ILLUSTRATED

ENCYCLOPEDIA

MIN

I-BEASTS

ISBN 978 1 7418 3765 5

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Insects are a class of arthropods ( 6).

They have six legs and hard externalskeletons. The body of an insect is

divided into three sections: the head,thorax and abdomen. The hard coveringof the legs is jointed to enable the insectto move. Insects have a pair of antennaeon their heads and most insects have oneor two pairs of wings. The mouth shapeof an insect depends on its diet.Some have tube-like mouths for suckingup fluids; others have jaws for chewingup their food. After mating, a femalelays her eggs. Some species hatch asnymphs ( 6). Others hatch as larvae ( 6).

! There are more kinds of insects in theworld than all other animals put together.Over 1 million species are already known tous, but scientists estimate there arebetween 5 and 10 million insect species yetto be discovered.

! Insects live on every land environment inthe world, including the frozen continent ofAntarctica. There are even five species ofpond skater that can survive in the openoceans, the only insects known to do so.

! A species of stick insect from Borneo,known as Chan’s megastick, can grow up to56.7 cm long, the longest insect of all.

! A cockroach can live for over a weekwithout its head.

! The loudest insect in the world is theAfrican cicada.

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Compound eye An eye made up ofthousands of tiny lenses. Many insectshave compound eyes. This means theyhave a wide field of vision, and are able tosense movements and judge distances

very accurately.

Earwig An insect with a slim, dark body, long

antennae and a pair ofpincers at the rear of its body.

Most species have wings, although theyrarely fly. Earwigs come out at night tofeed on plants and other insects.

Flea A small, flightless insect that liveson, or near, the bodies of other

animals, feeding on their blood. Fleas have a “trigger” in their hind legs that enables them to jump 100 times their own length.

Pond skater A long-legged bug that slidesover the surface of ponds or rivers feedingon insects that fall into the water. Thesurface tension of the water acts like askin over it and stops the bugfrom sinking.

Scale A tiny bug thatfeeds on plant sap. It is covered in a waxy substance that gives it a scale-like appearance.

Shield bug A shield-shaped bug thatsecretes a foul-smelling liquid if attacked.Species come in many di!erent coloursand patterns.

Hopper A small, plant-eating bug thathops from plant to plant. Some speciesare camouflaged to look like thorns.

Leaf insect An insect shaped like a leaf in order to disguise itself from predators.It lives in trees, eating leaves. It mayeven sway in a breeze like the otherleaves around it.

Louse A wingless insect that feeds on theblood, skin, feathers or hair of animals. The headlouse feeds on human blood. Its claws grasp tightly to human hair.

Stick insect

Spiracle An opening in thethorax or abdomen of aninsect, through which airenters its body allowing theinsect to breathe. Somewater insects breathethrough gills or throughtubes that project out ofthe water like a snorkel.

Spittlebug A sap-feedingbug, whose youngproduce a frothy, bitter-tasting substance knownas spittle, or “cuckoo spit”.This keeps them out of sightfrom predators, and preventsthem from getting cold or overheating.

Stick insect An insect with a long bodyand long, thin legs. It is camouflaged tolook like a stick or plant stem. Stick insectslive in trees, feeding on leaves.

Swarm A large number ofinsects, often in motion.

Mandibles A pair of hard, external bitingmouthparts, belonging to insects andother arthropods, such as millipedes ( 28).

They are used to grasp and slice food.

The compound eyes of a fly

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Assassin bug A long-legged, carnivorousbug. Most species ambush other insects,sucking out their bodily fluids, but somespecies suck the blood of larger animals.

Bed bug A wingless bug that feeds on theblood of mammals and birds. Bed bugsoften live in clothing or mattresses.

Bristletail A small, wingless insect.Bristletails include silverfish which live indark, damp places, and firebrats, whichlive near boilers or ovens.

Bugs An order of insects withlong, beak-like mouthparts,

used to pierce food to suckup its liquid contents.

Most bugs feed on plant juices, but someare carnivorous.

Cicada A sap-eating bug with transparentwings. Males are known for their loud

“songs”, made by clicking drum-likeplates on their abdomens.

Cockroach A nocturnal insect that has colonized almost everyenvironment. Some species have wings and live in trees. Others are wingless,burrowing insects, often found in houses.

Abdomen The rearmost body section ofan insect, usually containing its digestive,waste-disposal and reproductive parts.

Antennae A pair of long sense receptorson the head of an insect. They are verysensitive to smells, flavours and touch.

Aphid A small bug that feeds on plant sap.Most species are green. When they feed,aphids produce a sweetliquid called honeydewthat ants eat ( 19).

Water bug An aquatic bug that lives in, orabove, a lake or river. Most water bugs arecarnivorous. They include waterscorpions, back-swimmers, water toadsand the water boatmen.

Webspinner A small brown or black insectthat spins silk and feeds on dead plants.It has a long, thin body and lives in largecolonies inside tunnels made of silk.

If threatened, the hissingcockroach fills with air, thenforces it out to make a loud

hissing sound.

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Shieldbug

Termite

Ant

Flea

Butterfly

Earwig

Claws and sticky hairs help some insects such asflies to walk on walls and ceilings.

Antennae

Head

Digestive organs

Reproductiveorgans

Heart andblood system

Breathing system

Thorax

Jointedlegs

Brain

Jaws

Abdomen

Thorax The middle segment of an insect’sbody, to which its legs and wings attach. It contains the muscles needed for flight.

Thrips A small insect with narrow wings. It feeds on plant sap.

! Covers 12 major subject areas

! More than 270 keywords alphabetically listed andclearly explained

! Fact panels with extra information

! More than 80 detailed illustrations

! Comprehensive index

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First published in 2012 by Orpheus Books Ltd., 6 Church Green, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 4AW, England

www.orpheusbooks.com

Copyright ©2012 Orpheus Books Ltd.

Created and produced by Nicholas Harris, Sarah Hartley, Katie Sexton, Ruth Symons and Erica Williams, Orpheus Books Ltd.

Text Ruth Symons

Illustrated by Susanna Addario, Tom Connell, Fiammetta Dogi, Elisabetta Ferrero,Giuliano Fornari, Andrea Ricciardi di Gaudesi, Sauro Giampaio, Ray Grinaway,

Ian Jackson, Nicki Palin, Alessandro Rabatti, Claudia Saraceni, Studio Inklink, Colin Woolf and David Wright

Consultant Chris Jarvis, Oxford University Museum of Natural History

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission ofthe copyright owner.

ISBN 978 1 7418 3765 5

Printed and bound in Singapore

Photograph of fly on page 8: Copyright ©2010 TomatitoUsed under licence from Shutterstock.com

Photograph of termite mound on page 21: Copyright ©2010 Neale Cousland Used under licence from Shutterstock.com

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Each double page contains a brief introduction,explaining the general subject, followed by key

words arranged in alphabetical order. To look up aspecific word, turn to the index at the back of thisbook: this will tell you which page to go to. If you want tolearn more about a subject, take a look at the factfile, or followthe arrows to read related entries.

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Bird-eating spider A South Americantarantula. It is the largest known spider,with a body 7.5 cm long and a leg span ofup to 30 cm. It chases its prey across therainforest floor. It feeds mainly on insectsor lizards and frogs, but rarely on birds.

Black widow spider A tiny, black spiderwith red markings. It spins a web to catchflying insects. After mating, the female eatsthe male, a practice for which the spider isnamed. Black widows only bite if provoked,but their venom can easily kill humans.

Bolas spider A small spider that huntsmoths using a lasso-like thread of silk witha sticky “bola” at one end. It attracts malemoths by making a similar smell to thatgiven o! by female moths.

Spiders are an order of arachnids ( 6).

They have two body segments, eightlegs and many pairs of eyes. All

spiders are carnivores, feeding mostly oninsects. Their saliva turns body tissues intoliquid which they then suck up. All spiderscan produce silk. Some spin silk webswhich they use to catch their prey. Othershunt or ambush prey. Most spiders have avenomous bite ( 6), with which theyparalyze or kill their prey. A few speciesare so venomous that they can kill humans.

FF AA CC TT FF II LL EE! A length of spider silk is stronger than apiece of steel wire the same length andthickness. It is also more stretchable.

! Some spiders, such as tarantulas, can livefor up to 30 years.

! Only a few species of spider arevenomous enough to be dangerous tohumans. These include the black widow, the funnel web spider, the Brazilianwandering spider and the brown reclusespider. The venom of most other spiders,including the widely feared tarantulas, willonly cause mild pain in most instances.

! The smallest spider in the world is thePatu Digua spider, which is 0.37 mm long.

! The first spiders are thought to haveappeared around 200 million years ago.

! There are about 40,000 species of spider.

HOW A SPIDER SPINS ITS WEB:The spider joins two brancheswith a line of silk and walksalong it, spinning a secondthread as it goes (1). It pulls thesecond thread down and anchorsit (2). Lines are linked together atthe central hub (3). The spiderlays down sticky spiral strands(4) and waits for its prey (5).

Wolf spider A small spider, also known asthe wandering spider. It stalks its prey onthe ground. It has large eyes for spottingits prey, which it may ambush or evenchase over a short distance.

Tarantula A large, hairy spider. It feedsmostly on insects, but larger species can killlizards or rodents. Tarantulas use their hairsto detect vibrations. They can also flickthem at attackers to cause itching.

Trapdoor spider A spider that ambushes itsprey from a burrow. The entrance to theburrow is sealed by a lid, with a hinge madefrom spider silk. The spider rushes outwhen it detects vibrations made by its prey.

Water spider The only spider that livesunderwater. Tiny hairs on its body trapbubbles, which the spider arranges into anair-filled underwater web. It darts out of itsweb to snatch prey, such as aquatic insects.

