The Gallus gallus domesticus (scientific name) or Polish chicken is found in Europe. This breed’s unique characteristic is the crest of feathers. It is known for the ‘V’ shaped comb, wattles and earlobes. The wattles are usually bright red and ear lobes are white. Various species come in a variety of colours, but all of […]
Common name : Bagworm moth Scientific name : Cebysa leucotelus Family : Psychidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The covering formed by the caterpillar to pupate is an extremely untidy mess and can be found on rock walls. This case keeps growing as the bag moth keeps adding material to the front. This moth’s
Common name : Assassin bug Scientific name : Stenolemus fraterculus Family : Reduviidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The assassin bug got its name because of the way it eats its prey. It first stings its prey with a poison which dissolves the prey’s tissues and then sucks out its tissues! Only one
Common name : Asian paper wasp Scientific name : Polistes chinensis Family : Vespidae Native to : East Asia (China and Japan) Interesting fact : The queen with the help of the workers destroys nearly 70% of the laid eggs. This process is known as worker policing. Hardly an inch in length, this insect is
The Chrysolophus amherstiae (scientific name) or Lady Amherst’s pheasant is endemic to South-Western China and Mayanmar. 39-47 inches in length, this bird has a very long tail, which almost accounts for 30 inches of its total length. The male has black-silver feathers on the head and neck, which resemble a head-gear. The crown is red,
Common name : Soldier ant Scientific name: Eciton burchellii Family : Formicidae Native to : Spread worldwide Interesting fact : There are over 200 species of soldier ants. They are named such due to their aggressive behaviour of foraging simultaneously at a specific place. These groups are known as raids. Unlike other ants, army ants
Common name : Mountain apollo Scientific name : Parnassius apollo Family : Papilionidae Native to : Continental Europe, Central Europe and Alps Interesting fact : The apollo has large eye-like spots on both its wings so as to distract its enemy. Another important defence mechanism is its foul taste. The apollo’s diet is comprised
Common name : Hopper Scientific name : Amphipoda Family : Talitridae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : The name ‘amphipoda’ has Greek origin, in which it means ‘different foot’, referring to 2 different kinds of legs. Amphipods have 13 segments to their bodies. Generally less than 10 mm in length, depending on
Common name : Plant louse Scientific name : Aphididae Family : Aphididae Native to : Temperate zones across the globe Interesting fact : With over 4,000 species across the globe, these pests multiply in leaps and bounds on account of their asexual reproduction capabilities. 0.04 inch to 0.40 inch in length, aphids have soft
The Tachyphonus cristatus (scientific name) or flame-crested tanager is found in tropical moist lowland forests and dry shrublands of South America, from Bolivia and Brazil to French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. 5.9 inches in length, the overall plumage is glossy black, excepting the yellow-orange coloured crest it has on its head, which looks
Common name : European honeybee, Killer bee Scientific name : Apis mellifera Family : Apidae Native to : Central, North & South America Interesting fact : The Killer bee (a hybrid of theAfricanized bee) responds to threats, by chasing away its enemy for more than a mile and stinging in large groups. The Africanized honeybee
The Ocreatus underwoodii (scientific name) or booted racket-tail hummingbird is endemic to South America, specifically Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. 2.9 inches in length, this hummingbird is distinguishable from the others because of its tail feathers. The upperparts are golden-green in colour; the throat and breast are iridescent emerald green, and legs are feathered
Insects are invertebrates that are found in almost all environments across the globe. Most of them have bodies, which can be divided up into head, thorax and abdomen. Bugs and insects have more than a million different species. More importantly, they represent more than half the number of living organisms found on the planet. This
The Rhegmatorhina melanosticta (scientific name) or hairy-crested antbird is found in tropical moist lowland forests of South America, specifically Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. 5.9 inches in length, this bird is quite dramatic-looking. Overall plumage is brown in colour, with a bushy grey crest, black face and the orbital skin which is pale blue
The Aglaeactis Pamela (scientific name) or black-hooded sunbeam is found only in the tropical moist and high altitude forests of Bolivia. At 5.1 inches in length, these birds are relatively large in size for hummingbirds. They have purplish-black plumage, while the tail is rufous, chest tufts are white and wings and lower back are glittering