Masters
of Insect Disguise
You'd
have to look pretty closely at this tree to notice that there
was a bug on it. The walking stick insects are very highly specialized
insects that have adapted to their environments by blending in.
You can probably guess that they are called "walking sticks"
because they really look like sticks with legs. They come in many
colors and sizes, all depending on the type of tree or bush they
like to live in. The plants these insects live in are their primary
source of food. Giant stick insects are some of the longest insects
in the world. In fact, the longest insect on record is a stick
insect of the species Pharnacia kirbyi, found living
in the rainforests of Borneo, and it can grow up to 20 inches
(50cm) long.
Giant
winged insects...
Biggest
Ever
Scientists
have looked at fossil records dating back to the beginning of
earth and have found the largest insects that ever lived existed
during the time of the dinosaurs. The biggest insect in prehistoric
times was a dragonfly called Meganeura monyi that had
a wingspan measuring over three feet (1m). The biggest dragonflies
today only grow wings up to 8 inches (20cm) across.
