Great Diving Beetle ©Jack Perks
How well do you know your insects?
Are you an expert entomologist or an insect novice? Answer these ten questions about insects to find out!
1. How many species of insect have been identified in the world?
a) 565,000
b) 925,000
c) 1,200,000
Answer
b) 925,000
2. How many days (on average) does a bumblebee live for?
a) 19
b) 28
c) 36
Answer
b) 28
3. How many different species of ladybird are there in the world?
a) 2000
b) 5000
c) 8000
Answer
b) 5000
4. Which beetle is the strongest insect on the planet?
a) Rhinoceros beetle
b) Bull-headed dung beetle
c) Hercules beetle
Answer
b) Bull-headed dung Beetle
This species of dung beetle (Onthophagus taurus) was found to be able to pull 1,141 times its own body weight - that's like an 11 stone person pulling six double-decker buses!
5. What insect was the first living creature to be sent into space?
a) Soldier ant
b) Cockroach
c) Fruit fly
Answer
c) Fruit fly
6. What percentage of all the species in the world are insects?
a) 25%
b) 40%
c) 80%
Answer
c) 80%
7. How old (in millions of years) is the oldest insect fossil?
a) 180
b) 320
c) 400
Answer
c) 400 million years old
8. Insects have structures known as simple eyes, in addition to the compound eyes they use to see. But what do they use these simple eyes for?
a) Detecting colours
b) Magnifying images
c) Detecting light
Answer
c) Detecting light
9. What is the loudest insect in the world?
a) Cicada
b) Cricket
c) Bee
Answer
a) Cicada
10. What is the largest butterfly in the UK?
a) Purple emperor
b) Swallowtail
c) Peacock
Answer
b) Swallowtail
How many did you get right?
Rhinoceros Beetle ©Philip Precey
You're a bug beginner
There are lots of amazing insects still to be discovered!
©Rachel Scopes
You're an amateur entomologist
You know your bugs from your beetles!
Buff-tailed BumbleBee © Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography
You're an insect expert
When it comes to insects, you're the bees knees!