Kidzone Super Heroes Insects

Insect Superpowers

Insects have amazing superpowers, like super strength, super light, super pooper scooper, and many more.

The number of insect species is believed to be between six and ten million.Their total biomass outweighs all other animals combined.
A ladybird might eat more than 5,000 insects in its lifetime.
Ladybirds sometimes play dead to avoid predators.
Fruit flies were the first living creatures to be sent into space.

Dragonflies can see in all directions at once.
A bee’s wings beat 190 times a second, that’s 11,400 times a minute.
A single honeybee colony can produce around 100 kg of honey each year – that’s 220 jars.
Some queen honey bees quack.
Caterpillars have 12 eyes!
One dung beetle can drag 1,141 times its weight – that’s like a human pulling six double-decker buses!!
Large groups of fireflies sometimes flash in unison.
Bulldog ants can leap seven times the length of their bodies!
Mosquitoes are attracted to smelly feet!
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Grasshoppers have special organs in their hind legs that store energy for jumping.
Only male crickets chirp.
Insects are cold blooded.
Some cicadas can make sounds nearly 120 decibels loud.

Wasps control pests and pollinate plants.
Bees pollinate crops and make honey.
Flies clear waste and pollinate food plants.
Ants aerate soil and clear away debris.
Locusts are vital sources of protein and insects are eaten by two billion people globally. Insects themselves are harvested and eaten by people in some cultures. They are a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and are prized as delicacies in many third-world countries. In fact, it is difficult to find an insect that is not eaten in one form or another by people. Among the most popular are cicadas, locusts, mantises, grubs, caterpillars, crickets, ants, and wasps.
They are the sole food source for many amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Earwigs pollinate fruit.
A host of insects live on and below the soil surface, crunching away on dead organic matter. Their work returns nutrients to the soil and helps improve soil composition.
Lady bugs consume huge quantities of aphids which would otherwise munch the leaves of vegetable crops.

Lacewings and praying mantises are also common insects that view the pests in our garden as an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Insects provide honey, beeswax, silk, and other useful products.
Insects like the giant casemaker caddisfly break down debris in aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands, ponds, creeks, and streams, contributing to cleaner water for people, wildlife, and plants.
Ninety-six percent of North American birds, including the eastern phoebe, feed insects like yellow-jacket wasps to their young.
By breaking down and burying animal waste, dung beetles can reduce overall methane emissions on dairy and beef farms.
American burying beetles form one of nature’s most efficient cleanup crews. As carrion-feeding insects that help animal carcasses decompose, they keep the North American landscape looking—and smelling—a lot better than it otherwise might.

There are more than a million species of insects, each with its own unique shape, color, and pattern. They have incredible diversity and beauty. By discovering and appreciating the variety of insects, people can expand their imagination and appreciation for the natural world.

Learning about insects promotes a positive attitude and respect for living things. Insects are essential for the survival of many plants and animals and by learning about insects.

And insects make our world much more interesting. Naturalists derive a great deal of satisfaction in watching ants work, bees pollinate, or dragonflies patrol. Can you imagine how dull life would become without having butterflies or lightning beetles to add interest to a landscape?

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