Interesting facts about insects: everything that is hidden from prying eyes. Interesting Facts About Insects For Kids 5 Interesting Facts About Insects
We are surrounded invisible world insects. Little is known about butterflies, flies, and dragonflies. Therefore, we have collected for you the most interesting facts about insects that will undoubtedly surprise you very much!
- 1. Attacus Atlas - this is the name of the largest moth. It is so large that people confuse it with a bird. The wingspan of Attacus Atlas reaches thirty centimeters!
- 2. Flies are small living planes. Despite their size, flies can fly at speeds of up to 22.4 kilometers per hour (for horseflies), 6.4 kilometers per hour (for houseflies) and 11 kilometers per hour (for carrion flies). These insects masterfully dodge a deadly fly swatter because they plan well.
- 3. In one jump, a flea is able to jump 33 centimeters. If we translate such an achievement on us, a person would jump as much as 213 meters.
- 4. One swarm of desert locust can consist of 50 billion individuals. It is also interesting that each insect eats as much food per day as it weighs itself. Therefore, in one day, the entire swarm of locusts eats 4 times more food than the inhabitants of the New York metropolis all together.
- 5. The buzz of a honey bee is created due to the very fast flapping of its wings - about 11,400 strokes in one minute.
- 6. On the border of Thailand and Malaysia, a grasshopper was caught, the length of which was twenty-five and a half centimeters. This insect made long jumps of 4.6 meters.
- 7. Interesting facts about insects also apply to the substances they produce. Did you know that bee venom chemical composition is an acid and oc is an alkali?
- 8. If home cockroach cut off his head, he'll live a couple more weeks.
- 9. Every year from bee stings more people die than from snakes.
- 10. Spiders are known to feed on other insects. And the weight of their victims in one year is more than the weight of all the people who live on the planet.
- 11. Dragonflies fly faster than all insects. Their flight speed is 57 kilometers per hour.
- 12. In natural environment The life span of an ant is approximately one year. But in the laboratory, these insects live even 4, or even all 7 years, males and 20 years - females.
- 13. Crickets are very unusual insects. Their ears are located on their front legs. And the body temperature of crickets can be measured in degrees Celsius by their chirping. To do this, count the number of sounds they make per minute, divide this number by two, then add nine and divide by two again.
- 14. interesting creature lives in the African Namib desert - a rolling spider called Carparachneaureoflava. To protect against its main enemies - road wasps - it digs very deep pits, along the slopes of which it rolls like a wheel from attacks. The speed in this case is one meter per second, which is equal to 44 revolutions.
- 15. Ants of the genus Dorylus are used by the indigenous people of Africa for cuts and for surgical purposes. They heal wounds with their sting.
- 16. Lantern or alligator beetle lives in Central America. It got its name from unusual shape heads.
- 17. An interesting way of hunting is used by gladiator spiders that live in Australia. They weave a web in the shape of a square, holding its ends between their front paws. When the prey is caught in the web, the spider covers it with a web in one quick movement.
Interesting video about insects. An insect from another planet. Mantis.
We offer you 12 interesting facts about insects that will be of interest to children:
1. All insects have common features: six legs, antennae and wings. Their body is, as it were, divided into parts by thin lines - notches. Hence the name "insects".
2.Ladybug brings great benefit: it destroys many plant pests - aphids. Ladybug is cunning - she can pretend to be dead if you put her on the palm of your hand. The ladybug at the first danger releases a yellow liquid - even if the bird once grabs ladybug, then he will understand that this bug is tasteless, remember its color and will not touch it again.
3. Why is it said that the grasshopper plays the violin? The fact is that on his wings there are special notches. He rubs them quickly, quickly, one against the other, as if he were running a violin with a bow, and a chirring is heard. Let the kid properly examine the grasshopper (what color is it, does it have antennae and eyes), and at the same time think about why it needs such long hind legs. Of course, to jump!
