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10 Most Alien-Like Insects on Earth |
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A common mistake when searching for alien life forms is to look up into the
sky for something big. But alien life is right here, at our feet, in our
backyards. Millions of tiny but frightening aliens, many just a few millimetres
long. We've convinced the most cheerful of the lot to give us a tour…
1. "Hi, I'm Danny and I'll be your host. Buzz along…"
This alien poses as a damselfly of the Zygoptera suborder. People often fail to
notice that they hold their wings differently when at rest and are also smaller
than dragonflies. Oh, and did you notice, their eyes are separated. Though
running might be better than waiting to see the blue in their eyes…
2. "Give me… FOOD!" This fuzzy yellow alien with black spots is called Dasychira
Pudibunda and is the larval form, or caterpillar, of the red-tailed moth.
3. This species of aliens has fooled humans for many years. Popularly known as a
bumblebee of the Apidae family, they have donned a fuzzy yellow-and-black fur
and spread rumours that some of them are stingless. Right, whatever, just
careful with that … thingy, dude!
4. "Listen to me, Earthling, feel the mighty wrath of Gandalf the Green!" This
green bush cricket of the TettigoniidaeLord of the Rings.
5. "Hullo there, did I startle you? If I did pretty please, will you be my…
ahem… buy my dinner?" This praying mantis is one of 2,000 species in the mantis
order of insects. As predatory aliens, er, insects, they might better be called
preying mantis.
6. "I might look cute but I can sap you out!" Treehoppers have long fascinated
biologists because of their unusual appearance. They belong to the Membracidae
family and are closely related to cicadas and leafhoppers. They feed upon the
sap found in plant stems, which they prick with their beaks.
7. This praying mantis male would certainly score a role in any alien movie. His
acting talent is undisputed as he's part of the flower mantis species - they
pretend to be flowers and then attack their prey. How very cunning, indeed.
8. "Who you're calling an alien? Our ancestors have been around since 350
million BC!" Wasps are said to be terrestrial but some of them look positively
extra-terrestrial. Though often called pests, they are in fact very important
for ecosystems: as food for other insects and birds or as predators limiting the
populations of many other species.
9. "Call me a cricket one more time!" Grasshoppers have horns or antennas that
are shorter than their body, unlike their relatives', the bush crickets. They
may look well shielded but lose many a battle when they end up as a protein-rich
delicacy on someone's plate in many parts of the world.
10. This praying mantis looks straight out of Alien or Men in Black… No prizes
for guessing who inspired whom.
Users' Comments (1) 
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It is very wonderful to see good face shots of our insect relations 