Web A net made of spider silk and used tocatch prey. Once an insect is caught, aspider can find it by sensing the vibrationsit makes. Spiders walk on the claw-like tipsof their feet to avoid becoming entangled.

Pirate spider A small spider that raids thewebs of other spiders. It may steal preycaught in the web, but more often feedson the web-owner, feigning insectmovements in order to lure it out.

Sheet-weaver spider A small spider, alsoknown as the money spider, that buildshorizontal webs. It spends most of itstime hanging upside down under the web,waiting to catch tiny insects.

Silk A strong thread, made from liquidproduced in a spider’s abdomen. As it isdrawn out through the spinneret, itbecomes solid. Spiders use silk to buildwebs, contain their eggs, wrap up prey orform a safety line when jumping.

Spitting spider A small spider that catchesits prey by squirting poisoned silk at it. Its aim is deadly accurate. As soon as aninsect is entangled, the spider movesforward to paralyze it with its bite.

A Mexican red-kneed tarantulafeeding on a gecko.

Crab spider A spider that holds up its frontlegs in a similar way to a crab wielding itspincers. It hides in flowers or under bark toambush its prey. Some species changecolour to blend in with their background.

Jumping spider A small spider that jumpsfrom spot to spot in pursuit of its prey. It has large eyes for spotting prey andjudging distances. It eats mostly mothsand flies, but may attack larger creatures.Males may be brightly coloured in order to attract a mate.

Nursery web spider A small spider thatbuilds a protective, tent-like web in whichto raise its young.

Ogre-faced spider A slim spider with stick-like legs. One pair of its eyes are verylarge, giving it an ogre-like appearance. It spins a small web, which it throws overinsects like a net to trap them.

Fishing spider A spider that skates acrosswater in search of tadpoles and fish. It lures prey by dangling a leg in the water.When a creature investigates, it snatchesit up and drags it on to land to feed.

Funnel-web spider A spider that buildsfunnel-shaped webs at the entrance to itsburrow. The spider lurks at the narrowend of the web, waiting for an insect tostumble into its trap. Funnel web spiderslive in Australia and Asia. They areaggressive and their bite can be fatal.

Orb-weaver A small spider that spins spiral-shaped webs between branches. It may eat its web at the end of the day, recyclingnutrients in order to build a new one.

Pedipalps Feelers near a spider’s mouth,used to grab prey and pull it to the mouth.

A spitting spidershooting silkover an insect.

Trapdoor spider

Black widow

Jumping spider

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Ogre-faced spider

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BrainEyes

Venom gland

Fang

Stomach Heart Intestine

Silk gland

Spinneret

Ovaries

Anus

INTRODUCTIONThis explains thegeneral subjectand provides somebasic knowledge.

KEY WORDS AND ENTRIESKey words are arranged alphabeticallyacross each double page. Each entryprovides a short explanation of whatthe key word means.

PAGE NUMBERPage numbersare easy to findat the side ofthe page.

BOLD WORDSThese highlightuseful words thatdo not have theirown entry.

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ARROWS These arrows show you where to look up otherwords mentioned in the entry. For example, ( 26) tells you to go forward to page 26 and ( 6) tells you to turn back to page 6.

FACTFILEThe factfile provides extrainformation on the subject. Factsare presented in easy to readbullet points.

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Arachnids A class of arthropods that haveeight legs. Arachnids include spiders ( 26)

and scorpions ( 28). They feed by piercingtheir prey with their sharp fangs,paralyzing or killing them with theirvenom. Their saliva turns the body tissuesinto liquid that can then be sucked up.

Arthropod An animal with a hard externalskeleton, or exoskeleton, and jointed legs.As arthropods grow, they moult theirouter skeleton and grow a new one.

In every house, garden, field or foreston Earth, there is a world of activitywhich we hardly even notice. On the

ground, in the soil, in the air and in thewater live many small creatures such asinsects, spiders, millipedes, worms andsnails. They are all invertebrates—animals without backbones. Some arelarge predatory creatures, big enough tofeed on rodents and small lizards.Others are far too tiny for us to seewithout a microscope.

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Camouflage The means by which an animal can escape the notice of otheranimals by using the colours or patterns of its body to blend into its surroundings.

Cocoon A silk case spun by somearthropods, used to hold eggs or toencase insect larvae while they pupate.

Colony A group of one species of animalliving together.

Exoskeleton An external skeleton, madeof a strong material called chitin, thatprotects the inner parts of the animal.

Imago An adult insect.

Larva A young animal that looks di!erentfrom its adult form. Many insects hatch aslarvae and go through metamorphosis.

Parasite An animal that takes its food orshelter from another, called the host. A parasite does not usually kill its host.

Pupa A living thing at an inactive, or restingstage of its development. In some insects,this is the stage at which the larvaechanges into its adult form, or pupates.

Venom A poisonous substance found in thebodies of certain animals, including somespiders, scorpions and insects. It can beused for hunting or defence, and is usuallyinjected with a sharp sting or bite.

Vertebrate An animal with a backbone.Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are all vertebrates.

Nymph The young of an insect that lookslike its adult form but does not have wings. To grow, nymphs shed theirexoskeleton and grow a new one. Some species shed their skin up to 20 times before they finally become adults.

Metamorphosis The process whereby ananimal changes its body structure andbehaviour between the larval stages andthe adult stages of its life. In some animals,this involves a period of pupation.

MayflyWater stick insectPond skaterWater boatmanDragonflyGreat diving beetleBeeCaterpillarButterflyMoth

KK EE YYCentipedeSpiderFlyWoodlouseSlugAntsMillipedeWorm Ants’ nestBeetle

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Living things are organized into groups ofincreasing size, which show how closelyrelated they are to each other. Here we seehow they apply to the monarch butterfly:

SPECIES: The smallest grouping of animals.All monarch butterflies have the same bodystructure and can breed together.

GENUS: A group of very similar species. The genus Danaus contains the monarch,queen and tiger butterflies.

FAMILY: The genus Danaus belongs to thebrushfooted butterfly family. They all haveshort, hairy front legs, but vary in size,habitat and behaviour.

ORDER: All butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera. They all have four wings and scaled bodies.

CLASS: The order Lepidoptera belongs tothe insect class. All insects have six legs.

PHYLUM: Insects belong to a larger groupcalled the arthropods, which all haveexternal skeletons.

KINGDOM: The arthropod phylum is one ofover 30 phyla in the animal kingdom.

CCLLAASSSSIIFFIICCAATTIIOONN

Insects are a class of arthropods ( 6).

They have six legs and hard externalskeletons. The body of an insect is

divided into three sections: the head,thorax and abdomen. The hard coveringof the legs is jointed to enable the insectto move. Insects have a pair of antennaeon their heads and most insects have oneor two pairs of wings. The mouth shapeof an insect depends on its diet. Some have tube-like mouths for suckingup fluids; others have jaws for chewingup their food. After mating, a female lays her eggs. Some species hatch asnymphs ( 6). Others hatch as larvae ( 6).

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! There are more kinds of insects in theworld than all other animals put together.Over 1 million species are already known tous, but scientists estimate there arebetween 5 and 10 million insect species yetto be discovered.

! Insects live on every land environment inthe world, including the frozen continent ofAntarctica. There are even five species ofpond skater that can survive in the openoceans, the only insects known to do so.

! A species of stick insect from Borneo,known as Chan’s megastick, can grow up to56.7 cm long, the longest insect of all.

! A cockroach can live for over a weekwithout its head.

! The loudest insect in the world is theAfrican cicada.

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Compound eye An eye made up ofthousands of tiny lenses. Many insectshave compound eyes. This means theyhave a wide field of vision, and are able tosense movements and judge distances

very accurately.

Earwig An insect with a slim, dark body, long

antennae and a pair ofpincers at the rear of its body.

Most species have wings, although theyrarely fly. Earwigs come out at night tofeed on plants and other insects.

Flea A small, flightless insect that liveson, or near, the bodies of other

animals, feeding on their blood. Fleas have a “trigger” in their hind legs that enables them to jump 100 times their own length.

Pond skater A long-legged bug that slidesover the surface of ponds or rivers feedingon insects that fall into the water. Thesurface tension of the water acts like askin over it and stops the bugfrom sinking.

Scale A tiny bug thatfeeds on plant sap. It is covered in a waxy substance that gives it a scale-like appearance.

Shield bug A shield-shaped bug thatsecretes a foul-smelling liquid if attacked.Species come in many di!erent coloursand patterns.

Hopper A small, plant-eating bug thathops from plant to plant. Some speciesare camouflaged to look like thorns.

Leaf insect An insect shaped like a leaf in order to disguise itself from predators.It lives in trees, eating leaves. It mayeven sway in a breeze like the otherleaves around it.

Louse A wingless insect that feeds on theblood, skin, feathers or hair of animals. The headlouse feeds on human blood. Its claws grasp tightly to human hair.

Stick insect

Spiracle An opening in thethorax or abdomen of aninsect, through which airenters its body allowing theinsect to breathe. Somewater insects breathethrough gills or throughtubes that project out ofthe water like a snorkel.

Spittlebug A sap-feedingbug, whose youngproduce a frothy, bitter-tasting substance knownas spittle, or “cuckoo spit”.This keeps them out of sightfrom predators, and preventsthem from getting cold or overheating.

Stick insect An insect with a long bodyand long, thin legs. It is camouflaged tolook like a stick or plant stem. Stick insectslive in trees, feeding on leaves.

Swarm A large number ofinsects, often in motion.

Mandibles A pair of hard, external bitingmouthparts, belonging to insects andother arthropods, such as millipedes ( 28).

They are used to grasp and slice food.

The compound eyes of a fly

INSIDE AN INSECT

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Assassin bug A long-legged, carnivorousbug. Most species ambush other insects,sucking out their bodily fluids, but somespecies suck the blood of larger animals.