4. Bees, bumblebees and wasps are pollinating insects. Indeed, without them, flowers would never have become fruits, which means that we would not be able to enjoy delicious apples.
5. Often babies are afraid of stinging insects. But the one who waves his arms and screams in fear, the bee will bite rather than a calm person. Because the insects will not attack first.
6. Ant is the strongest on earth! He can carry loads 10 times heavier than his own weight. If adults do not forget to take a magnifying glass to the dacha, with its help the kids will learn a lot of interesting things about the life of these ubiquitous ants. To do this, it is enough to find a small anthill with holes-doors in the ground and from time to time observe it: what do the ants do, how they treat each other, what prey they drag, how far do they run away from their home?
7. The main pest for country garden - Colorado beetle, regularly "attacking" the potatoes. The child needs to be told about the harm this insect causes, and asked to help in the fight against it. Usually, children do a good job of this task, collecting bugs in a jar of water, while training their fingers.
8. Another serious enemy of the garden is the bear. This large insect, which lives in the ground and feeds on potato tubers, carrots and young parts of plants. You can find it while digging potatoes. Medvedka will surely make a strong impression on children thanks to big size and intimidating look. And of particular interest to young researchers are her paws. They are well adapted for digging the earth. The bear doesn't bite. She can fly and even chirp like a cricket.
9. At night it is interesting to follow the fireflies. The firefly flies in zigzags. Be sure to show with your hand in the air how the firefly flies. In the dark, the firefly glows with a yellowish light.
10. Bees collect nectar from which honey is made. The bee collects nectar with its proboscis. Bees have a whole set of tools on their legs. Here you will see brushes for collecting pollen, and baskets for transferring pollen, and brushes with which bees clean their eyes from pollen that has fallen into them. Bees, flying, buzz: "zh-zh-zh-zh-zh-zh-zh". Play bees with your child: repeating this sound is good for speech development.
11. In the summer in the village or in the country, you will probably see a dragonfly. These beautiful insects hunt in the air: in flight they keep at the ready folded net hairy legs. Their sleepy victims fall into these "nets". Interestingly, in just an hour, a dragonfly can eat as many as 40 house flies. If you want to mold a plasticine dragonfly, it is useful to know that her body consists of three parts: head, chest and abdomen.
12. A bumblebee flies very fast, at the speed of an adult cyclist (18 km/h). It has a soft coat that helps keep it warm in the early morning. Bumblebees live in their "bumblebee towns" (about 200 individuals). They are not allowed to sleep in the morning. Before dawn, a “trumpeter” appears in bumblebee nests, which buzzes, raising fellow tribesmen to work collecting pollen. To “develop” the topic about bumblebees, you can put the audio recording “Flight of the Bumblebee” from N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tsar's Bride". So bumblebees will help your child to join classical music.
.jpg)
Hocus Pocus: Caterpillars turn into butterflies!
Which of us in childhood was not surprised at the transformation of a nasty caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly? This transformation for the baby is akin to magic. Therefore, even if the parents of the crumbs have never seen this happen before, it's time to do it now with the baby. First you need to catch a few caterpillars. It's better if they are different.
Firstly, not all caterpillars will be able to breed a butterfly, and secondly, it will be interesting to compare the behavior of different insects.
Cabbage butterfly caterpillars can be found in the garden, on cabbage or radish. They are blue-green, with three yellow longitudinal stripes and black dots. But you can't take them with your bare hands. The caustic secretions of these caterpillars irritate the skin. The child must be aware of this. Matte-green caterpillars of the turnip butterfly can also be found here. And if you are very lucky, then on carrots, parsley or dill you can find a swallowtail caterpillar. It is large, clearly visible, green with black stripes and red dots on them. Urticaria caterpillars live where they are supposed to be by name - on nettles. In the same place or on raspberries, you can also find caterpillars of the peacock butterfly. On fruit trees caterpillars of various silkworms or apple moth gnaw on the leaves.
