Insects are an ancient and numerous class of animals. It arose about 400 million years ago; representatives survived cataclysms and modifications. Presumably, from 2 to 4 million species of insects live on Earth. This difference is due to the fact that representatives of many species came across scientists only once, and some were not yet discovered.
Whether we like insects or not, it is impossible to deny their significance in the life of the planet. Therefore, we suggest you find out 10 interesting facts about insects.
10. Insects have no skeleton
Insects are invertebrate animals. Their anatomy is fundamentally at odds with the structure of vertebrates, including ours. The vertebral body rests on the internal skeleton. It is created from cartilage and bones to which muscles are attached.
In insects, the outer skeleton. The muscles are connected to it from the inside. The insect is covered with a thick, durable cuticle. The external skeleton does not allow water and air to pass through, and is not sensitive to frost, heat and touch.
The animal determines the temperature, smells, etc. with the help of special antennae and hairs. However, this “armor” has a minus. Namely, the shell does not grow with the body. So insects from time to time "molt" - they drop the shell and grow a new one.
9. Survived dinosaurs
Insects are considered one of the oldest animals on Earth. Presumably, this class appeared in the Silurian period, that is, 435 - 410 million years ago. But dinosaurs arose only 200 million years ago, in the Triassic.
There are no dinosaurs left, but there are still a lot of insects on Earth. Thus, insects survived dinosaurs.
8. In Thailand, used in cooking
In the north of Thailand they like to eat insects. The reason for this phenomenon is that the locals did not have fertile land. People ate what they knew how to catch - animals, fish and insects, which are many in the tropics. In southern Thailand, the conditions are better, so arthropods are not in use there.
And by the way, insects don't taste as bad as they seem. If you are not told what they put on the plate, then you will not distinguish a beetle from other food. In addition, there is no threat to health. Thais grow insects in specially created conditions, and do not catch them in the fields. Therefore, the reason for our aversion to insects is in habit.
Grasshoppers are good food because they have a lot of protein. They are cooked like french fries - fried in oil. Insects are served with rice or vegetables.
Another dish is silkworm larvae. The size is larger than that of grasshoppers, so they are fried like barbecue. This is a very high-calorie food.
The energy value of ants and caterpillars is many times higher than that of meat and lard. Ant eggs are used to make scrambled eggs, salads and soups. Due to formic acid, the taste of the ants is bitter. Sauces are also made from insects. So if you have not tried the larvae, it is not a fact that you did not eat insects.
By the way, UN experts have long advised adding insects to the list of dishes - this is useful and beneficial compared to livestock. The human population is increasing, and the number of arable land and plants is vice versa.
7. The strongest insect is the ant
Ant society is like ours. The largest layer of their population is workers. Working ants are surprisingly strong. So, they are able to carry the load 5,000 times heavier than themselves and reach speeds of up to 7 and a half centimeters per second. Moreover, these hard workers do not sleep.
6. Mosquitoes have great egg viability
Under suitable conditions, a mosquito develops from an egg in less than a week. The development of an individual from the embryo takes only 4 days. However, if favorable conditions do not occur, mosquito eggs can lie in the soil for several years.
5. Mosquitoes feed on plant sap and nectar
Mosquitoes feed on blood - this is familiar to everyone firsthand. But not all mosquitoes are like that. The fact is that the females of these insects feed on blood. The blood plasma is needed by the female half for bearing offspring. Males are peaceful and eat only water and nectar of flowers, like butterflies.
Moreover, peaceful and harmless males live much less than females. So, the life expectancy of the male part of the mosquito population is no more than two weeks, while females live a month or more.
4. The largest spider on Earth - the goliath tarantula
Strictly speaking, spiders are arachnids, not insects, although non-specialists often confuse these concepts. Nevertheless, I want to talk about an amazing animal - Theraphosa blondi tarantula goliath. This Australian spider is the largest on Earth, its size reaches 25 cm.
As the name suggests, goliath can eat birds. However, birds are not the main diet of arthropods. He does not hunt birds, he can only “pick up” a random chick.
Although the Australian Goliath tarantula is large, it is far from the most dangerous. The poison of Terafosa paralyzes, but it is enough only for a small animal. For people, a Goliath bite is no worse than a bee sting. The arthropod seems to be guessing this, so it doesn't waste poison on major foes like you and me.
The tarantula has many enemies. So the arthropod has developed an original self-defense - the spider turns back to the attacker and combes tear hairs from the back.
3. The fastest insect on Earth - dragonfly
Dragonflies are one of the oldest inhabitants of the Earth. They appeared on the planet 350 million years ago. The wingspan of the ancient dragonflies reached 70 centimeters. Now dragonflies have decreased markedly, but in speed they are still not inferior to anyone.
Usually a dragonfly develops a speed within 30-50 kilometers per hour. However, Austrophlebia costalis, living in eastern Australia on the banks of rivers, accelerates to 97. That is, in a second this insect flies 27 meters.
Austrophlebia costalis has two pairs of wings. During the flight, the insect waves them both at the same time - developing high speed, and alternately - for maneuverability. The dragonfly makes 150 strokes per second. Naturally, almost no insect is able to escape from a predator. Therefore, Austrophlebia costalis is also one of the most gluttonous insects.
2. More people die from bee stings than snake bites
According to some reports, annually the number of deaths from bee stings is three times higher than deaths from snake venom. The reason for this is that the number of allergy sufferers is increasing. And fatalities from anaphylactic shock, respectively.
In addition, bees, unlike snakes, live next to humans. Therefore, the probability of getting a bite is higher. In addition, a snake bite is scary. But the bee attack people neglect and do not seek help on time.
Remember: in no case do not allow a bee sting in the neck, tonsils and eyes. These are the most dangerous places, they need to be hidden from bites.
1. A cockroach with a torn head can live for several weeks
American scientists have investigated the ability of a cockroach to live without a head. It turned out that the cockroach lives without a head for 9 days, and if you create suitable conditions, then a few weeks.
The reason for this phenomenon lies in the structure of the insect. If you decapitate a person, he will bleed and die from a lack of oxygen. In a cockroach, blood clots immediately block the wound. Blood loss will stop and blood pressure will recover.
In addition, a cockroach for breathing does not need a head. This role is played by the spiracles - a kind of tube located throughout the body. Through them, oxygen enters the body. So after beheading a cockroach, his breathing will not stop. The creature will live for several weeks and die of starvation, because it has nothing to eat.
But what about the nervous system? Unlike humans, the head of a cockroach does not fulfill such an important role. Nerve clusters (ganglia) are located in the insect throughout the body. The animal moves at a reflex level. However, due to the fact that information no longer comes from the head, the movements of the cockroach are uncontrollable, random and meaningless.