insects

The insect world, consisting of up to 10 million species, is vital for the survival of most life on Earth. Worryingly, though, these invertebrates are vanishing from the planet at an alarming yet. This is why researchers are now developing drones that will track and follow insects in real-time to fuel conservation efforts.

We’ve seen a lot of stories this year on how useful drones are at firefighting. But in central China, a drone has been converted into a literal firefighter — a flamethrowing drone torching hornet nests.