by Ritu Pandey and Shashank P. R. For centuries, scientists have been fascinated by insects due to their incredible diversity and essential ecological functions. They facilitate crop pollination, nutrient recycling, pest control, and support vast food webs. Despite their significance, a fundamental question in biology has remained unanswered for over forty years: what is the actual number of insect species on Earth? For a long time, entomologists have estimated around six million species, a...

By Rahul Kumar Insect societies have always intrigued humankind. Even the Vedas, the oldest religious and philosophical texts in the world, contain observations of social insects, especially of honeybees, ants and termites. In 1973, Karl von Frisch was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the language of honeybees. The renowned work of the legendary E.O. Wilson on the sociobiology of ants gained global fame and even earned him the title “Darwin of the 21st Century.” Many scientists have...

By Santhosh Naik G., Shashank P. R., Sachin S. Suroshe and Kumaranag K. M. For decades, beekeepers around the world have struggled against Varroa destructor a tiny but destructive mite that has devastated honey bee colonies. Now, another parasitic mite, Tropilaelaps mercedesae (Anderson & Morgan, 2007) commonly called ‘tropi’ is causing growing concern. This fast-spreading mite may be even more dangerous than Varroa, threatening not only bees and beekeepers but also global food security. From...