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Author John Woodward
WHAT IS A BUG? 8
TYPES OF BUGS 10
ON THE MOVE 12
GROWING UP 16
INDISPENSABLE INSECTS
Many people do not like bugs. Some people are
even scared of them. It is true that some bugs
bite, sting, or transmit disease, and a few can
be deadly. But for millions of years they have
been a vital food source for animals like this
bee-eater. They are also essential flower
pollinators, and without them, many
plants – including some that we rely
on for food – could not exist.
Long wings of this ancient SMALL WONDERS
dragonfly had the same
structure as those of Many bugs flash with brilliant rainbow colors,
modern insects. and their hard external skeletons can be
molded into extraordinary shapes. Some are
tiny, while others are much bigger than you
would imagine possible. Their lifestyles can
be astonishing, and a few species are seriously
dangerous. They really are super bugs.
OAK TREEHOPPERS
Both the adult (left) and young of this sap-sucking bug
have beautifully sculptured, colorful bodies.
INTRODUCTION
GIRAFFE WEEVIL
Some bugs, such as this male giraffe weevil, have evolved
extraordinary features to attract a mate.
7
WHAT IS A BUG?
Ninety-seven percent of all species on Earth are
A network of fine tubes
invertebrates—animals without backbones. Some are called veins stiffens the
wings so they can flex in
soft-bodied creatures such as worms, but most are animals called flight without collapsing.
arthropods, which have tough external skeletons and jointed legs.
We call these animals bugs. Their bodies are very different from ours,
but they still need to move, eat, breathe, and sense their surroundings.
COMPOUND EYES
This insect has compound eyes made up of many
tiny elements, each with its own lens. It also has a Venom gland
cluster of three simple eyes on the forehead.
ABDOMEN
“Arthropods EXOSKELETON
A bug’s exoskeleton is external, Tough chitin
with the fleshy tissue inside. forms strong
are the most It is made of a fingernail-like
material called chitin, and it has
armor.
planet.”
such as slugs cannot survive. Top side Underside
Brain processes
information received
Air sacs from the wasp’s senses.
Salivary
gland
Biting jaws
Powerful muscles
pinch together
inside the thorax are
to cut and chew
the driving force for
the wasp’s food.
the wasp’s wings. TRUE BUGS
The word “bug” is used to describe
all kinds of small scuttling or flying
Each leg is a series
of stiff tubes, hinged creatures such as flies, beetles, and spiders.
together with flexible But to a scientist, a bug is a specific insect
INTRODUCTION
joints and worked by group that eats liquid food using a long,
internal muscles. tubular beak. These harlequin bugs drink
Feet have sharp claws
for clinging to surfaces sugary plant sap, but many true bugs
and prey. Some insects suck the juices of other animals,
such as blow flies also including human blood.
have sticky foot pads.
THORAX HEAD
9
TYPES OF BUGS
There are many types of arthropods—the animals that
we often call bugs. They all have the same basic hard-skinned,
jointed body structure, but different numbers of body segments
and legs. Most of them are either multi-legged myriapods,
eight-legged arachnids, or six-legged insects.
CRUSTACEANS
“Eighty percent Most crustaceans are oceanic animals,
such as crabs and lobsters. There are
several types of crab that spend most of
of all known their lives on land, but one group—the
woodlice—lives here permanently,
seeking out damp places. Crustaceans
animal species are have varying numbers of legs, and
some woodlice resemble
ABOUT
67,000
KN
OW IES
N SPEC
ABOUT
13,000
MYRIAPODS LONG-JAWED
ORB WEAVER SPIDER
KN These are the centipedes and
OW I ES
N SPEC millipedes, with bodies made up
of chains of identical segments.
A centipede has one pair of legs per
segment, while a millipede has two.
Centipedes are fast-moving hunters,
armed with venomous fangs.
Millipedes eat plants, and
creep along more slowly.
SPIDERS
Spiders are arachnids—
eight-legged arthropods without
wings. These predators prey on
insects and other spiders, often
trapping them in snares made
of silk. Their bodies have only two
ABOUT sections, and they have venomous
46,000 fangs for killing their prey. A few
spiders have a dangerous
BURMESE MILLIPEDE bite for humans.
