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Many soil-loving insects and bugs live on or near the
forest floor. You need to watch where you step and where you put your
hands! |
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Some bugs are not as dangerous as they might appear,
though! This hercules beetle's "pincher" is just for show - it's a bluff to
scare off would-be predators. |
The tarantula wasp attacks a tarantula with the intention
of paralyzing it (not killing it!) with a sting, dragging it off to her hole,
and laying her eggs on it so that when they hatch the larvae will have "fresh"
food. We thought for sure that the spider would win the battle, but the quicker
wasp won this one! |
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This funnel-web spider traps insects and small birds for
its meal. These are not as poisonous as the funnel-web spiders in the
South-Pacific area. |
There are many interesting spiders in the
rainforest! |
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Many cicadas look like leaves to help them avoid being
eaten by birds, lizards, and snakes. |
The saddleback caterpillar has numerous defenses against
being eaten. It has stinging hairs, which its predators will remember due to
his bright markings. In addition, his markings fool predators who are unsure
which end is his head (it is the end without the extra "eye"
spots). |
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