Susan Milius

Susan Milius

Life Sciences Writer

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

    Fly may be depleting U.S. giant silk moths

    A parasitic fly introduced to fight gypsy moths starting in 1906 may be an overlooked factor in the declines of giant silk moths.

  2. Animals

    Really big guys restrain youth violence

    Importing six full-grown bull elephants into a park of youngsters stopped killing sprees by young males.

  3. Plants

    Lowering lilies on the tree of life

    Water lilies may belong on the lowest branch of the family tree of flowering plants, along with a shrub called Amborella.

  4. Psst. This fly’s ears can rival a cat’s

    The unusual eardrums of a tiny parasitic fly turn out to rival cats', owls', and people's abilities to pinpoint the origin of a sound.

  5. Animals

    Shielded cells help fish ignore noise

    Fish can sort out the interesting ripples from the background rush of water currents through sensors shielded in canals that run along their flanks.

  6. Animals

    Dull birds and bright ones beat so-so guys

    The plumage of yearling male lazuli buntings shows signs of a rare form of evolutionary pressure called disruptive selection.

  7. Animals

    Second bird genus shares dart-frog toxins

    Researchers have found a second bird genus, also in New Guinea, that carries the same toxins as poison-dart frogs in Central and South America.

  8. Squirrels save for the family’s future

    Some female red squirrels hoard extra food for youngsters that haven't yet been conceived.

  9. Bean weevils get a kick out of mates

    Breeding in stored grain throughout the tropics, bean weevils represent an unusually clear example of the evolutionary male-female arms race.

  10. What’s Worth Saving?

    A fracas over a biological term could have huge consequences for conservation.

  11. Animals

    Wasps drive frog eggs to (escape) hatch

    A tree frog's eggs can match their response to the degree of danger: all-out mass action for snakes but less activity for one wasp.

  12. Animals

    Beetle fights bass in mouthwash duel

    A whirligig beetle duels with a hungry fish by dribbling out a repulsive chemical while the fish tries to rinse it off.