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: 20-Oct-2026 11:16 ET (20-Oct-2026 15:16 GMT/UTC)

24-Aug-2026

Dartmouth Health researchers identify additional risk for patients with tick-borne alpha-gal syndrome apart from meat allergy

Dartmouth Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new multi-institute study led by Dartmouth Health and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth researchers suggests that alpha-gal syndrome, the tick-borne disease that can result in a chronic allergy to meat and animal byproducts, also may complicate certain patients' ability to safely receive a blood plasma or platelet transfusion.

Journal: JAMA Internal Medicine

23-Aug-2026

New Cochrane gap map highlights big gaps in dengue prevention research

Cochrane
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new Cochrane evidence and gap map (EGM) has mapped the global research landscape on dengue prevention, finding plenty of research but not enough of it synthesized in ways policymakers can use.

Journal: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

21-Aug-2026

Study suggests new antibody therapy for tick-borne disease

University of California - Riverside
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists led by Scott Pegan, a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside, have identified multiple targets for antibodies that could one day help treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: Military Infectious Disease Research Program

20-Aug-2026

Breaking down research silos to solve Kansas’ water challenges

Kansas State University

What happens when researchers from engineering, entomology, geology, economics and other fields tackle water problems together? Kansas State University's CoSearch workshop is turning unexpected collaborations into new approaches to groundwater quality, water reuse and agricultural sustainability.

18-Aug-2026

Why apples react differently to climate change than wheat

Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Climate change is altering crop yields—but not to the same extent for all plants. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) found that yields are also influenced by the extent to which plants rely on insect pollination. The findings highlight how agriculture must adapt to climate change.

Journal: Ecology and Evolution

18-Aug-2026

Five new wasp species discovered in Cyprus, including one named after Aphrodite

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have described five new species of parasitoid wasp from Cyprus, more than doubling the number of chalcid wasps known to be found nowhere else on the island. The wasps, all belonging to the family Pteromalidae, are small insects that play an important role as natural pest controllers, yet remain poorly studied across much of Southeastern Europe and the Middle East. The species' descriptions have been published in the open-access, peer-reviewed ZooKeys journal.

Journal: ZooKeys

17-Aug-2026

Pesticides make ants go crazy

University of California - Riverside
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Don’t assume an uptick in ant activity after setting out pesticide traps means the treatment failed. New UC Riverside research shows their behavior changes as chemicals make their way through a colony.

Journal: Insects

17-Aug-2026

It’s not just flowers that help the pollinators. Grass can too.

University of Georgia
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Bees may be relying on your lawn for their next meal, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Journal: Journal of Insect Conservation