Common name : Garden soldier fly Scientific name : Exaireta spinigera Family : Stratiomyidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : This insect is given the name ‘soldier fly’ because of the family it belongs to. The word ‘stratiomyidae’ comes from Greek literally meaning ‘soldier fly’. The garden soldier fly is only 14 mm in length. It […]
Common name : Garden orbweb spider Scientific name : Eriophora pustulosa Family : Araneidae Native to : Australia, New Zealand Interesting fact : This spider has 5 clearly visible distinctive spines on its back. Varying vastly in size and length, the garden orbweb spider is a nocturnal hunter. It creates a circular web which is
The Chichen Itza was built between 250 BC and 850 AD. It is located in the Yucatan city in Mexico. Chichen Itza means ‘at the mouth of the well of the enchanted water’. This site is said to be a great mythological city from the time of the Mayan Terminal Classic period and has various
Common name : Flower longhorn beetle Scientific name : Zorion spp. Family : Cerambycidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : Due to its size and shape, the flower longhorn beetle is very often mistaken for an ant. Only 5 mm in length, the flower longhorn beetle has antennas which are longer that its body. This
Common name : Flea Scientific name : Siphonaptera Family : Siphonaptera Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : Known as external parasites, fleas do not have wings, but are extremely agile and have mouths shaped-like tubes, so as to feed off their host. 3 mm in height, fleas are considered to be one of
The Angkor Wat temple was built in the 12th century, in Cambodia. The Angkor Wat temple started out as a Hindu temple, but was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple. Angkor Wat meaning ‘The City of Temples’, combined ‘temple-mountain’ and ‘galleried temple’ kinds of architecture. The temple has been built to represent Mount Meru, the
Common name : Flax looper moth Scientific name : Orthoclydon praefactata Family : Geometridae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : Due to its special diet where it feeds only on flax leaves, this specific moth has been nicknamed ‘flax looper moth’. With a wingspan of 45 mm, the flax looper moths are sexually dimorphic,
Common name : Flatworm Scientific name : Platyhelminthes Family : Platyhelminthes Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : Unlike most other living creatures, the flatworms are invertebrates, which have no specialized respiratory organs; nor do they have more than 1 digestive cavity. They can only take in oxygen through the process of diffusion. Their
Common name : Field grasshopper Scientific name : Corthippus brunneus Family : Acrididae Native to : Europe, North Africa, Temperate Asia Interesting fact : During courtship, the male attracts the female by singing, and if the female is interested she responds by singing a similar sounding song. 18 to 24 mm in length, the field
Christ the Redeemer was constructed between 1922 and 1931 in Reo de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ, which stands 38 metres high. A symbol of Christianity around the world, the statue has become a cultural icon of Brazil. The design which was eventually chosen
Common name : Cupboard spider, False katipo (New Zealand) Scientific name : Steatoda capensis Family : Theridiidae Native to : South Africa Interesting fact : The bite of the false katipo spider is said to be extremely painful in humans. Weirdly it can cause depression for an entire day. Very similar in size and shape to
Common name : Fairy fly Scientific name : Mymaridae Family : Mymaridae Native to : South America, New Zealand, Australia, North America Interesting fact : Known to have been around for a very long time, one of the species of the fairy fly is world-renowned as the smallest insect with a body length of only
The Borobudur temple was constructed between 750 and 825 AD, in Central Java, Indonesia.A Mahayana Buddhist temple, the Borobudur temple comprises 9-stacked platforms that are toped by a circular dome. It consists of 504 statues of the Buddha and is decorated with 2,672 relief work paintings. The world’s largest Buddhist Temple, the Borobudur temple, blends
Common name : European corn borer Scientific name : Ostrinia nubilalis Family : Crambidae Native to : Europe Interesting fact : A pest to the maize and corn plants, this moth was introduced to the United States, from where it has spread further to the Rocky Mountains and Canada. Only 1 inch in length and 1
Common name : European earwig Scientific name : Forficula auricularia Family : Forficulidae Native to : Indo-West Pacific region Interesting fact : Stories revolving around how the earwig uses its pincers to go into a human’s ear and travel into the brain are just superstitions created on account of this bug’s appearance. About 15 mm