Insects are some of the most fascinating animals on Earth, boasting an amazing diversity. While most insects share common traits such as hard exoskeletons and three body segments (head, thorax and abdomen), each insect also stands out in their own special way.
Did you know, for instance, that praying mantis can swivel their heads 180 degrees or earwigs have two penises?
Water striders
Water striders are aquatic insects like water skiers. With specially equipped legs to allow them to glide across ponds and streams without becoming wet, their skinny legs feature water-repelling hairs on them; middle and back pairs of legs act like oars for propulsion; while short front legs serve to capture prey (such as mosquito larvae or other aquatic insects). Water striders have lived over 50 years but require constant moisture. If their habitat dries out they lay eggs that allow their young to fly away safely – or alternatively lay egg without wings as flying would take up too much energy!
Scientists have observed an intriguing phenomenon regarding water striders. When storms strike, raindrops dozens of times larger than their bodies arrive to attack the surface of the water striders; yet somehow these resilient insects manage to survive their vicious assault and continue living at the water’s edge. Although their cause remains unknown, this development could provide insight into how microplastics move through aquatic ecosystems.
Water striders have another surprising fact in common; they often consume each other. When placed in dense populations, their short front legs generate ripples which attract each other until a battle ensues for food between individual striders – including their own young! In rare instances they’ve even been known to consume other bugs who find their way into the water as well.
Your first thought may be disgusted at the sight of insects feeding on each other, but in actuality it’s quite fascinating! It proves that survival of species takes precedence over any individual comfort levels – just one fascinating fact about insects to keep you fascinated! There are so many amazing adaptations found throughout nature which keep us amazed!
Assassin bugs
People usually think of insects as pests that ruin crops or invade homes, but many insect species can be fascinating and unique – the assassin bug (Latrodectus hesperus is one such fascinating and unique example), with strawlike mouthparts used for sucking nutrients from other insects’ juices – this one being Latrodectus hesperus! As with other true bugs like cicadas and stinkbugs, assassin bugs have devised efficient tactics for subduing and devouring their prey.
Assassin bugs have front legs designed specifically to capture prey. Each leg contains sticky pads tipped with thousands of tiny hairs, helping it grip onto its victims as it approaches. When close enough, their jaw shuts instantly killing the victim on contact; their long tongue can then reach deep inside their victim’s body to draw out internal organs and fluids for consumption by the assassin bug itself – also making them effective predators against birds, mammals, and other insects.
Not unlike humans, who use lungs to exchange oxygen with their bloodstream, insects breathe through holes called spiracles in their exoskeletons that connect to networks of tubes that deliver oxygen while transporting away carbon dioxide produced from each insect cell. This system allows insects to move rapidly while adapting well in all sorts of environments.
Crickets feature ears on their knees to allow them to hear each other when rubbing their wings together to produce the trademark chirping noise that characterizes crickets, while cockroaches have been known to hold their breath for up to 40 minutes! Other amazing facts about insects include their ears located near their knees allowing them to communicate. Also, crickets and cockroaches possess Houdini-esque abilities when it comes to breathing – both having ears that allow them to communicate.
The wheel bug is a fascinating insect with an unusual defense mechanism: its head sports an attractive crest resembling the blade of a circular saw, helping it blend in seamlessly with tree bark when lurking for unsuspecting prey. Meanwhile, jewel wasps have another intriguing strategy up their sleeve: they sting cockroaches to make them move uncontrollably toward their doom!
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence, or glow-in-the-dark ability, is used by some animals, particularly insects, as a means of mating, signaling, warning or other purposes – especially animals that reside in oceanic twilight zones where it’s always dark.
Anglerfish use their light organs to use a lure that looks just like prey to lure smaller fish closer, providing easy targets for its sharp teeth and jaws.
Glow also aids aquatic animals, like the blue ringed octopus. His arms flicker in an attempt to mimic nearby fish flashing by, providing another benefit of bioluminescence for these aquatic creatures escaping predators and prey alike.
Other organisms can produce bioluminescence as well, including bacteria and fungi. Bioluminescent organisms can either shine independently, or host it within larger animals – for example, the bobtail squid has bioluminescent bacteria in its underbelly!
There are numerous forms of bioluminescence, each species boasting its own distinct hue and brightness. Fungi can glow continuously in decayed wood; others flash or blink intermittently such as bioluminescent spots on a firefly’s wings; some organisms, like railroad worms, even emit multiple colors of luminescence at once!
Some animals use bioluminescence to disarm or confuse their enemies. The green bomber worm, for instance, uses its bioluminescence as an alarm when in danger and this “burglar alarm” may scare off larger predators who might otherwise try and consume the worm.
Insects can be very engaging creatures. There are over one million known insect species, each unique in appearance and style – beautiful ones, deadly ones and everything in between! One of the coolest bugs are cockroaches which have the amazing ability of holding their breath for 40 minutes or more without breathing! Bees have also been observed flying up to 150 times their body length! Among other interesting facts, bees can fly 150 times farther than they can on their own body length, the Atlas moth does not have mouths and bombardier beetle which shoots boiling hot liquid out when threatened!
Diversity
Insects may seem like unwelcome pests and nuisances, but they’re actually fascinating creatures! With stunning colors and incredible feats like flying through water pipes and flying from one roof to the other, insects offer much to love about nature – there are over one million species worldwide with new discoveries still happening daily! Here are a few interesting facts about insects we found particularly fascinating!
1) Bees Can Taste with Their Wings
To find their nectar source, bees use their wings to detect chemical signals within flowers they visit – this enables them to visit thousands in just one day!
2) Caterpillars Keep a Close Eye on Their Prey
When you see a caterpillar nibbling away at leaves, it’s not just eating; it’s keeping an eye out for anything dangerous nearby. In fact, caterpillars possess 12 eyes! When readying themselves to become butterflies, their eyes become significantly upgraded with up to 17,000 tiny lenses each for panoramic vision of their world around them.
3) Dung Beetles Are Strongest Insects
Dung beetles are well known for rolling up piles of filth. But did you know they’re also one of the strongest insects around, capable of pulling 1,141 times their own weight! That’s equivalent to pulling six double-decker buses!
4) Ants Can Breathe Underwater
Some ants are natural scuba divers, able to spend weeks submerged by trapping air bubbles around their bodies – creating an insect-sized scuba suit. This allows ants to thrive in humid environments where plants or fish could die off quickly.
People often dismiss crickets as annoying noisemakers, but did you know they can actually make beautiful music? A Madagascar hissing cockroach may appear to be making noise; but in actuality they’re actually serenading fellow cockroaches when rubbing its legs together! So the next time you hear one chirp, take a closer listen; you might just find yourself singing along!