221 Amazing Bugs and Insects Encyclopedia

Common name : Hercules Beetle Scientific name : Dynastes Hercules Family : Scarabaeidae Native to : Central America, South America and Lesser Antilles Interesting fact : This beetle has been named so because of its impressive body strength. It can lift up to 85 times its own body weight. With males at times reaching 17 […]

Common name : Head louse Scientific name : Pediculus capitis Family : Pediculidae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : Small wingless insects, these bugs spend their entire life as ectoparasites of humans. About 3 mm long, the head lice are wingless and generally grey in colour. They are known to reside for their

Common name : Harvestman Scientific name : Opiliones Family : (order) Opiliones Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : Even though this order looks like spiders, they are not even closely related to the arachnid species. However, they are a species that has existed on Earth for over 400 million years. The harvestman is

Common name : Gum leaf skeletoniser caterpillar Scientific name : Uraba lugens Family : Nolidae Native to : Australia, New Zealand Interesting fact : This caterpillar has been nicknamed the ‘mad hatter-pillar’ on account of its exoskeleton feature. As a moth, its wingspan is about 25-30 mm. In the caterpillar stage, this insect keeps shedding

Common name : Australian guava moth Scientific name : Coscinoptycha improbana Family : Carposinidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : Due to its affinity for the guava fruit, this insect has been given the name ‘guava moth’. The guava moth has a small wingspan, not exceeding 15 mm in length. Its diet is comprised

Common name : Grey house spider Scientific name : Badumna longinqua Family : Desidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The female of this species never leaves her web, unless and until a predator forces her to. About 11 mm in length, the male is smaller than the female. It resides in tree trunks,

Common name : Green vegetable bug Scientific name : Nezara viridula Family : Pentatomidae Native to : Australia & New Zealand Interesting fact : A plant-feeding stink bug, the green vegetable bug is considered to be a pest of agricultural crops specifically legumes, soyabeans and beans. While the male at 12 mm is slightly smaller

Common name : Green stonefly Scientific name : Leuresthes sp. Family : Stenoperla Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : The nymphs of the green stonefly live in water bodies, and are an indicator of good water-quality conditions. The green stonefly is predominantly green in colour and has tentacles-like gills protruding from its abdomen.

Common name : Green blotched moth Scientific name : Cosmodes elegans Family : Noctuidae Native to : Australia and New Zealand Interesting fact : Due to the wavy green pattern on a brown background, this moth has been given the name green ‘blotched’ moth. With a wingspan of 40 mm, the green-blotched moth has a

Common name : Green planthopper Scientific name : Siphanta acuta Family : Flatidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The green planthopper produces honeydew, like its host plants. This honeydew is a bluish-green transparent sweet-tasting liquid. 15 mm in length, the green planthopper has wings, which look like leaves. Their diet is comprised of

Common name : Green garden looper caterpillar Scientific name : Chrysodeixis eriosoma Family : Noctuidae Native to : North & South America, Wadelai, Aden, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Australia Interesting fact : The moth of this caterpillar has red hair like scales that protrude from the side of its abdomen, giving this moth its scientific name.

Common name : Grass grub Scientific name : Costelytra zealandica Family : Scarabaeidae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : Grass grubs can be extremely  damaging to agricultural crops and plants. Up to 13 mm in length, the grass grub adult has a shiny outer covering. While the larvae tend to feed on the roots

Common name : Goliath birdeater Scientific name : Theraphosa blondi Family : Theraphosidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : The goliath birdeater is the largest spider in the world in terms of body mass. With a leg span of 28 cm, the goliath birdeater weighs 170 gm. Its diet is comprised of earthworms and

Common name : Golden tortoise beetle Scientific name : Charidotella sexpunctata Family : Chrysomelidae Native to : America Interesting fact : This beetle has earned the nickname ‘goldbug’ on account of its colouration which may vary from orange to golden but is always metallic. 7 mm in length, the goldbug, which is usually a shiny

Common name : Banana spiders Scientific name : Nephila Family : Nephilidae Native to : Australia, Asia, Africa and America Interesting fact : Its brightly coloured body helps it avoid predators. There is a big difference in the size of the male and female spiders, with the females being 5.1 cm in length and the