INCREDIBLE INSECTS SURE TO LEAVE YOU AMAZED

FIREFLY

Fireflies are famous for their unique ability to produce light

by means of a chemical reaction known as bioluminescence.

There are about 2,000 different species of fireflies, but they

all glow even in their larval stage; while in their larval

stage they are called glow-worms.

FLOWER MANTIS

Flower mantises are those species of praying mantis that

 mimic flowers. Their behaviour varies, but they usually

climb a plant until they reach a suitable flower and then

they stay still until their prey comes within range.

Some species of flower mantis are also popular as pets.

DESERT LOCUST

Potentially the most destructive insect, the desert locust

has threatened agricultural production in Africa, the 

Middle East and Asia for centuries. Capable of eating

their own weight every day, the locusts gather in huge

swarms. A single swarm can cover up to 1,200sq km

(463sq mi) and can contain up to 80 million

locusts per 1sq km (0.39sq mi).

TAURUS SCARAB

A little oval-shaped dung beetle, the Taurus scarab is

considered the world´s strongest animal in terms of

proportional strength. In a laboratory experiment, the

beetle was recorded to pull 1,141 times its own body

weight. That’s equivalent to a person lifting about 82 tons.

GIRAFFE WEEVIL

Indigenous to Madagascar, the giraffe weevil has one of

the weirdest body proportions in the animal kingdom.

Males have markedly extended necks that can be

several times their own body lengths. Measuring about

2.5 cm (1 in), the giraffe weevil uses its

prolonged neck for nest building and fighting.

FROGHOPPER

Known for their plant-sucking nymphs which encase

themselves in froth in springtime, froghoppers are

the best jumpers in the animal kingdom. The insects

can jump up to 100 times their length, experiencing

over 400 g (gravitational acceleration) during the jump.

DRAGONFLY

The ultimate insect predator, the dragonfly hunts prey

both in its larval stage and as adult. Scientists have

found out that dragonflies are brutally effective killers,

managing to capture their prey in mid-air more than

95 percent of the time, which makes them arguably

the most efficient hunters of all animals.

COCKROACH

The cockroach has a reputation of being one of the

hardiest (and most feared) insect. Some species are

capable of remaining active for a month without food and

survive without air for up to 45 minutes. Cockroaches

also have a much higher radiation resistance than 

vertebrates, with the lethal dose up to 15 times that

for humans.

BOMBARDIER BEETLE

Inhabiting woodlands and grasslands on all continents

except Antarctica, the bombardier beetle is most notable

for its unique defence mechanism that gives it its

name. When disturbed, the beetle ejects a hot

noxious chemical spray from the tip of their abdomen.

The reaction is very exothermic, raising the

temperature of the mixture to near 100 C (212 F).