EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This October, things are getting a little creepy and crawly. We're shining a light on the fascinating world of arthropods, from insects and spiders to scorpions, centipedes and more, and exploring the latest research on the creatures that crawl, creep and fly all around us.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Oct-2026 03:16 ET (23-Oct-2026 07:16 GMT/UTC)

11-Oct-2026

Paired nasal and plasma metabolomics reveal distinct recovery trajectories during allergy immunotherapy

International Society for Health Data Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A longitudinal metabolomics study of 28 patients with house dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis and 19 healthy controls found that plasma and nasal secretions capture distinct but complementary aspects of disease biology. After six months of clinically effective subcutaneous immunotherapy, both compartments shifted toward healthy profiles, but nasal metabolic recovery was more evident, revealing coordinated yet asynchronous systemic-local remodeling.

Funder: Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China, Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Joint TCM Science & Technology Projects of National Demonstration Zones for Comprehensive TCM Reform

7-Oct-2026

Beetles build with a yellow pigment gene

John Innes Centre
Peer-Reviewed Publication

More than 80 years ago scientists discovered that differences in yellow pigmentation were critical to courtship success and failure for fruit flies.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: UKRI/BBSRC, European Research Council

7-Oct-2026

Listening to hidden insects could give farmers an early warning of crop pests

Kansas State University

Some crop pests are nearly impossible to see — but they may still be making noise. Researchers at Kansas State University are testing a new technology that listens to insect activity inside plants to provide an early warning system against devastating pests.

5-Oct-2026

FvJMT2 links strawberry aroma with insect deterrence

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Strawberry aroma is more than a sensory trait: the same volatile molecules that shape flavor can also influence how fruits interact with insects.

Journal: Horticulture Research

5-Oct-2026

Venomous snakes evolved striking colours to stand out

University of Galway
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at University of Galway in Ireland have found that venomous snakes are significantly more likely than non-venomous species to have colours that stand out against their natural surroundings.

Journal: Journal of Animal Ecology

4-Oct-2026

Rare discovery reveals a new species from the dinosaur age

Tel-Aviv University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Some 99 million years ago, during the age of the dinosaurs, a tiny insect belonging to a species previously unknown to science became trapped in tree resin. The resin hardened and turned into amber, and the fossil preserved within it has now enabled a team of researchers from the School of Zoology and The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History to identify and describea new species: Cretodorus noonoo, or “Noo-Noo.”

Journal: Insects

30-Sep-2026

Insect declines threaten wildlife far beyond insect world

UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A global study shows insects provide shelter, medicine, sanitation and protection for other animals, often through remarkable mutually beneficial relationships. The findings highlight the vital, yet often overlooked, role insects play in supporting biodiversity, and warn that widespread insect declines could have far-reaching consequences for wildlife.

Journal: Nature Reviews Biodiversity

30-Sep-2026

New click beetle species named after Dominican Republic’s Indigenous Arawak people

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new species of click beetle with a glossy and highly domed black body has been described from cloud forest sites in the mountains of the Dominican Republic, and named in honour of the Arawak peoples who lived on the island before European colonisation.

Journal: Alpine Entomology