Weirdest and Freakiest Insects in Your Yard, Garden, Orchard and Pond
As mentioned in my article entitled “Incredibly Awesome-Looking Garden and Most Sought Collection and Pet Insects” there are more than one million species of insects. They represent more than 90% of all the living organisms in the planet. In relation to that, they also have the greatest number of weird and freak-looking species.
Narycius opalus
This beautiful but somewhat bizarre-looking beetle is scientifically called Narycius opalus. It is a beetle that can be found in South Asia. The male has a prominent projection on the head, making it of interest to collectors. This structure is probably the result of sexual selection.
Cottony Cushion Scale (Icerya purchasi)
The first freak on the list is the Cottony Cushion Scale, an insect that feeds on several species of woody plants. Its favorite plants are Citrus and Pittosporum. It was originally identified in New Zealand consuming Kangaroo Acacia. It is now found worldwide where citrus crops are grown.
Cave Beetle (Leptodirus hochenwartii)
Like the Narycius opalus, the odd-looking Leptodirus hochenwartii or L. hohenwarti has no common name yet. Since it is identified as a cave beetle then it should be named Cave Beetle. It is well adapted to the life underground and unable to survive outside. Its most striking feature is the domed elytrae which cover the abdomen completely and give it a round appearance. This unusual beetle is found in Slovenia.
Giraffe Weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa)
The Giraffe Weevil of Madagascar derives its name from an extended neck much like that of the common Giraffe. The neck of the male is typically 2 to 3 times that of the female. The total body length of the males is just under an inch or 2.5 cm. The extended neck is an adaptation that assists in nest building. When it comes time to breed the father-to-be will roll and secure a leaf of the host plant.
New Zealand Giraffe Weevil (Lasiorynchus barbicornis)
The New Zealand Giraffe Beetle is a straight-snouted weevil that is native to New Zealand. It is called ‘Tuwhaipapa’ by Maori people. The name was derived from the Maori god of newly made canoes. It is a notable insect not only for its odd appearance but also because it is the longest weevil in the world.
Lace Bug (Corythucha ciliate)
This is not a plastic toy created for kids. It may look like a toy but it is actually an insect that belongs to Tingidae, a family of very small insects. Insects that belong to this group are commonly referred to as Lace Bugs. They are found worldwide and consist of approximately 2,000 species.
Giant Water Bug (Abedus indentatus)
With those things on its back, this bug is really unique This Giant Water Bug or colloquially called Toe-biters can be found worldwide with the most species in North and South America and parts of Asia. You can usually encounter them in the ponds or streams. It grows up 12 cm and can nearly reach the dimensions (length and mass) of some of the larger beetles in the world. Giant Water Bugs are a popular food in Thailand.
Earwig (Dermaptera)
Earwig is a unique insect characterized by membranous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings. The abdomen extends well beyond the wings, and frequently, ends in a pair of forceps-like structures called cerci. Earwigs are quite common globally. There is no evidence that they transmit disease to humans or other animals.
Bee Beetle (Trichius fasciatus)
One of the weirdest-looking beetles is the Trichius fasciatus. Its entire body is covered with yellow hairs, except the wing-cases, which have yellow and black stripes. This beetle can reach up to 12 mm in length. The Bee Beetle larva develops in rotting wood, the adult feeds on blossoms.
Spider Beetle (Gibbium psylloides)
This unique-looking small fellow is informally called Spider Beetle. There are about 500 species of Spider Beetles in the world. This Spider Beetles has round a body with long, slender legs, and lack wings. It can reach a length of up to 5mm long. The larva and adult forms are both scavengers and they reproduce at the rate of two to three generations per year.
Lobster Moth Caterpillar (Stauropus fagi)
The Lobster Moth Caterpillar is a unique larva for having long thoracic legs. Its long thoracic legs and caudal appendages are ever nervously twisting about. If it’s disturbed, it wriggles about violently in the same manner as an injured ant.
It keeps nervously moving around and about this, and if by chance another caterpillar should approach within touch of it, a vigorous attack is made to drive the intruder away.
Cryptic Mantis (Sybilla pretosia)
This mantis of Africa known as the Cryptic Mantis earns this moniker through its ability to grow asymmetrically to match the vegetation of their environment. It has unusual leaf-like projections on the joint of its four walking legs. Adults are distinguished from most other mantis species by their leaf-like wings, generally the only green portion of the mantis. The lifespan of the wild cryptic mantis is unknown, but they have been known to live up to 9 months in captivity (wild mantises likely live a little longer, a year and a few months).
Wandering Elongated Violin Mantis (Gongylus gongylodes)
This mantis India and Sri Lanka is one of the most bizarre-looking mantises. The Wandering Violin Mantis is also informally called Indian Rose Mantis. It is characterized by extremely slender limbs with large appendages. This unique mantis is often kept as a pet by hobbyist because it is not a particularly aggressive species. It feeds primarily on flying insects and can reach sizes of up to 11 cm. The males of the species are capable of flight.
