The world of insects

Insects live almost everywhere. We can easily spot them. They always have six legs and most have wings. When it comes to finding food, insects are at the head of the class. They have sharp eyesight and two long feelers called antennae to help them smell and feel for food. Many of them munch on leaves or drink juice from flowers. Others are fierce meat eaters that eat other creepy crawlers.Scientists have named over one million kinds of insects. There may still be millions out there to discover. Let us meet some of them.

Cicadas. They are know as the world’s loudest insect. They lived in fields, forests, and deserts.

Bees. Live together in nest or hives built for them by people. In summer, they fly from flower to flower to suck up a sweet juice called nectar. They take it back to the nest and turn it into honey. Bees also use a sticky yellow flower dust, called pollen, for food.

Crickets. Are known as champion jumpers. They have super-strong back legs that help them leap high into the air. This chirping insect usually comes out at night to search for food. By day, it hides under rocks or in shallow holes in the ground to look for plants and even other insects to eat.

Dragonfly. In the air, this mighty, bright colorful insect is an amazing acrobat. It can even fly backward! Buzzing mosquitoes and flies are no much to this lightning-quick hunter with its enormous eyes to catch dinner in midair.

Beetle. Comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. A few have brightly patterned bodies. The crawl, but they can fly, too. Some are strong that they can carry objects more than 850 times heavier than themselves.

Butterfly. Sucks flowers for a drink. Its long tongue works like a straw and is perfect for sucking up nectar.

Praying mantis. A deadly hunter, it sits on a leaf, where it waits for other insects and stretches out its spiny front legs to grab its snack.

Cockroaches. Feast on almost anything. At night, these creatures creep around houses searching for food with their hair-like feather.