Content
- 1. Malaysian stick insect
- 2. Turtle beetle
- 3. Panda ant
- 3. Giraffe weevil
- 4. Pink grasshopper
- 5. Atlas moth
- 6. Brazilian-membered locust
- 7. Prickly Mantis
- 8. European mole cricket
- 9. Arboreal ant
- 10. Ghost Praying Mantis
You 10 strangest insects in the world that we will present below are among the rarest and most impressive species that exist. Some are able to camouflage themselves until they blend in with twigs and leaves. Others have amazing bright colors or very different structures above their heads.
We emphasize that the use of the term strange insect here is that of a rare and different insect from what we are used to. Do you want to meet these curious animals of nature? In this PeritoAnimal article you will be surprised by these amazing creatures, trivia and habits. Good reading!
1. Malaysian stick insect
There are many species of stick insects, but the Malaysian, whose scientific name is Heteropteryx dilatata, is one of the biggest. Have already been found species over 50 cm. It can be found in woods and forests, where it is camouflaged with the leaves thanks to its green body with brown spots; and that's why he's on our list of weird bugs.
Its life expectancy can vary from one to two years and it feeds on different types of leaves and has wings, although don't be able to fly. In this other article you can meet some of the giant insects.
2. Turtle beetle
The turtle beetle (Charidotella egregia) is a beetle whose wings have a beautiful metallic golden color. The strange thing about this insect is that the body is capable of taking on an intense red color in stressful situations, as it transports fluids to the wings. The species feeds on leaves, flowers and roots. Check out this awesome photo of this strange insect:
3. Panda ant
The panda ant (Euspinolia militaris) it has a really amazing appearance: hairs on the head with white body and black spots. Besides, she actually not an ant but a wasp very peculiar as it also has a poisonous stinger.
The species is found in Chile. During the developmental stage, their larvae feed on the larvae of other wasps, while the adult ones consume the nectar of flowers. For all that, the panda ant is one of the most spectacular rare and venomous insects that exist.
3. Giraffe weevil
You've probably seen a giraffe before, so you'll imagine this weevil has a very long neck. The body of this insect is glossy black, with the exception of the elytra or wings, which are red.
The neck of the giraffe weevil (giraffa trachelophorus) is part of the sexual dimorphism of the species, as it is longer in males. Its function is well known: this strange insect uses the neck to create their nests, as it allows you to fold the sheets to build them.
4. Pink grasshopper
Grasshoppers are common insects in urban gardens, but the pink grasshopper (Euconocephalus thunbergii) is an insect beyond strange even for being one of the rarest insects on the planet. Its color is produced by erythrism, a recessive gene.
Its body is similar to that of other locusts, only it is bright pink in color. Although it seems to give him away to predators, this color allows you to hide in flowers. It is a very rare species of insect that has only been documented in some areas of England and Portugal, and there are some reports of it in the United States. For this reason, in addition to being part of this list of strange insects, it is also part of the list of the most exotic animals in the world.
5. Atlas moth
The uniqueness of the atlas moth (atlas atlas) is that she is the biggest in the world. Its wingspan reaches 30 centimeters, with females being larger than males. It is a species that lives in China, Indonesia and Malaysia.
This strange and rare animal is bred to make brown silk, similar to the color present in its wings. In contrast, the edges of its wings are yellow.
6. Brazilian-membered locust
For many, this one is also known as the Brazilian grasshopper (bocydium globular) is the most bizarre insect in the world. In addition to being very rare, little is known about it. The most surprising thing about this strange insect are the very curious structures that hang over your head.
It measures only 7 millimeters and the balls above its head are not eyes. It is possible that its function is to scare away predators by confusing them with fungi, since both males and females have them.
7. Prickly Mantis
The Thorny Mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii) not only is it one of the 10 weirdest bugs in the world, it's also one of the cutest. It is found in the African continent and exhibits a white appearance with orange and yellow stripes, which make them look very flower-like.
In addition, its folded wings feature the design of an eye, perfect mechanism for chase away or confuse predators. Without a doubt, a strange and very beautiful insect at the same time.
And speaking of beauty, don't miss this article with the most beautiful insects in the world.
8. European mole cricket
The European mole cricket, whose scientific name is gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, is currently distributed throughout much of the world. Hence, it is one of the strange insects that can be easily found in many homes. Despite belonging to the Insecta class, he has the ability to dig and nest in the earth like moles, which is possible thanks to their long legs. Also, your body has hairiness. Its somewhat different appearance can make it look terrifying, but each specimen measures at most 45 millimeters.
9. Arboreal ant
Another one of our list of strange insects is the arboreal ant (Cephalotes atratus). Its particularity is in the large and angled head. The body of this species is completely black and reaches between 14 and 20 millimeters.
In addition, this ant has an ability as a "parachutist": it is able to throw itself out of the leaves and control its fall to survive it and it is because of this ability that we have included it in our ranking of the strangest insects in the world.
10. Ghost Praying Mantis
The last on our list of strange insects is the phantom praying mantis (Phyllocrania paradox), a species like a dry leaf who lives in Africa. It measures at most 50 millimeters and its body has multiple shades of brown or greenish gray. Furthermore, their limbs appear wrinkled, another feature that allows them to camouflage themselves among the dead leaves.
Look closely at the photo of this strange insect camouflaged between the leaves:
If you want to read more articles similar to the strangest insects in the world, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.