KN
OW IES
N SPEC
ABOUT
1,750
KN VINEGAROON
IES
OW
N SPEC SCORPIONS
Although scorpions are
arachnids like spiders, they have
a very different body shape, which
is more like a lobster, complete
with stout pincers for seizing prey.
Their unique feature is a sting on
the end of a flexible tail, used for
defense or to kill prey. Some
scorpions are seriously
venomous.
OTHER
ARACHNIDS
As well as spiders and scorpions,
the arachnids also include sun
spiders, harvestmen, whip scorpions,
and little mites and ticks. The big,
dangerous-looking whip scorpions
and sun spiders are in fact harmless,
whereas tiny ticks are bloodsuckers,
and a few can transmit ABOUT
deadly diseases. 96,000
RED CLAW
SCORPION
KN
OW IES
N SPEC
INSECTS GOLDEN
JEWEL BEETLE
All other arthropods are
greatly outnumbered by the
insects, which make up more than
half of the known species on Earth.
Their variety is amazing, but all adult
insects have six legs, and most have
wings. Some sting or bite, and a few
carry disease, but many more are
breathtakingly beautiful.
“Scientists think INTRODUCTION
ABOUT
there may be more than
900,000 10 million unknown
KN
OW
N SPEC
IES species of insects.”
11
ON THE MOVE
Most bugs are well equipped for walking because they have at
least six legs. But the young forms of flies and some other insects have
no legs at all. They have to wriggle along like worms. Many can swim
in ponds and streams, while some spiders and insects can walk on
water. Insects such as grasshoppers and fleas are excellent jumpers. The outspread, rigid
wing cases act like
Most spectacularly, insects were the first animals on Earth to master aircraft wings,
providing extra lift.
flight, and some species are incredibly fast and agile in the air.
Up and away
The cockchafer is a stocky, armored
beetle that does not appear well
adapted for flight. However, its tough
Strong struts support the
wing cases (elytra) actually conceal a wings but also allow them
pair of long wings that allow this insect to flex, generating the
to fly off in search of a mate. thrust needed for flight.
TAKING FLIGHT 1 2 3
Most flying insects have two
pairs of wings that are linked
together, but beetles use only the
back pair for flight. When they
are not needed, the delicate
wings are folded away beneath
modified forewings that form
protective elytra. This lets the Get ready. . . Get set. . . Go!
beetle burrow and push through In preparation for flight, this With its elytra open, the beetle Pushing off with its legs, the
plant stems without risking wing cockchafer beetle opens the hinged can unfold the long hindwings cockchafer springs into the air.
damage. It takes only a second elytra covering its wings. In cold used for flight. Instinctively, the The hindwings provide the thrust
for the wings to be unfurled weather, some insects vibrate sensitive antennae are used to that drives it forward, but the elytra
for takeoff. their wing muscles to warm up. check the air currents. generate lift as it gathers speed.
LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Bugs use their legs to walk, run, and
leap. Some are super fast; others are
slow. To make a quick escape, this
“Insects took to
grasshopper uses its powerful leg
muscles to jump high into the the air 150 million
air—it can leap 20 times the
length of its body.
years before the
With a sudden thrust
of its long hind legs,
a meadow grasshopper
leaps out of danger.
first bird.”
IN THE SWIM
Some bugs live underwater, especially
when they are young. Many crawl on the muddy
bottom, like aquatic dragonfly larvae, which can
also blast jets of water from their rear end
The cockchafer has complex to escape danger. Other bugs are super
antennae made up of six swimmers, like this water boatman.
(in females) or seven (in males)
broad, sensitive plates.
The thorax is
packed with wing
muscles that
power flight.
INTRODUCTION
SLOW PROGRESS
Some bugs have unexpected ways of getting
around. Clinging to a twig with its six front
legs, this looper caterpillar arches its body
and draws its tail forward. Then it clings on The looper caterpillar
with its stumpy hind legs and straightens does not have legs in
out, ready to take the next step. the middle of its body. 13
14
SKATING HUNTER
Nearly all bugs are small in size. This allows
them to get around in ways that would be
impossible for bigger, heavier animals. This
raft spider hunts by skating over the surface
of freshwater pools. It is covered with velvety,
water-repelling hairs that allow the surface
film to support its weight. It detects prey by
sensing ripples in the water, seizes it with its
front legs, and kills it with a venomous bite.
