With all the different types of insects in the world, it’s no surprise that there are hundreds of shocking and unbelievable facts about them. Here are 7 insect facts that we bet you didn’t know. If you do know these, try checking National Geographic for even more!
A ladybug can eat more than 5,000 insects in its lifetime
This may not seem like a huge accomplishment until you remember that ladybugs usually only live for about one year. That’s around 14 insects a day – an amazing accomplishment for a bug that tiny! Why hire a human exterminator when these cool critters will eat all the aphids and other harmful insects in your garden.
Some butterflies produce poison
That’s a scary sentence to read, isn’t it? Thanks to its diet, the red postman butterfly is about to produce its own poison. This is because the butterfly mostly eats toxic plants. This adaptation is also what allows poison dart frogs to create their poison.
Grasshoppers have very unique anatomies
Grasshoppers are one of the first organisms (that’s science for “living thing”, by the way) viewed in a biology lab. This is because they have very wacky but interesting body parts. On their bellies, behind their wings to be exact, grasshoppers have a membrane that is the equivalent to the human ear. They also have pores on their body where they breathe, and orangs in their hind legs that store energy for jumping. It’s understandable, then, why grasshoppers are able to jump as far as they do!
Dragonflies are solar powered
Okay, so dragonflies don’t have tiny solar panels strapped to their bodies – all though, that would be pretty cool. Instead, much like a lot of ectotherms (that’s the proper term for “cold-blooded”), they require warmth to fly and move. This is why when you’re in the pool and the sun goes behind a cloud, you’ll often see a lot of dragonflies land.
Pill bugs are related to crabs.
You may know these little critters from your childhood as rollie pollies. Pill bugs aren’t insects, however; they’re crustaceans. That’s right: they’re related to shellfish! This also explains why they live in moist areas. Pill bugs breathe gills – yes, like fish – so they require the moisture to survive.
Some bugs are astronauts
Surprisingly, a lot of insects have gone into space for various research projects. These insects include ladybugs, aphids, and flies! Next time you see the ISS at on a clear night, think about the fact that there may be a little insect looking down on you.
Termites like heavy metal music
Much like a lot of people in their high school days, termites like heavy metal music. No, we didn’t put tiny headphones on a colony of termites. It’s been observed that termites tend to chew through wood faster when heavy metal music is playing compared to other types of music and silence. This is because heavy metal music increases the vibrations and encourages the termites to eat.
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