January 2022

Common name : Amazon tree ant Scientific name : Allomerus decemarticulatus Family : Formicidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : The tree ants are known for their predatory behaviour whereby they catch and immobilize their prey mostly alone, and then release pheromones to signal the others. While the worker ants are about 2

Common name : Tree weta Scientific name : Hemideina thoracica Family : Anostostomatidae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : The word ‘weta’ is a term native to New Zealand. ‘Weta’ is a name given to the large flightless nocturnal grasshoppers. About 40 mm in length, the tree weta can be found in tree holes

Common name : Eucalyptus tortoise beetle Scientific name : Paropsis Charybdis Family : Chrysomelidae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : This beetle is considered to be the worst pest for the Eucalyptus trees in New Zealand. While there are over 125 genera of tortoise beetles, the eucalyptus tortoise beetle is found specifically feeding on

Common name : Tongue eating louse Scientific name : Cymothoa exigua Family : Cymothoidae Native to : Gulf of California to Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador and Atlantic Interesting fact : Weirdly, this bug has received its name because it enters the body of a fish through the fish’s gills, and then latches on to the

Common name : Tomato fruitworm moth Scientific name : Helicoverpa armigera conferta Family : Noctuidae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : The larvae of this moth feed on tomatoes and corn, tunnelling through the tomato into the fruit; giving it the popular name ‘tomato fruitworm moth’. While the moth is medium-sized with a wingspan of

Common name : Titan beetle Scientific name : Titanus giganteus Family : Cerambycidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : The titan beetle is the second largest beetle in the world. With a body length of almost 6.5 inches, the titan beetle has short curved mandibles that are known to have immense strength. The titan

Common name : Common tiger beetle Scientific name : Cicindela Family : Carabidae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : These beetles are popularly known as tiger beetles because of their amazingly fast speeds. They can run as fast as 9 km per hour. Brightly coloured with metallic bodies that flash in the light,

Common name : Great tiger moth, Garden tiger moth Scientific name : Arctia caja Family : Arctiidae Native to : Europe, North and Central Asia & North America Interesting fact : The varying designs of wing patterns based on species vary, but each brightly coloured wing pattern serves as a warning to predators that this

Common name : Thrip Scientific name : Thysanoptera Family : (order) Thysanoptera Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : Thrips have asymmetrical mouthparts, with the right mandible being reduced. This feature is unique to this group. From 0.5 to 14 mm in length, thrips are small insects with fringed wings. Due to their size and

Common name : Threelined hoverfly Scientific name : Helophilus seelandicus Family : Syrphidae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : This insect has been popularly named so, because of the 3 black lines on the back of its head. Medium to large in length, the threelined hoverfly can sometimes be mistaken for a bee.

Common name : Termite Scientific name : Isoptera Family : (order) Blattodea Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : The term ‘termites’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘Termes’ meaning wood worm or white ant. In the wild, termites are considered ecologically important. They help in nutrient recycling, habitat creation and soil formation.