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Tuesday 3 January 2012

Velvet ants


There are over 3000 different species of velvet ants.
The velvet ants aren't actual ants, they are wasps. The males have wings but no sting and the females have a sting but no wings. The males and females are so different from each other, not only in size but also appearance, that it is sometimes hard to tell that they are from the same species.
Some species of velvet ant can kill a cow with their sting, this is why velvet ants are sometimes called 'cow killers' now that is pretty scary!

Sunday 1 January 2012

Hawkmoths


Did you now that the hawkmoth, also known as sphinx moths or hornworms, are one of the fastest insects to fly. They are able to fly around 50 km/h (30 miles an hour)! The hummingbird hawkmoths can hover in mid-air as it uses its long tongue to drink the nectar from deep within the flowers, these moths are sometimes mistaken for hummingbirds.
There are around 1200 species of hawkmoths.