The most beautiful insects in the world. amazingly beautiful insects

Insects appeared on the planet long before humans. They can be considered full owners on Earth, since this class is the most numerous in the entire fauna. Despite their relatively small size, they were able to inhabit all continents, including cold continents and arid regions. Among the insects of our planet can be found amazing representatives, which have an interesting appearance or lead unusual image life.

Their diversity is amazing: some have unexpectedly large sizes, others can barely be seen; there are those that amaze with beauty, and some specimens cause disgust or even fear. The top 10 contains the most amazing insects found in nature.

These animals never live alone. They create complex colonies with a clear distribution of functions. This feature is due to the fact that termites have lost the ability to take care of themselves and therefore are completely dependent on the community, like cells of one living organism.

All actions of individual instances are so clearly controlled that the illusion of the existence of a single "superorganism" is created, the strength of which exceeds the power of many large animals. Often people associate termites with ants, but their closest relatives are cockroaches.

Top 10 amazing insects and animal termites are brought in by the queen of the colony, the reproductive female, who, after a single flight from the mound to mate, loses her wings and eyesight. Her abdomen begins to grow and lay eggs. Their number can reach 30,000 daily!

All members of the mound are born from such clutches. Termites touchingly care for their mother: they bring her food, clean her body and transfer eggs to special incubators. And the queen herself is deprived of the ability to move, because while she lies in the nest, her large body continues to grow, turning her into a helpless prisoner of a labyrinth of narrow passages leading to the outside world.

For such cohesion, termites fall into 10th place in the ranking of the most amazing insects in the world.

The 9th position is occupied by a special type of fireflies - pyrophores.

Many fireflies have the ability to emit a mysterious light that attracts people. The organ of their glow is located at the very tip of the abdomen and contains many photogenic cells. The glow occurs due to the oxidation reaction of a fatty substance - luciferin.

Fireflies of the pyrophora genus have achieved impeccable skill in controlling the brightness and duration of the glow. These inhabitants rainforest they can turn on 2 different colors on their body at once: the “flashlight” on the abdomen glows with bright orange light, and on the chest - green.

The brightness of the glow that pyrophores produce is a record among representatives of this class - this beetle can shine 150 times brighter than an ordinary firefly. Locals use pyrophore to light their way at night by placing a few beetles on their hats.

The title of the heaviest representative of the class rightfully goes to the goliath beetle. It received its specific name just for its impressive weight.

The male of this species occupies the entire palm of an adult and weighs about 100 g. heavy weight he has an impressive power, which he demonstrates to anyone who tries to catch or hold him.

Goliath larvae are even larger: they exceed even their parents in size and weight. With a length of 15 cm, they weigh 110-120 g. The appetite of such larvae is amazing: during weight gain, they can eat not only leaves, but also their fellows.

These amazing creatures are under protection because they were coveted and expensive specimens in many entomological collections, so they were destroyed uncontrollably for 200 years.

The goliath beetle occupies the 8th position as the owner of the largest weight in the insect class.

Wasp Dipomorph

In 7th place are amazing insects with the smallest sizes.

Of the necessary organs, males have long hind legs, which help to hold the female during mating. After the function is completed, the male remains on the female for some time, and then the male's tiny body is quickly depleted and dies.

The 6th place was taken by the family of cicadas, namely the rower species, which is considered the loudest in the world of insects.

Despite their miniature size, not exceeding 3 mm, these singers can produce a sound comparable to the volume of an orchestra or the power of a jackhammer. Only males of this species, who call females for mating, can sing with such enthusiasm.

The sound power that one rower is capable of is 120 dB. It's easy to imagine how they suffer locals when mating season begins in their area. Considering the small size of cicadas, it is quite difficult to find such a singer in the house, since he prefers to climb into cracks between boards or into empty space under wallpaper. Such concerts continue for 3-4 nights in a row, during which insomnia is guaranteed for the owners of the house.

This amazing insect lives in Russia, and every year its number is gradually increasing.

