A roundup of insect trivia: fun facts you'll want to share
Insects are a group of arthropods characterized by having six legs, bodies divided into head, thorax, and abdomen, and features such as wings and antennae.
Some insects, like rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles, are popular with children, while others are considered pests.
In this article, we’ll introduce a collection of fun facts about insects all at once!
We’ve gathered many tidbits that most people probably don’t know, so please enjoy reading along.
You’re sure to find some fun facts you’ll want to share with someone once you know them!
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A roundup of insect trivia: fun facts (1–10) you'll want to share
Wiping the soles of your feet makes you less likely to get bitten by mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are something we start seeing a lot in summer.
Most people deal with them every year using mosquito coils, insect-killing devices, or bug repellent sprays.
However, if you still get bitten no matter what you try, you might want to try wiping the soles of your feet.
One reason some people are more prone to mosquito bites is said to be a greater variety of resident bacteria on their feet.
By wiping the soles with a disinfecting wipe and keeping them clean, you can supposedly make yourself less likely to get bitten.
Male hornets do not have stingers.
When you see a hornet, it’s natural to worry you might get stung.
But not all hornets have a venomous stinger.
Only the queen and female worker hornets do.
That’s because the stinger is a modified ovipositor.
In many other types of wasps as well, males don’t have stingers.
Some wasp species die after stinging, but hornets can sting repeatedly without dying, so if you spot one, be careful not to provoke it.
Silkworms cannot survive without human care.
The silkworm is a type of moth and is known as an insect essential for silk production.
But did you know that silkworms cannot survive without human care? In fact, the silkworm is a domesticated form of the wild moth Bombyx mandarina, bred for silk production.
As a result, it has completely lost the ability to return to the wild; although it has wings, it cannot even fly.
It’s said that even if released into the wild, it would soon die.
Besides being unable to fly, there are many other reasons it can’t survive in nature, such as being unable to find food and having a conspicuous white body color that makes it easy prey.
The mustard leaf beetle reproduces and lays eggs without mating.
The gilt leaf beetle, known as Kiberi-hamushi, is recognized as a specialty of Hyogo Prefecture in Japan.
It’s an insect with a round body and blue wings, and its beauty has earned it the nickname “walking jewel.” Although it’s actually a non-native species, it is said to have little impact on native species.
While its beautiful wings are certainly a hallmark, its most notable characteristic is its ability to reproduce by parthenogenesis.
The gilt leaf beetle can become pregnant and lay eggs without mating.
As a result, there are no males—only females exist.
Water striders fly in the sky.
Water striders, which you often see on ponds and puddles, seem to swim as if they’re walking on the water’s surface.
They secrete oil from their bodies and apply it to the tips of their legs to stay afloat, but did you know they can actually fly too? You don’t see it often, but adult water striders do have wings.
They usually don’t fly and only take to the air when they feel threatened.
It does make you wonder where the water striders in a puddle came from, doesn’t it? They might have flown in from somewhere else.