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 ...

The leaf beetle, Plateumaris sp., is one of just two such advanced age insect fossils that retain substantial original color molecules. Another beetle, dating to 50 million years ago, also appears to ...

Fossils tend to offer a black-and-white view of the past, but new research on prehistoric beetles brings the insects' flashy metallic colors back to vivid life. Subscribe to read this story ad-free ...

Color-changing animals, such as chameleons and squid, typically alter their hues when nerve signals or hormones spur pigment cells in their skin to expand or shrink. The Panamanian golden tortoise ...

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 ...