these friendly little guys will play dead if they become frightened. their blue coating will turn black when exposed to moisture. they are scientifically proven to be the cutest bug in existence.

according to the schmidt pain index, they have one of the most painful stings out of any insect, beaten only by bullet ants and tarantula hawks. velvet ants are actually a wingless wasp, not an ant.

this tropical friend is known for its giant mandibles. the size of their mandibles is thought to depend on the moisture levels they are raised in as larvae.

this small crustacean loves to consume heavy metals in the soil. they have many different names around the world, including "cheesy bug" and "potato bug"

they have been observed to navigate using the milky way. in some species, the male and female will roll their ball together.

a species of desert stink beetle, they will stand on their heads if frightened.

in the distant past, they used to be called "humble bees". the first written usage of their current name was in the phrase "I bomme, as a bombyll bee dothe." from a 1530s book called Lesclarcissement.

its name refers to the its piebald coloration, not its lack of hair. they are not actually hornets, but yellowjackets. an aggressive species, it has been noted to spray venom from its stinger into the eyes of intruders.

there are two genus of moth that share this name. unsurprisingly, these moths resemble hummingbirds. in one genus, wings are transparent and may have a glassy appearance.

individual ladybugs may gather to hibernate in clumps over the winter. they can secrete toxic hemolymph from their knee joints when threatened.