A bee visiting a lupine flower in the springtime. The orange wad of pollen in the bee's pollen basket is from the flowers. The bee takes both pollen and nectar from the flowers and pollinates the plant in turn. Next, find an insect that's been around for more than 30 million years.
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Ever wonder why you seem to be a mosquito magnet? Although you might be particularly charming, it's got less to do with you and more to do with the mosquito, which happens to be equipped with a battery of sensors designed to track its prey (including you). Click ahead for a musical leaper.
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Grasshoppers live almost everywhere on land, except the two poles. They leap around mostly during the hot afternoon because they can't be very active until their bodies warm up. Which insect sounds religious? Find it next.
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The name "praying mantis" comes from the way the insect holds its strong, grasping forelegs. Do you know which insect is also known as a "darning needle?" See it next.
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Dragonflies can fly all ways, because at any one time their wings can rotate, move up and down, or move forward and backward. Next find an insect that moves its entire colony every two to four weeks.
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An army ant sting is very poisonous, and they have been known to kill chickens and some larger animals. The soldiers, like this one, are larger than other workers and have strong, hooked jaws. What came before the moth and butterfly? See it next.
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A caterpillar's body is basically a tube for processing and storing food until it can morph into a butterfly or moth. Find a swarming type of insect next.
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Locusts are actually short-horned grasshoppers, but are called "locusts" particularly when they migrate. Next see a biting fly.
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This moose fly (Phytalmia alcicornis) has antlers so large that they may hinder the insect's activities. Did you know that not all moths are brown? Find one of the most beautiful moth species next.
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Cocoons of giant silkworm moths, like this cecropia moth, are used for silk, and the caterpillars of some species of saturniids are eaten by Native Americans of the Southwestern United States. Which insect's name means "hundred-footed?" Find out next.
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Centipedes, like this stone centipede, have a long, flattened body made up of segments. Each segment bears a pair of legs, and there may be from 15 to 173 segments, depending upon the species. Check out an emerald-colored scarab beetle next.
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The emerald fruit chafer beetle is only one of more than 300,000 species of beetle. Up next, another impressive beetle.
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The male atlas beetle (Chalscosomoa atlas), shown here with its wings open, looks small out of context. But don’t be fooled -- this beetle can grow up to approximately 5 inches (130 mm) long. Next, a snackable beetle.
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Butterflies have a highly developed sense of smell. The organs for smell are the antennae, which are probably also used for hearing. Your foot probably has been the victim of the next insect.
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Ants are often cited as symbols of thrift and industry, because many species seem tireless in their activity and store large quantities of food. Which insect is sometimes called "thousand-legged worm?" See it next.
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Most millipedes are 1 to 2 inches (25 to 51 millimeters) long, but some tropical species, like this giant African millipede, may be nearly 12 inches (205 millimeters) long. See a brightly colored, yet poisonous insect next.
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The slug caterpillar shows warning coloration and spines loaded with toxins that erect when the animal is disturbed. Rediscover an insect that might remind you of your childhood next.
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The firefly, or lightning bug, is a beetle that creates light, which is produced in special organs called photophores located on the underside of the abdomen. Which insect is often mistaken as a locust? Find out next.
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Cicadas, like this Bush species, are flying, plant-eating insects that are famous for their powerful singing voices and rare appearances. Encounter an insect that resembles leaves in both color and shape next.
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A leaf insect's camouflage protects it from enemies by making it nearly invisible when it's on a matching plant. See which insect is often called a thorn bug because it looks like a thorn next.
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Treehoppers are of interest mainly because of their fantastic shapes. The prothorax often grows up and back over the body and wings, forming bulbs, spines, crescents or circles. Which disease-carrying insect do you want to avoid? Find out next.
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Flies, like this long-legged fly, have been known to carry germs that cause typhoid fever, cholera, diarrhea, dysentery and other diseases. Do you know that figs are almost wholly dependent on one insect for pollination? See which one next.
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There are some 20,000 species of wasps. The mud dauber wasp is a solitary wasp that makes nests consisting of joined tubular cells of mud, usually under eaves. Find a stinky but tasty bug next.
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Stink bugs may have a foul odor, but they taste like apples. Find a predator and its prey next.
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Two-spotted ladybeetles or ladybugs feed on garden pests such as aphids, scale insects and mealybugs. Finally, see the last kind of insect you ever want to see near or in your house.
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Termites are known in temperate climates chiefly by the damage they inflict on buildings, furniture, books and certain fabrics. Next, see something that will keep you from having pleasant dreams.
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With DDT on the no-no list and international travel more common than ever, bed bugs are showing up in record numbers across the country.
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Fleas don't just feed on Fido. If they're hungry enough, you'll do.
As irritating as insects can sometimes be, they play a crucial role in their ecosystems. Test your bug knowledge by taking our insects and biodiversity quiz!
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