Bed bug A wingless bug that feeds on theblood of mammals and birds. Bed bugsoften live in clothing or mattresses.

Bristletail A small, wingless insect.Bristletails include silverfish which live indark, damp places, and firebrats, whichlive near boilers or ovens.

Bugs An order of insects withlong, beak-like mouthparts,

used to pierce food to suckup its liquid contents.

Most bugs feed on plant juices, but someare carnivorous.

Cicada A sap-eating bug with transparentwings. Males are known for their loud

“songs”, made by clicking drum-likeplates on their abdomens.

Cockroach A nocturnal insect that has colonized almost everyenvironment. Some species have wings and live in trees. Others are wingless,burrowing insects, often found in houses.

Abdomen The rearmost body section ofan insect, usually containing its digestive,waste-disposal and reproductive parts.

Antennae A pair of long sense receptorson the head of an insect. They are verysensitive to smells, flavours and touch.

Aphid A small bug that feeds on plant sap.Most species are green. When they feed,aphids produce a sweetliquid called honeydewthat ants eat ( 19).

Water bug An aquatic bug that lives in, orabove, a lake or river. Most water bugs arecarnivorous. They include waterscorpions, back-swimmers, water toadsand the water boatmen.

Webspinner A small brown or black insectthat spins silk and feeds on dead plants.It has a long, thin body and lives in largecolonies inside tunnels made of silk.

If threatened, the hissingcockroach fills with air, thenforces it out to make a loud

hissing sound.

8

Shieldbug

Termite

Ant

Flea

Butterfly

Earwig

Claws and sticky hairs help some insects such asflies to walk on walls and ceilings.

Antennae

Head

Digestive organs

Reproductiveorgans

Heart andblood system

Breathing system

Thorax

Jointedlegs

Brain

Jaws

Abdomen

Thorax The middle segment of an insect’sbody, to which its legs and wings attach. It contains the muscles needed for flight.

Thrips A small insect with narrow wings. It feeds on plant sap.

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Blister beetle A slender beetle that is oftenbrightly-coloured to warn predators it istoxic. To defend itself, it secretes a fluidthat can blister human skin.

Carrion beetle A flat-bodied beetle thatfeeds on carrion. It also lays its eggsbeneath carrion so its larvae can feed on it.

Click beetle A beetle that can flip itself intothe air to escape predators. It does this byarching its back in such a way that a spinecatches on its abdomen, catapulting it intothe air and making a loud clicking sound.

Cockchafer A large beetle that spreads itsfeathery antennae as it flies. This helps it todetect the scent of food or a mate.

Darkling beetle A dark beetle that feedsmostly on dead plant or animal matter.The larvae of darkling beetles areknown as mealworms.

Dermestid beetle A smallscavenging beetle. Its hairylarvae feed on carpets andother fibrous material.

Beetles are the largest order ofinsects. They all have two pairs ofwings, but only the back pair are

used for flying. The front wings form ahard, protective case that folds over theflying wings. Some beetles do not fly, sotheir front wings are fused together.Beetles hatch as larvae, then pupate,emerging as fully-formed adults ( 6).Plant-eating larvae are legless grubs.Predatory larvae have legs and large jawsfor catching prey. Adult beetles havevaried diets: some feed on plants, somescavenge and some are predators.

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Diving beetle

Male stag beetles fighting

A group of ladybirdsfeeding on aphids.

Tiger beetle

Dung beetle A scarab beetle that mouldsanimal dung into balls, in which it lays itseggs. When the larvae hatch they will beprotected inside the ball and feed on thedung and the bacteria growing inside it.

Elytra The hard front wings of a beetle,which form a case over its back wings. Insome species the elytra are fused together.

Feather-winged beetle The smallest beetle in the world, growing to between 0.5 and 2 mm long. It has feather-tippedwings, which help it to float on water,where it feeds on moulds and fungi.

Firefly A beetle that can produce light,generated by chemical reactions inside its

abdomen. Flashes of light are used toattract a mate. Most species live

in warm, wet regions.Wingless females and

larvae are sometimescalled glow-worms.

Goliath beetle A scarab beetle that growsup to 11 cm long and can weigh as much asa rat. It lives in the tropical forests ofAfrica, flying through the treetops insearch of fruit to eat. At night, it crawlsunder leaves to hide from predators.

Ground beetle A beetle with long, thinlegs and a shiny body. Ground beetles aremostly carnivorous, running quickly aftertheir prey. The ground beetle familyincludes tiger beetles, nest beetles andbombardier beetles.

Hercules beetle A huge rhinoceros beetle,that grows up to 17 cm long. About half itslength is made up of its huge horns, whichare used to fight other males over mates.The fight ends when one beetle throwsthe other on to its back.

Ladybird A small, round beetle with a red or yellow body and black spots. When threatened, it oozes a smellysubstance from its leg-joints. Ladybirdsfeed on plant-eating insects such asaphids or scales ( 9).

Leaf beetle A small, brightly coloured,beetle that feeds on plant leaves. Itsantennae are half the length of its body.

Longhorn beetle A brightly colouredwood-boring beetle with antennae aslong as its body. These help it to locateplants as well as mates.

Rhinoceros beetle A large, tropical scarabbeetle. Males have a horn-like structure atthe front of their heads, used to fight o!rivals. They only eat plants.

Whirligig beetle An oval-shaped beetlethat lives on the surface of ponds orrivers, feeding on insects that fall into thewater. Its eyes are divided, enabling it tosee above and below the water’s surfaceat the same time.

Wood-boring beetle A beetle that eatswood, damaging living trees or furniture.Its larvae are called woodworms. Wood-boring beetles include the death watchbeetle, bark beetle and longhorn beetle.

Tiger beetle A fierce, brightly colouredground beetle. Its larvae hide in burrows,seizing passing insects to eat. Adults chaseand catch their prey in the open. They havepowerful jaws and are among the fastestinsects, both running and in flight.

Water beetle A freshwater beetle with anoval body and powerful back legs. When itdives, it carries a bubble of air under itselytra to breathe underwater. Waterbeetles feed on insects, tadpoles and smallfish. Species include the water scavengersand diving beetles. Their fierce, predatorylarvae are known as water tigers.

Weevil A small, plant-eating beetle with along snout. Most weevils are wingless andlay their eggs inside plants. Species such asthe rive, boll and grain weevil are verydestructive to crops.

A tiny feather-winged beetle. It can only be seenclearly through a microscope.

Rove beetle A carnivorous or scavengingbeetle with a small, slim body and shortelytra. When threatened, it can raise theback of its abdomen to look like a stinger.

Scarab beetle A broad, oval beetle withclubbed antennae and thick legs. Manyspecies have bright, metallic colouring.Scarab beetles include the rhinoceros,dung, goliath and chafer beetles.

Soldier beetle A slim beetle that lives near flowers, feeding on other insects as well as some pollen. Some species havecolourful markings.

Stag beetle A large, dark beetle. Maleshave massive, horn-like jaws, used to fightover territory or mates. Some speciesgrow up to 12 cm long.

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! Nearly half of all insects and one quarterof all life-forms are beetles. There are atleast 350,000 species of beetle in the world.

! The rhinoceros beetle is the strongestanimal in the world. It can lift 850 times itsown weight.

! The fastest insect onland is Hudson’s tigerbeetle, which canrun at 9 km/h.

! The longestbeetle is theTitan longhornbeetle, whichreaches lengthsof up to 16.5 cm.

Dung beetle

Wood-boring beetle

Firefly

GGRRAASSSSHHOOPPPPEERRSS&& CCRRIICCKKEETTSS

Ant-loving cricket A small, yellow,wingless cricket that lives in ant nests,feeding on an oily substance given o! byants. Up to 50 crickets may be found inone ant nest at a time.

Bush cricket A large, flightless cricket withlong antennae. Bush crickets are alsoknown as long-horned grasshoppers orkatydids. They live in trees, camouflagedas dead leaves. When disturbed, theylaunch into the air, unfolding their wingsto reveal coloured eyespots ( 16),intended to startle an attacker. Most bushcrickets are predatory, feeding on otherinsects or even small lizards.

Grasshoppers and crickets areinsects with long, powerful backlegs and loud, chirping “songs”.

They use their muscular legs to spring tosafety if attacked but can also deliver apowerful kick if seized by a predator.Most male crickets and grasshoppersmake loud chirps to attract females.These are produced by rubbing bothwings together (cricket), or a leg and awing together (grasshopper). Mostgrasshoppers and crickets are plant-eating insects that live above ground.Their young are nymphs ( 6).

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Cave cricket A flightless cricket with ahumped back, long legs and longantennae. Cave crickets, also known ascamel crickets, live in dark places such ascaves. They are usually brown in colourand they do not chirp.

Cricket A nocturnal insect with long legsfor jumping and long, thin antennae, usedto find its way in the dark. Most cricketsare non-fliers. They feed on both leavesand other insects. Male crickets makechirping calls by rubbing their wingstogether. Females hear the calls throughtheir ears—actually slits in their front legs.

Field cricket A common, black cricketthat lives in grassy areas and mayalso burrow into loose soil. Fieldcrickets feed on seeds, plantsand other insects.

Elegant grasshopperA brightly coloured

grasshopper from South Africa. When threatened, it secretes a foul-

smelling fluid from betweenits joints. This green

frothing substancedeters predators fromattacking thegrasshopper.

Grasshopper A herbivorous insectwith large powerful legs. Most

grasshoppers have wings although someare flightless. Males make chirping calls byrubbing a leg and a wing together.Females hear the calls through hearingorgans on their abdomens. Most speciesare camouflaged, but some are brightlycoloured to show that they are poisonous.

Ground cricket A flat-bodied cricket thatlives in fields or woodlands and has a softcall. The striped ground cricket has darkmarkings on its back.

