It is a Wonder to imagine that 95% of animal species are insects! Only about a million species have been discovered, and more than 10 million species have not been named yet. Insects are divided into 32 groups. The largest group is the beetles. It has 125 different families with 5 lakh species. It is estimated that 10% of the biomass consists of Ants and 10% of termites. They have good adapting nature and are found in all environments, including deserts and ice lands. Their size, shape, color, behaviors are unique!
1. Cricket
They have long antennae, large legs, which are helpful in jumping. The field crickets are commonly black. Most of the species can be identified by their sounds (songs). They are 1 to 3 cms in length.
Nearly 1 to 3 generations emerge in a year. The songs of the crickets are dependent on temperature. So it is possible to know the temperature of the atmosphere by studying the sound they generate.
2. Ants
Very well socialized insects are found everywhere in the world. Commonly they have red, black, brown colors. They have antennae that are so helpful in communication with each other. Their colony consists of males, females, and workers. Worker ants have the duty to clean the chambers, search and supply the food and protect the territory.
When the colony becomes too large, the winged female and winged male leave the territory and mate in flight. They start their new settlement, where she lay eggs. Soon after the mating, the male and dies.
Ants are eco-friendly creatures. Some ants also do farming like us! They cultivate aphids that excrete honeydew. They protect aphids from their enemies also.
3. Dragon Fly
These are known to be the ancient insects living before the dinosaurs! They have four wings; they got this name by their fierce jaws. They lay eggs in the water. It will take nearly 15 days to hatch. These immature dragonflies are called as a nymph. Nymph lives in the water. After attaining maturity, they crawl out of the water and live on a plant stem. Adult dragonfly emerges at this stage. Head appears first, Secondly thorax, and finally legs and wings. All this happens just in 2 hours. Dragonflies cannot fold their wings. They are also called "Mosquito hawk."
4. Praying Mantis
Commonly found in a warm environment. More than 1700 varieties are known to be living. They have sharp spines on their front legs to attack the prey. They have good eyesight. They shed skin nearly 12 times before they grow. Female lays around 300 eggs. They eat butterflies, bees, beetles, frogs, spiders, etc.
5. Cicada
It is also known as harvest fly. They live most of their lives underground (about 13 to 17 Years). During the larva stage, they feed on juice from tree roots. Adult cicadas live on the trees. Once the female cicada comes above the ground, she mates. After laying the eggs, she dies. She lays 300 to 600 eggs. Commonly they live on the floor for about 30 to 40 days only. They are the loudest sound makers in the world of insects.
6. Termite
Termites are also called white ants. They live in the colonies; A large colony may contain up to 2 million termites. The castes include a very large-sized Queen, King, and majorly with worker termites. Worker termites have to collect food for other members, clean the chambers and tunnels, and protect themselves from enemies.
The workers feed other female termites special chemicals and food to make them very fertile queens. They fly off during the wet season, and after mating with the king termite, the queen starts to lay eggs. Later built a new colony with the worker termites.
The queen's chamber is set in the center. The tunnels and rooms were built in such a way to receive moderate temperature (Like our Air condition system). They are nature friendly because they return the nutrients to the earth by eating deadwood.
7. Mosquito
They have four stages in their life cycle. Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult. They lay eggs on the surface of the water. Eggs hatch within 48 hours. Larvae feed on microorganisms and organic matter. The pupa stage is a non-feeding stage. In two days, skin splits, and the adult emerges. The adult mosquitos rest on the water surface to harden their wings and keep them dry before they fly. The average lifetime of the female is 3 to 100 days; males are 10 to 20 days. Adults feed on the juice of flowers and fruits. Female requires a blood meal for egg development. They lay 100 to 300 eggs at a time and 3000 during their life span.
There are 140 kinds of mosquitoes found in the world. Several mosquitoes are known to be the carriers of diseases.
8. Antlions (Doodle Bug)
The name came through its doodling character. They built funnel-shaped craters using loose sand in the earth to catch their prey. They eat ants and other insects which fall in their pit. Pits are commonly 3 to 5 cms in diameter with the same depth. It takes just 15 minutes to create this crater. It buries in its pit with its head and jaws outside to see and catch the prey.
9. Damselfly
They are found all over the world. It is estimated that more than 4700 species are living in this world. They are aquatic during the egg and larva stage. They feed on tadpoles and microbes.
They live in water. At the time of the final stage, they leave the water and crawl up a plant stem. The skin splits, and the adult emerges. Their wings and abdomen grow well. They start to fly after hardening their wings. They are good with acrobatic skills. They migrate over long distances. They have good eyesight.
10. Hercules Beetle
These are commonly found in the tropical rain forests near the equator. They are 7 to 18 cm in length. They have sword-like horns which are 5 to 10cms long. Horns have several sturdy notches. These horns look like significant parts. The females don't have their horns. They live in shady areas and near vegetation.
11. Honey Bee
It is well known human-friendly insect. Common Honey bee is found worldwide. Honey bee lives in large colonies ranging from 20000 to 80000 individuals.
Castes: Colony consists of the queen (Fertile), Workers (infertile females), and drones(male). A hive has only one Queen. Workers are primary in quantity. They play a significant role in collecting the pollen to produce wax and honey and protect the pack against enemies. The males die soon after mating with the virgin queen. Honey Bee defend themselves by stinging their enemies. The sting is excruciating.
They communicate the direction and distance from the nectar sources through dance language.
12. Stick Insect
These are wonderful and peaceful insects. Commonly found all over the world and more in tropical regions. About 3000 species are identified worldwide. Its body parts look like a stick. They have the peculiar character of partial regeneration. If a leg is lost or damaged, the new portion will grow back. They lay eggs on the ground.
13. Butterflies & moths
The expected differences between Butterflies and Moths are: Butterflies have knobbed Antennae. Moths have straight Filament like Antennae or Feather like Antennae or Branched like Antennae.
Butterflies have smooth and slender bodies. Moths have plump and fuzzy bodies. Commonly all Butterflies fly in the day. Most of the Moths pass in the Night. During the rest, most of all, Butterflies kept their wings upright. Moths spread them out horizontally.
Most of the Butterflies have bright Colors. Moths have dull colors.
14. Wasp
Wasps are divided into two categories.
- Social wasps
- Solitary wasps.
The adult wasps have a narrow waist between the first and second abdominal segments. More than 25,000 species are living in this world. They commonly feed on eggs of insects, other larvae of insects.
Social Wasps: Social wasps live in colonies consists of males, females, and workers. They build papery nests of fibers. The shapes of nests differ with the species. The queen wasp begins the nest. In the beginning, it lays the eggs to generate only worker wasps. Worker wasps continue the nest building.
Solitary Wasps: They produce no workers to build the nest. The potter wasps build the vessel-like nest using clay on the twig of a tree. The mud dauber makes mud cells in sheltered places. The Queen and worker wasps have a sting. A wasp sting can be fatal.
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