Currently, there are more than 900,000 known species of insects, and it is likely that the number of species may be in the millions (scientists can only estimate). Insects make up about 80% of all species living on earth. In other words, this earth belongs to them. Let's take a look at some of the weirdest insects in the world (by our standards)!
1. Grasshopper sucks Brazilian tree sap (Brazilian Treehopper)
What's going on with this creature? Scientists don't really know it all. It has a distinctive appendage on its back, which ejects hollow chitinous balls. What is the purpose of launching these balls? Completely unknown at this point. It's one of the weirdest insects we've found, and we still can't figure out why it does it (launches hollow chitinous balls).
2. Flower Mantis
Reach out your hand to touch one of the colorful little flowers and you'll probably squeal in surprise when you realize that what you actually have in your hand is a creepy insect called Flower mantis. This mantis can come in many different colors and shapes. Some species have what looks like two giant eyes clinging to their heads (like you see on the wings of a butterfly). You can also find beautiful ones like a flower. Especially the orchid mantis they are everywhere and very beautiful.
3. The Little Barrier Island Giant Weta (Little Barrier Island Giant Weta)
Mark Moffett has found the world's largest insect in terms of weight, it weighs up to 70g, heavier than a sparrow. There are more than 70 types of this giant locust in New Zealand.
They usually eat plants, other small insects and fruits.
4. Giant Beetle (Goliath Beetle)
Some insects can be even larger than we think. This beetle can grow up to 4 inches in length, and is heavier than the grasshoppers described above. They are native to Africa and are sometimes kept as pets. They love protein, and can be fed with dog or cat food or even baby food. Raising giant beetles is as much fun as raising the great black spider (tarantula).
5. Giant scarab (Hercules Beetle)
This beetle may not be the largest on the planet, but it is the most powerful. Not only is it the strongest insect on the planet, but it's also considered the strongest animal of all time. It can carry 850 times its own weight on its back.
6. Twisted Wing Parasite
This little fly is a real danger in the insect world. In the larval stage, it waits for a bee or wasp to arrive. Then, it clings to and gets inside the bee (the host). Once there, it develops into a male and female (second stage larva). The males will emerge from the host and go in search of the female. The female will remain inside the host, and only bring out its genitals. The female only fertilizes and lays eggs once and a new cycle begins.
7. Aggressive Ants (Driver Ants)
If you've ever seen a movie about unsuspecting tourists surrounded by aggressive ants and horribly killed, you'll find that story was inspired by aggressive ants. The entire colony amounted to 20 million ants. They can kill and devour small and injured animals (including humans). Their bite is strong and their jaws stay locked even if you tear an ant apart and kill it. Based on this feature, local people use them to stitch wounds in case of emergency.
8. Assassin Bugs
The way this insect attacks is different from other insects. Their mouthpiece structure allows them to stab their prey and inject a liquefied poison. This poison paralyzes the prey and turns the prey's internal organs into liquid. This liquid is then sucked back through their mouth tubes.
9. Hummingbird Moth
You can find adorable hummingbird caterpillars. This butterfly has evolved to look like a hummingbird with a fat body and a real "tail" protruding from the back. Their wings can beat amazingly fast, making us feel like looking at them like a real bird. This butterfly is active during the day, which is why it is easy to confuse them with hummingbirds.
10. Bees
Bee? Strange insects in the world? We see bees all the time. They can coordinate with each other even when they are far apart and appear to communicate information. No one knows exactly how they work, but in a hive each bee is more likely to work individually than in swarms. Apparently bees have more different ways of life than we can imagine.
To some people, insects are a fascination and wonder, while others see them as disgusting and terrifying animals. In either case, the fascination and disgust can be attributed to the odd shape of the insect. Insects have the ability to mimic other life forms, have strange and intense reproductive cycles, can lift large loads, and can deliver big surprises. Studying the world of insects gives us insight into the diversity of the universe.
