15 Items Tagged

Beetle

25 Places to Learn to Love Creepy, Crawly Critters

From the art of spiders and glow of blue fireflies to bugs you can ride and insects you can eat.

Roxanne Hoorn July 19, 2024

Okavango Delta, Botswana - August 2, 2022. Western Tourists travelling in a mokoro, along the delta. This type of travel is traditional among the locals of the delta.

Wonder Is Everywhere: Harlem Renaissance, the Return of the Ruby Slippers, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.

April White March 29, 2024

The deathwatch beetle found in the United Kingdom, <em>Xestobium rufovillosum</em>, was once considered an omen of death.

The Truth Behind the Deathwatch Beetle's Creepy Tap-Tap-Tapping

In the United Kingdom, the insects were once considered omens of death—they're actually much more destructive.

Roxanne Hoorn October 11, 2023

These industrious beetles can live up to a few years without food, and rarely need water, making them unfortunately easy pets.

objects of intrigue

The Living, Breathing Brooches of the Yucatán

The live, jewel-encrusted beetles called maquechs are tied to an ancient legend, but some worry for their future.

Roxanne Hoorn September 7, 2023

Thousand-Armed Insect Goddess of Mercy

A bizarre statue of a Buddhist goddess made from 20,000 insects.

Iridescent green figeater beetles (Cotinis mutabilis) have long been used as adornments in cultures around the world.

Were These Beetles Once as Valuable as Gemstones?

Archaeologists believe jewelry made from the bugs was a coveted status symbol 2,000 years ago.

Shoshi Parks March 23, 2023

Let the crafty on your list create their own gifts this year.

Quirky Gifts for the Crafty DIYer

A gift guide from the Atlas Obscura team.

Atlas Obscura December 1, 2022

<em>Circellium bacchus</em>, a rare subspecies of dung beetle, is a scarab like no other.

The Outsize Allure of South Africa's Flightless Dung Beetle

In Addo Elephant National Park, the smallest residents may be the biggest draw.

Sandra MacGregor March 4, 2020

London, England

Horizon Insects

London's first edible insect farm offers facility tours and cooking classes.

The 99-million-year-old beetle, bathed in pollen.

Found: Pollen on a 99-Million-Year-Old Beetle, in Amber

The pollen-dusted beetle pushes back the earliest evidence of insect-flower pollination by 50 million years.

Sabrina Imbler November 19, 2019

Researchers testing for wind in the lab.

When the Sun Is High, Dung Beetles Navigate With the Wind

There's more than one way to get from point A to point B while rolling a ball of dung.

Evan Nicole Brown June 25, 2019

So thirsty!

The Thirsty Beetles That Capture the Fog

In the Namib Desert, slaking thirst is a slow process.

Jessica Leigh Hester April 23, 2019

Lots of contenders here.

The Best Bugs to Befriend in the New Year

Get to know some cuddly roaches and dramatic beetles.

Abbey Perreault December 26, 2018

Nam Prik Mang Da

Pounded water beetles are this spicy condiment's main ingredient.

Why One Beetle is Making St. Louis Chop Down Its Own Trees

If you love something, let it go before it gets totally infested and falls over onto you.

David Doochin June 23, 2016