How is a queen bee chosen?

From top-dog wolves and wise elder elephants to insect royalty and sex-changing fish, animal alphas take many fascinating forms

Allotments get smaller as councils struggle with plot provision, reports Ian Hodgson

What makes this massive member of the wasp family such a deadly bee killer?

Are men from Mars and women from Venus? No, it’s much stranger than that…

Bringing you some of the gardening news highlights

They might not be especially striking to look at–if you can see them at all–but seeds are among the natural world’s most awe-inspiring marvels, says John Lewis-Stempel