Not only animals, but also people suffer from such an ant. They have a pair of glands in their heads that, in case of danger, produce a large number of substance toxic to humans. When this poison comes into contact with the skin, a sensation comparable to a severe burn occurs. The pain increases rapidly, and the site of the lesion becomes bright red, sometimes there are blisters, as after exposure to fire.

Ants do not attack people just like that, they protect their housing, which can be arranged in a house, in garbage cans, in sheds and utility rooms. As soon as a person approaches their dwelling, the entire colony of fire ants attacks him, spreading throughout the body and repeatedly stinging. More than 30 people die every year from such attacks.

These aggressive insects cannot be forced to leave their habitable place with the help of chemical poisons or ultrasonic repellers, so often the owners have nothing left to do but move to live in a new place.

The 4th position is occupied by the orchid praying mantis for its exotic appearance.

This rare and amazing insect lives in Malaysia and Thailand, where in wild nature many orchids bloom. The praying mantis is very reminiscent of the petals of these plants in color and shape of the legs, which helps him to hunt orchid pollinators. He sits near fragrant flowers, and pollinators mistakenly sit on him, after which they fall into his tenacious paws.

The color of the orchid praying mantis is not constant: the main color is white, but depending on the shade of the flower next to which the insect is located, the color of its body or paws may also change. IN young age this variability is very pronounced, but with age, the ability to change gradually weakens.

Because of the amazing appearance and unpretentiousness to the conditions of keeping, the orchid praying mantis is often kept at home and enjoy the beauty of this representative of the exotic tropical fauna.

On the 3rd place is the butterfly peacock-eye atlas, which is the largest representative of the insect world. Its wingspan is 26 cm, which causes real admiration in people.

This giant lives in eastern countries - in China, India, Pakistan, etc. The largest specimen was found on the island of Java, its length was 26.2 cm. It was a female, since females of this species are much larger than males.

Peacock-eye Atlas is most active in the evening, when dusk sets in. In poor lighting, it is often mistaken for a silent bird.

Its life expectancy is very short: immediately after breeding, the butterfly dies. She doesn't even have a mouth because adult life she does not feed, but lives off the reserves that have accumulated in the larval stage.

People appreciated not only the size of the peacock-eye: its huge cocoons in Taiwan are used as wallets, tourists willingly buy such souvenirs. In addition, on an industrial scale, cocoons are used to make loafer silk, which surpasses the silkworm thread in terms of strength and durability.

In position No. 2, representatives of the world of insects are rightfully located, developing during movement the speed with which we most often drive cars. Dragonflies of the southern giant rocker species are capable of flying at a speed of 54 km / h during the pursuit of the victim. Thus, in just a couple of hours, they can cover hundreds of kilometers.

During the flight, the dragonfly flaps its wings up to 150 times per second, so the human eye cannot distinguish the wings at such a speed. At the same time, they perform masterful tricks: they accelerate sharply, freeze in one place, and can fly back and forth.

Scientists still do not fully understand all the principles of the skillful flight of dragonflies, their flights for tens and hundreds of kilometers, as well as endurance and mechanisms for replenishing the energy expended during loads. Bionics specialists have already borrowed from the dragonfly a device that helps to ensure flight with a jet engine, and it is possible that it will suggest many more innovations that can be implemented in helicopter construction.

1st place among the 10 most amazing insects is occupied by cockroaches - creatures that most people have seen. They never aroused sympathy, but they earned sincere admiration due to their adaptability.

The cockroach's ability to survive is limitless: despite all attempts to get rid of these representatives of the animal world, they continue to live next to humans for many centuries.

With a complete deprivation of food, the animal feels great for a long time and dies only after 50 days, and sometimes more than 2 months, using body reserves to maintain life. During this time, the cockroach may have time to mate and lay larvae. During periods of hunger, he limits his movement so as not to waste excess energy.

Lack of water will kill it much faster - within a week, but it's still quite a lot compared to other animals.

Cockroaches are able to live even without a head: they can stay in this state for a couple of weeks. This is possible because large vessels do not go to the head, but nervous system after such damage is not seriously affected.

