AMAZING WORLD OF INSECTS

MOHSIN IKRAM M.Sc. Final (Entomology) 10-ZYM-22

INTRODUCTION
Insects are the most diverse group of animals on the planet (total estimated species about 50-80million). Total described species are over 1 million, most of them are Coleopterans. Found in every type of environment on Earth with unique and startling adaptations in order to survive in such extremes.

Some Insects are the masters of the art of camouflaging, structural, chemical defenses and visual communication.

1. Camouflage/Colourational DefenceAlligator Fly Cicada Devils Flower Mantis Orchids Mantis Spiny Rainforest Katydid

2. Visual CommunicationFire Fly

3. Chemical DefenceBombardier Beetle Giant Water Bug

4. Structural DefenseGiraffe Beetle Titan Beetle Hercules Beetle

Order: Hemiptera Family: Fulgoridae

It is Central and South American plant hopper. It is known by some common name including pea nut, lantern fly and Alligator fly. It is as long as 3 inches has a protuberance at it head that resembles with alligator. It protect itself by displaying fake eye on its wings.

Order: Hemiptera Family: Cicadidae

Cicadas live in temperate to tropical climates where they are among the most widely recognized of all insects, mainly due to their large size and unique sound. They are commonly called locusts, although they are unrelated to true locusts, which are a kind of grasshopper. They have a long proboscis under their head which insert into plant stems in order to feed on sap. They can camouflage well with their surroundings for attacking of some insects .

Order: Mantodea Family: Empusidae (cone headed mantis) From: S. Africa and S. East Asia
The devils flower mantis grows up to about 2 -3 inches. It can rotate its head upto an angle of 300 to better scan its surroundings while hunting insects. It is also known as the "King of all mantis" for the obvious reason: it's beauty, size and rarity, is one of the largest species of praying mantis that mimic flowers.

Order: Mantodea Family: Hymenopodida From: Malaysia and Indonesia

It is possibly the worlds most beautiful mantis.

The pink and white colors are quite impressive.

It feed on nectar sucking flies such as honey bees, wasps, fruit flies etc. It mimic the flowers of orchid with its four walking legs looking remarkably like flower petals.

Order: Orthoptera Family: Tettigoniidae From: Australia (New Southwales, Queensland)

It is a cryptic rainforest species with a lichen- like camouflaged color pattern.

It can grow to about 100 mm in body length.

It is mostly males that sing through an action described as stridulation.

Their antennae are exceptionally long that provide as a specialist sensory apparatus helping in distinguishing the animal from the stillness of neighboring vegetation.

Order: Coleoptera Family: Lampyridae

About 2,000 Species are found in temperate and tropical environment.
Male

Winged beetles commonly called fire flies for their crepuscular use of Bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. They produce a cold light with no infra red or ultra violet frequencies. Chemically-produced light from the lower abdomen may be yellow,green with wavelengths from 510 to 670nm.

Female

Bioluminescence
Production and emission of light by living organism where energy is released by chemical reaction in the form of light emission.

Luciferins are a class of small molecules substrates that are oxidised in the presence of enzyme luciferase* to produce oxyluciferin and energy in the form of light.
luciferin + ATP
( luciferase)

Oxyluciferin +light

* Luciferase is an oxygenase optimized for light emission that catalyzes the oxidation of luciferin - to obtain oxyluciferin.

Order: Coleoptera Family: Carabidae

It is cosmopolitan except on Antarctica. They typically live in woodlands or grasslands in the temperate zones. Mustard gas may have killed thousands of soldiers but the chemical war has no secrets for the bombardier beetles. Beetles store two chemicals (hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide) which are mixed only when they are attacked.

(Bombardier beetle releasing chemical)

(Normal State)

These chemicals are released through two tubes,together with catalytic enzymes (catalase and peroxidase), resulting a violent heat releasing chemical reaction, with the final product p-quinone.

The hot foul smelling liquid turns 20% into a gas, causing a loud popping sound, the shot is deadly to insects and other small animals and painful to human skin. The shots can be repeated 12 times, but after that the beetle needs one hour to recover its "bomb" supply.
They can point a jet of chemicals with high precision towards a possible enemy, drowning it in a fraction of a second.

Order: Hemiptera Family: Belostomatidae Distribution: Worldwide

All of them are fierce predators which stalk, capture and feed on aquatic crustaceans, fish and amphibians. They then strike, injecting a powerful digestive saliva and suck out the liquefied remains. The saliva liquefies muscle tissue. In rare instances, their bite can do permanent damage to humans.

Order: Coleoptera Family: Attelabidae From: Madagascar

It derives its name from an extended neck much like that of the common giraffe. It is sexually dimorphic, with the neck of the male typically being 2 to 3 times the length of that of the female. Most of the body is black with distinctive red elytra covering the flying wings. The extended neck is an adaptation that assists in nest building and fighting ,when it comes time to breed.

Family: Cerambycidae (Long horn beetle) From: Amazon Rain Forest (S.America)

Longest known beetle of the world. Adult can grow upto 7.5 in length. Most commonly collected by the use of mercury vapour lamp to which male are attracted . Their mandible can snap pencil in half and cut into human flesh.

Order: Coleoptera Family: Scarabaeidae

A species of rhinoceros beetle that lives in rain forest of South America. It can grow to over 6 inches in length (counting its horns). It is said to be the strogest creature on earth for its size,able to carry 850 times its own body weight. It picks up the enemy with his horns during fights, flies and slams it down breaking enemies head.

1.The Adaptive mechanism make insects amazing or fascinating. 2.These adaptive traits may be: a) Structural (body covering, setae and body appendages) b) Chemical(toxin, venom) c) Colourational (camauflage, flash pattern) 3.All adaptations help insects for defence and communication in order to survive in their ecological habitats.