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Insects are everywhere! Insects live in warm climates, hot climates, even sub zero climates. Some thrive in dry climates, others near water. Insects not only outnumber the human population, but if you added together all the people, animals, and plants on earth today, insects would still outnumber us! And did you know that insects could be traced back to over 400 million years ago? So it should be no surprise that from these numbers and the widespread area that they live, and as long as they have been here on our planet, that some of the weirdest creatures that have ever existed are from the insect world.
What exactly is an insect? Well, the word insect literally means ‘sections’. Insects are made up of three sections" the head, the middle, or often referred to as the thorax, and the abdomen. Connected to the middle will also be six legs. Often confused incorrectly, as insects, are spiders. Spiders are arachnids. Insects may or may not have wings; those that do may have two or often four wings. Butterflies are insects!
Some beetles have horns. These horns are often of such a huge size in proportion to their body that they have no real use, other than to fight other beetles with. Another type of beetle, a ‘blister beetle’ produces a substance called cantharidin that is so caustic it has been used in the removal of warts. Also from the beetle class of insects come fireflies and glowworms, which use chemicals in their bodies to actually make themselves glow. Scientists believe that they use chemicals in their bodies with the oxygen in the air, causing the glowing effect. Whirligig beetles have two sets of eyes. Commonly found swimming, they use one set for seeing above the water surface, and one set to see below the water surface.
Some male insects carry around the female’s eggs on their backs until they hatch. The eggs are carried and protected by a ridge of spiny like material. Talk about fatherly love!
Leaf insects live in mostly tropical climates. Their wings resemble the leaves of plants around them, allowing them to blend right in when they perch on a leaf. One problem of this is they can be mistaken for a leaf by other leaf-eating insects! Ouch! The Kallima Butterfly resembles a dead leaf when it settles onto a branch in its native East Indies. They are all practicing the art of camouflage as it was meant to be. Other butterflies have taken this one step further. Approaching predators do not see the beautiful designs on some butterflies that we see; they see huge eyes and fangs instead!
Different insects resemble twigs and branches. So fascinated are people by these ‘sticks’, that groups have actually formed from people who keep them as pets! One insect from the cicada family is named ‘ Buffalo Head ’ because its head looks like that of a buffalo, even sprouting a set of horns similar in shape to those atop a buffalo’s head! The ‘stink bug’ is so named because they protect themselves from being meals to other insects and animals through, you guessed it, smelling as foul as they can! Did you know that the queen termite does nothing else besides lay eggs? The same is true of a queen ant. She even has soldier ants whose job it is to protect her! Male ants have a life span of one year, while a female who has reached the status of queen can live for over ten years, many times much longer even than that.
Insects are strange, scary, beautiful, weird, and more! They are everywhere around us. Getting to know a bit about these fascinating creatures is sure to do one thing, if nothing else. Leave you wanting to learn more! Have some fun and explore the huge world of insects.
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