Experiments with high level radiation showed that this factor is not able to exterminate them. Therefore, cockroaches will be our neighbors for a long time and, quite likely, will outlive humanity.

For such adaptability to external conditions The cockroach tops the ranking of the most amazing insects on the planet.

Incredible Facts

Nature is full of wonders. There are over one million different species of insects (known to us) on the planet. They make up half of all living organisms on earth.

Therefore, yes some of them are really, really weird. Sometimes downright weird.

They have such a repulsive appearance that you probably want to immediately forget about them after you see them.

Below are the strangest insects, the appearance of which even science fiction is surprised.

scary insects

11. Harpy big

The caterpillars of these butterflies are incredibly vulnerable, because their bodies are very soft and almost entirely composed of protein. To fend off predators, they often resort to scare tactics.

Sometimes it is bright colors, sometimes it is an imitation of other insects, and often it is a fake behavior, similar to the behavior of another, more dangerous insect. The facial expressions of this individual are special, the "face" looks at least strange, which turns out to be sufficient to intimidate predators.

Bright green caterpillars often "wear" rows of white spots on the sides of their bodies. The head has a pair of black "eye spots" located directly above the gaping "mouth" through which, if you look closely, you can see the real head of the caterpillar.

The effect is striking, but no less creepy: if someone touches the caterpillar anywhere on its body, then the “face” will instantly be turned towards the attacker. Touch it elsewhere and the "face" will follow you again.

But if suddenly this does not work, then the caterpillar will always have time to throw out formic acid from the two horns on its back.

unusual insects

10. Praying Mantis "Devil's Flower"

Being one of the largest mantis species, the devil flower is also the strangest. That says a lot when it comes to praying mantises. Females of this species reach a length of up to 13 cm, while in the process of evolution they have acquired a different set of natural colors, which allows them to imitate a type of orchid called "devil's flower".

Praying mantises are predators, and their hunting style is one of waiting. They can sit still for a long time while the intended prey is within reach, then with lightning-fast forearm movement they catch flies, beetles, and even birds in some cases.

Thus, this type of praying mantis uses its color, imitating a flower, and when the victim approaches, it attacks.

9. Brazilian humpback

The image shown here is a model created by Alfred Keller, a German sculptor, in the 1950s. But do not assume that this is all fiction, because the Brazilian humpback is a real-life insect, and this is the strangest individual in the entire humpback family.

Along with cicadas, humpback insects resemble the Adams family, only in the animal kingdom. Many of them have strange structural formations on their bodies, and science is still not sure of their purpose.

In the case of the Brazilian humpback, the ball-shaped formations are full of chitin, perhaps their natural purpose is to give the insect the strength to obtain food.

The most terrible insects

8. Redtail

The red-tailed moth is a moth native to Denmark. The caterpillars of this moth are bright yellow in color, and their bodies are covered with "spots" of spiky hair, similar to porcupine quills. Another tuft of hair runs along the center of the back, while each segment of the body is also "covered" by a certain amount of hair.

This, in turn, led to the fact that the spine turned out to be bulky, and its color varies depending on the individual from black to brown.

From a distance, the caterpillar resembles a sponge, but with close range you can see two rows of jaws, and this is not a very pleasant kind of jaw. Invasions of these moth species occur periodically, as a result of which entire carpets of insects entangle trees.

So, in 1988, 20 hectares of beech forest in Denmark were demolished by a similar wave.

Insect disguise

7. Stick insect - extatosome (Extatosoma Tiaratum)

Anyone who has ever watched the movie "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" should immediately recognize this monster, which is often called the giant insect "Prickly Stick".

Being the largest of the stick insect species, Extatosoma Tiaratum can reach a length of 20 cm. The stick insect is covered with large prickly spikes that serve as both camouflage and protective armor.

Most of the time, this insect spends in an attempt to perfectly harmonize with the environment, but if it feels threatened, then it will immediately rear up and expose its forelimbs.

