221 Amazing Bugs and Insects Encyclopedia

Common name : Hercules Beetle Scientific name : Dynastes Hercules Family : Scarabaeidae Native to : Central America, South America and Lesser Antilles Interesting fact : This beetle has been named so because of its impressive body strength. It can lift up to 85 times its own body weight. With males at times reaching 17

Common name : Head louse Scientific name : Pediculus capitis Family : Pediculidae Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : Small wingless insects, these bugs spend their entire life as ectoparasites of humans. About 3 mm long, the head lice are wingless and generally grey in colour. They are known to reside for their

Common name : Harvestman Scientific name : Opiliones Family : (order) Opiliones Native to : Worldwide distribution Interesting fact : Even though this order looks like spiders, they are not even closely related to the arachnid species. However, they are a species that has existed on Earth for over 400 million years. The harvestman is

Common name : Gum leaf skeletoniser caterpillar Scientific name : Uraba lugens Family : Nolidae Native to : Australia, New Zealand Interesting fact : This caterpillar has been nicknamed the ‘mad hatter-pillar’ on account of its exoskeleton feature. As a moth, its wingspan is about 25-30 mm. In the caterpillar stage, this insect keeps shedding

Common name : Australian guava moth Scientific name : Coscinoptycha improbana Family : Carposinidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : Due to its affinity for the guava fruit, this insect has been given the name ‘guava moth’. The guava moth has a small wingspan, not exceeding 15 mm in length. Its diet is comprised

Common name : Grey house spider Scientific name : Badumna longinqua Family : Desidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The female of this species never leaves her web, unless and until a predator forces her to. About 11 mm in length, the male is smaller than the female. It resides in tree trunks,

Common name : Green vegetable bug Scientific name : Nezara viridula Family : Pentatomidae Native to : Australia & New Zealand Interesting fact : A plant-feeding stink bug, the green vegetable bug is considered to be a pest of agricultural crops specifically legumes, soyabeans and beans. While the male at 12 mm is slightly smaller

Common name : Green stonefly Scientific name : Leuresthes sp. Family : Stenoperla Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : The nymphs of the green stonefly live in water bodies, and are an indicator of good water-quality conditions. The green stonefly is predominantly green in colour and has tentacles-like gills protruding from its abdomen.

Common name : Green blotched moth Scientific name : Cosmodes elegans Family : Noctuidae Native to : Australia and New Zealand Interesting fact : Due to the wavy green pattern on a brown background, this moth has been given the name green ‘blotched’ moth. With a wingspan of 40 mm, the green-blotched moth has a

Common name : Green planthopper Scientific name : Siphanta acuta Family : Flatidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : The green planthopper produces honeydew, like its host plants. This honeydew is a bluish-green transparent sweet-tasting liquid. 15 mm in length, the green planthopper has wings, which look like leaves. Their diet is comprised of

Common name : Green garden looper caterpillar Scientific name : Chrysodeixis eriosoma Family : Noctuidae Native to : North & South America, Wadelai, Aden, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Australia Interesting fact : The moth of this caterpillar has red hair like scales that protrude from the side of its abdomen, giving this moth its scientific name.

Common name : Grass grub Scientific name : Costelytra zealandica Family : Scarabaeidae Native to : New Zealand Interesting fact : Grass grubs can be extremely  damaging to agricultural crops and plants. Up to 13 mm in length, the grass grub adult has a shiny outer covering. While the larvae tend to feed on the roots

Common name : Goliath birdeater Scientific name : Theraphosa blondi Family : Theraphosidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : The goliath birdeater is the largest spider in the world in terms of body mass. With a leg span of 28 cm, the goliath birdeater weighs 170 gm. Its diet is comprised of earthworms and

Common name : Golden tortoise beetle Scientific name : Charidotella sexpunctata Family : Chrysomelidae Native to : America Interesting fact : This beetle has earned the nickname ‘goldbug’ on account of its colouration which may vary from orange to golden but is always metallic. 7 mm in length, the goldbug, which is usually a shiny

Common name : Banana spiders Scientific name : Nephila Family : Nephilidae Native to : Australia, Asia, Africa and America Interesting fact : Its brightly coloured body helps it avoid predators. There is a big difference in the size of the male and female spiders, with the females being 5.1 cm in length and the