15
GROWING UP
A bug’s tough exoskeleton cannot stretch as the
animal grows. This forces the bug to break out of the
old, hard skin and expand a new, soft skin. The process HARD TIMES
is difficult and dangerous for many bugs; because they are An arthropod must shed its exoskeleton
to get bigger. The old cuticle (skin)
soft, they are vulnerable to attack. Many species shed their separates from the new one and splits
skin under cover of darkness, away from prying eyes. open, allowing the animal to extract its
body. Then it has to pump up the new,
soft cuticle with fluid or air to make the
TRIALS OF LIFE skin bigger before it hardens. The cuticle
Most animals start life as smaller takes about two hours to harden into a
versions of their parents, and gradually tough exoskeleton, leaving the animal
get bigger. Many arthropods grow very vulnerable to attack because it has
this way. When baby scorpions and no protection and cannot escape.
spiders hatch, their bodies are almost
exactly like their mother’s, complete Desert locust grows
with eight legs. This makes shedding wing buds at the fourth
their skins a very difficult operation. stage of its development.
Mother scorpion
Newly hatched baby scorpions are Each baby scorpion
carried on their mother’s back to has eight legs, a pair of
keep them safe from predators. pincers, and a tiny sting.
ALT
ERNA ES
Molting spider TIVE LIFESTYL
A spider must replace its exoskeleton Stage by stage
many times as it grows. Each time it Scorpions and spiders do not change The early life stages of locusts are called
has to extract every part of this complex much as they grow. Some insects have nymphs. Although they look like the adults and
body, being careful not to damage the similar growth stages, but as they get bigger, live in the same way, they cannot fly. But the
new, soft cuticle or break a leg. This is they gradually change their form. A locust, nymphs of some insects lead different lives.
not easy, and many spiders die in the for example, slowly develops wings that A dragonfly nymph lives underwater, passing
process, never reaching breeding age. become fully formed at the final stage. through several growth stages before it climbs
out of the water and sheds its cuticle for the
last time, as seen here, to become an adult.
17
1
AMAZING
ANATOMY
Bugs may be small, but look closer
and you will discover just how
amazing they are. Their bodies
often take astonishing forms,
with extraordinary adaptations
for survival. While some species
go unnoticed thanks to clever
camouflage, others stand out
from the crowd by glittering
like living jewels.
FIREPOWER
AFRICAN BOMBARDIER BEETLE
The African bombardier beetle looks harmless, but it has a secret weapon. This
beetle is armed with its own chemical gun, which makes a searingly hot, toxic spray
blast from its tail end to scald and blister any animal that attacks it. The beetle can
aim the spray with incredible precision to inflict maximum damage on its enemy.
CHEMICAL WEAPON
When the bombardier beetle is alarmed, chemicals
stored in two elastic sacs inside its tail end are As with all beetles,
squirted into a pair of armored chambers. Here they the front wings are a
pair of protective wing
mix with a substance called an enzyme that triggers a
cases called elytra.
chemical reaction, blasting the hot mixture out
of a movable nozzle with a “pop” sound.
Chemicals are
stored safely in
a muscular sac.
Gland produces
the chemicals.
Chamber wall
releases enzymes
Spray is fired that make the
from the flexible chemicals
ejection nozzle. explode.
Two sacs store the
chemicals—hydroquinone
and hydrogen peroxide.
500
TEMPERATURE OF SPRAY SPEED OF SPRAY
212°F (100°C) 8–65 ft/sec
maximum (2.5–20 m/sec)
AN
5-6
SPECIES made of tough chitin—
Found in most the same material as the
Up to 117⁄8 in (30 cm) insect’s hard exoskeleton.
parts of the world,
WEEKS
U LT
Biting mouthparts
are adapted for
eating other insects.
Pulses of spray
are fired in rapid
succession. AT A GLANCE
Long legs allow the beetle
to run fast for its size—but
many of its enemies
can run faster.
AMAZING ANATOMY
“The spray is
blasted out at • SIZE ¾ in (2 cm) long
•
500 pulses •
HABITAT Woodlands and grasslands
21
O S T
M G S
LE
SPIRAL DEFENSE
If it senses danger, a millipede
quickly coils up in a tight
spiral—its tough body armor
protects the soft underside.