In this form, he is terribly similar to a scorpion. Interestingly, at the same time, the stick insect releases a special chemical designed to scare away predators. A person perceives this smell as the aroma of peanut butter.

Terrible insects

6. Black Butterfly (Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar)

This insect is an incredibly beautiful fluorescent blue butterfly, which is usually found in North and Central America.

Her larvae, on the other hand, are well "armored" blood-red caterpillars with darkened protruding eyelids and four blunt horns to help the body move.

While young, the caterpillars live in groups, but over time, before the onset of the chrysalis stage, they begin to wander on their own. They also change color as they grow, going from red to black while the horns become a bright orange hue.

The bright colors are a warning as the caterpillars feed primarily on poisonous plants, storing the toxins from the leaves in their own bodies.

5. Butterfly peacock-eye satin

This butterfly spends most of its life in the form of a caterpillar that looks very strange, while the moth itself is quite interesting.

The wingspan of this insect is about 25 cm, so this butterfly is considered the largest on the planet. She also has a unique wing color: the front ends of the wings strongly resemble the head of a snake, ready to attack the victim.

For obvious reasons, this butterfly was nicknamed "cobra", and it lives in Southeast Asia, where they are grown for silk production.

4 Tailed Imperial Butterfly

If you find yourself on the east coast of Australia around March or April, then you can encounter one of the most strange creatures. The caterpillar of this butterfly looks quite normal from the neck to the end of its body.

Her head, that's what got her on this list. A wide, dense forehead, from which four strange horns grow, should have belonged to a dinosaur rather than to a creature living in this millennium.

Butterflies lay their eggs in groups, usually on trees called Illawarra, and alien caterpillars begin to appear sometime in late March.

3. Mantis Prickly Flower

Another incredible species of praying mantis is the Prickly Flower Mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi), which gets its name from its strange flower-shaped ornament. This insect is very small, it does not even reach a length of 4 cm. The praying mantis lives in South Africa.

And, like most praying mantises, "Prickly flower" is an insatiable predator, moreover, the older he gets, the higher the likelihood that he will eat his own kind, encountered on his way.

Another interesting fact: the sac in which the female stores eggs ready for laying can be three times larger than her own body.

The most unusual insects

2. Scorpion fly

Despite the fact that this insect looks more like the result of a very strange genetic experiment of crossing a scorpion and a wasp, the "sting" is actually nothing but the genitals of a fly.

However, due to this feature, the insect looks very strange. These insects can be found all over the world, they have been living on earth for a very long time, starting from the Mesozoic era.

In fact, it is believed that they were the progenitors of most living in modern world moths and butterflies.

1. Silkworm Calleta

The caterpillars of this butterfly are carriers of a wide range of colors, as well as very dangerous looking hairline. Most predators prefer to stay away from them.

The butterfly lives in the southern part of the USA. It should be noted that the color of the caterpillar varies depending on age and some factors. environment. The caterpillar feeds mainly on Mexican legumes that grow in Mexico City, Texas and Arizona.

There are over a million species of insects on the planet. The world of insects is so huge and diverse that we cannot even imagine the existence of some arthropods. Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and many other species can be found in different parts of the world. Today we will look at the most interesting and unusual insects that are on this moment known to mankind.

Fans.

The leaf beetle is most common in Central and Eastern Europe. Beetles of this species are protected environmental organizations Great Britain. Starting from April and ending in September, there is the possibility of meeting with an adult, mature individual of this species.

The body of the insect is painted in several colors at once: red, golden, blue, green. The length of the beetle can reach more than 1 cm. The habitat of the cereal beetle can be considered forests, wastelands and meadows.

Brazilian humpback.

The Brazilian humpback is far from the prettiest insect. The processes and spines of the humpback are surrounded by protective bristles. The Brazilian humpback joined the order of hemipterans that feed on plant sap. The tropical forests of South America are completely filled with these insects, which have the appearance of real monsters.

Peacock grasshopper.

