Extreme Science® E-Zine Aprit 2001 Insect Giants Meet some of the heavyweight champions of the insect world. Copyright 2001, Extreme Science. Ail Rights Reserved. www.extremescience.com/ezine. htmExtreme Science” E-Zine April 2001 Earth Invaded by Insects! The most successful and plentiful life form on earth Is without 2 doubt ~ insects. There are over 1 million known species of insects that have been identified, with some scientists estimating that as many as 10 million species may exist. That's species (types) of insects, each species has uncounted numbers of actual specimens alive at any given time. It seems there are as many Insects on 2 this planet as there are stars in the universe. And it seems that mension) nature has a fondness for a certain kind of insect - beetles. Beetles ‘account for the vast majority of Insects species. In fact, one out of every four animals is a beetle! They come in an astonishing variety of sizes, colors, and shapes. The world record helder for the heaviest insect is 8 beetle - the Goliath beetle (pictured above). The Goliath beetle can grow up to 4.5 inches (Liem) long and weigh up te 3.5 ounces (100 grams). You can really get.a sense of how large this beetle is by looking closely at the picture - this Goliath is eravding on a grown man's forearm. It's natural to be creeped aut by such a big bug, but Goliath beetles are harmless to humans. Goliath beetles belong to- the scarab family. They are scavengers eating rotting vegetable matter that falls on the jungle floors where they make their homes, or even eating and collecting animal dung (feces). They are Mother Nature's janitors, processing the waste materials of plants and animals. They're really quite efficient, thriving on what few creatures would consider a food supply. There are several other species of beetle that rival the monster size of the great Goliath beetles. Coming a close second is the Acteon Beetle. The Dinosaur Insect Qn the island of New Zealand, there is a grasshopper-like species of insect that is found Nowhere else on earth. New Zealanders have dubbed it the weta, which is a native Maori “gad of bad looks". It's easy to see why anyone would call this insect 8 bad-looking bug. Most People are repulsed at the sight of these bulky, slow-moving creatures. Most people don't feel sympathy for these endangered creatures, but they do need protecting. Europeans who came to Australia and New Zealand brought rats and cats with them.The slow and ungainly wetas have been around on the island since the dinosaurs roamed and have evolved and survived in an ecosystem that had no predators for the wets. Until the rats came to the island. The rat population on the island has burgeoned into 9 real problem for mary of the native species who are unaccustomed tt it's presence, and has put a serious dent in the native weta population. Quite simply, rats love to hunt and eat wetas. Megasoma acteon is a type of rhigoceras. beatle (nate tha horns) {hat lives in the tropical jungles the Amazon region, It uses it's horns to ‘joust* with rival males over a female, or to defend it's food supply The larger photo above is of a rare tusked weta, that grows up to two inches (Scm) long. The inset photo is of a conservationist holding a Giant Weta, which can grow to aver three inches (8 cm) long And weigh as much as 1.5 ounces (40 grams). Giant wetas can hop up to 2 feet (6Gem) at a time. are nocturnal creatures, venturing out of the safety of their holes and caves only after dark. Some Giant wetas live in trees, and others live in caves. Giant wetas are very long-lived for insects, the adults can live for over a year. Just like their cousins, grasshoppers and crickets, weta are able to "sing" (formally called stridulation) by rubbing thelr leg parts together, or against their abdomens. Sign up for the Extreme Science E-Zine @ www.extremescience.com/ezine. htm 2Extreme Science” E-Zine April 2001 Fluttering Giant ‘The largest winged insect in the world is the Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly, with females being the larger of the species having a wingspan up to 12 inches (30¢m). Female ornithoptera (the scientific name for these Giant butterflies) are not as brightly colored as the exatic males, which have irididescent scales ‘of green, lavender, and blue. Not only are these magnificent creatures z id ~ extraordinarily beautiful, Lg they are also very rare. 4 f ‘Queen Alexandra birdwings é are found living only in a remote jungles of Pepua - New Guinea. auc ed = Queen Alexandra birdwing butterflies are truly an exotic species; they live in the tropical jungles, they ‘occur in only one location in the world, and they are highly specialized with very specific adaptations to their native ecosystem. Alexandras are rarely seen by people, even in their native habitat, because they spend much of thelr short lifespan in adult form (about 3 to 4 months) floating above the jungle canopy. Uke all butterflies, Alexandras do not have mouths with teeth, but rather a straw-like "tongue’ used for sipping nectar out of flowers. They play an important part in their ecosystem, helping to pollinate flowering plants that are out of the reach of other insects and animals. Aisa, like many exotic species living in the tropics, Alexandras are poisonous. They don't have stingers or fangs, but their bodies contain highly tox fluids that deter other animals ffom eating them. The bright colars on the wings Serve as a warning to potential predators - "I taste really bad, and I'll probably make you sick" Unfortunately, none of these adaptations have made them resistant to humans. Deforestation in Papua New Guinea Is causing loss of habitat for these rare butterflies, and their spectacular size and ex beauty make them especially attractive to people who collect Butterfies and insects. Queen Alexandras can no longer legally be collected from the wild because they are a protected species. Moth or Butterfly? This gigantic moth is called a Hercules, or Atlas, moth. Like the Queen Alexandra butterfly, the Hercules moth is an exotic species living in the tropical climates of Southeast Asia. The males and females of this math species have the same coloring and markings, which are quite elaborate. ‘The outer tips of the forewings have the shape ‘of 8 snake's head from the side, complete with an artificial "eye". This is probably to scare off birds that might consider eating the math, but ‘would have second thoughts if it lacked enough like a snake. Some moths are so brilliantly colored and far that it would be easy to confuse them with a butterfly. ‘The way you tell the difference between moths a butterflies is; maths have very specialized antennae, which look feathery. Butterfly antennae are thin, narrow, and generally end in a "club", or swollen tip. E When moths land, they hold their wings open and folded over the back while resting, and they tend to. Hercules Moth be active af night. Butterflies are usually active luring tt and when they land to rest, t This giant moth can grow up to 11 inches (27cm). Ree een ey, Sign up for the Extreme Science E-Zine @ www.extremescience.com/ezine.htm 3