Beguiled by bugs?
Then check out these interesting and fun facts about insects!
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Facts About Insects
Insects are everywhere!
They’re in the grass, they’re in the trees, they’re in the flowers, and even in the streets!
No matter where you are, there are insects.
Let’s discover some interesting facts about these little critters (and play a fun insect dice game while we’re at it!).
Insects have 2 antennae.
Antennae are sensory organs that are attached to the head of an insect.
Antennae are made up different segments and help insects to feel, smell, and even hear.
Insects have 3 pairs of legs.
Each pair of legs has a name based on location.
There are the forelegs, the mid-legs and the hind-legs.
An insect uses all 6 legs for moving around, catching prey, and mating.
That’s a lot of legs!
Insects are cold blooded.
Cold blooded means that the insects take on the temperature of their surroundings or environment.
Insects breathe through their sides.
Rather than using their mouths to breath, insects use spiracles in their sides.
Spiracles are holes that allow the insects to take in oxygen.
Cool!
Insects have compound eyes.
Compound eyes are a bunch of little visual units that put together a larger image.
Think of them like a jigsaw puzzle.
Each eye unit sees just a small piece of the puzzle, but when the puzzle is complete, you get the whole picture!
Insects have ears in random places.
Insect ears aren’t necessarily on their head.
The ears of an insect can be found on their belly, their neck, or even their knees!
That’s crazy!
All Bugs are Insects.
While it is true that all bugs are insects, not all insects are bugs.
Who knew?
Bugs are actually just one classification (also known as an order) of insects.
The main way to tell if a bug is an insect is by looking at its mouth.
True bugs have a needlelike beak that helps them to slurp up their food.
Antarctica has only 1 insect.
A wingless midge is the only insect found to survive Antarctica.
Able to withstand freezing temperatures, this itty-bitty fly soaks up the sun with its tiny purple-black body to help keep as warm as possible.
The largest insect lives in New Zealand.
The giant weta, or wetapunga, looks like a cross between a cricket and a cockroach.
Weighing in at 2.5 ounces, this extra large insect looks scary but is actually pretty harmless.
Interesting and Fun Facts About Insects
Some insects are considered cool, while others are just plain creepy.
Some insects are beneficial and some are just a bother!
Any way you look at them, insects are definitely a fascinating species, and these fun facts prove it!
