Nature reports

Scientists have discovered a new widow spider species in the Andes in South America. Latrodectus lucacha is a variant of the infamous black widow. The researchers described the habitat of the 'medically relevant' species by..

A new analysis of hundreds of thousands of surveyed plots of land reveals that plant diversity is declining in many areas, particularly forests. Grasslands, on the other hand, are recovering. The study also shows that protecting..

Dutch and Antillean researchers are joining forces to improve our understanding of nature on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. A new project combines centuries old natural history collections with high tech image recognition and DNA..

A large share of the Dutch government’s financial schemes unintentionally contributes to biodiversity loss. This is the conclusion of a broad analysis of subsidies and tax incentives across five ministries. The study was carried..

In 2025, volunteers from Naturalis Biodiversity Center and members of the Dutch Entomological Society discovered a species of praying mantis on Aruba. It turned out to be a previously undescribed species. The praying mantis was..

Coral reefs are selectively fished empty with no evidence left behind. Recent research on the international trade shows which popular aquarium species are in danger, that cultivation is increasing, and that the majority of..

The willow bent-wing Phyllocnistis triandricola, only described in 2023, has now also been found in the Netherlands and Belgium, but DNA research shows that the long-known Phyllocnistis saligna does not occur in the Netherlands..

A historical bee collection from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History has been newly researched and photographed. Collected by the famous British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, it includes many specimens that were..

Recognizing all Dutch species – in every conceivable way. Starting today, everyone can utilize ARISE, the research facility that makes this possible. ARISE makes biodiversity measurable on a large scale. A new tool for species..

They are smaller than a millimeter, yet they can play an enormous role in science: tardigrades. These tough little organisms can survive extreme conditions and are found all over the world, from the Himalayas to the deep sea...