We seldom see the beauty of weird insects or unusual insects. They might be creepy looking to many of us, but we can’t deny the fact that they are fascinating in their own little way.

Insects are small terrestrial invertebrate of Phylum Arthropoda, consisting of protective hard exoskeleton. The insects have the largest group of species than the animals living on earth, and that includes the continuing researches of new found species of insects. The exoskeletons consist of  hard, thin, or plates made of chitin, the semitransparent and main component of exoskeletons of the arthropods, crustaceans and insects. There are various classifications of insect group species:

1) Hymenoplera : Ants, Bees, wasps, sawflies

Red Imported Fire Ants (

Red-Harvester ants (

Virgin Queen-Bulldog Ant (

Bulldog ants, commonly found in Australia and known for aggressive behavior and powerful stings and have the potential of their venom to cause anaphylactic shock to its victims.

Maricopa Harvester ants or yellow Harvester ants

The Yellow harvester ants also known as Maricopa harvester ant, commonly found in Arizona, USA. The maricopa ant’s venom is believed to be the most toxic and should be treated immediately. The maricopa ant’s nests are commonly found in fine sandy hill area.

Bees

Bee Squirt

Japanese Honeybee

Bee (apis)

Queen Bee

Asian Giant Hornet bee

Japanese Giant Hornet Bee (

Wasps

Horntail Wasp

Megarhyssa wasps (female) (

Parasitoid wasps ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasp)

Parasitoid wasps helps control population of agricultural pests.

Sawflies

Sawfly larvae (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawfly)

Sawfly ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawfly)

2) Phasmatode

Australian Stick Insect (head) ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmatodea)

Phasmatodea walking stick ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmatodea)

Longest walking stick found in Borneo ( http://ph.images.search.yahoo.com/images)

Leaf Stick Insect

Carausius Morosus Long Walking stick

3) Mantodea

Praying Mantis or Chinese Mantis

Hooded Praying Mantis

4) Snakefly (Raphidioplera)

Snakefly

Snakefly

Snakefly (

5) Neuroptera (Netwinged insects such as: Antlion, lacewings, mantidflies)

Antliom (Neurophera ) (

Antlion

Lacewing insects

Lacewing (Nothochrysinae)

Lacewing (Apochrysinae)

Green Lacewing (Chrysopidae)

Mantidflies

Mantidflies (

Owlfiy

6) Diptera (Fly or True Flies/ Drosopphila or Fruitfly/ horsefly/deerflies)

Diptera flies

Diptera Fly

New found species of Diptera

Greenbottle Diptera fly

Bombyliid Fly Diptera

Drosophila or Fruit Fly

Horseflies

Horsefly

Horseflies in the order Diptera of Tabinadae family, known as pests because of their painful bites.

Tabanid fly or horsefly

6)  Lepidoptera ( Butterflies and Moth)

Gypsy Moth

Gypsy Moth Caterpillar

Gypsy Moth

Moth

Great Orange-tip Butterfly

Caterpillar of Great Orange-Tip

Great Orange-tip Butterfly (

Dryas Iulia Butterfly

Dryas Iulia Caterpillar

Dryas Iulia Butterfly

Actias Selene /Actias Luna Butterfly

Actias Selene Caterpillar

Actias Luna Butterfly in Florida

 

Hairy Caterpillar in Costa Rica Hairy Caterpillar

Pasture Day Moth

Pasture Day moth Caterpillar

Pasture Day Moth

Saddle Back Caterpillar

Saddleback Caterpillar

Limacodidae Moth

Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar / Regal Moth

Hickory Horned Devil Caterpillar ( Hickory Horned Devil/

Horned Devil Caterpillar

Regal Moth

Old World Swallowtail Butterfly

Old World Swallowtail Caterpillar

Old World Swallowtail Butterfly

7) Thysanura (Silverfish insects )Wingless Insects:

Silverfish insect

Earwig

Earwig

 

8) Ephemeroptera (Mayflies, dragonflies, Zygopthera damselflies)

Mayfly

Dragonflies

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

Damselflies

Damselfly

Damselfly

9) Grylloblatidae (ice crawlers, recent found gladiators, mantophasmatidae)

Mantophasmatidae (gladiators or ice crawlers)

Mantophasmatodea

Hemilobophasma Montaguensis

10)  Parapneuroptera

Parapneuroptera (

Bark lice

Bark Lice (

11) Endopterygota

Endopterygota or Holometabota (

Scorpionflies or Mecoptera ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecoptera)

Fleas

12) Coleoptera

Elasmucha Grisea Shield Bug

Green Shield Bug

Green Shield bug

Acanthosomas Haemorrhoidale shield bug

Shieldbug

Stinkbugs

Stink bug (Scutelleridae)

Jewel Bug

Stinkbug Tessaratomidae

Stinkbug

Madecassia Rothschildi

Temognatha Attenuata Jewel Beetle ( Temognatha Attenuata Jewel Beetle )

Weevil Bugs

Boll Weevil

Giraffe Weevil

Green Weevil

 13)  Fireflies

Firefly

Firefly Purdue

14) Glowworm

Glowworm

Glowworm

Common species related to firefly and common glowworm.

Lampyris Noctiluca

Lampyris Noctiluca Luciole

15) Cottony Scale Insect (Icerya Purchasi)

Icerya Purchasi

Scale Insects

Scale Insect

Scale insect

 

Fulgoris Honduras scale insect

Scale  insects are parasite of plants and sap drawn from the plant are their means of food.

Calico Scale wood pests insect

16) Spiders (Arachnids)

Tarantula Moulting process

Brazilian Tarantula in attacking position

Brazilian Wandering spider (toxic)

adult Female Tarantula

Latodectus Black Widow spider

Lynx Spider

Argiope Spider

Yellow Garden Spider, zig zag web

Goldenrod spider imitating flower

17) Anopheles (mosquito)

Aedes Aegypti Mosquito, vector of Dengue Virus

Aedes Albopictus mosquito, Chikungunya fever virus carrier

Anopheles Albimanus mosquito, Malaria virus carrier

18) Pyrops Candelarius

Pyprops Candelarius

Pyrops Candelarius is a specie of lantern fly commonly found in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

Planthopper mimics a leaf (mimesis)

Fulgora Planthopper

Fulgora Planthoper

Fulgora planthopper is commonly found in the region part of Brazil.

Enchopora Sanguinea planthopper

19) Scorpions

Fattail Scorpion

Fattail scorpion are the most toxic and dangerous species found in the Middle East and Africa, known for its neurotoxins venom and caused fatality.

Bark Scorpions or Centruroides

Venomous species that can be  found in North America.

Hottentotta Scorpion

Deathstalker or Leirius Scorpion (

Deathstalker scorpions are found in North Africa, West Africa and Middle East, and bites can cause human death.

Buthidae scorpion or thick-tailed scorpion

20)  Arthrophods

Centiphede

Scolopendra cingulata

Myriapoda

Scutigera coleoptrata Centipede

Sonoran Desert centipede found in Mexico

Mellipedes

Millipede

Milipede Glomeris Marginata

Millipede Harpaphe Haydeniana

Other Insects:

Aphid

Planthopper, Issidae family

Issidae planthopper

Eurybrachyidae Planthoppers

Treehopper Indonesia

Treehopper Marcianto

Weewil

Do you have suggestions regarding weird insects or unusual insects? Leave us your comment and we’ll gladly add them here.

Photo Credits: wikipedia

 

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