discovered, and they all force their hosts to die in creative ways to further their own life cycle


How besieged ants decide when it’s time to abandon their nests

How besieged ants decide when it’s time to abandon their nests

5 January 2018

Colonies of turtle ants are often attacked by competing species, and the ants understand enough military strategy to decide when certain nests should be abandoned


After crows fight they touch and preen each other to make up

After crows fight they touch and preen each other to make up

20 December 2017

Carrion crows sometimes have violent squabbles over food, but afterwards the aggressor will often sit by the victim as if to console them and reconcile


Genital parasite crabs are struggling to find sex partners

Genital parasite crabs are struggling to find sex partners

19 December 2017

Parasitic crustaceans called castrator pea crabs spend most of their lives hiding in the sex organs of limpets, and that makes it difficult to find a mate


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