Guess whose baby this is?

Image source: Pinterest

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Guess the insects by looking at the babies. Do you know whose babies these strange "weird" babies are? Try it!

01

Image source: chaosofdelight.org

Look at it, living under tree bark and rotten wood, they are very small, only 3~4 mm at the largest, and usually wander around, eating microorganisms.

They have many bristles on their heads and bodies that produce a hygroscopic antibacterial substance that falls in the form of small droplets on the tip of each bristle.

Image source: chaosofdelight.org

Some larvae are very good at camouflage. They use the sticky substance on their backs to stick some plant debris to wrap themselves up. Such a strange appearance is to better blend in with the surrounding environment.

Image source: chaosofdelight.org

On top of their bristles, they secrete waxy balloons or even waxy "feathers":

Image source: chaosofdelight.org

Image source: chaosofdelight.org

These appendages act as distractions for predators and can easily fall off, giving the larvae time to escape.

Image source: chaosofdelight.org

Whose baby is it? Answer: Midge

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02

Image source: See watermark

Just looking at this ball of "hemp rope", you can't even guess what it is. If you turn it over, you will suddenly find a plump little bug underneath.

Image source: bugguide.net

These larvae are very good at using feces as a weapon of camouflage, and even use "fecal shields" to attack enemies.

KENJI NISHIDA

www.projectnoah.org

Of course, in addition to poop, insect molts are also a good choice. Look at it, the tail is attached with molts of different ages, arranged from small to large, just like its growth "track". Super interesting!

KENJI NISHIDA

Image source: natgeo.nikkeibp.co.jp

Whose baby is it? Answer: Tortoise shell

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03

Image source: uglyhedgehog

Look, this little bug looks kind and innocent, a little fluffy ball, like a gentle and lovely lamb. But don't be deceived by its appearance, it is a "wolf in sheep's clothing".

Image source: bugguide.net

When they are young, they have a quirky habit of collecting debris to cover themselves up, including lichens, plant fibers, shed skins, and even the bodies of their victims.

Image source: See watermark

Yes, it is not a vegetarian. It preys on many small insects and mites, and is also a well-known aphid killer.

Image source: See watermark

Whose baby is it? Answer: Lacewing

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04

Image source: butterfly-conservation.org

Do you know this little bug? Sometimes it appears frequently in the house and likes to wrap itself in a small bag.

That's right, it is born with the ability to build houses. In order to defend against enemies and camouflage itself, it uses silk and other debris and fibers to weave a tube nest that suits its body shape and lives in it.

Image source: butterfly-conservation.org

As it grows, it expands the bag's volume by opening a slit on either side of the bag (the tube nest) and inserting new material, and in the same way, increases the bag's length by adding new material at either end.

Image source: wikipedia

They feed on animal fibers, especially wool, fur, silk, feathers, felt and leather, so they often destroy clothes, household items and books, and have now become a global storage pest.

Image source: Youtube

Whose baby is it? Answer: The bagworm

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05

Flick

These small insects are natural architects. The houses they build are carefully thought out and designed, and even the twigs are carefully selected.

Look, the houses they built are unique and unconventional in shape, some of them can even be called magnificent.

Image source: See watermark

The building materials used by each larva vary, depending largely on what the larva eats and what is readily available at the time. In addition to twigs, there are also leaves, rice husks, lichens, and even its own molted skin.

Image source: See watermark

They drag their small houses along as they walk, and when they encounter danger, they retract their heads into the houses, usually escaping danger. This is very similar to the "debt-avoiding" who closes his door tightly to avoid the creditors coming to collect the debt, so they are also called "debt-avoiding insects."

Image source: See watermark

Whose baby is it? Answer: The moth

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06

Image source: See watermark

When they are young, these insects often live in streams that have a lot of rocks or gravel and are covered with bushes.

The larvae prefer to build their mobile huts using local materials, but most commonly they are made of small pieces of plant matter, sand, or other debris adhered or twirled together.

www.landcareresearch.co.nz

Some huts are spiral-shaped like a snail shell, while others are tubular or cone-shaped.

mdc.mo.gov

Most of the time, they hide their bodies in their small houses, but they will crawl out when looking for food. As their bodies grow, they will constantly expand their small houses, so they are also known as underwater architects.

Image source: m.espacepourlavie.ca

Whose baby is it? Answer: Caddisfly

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07

Posted by Carly Brooke

These strange little insects have colorful silk-like "tails" dragging behind their buttocks, which look like exploding fireworks or even more like unlucky stars streaking across the sky.

Flickr user pbertner

In fact, these strange fibrous "tails" are wax secreted by these insects from their abdomens. They are not just decorations, but also have an important camouflage function!

Flickr user hardybackyardgeo‍‍‍‍

These abdominal wax strands can be expanded or contracted, and when expanded, they resemble a peacock spreading its tail, thereby camouflaging itself and intimidating the enemy. It can also be spread out to slow down the speed of the nymph falling in the air.

www.whatsthatbug.com

Whose baby is it? Answer: Cicada (Cicadaoidea)

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08

Image source: Twitter Look at it, with a flat body, a long "neck", and a "big pincer" on its head. Now, does its "long neck" look like a selfie stick? It seems that this is a bug that loves to "take pictures"!

Image source: See watermark

They are ugly and not gentle, and are very ferocious when hunting prey. They cover their bodies with sand to camouflage themselves, and quietly hide under the fine sand waiting for prey to come to them.

Image source: See watermark

When prey approaches, they will suddenly emerge from the soil, grab the prey with their "big pincers" and inject venom into their bodies to paralyze them. Some prey will struggle violently, and their "long necks" can prevent their abdomens from being injured by the prey.

Whose baby is it? Answer: Jinglong

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END

Did you answer all of them correctly?

References:

https://www.wired.com/2015/06/absurd-creature-of-the-week-tortoise-beetle/

Image source: Google

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Editor of this issue: Kongfeng Xiaoxian

Journal of Plant Protection

Source: Rendaishouhu