The grasshopper is also called "Peruvian". This grasshopper has not only a bizarre color of the wings, but also a fairly large size. The insect usually uses camouflage techniques under dry leaves. Since the unusual wings imitate large eyes, the grasshopper uses them to scare away predators. This defense tactic is most effective and regularly saves the life of the Peruvian grasshopper.

"Pringles" spider.

Look at the back of this spider. Doesn't it remind you of anything? Mother nature is so diverse that she created these creatures with an interesting pattern on the back in the form of a funny face, which resembles the emblem of the famous Pringles chips. This type of spider belongs to the family of cross-spiders. The size of the insects is quite small. Adult spiders reach 1 cm in length. The habitat of "Pringles" spiders is New Guinea, Australia and Southeast Asia.

The spider has the most cunning hunting methods with special alert systems in the form of vibrations that are transmitted to the “hunter”.

Big harpy.

Also has the name "forktail". The forktail butterfly does not cause any interest, but the caterpillar has a completely unforgettable appearance. The forked gray tail causes some confusion. In case of alarm, the body of the caterpillar appears before the enemy, exposing a large black head with an open mouth. This monster bares its stingers and scares away the predator. The defensive actions of the "great harpy" caterpillar are a very specific and terrible sight.

Stick insect.

The stick insect is a very specific insect, numbering more than 3 thousand species. Typically, the length of a stick insect reaches 32 cm. However, a record stick insect has been found in China, having a length of 62 cm. Stick insects are found both in the USA or Australia, and in Russia. The structure of the body of these insects allows them to easily merge with nature and turn into a "ghost". Stick insects don't just look like green branches. Their main protective function is the correct choice of position depending on the location of the object of disguise and constant immobility.

Surinam lantern.

"Flying crocodile" - this is the name of the Surinamese "lantern", belonging to the family of hemiptera. Her head resembles that of a lizard or a crocodile with false eyes. This image is protective and helps to scare even the most dangerous predator. The wingspan of the "lantern" reaches 16 cm.

South America is considered the habitat of the Surinamese "lantern".

Spotted spider.

"Poecilotheria metallica" was discovered in 1899. One of the rarest spiders on Earth is from the tarantula family. The habitat of the blue spider is India. The life span of a spider is up to 15 years. "Poecilotheria metallica" - very dangerous view spiders with potent venom. In addition, the spider can jump high and has a high running speed. The body length of the spider is almost 8 cm. The motley spider is the number one target for collectors all over the world.

Do you like insects? Let's try to guess: most likely not. Not many people consider insects to be their favorite animal, and it's understandable.

Fortunately, not every species of insect is so disgusting and unpleasant to look at. Of the more than a million species of insects described by man, there are also many beautiful, interesting and even cute, and this is exactly what our today's post will be about. As you will see from this list, some insects can be amazingly beautiful, and for that we have Mother Nature to thank.

From incredibly colorful grasshoppers, moths, butterflies and beetles to stunningly beautiful orchid mantises and tropical butterflies Troides aeacus - we are glad to present you 25 stunningly beautiful insects living on our planet!

25. Madagascar Urania (Chrysiridia rhipheus)

Endemic to Madagascar, Urania Madagascar or Chrysiradia Madagascar is a large diurnal butterfly famous for its strikingly beautiful colors. Very popular with collectors, it is considered one of the most impressive and attractive looking insects on the planet.

24. Western American filly (Taeniopoda eques)

The Western American grasshopper is a large North American locust native to the arid southwestern regions and northern Mexico. The species is unique in that it uses its black color for thermoregulation and is chemically protected. Sematic coloration warns predators that they are venomous.

23. Dragonfly Pachydiplax longipennis

Mostly distributed in the United States and Canada, the dragonfly Pachydiplax longipennis is a bright, colorful dragonfly from the True Dragonfly family. Living in ponds, lakes and swamps, these beautiful insects are actually ferocious predators feeding on other flying insects.

22. Indian flower mantis (Creobroter pictipennis)

Also known as the precious flower mantis, pictipennis is a species of mantis native to Asia. Adult males grow up to 38 mm, and adult females - a little more. This type of praying mantis is the most acceptable as a pet with a 90% survival rate among larvae.

