Guy's Animal World
Colorful insect in nature

Insects

The most diverse group of animals on Earth — over a million known species

Monarch Butterfly

Common Name:
Monarch Butterfly
Habitat:
Meadows and fields of North America; winters in Mexican forests
Diet:
Herbivore — milkweed (larvae), flower nectar (adults)
Fun Fact:
Monarchs migrate up to 4,800 km (3,000 miles) each year, navigating by the sun.

Praying Mantis

Common Name:
Praying Mantis
Habitat:
Tropical and temperate forests, meadows, and gardens worldwide
Diet:
Carnivore — flies, crickets, grasshoppers, small lizards
Fun Fact:
The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head 180 degrees to scan for prey.

Common Dragonfly

Common Name:
Dragonfly
Habitat:
Near ponds, lakes, rivers, and wetlands worldwide
Diet:
Carnivore — mosquitoes, gnats, flies, small insects
Fun Fact:
Dragonflies catch over 95% of the prey they pursue — the highest hunting success rate of any predator.

Common Firefly

Common Name:
Lightning Bug
Habitat:
Warm, humid forests and meadows of the Americas and Asia
Diet:
Carnivore (larvae) — snails, worms; Adults may not eat at all
Fun Fact:
Fireflies produce cold light through bioluminescence — nearly 100% of the energy becomes light, not heat.

Atlas Moth

Common Name:
Atlas Moth
Habitat:
Tropical forests of Southeast Asia and China
Diet:
None — adult Atlas moths have no mouth and live entirely off fat reserves from the larval stage
Fun Fact:
The Atlas moth has a wingspan of up to 30 cm (12 in) — one of the largest of any insect on Earth.

Hercules Beetle

Common Name:
Hercules Beetle
Habitat:
Tropical rainforests of Central and South America
Diet:
Herbivore — rotting wood and fruit (adults), decaying wood (larvae)
Fun Fact:
The Hercules beetle can carry 850 times its own body weight — proportionally the strongest animal on Earth.

Leafcutter Ant

Common Name:
Leafcutter Ant
Habitat:
Tropical and subtropical forests of Central and South America
Diet:
Fungus — grown in underground gardens from cut leaf fragments
Fun Fact:
Leafcutter ant colonies can contain up to 8 million workers and strip an entire tree of leaves overnight.

Giant Stick Insect

Common Name:
Walking Stick
Habitat:
Tropical and subtropical forests of Asia, Australia, and the Americas
Diet:
Herbivore — leaves, bark, and plant matter
Fun Fact:
Stick insects are masters of camouflage — they can even sway gently to mimic a twig moving in the breeze.