Last week, I wrote about pelicans, the biggest birds on Sanibel Island, Fla., so this week, I decided to focus on something smaller. Sanibel locals, as well as island visitors, take collecting of ...

The microstructures that give flower beetles’ exoskeletons their dazzling iridescence also enhance structural strength, according to a research team led by mechanical engineer Ling Li of Virginia Tech ...

At first sight, the moon clam may not look like a contender for stardom. Its size is humble, its color pale. Most shocking of all, for a clam, its shells can’t even close. But this oddball of the ...

In addition to providing coloration, the exoskeletal shell of beetles needs to be strong and damage tolerant, researchers explain. Beetles are creatures with built-in body armor. They are tiny tanks ...

Beetles are creatures with built-in body armor. They are tiny tanks covered with hard shells, also known as exoskeletons, protecting their soft, skeleton-less bodies inside. In addition to providing ...