Groundhopper A small insect, related tograsshoppers and crickets. Groundhoppershave tiny, scale-like front wings but can flywell using their strong hind wings.Groundhoppers often live near streams orrivers and some species can even swim.Groundhoppers include the pygmygrasshoppers and pygmy locusts.

Orthoptera An order of insects to whichgrasshoppers and crickets belong. Theirname means “straight-winged”. All insectsin this family have two pairs of wings. Thetransparent rear wings fold up behind thehardened, leathery front wings. Mostorthopterans can produce loud chirpingsounds to communicate with one another.

Stridulation The act of making noises byrubbing together body parts. Malegrasshoppers and crickets bothstridulate by rubbing together their legsor wings. Stridulation is used to attract amate, impress her or to ward o! rivalmales. Other insects, such asweevils and scarab beetles ( 10),also stridulate.

Tree cricket A white or green cricket thatlives in trees or shrubs. It has one of thelongest and loudest calls of all crickets.There are about 80 species of treecricket across the world.

Weta A cricket with long, spiny back legs, which it waves at enemies to warnthem o!. Some species will also biteattackers. Weta are nocturnal, comingout at night to feed on plants and fungi.There are about 100 species of weta, allof which are native to New Zealand.

Jerusalem cricket A large, North Americaninsect, also known as the potato bug. It has a translucent brown body and nowings. It may have dark stripes on itsabdomen. Jerusalem crickets burrowunderground to feed on roots and tubers.

Locust A large grasshopper. Locusts areusually solitary, but if wet weather causesplant growth, their population mayincrease massively. Crowded together,their legs rub against each other, triggeringthe behaviour that makes them swarm.Solitary locusts are camouflaged, butswarming locusts, protected by their vastnumbers, moult to reveal bright colours.When swarms descend on an area ofvegetation, they strip it bare in minutes.

Mole cricket A cricket that digs tunnelsunderground. It feeds on plant roots orinsect larvae. It can shape its tunnels insuch a way that its calls to other cricketsare amplified. Mole crickets have wingsand may leave their burrows to fly aboveground at night.

Elegantgrasshopper

The bright eyespots of a bushcricket startle predators.

A brightly coloured swarming locust.

The locust rests on theground with its legs folded

(1). It uses its hind legs to pushit into the air (2) with its frontlegs held back. Once in the air

it opens its wings to fly (3).

A swarm of locusts descending on thecrops of an African village.

12

! Many grasshoppers can jump more than 20 times their own body length.

! Locusts are strong fliersand can travel up to 100 km inone day.

! Locusts caneat their ownweight in food every day. In one day, a swarm can eatfood that wouldfeed 500 peoplefor a year.

! Young grasshoppers or crickets arecalled “hoppers” and have no wings.

! The fastest flying insect is the Africandesert locust, which can reach speeds of up to 34 km/h.

A LOCUST TAKING FLIGHT

1

2

3

Giant weta

13

Dead leaf mantis A brown mantiscamouflaged to look like a dead leaf. It may move like a leaf swaying in the wind as it stalks its prey.

Dragonfly A fast-flying, predatory insectthat lives near freshwater. It has two pairsof transparent wings, of which the hindwings are broader. They cannot foldbehind its back. All dragonflies lay theireggs in or near water.

Dragonfly nymph A young dragonfly thatlives underwater for up to five years,feeding on insects, tadpoles and fish.Dragonfly nymphs have a clawed “mask”on their faces, which they use to catchprey and pull it into their mouths.

Emerald dragonfly A dragonfly with a darkbody and metallic green eyes. Emeralddragonflies include the sundragon,shadowdragon and baskettails.

Flower mantis A petal-shaped mantis,camouflaged to sit among flowers, waitingfor prey. Species such as the orchid mantis,are adapted to blend in with specificflowers, for example the pink orchid.

Pink orchidmantis

MMAANNTTIIDDSS &&DDRRAAGGOONNFFLLIIEESS

Antlion A winged insect with a dullcoloured body and net-like wings. Antlionlarvae feed on ants, which they trap inconical pits, dug into sandy ground.

Clubtail dragonfly A dragonfly with a club-shaped body and wide-set eyes. Its nymphsburrow into mud on stream beds.

Cruiser dragonfly A dragonfly with short,sti! wings that enable it to “cruise” forlong periods, searching for prey. It mayhave yellow markings on its dark abdomen.

Damselfly A carnivorous insect related todragonflies but smaller, and weaker in flight. Damselflies lay their eggs in slits cut into the stems of water plants.

Mantids are a group ofcamouflaged predatory insects.They have triangular heads, large

eyes and strong, spiny legs for grabbingprey. They stay completely still, waiting toambush passing insects. Dragonflies arefast-flying insects that live near rivers orponds. They have long abdomens, largeeyes and transparent wings. Dragonfliesfeed on other insects, catching them withtheir legs. The young of both dragonfliesand mantids are predatory nymphs ( 6).Some net-winged insects, such asmantidflies and antlions, are oftenmistaken for mantids.

! The largest praying mantis is the Chinesemantis, which grows up to 10 cm long.

! The largest member of the odonatafamily is a species of damselfly from SouthAmerica, which has a wingspan of 19 cm.

! Hawkers are the fastest dragonflies,usually cruising at speeds of about 16 km/h,but capable of much faster bursts of speed.

! The largest ever dragonfly lived over 250million years ago (before the dinosaurs)and had a wingspan of around 75 cm.

! Mantids can turn their heads up to 180°when searching for prey. They are the onlyinsects that can do this.

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European praying mantis

Odonata The order of insects to whichdragonflies and damselflies belong.

Petaltail dragonfly A large dragonfly witha slim, dark, spotted body. Its nymphs livein muddy marshland burrows, coming outat night. The largest dragonfly in theworld is the giant petaltail, which has awingspan of 16 cm.

2 When it is ready tochange into an adult,the nymph climbs outof the water andattaches itself to aplant stem.

Mantidfly A tropical flying insect withdelicate, net-like wings. Like a mantis, ithas large, spiny forelimbs used to snatchits prey and is a fierce predator.

Mayfly A delicate, plant-eating relative of the dragonflies. Mayflies may spend a year or more as nymphs, but their adultlife only lasts a day or two. As adults, they cannot feed and merely mate, laytheir eggs and then die.

Neuroptera The order of insects to whichlacewings, mantidflies and antlionsbelong. They are known as the net-winged insects.

1 A dragonfly nymph on thebottom of a stream catchesa tadpole.

Giant Asian mantis A large prayingmantis from Southeast Asia. It grows upto 9 cm long and can tackle prey aslarge as itself.

Hawker dragonfly A large, fast dragonfly.Most species are blue or green. Hawkers,also known as darners, spend most of theirtime in flight and are among the fastest offliers. They are also the largest dragonflies.

Lacewing A flying insect with a network ofveins in its delicate wings. It has sensitivehearing organs in its wings that enable it tohear the calls of bats and so avoid them.

Spiketail dragonfly A large dragonfly with a dark abdomen striped with yellow. It spends most of its day flying.Most species have a long, pointed body.

Stonefly A dull coloured insect withtransparent wings, thick legs and twotails. It is a weak flyer, and mostly runs onthe ground or hides under stones. It isoften mistaken for a mayfly.

If threatened, a mantis mayflutter away or spread its wingsand strike out with its front legs.

Mantids hatch froma mass of eggs astiny replica adultscalled nymphs.

Lacewing

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Mantis layingeggs

3 The adult dragonfly shedsits old skin. It will takeseveral hours for itswings toflatten out.

4 An adultdragonfly

Praying mantis An insect that preys onother insects or small frogs and lizards.The praying mantis is so-called because itholds its forelimbs as if it is praying while itwaits to ambush its victims. Females layeggs in a frothy mass that hardens into acocoon. The young emerge as nymphs.

Skimmer dragonfly A large dragonfly witha thick body. It often flies low, skimmingthe surface of the water. Many specieshave brightly-coloured wings.

Birdwingbutterfly

! There are around 160,000 species ofmoth but only 18,000 species of butterfly.

! Butterflies and moths have tiny tastereceptors in their feet. Before laying theireggs on a leaf, they taste it to see if it isedible for their caterpillars.

! Some butterflies and moths have scalesthat reflect light to give an impression ofcolour. Looked at from a different angle,they seem to changecolour.

! Betweenhatching andpupating, acaterpillarmust increaseits size by at least300 times. To do this, itmust eat constantly.

Leafroller moth A stocky moth whosecaterpillars construct cocoons out ofleaves rolled around their body.

Lepidoptera The order of insects to whichall butterflies and moths belong. They allhave scaled bodies and four large wings.

Morgan’s sphinxhawkmoth

Butterflies and moths are flyinginsects covered with tiny scales.These give them colours and

markings used for camouflage or toattract a mate. Most butterflies fly in theday and have clubbed antennae, whereasmost moths are night-flyers with featheryantennae. Both have a long, hollowtongue, called a proboscis, used to feed onnectar. A butterfly or moth starts life as acaterpillar, hatched from an egg. It grows,then changes into a hard-cased pupa ( 6),inside which its adult form takes shape.

BBUUTTTTEERRFFLLIIEESS&& MMOOTTHHSS

Tiger moth A large, dark moth, patternedwith colourful stripes or spots. Its furrycaterpillars are often called “woolly bears”.

Tussock moth A dull coloured moth, whose caterpillars are covered in fur.Tussock moths includes the gypsymoth, satin moth and nun moth.

Pieridae A largefamily of butterfliesthat are white, yellowor orange, often withdark markings. The whitecabbage butterfly is acommon member of the family, known forthe damage it does to crops and gardens.

Skipper A small insect that moves with askipping motion from flower to flower.Skippers have moth-like bodies but uprightwings like butterflies. Most species haveclub-like antennae that end in small hooks.

