Everything You Wanted to Know About Bugs

Insects belong to the class insecta and are part of the arthropod animal group. Insect body parts are divided in to three sections: head, thorax, and abdomen. Insects have one pair of antenna and two pairs of wings. They have three pairs of jointed wings for flying. Insects also have an exoskeleton, which is made up of chitin.

The Biggest Bugs

There are several methods to measure the size of the bug. Most consider the biggest insect to be the bulkiest. Titanus giganteus, a rare insect in South America is considered to be the largest insect with its body length varying from 16 to 21 cm. Another insect dynastes Hercules that lives in South and Central America is also considered as a lengthy insect. But the body weight of dynastes Hercules is less than titanus giganteus. The longest insect is Phasmatidae or stick insect and its body length can be up to 35cm. Fossil dragonfly meganeura is the biggest insect that ever lived on the earth with a body length of 60cm and a wing span of 1 meter. 

The Smallest Bug

Currently Fairy flies are considered as the smallest insect. They belong to the family Mymaridae and they can be up to 0.139mm. Their complete body with respiratory, digestive, reproductive, and circulatory systems is smaller than a one-celled paramecium. Feather-winged beetles in North America are also smaller and they can grow up to 0.25mm. Other smallest insects are True Flies and Springtails.

Bugs found in the Largest Group

The largest groups of insects are beetles, numbering 330,000 species. They belong to the order Coleoptera and their front wigs are very hard with horny sheaths. Some species of beetle are harmful to farm crops in larval stage, some are harmful in adult stage, and few are harmful in both stages. Long horned beetles are wood borers and normally seen in log cabins and softwood house logs. Beetles follow different methods to protect themselves. The bombardier beetle fires hot boiling spray from its abdomen to protect itself.

Incredible Facts about Ants

An ant can live up to 45 to 60 days. Ants use their antenna for touch and smell. They don’t have ears and hear through the vibration in the ground by means of feet. Lungs are absent in ants and the movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide happens through the tiny holes that are present all over their body. An ant has the capability to lift an object greater than 20 times their own body weight. Only the queen and male ants have wings. Only queen ant lays egg and the queen is protected by soldier ants. 

Fastest Flier

Dragonflies are the fastest flier and they can travel at the speed of 35 miles per hour. It has been found that the hawk moths can travel at the speed of 33.7 miles per hour.

The Longest Diapause

The longest diapause reported among insects is the yucca moth, in which the adult emerged after 19 years after the pods of the moth were collected in Nevada and stored.

The Most Tolerant of Cold and Desiccation

Dehydrated larvae of Polypedium vanderplanki (Diptera) are found to withstand exposure to helium at -270°c with 100% rate of survival. Also Polypedium vanderplanki, which breeds on unshaded rocks in small pools of Uganda and North Nigeria, are found to withstand dry and flooded environment. This is the only insect to survive drying less than 3% moisture. Other than Diptera, certain tissues and hemolymph of few insects also tolerate utmost desiccation.

Shortest Generation Time

Rhopalosiphum prunifolia has the shortest generation time among insects. The generation time of this aphid is 4.7 days at 25°c.

The Smallest Eggs

With respect to female size, micro type eggs of the Tachinidae are the smallest insect eggs, which grow up to 0.02 to 0.2mm long but rarely can measure up to 0.4mm. The eggs of Zenillia pullata are only 0.027 by 0.02mm, which is exceptionally minute.

Here are a few sites that give good information about insects.

• Insect: This site provides definition, characteristics, metamorphosis cycle and system of insects. Also brief information on biggest group of insects is also given.
• Ants: This site gives provides many interesting facts about ants. Also, types of ants and their characteristics are well explained.One downfall of the carpenter ant is the wood damage its nests can cause to houses and log cabins.
• Insect Info: Interesting information about insects is given isuch as the biggest insect, largest butterfly, smallest butterfly, and loudest insect.
• Incredible Insects: This site provides a lot of incredible information about insects like longest- lived insect, the most destructive insect, and the most beautiful insect.
• Smallest Eggs: This site provides information about the smallest insect eggs, methods followed to measure its size, results and discussion on the subject.