[This article originally appeared in print as "Bugged By Design."]
The wing of a butterfly, the web of a spider, the knee of a flea — no, it’s not a medieval recipe for witch’s brew. It’s a short list of the growing number of insect attributes attracting notice for their core utility and ingenious design. From rendering crystal-clear images on screens no matter what the lighting to finding water in the desert, bug-inspired innovation is taking flight. –Gemma Tarlach