Snout moth A large, hairy moth withelongated mouthparts. Its young are called tent caterpillars because they live togetherin tent-like nests made from silk.

Swallowtail A large, colourful butterflywith tail-like extensions to its hind wings.Swallowtails beat their wings slowly, justfive times a second. Their caterpillars arecamouflaged to look like bird droppings.

Clothes moth A small brown or yellowmoth, whose tiny caterpillars feed on thefibres in human clothing, especially wool.

Emperor moth A large moth with brown orwhite wings and large eyespot markings. It lives in cool habitats, often in forests.

Carpenter moth A large moth withspeckled brown wings that camouflage itagainst bark. Its caterpillars bore into trees.

Caterpillar The larva of a butterfly or moth. Caterpillars feed mostly on leavesbut some eat other insect larvae. Many arepoisonous or are covered in spines andstinging hairs to deter predators.

Chrysalis The pupal stage ( 6) of a moth or butterfly’s life, when it changes into itsadult form.

Clearwing moth A moth with a dark bodyand transparent wings. It may have red oryellow marks to make it look like a wasp.

Luna moth A large, pale green moth withlong wing tails patterned with crescent-shaped markings. The luna moth’swingspan can measure more than 12 cm.

Monarch butterfly A black and orangebutterfly that migrates more than 3000 kmfrom Canada or North America to Mexico.Here, thousands of monarchs cluster ontrees for the winter.

Morpho butterfly A large blue or greenbutterfly from the tropical forests of SouthAmerica. Its wingspan can reach 17 cmacross. Adults feed on rotting fallen fruit.

Owl butterfly A large, dark butterfly withorange eyespots that look like owl eyes.

Birdwing butterfly A large butterfly from the rainforests of Southeast Asia.Males are brightly coloured but females are darker. The Queen Alexandra birdwing is the largest known butterfly,with a wingspan of 31 cm.

Brushfooted butterfly A butterfly withshortened, hairy front legs. It has brightmarkings on the upper side of its wings andcamouflaged colours on the underside.Brushfooted butterflies include admirals,monarchs, emperors, morphos and snouts.

Burnet moth A small red and black moth.Its colours warn predators it is poisonous.

Eyespot A marking that looks like the eyeof a large, predatory bird or mammal.Some butterflies and moths haveeyespots to scare potential predators.

Geometer moth A slim moth with broadwings. Its young are called inchworms.

Giant silk moth A large moth from Asia. Its caterpillars, called silk worms, producesilk to make their cocoons. This is used bypeople to make silk cloth.

3 Inside the cocoon,the caterpillar startsto change.

2 It spins acocoon ( 6)

around itself.

1 The caterpillarattaches to atwig.

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4 After two weeks thechange is complete. Theadult butterfly emergesfrom the cocoon.

Gossamer-winged butterfly A small, brightbutterfly. Gossamers include hairstreaks,coppers and blues. The caterpillars of somespecies emit smells that attract ants, ormimic the squeaking calls of ant larvae.Ants look after the caterpillars in exchangefor the honeydew ( 19) they produce.

Hawkmoth A large, fast moth that hoversover flowers to feed on nectar. Hawkmothshave the longest tongues of any insect.

Morpho butterfly

Lunamoth

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Butterfly eggs

Close-up ofscales

A butterfly’s proboscis rolls up when it is not feeding.

Caterpillar

PUPATION OF ACATERPILLAR

Honeydew A sweet liquid, made by aphids ( 8) and other insects when they eat plantsap. It is a favoured food of many ants.

Honeypot ant A small ant from dry regions.During the rainy season, workers storenectar and water in their abdomens. In thedry season, other ants can feed from it.

AANNTTSS

Amazon ant A small, red ant with dagger-like jaws. Amazon ants invade the nests ofother ants and kidnap their young. Theseare then raised as slaves to look after theAmazon colony. Amazon ants are sodependent on slaves that they cannotfeed themselves or care for their young.

Ant hill A pile of soil or leaves at theentrance to an ant nest. It soaks upwarmth from the sun to heat the nest.

Ants are insects with thin waists andlong antennae. They are closelyrelated to bees and wasps and, like

them, live in large colonies. These aremade up of a winged queen, wingedmales, wingless workers and, in somespecies, soldiers. Ants nest in a maze oftunnels and chambers under the ground,with separate chambers for eggs, larvaeand food stores. Ants have varied dietsthat include seeds, fruit, honeydew andother insects. Their young hatch fromeggs as larvae, then pupate ( 6).

Soldier ant A large, wingless, female antthat protect its colony from invasion.Soldier ants have large heads and jawsand cannot mate.

Thief ant A small yellow or brown ant thatinvades other ant colonies to feed on theirfood or eggs.

Weaver ant A tropical, tree-dwelling antthat builds its nest out of leaves, stitchedtogether with silk produced by its larvae.Weaver ants have a painful bite, as theysquirt acid into the bite wound.

Worker ant A wingless female ant thatcannot reproduce. Workers build andrepair the nest, provide food, rear theyoung and look after the queen.

Argentine ant A small, dark ant without asoldier caste. Argentine ants feed onhoneydew, plant sap and other insects.

Army ant A tropical ant that marches invast numbers from place to place, eatingany insect that cannot get out of its way.When the colony needs to rest or lay eggs,the ants group inside a hollow log. Theythen carry their larvae with them.

Bulldog ant A large, Australian ant withlong, sharp jaws and a strong sting like that of a bee. Adults feed on fruit, nectar or honeydew but also catch other insectsto feed to their larvae.

Bullet ant A large black ant from thetropical forests of America. It has the mostpainful sting of any insect, said to hurt asmuch as a bullet wound.

Carpenter ant A large ant that nests indamp wood and feeds on plants or insects.Some species explode if threatened,showering toxic fluid over their attacker.

Dairy ant An ant known for “farming”aphids ( 8) for the honeydew they make.The ants protect the aphids and strokethem in encouragement. In return, theaphids let the ants take their honeydew.

Ghost ant A tiny tropical ant with a darkhead and transparent body. Ghost ants eatsweet or greasy foods.

Gliding ant An ant that lives in treetops. If it falls, or jumps to escape danger, it usesits flat head and legs to control its directionand land further down on the same tree.

Harvester ant An ant that feeds on seedsand grass, which it hoards and storesunderground. It has a strong sting.

Leafcutter ant An ant that carriesbits of leaf to its nest, where it chewsthem into a pulp on which fungus grows.The ants then feed on the fungus.

Queen ant A large female ant, whose maintask is to lay eggs. A young queen takesflight, mates with a male and lands to layher eggs. Once she has mated, her wingsbreak o! and she gives birth to workers.

Slave-maker ant An ant that is cared for byworkers of another colony. Some species,such as the Amazon ant, kidnap larvae toraise them as slaves. Others lay their eggsin other ants’ nests so the young arebrought up by the slaves.

A dairy ant milkinga scale insect ( 9)

for honeydew.

A honeypot anthanging fromthe roof of its nest.

Army ant

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Weaver antsbuilding a nest. One

ant squeezes larvae tomake it produce silk.

INSIDE ANANTS’ NEST

Drone ant A winged male ant. A drone’sonly task is to mate with the queen ant.

Field ant An ant that lives in forests ormeadows, feeding on honeydew or insects.Some species, such as wood ants, pile pineneedles above their nest to keep it warm.

Fire ant A red-black ant with a powerfulsting on its abdomen. Fire ants live insidelarge earth mounds.

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Tunnel

Queen

LarvaWorker

Cocoons

Driver ant An army ant that nests for part ofthe year. Driver ants have strong, shearingjaws. When they march, they eat anythingthey come across, including mammals, birdsand even people who cannot escape.

The strong jaws ofan Australianbulldog ant

Leafcutter ants

! There may be up to 6 million individualsin a large ant colony.

! Ants evolved from wasps. This is whysome species still have a sting.

! Ants can lift approximately 20 timestheir own body weight. They carry objectsnot with their feet but with their mouths.

! Ants have two stomachs. One has foodfor themselves and one contains food toregurgitate and share with the colony.

! In some tropical regions, native peopleuse army ants as natural stitches. Once theant bites the skin together, its body isbroken off. Its jaws can keep a woundsealed for several days.

! Ants are the onlyanimals other thanhumans to capture slaves.

Subterranean termite A termite that livesunderground and relies on the surroundingsoil to keep it damp. Subterraneantermites build tunnels from their nests upto the wood on which they feed.

Termite nest A shelter in which termitesraise their young and store food. Nestsmay be built underground, above ground,in dead trees or in living tree branches.They can be made of mud, wood or faecesmixed with saliva.

Termite mound A nest that reaches upabove ground, made from soil cementedwith saliva. In hot, dry climates, termitesbuild mounds over the nest so that cool aircan circulate inside the nest.

Worker termite A blind termite whose jobis to find food, rear the young and buildor repair the nest. There aremore workers than anyother group oftermites.

Drywood termite A termite that livesinside dry wood, conserving water in itsbody so it does not depend on soil orrotten wood for moisture. Drywoodtermites may live in furniture or thetimbers of houses, making them apest to humans.

Formosan termite A subterranean termite fromChina and Japan. Formosancolonies are very largeand can seriouslydamage woodenbuildings.

Fungus-growing termite A termite thatgrows fungus inside its nest, on “combs”made from termite faeces. The fungi breakdown the faeces into substances that thetermites can digest.

Harvester termite A large termite fromgrassland areas of Africa and Asia. It feedson grass and twigs, which it collects andhoards in its underground nests.

King termite A large male termite that hasmated with the queen. He lives by her sideand continues to mate with her for life.

Magnetic termite An Australian termitethat builds wedge-shaped mounds pointingnorth to south. In the morning and evening,the sun warms the large east and westfacing surfaces. The hot midday sun onlyhits the narrow ridge of the wedge, so the

mound does not overheat.

