MegaBrouci

The Tiger beetle can reach speeds of up to 60 cm/s. Adjusted for size, this can be compared to 400 km/h for a human. It runs so fast that it has to stop every once in a while to see where it is.

The mosquito doesn’t fly during the day. The hot sun would dry it out. It waits until the evening when everything is asleep, including the predators - an ideal time for a feast.

Mosquitoes prefer beer drinkers. To lose all of your blood, you would have to be sucked dry by 1.2 million mosquitoes.

After a battle, ants save and even treat their wounded. They clean their wounds to prevent infection from getting in.

40,000 ants in one colony combine for roughly the same number of brain cells as found in a human.

Every ant in the world has a different face. Each one is an original, just like humans.

The “Pantala flavescens” dragonfly seems to travel quite commonly across the open ocean and has managed to colonise even the most remote places. It often takes advantage of strong winds in storms and glides thousands of miles.

The Bombardier beetle can squirt acid at 100 °C from the abdomen both burning and scalding its predator. It does this thanks to two chambers in its abdomen. There is hydrogen peroxide in one of them and special enzymes in the other. When these two substances are combined, an explosion occurs which can be heard even by humans.

The largest prehistoric insect was the “Meganeura” dragon fly discovered as a fossil near Commentry, France. This gigantic species of dragon fly had a wingspan of around 70 cm, and it existed 300 million years ago.

Katydids hear through their knees! Indeed, katydids have extremely sensitive sensors on their forelegs allowing them to hear even ultrasound.

Termites don’t belong among ants. They are closer to cockroaches. Special bacteria in their digestive tract allow them to digest cellulose (e.g. wood). Their soldiers are blind, but equipped with massive mandibles. The queen can live up to 30 years.

The antennae of bees function as noses of humans, only about 1,000 times more sensitive. It only takes a few molecules of a scent, and the bee catches them with its antennae.

Much like butterflies, the fly tastes its food using its forelegs. There are special hairs on them equipped with taste buds.

Mayfly nymphs live in water for several years, but only for a few hours as winged adults (some species even for dozens of minutes only).

Butterflies and beetles aren’t colourful because there’s colour on them. In fact, they are all black. But there are special ridges on the surface of their bodies refracting light into fantastic colours.

The largest species of stick insects “Phobaeticus chani” (Chan’s megastick) was discovered only recently (2014) in Borneo measuring an incredible 64 cm!

The most dangerous insect, in fact the most dangerous animal, is the mosquito, which kills several million people every year. It transmits deadly diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, meningitis, elephantiasis and others.