Future butterflies need to be collected and planted in a jar or plastic bottle with a cut top. Plants or twigs on which the caterpillars were sitting should also be placed there, and the vessel should be covered with gauze. Green food should be changed every 2 days. Now you can watch your pets with your baby: how they chew leaves, how they crawl, grow. After a while, the caterpillars will pupate - turn into pupae. In this state, it is better not to disturb them. It remains to be patient and wait. Until that wonderful moment when a beautiful butterfly emerges from a motionless chrysalis.
For most urban children, the village is a living museum of nature, much more interesting and instructive than all the “adult” expositions put together. After all, there are so many interesting, unknown and mysterious things in the countryside! First of all, it is worth paying the attention of children to insects from the “inner environment”. These are ladybugs, caterpillars, butterflies, grasshoppers. We got used to their presence and almost stopped noticing them, and children will be happy to listen to stories about the everyday life of these funny creatures. Watching insects, the baby will not only acquire new knowledge, but also learn to think, analyze, compare, reason.
10 interesting facts about insects:
1. All insects have common features: six legs, antennae and wings. Their body is, as it were, divided into parts by thin lines - notches. Hence the name "insects".
2. Ladybug is of great benefit: it destroys many plant pests - aphids. Ladybug is cunning - she can pretend to be dead if you put her on the palm of your hand. At the first danger, a ladybug emits a yellow liquid - even if the bird once grabs a ladybug, it will understand that this bug is tasteless, remember its color and will not touch it again.
3. Why is it said that the grasshopper plays the violin? The fact is that on his wings there are special notches. He rubs them quickly, quickly, one against the other, as if he were running a violin with a bow, and a chirring is heard. Let the kid properly examine the grasshopper (what color is it, does it have antennae and eyes), and at the same time think about why it needs such long hind legs. Of course, to jump!
4. Bees, bumblebees and wasps are pollinating insects. Indeed, without them, flowers would never have become fruits, which means that we would not be able to enjoy delicious apples.
5. Often babies are afraid of stinging insects. But the one who waves his arms and screams in fear, the bee will bite rather than a calm person. Because the insects will not attack first.
6. Ant is the strongest on earth! He can carry loads 10 times heavier than his own weight. If adults do not forget to take a magnifying glass to the dacha, with its help the kids will learn a lot of interesting things about the life of these ubiquitous ants. To do this, it is enough to find a small anthill with holes-doors in the ground and from time to time observe it: what do the ants do, how they treat each other, what prey they drag, how far do they run away from their home?
7. The main pest for the country garden is the Colorado potato beetle, which regularly “attacks” potatoes. The child needs to be told about the harm this insect causes, and asked to help in the fight against it. Usually, children do a good job of this task, collecting bugs in a jar of water, while training their fingers.
8. At night, it is interesting to follow the fireflies. The firefly flies in zigzags. Be sure to show with your hand in the air how the firefly flies. In the dark, the firefly glows with a yellowish light.
9. Bees collect nectar from which they make honey. The bee collects nectar with its proboscis. Bees have a whole set of tools on their legs. Here you will see brushes for collecting pollen, and baskets for transferring pollen, and brushes with which bees clean their eyes from pollen that has fallen into them. Bees, flying, buzz: "zh-zh-zh-zh-zh-zh-zh". Play bees with your child: repeating this sound is good for speech development.
10. In the summer in the countryside or in the country, you will surely see a dragonfly. These beautiful insects hunt in the air: in flight they keep strong, hairy legs folded in a net. Their sleepy victims fall into these "nets". Interestingly, in just an hour, a dragonfly can eat as many as 40 house flies. If you want to mold a plasticine dragonfly, it is useful to know that its body consists of three parts: head, chest and abdomen.
1. Insects are the first living creatures that appeared on Earth, more than 400 million years ago. Since then, they have survived five massive cataclysms and have proven to be more tenacious than tyrannosaurs.
2. Now there are about 20 thousand species of bees in the world. And to produce 500 g of honey, one bee needs to fly 10 million times from the hive to the flower and back.
