Life sciences writer Susan Milius has been writing about botany, zoology and ecology for Science News since the last millennium. She worked at diverse publications before breaking into science writing and editing. After stints on the staffs of The Scientist, Science, International Wildlife and United Press International, she joined Science News. Three of Susan's articles have been selected to appear in editions of The Best American Science Writing.

All Stories by Susan Milius

  1. Ecosystems

    When Worms Fly: Insect larvae can survive bird guts

    Insects can travel as larval stowaways in the guts of migrating birds.

  2. Animals

    Face Time: Bees can tell apart human portraits

    Honeybees will learn to zoom up to particular human faces in a version of a facial-recognition test used for people.

  3. Animals

    Unway Sign: Ant pheromone stops traffic

    Researchers have found a new kind of traffic sign on ant trails, a chemical "Do not enter" that keeps foragers from wasting their time on paths that don't lead to food.

  4. Animals

    Tszzzzzt! Electric fish may jam rivals’ signals

    An electric fish appears to sabotage a rival's electric signals as a fight starts. With Audio and Video.

  5. Animals

    Yikes! The Moon! Bat lunar phobia may come from slim pickings

    A study of creatures that fly around at night suggests that scarce food may account for why some bats avoid hunting under a full moon.

  6. Animals

    Great Galloping Crinoids: Lilylike sea animal takes a brisk walk

    A sea creature called a stalked crinoid may look as motionless as a flower on a stem but a video has revealed it practically jogging across the ocean floor. Video.

  7. Animals

    Cool Birds

    Emperor penguins go to such extremes to cope with life in Antarctica that they've inspired interesting science as well as a hit movie.

  8. Animals

    Proxy Vampire: Spider eats blood by catching mosquitoes

    Researchers studying food preferences among spiders report finding the first one with a taste for vertebrate blood.

  9. Animals

    Baited camera snaps first live giant squid

    For the first time, researchers have photographed a living giant squid in the wild.

  10. Dutch elm fungus turns tree into lure

    The fungus that causes Dutch elm disease makes an infected tree strengthen its odors, attracting beetles that carry the fungus on to the next tree.

  11. Animals

    Balls of Fire: Bees carefully cook invaders to death

    Honeybees that defend their colonies by killing wasps with body heat come within 5 degrees C of cooking themselves in the process.

  12. Plants

    Day-Glo Flowers: Some bright blooms naturally fluoresce

    Some common flowers fluoresce but the glow most likely has little effect on pollinators.