21. Sailboat Ulysses (Papilio ulysses)

Sailboat Ulysses is a large sailboat butterfly with a beautiful coloration, the wingspan of which reaches 105 mm. Named after the ancient Greek hero Odysseus (lat. Ulysses), this butterfly is most common in Australia, where it is even a symbol of tourism.

20. Butterfly Greta Oto, or Glass Butterfly

Found predominantly in Central and South America, the Greta Oto butterfly is a nymphalid known for its transparent wings that can span up to 61mm. The tissue between its wings is transparent, because it lacks the colored scales that other butterflies have.

19. Common tongue (Macroglossum stellatarum)

Known for its remarkable coloration, the common tongue, or star-shaped proboscis, is a butterfly from the hawk family that looks like a real hummingbird (in English version This species of butterflies is called - "hummingbird butterfly"). The elongated proboscis of the butterfly even imitates a bird's beak. The common tongue is distributed throughout the northern territory of the Old World - from Portugal to Japan - but lives only in warm climates.

18. Monarch butterfly caterpillar (Danaus plexippus)

The monarch butterfly is one of the most famous and beautiful butterflies in the world, but it is perhaps even more stunning in its larval phase. The brightly colored caterpillar goes through five main special growth stages, and after each of them it molts.

17. Chrysochroa fulgidissima

Known for Japanese as "tamamushi" (meaning "iridescent-winged insect"), the beetle Chrysochroa fulgidissima is a large, metallic-shiny beetle Green colour with iridescent coloration. Lives in the country rising sun, Taiwan, Vietnam and China. It can be found in forests and woodlands in summer time under the hot sun. Adults grow up to 30-41 mm in length.

And if you think this beetle is the prettiest, then wait until you get to number 12!

16. Silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Silkworm- a domesticated butterfly from the family of true silkworms, whose caterpillars play an important economic role in the production of silk. The reproduction of domestic silkworms is closely dependent on humans as a result of thousands of years of selection.

15. Bronzovka (Cetoniinae)

Bronzovki are a subfamily of lamellar beetles (scarabs) that pollinate flowers, collect nectar from them and feed on them. There are about 4,000 species of these beetles, many of which have not yet been described. The electric green bronze species shown in this image is native to Australia.

14. Butterfly Papilio chikae

Endemic to the Philippines, the butterfly Papilio chikae is a large, brightly colored butterfly species that was discovered in 1965. Unfortunately, the attractive appearance of this butterfly has led to the fact that it has become endangered due to increased interest among collectors.

13. Shield turtle, or Picasso beetle (Sphaerocoris annulus)

An adult Picasso beetle can reach a length of almost 8 mm. Its main color is green, and 11 annular can be seen on the elytra. The color and coloration of these beetles is a warning to predators: if they are disturbed, they emit a poisonous odor.

12. Golden Turtle Beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata)

Found naturally in the Americas, the Golden Turtle beetle is a species of the Leaf beetle family. It feeds on bindweed and sweet potato leaves. The beetle's coloration, ranging from reddish-brown with black spots to golden, is most often metallic, earning it the nickname "golden beetle".

11. Butterfly caterpillar Carthaea saturnioides

Found in the bushes of Western Australia, the butterfly Carthaea saturnioides is a species of moth that is considered the only species of the family Carthaeidae. The caterpillar of this species is colored gray-blue on the back and in yellow on the abdomen with a clear pattern resembling eyes.

10. Saturnia moon (Actias luna)

One of the largest butterflies in the US, the Saturnia moon has a wingspan of up to 114mm. This lemon green butterfly is found in areas ranging from the eastern Great Plains to northern Mexico and from Saskatchewan east to Nova Scotia in Canada.

9 Orchid Praying Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus)

Found in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, the orchid mantis is characterized by its brilliant coloration and structure, ideally suited for camouflage that mimics orchid flowers. The praying mantis can also change its color between pinks and browns, depending on the color of the background.

8. Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae)

Leafhoppers are plant-eating insects that suck sap from grass, shrubs, and trees. Found ubiquitously, leafhoppers are the second largest family of hemipterans, with at least 20,000 described species. A beautifully colored insect is the leafhopper of the species Eupteryx Aurata.

7. Diurnal Butterfly Parthenos sylvia

Parthenos sylvia is a butterfly species in the Nymphalidae family native to Southeast Asia. Known for their impressive coloration and ornate patterns, these butterflies are widely distributed in countries such as Burma, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, New Guinea, Malaysia, and the Solomon Islands.

6. Orchid bee (Euglossini)

Widespread almost all over the world, the ladybug is a small beetle easily recognizable by its black spots on its wings. Majority ladybugs red, but they can also be yellow or orange. Scientists have discovered and described more than 6,000 species of ladybugs.

4. Butterfly Troides aeacus

This large colorful butterfly belongs to the Sailboat family. Found in most of Southeast Asia, the butterfly Troides aeacus is one of the largest butterflies in the world, with a wingspan of up to 16 centimeters.

3. Fulgoroida (Fulgoroidea)

These insects are known for their remarkable resemblance to leaves, twigs, and other characteristic features their habitats. There are over 12,500 described species of fulgoroids worldwide, ranging from inconspicuous to extremely colorful and bizarre looking insects. The photo shows the fulgoroid Laternaria candelaria.

2. Owl Butterfly (Brahmaea Hearseyi)

Scientifically known as Brahmaea hearseyi, the night owl moth is a species of large moth native to parts of Burma, China and the Philippines. With a wingspan of up to 200 mm, these insects are among the world's largest moth species.

1. Caterpillar Hyalophora cecropia (Hyalophora cecropia)

Hyalophora cecropia is the largest night butterfly that lives in North America. Females have a wingspan of 160 mm, although even larger numbers have been documented. Caterpillars of these moths are most often found on maples, but they can also feed on cherry and birch leaves. These insects are distinguished by characteristic hairy tubercles all over their bodies.

Insects are an incalculable class of invertebrates, and their abundance on the planet is comparable to that of plants. Therefore, in our time, entomologists continue to find more and more of their species, and it seems that there will be no end to this. Among them there are a lot of unusual-looking and fabulous beautiful views, so it was not so easy to make the TOP 10 most unusual insects in the world, so as not to offend hundreds of those left outside.

1. Ant "Darth Vader"

These larger than normal ants are actually called Cephalotes atratus in Latin. They are completely black, and their heads are like in frightening helmets. They are also called gliders, because when they fall from a tree, they are able to control their descent. To some they resemble a hero " Star Wars» Darth Vader, hence the name stuck to them.
In 2004, while sitting on top of a tree in the rainforest, Steven Yavonik noticed their unusual ability. He climbed a tree to be bitten by mosquitoes, the bites of which he later planned to investigate. But then I noticed something unusual. The ants diving from the tree did not plop down on the ground as they had to, but formed a small cascade in flight, after which they again landed on the tree. Interested in what he saw, the researcher painted the legs of some ants with white nail polish and continued to observe. From the marks of the ant legs, he guessed that approaching the trunk with their backs and hitting it, the ants roll over in flight and try with all their might to hold on, hitting the tree again. As a rule, they succeed, so only a few individuals fall to the ground. Thanks to this unique ability to turn 180 degrees, the ants have learned not to leave their native tree, but to land at its base.

2. Hello Kitty Caterpillar

The Chinese brown marigold butterfly, Mycalesis gotama, has an amazing looking caterpillar that prefers to live in bushes. Her head strongly resembles a cat face with protruding ears. These funny green caterpillars are especially loved in Japan. When a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, the same cat's head is visible in the drawing on its wings.