3. A female cockroach is capable of laying more than two million eggs in a year. In addition, a cockroach can live for nine days without a head.
4. The weight of insects that all spiders on Earth eat in a year is more than the total weight of all people living on the planet.
5. There are about 35 thousand known species spiders and new ones are opening all the time.
6. The blood of snow scorpions contains antifreeze, thanks to which they can withstand temperatures down to minus 6 degrees Celsius. However, if such a scorpion is taken in hand, it will die.
7. The male earwig has two penises, each of which is longer than the earwig itself. These organs are very fragile and break easily, which is why the insect is born with a spare.
8. Ants never sleep. There are almost as many species of ants (8800) as birds (9000) in the world.
9. Butterflies taste food with their hind legs. And the color of their wings is created by tiny overlapping scales that reflect light.
10. Aborigines cook witchetti tree larvae by rolling them in hot ashes. Thus, they taste like an omelette.
11. Bees have five eyes. Three at the top of the head and two in front. honey bee flaps its wings at a speed of 11 thousand 400 times per minute, creating a characteristic buzz.
12. There are about 400 thousand known species of beetles. The size of the largest, titanium beetle, can reach 17 cm.
13. Dragonflies are the fastest flying insects. Their speed reaches 57 km / h.
14. Witchetti larvae are best eaten alive. Ten large larvae provide an adult with all proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
15. Insects are a food rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. In Thailand, they are considered a delicacy, where fried crickets and locusts are popular.
16. Amarobia spider babies eat their mother after birth. Some females begin to devour males during mating. Thus, the deceased father becomes food for his offspring.
17. In crickets, the ears are located on the front legs, in addition, you can determine the temperature from crickets: to do this, you need to count the number of chirps per minute, divide by two, then add nine and divide by two again. The result is the temperature in degrees Celsius.
18. Approximately a third of all insects are carnivorous and most hunt for food, rather than feed on carrion and waste.
19. Grasshoppers can jump over 40 times their body length, and a flea over 130 times its length.
20. On the planet, more than 26 billion insects live in every square mile in habitable areas. According to scientists, there are still 5-10 million species unknown to science.
21. Tiny stinging insects, biting midges, flap their wings at an incredible speed of 62,760 times per minute.
23. House flies usually live near the places where they hatched, but it was found that under the influence of the wind they can move up to 45 km away.
24. The largest moth in the world is Attacus Altas. With a wingspan of 30 cm, it is often mistaken for a bird.
25. A desert locust swarm can contain 50 billion insects. Since each locust can eat an amount of food equal to its own weight, in a day this swarm eats four times as much food by weight as all New Yorkers.
insects , which are eaten by all spiders on Earth in a year, more than the total weight of all people living on the planet.Mosquitoes are attracted to the smell of people who have recently eaten bananas.
The dragonfly lives 24 hours.
Termites grind wood twice as fast for hard rock.
Scorpions can eat nothing for almost two years, and ticks for up to 10 years.
Butterflies taste food with their hind legs. And the color of their wings is created by tiny overlapping scales that reflect light.
Ants never sleep. There are almost as many ant species (8800) as there are bird species (9000) in the world.
Dragonflies are the fastest flying insects. The speed of their movement reaches 57 km / h.
The aphid develops into an adult insect from an egg in 6 days and lives for another 4-5 days.
grasshopper blood white color, lobster - blue.
Insects are the first living creatures that appeared on Earth, more than 400 million years ago. Since then, they have survived five massive cataclysms and have proven to be more tenacious than tyrannosaurs.
Every year, more people die from bee stings than from snake bites.
Insects annually devour 25 - 30% of the world crop.
There are more than 20,000 tiny lenses in the eye of a dragonfly, which form, like pieces of a mosaic, a multifaceted (faceted) surface.
As analysis of the stomach contents of female mosquitoes caught around settlements, 80% of these insects feed on the blood of domestic animals.
One bee family harvests up to 150 kg of honey during the summer.
