bugs

In addition to their impressive size, Atlas Moths are known for their extraordinary wing markings, especially at their wingtips. Incredibly, the patterns mimic the profile of a cobra’s head, a way to fool predators into thinking they are anything but an easy meal.

Using their necks like a long lever, males will battle other males over a female. But rather than simply engaging in neck-to-neck combat, males will perform elaborate dances, involving the swaying of their necks. The female acts like a referee, closely observing the fight. If she approves of the winner, she’ll allow him to mate.

Trapdoor spiders build tube-like tunnels into the ground. In order to hide the opening of their home, they construct a lid (hinged on one side) that’s made of spider silk mixed in with the soil and vegetation surrounding the burrow, creating a perfectly camouflaged cover.

Without coloration or a body shape that helps them blend into their environment, these caterpillars have developed an ingenious way to try and disappear. They decorate themselves with carefully cut pieces of the plant (typically the flowers) they are living on.

Found in tropical rainforests from Mexico to South America, Blue Morpho Butterflies have a wingspan of 5 to 8 inches. In regard to their appearance, they seem to have a split personality.

The roaches are messy eaters, leaving bits of foo on their heads. The mites are like a tiny cleaning crew that eats any scraps of food left on the roach’s face.

Ouch, that really hurts! But in comparison to the sting of other insects, how much does it really hurt?

Male cicadas use their blaring sounds to communicate with other cicadas. Their songs are used as alarm calls, territorial calls, or ballads to woo the ladies.

Introducing, the Harvester Butterfly …the only species of butterfly in North America where the caterpillars eat meat. More specifically, Woolly aphids are on their limited menu.

Lemon Ants prefer to build their homes in the stems of the tree species that survive in Devil’s Gardens. As it turns out, this is not a coincidence. In the eyes of a Lemon Ant, other trees not suitable for housing their kin just get in the way and take up valuable real estate. To make their surroundings more suitable for the continued existence and growth of their colony, it’s the Lemon Ants that rub out any rival vegetation.