Queen termite A huge female termitethat spends her life laying eggs.

She has a huge abdomen, up to 15 cm long, full of eggs.

Sawtooth termite A Braziliantermite that nests in the walls

of other termite’s mounds. It has strong jaws and can

bite o! whole chunks ofwood at a time.

! There are about 2600 species of termitesknown to us, but there may be manyhundreds as yet undiscovered.

! Termites are closely related tocockroaches, from whom they evolved.

! A queen termite can lay up to 36,000eggs in one day.

! The tallest termite mound on record was 12.5 m tall.

! A termite nestmay be inhabited bya colony for morethan 50 years.

! Abandonednests may becomehomes to otheranimals, such assnakes, lizards andsmall mammals or birds.

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Alate A winged, reproductive termite,destined to become a king or a queen.Alates leave the nest in swarms at leastonce a year. When they land, they shedtheir wings, mate and start a new colony.

Arboreal termite A termite that lives intreetop nests built from wood and faeces.Tunnels lead from the nest down to theforest floor, enabling termites to safelyleave the nest in search of food.

Dampwood termite A large termite thatnests in, and feeds on, damp or rottenwood. Dampwood termites have noworkers. Instead, the king, queen andsoldiers are fed by their young.

Darwin termite A large termite fromNorthern Australia. Darwin termites liveunderground or in tree stumps. They eatanything, from wood to leather, plasticand rubber.

Termites are pale, soft-bodiedinsects that feed on wood andother dead plant material. They live

in colonies, mostly in tropical regions.Termites build large nests underground,in trees or in large mounds above theground. Their nests keep them moist andregulate their temperature. Inside thenest lie at least one royal couple: a largeking and even larger queen. Soldiertermites protect the colony from attackby enemy ants. Worker termites findfood, feed the others and look after theyoung. Termite young are nymphs ( 6).

The enormous queen surrounded by workers

A termite mound in the Australian outback

Snouted termite A subterranean termitewith a large, prominent snout.

Soil-feeding termite A termite that feedson soil. Most species live in rainforests.

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Male and female alates

Soldier termite A termite that protects thecolony from attack. Most soldiers haveheads and jaws so large that they cannotfeed themselves. Some can paint poisonon their enemies, squirt toxic glue at themor explode their toxic innards over them.

Ventilation shaftChimney

Fungusgarden

Nurseries

Soldiertermite

Worker

Fungus stores

BBEEEESS &&WWAASSPPSS

Beeswax A substance produced by glandsin the abdomens of honeybees and usedto construct cells in the nest.

Bumblebee A flu!y black and yellow bee.The movement of its flight muscles makesa loud buzzing sound. Bumblebees formsmall colonies in burrows or piles of grass.

Carpenter bee A large, solitary bee thattunnels into dead wood to build its nest.

Cell A hexagonal compartment inside thenest of a bee or wasp, where eggs, honeyor pollen are stored. A cluster of cells iscalled a comb.

Bees and wasps are flying insectswith narrow waists. Many protectthemselves by using a sting on

their abdomen, which injects painfulvenom. These species usually have blackand yellow stripes to warn that they aredangerous. Bees have round, furrybodies, and feed on pollen and nectar,which they collect from flowers usingtheir tongues. Wasps have smooth,slender bodies, and most species prey onother insects. Some bees and wasps livein colonies, while others are solitary.

FF AA CC TT FF II LL EE! Most bees have an average flying speedof about 30 km/h.

! A single bee may visit as many as 1000flowers in one day.

! Only female wasps and bees have stingsThis is because their stings are modifiedovipositors (egg-laying organs).

! The largest bee in the world is aleafcutter called Wallace’s giant bee, which can grow up to 4 cm long and has awingspan of over 6 cm.

! The largest wasp in the world is theAsian giant hornet, which can grow over 5 cm long and has a wingspan of over 7 cm.It has a venom so powerful it can dissolvehuman tissue.

When the colony grows too big, a group of workers go to anothersite to start a new colony.

Waggle dance A figure-of-eight “dance”performed by honeybees to show otherbees where flowers are located. Themovements communicate how far awaythe flowers are and in what direction.

Worker bees A female bee that cannot layeggs. Young workers repair and build newcells. After this, they act as guards at theentrance to the nest. Older workers findfood, feed the larvae and produce honey.

Hornet

Honey A sweet-tasting liquid made whennectar mixes with enzymes in a bee’sstomach. The mixture is regurgitated intocells, where it is stored as food for winter.

Honeybee A bee that builds its nests increvices or hanging from a tree. It is oftenkept by humans for its honey. If is uses itssting, it is ripped from its body, killing it.

Hornet A large striped wasp with a strongsting. Hornet colonies live in paper nestsmade from chewed wood.

Hymenoptera The order of insects to whichall bees, wasps and ants ( 18) belong.

Leafcutter bee A large bee that builds itsnests inside hollow plants, cutting circlesfrom leaves and using them to make cells.

Mason bee A solitary bee, also known asthe mortar bee, that builds nests in hollowplants, constructing its cells out of mud.

Mason wasp A wasp, also known as thepotter wasp, that builds pot-shaped nestsout of sand and soil, glued by its saliva. It fills the nest with paralyzed spiders andinsect larvae, on which its young will feed.

Mining bee A solitary bee that builds itsnest in a vertical underground tunnel.

Mud-dauber wasp A long, thin, wasp thatmoulds nests out of mud. It hunts spiders,which it paralyzes with its sting, and carriesto its nest to feed to its young.

Royal jelly A nutritious, milky substancemade by young worker bees and fed toyoung larvae and the queen bee.

Spider wasp A large, long-legged waspthat lays its eggs in the stomachs ofspiders, having first paralyzed them withits sting. When the larvae hatch, they feedon the still-living spider. The blacktarantula hawk wasp has a wingspan of 12 cm and hunts tarantulas ( 26).

LIFE CYCLE OF A HONEYBEE: 1 The queen bee layseggs in cells built by her workers.

Stingless bee A tropical bee that nests inlarge colonies. It does not sting itsattackers, but gives them painful bites.Stingless bees are sometimes kept byhumans for the honey they produce.

Sweat bee A small bee that is attracted tothe salt in human sweat. Sweat beesusually build their nests underground orinside trees, but some are parasitic.

Tarantulahawk wasp

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3 After nine days, workers cap the cells with wax toprotect the developing larvae.

4 After 20 days, the young workers hatch. Oncetheir bodies have hardened, they leave their cells.

Cuckoo bee A beethat lays its eggsinside the nest of otherspecies. Once hatched,the larvae kills the queenand all other eggs, andtakes over the colony.

Drone A male bee or waspwhose task is to mate with thequeen. Drones cannot sting.

Gall wasp A small, solitary wasp that laysits eggs inside plants. Once the eggs arelaid a bump, or gall, rises on the plant. The larvae hatch and feed inside this.

Bumblebee

Paper wasp A wasp that builds its nest outof paper made from chewed-up wood.Nests are attached to branches by a stalk.

Parasitic wasp A solitary wasp that lays itseggs in the nests of other bees or wasps, or inside plants or animals, such ascaterpillars or spiders.

Pollinator An insect, such as a bee, thatcarries pollen from the male part of a flowerto a female part, enabling it to reproduce.When insects drink nectar from a flower,some pollen sticks to them. At the nextflower they visit, the pollen brushes o!.

2 After three days, the eggs hatch. The larvae arefed honey, pollen and a small amount of royal jelly.

Paper wasps’ nest

Combs

Queen bee A large, female bee that hasmated with a male and lays eggs. Queensdevelop from normal larvae that are fedexclusively on royal jelly .

Queen wasp An adult female wasp thathas mated with a male and lays eggs. She builds the foundations of her nest.Once she has raised workers, they takeover nest-building and other tasks.

Two male stalk-eyed flies fighting.

Crane fly A fly with a slim body and longlegs and wings. Crane flies live near waterand feed on nectar. Their larvae, known asleather jackets, feed on rotten plantmaterial or other insect larvae.

Diptera The order of insects to which allflies, mosquitoes and gnats belong.

Flesh fly A fly that feeds and breeds onrotting meat or open wounds. Flesh fliesusually have red eyes and dark stripes ontheir bodies. Some give birth to live larvaeinstead of laying eggs.

Fungus gnat A small, dark fly with longantennae and legs. Its larvae feed mostlyon fungi and roots, eating so much thatthey may not need to feed as adults.

Gnat A tiny fly that gathers in swarms,especially near water. Some species arebloodsuckers; others feed on plantmaterial. Many gnat larvae are aquatic.

Haltere The modified back wings of a fly.Halteres are short protrusions with smalldumbbell shapes at the end. They flapback and forth during flight and help tokeep the insect stable.

FFLLIIEESS &&MMOOSSQQUUIITTOOEESS

Flies are insects with only one pair ofwings. They are able to fly at highspeed and with great agility. Instead

of biting jaws, flies have mouthparts thatsuck up liquid food. Many help topollinate flowers by feeding on nectarand pollen, while others are scavengers.Some females feed on blood in order togain proteins needed for laying eggs.Although some species spread diseases,many flies help to keep our environmentclean, by feeding on dung or rottingmaterial such as dead plants and animals.

Moth fly A small fly with a hairy body.Most species feed on decaying plants but some are bloodsuckers.

Robber fly A predatory fly with a broadbody and long legs. It catches its prey inmid-air and sucks the juices out of them.

Stalk-eyed fly A fungus-eating fly with itseyes on the end of long horizontal stalks.During mating season, males competeover females, judging their opponent’sstrength by the length of his eye stalks.

Tsetse fly A small African fly that can passon a fatal disease called sleeping sicknessby biting humans or cattle. Females givebirth to larvae instead of laying eggs.