The bee has two stomachs - one for honey, the other for food.
Spider-spiders eat their web every morning, and then build it again.
In a lifetime, a bee produces 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.
A female cockroach can lay more than two million eggs in a year. In addition, a cockroach can live for nine days without a head.
There are about 35,000 known species of spiders, and new ones are being discovered all the time.
They are a food rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. In Thailand, they are considered a delicacy, where fried crickets and locusts are popular.
The largest moth in the world is Attacus Altas. With a wingspan of 30 cm, it is often mistaken for a bird.
In Rus', grasshoppers were called dragonflies.
Every day, the bees of our planet fertilize 3 trillion flowers and produce 3,000 tons of honey.
Insects are the first living creatures that appeared on Earth, more than 400 million years ago. Since then, they have survived five massive cataclysms and have proven to be more tenacious than tyrannosaurs.
Now there are about 20 thousand species of bees in the world. And to produce 500 g of honey, one bee needs to fly 10 million times from the hive to the flower and back.
A female cockroach can lay more than two million eggs in a year. In addition, a cockroach can live for nine days without a head.
The weight of insects that all spiders on Earth eat in a year is more than the total weight of all people living on the planet.
There are about 35,000 known species of spiders, and new ones are being discovered all the time.
The blood of snow scorpions contains antifreeze, thanks to which they can withstand temperatures down to minus 6 degrees Celsius. However, if such a scorpion is taken in hand, it will die.
The male earwig has two penises, each of which is longer than the earwig itself. These organs are very fragile and break easily, which is why the insect is born with a spare.
Ants never sleep. There are almost as many ant species (8800) as there are bird species (9000) in the world.
Butterflies taste food with their hind legs. And the color of their wings is created by tiny overlapping scales that reflect light.
The aborigines cook witchetti tree larvae by rolling them in hot ashes. Thus, they taste like an omelette.
Bees have five eyes. Three at the top of the head and two in front. The honey bee flaps its wings at a speed of 11,400 times per minute, creating a characteristic buzz.
There are about 400 thousand known species of beetles. The size of the largest, titanium beetle, can reach 17 cm.
Dragonflies are the fastest flying insects. The speed of their movement reaches 57 km / h.
Witchetti larvae are best eaten alive. Ten large larvae provide an adult with all proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
Insects are a food rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. In Thailand, they are considered a delicacy, where fried crickets and locusts are popular.
Amarobia spider babies eat their mother after birth. Some females begin to devour males during mating. Thus, the deceased father becomes food for his offspring.
Crickets have ears on their front legs, and you can also determine temperature from crickets by counting the number of chirps per minute, dividing by two, then adding nine, and dividing by two again. The result is the temperature in degrees Celsius.
Approximately a third of all insects are carnivorous and most hunt for food rather than feed on carrion and waste.
Grasshoppers can jump over 40 times their body length, and fleas up to 130 times their body length.
More than 26 billion insects live in habitable areas on the planet in every square mile. According to scientists, there are still 5-10 million species unknown to science.
Tiny stinging insects, biting midges, flap their wings at an incredible rate of 62,760 times per minute.
House flies usually live near the places where they have hatched, but it has been found that under the influence of the wind they can move up to 45 km away.
The largest moth in the world is Attacus Altas. With a wingspan of 30 cm, it is often mistaken for a bird.
A desert locust swarm can contain 50 billion insects. Since each locust can eat an amount of food equal to its own weight, in a day this swarm eats four times as much food by weight as all New Yorkers.
Everything in the world of insects is amazing - the diversity of species, and the gigantic population, and the way of life, and the incomprehensible complexity and expediency of the structure of organisms, and sometimes the inexplicable behavior of individuals, families, colonies. Insects play the most important role both in the multi-link ecological chain and in its finest, barely perceptible threads.
