The queen gets to keep her daughter
Why did some bee species become social, while the majority have remained solitary? On Barro Colorado Island, a bee that adopts both strategies interchangeably, may unlock the evolutionary origins of sociality in insects
The avengers of the forest
Discreet and alert, park rangers spend 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on the lookout for threats to the forest and animals of Barro Colorado Nature Monument
A time machine that explores the ocean’s past
By diving into the past lives of coral reefs, a historical ecologist may protect our present-day reefs from human impacts
Mysterious Larvae Discovered in Panama’s Two Oceans
These ghostly larvae float freely in seawater, while their parents live on the sea floor and usually go undetected. Genetic studies of larvae provide clues that there are more species to be discovered
Galeta Teacher training, funds For Jaguar Conservation, Boná, Erased and more
Parasitoid Wasps may turn spiders into zombies by hacking their internal code
Parasitoid wasps lay their eggs on a spider’s back. This team proposes that by injecting the spider host with the molting hormone, ecdysone, the wasp induces the spider to make a special web for the wasp’s pupa.
Fossil crab reveals a new branch in the tree of life
By taking on characteristics from another, younger stage in its life-cycle, this fossil crab was probably able to adapt to new conditions.
Where science meets music: a banjo player listens for the songs of katydids
What do playing the banjo and recording katydids have in common? We join Sharon Martinson on Barro Colorado Island to find out.
Punta Galeta, where sea and earth coexist
The Smithsonian’s first marine lab on Panama’s Caribbean coast invites visitors and researchers to experience the diversity of marine ecosystems within a protected space.
Mysterious cloud forest bees and their microbes - Part I
Three adventure-seekers meet in the clouds, each with their own reasons to learn more about mysterious jewel-like bees.
