Top 5 insects you should be eating

Cape Town – Scientists have long argued the virtues of eating insects as an alternative source of nutrition. Not only are insects cheap, they are filled with proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.

There are close to 2000 different edible insects in the world according to a report on IFL science.

Here is a list of the top 5 insects we should eat.

Grasshoppers

These insects are filled with protein. 77% of its entire body is entirely made up of protein.

Known as chapulines in Latin America, they mainly eat beans, corn and other legumes.

Grasshoppers in Mexico are usually eaten with tortillas and avocado.

Palm grubs

Know as natural energy bars, palm bugs are weevils and are eaten in South Asia and the Americas, specifically in Paraguay.

These bugs are filled with unsaturated fatty acids. The body consists of 69% pure fat.

They can be cooked in their own fat or eaten raw.

Mopane worms

Mopane worms are a great source of iron. They have between 31 to 77mg of iron per 100g.

Found predominantly in Southern Africa, these insects are very good for increasing iron levels for people who have vitamin deficiencies.

Meal worms

Nutritionally meal worms could be compared to beef. In European countries, companies have started growing meal worms in order to be used as bird food.

But they are just as good for humans.

In the Netherlands companies are now rearing meal worms for human consumption.

Black soldier flies maggots

A Black soldier fly contains 42% protein and 35% fat.

These insects are mostly used in animal feed. They are particularly used in the poultry, trout and swine industry.

In China they are especially delicious when deep fried or dried.

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Top 5 Most Dangerous Ants in the World

It’s easy to underestimate them especially that any man can easily step on one and kill it – no sweat. But their strength lies not in their individual prowess. Taken together – in millions – they are a force to reckon with and death at their claws would be most horrifying for any man to imagine.

Below are 5 of the most dangerous ant species said to be walking the Earth today:

#5: Paraponera

Much has been written about the Paraponera, also dubbed as Lesser Giant Hunting Ants. For sure, you won’t forget being bitten by this ant as the pain seem unbearable and lasts for a day.

Many who have survived to tell the tale says that the sting is equal to getting shot with a burning sensation like no other. Lucky for humans, only small insects get paralyzed. Fact is, a tribe in Brazil uses these ants as a passage rite to becoming a warrior putting the ant’s venom in gloves which are then bitten by those who seek the exalted status. Only the best of men survive the harrowing experience.

#4: Red Harvester Ant

Don’t be fooled by the name. Though it sounds like it’s such an industrious ant, this one is fraught with danger.

Considered one of the most venomous ants in the world, its sting will induce lymph nodes all over. A big rat – one 100 times bigger than this ant specie - stung 13 times would succumb and die thereafter.It is therefore wise to not be so dumb enough as to step on them.

#3: Ravoux’s Slave Maker

It seems these ants endemic to Europe have found the secrets of a true feudal systemakin to their human counterparts. And they’ve wield it to their advantage like a master carpenter with his tools. Noted for their skill at employing other ants to do their bidding, the Slave Maker are considered masters of the ant world.

The Slave Maker’s clever behavior is one perfected by the queen which fakes even her own death when other ant colonies intrude. No sooner is she in the enemy’s nest that her true nature is unraveled. She quickly kills the queen and proceed to produce her own set of eggs which pretty soon would overpower the whole colony. Once a territory is conquered, she will move on to find another to target.

#2: Army Ants

Endemic to Western Africa, land now-known for the thousands of Ebola patients who have died, the Army Ants are preceded by such a nasty reputation. And many think of these mighty race of ant with a certain dread. Thanks to National Geographic and Discovery Channels.

For starters, an Army Ants is like a Swiss knife-wielding ant as its mandibles are extremely sharp akin to a razor. And as it that were not enough, this ant specie has a temper to match. YouTube videos and other media outlets show how easily these ants overpower almost any living creature that crosses its path – huge insects and spiders including. And make short work of them. Its tenacity is the stuff of legends as Army Ants are known to cross pools of water by sacrificing bodies of warriors linking them to form a bridge chain. A million of these soldiers marching in the underground bushes of a forest is a sight to behold. But should never be disturbed or risk becoming dinner.

#1: Bulldog Ants

Found endemic to Australia, the Land Down Under, these ants are also called Mermacia or Bull Ants for some. Commonly, they are called inch ants for their 40mm length. What makes them terrifying is their deadly sting matched only by their overly-aggressive behavior.

Looking at them, you’ll notice their unusually-large eyes which give them a powerful 1-meter vision. What makes them op of the list is their venom which can send its victim into anaphylactic shock. What this means is anyone stung should be given immediate treatment or death could follow. Yikes! Death by ant bite is certainly not something worthy of the Guiness World Record.