This is the most rich in species group of animals. It has about a million insect species just described, and discoveries continue. Scientists believe that there are at least two to three million species of insects on Earth. This is much more than all other animals and plants combined. Moreover, each type of insect has its own structural features, life processes and behavior. According to one well-known entomologist, one species of insect is often no closer to another than a fly is to an elephant. And since a species is a qualitatively isolated form of a living thing, all its representatives interbreed with the formation of offspring. At the same time, interspecific crosses never give full-fledged offspring capable of procreation and transmission of "multi-species" traits. Here, the genetic system of protecting the purity of each species, which is embedded in organisms, works.
Insects make up 29 orders. Among them: orthoptera - grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, bears, cockroaches, praying mantises, termites, dragonflies, mayflies, lice; Homoptera (arthroproboscis) - cicadas, worms, aphids; hemiptera (or bugs); beetles (or beetles); Lepidoptera (or butterflies); Diptera - flies, mosquitoes, mosquitoes, midges, fleas; hymenoptera - bees, wasps, ants, riders and others.
Insects are a multifaceted miracle of wildlife, they have their own special purpose on Earth, which is difficult to overestimate. They are excellent pollinators, soil-formers, orderlies of nature, and what is important for humans - insects improve soil fertility, restrain the excessive spread of many agricultural pests, produce honey and medicinal substances, dyes. juicy flowers, silk. More than half of our diet is plant-based. And 15% of it owes its harvest to pollinating insects. They also pollinate most plant foods for animals. In addition, we enjoy admiring the beauty of bizarre forms, patterns and colors of the body, as well as the grace of movements. Only a small part (about 1%) of insects causes involuntary damage to human activities. But this is nothing compared to the important role they play in people's lives and in maintaining natural ecological balance.
Insects are generously endowed with everything necessary to actively live and embody their destiny on Earth. They have perfect organs and systems, as well as a brain and a kind of heart. The nervous and sensory (connected to the sense organs) systems allow insects to sense and perceive the world, organs of movement - to move in space and carry out all actions related to life, and systems of coordination and control purposefully manage all the processes and structures of the body, as well as the behavior of insects.
With all the richness of forms and colors, the perfection of the structure of the body, individual devices, systems and interrelated physiological processes, the behavior of insects is no less diverse. Both genetically based instinctive behavior and acquired individual experience are striking in their complexity, expediency and uniqueness. No two types of insects behave in the same way. A representative of each species can be recognized by the innate strategy of obtaining food, building activities, by those postures, sounds emitted chemicals, which are inherent in food, reproductive, protective, social and other forms of behavior.
The complexity of the behavior and structure of the body of social insects - ants, bees, wasps, termites - is incomprehensible. Since ancient times, many of their activities cause a feeling of admiration. Even St. Augustine wrote: “We are more amazed by the deeds of small ants and bees than by the huge bodies of whales.” Among these insects there are also farmers who graze, protect and “milk” animals useful to them, and agricultural insects, capable of not only harvesting, but also growing it, having previously prepared the land and planting seeds. All social insects are excellent builders, constructing, depending on their species, small individual buildings, and large public houses, and entire cities with powerful communication systems. Everything is taken into account in them for the normal life of both an individual and a family, up to the creation of the necessary microclimate, and the life of colonies and giant federations of social insects.
Modern entomology sees no fundamental grounds for opposing the behavior of insects and the so-called "higher" vertebrates. Indeed, in insects of some species, such complex mental processes as imagination, abstract thinking, symbolization, memory, the ability to learn and develop conditioned reflexes, their own "language" and even elementary rational activity. The world of insects, which includes these most amazing and perfect creatures, is fragile and unique in all its diverse manifestations. It should not only be loved, but also be sure to protect.
Opportunities for ubiquitous habitation
For insects - this unusually numerous class of small creatures, it is characteristic that they successfully live and breed almost everywhere - from the Arctic to the deserts languishing in the heat, and are absent only in the depths of the ocean. The soil is literally teeming with insects. Myriads of them are carried in the air, and even at an altitude of up to 2 km, these creatures form a giant layer of plankton, which serves as food for birds.
