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Life on Earth -

Insects can boast an impressive timeline, having been present on Earth for about 350 million years. Humans have only trodden the planet for 300,000 years.

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Long-term resident -

Among the insects that have called Earth home for the longest are dragonflies. They've been on the planet for 300 million years.

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Traveling the silk road -

The silkworm is one of the world's most economically important insects, being a primary producer of silk. But did you known that over 2,000 silkworm cocoons are required to produce 450 grams (1lb) of silk?

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Making a beeline -

While scouting and gathering pollen, a bee may fly as far as 8 km (5 mi) in a single day. However, an average distance would be less than 1.5 km (1 mi) from a hive.

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Pulling their own weight -

Ants can lift up to 5,000 times their own body weight, an astonishing feat noted by the Journal of Biomechanics.

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Ticking the box -

Ticks vary in size from 1 mm to 1 cm. However, after feeding and engorging their bodies with blood, these parasitic arachnids can reach the size of a marble.

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Weights and measures -

Monarchs weigh about a half a gram, which means it takes around 60 of these beautiful butterflies to weigh an ounce.

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The dung thing -

The dung beetle was introduced in Australia in 1968 to help control the number of buffalo and bush flies. The flies breed in cattle droppings, which the beetle buries, thus entombing the hapless insects.

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Inebriated wasps -

Wasps feasting on decaying fruit have been known to get drunk on the fermenting juice. In fact, just the tiniest dose of alcohol makes these insects intoxicated, and irritable.

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Insects of the world -

Globally, some 1.5 million different species of insects have been discovered and named, of which 91,000 are found in the United States. The Royal Entomological Society, however, estimates that there may be as many as 10 million species on Earth.

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The colder the better -

The only insect indigenous to Antarctica is the wingless midge, Belgica antarctica, two of which are shown here. It not only tolerates but actually requires a freezing climate to survive.

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The beetles are number one -

The largest known order of insects is Coleoptera (beetles). Some 300,000 to 400,000 species of beetle have been described to date. Pictured: five-horned rhinoceros beetle.

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Second in command -

The next largest insect group is the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), followed by the Diptera (true flies), and then the Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps).

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Sticking its neck out -

Male giraffe weevils often stick their neck out. This elongated feature assists in nest building, but it's also used as a sturdy club when fighting other hot-headed males.

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Snakes alive? -

Some species of hawk moth caterpillars resemble snakes, a camouflage they put to good use when alarmed or threatened by raising their heads and inflating their thorax to appear like a serpent about to strike.

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Safety in numbers -

There are more species of ants (12,000) in the world as there are identified and named species of birds (11,000).

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Heaviest insect in the world -

The world's heaviest insects are giant wētā, some of which can weigh up to 70 g (2.46 oz). The largest species is the Little Barrier giant wētā. These enormous bugs are endemic to New Zealand.

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World's longest insect -

The world's longest insect, Phryganistria chinensis, a stick insect, was discovered in China in 2016, the lanky critter noted by Guinness World Records. From this specimen larvae were successfully hatched in 2017.

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Longest beetle in the world -

Meanwhile, the title of longest beetle in the world goes to the Amazon's very own titan beetle. This massive critter can grow up to 16 cm (6.30 in) in length.

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Bon appetite! -

A ladybug might eat more than 5,000 insects in its lifetime.

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Sweet feet -

Houseflies find sugar by walking. The insects' taste buds are located on their hair and feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive than human tongues.

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Flying into space -

Did you know that the first animal in space wasn't a monkey or a dog? No, that honor goes to the species Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly. A group of them were launched to an altitude of 67 km (42 mi) at the tip of a captured V-2 rocket by American scientists on February 20, 1947.

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Light my fire -

Large groups of fireflies sometimes flash in unison, appearing to blink their lanterns in synchronicity. Scientists believe they do this to ensure females do not get confused and can recognize members of their own species.

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The eyes have it -

Most caterpillars have six very simple eyes on each side of the head. That's 12 peepers in all, much the better to see you with!

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Bloodsuckers -

Female mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide humans and other animals emit. They are also drawn to body heat, perspiration, and skin odor. And these blood-sucking critters will always home in on dark and bold colors like red, black, and navy blue.

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Macho display -

Male stoneflies will often attract a mate by beating their bodies on vegetation or the ground in a kind of macho push-up display of strength and stamina.

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Winged killer -

The Asian giant hornet is the world's largest hornet. It's also one of the most venomous insects on the planet. The toxins delivered from a single sting are enough to kill a human being. Worryingly, the species has been detected in Europe and North America.

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Toxic defense mechanism -

The red postman butterfly develops its own poison by ingesting toxic plants, among them cyanide-releasing Passiflora. In turn, the insect secretes this deadly chemical as a defense mechanism.

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Jump to it! -

Mexican jumping beans are in fact seed pods that have been inhabited by the larva of a small moth. The beans appear to 'jump' as the caterpillar embedded inside curls and uncurls against the wall of the pod.

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Bloody minded -

Among the largest of all the fly species, numbering 3,000 different species around the world, the horsefly is an aggressive bug. Females bite humans and other animals (notably horses and other livestock) in search of blood feasts.  

Sources: (Entomology Today) (Royal Entomological Society)  (National Wildlife Federation) (Guinness World Records) (History)

See also: The fascinating reason you should be eating more insects

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