Few terrestrial organisms can be as comfortable in the water as insects. Look at the unique respiratory physiology and fascinating adaptations that make it possible for them to maintain oxygenation underwater, as well as the adaptations that allow water striders to take advantage of water's surface tension to skim along its surface.

Insect pollinators contribute about {dollar}195 billion to the global economy, pollinating approximately 80% of the most important crops worldwide. Explore the complexities of these insects, the many types of pollination they perform, and the coevolutionary dance that continues today between these animals and their plants.

While some insects are herbivores and others are predators, a third group gets their energy and nutrients as parasites and parasitoids. Grisly though it might sound to us, you'll discover that some insects inject their eggs into the bodies of insects and other animals, and some even insert their eggs into others' eggs. Sometimes the hosts live through this process, but sometimes they do not.

You might already have heard in the popular press about this disturbing trend: researchers have noticed that many insect populations are declining both in number and diversity. Although many animals have been affected by climate change and habitat loss, discover the human activities that have a disproportionate impact on insects—especially the use of pesticides.

One of the most profound ways insects have affected people throughout history is by transmitting disease. The worst offender? Definitely the mosquito. Mosquitos can transmit yellow fever, malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus, Zika virus, and more. Discover the many methods we have used to try to cure this problem, and the many ways in which we've failed. But there is hope on the horizon.

There's a good chance insects have made themselves at home in your home. From the carpet beetles in your living room, to the silverfish in your sock drawer, to the cockroaches in the basement, they're everywhere! What should you do about them? Learn why “nothing” might be both your safest and most effective answer.

While the vast majority of insects pose no threat to humans, there are a few that compete with us for food, destroy our construction materials, and threaten both our natural and cultivated environments. Learn about the best and latest tools we can employ to control those insects, and why developing an understanding of the insect lifecycle is almost always a better investment than pesticides.

Discover the properties of insects that distinguish them from mammals and all other animals. They all have exoskeletons for strength and protection, six legs to propel their movements, compound eyes, antennae, and even more attributes in common with one another. But within this framework, their astonishing variability has allowed them to live in almost every ecological niche on the planet.

Throughout our history, we have experienced admiration for insects and their unique abilities, as well as fear and disgust. Explore how those conflicting emotions have been reflected in our arts, from Aesop's fables to Kafka's Metamorphosis, from the films Alien to A Bug's Life, and characters from Jiminy Cricket to Ant Man.

Although we tend to think of rats and mice as lab animals, insects—particularly the fruit fly—have played critical roles in research. Explore the many discoveries made in the field of genetics using fruit flies, as well as the fascinating opportunity to watch natural selection in action thanks to the peppered moth and smoke from the Industrial Revolution.