Diversity of organism types and habitats of insects
Insects of each species occupy only that area and are able to withstand precisely those conditions. environment for which their body is intended, the innate mechanisms of life and behavior are “tuned”. Thanks to this, insects can live in the most severe conditions, even in the cold Arctic tundra and on snowy mountain peaks, in sunny savannahs and deserts, in tropical rainforests and taiga, in human dwellings and on animals. For example, butterflies, it would seem, are completely fragile creatures, live on the globe almost everywhere. Their active life activity is possible due to the special expediency of the type of organism, which can be conditionally called "southern", "northern", "tropical", "universal". Thus, the universal organism of butterflies of one species ensures their distribution over many regions with a wide variety of natural factors. And the body of others is intended only for a specific habitat, as, for example, in butterflies that live exclusively in the Alps, above the snow line at an average temperature of -100C. Or, for example, in one of the inhabitants of the desert - the dark beetle of some species, the specific structure of the body ensures an active life in this particular environment. The insect tolerates heat well and quenches thirst by condensing the life-giving moisture of night fogs.
Features of the body of insects of some species allow: to save life after freezing and thawing; inhabit hot springs with a water temperature of +500C; for a long time live without water due to the oxidation of stored nutrients; survive in a deep vacuum and spend hours in pure carbon dioxide; live in salt brine, crude oil, etc.
Of course, in cold and dry areas, as well as in such critical conditions for life, representatives of a few species of insects live. However, it is they who, by their example, clearly demonstrate what truly phenomenal capabilities are endowed with, it would seem, completely defenseless beings. Moreover, like many other animals, insects do not “survive” in such a complex and harsh environment, but live in it that full life, the features of which are included in their genetic program. Let's look at this with some examples.
Cold tolerance of insects
Some insects are conquerors and permanent inhabitants of mountain peaks. In the saddle of Elbrus at an altitude of 5300 m, you can see dragonflies and urticaria. And settled flies, beetles, aphids, butterflies, locusts are found in the Himalayas even at an altitude of 6000 m above sea level. They feed on plant pollen and organic debris that mountain breezes bring. Insects live under stones, in the soil, in rare patches of alpine plant carpets, and even in the snow. But there are especially many of them at the edge of melting ice, where there is high humidity and it is easier to find food brought by melt water. For a normal life and reproduction, crickets of one of the species necessarily settle in mountainous areas covered with snow, since the device of their body is designed only for a habitat with a low temperature. And the jaundice butterfly living in the northern latitudes and high in the mountains is endowed with amazing property live births, which puzzled entomologists at one time, since this is not typical for butterflies. It is assumed that live birth helps her offspring to complete development during the short summer of these places.
The isotome flea lives exclusively on the surface of eternal snows. Every night, the body of this tiny insect is subjected to the most cruel tests, but the insect again and again demonstrates an excellent ability to live in extremely harsh conditions. It freezes completely as soon as the sun sets, but due to its dark color it also thaws quickly in the warm morning rays. Having revived, the isotome flea continues to deal with all the vital problems of life, implementing its hereditary program, which it will pass on to its descendants. Recently, entomologists have discovered that some species of twitching mosquitoes are also able to live and procreate in such extreme conditions, which, it would seem, are incompatible with life. They live in the cracks and tunnels of glaciers on high slopes Himalayas. This insect is endowed with such an excellent organism that it feels great and does not freeze at -160C. And the female mosquito even shows activity in winter period when frost rages in the mountains. How do twitchers live and continue their race with such low temperatures, and what are physiological features their organism of mosquitoes of this species is not yet clear to scientists.
About 40 species of insects (mosquitoes, bumblebees, beetles, day and night butterflies) live beyond the Arctic Circle - where there is flowering plants. Due to the northern type of organism, mosquitoes of some varieties play a particularly important role in the cold Arctic deserts and the tundra zone. Their males and females, flying from flower to flower, feed on nectar and pollinate plants along the way. After all, there are practically no bees in the tundra and taiga. In the Arctic, bumblebees are also busy pollinating flowers. Their body is well equipped to work in cold climes. active work muscles and a shaggy warm coat of a bumblebee provide heating of its body up to + 370C at outdoor temperature air 00C. This heat is generated during flight due to chemical reactions occurring in the muscles.
