Insects are scary, especially when they outnumber the humans in a house. That’s why we call a reliable pest control company to take care of them. One thing’s for sure: the insect world is a colorful place. Not only does the color or size vary, insects also vary in looks.
Guess what! There are insects that are actually not gross, and are even truly adorable and fuzzy! Check out these cuties you probably didn’t even know existed.
China Silkworm Moth
Silk was first made in China and was once a luxurious item for aristocrats. It is often produced by moths and butterflies, but silkworm larvae are the most famous source of silk.
As they grow up, they become fluffy and furry moths often white in color. Identifying whether a silkworm moth is a male or a female is rather easy. Females have larger abdomens while male silkworm moths have larger pairs of antennae (which look like long rakes or comb-shaped eyebrows). Male silkworm moths are also noticeable because their wings vibrate rapidly to attract a female mate.
Jumping Spiders
Also known as salticids, jumping spiders are known for their very sharp eyesight, and unlike their other arachnid relatives, jumping spiders produce silk. This silk is used to protect their eggs, and function as dragline when jumping. This dragline allows jumping spiders to control their fall and trace their steps.
Even though jumping spiders’ bites contain venom, they are not considered particularly harmful to humans, therefore not medically threatening.
Bumblebee
We know that the Autobot Bumblebee is adorable, but the fleeting flying adorable bumble bee is cuter. These social insects form colonies with a single queen – just like other bees. One of its main differences with other bees is the fact that a colony only composes of as few as 50 individuals in a nest.
Bumblebees feed on nectars just like their relatives. They play an important role in pollination therefore their decreasing population in Europe, North America, and Asia become something alarming to different agricultural groups.
Japanese Emperor Caterpillar
This cute caterpillar is the larva of the Japanese Emperor butterfly which is also known as Oomurasaki in Japan. The Oomurasaki is the national butterfly of Japan, and is also a native in the Korean peninsula, China, Northern Taiwan, and Northern Vietnam.
Feather-Horned Beetle
A local in Australia, a feather-horned beetle can be as small as 10-25 mm in length and can easily be recognized by their oversized fan-like antennae. To differentiate the male and female feather-horned beetle, a person just has to observe its antennae. Male feather-horned beetle have much larger antennae and more pronounced than females. These bigger antennae are used by the males to locate female feather-horned beetles that emit pheromones – an indication that she is ready for mating.
Panda Ant
Panda ants are in no way related to pandas, nor are they related to ants. Panda ants are wasps in the hymenopteran family. They are famous for their black and white color. Despite their fuzzy appearance, panda ants have stings that can be very painful. They are called “cow-killers” because they are able to knock out a cow or any other larger animals with their stings.
Cute, aren’t they? But let’s not forget the quote “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Why? Because we’ll be featuring cute insects which are also real killers some time this month.
Stay tuned.