Have you ever spent the better part of a summer afternoon watching water bugs in a pond, or ants on a sidewalk? Well, the guys at Science Channel have – it’s the sort of thing they live for – and lucky for us they’re willing to share their obsession. Here are their Top 10 Weird Bug Facts, just in time for mosquito-swatting season.
No. 10 – Grasshopper Ears
Certain types of grasshoppers and crickets have their ears on their front legs.
No. 9 – Ants Marching
Only three kinds of animals fight battles in formations: humans, crows and ants.
No. 8 – Wasp Hunters
There are wasp species that specialize in hunting other dangerous predators, like praying mantids and tarantulas.
No. 7 – Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes have killed more humans than all the wars in history.
No. 6 – Fly Taste Buds
Houseflies can taste with their feet—they have taste buds on them.
No. 5 – Sleeping Wasps
Some wasps sleep (and even hibernate for months) while hanging by their teeth.
No. 4 – Termite Mounds
African termite mounds can be 40 feet high and use an intricate system of ventilation shafts to control the temperature inside.
No. 3 – Indian Moon Moths
Indian moon moths are able to smell the pheromones of a potential mate over 6 miles away.
No. 2 – Termite Queens
Termite queens will lay up to 30,000 eggs a day, and live for many years.
No. 1 – Midge Larvae
Larvae of one type of midge can survive for three days in liquid nitrogen. The temperature of liquid nitrogen is -321 degrees Fahrenheit.
Want even more weird bug facts? Check out weirdthings and rusticgirls.