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Earwig (Dermaptera)

The earwig is a small sized insect that is found in a variety of habitats around the world. There are nearly 2,000 different species of earwig that are found throughout the American, Australian and Eurasian continents.

The earwig has a small body size, that is split into three parts in a similar way to numerous other insect species. The earwig has sharp pincers on its abdomen and large wings that generally remain concealed against the body of the earwig. Although earwigs are able to fly, they often don't.

Earwigs are nocturnal animals that often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night. Damage to foliage, flowers, and various crops are commonly blamed on earwigs but they also eat certain insects that damage them.

The earwig is thought to get its name from people fearing that earwigs crawled into your ear to lay their eggs. Although this is not the sole intention of the earwig, it is certainly thought to be possible as they like narrow, warm spaces such as the ear canal.

The earwig is an omnivorous animal meaning that earwigs will eat almost anything they can find. Earwigs spend most of their time feeding on a wide variety of other insects and plants including flowers, fruits and leaves.

Due to their small size, earwigs have a number of natural predators wherever they live in the world. Amphibians such as frogs, newts and toads are among the most common predators of the earwig along with birds and other larger insects such as beetles.

Female earwigs lay up to 80 small eggs which hatch within a couple of weeks. Female earwigs are known to be extremely protective of their young, often watching over them until they have reached their second moult (earwigs moult 5 time over the course of their lifetime).

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Australian Carpet Beetle

 Australian Carpet Beetle or Anthrenocerus australis is a species of beetle native to Australia.

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Unusual Insects of the World

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Giant Spider Trapped in Car’s Headlights

Spiders are probably the most feared insects around. Recently, a photo of a giant spider went viral when a Reddit user posted a scary photo of a giant spider trapped inside his car’s headlights. The horrified Reddituser jokingly commented that he was going to set fire to his car but other scared him by saying that it could have been an exoskeleton since spiders molt and it could be somewhere inside his car.

There’s no news on what happened to the trapped spider or what kind of spider it was. However, it could have been a huntsman spider. These giant Sparassidae are usually seen in Australia however there are species found in other places such as India, Japan, the Philippines, China and tropical areas of the United States like Hawaii and Florida and areas near it such as Puerto Rico. They’re also called wood spiders, cane spiders and lizard-eating spiders, these spiders can basically thrive anywhere as long as it’s not too cold during winter and there are areas where there’s a lot of trees or wood that they can live in.

Adult huntsman spiders, although able to spin webs, don’t build them. Instead, what they do to survive is forage and hunt for food, hence their name. They mostly feed on insects, but their diet isn’t restricted to them. They occasionally eat small lizards and even birds. They commonly live in tree barks where they spend most of their time hunting, but there are times that they wander off to homes and even cars, which is properly why one got stuck in the headlights.

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Scientists discover the animal kingdom’s first ‘female penis’

Scientists have discovered four species of Brazilian insects in which the females possess a penis and the males possess a vagina. This announcement, made today in the journal Current Biology, represents the first documented instance of a "female penis" in the animal kingdom.

Contrary to popular belief, the presence or absence of certain sex organs isn't the determining factor when deciding which animal of a species is female and which is male. In fact, biologists don't use sex chromosomes either. They actually rely on the size of an animal's gametes — sperm in males and oocytes in females. As the rule goes, females are the sex that contribute the largest gametes, whereas males are the sex that contribute the smallest gametes and therefore expend the least amount of energy on producing these cells. So, in this particular instance of sex-role reversal, the convention still applies: the female in these species of insect produces the largest gametes — egg cells. She simply also happens to sport a penis that she introduces into the male's vagina during copulation.

Source: Here

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Moth that Looks Like A Poodle Baffles The Internet

Pictures of a mysterious creature that looks like a cross between a moth and poodle recently went viral on the Web, with some people turning these pictures into memes, only increasing their popularity. The creature is called a Venezuelan poodle moth, and because of how peculiar it looks, plenty of questions revolve around whether it’s real or not.

Fortunately, the poodle moths are 100 percent real, and are possibly a new species of moth identified a few years ago. In 2009, Kyrgyzstan-based biologist Dr. Arthur Anker discovered the moths in Venezuela’s Gran Sabanaarea. The species seems to be related to another fuzzy looking moth, the Muslin Moth or Diaphoramendica.

The poodle moth almost certainly fits into the Lasiocampidae family and the genus Artace or other genus connected to Artace. There is also a possibility that the poodle moth is a new subspecies of the Artacecribraria, a species known to reside around Argentina and up to the northern parts of North America. So far, there are about 10 to 15 Artace species in South America that have been described and scientifically acknowledged. The possibility of the poodle moth to be a new species of previously scientifically undescribed species, or even a new regional subspecies, is high.

Beyond the photos and detail of its discovery, not a lot is known about this strange looking creature.

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Butterfly HD Wallpapers

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