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Insects Trivia

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The Goliath beetle of Africa has a huge armor that makes it the heaviest flying insect in the world. In fact, it weights more than eight mice and is a common pet with African children, who fly it from a string.

The hairstreak butterfly of South America has a fake head, complete with antennae, on its back wings. The theory is that birds will attack the fake head and leave the real head alone.

The hardiest of all the world's insects is the mosquito. It has been found in the coldest regions of northern Canada and Siberia, and can live quite comfortably at the North Pole. It is equally at home in equatorial jungles.

The hawk moth is the fastest flying insect in the world reaching up to 33 miles per hour. One species of the hawk moth can make a loud squawking noise by blowing air through its tongue.

The honey ant of the desert has an unusual method of providing food in times of scarcity. Certain members of the colony are stuffed with liquid food or water until the rear of their bodies are enlarged to the size of a pea. When a famine occurs, these ants disgorge their supplies to feed the others.

The honeybee kills more people each year world-wide than venomous snakes.

The Japanese beetle, found in the eastern United States and Canada, is the only bug in these countries to be concerned about if lodged in the ear, for it can chew through the eardrum in a matter of minutes. Other bugs can be removed without the same urgency.

The khapra beetle, a tiny creature responsible for devouring vast quantities of stored grain and other dried organic matter, gets its name from the Hindi word for “destroyer.”

The ladybug is called the “Water Delivery Man's Daughter” in Iraq.

The largest family of beetles are the weevils, who have over 60,000 species in their group.

The largest moth in the world is the atlas moth, which can have a wingspan of 12 inches. That's close to the size of a diner plate. The next largest is the owlet moth at 11.4 inches, then the 10.2 inch haematopis grataria, then the 8.3 Hercules emperor moth, and the 7.1 inch silk moth.

The largest spider in the world is the goliath birdeater at a length of 11 inches. At 10.5 inches is the salmon pink birdeater, then is the slate red ornamental at 9 inches, the king baboon at 8 inches, and the Colombian giant redleg at 8 inches.

The leaf-cutter ant sometimes makes anthills 16 feet deep and up to an acre wide.

The leaf-cutting ant can lift more than 50 times its own weight.

The life cycle of the chigger is about 50 to 70 days, with adult females living up to one year and producing their offspring during this time.

The longest insect in the world is the stick insect at 22 inches. Next is the praying mantis at 12 inches, the giant water bug at 5 inches, the goliath beetle at 4.5 inches, and the grasshopper a 3 inches.

The longest stick insect is the sawfooted stick insect. It can grow up to 13 inches (33 centimeters).

The male praying mantis often loses his head – literally – after courting the female. The latter is known to decapitate the earnest suitor, and she often completely devours him.

The male sea spider has an extra pair of legs which are used to carry the unhatched eggs of its mate. He carries the eggs until they hatch.

The mayfly lives for less than a day--a shorter lifespan than any other creature.

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