3 Elvis Presley Shield Beetle

When one photographer decided to take this beetle on camera, he was shocked by its appearance, as he saw on the back of the insect an almost exact portrait of the king of rock and roll Elvis Presley. There are all the details: mouth, nose, eyes, even the singer's legendary cook. But the beetle also has a less pleasant property - it smells very unpleasant.
It all started when Massachusetts photographer Darlene Murawsky saw a giant stink bug (Pentatomidae) while taking a series of photographs in southern Thailand in national reserve Khao Yai for National Geographic magazine. On one of the sheets, the image of Elvis appeared to her. Similar beetles are also found in the Singapore forest, although they found more resemblance to Bert from the children's series Sesame Street. These beetles have only to surprise us with their respective vocal abilities.

The dog has long been in the proverb about best friend man, with which it is impossible not to agree. Dogs guard their owners and their property, help in hunting...

4 Slug Caterpillar

This caterpillar has become a vivid example of the fact that the path of evolution does not always follow the most rational path. This luxurious, bright caterpillar Calcarifera ordinate is so beautiful and… so poisonous thanks to its many poisoned spines. She lives in several places in northern Australia, and contact with her, according to experts, will be more painful than the bites of several wasps.

5. Hawk hawk, resembling a hummingbird

You can look at this for a long time Living being, but never understand who it is - a hummingbird or an unusual insect. In fact, the second one is true - it is the hawk hawk Hemaris thysbe or the glass hummingbird, whose wingspan is 38-50 mm. While feeding on nectar, the insect looks incredibly like a tiny bird, and many people think so when they see it. similarity in size daytime look life, behavior bring great confusion during the identification of these insects in natural environment. The butterfly feeds through a long proboscis, which the rest of the time is coiled under its head. These live unusual insects in North America, and it is best to observe them in the spring.

6. Brazilian humpback

These small insects have unusual shape outgrowths, sometimes in the form of horns, sometimes spikes, sometimes balls, sometimes ridges, etc. At the same time, they are larger than the insect itself, which, because of them, was awarded such a name. The Brazilian humpback (Bocydium globulare) is by no means the most beautiful insect. But she got such an ugly look for a reason - she successfully scares off predators with them. Mounds-antennas with balls resembling eyes at the end are all just layers of chitinous shell that protects the hunchback from attempts to taste it. In nature, this often happens - the more terrible you look, the calmer you live.

After microorganisms and plankton, insects are the most numerous representatives of life on Earth. Most of them are completely...

7. Praying Mantis "Devil's Flower"

The devil's flower is the largest and most unusual view praying mantis. Their females grow up to 13 centimeters in length, and evolution has awarded them with a color palette, thanks to which they perfectly mimic the orchid of the same name. In this case, this is a wonderful trap for overly impressionable insects.

8. Scorpion fly

When looking at this strange insect, thoughts immediately come to mind about a genetic experiment that successfully crossed a wasp and a scorpion. But the fearsome scorpion sting is simply the genitals of a fly. This is the solution found by nature in this case. Scorpion flies are common throughout the globe, these are one of the oldest inhabitants of the planet - appeared in mesozoic era. Entomologists suggest that most species of modern butterflies and moths came from them.

9. Silkworm Kalleta

This butterfly has very brightly colored caterpillars, and even with a suspicious hairline, so almost all predators try not to have contact with them. Butterflies of the silkworm Kallet live in the southern United States. Interestingly, depending on age and certain environmental factors, caterpillars can change their color. They mainly feed on legumes grown in Arizona, Texas and Mexico.

10. Buffalo head

The body of this insect is noticeably flattened, so that it looks more like an ordinary bright green leaf of a plant, so a predator sitting nearby will see not potential prey, but one of the leaves on a branch. The body length of the buffalo head can reach 1 centimeter, and on its sides there are two rather sharp outgrowths - this is the ovipositor, with which the female lays offspring. Although such a body shape does not imply significant agility, but in case of danger, the insect is able to make large jumps and is even able to fly, albeit for short distances. For these purposes, it has acquired translucent wings.
For trees, the buffalo head is not a welcome guest, as it can cause significant damage to them. The female makes long slits in the twigs, into which she then lays her eggs. Well, her caterpillars are already completing what they started. In addition to the described properties of the buffalo buttocks, she does not have other remarkable qualities, but her appearance is really outstanding.