Named for its spooky appearance, this little ankle-biter only grows to five centimetres in length. Its slow, creeping walk and gray-green to black colouring all add up to a distinctly ghostly look. Young nymph mantids have a unique form of defense — they pretend they’re ants. Preferring hot, humid climates, these insects are found all across Africa.
Ghost Mantis - Phyllocrania Paradoxa
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phyllocrania_Paradoxa_M_Fl%C3%BCgelans%C3%A4tze.JPG
Desert Locust - Schistocerca Gregaria
These locusts are the most destructive insects in the world. Each day, they eat the weight of their own bodies in food. They may be vegetarians, but they’re not picky! They’ll eat crops, leaves, fruit, rice, vegetables, and seeds. Locusts can fly in speedy swarms over great distances — 100 to 200 kilometres a day — making them invasive and dangerous. During their most active periods, they can be found in 60 countries, an area of 32 million square kilometres or 20 percent of the Earth’s surface. Amazing!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SGR_laying.jpg
North American Millipede - Narceus Americanus
These millipedes grow up to 10 centimetres long and live in forests and fields, preferring to hide in the dark under logs and dead leaves. Despite the name, these bugs don’t really have a million — or even a thousand — feet. Most have a few hundred. Despite having loads of legs, millipedes move very slowly. Even a tortoise would beat one of them in a race!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Narceus_americanus.jpg
African Goliath Beetle - Goliathus Giganteus
One of the largest insects in the world at up to 11 centimetres and 50 grams as an adult, the African Goliath Beetle is a real beaut! It’s found in Africa’s tropical forests, where it eats tree sap and fruit. In captivity, these magnificent beetles are so immense, they’re sometimes fed dog food! These big fellas have two sets of wings and striking, prominent black vertical stripes.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goliathus_goliatus_01.jpg
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach - Gromphadorhina portentosa
Known among its friends as “the hisser,” this species of giant cockroach can reach seven centimetres in length. Their unique hissing noise is produced when they push air through openings in the abdomen. But don’t be fooled — this scary sound is the only way these defenseless critters can scare off predators. They actually make great pets!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Female_Madagascar_hissing_cockroach.JPG
Annual Cicada - Tibicen Linnei
This is also called the Dog Day Cicada because it comes out in July and August, the “dog days” of summer. These dark insects with green markings have short life cycles: between two and eight years. They don’t bite or sting, and some people even snack on them! Male cicadas have noisemakers called timbals on their exoskeleton. At close range, cicadas are the loudest insects in the world, producing sounds up to 120 decibels. That’s louder than a rock concert!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tibicen_linnei.jpg
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