Ghost Mantis (Phyllocrania paradoxa)
The Ghost Mantis f Africa is notable for its leaf-like body. It is “miniature species” growing to only 45 to 50 mm long. It comes in various brownish shades from very dark brown to greenish gray. An individual’s colors change between molts and are also dependent on light and humidity levels.
It appears as dead, dried-up leaf material and has an elongated head and a flattened, extended prothorax.
Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis Carolina)
Carolina mantis and other mantises have an unusual sexual behavior. The female Carolina Mantis is shown here cannibalizing another female. This tendency carries over into mating; Sexual cannibalism occurs in roughly one quarter of all intersexual encounters of this species. This species is endemic to Southern US. It grows up to 2.5 inches or 64 mm in length.
Conehead Mantis (Empusa pennata)
The physical appearance of Empusa pennata is a combination of a mantis and a stick insect. Its common names are Conehead Mantis in English and Mantis Palo in Spanish. It is a praying mantis endemic to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and parts of France.
Ghost Insect (Ctenomorpha chronus)
This unusual insect that belongs to Phasmatodea which is known with a variety of informal names such as Stick Insects in Europe, Walking Sticks or Stick-bugs in the US, Phasmids, Ghost Insects and Leaf Insects. Its informal names refer to the resemblance of many species to sticks or leaves. The natural camouflage of this insect can make it extremely difficult to spot. Many stick insects are easy to care for, and make good pets. Almost 300 species have been reared in captivity.
Lord Howe Island Stick (Dryococelus australis)
The weird-looking and oblong in shape Lord Howe Island Stick can measure up to 15 cm long and can weigh up to 25 grams. Other common names of this species are Land Lobster and Walking Sausage. It was thought to be extinct by 1930, only to be rediscovered in 2001. It is extinct in its largest habitat, Lord Howe Island, and has been called “the rarest insect in the world”, as the rediscovered population consisted of fewer than 30 individuals living on the small islet of Ball’s Pyramid.
Unlike most phasmids they have no wings, but are able to run quickly. The behavior of this stick insect is highly unusual for an insect species. The males and females form some kind of a bond. The males follow the females and their activities depend on what the female is doing. During the night the couple sleeps together with three of the male’s legs wrapped around the female. Wow, that’s kind of sweet of him.
Yellow Umbrella Stick (Tagesoidea nigrofasciata)
This is not a butterfly or a moth. It is not a dragonfly neither a damselfly. It’s a kind of insect called ‘stick’ to be specific – Yellow Umbrella Stick. It belongs to Necrosciinae, a subfamily of the stick insect family Diapheromiredae.
Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!
See also
Incredibly Awesome-Looking Garden and Most Sought Collection and Pet Insects
Amazingly Unique Pets, Insects and Other Animals
World’s Most Captivating and Stunning Sea Anemones
Top Ten Most Beautiful and Colorful Caterpillars
Fantastic and Unique Shapes of Caterpillars
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17 Responses to “Weirdest and Freakiest Insects in Your Yard, Garden, Orchard and Pond”
On May 18, 2009 at 7:53 am
awesome article.
On May 18, 2009 at 9:22 am
Wow, those are some weird looking bugs.
On May 18, 2009 at 9:37 am
NIMBY
Not in my backyard!
On May 18, 2009 at 9:43 am
some of these would make neat pets!
the spider beetle looks kinda like a flea.
when I was young we went on holiday to an area that had earwigs -they are nasty looking and as a kid you think they are going to crawl into your ear at night or something…. ew..
on the whole I rather like bugs, we shouldn’t step on them just because they are small.
On May 18, 2009 at 9:54 am
Awesome and outstanding article as usual.
On May 18, 2009 at 11:21 am
Your usual good job. The pictures are just great and the article well researched. Thanks for this.
On May 18, 2009 at 11:30 am
Great post!..this is eally nice article and well written piece..nice pics too..LOV it..Well done and thanks for sharing this great stuff.
On May 18, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Realy great but i don’t want them around
On May 18, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Nobert these are awesome but just to look at lol. Great article
On May 18, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I hope i don’t see any of those in my garden… lol great info
On May 18, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I am glad that I have never come across any of these guys in my garden work. I actually like the Giraffe Weevil. He is kinda cute lol. Wonderful and unique work, as always!
On May 19, 2009 at 5:31 am
It must take a very cool, humid atmosphere for a backyard to afford shelter to these exotic insects. Great work.
On May 19, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Most of these I’ve never seen, they are a strange and weird looking lot.
On May 19, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Excellent work, my friend. I never knew my backyard was so full of life.
On May 30, 2009 at 11:05 am
i wanna see those bugs in my garden hehe..specially the lace bug wana touch it..but they are all nice..loved it..thnk you for sharing sir..your great
On June 8, 2009 at 4:19 am
i haven’t seen any of these yet…nice researched!
On August 6, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Unknown insects,most of them,well researched article.
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