FF AA CC TT FF II LL EE

Scuttle fly A fly that often runs instead offlying. It feeds on nectar or wounds. Onespecies is known as the co!n fly, because it breeds in dead bodies after burial.

Snipe fly A small fly that often lives nearwater. Adults and larvae feed on insectsand females also suck blood. Some larvaecatch their prey in sandy pits.

Soldier fly A brightly coloured fly that livesnear flowers and feeds on nectar. Mostspecies have yellow, green or black stripes.

A female mosquito drinking blood.

Eggs and maggots inside a wound

Bee fly A yellow-striped, furry fly that lookslike a bee to deter predators. It feeds on nectar from flowers.

Blowfly A large, scavenging fly withmetallic blue or green colouring. Blowfliesinclude bluebottles, cluster flies andscrewworms. They lay their larvae inrotting meat, open wounds or dung.

Botfly A hairy fly whose larvae live asparasites ( 6) inside mammals. It catchessmaller flies and lays its eggs on theirbodies. When the smaller, less noticeableflies land on a mammal, the animal’s bodyheat causes the eggs to hatch, drop on tothe skin and burrow into the flesh.

Bee fly

2524

Fruit fly A fly that feeds on fruit andlays its eggs inside it. Fruit flies canbe serious pests to fruit farmers.

Horsefly A large fly that lays its eggs nearwater. Females suck the blood of largemammals, such as horses.

Housefly A large bristly fly that often livesin houses and lays its eggs in rubbish orfaeces. It transmits diseases by moving onto human food.

Hoverfly A fly with bee-like markings.Hoverflies move their wings in figure-of-eight movements to hover over flowers asthey feed. Some hoverfly larvae live in antor termite nests or tunnel inside plants.

Maggot Soft, legless fly larvae with bitingmouthparts. Maggots hatch from eggs

laid near rotting meat or plant matter.They develop inside a cocoon ( 6)

before emerging as adults.

Midge A tiny, mosquito-likefly that feeds on plant sap,

blood or faeces. Gnatslive near water where

they often swarm.

A blowflyfeeding

Like many flies, crane flies can walk on ceilings.

! There are more than 120,000 species offly in the world.

! The absence of a second pair of wingsenables flies to carry out faster, tightermanoeuvres in mid-air than other insects.

! Flies have over 4000 lenses in eachcompound eye ( 12).

! To eat foods thatare not alreadyliquids, flies vomitover them. Thisliquefies the food sothat the fly can suck it up.

! The average fly beats itswings 200 times per second.

! Some flies can startmating as soon as 12 hoursafter hatching.

Tsetsefly

Mosquito A fly whose females suck blood.Mosquitoes pierce the skin with theirsharp mouthparts and inject a chemicalthat stops blood from clotting. In someparts of the world, mosquitoes carry thegerms that cause malaria.

SSPPIIDDEERRSS

Bird-eating spider A South Americantarantula. It is the largest known spider,with a body 7.5 cm long and a leg span ofup to 30 cm. It chases its prey across therainforest floor. It feeds mainly on insectsor lizards and frogs, but rarely on birds.

Black widow spider A tiny, black spiderwith red markings. It spins a web to catchflying insects. After mating, the female eatsthe male, a practice for which the spider isnamed. Black widows only bite if provoked,but their venom can easily kill humans.

Bolas spider A small spider that huntsmoths using a lasso-like thread of silk witha sticky “bola” at one end. It attracts malemoths by making a similar smell to thatgiven o! by female moths.

Spiders are an order of arachnids ( 6).

They have two body segments, eightlegs and many pairs of eyes. All

spiders are carnivores, feeding mostly oninsects. Their saliva turns body tissues intoliquid which they then suck up. All spiderscan produce silk. Some spin silk webswhich they use to catch their prey. Othershunt or ambush prey. Most spiders have avenomous bite ( 6), with which theyparalyze or kill their prey. A few speciesare so venomous that they can kill humans.

FF AA CC TT FF II LL EE! A length of spider silk is stronger than apiece of steel wire the same length andthickness. It is also more stretchable.

! Some spiders, such as tarantulas, can livefor up to 30 years.

! Only a few species of spider arevenomous enough to be dangerous tohumans. These include the black widow, the funnel web spider, the Brazilianwandering spider and the brown reclusespider. The venom of most other spiders,including the widely feared tarantulas, willonly cause mild pain in most instances.

! The smallest spider in the world is thePatu Digua spider, which is 0.37 mm long.

! The first spiders are thought to haveappeared around 200 million years ago.

! There are about 40,000 species of spider.

HOW A SPIDER SPINS ITS WEB:The spider joins two brancheswith a line of silk and walksalong it, spinning a secondthread as it goes (1). It pulls thesecond thread down and anchorsit (2). Lines are linked together atthe central hub (3). The spiderlays down sticky spiral strands(4) and waits for its prey (5).

Wolf spider A small spider, also known asthe wandering spider. It stalks its prey onthe ground. It has large eyes for spottingits prey, which it may ambush or evenchase over a short distance.

Tarantula A large, hairy spider. It feedsmostly on insects, but larger species can killlizards or rodents. Tarantulas use their hairsto detect vibrations. They can also flickthem at attackers to cause itching.

Trapdoor spider A spider that ambushes itsprey from a burrow. The entrance to theburrow is sealed by a lid, with a hinge madefrom spider silk. The spider rushes outwhen it detects vibrations made by its prey.

Water spider The only spider that livesunderwater. Tiny hairs on its body trapbubbles, which the spider arranges into anair-filled underwater web. It darts out of itsweb to snatch prey, such as aquatic insects.

Web A net made of spider silk and used tocatch prey. Once an insect is caught, aspider can find it by sensing the vibrationsit makes. Spiders walk on the claw-like tipsof their feet to avoid becoming entangled.

Pirate spider A small spider that raids thewebs of other spiders. It may steal preycaught in the web, but more often feedson the web-owner, feigning insectmovements in order to lure it out.

Sheet-weaver spider A small spider, alsoknown as the money spider, that buildshorizontal webs. It spends most of itstime hanging upside down under the web,waiting to catch tiny insects.

Silk A strong thread, made from liquidproduced in a spider’s abdomen. As it isdrawn out through the spinneret, itbecomes solid. Spiders use silk to buildwebs, contain their eggs, wrap up prey orform a safety line when jumping.

Spitting spider A small spider that catchesits prey by squirting poisoned silk at it. Its aim is deadly accurate. As soon as aninsect is entangled, the spider movesforward to paralyze it with its bite.

A Mexican red-kneed tarantulafeeding on a gecko.

Crab spider A spider that holds up its frontlegs in a similar way to a crab wielding itspincers. It hides in flowers or under bark toambush its prey. Some species changecolour to blend in with their background.

Jumping spider A small spider that jumpsfrom spot to spot in pursuit of its prey. It has large eyes for spotting prey andjudging distances. It eats mostly mothsand flies, but may attack larger creatures.Males may be brightly coloured in order to attract a mate.

Nursery web spider A small spider thatbuilds a protective, tent-like web in whichto raise its young.

Ogre-faced spider A slim spider with stick-like legs. One pair of its eyes are verylarge, giving it an ogre-like appearance. It spins a small web, which it throws overinsects like a net to trap them.

Fishing spider A spider that skates acrosswater in search of tadpoles and fish. It lures prey by dangling a leg in the water.When a creature investigates, it snatchesit up and drags it on to land to feed.

Funnel-web spider A spider that buildsfunnel-shaped webs at the entrance to itsburrow. The spider lurks at the narrowend of the web, waiting for an insect tostumble into its trap. Funnel web spiderslive in Australia and Asia. They areaggressive and their bite can be fatal.

Orb-weaver A small spider that spins spiral-shaped webs between branches. It may eat its web at the end of the day, recyclingnutrients in order to build a new one.

Pedipalps Feelers near a spider’s mouth,used to grab prey and pull it to the mouth.

A spitting spidershooting silkover an insect.

Trapdoor spider

Black widow

Jumping spider

26 27

Ogre-faced spider

1 2 3

4 5

BrainEyes

Venom gland

Fang

Stomach Heart Intestine

Silk gland

Spinneret

Ovaries

Anus

Giant centipede A South Americancentipede that can reach lengths of 30 cm. It attacks large prey such assnakes, frogs and small rodents. It evenhunts bats by hanging over the entrancesto their caves and seizing them in mid-air.

Giant desert hairy scorpion A largescorpion from the deserts of America.

It is covered in brown hairs, whichhelp it to detect vibrations madeby the movements of its prey.

It grows up to 15 cm long, andfeeds on large prey such as lizards.

Millipede A myriapod with short, stronglegs for burrowing through soil or leaves.Most millipedes are herbivorous. Theyhave four legs per body segment and mayhave between 40 and up to 750 legs.

Mite A tiny arachnid with a single bodysegment and eight legs. Mites live in soil,water and even inside other animals.Some feed on insects or blood, whilstothers feed on plants. Many mites areonly visible with the use of a microscope.

Black scorpion A large, black scorpion, alsoknown as the Asian forest scorpion. It livesunder logs and leaves on the forest floorand grows up to 12 cm long.

Crustaceans Arthropods ( 6) such as crabsand woodlice with a hard, segmentedexoskeleton ( 6) and two pairs of antennae.

Centipede A carnivorous myriapod withlong, fast legs. Centipedes have one pair oflegs per body segment and may havebetween 15 and 300 legs. Large “poison-claws” on their heads are used to captureand paralyse prey before eating it.

Deathstalker scorpion A yellow desertscorpion also known as the gold scorpionor Israeli desert scorpion. It is about 6 cmlong and lives across dry regions of NorthAfrica and the Middle East.