The body of not only the inhabitants of the highlands, but also the inhabitants of mosses and lichens of the Antarctic islands, for example, beetles of certain species, is able not to break down when rapidly cooled to almost -400C. Their genetic program controls the unique mini-production of glycerin oil and other special substances that act like the well-known car antifreeze. Some species of amphibians and other cold-resistant representatives of the animal world are endowed with the same saving substances. And the beetles and flies that live in Alaska are endowed with a remarkable ability to withstand even temperatures down to -600C. Insects, of course, freeze, but their body is equipped in such a way that ice crystals form only from the outside, without damaging cells, organs and tissues.
From wet tropics to waterless deserts
For a myriad of insects, tropical forests serve as an ecological niche, occupying a considerable part of the earth's surface. The branches of trees, starting from a height of at least 15 m, are so closely intertwined with each other and tightly entwined with vines that almost no light breaks through the crown formed. The forest canopy, which is sometimes 30 m thick, is inhabited by animals such as monkeys, birds, mice, frogs, insects and even earthworms (!). The local inhabitants are born here, grow up, live an active full life and die. And many of them never touch the ground in their entire lives. And insects live on all the "floors" of the forest: in the ground, leaf litter, in tree trunks, in the depths of the tropical canopy and on the highest tier of the forest - on the branches and leaves of this so-called "roof of the world".
Of the insects in the rainforest, butterflies, beetles, ants, termites, and cicadas predominate. Butterflies and beetles are unusually large and beautiful. They were given a bright color to help them find their mates, because otherwise, in the thick of intertwined branches, it is impossible for insects to see or hear each other. There are also amazing bird-winged butterflies, whose giant wings (30 cm) allow males and females to fly above the continuous crown of tropical trees during the mating season.
Insects also make up a significant part of the inhabitants of the deserts. Most of all there are ants, mosquitoes, mosquitoes, dark beetles and beautiful gold beetles, especially black and golden. All of them hide from the heat of the day in deep minks, and get out to hunt only after dark. Magnificent possibilities of the organism and behavior are demonstrated by dark beetles of some species that live in the hottest and most arid regions of the desert. Thanks to instinctive behavioral mechanisms, they go to the tops of the sand dunes at night to "drink the moisture of the mists." Lowering its head, the beetle raises its abdomen up and turns towards the moist wind from the sea. Moisture, condensing on its special ribbed back, flows directly into the insect's mouth.
From salt water to oil
Representatives of most species of insects live on land, but many of them live in a wide variety of aquatic environments, including non-traditional ones. Thus, the special structure of the body of the larvae of some species of mosquitoes allows them to develop perfectly in hot geysers, where only bacteria can still live. The same ability is shown by green dragonflies, whose young individuals are inhabitants of geysers with a water temperature of +400C. Mosquito larvae in mass are able to breed in the brackish coastal waters of the Caspian Sea. And such insects as, for example, bedbugs of some species, have all the possibilities for a normal life in the oceans - the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Surprisingly, there is a California oil fly, the habitat and all the vital activity of which is associated exclusively with thick crude oil. According to the hereditary program, she feeds on insects that have got there and stuck and even produces her offspring in oil. In her body, everything is “provided” for this. The fly's intestines are inhabited by symbiont bacteria that break down oil paraffin and promote its absorption. The fly can freely run on its thin legs on the oil film without sticking to it, however, touching the film with any other part of the body is fatal for the fly. The body of the larvae of this fly, which develop in crude oil and feed on adhering insects, is also provided with everything necessary. So, the program of instinctive behavior makes these babies, like aquatic larvae, hold the tips of breathing tubes specially made by the body above the surface of the oil in order to breathe air oxygen.
