Common name : Eucalyptus longhorned borer Scientific name : Phoracantha semipunctata Family : Cerambycidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : This beetle has become a huge pest to the eucalyptus trees in California, after it was introduced into Southern California in the 80’s. Eucalyptus trees which are suffering from drought, have been freshly cut. […]
The Statue of Liberty was constructed between 1875 and 1886 AD, made in Paris and situated in New York, United States.The Statue of Liberty is a copper statue of a robed lady, representing the Roman goddess, Libertas who bears a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other upon which the date of
Common name : Gum emperor Scientific name : Opodiphthera eucalypti Family : Saturniidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The emperor gum moth was the first insect to have been successfully used in the development of continuous insect cell cultures. With a large wingspan of 150 mm, the emperor gum moth has a multi-coloured
The Leaning Tower of Pisa was constructed between 1173 and 1372 AD, in the Italian city of Pisa.The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a freestanding bell tower, which is named so because of the unintended tilt in the tower. 56.67 metres on the higher side, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has been the subject of
The St. Basil’s Cathedral was constructed between 1551 and 1561 AD in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia.The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, is a church, with 9 churches constructed around the original, which is known as the Trinity Church. Now converted into a museum, St. Basil’s Cathedral has a unique design with colourful onion-shaped
The Stonehenge was constructed between 3000 BC and 2000 BC in Wiltshire, England.The Stonehenge is a ring of standing stones set within a simple earthwork enclosure and was used by prehistoric people to bury their dead. Built of only two types of stones, the larger sarsens and smaller bluestones, the Stonehenge presently is made up
Common name : Seashore earwig Scientific name : Forficula auricularia Family : Dermaptera Native to : America, Africa, Eurasia, Australia and New Zealand Interesting fact : The earwig has a unique pair of membrane-like wings which are under the forewings, giving it the name ‘skin wings’. The earwig is about 50 mm in length, and is
Common name : Dung beetle Scientific name : Scarabidae Family : Scarabaeoidea Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : The dung beetle is the only known animal which apparently navigates using the Milky Way as a guide. Not more than 3 cm in length, the dung beetles are classified into rollers, tunnelers and dwellers. True
The Eiffel Tower was built between 1887 and 1889, in Paris, France.The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower that was built as the entrance to the World Fair in 1889. Named after the engineer whose company had designed and built the Tower, Gustave Eiffel, 324 metres in height, the Eiffel tower is one
The Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1653, on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, India.The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, which was built by the Moghul Emperor, Shah Jahan for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. This 73 metre, 42 acre complex is made up of 28 different types of precious and
Common name : Bread beetle Scientific name : Stegobium paniceum Family : Anobiidae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : This particular beetle has an affinity for pharmaceutical products such as dried herbs, plant materials used in medicines, spices and at times even for bread and biscuit crumbs. Similar in appearance to the cigarette
Common name : Dew-drop spider Scientific name : Argyrodes antipodiana Family : Theridiidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : Due to its small shiny body, this spider has been nicknamed the ‘dew-drop spider’. Less than 3 mm in size, the dew-drop spider can be found living in the webs made by other spiders. It does
Common name : Desjardin’s flat beetle Scientific name : Cryptamorpha desjardinsi Family : Silvanidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The Desjardin’s flat beetle has an interesting mating ritual, whereby the beetles face in opposite directions, with one running forward and the other backward. 5 mm in length, this flat beetle is yellowish with
Common name : Damselfly Scientific name : Suborder Zygoptera Family : Odonata Native to : Worldwide distribution excepting Antarctica) Interesting fact : These beautiful insects have been around for millions of years. Their existence can be dated back to the end of the Paleozoic era. With the exception of a few families, damselflies are similar in
Common name : Crimson rose Scientific name : Pachliopta hector Family : Papilionidae Native to : Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar Interesting fact : Due to its beautiful crimson coloured tail and body, this particular butterfly is known as the crimson rose. Most of the wing is black, but the bottom half of the tail is