SSCCOORRPPIIOONNSS &&OOTTHHEERR MMIINNII--BBEEAASSTTSS

Giant Africanmillipede

Scorpions are an order of arachnid( 6) with a venomous sting at theend of their tails and sharp,

grasping pincers either side of their jaws.They are solitary, nocturnal hunters,using their stings to paralyze or kill theirprey. Most scorpions eat insects orspiders, using their saliva to turn bodytissues into liquid which they then suckup. Larger species can also feed onlizards, snakes and small mammals.Scorpion young are born live. They arecarried on their mother’s back until theymoult for the first time.

! Out of nearly 2000 species of scorpion,only 25 species have venom strong enoughto kill a human. Most scorpions will onlysting if provoked.

! Certain chemicals in the skin of scorpionsmean that they become fluorescent underultraviolet light.

! The name myriapod means “many legs”.

! Some species of worm have as many asfive hearts.

! Most species of slugs and snails live inthe oceans and seas.

FF AA CC TT FF II LL EEMyriapods Arthropods ( 6) such asmillipedes and centipedes that have long,segmented bodies and many pairs of legs.Their bodies dry out easily, so they live indark, damp places.

Pill millipede A plant-eating millipede witha short, wide body. If threatened, it cancurl into a protective ball.

Roundworm A worm with a thin, taperedbody. It may live in water, soil or as aparasite ( 6). Many roundworms can onlybe seen through a microscope.

Thick-tailed scorpion A scorpion fromAfrica and the Middle East with a thick tailand lethal venom. Thick-tailed scorpionsgrow up to 10 cm long.

Woodlice

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Emperor scorpion A large,black scorpion from theforests and savannahs of Africa.It grows up to 20 cm long andfeeds mostly on termites.

False scorpion A small, scorpion-likearachnid with no tail and two venomouspincers. Like spiders, false scorpions spinsilk cocoons for their young. They feed oninsect larvae, mites and lice.

Flat rock scorpion A flat, dark scorpionfrom Africa. Its curved claws give it goodgrip for walking across rocks and itsflattened body enables it to hide in tinyrock crevices. It is the longest recordedscorpion, growing up to 21 cm long.

Flatworm A worm with a flat, ribbon-shaped body. Most flatworms live in wateror soil, but some species are parasites ( 6),living in or on other animals. For example,the tapeworm lives in animal intestines andcan grow up to 37 m long.

Gastropods A class of soft-bodiedinvertebrates that move about on onelarge foot. Slugs and snails are bothgastropods. They move by alternatelyshortening then stretching their bodies.

Giant African millipede The longest millipede in theworld, reaching lengths of upto 40 cm. It has 256 legs.

A sand scorpion with its new bornbabies on its back. They will stay on their

mother’s back for two or three weeks.

A giant centipede (above) feeding on a mouse.The prey is paralyzed but still alive.

Dust mite

Tick A small arachnid that feeds on theblood of other animals. Ticks may carryblood-borne diseases.

Whip scorpion A tropical, scorpion-likearachnid with a thin, whip-like tail andno stinger. Whip scorpions feed mostly

on insects and millipedes.

Woodlouse A small crustacean withseven pairs of legs. It lives in damp

places and feeds on deadvegetation. They can curl upinto a ball when threatened.

Worm A long, thin, soft-bodied invertebratewith no legs. Some worms burrow in theground, while others live in water or asparasites ( 6) inside animals or plants.

Sand scorpion A pale scorpionfrom sandy desert regions. It hascomb-like projections on its legsthat stop it sinking into the sand.

Segmented worm A worm with a longbody, divided into ring-like segments.Segmented worms include earthworms,leeches and ragworms.

Slug A gastropod with a soft, slimy bodyand two pairs or feelers, one for seeing andone for smell and touch. Slugs feed mostlyon leaves and fungi, but some species eatother slugs, snails and worms.

Snail A gastropod with a hard shell. It can withdraw into its shell if it isattacked. Snails have two pairs of feelers,one pair for seeing and one for smell andtouch. Most land species are plant-eaters.

Spider-hunting scorpion An Australianscorpion, also known as the spiral burrowscorpion. It grows up to 12 cm long andfeeds only on burrowing spiders.

Gardensnail

IINNDDEEXX

AAabdomen 8-10, 12, 14-15,

18-20, 22, 27alate 20-21ant,

Amazon 18-19Argentine 18army 18-19bulldog 18bullet 18carpenter 18dairy 18driver 18drone 18field 18fire 18ghost 19gliding 19harvester 19honeypot 19leafcutter 19queen 18-19soldier 18-19thief 19weaver 19worker 18-19

ant hill 18antennae 8, 10-13, 16, 18, 28antlion 14-15ants 6, 8-9, 17, 18-19, 22aphid 8, 10-11, 18-19arachnids 6, 26-29arthropods 6-9, 28-9

BBbee,

carpenter 22cuckoo 22leafcutter 22mason 22mining 22queen 23stingless 23sweat 23worker 23

bees 6, 18, 22-24beeswax 22beetle,

blister 10bombardier 10carrion 10click 10darkling 10dermestid 10dung 10-11feather-winged 10-11goliath 10-11ground 10Hercules 10leaf 11longhorn 11nest 10rhinoceros 11rove 11scarab 10-11soldier 11stag 10-11tiger 10-11water 11whirligig 11wood-boring 11

beetles 6, 10-11blowflies 24botfly 24bug,

assassin 8bed 8shield 9water 9

bugs 8-9bumblebee 22butterflies 6-9, 16-17butterfly,

birdwing 16-17blue 17brushfooted 16cabbage 17copper 17emperor 16gossamer-winged 17hairstreak 17monarch 7, 16-17morpho 16-17owl 17queen 7snout 6tiger 7

CCcamouflage 6, 16caterpillars 6, 16-17, 22-23cell 22centipede,

giant 28-29centipedes 6, 28-29chitin 6chrysalis 16cicada 8-9cockchafer 10-11cockroach 8-9, 11, 21cocoon 6, 16, 18, 25, 27colony 6, 18-23comb 22cricket,

ant-loving 12bush 12cave 12field 12Jerusalem 13mole 13tree 13

crickets 12-13crustaceans 28-29

DDdamselfly 14-15Diptera 24dragonflies 6, 14-15dragonfly,

clubtail 14cruiser 14emerald 14hawker 14-15petaltail 15skimmer 15spiketail 15

drone 22

EEearthworm 29earwig 8-9elytra 10exoskeleton 6, 28eyes, compound 8, 25eyespots 12, 16

FFfirefly 10-11flatworms 28flea 8-9flies 6, 8-9, 24-25fly,

bee 24crane 24-25flesh 24fruit 24moth 25robber 25scuttle 25snipe 25soldier 25stalk-eyed 24-25tsetse 25

GGgastropods 28-29glow-worm 10gnat 24grasshopper,

African bladder 13elegant 12

grasshoppers 12-13

HHhaltere 24hawkmoth 17honeybee 22-23honeydew 8, 11, 17, 18-19hopper 8hornets 22-23horsefly 25housefly 25hoverfly 25Hymenoptera 22

IIKKimago 6inchworm 16insects 6, 8-25 invertebrates 6katydid 12

LLlacewing 14ladybird 10-11larvae 6, 8, 10, 14,

18-19, 22, 24-25leaf insect 8leech 29Lepidoptera 7, 17locust 12-13louse 8

MMmaggot 24-25mandibles 9mantidfly 14-15mantids 14-15mantis,

dead leaf 14flower 14giant Asian 14orchid 14praying 15

mayfly 6, 15metamorphosis 6midge 25millipede,

giant African 28pill 29

millipedes 6, 9, 28-29mites 28-29mosquito 24-25moth,

burnet 16carpenter 16clearwing 16clothes 16emperor 16geometer 16giant silk 16gypsy 17leafroller 17luna 17nun 17satin 17snout 17tiger 17tussock 17

moths 6, 16-17, 26myriapods 28-29

NNOOnectar 16, 22, 24, 28Neuroptera 15nymph,

dragonfly 14nymphs 6, 8, 12,

14-15, 20Odonata 15Orthoptera 13ovipositor 23

PPRRparasites 6, 23, 28-29pedipalps 26Pieridae 17pollinator 23pond skater 6, 9potato bug 13proboscis 16-17pupa 6, 16

RRragworm 29roundworm 29royal jelly 22-23

SSscale 9, 10scorpion,

black 28deathstalker 28emperor 28false 28flat rock 28giant desert hairy 28sand 28-29spider-hunting 29thick-tailed 29

scorpions 6, 28-29silk 16, 26-27silverfish 8skipper 17slug 6, 28-29snail 6, 28-29

spider, bird-eating 26black widow 26bolas 26crab 26funnel-web 26jumping 26nursery web 26ogre-faced 26orb-weaver 26pirate 27sheet-weaver 27spitting 26-27trapdoor 27wolf 27

spider web 26-27spiders 6, 22, 26-28spinneret 27spiracle 9spittlebug 9stick insect 6, 8-9stonefly 15stridulation 13swallowtail 17swarm 9, 12-13, 25

TTtapeworm 28tarantula, Mexican

red-kneed 26tarantulas 23, 27termite mound 20-21termite nest 21termite,

arboreal 20dampwood 20Darwin 20drywood 20Formosan 20fungus-growing 20harvester 20king 20magnetic 20queen 20sawtooth 20snouted 21soil-feeding 21soldier 20-21subterranean 20worker 21

termites 9, 20-21, 25, 28

thorax 8-9thrips 9tick 29

VVWWvenom 6, 26-28vertebrates 6waggle dance 23wasp,

gall 22mason 22mud-dauber 22paper 22-23parasitic 23queen 23spider 23tarantula hawk 23

wasps 16, 18-19, 22-23water boatman 6, 9webspinner 9weevil

boll 11grain 11rive 11

weta 13whip scorpion 29woodlouse 6, 29worm,

segmented 29worms 6, 28-29

30 31