Scientists have estimated that there are more than one million insect species on the earth, living in every environment you can imagine from volcanoes to glaciers.They are the largest group in the animal kingdom. There are diverse kinds of them with each kind having a special "super power" that equip them to survive in the environment in which they live. Here are a select few;
1. Devil’s Flower Mantis, Idolomantis diabolica
 |
| Image source: thethinkingatheist.com |
Location: Native to a few countries in Africa; Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda.
Behaviour: This species is possibly the largest that mimics flowers. It is characterised with Deimatic Behaviour (startle display) which scares off or momentarily distract enemies.
2. Pale Tussock Moth caterpillar, Dasychira pudibunda
 |
| Image Source: jigidi.com |
Location: Europe
Special Ability: It is armed with two scent red-orange horns extended, called osmeterium, this emits a noxious odour with this it drives away unwanted guests.
3. Brazilian Treehopper, Bocydium globulare
 |
| Image via Pinterest |
Location: They are found in warmer, tropical regions, such as North America, South America, Australia, Africa and Asia.
Behaviour: In order to escape predators, as the name suggests, Treehoppers can hop great distances between plants. They have horns that resemble thorns and they tend to be quite colourful.
4. White Ermine (Eurasia), Spilosoma lubricipeda
 |
| Image source: baddogneedsrottenhome.com |
Location: . It is found throughout the temperate belt of Eurasia from Europe through Kazakhstan and southern Siberia to Amur Region, China, Korea and Japan.
Special Ability: They are poisonous when ingested, predators find it's caterpillar form distasteful.
5. Lonomia obliqua
 |
| Image source: futurism.com |
Special Ability: This caterpillar is responsible for the death of several humans every year. It has a unique venom which causes massive blood leakage into the brain.
6. Brahmin Moth Caterpillar (Bhutan), Brahmaea wallichii
 | |
| Image credit: Igor Siwanowticz / Barcroft Media |
Location: It is found in the north of India, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Taiwan and Japan.
Behaviour: In the moth state, when disturbed it does not fly away, but fiercely shakes. They are able to neutralize plant toxins produced by Ligustrum.
7. Thorn Bug, Umbonia crassicornis
 |
| Image source: archies.info |
Special Ability: It mimics thorns to prevent predators from spotting them.
8. Extatosoma tiaratum
 |
| Image Source: quickstopmedia.com |
Behaviour: Female adult E. tiaratum are covered with thorn-like spikes for defence and camouflage. All adults have glands under that spray a colourless toffee like odour which is pleasant to humans, but deters most predators.
9. Turtle Ant, Cephalotes Atratus
 |
| Image source: scienceblogs.com |
Location: Found in the forests of South and Central America.
Special Ability: Also know as the gliding Darth Vadar Ant,
with the ability to "parachute" and steer their fall so as to land back on the tree trunk rather than fall to the ground
with the ability to "parachute" and steer their fall so as to land back on the tree trunk rather than fall to the ground
10. The Sahara Silver Ant, Cataglyphis Bombycina
 |
| Image source: nationalgeographic.com |
Location: The Sahara Desert
Special Ability: Equipped with silvery reflective hair, it can withstand the Saharan heat of about 122 degrees F (50 degrees C) a temperature capable of killing more predators.
11. Southern Flannel Moth, Megalopyge opercularis
Location: Southern U.S. and also in Mexico and Central America
Special Ability: Nick named Donald Trump Caterpillar. These stinging caterpillars have urticating hairs. These hairs are hollow bristles that break when tampered with or crushed, and in this case, once they are broken they release toxin from the glands below.
Sources:
list25.com
listverse.com
Oddee.com,
Comments
Post a Comment