No bigger than a sesame seed, the beetles tunnel into trees and introduce a fungus that they use as their food source. As the fungus grows, it causes a disease that kills branches or entire trees.

This image accompanied the report "Serengeti Birds Maintain Forests by Inhibiting Seed Predators," by G. J. Sharam et. al. appearing in the July 3, 2009, issue of Science.

The overuse of rootworm-resistant corn has led to the crop becoming less effective at controlling the destructive pest – a problem that could cost an estimated $1.6 billion in lifetime economic losses ...