Tiger beetle (Cicindelinae)

Tiger beetles thrive in sandy habitats across many continents, notably the United States. They're nimble creatures, quick to take flight and have a near-perfect vision. Their bright hues adorn their bodies, earning them the label "butterflies of the beetle world."

Glowworm beetle (Phengodidae)

The Glowworm beetle is an interesting creature. The females exhibit bioluminescence, resembling their larval stage. They cast light through photic organs on each body segment and sometimes from luminous bands extending across the body. These females are spotted more frequently than the larvae.

Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)

Mayflies populate the globe in clean freshwater habitats. The adult insects, characterized by their large compound eyes and short antennae, lack functional mouthparts or digestive tracts and hence do not feed in their winged stages.

Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum)

Silverfish, a nocturnal insect known for its fish-like shape, lives mostly in the dark. This insect transforms from a white hatchling to a metallic, grayish adult. Key features include two long cerci, a terminal filament, and, in a few species, small eyes.

Earwig (Dermaptera)

Earwigs are abundant creatures spread across the Americas and Eurasia. Their elongated bodies squeeze into tight crevices, like those found under bark.

Thrips (Thysanoptera)

Thrips are small hemimetabolic insects with a distinct elongated, cigar-shaped body. Their asymmetrical mouth sets them apart. Surprisingly, the right mandible is minimized and may even be absent in some species.

Louse (Phthiraptera)

Lice are tiny, wingless parasites. They divide into two groups: chewing lice, typically infesting birds and mammals, and sucking lice, feeding off mammals exclusively. Their body color ranges from whitish and yellow to brown or black.

Termite (Isoptera)

Found worldwide except Antarctica, termites' species diversity peaks in South America. Misconstrued as "wood ants" or "white ants" in older texts, they are not actually ants.

Dobsonfly (Corydalidae)

Dobsonflies, typically large, span several continents from North to South America to Australia, Asia, and Africa. Possessing four similarly sized, net-veined wings, which vary from grayish to translucent among species, these insects belong to nine recognized genera.

Cricket (Gryllidae)

Crickets are small to medium-sized insects with cylindrical bodies that are somewhat vertically flattened. They possess spherical heads and are characterized by long antennae and large compound eyes. Depending on the species, their wings can be small or absent and lie flat on the body.

Grasshopper (Caelifera)

Grasshoppers, ancient herbivorous insects, originated nearly 250 million years ago alongside crickets during the early Triassic.

Yellow Jacket (Vespula  and Dolichovespula)

Yellow jackets are a common sight in the Northern Hemisphere. Naming them is a bit deceiving, given not all bear yellow and black markings. Instead, some display white, black, or even red patterns. Distinctive from other wasps, they settle in rest by folding their wings lengthwise.

Damselfly (Zygoptera)

Damselflies, easily confused with dragonflies, hold a distinct place in the world of odonates. Their slim bodies and resting posture, wings folded together over their back, set them apart from dragonflies.

Dragonfly (Anisoptera)

Dragonflies are predatory insects that thrive on every continent except Antarctica. They start their lives as aquatic nymphs, a stage that lasts up to five years in some species. After maturing, they may fly for about ten weeks but often live just five weeks or less, depending on the species.

American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

The American cockroach stands out as the largest among common cockroach species. With a reddish-brown hue and a yellowish margin, it measures around 1.6 inches in length. This insect undergoes 6-14 molts, often 13, and lives about 700 days - the longest life cycle in its class5.

Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus)

The Wheel Bug is an impressive assassin bug. It's the only one of its kind found in the US. It ranks among North America's largest terrestrial true bugs, sizing up to 1.5 inches.

Periodical Cicada (Magicicada)

Periodical cicadas, like clockwork, surface the ground together every 13 or 17 years. These types of bugs keep time quite uniquely, living as nymphs beneath the ground for almost 99.5% of their lives. These nymphs find nourishment in xylem fluids from forest tree root9.

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas)

The Atlas moth inhabits tropical and subtropical rainforests, with a significant presence in Southeast Asia. They have an impressive wingspan of nearly 10 inches and rank among the world's largest moths. Size variations exist between genders, with females tending to be larger.

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

The Monarch butterfly, famous across North America, is an essential pollinator. Distinguished by vibrant black, orange, and white patterned wings, it's hard to miss.

Scarab Beetle (Scarabaeidae)

Scarab beetles exhibit usual antennae, ending in three club-shaped plates. These beetles, identifiable by their front legs adapted for digging, come in various sizes, from a diminutive 0.2 inch to a bulky 4.7 inches for some African species.

Legend has it that ladybugs get their name from the Virgin Mary

This one is rather an unusual fact; however, have you ever wondered where the ‘lady’ comes from in their name?  We can trace this to the legend of the Middle Ages. 

According to the story, European crops were plagued by pests during this period. Due to this unforeseen incident, the farmers began praying to the blessed lady, Virgin Mary, to save their crops. 

Soon after, they began seeing beneficial ladybugs and noticed their crops were saved. The ladybugs were eating all the aphids and other damaging insect species. Rooted in gratitude, the farmers started referring to these beetles or insect-eating birds as “our lady’s birds” or “our lady’s beetles.” In Germany, people refer to them as Marienkafer, meaning Mary beetles. 

Read more about what people have to say about these intriguing little insects in our list of ladybug quotes.

Farmers and gardeners use ladybugs for pest control

Since the ladybug feeds on aphids and other plant-feeding insect types, many farmers try to incorporate them on their land as pest control. As stated earlier, a ladybug can consume as many as 5000 insect types in its lifetime. This natural diet serves many farm and garden areas since they serve as predators of pests that damage plants.

Giant Water Bugs (Lethocerus americanus)

The Giant water bug comes next on our list of one of the largest insects in the world. Known as toe-biters or alligator ticks, the giant water bug is a formidable predator in ponds and streams. 

These water bugs deliver a painful bite using their giant pincers and inject venomous saliva into their prey. They thrive near slow-moving water and feed on tadpoles and small fish. 

The largest species of the giant water bug can grow up to 4.5 inches. The biggest water bugs belong to the genus Lethocerus, with species Lethocerus grandis and Lethocerus maximus striving for the title of the biggest bug in the world.  

In South and Southeast Asia, people eat these giant bugs and consider them a wonderful delicacy.