The vivid colors of this tropical
millipede warn birds that its
body oozes foul-smelling oils.
LEG POWER
FIRE MILLIPEDE
Millipedes have more legs than any other animal on
the planet. Some have more than 700, but no millipede
has a thousand legs—the meaning of the word “millipede.”
Their long bodies are divided into many circular
armored segments, and each segment carries two pairs of
legs. This big fire millipede lives in the tropical forests
of Madagascar. Like most millipedes, it eats mainly dead,
rotting plants; it is far too slow-moving to catch other
animals, despite having all those legs.
AT A GLANCE
• SIZE Up to 7 in (18 cm) long,
• LOCATION Madagascar
•
with up to 63 body segments
DIET Decaying vegetable matter,
• HABITAT Tropical forest floor
and on low-growing plants
such as leaves
AMAZING ANATOMY
up to 300 eggs legs and adds
slow movers but at a time. more as it grows.
powerful burrowers—
some can push easily
through the hardest,
Reaching a length of 153⁄4 in
driest soil.
RECORD (40 cm), the African giant
BREAKER black millipede is the longest
millipede in the world.
L IF E - S P
ULT AN cm 10 20 30 40 50
AD
1
10
in 4 8 12 16
YEARS
23
E S T
B IGG E R
S PID
HAIRY DEFENSE
Like all tarantulas, the Goliath
spider has fangs that stab
downward instead of pinching
together like those of typical
spiders. To humans, its venom
is no worse than a wasp sting.
In self-defense, the spider may
also rub its body to release a
cloud of tiny irritating hairs.
GIANT-SIZED
GOLIATH SPIDER
With stout hairy legs that could span a page of this
book, the Goliath spider is the biggest spider on Earth.
A massively built tarantula, it prowls the forest floor at
night in search of large insects, lizards, and even the
occasional snake. Although it can use its huge, hollow
fangs to inject prey with a paralyzing dose of venom,
the Goliath spider often relies on sheer muscle power
to overwhelm and kill its victims. By day, it retreats to
a burrow to stay safe from enemies.
AT A GLANCE
900
LEGSPAN 117⁄8 in (30 cm)
cm 10 20 30 40
SPECIES in 5 10 15
AMAZING ANATOMY
subtropical regions. cm 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
There is also a
European tarantula, in 1
⁄4 1
⁄2 3
⁄4
but it belongs to a
different spider family.
WEIGHT ACTIVE
L I F E -S PA N Up to 6 oz Tarantulas
(170 g) are solitary
nighttime
hunters.
25
YEARS
25
OUT OF THE BLUE
MORPHO BUTTERFLY
The shimmering, iridescent blue of the tropical
morpho butterfly is one of nature’s most dazzling
sights. It is the effect of sunlight reflected by the wings,
creating their electric blue color. As the butterfly beats
its wings, the color flashes on and off.
Winged wonder
Many butterflies have vibrant
colors, but few have the striking
“Blue morphos visual impact of tropical morphos.
Males are a more vivid blue than
the females, which shows most
the largest
butterflies in
the world.”
SMALL SCALES
The wings of most butterflies
are covered in tiny scales. They are
layered like roof tiles, as seen in this
image of a morpho wing. The scales
have microscopic ridges that scatter
reflected light to create the iridescent
metallic blue effect.
29 WINGSPAN
cm
Ranges from 3–77⁄8 in (7.5–20 cm)
5 10 15 20 30
AN
2–3
LIFE-SP
in 2 4 6 8
SPECIES
a gland between
of Central and South the front legs emits by habitat loss and
America, but they are a nasty smell. over-collection.
not all bright blue.
Big eyespots
help deter
predators.
AT A GLANCE
When the morpho • SIZE Wingspan up to 6 in (15 cm)
butterfly perches in
the shade, the wings • HABITAT Tropical rain forests
Compound eyes
The spectacular
iridescent wings
are edged in black.
AMAZING ANATOMY
CATERPILLAR WARS
Morpho caterpillars bristle
with fine hairs that irritate
the skin, providing protection
against potential enemies.
They eat the leaves of plants
belonging to the pea family.
If too many caterpillars are
trying to feed on the same
plant, they are very likely to
attack and eat one another.
27
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