Rather than rely solely on passive diffusion, insects use discontinuous patterns of gas exchange to avoid the toxic effects of oxygen, according to researchers at the University of California, Irvine.

Insects have been assumed to breathe through a system of tracheal tubes (considered passive air channels), with gaseous exchange being driven by body movements or hemolymph circulation. However, the ...

After scientists accidentally discovered that the common eastern bumblebee can withstand flood conditions, they wanted to investigate what makes that super-ability possible Common eastern bumblebee ...

What might be mistaken for a waterslide in this image is actually the breathing tube, or trachea, of a dragonfly. This tube connects to openings in the insect's exoskeleton (outer “shell”) called ...