Insects are the most abundant creatures in the rainforest, numbering in the billions. Insects by their sheer abundance have the greatest impact on the rainforest in comparison to the other species. They distribute pollen from plants to plants, helping to fertilize them, they help to breakdown plants after they die, and they are an easily available food source for the birds, animals and reptiles of the rainforest. Although insects around the world are generally small, the warm stable conditions of the rainforesthave produced some giant insects: The bird-eating spider is 3 inches across with a leg span of 11 inches it is the largest spider in the world, the Costa Rican cockroach can cover the palm of an adult's hand and the African swallowtail butterfly has a wingspan of 10 inches. A small number of the insects of the rain forest can be seen below.
The Katydid
This leaf-mimic katydid (Mimetica spp.) spends its day among dead leaves, moving about at night when it is relatively safe from predators. This photograph, taken near
midnight, reveals the incredible leaf-like pattern of veins on this katydid. A single species of such katydids may have individuals with a wide variety of color patterns to mimic leaves in all stages of life and decay. Some even have irregular shapes
resembling insect damage, holes, and spots of rot. Their
legs can resemble twigs and even their eyes are located unobtrusively at the edge of the leaf. When
disturbed, such a katydid will fall to the forest floor and lie on its side among the dead leaves.
The Rhinocerous Beetle
Rhinoceros beetles (Megasoma spp), among the largest
of scarabs, can reach lengths of 80 mm. Males sport a
long, upward-curved horn, lacking in the female, used in
fighting. Its eggs are laid in large logs and need some
three to four years to develop.
Other Interesting Web Sites on Insects
The Spiny Katydid
The Tenant -A Story about interactions between "tenant" beetles in colonies of warrior ants.
Go back to Animals in the Rainforest
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