The 15 Most Beautiful Insects in the World
What it is: Sphaerocoris annulus
Where it’s from: Tropical Africa
What to know: The aptly named Picasso bug is a stink bug-like insect that uses its distinctive, vibrant markings to warn predators to stay away, per a 2011 study.
What it is: Hymenopus coronatus
Where it’s from: Southeast Asia
What to know: Despite their ethereal beauty, the tiny, flower-like orchid mantises are pretty bloodthirsty, using their mimicry to lure in unsuspecting pollinators, which they quickly feast upon.
What it is: Hemaris spp.
Where it’s from: North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia
What to know: No, that’s not a hummingbird—it’s actually a moth! Several species of the day-flying insects are common throughout the world, per the U.S. Forest Service, and they move and feed on nectar much like their avian lookalikes.
What it is: Chrysis spp.
Where it’s from: Worldwide (except Antarctica)
What to know: Good news: These tiny, iridescent beauties probably can’t sting you—instead, they parasitize other wasps. Their glittering appearance is the result of complex light refraction and a dimpled exoskeleton, and scientists still don’t know why they’re so colorful. (Aside from moths, parasitic wasps like this one are Kawahara’s favorite insects.)
What it is: Phymateus viridipes
Where it’s from: Southern Africa
What to know: These locusts flash their colorful wings to warn predators—and it’s actually pretty helpful, since they secrete a liquid derived from milkweed plants when threatened.
What it is: Umbonia crassicornis
Where it's from: South and Central America, Mexico
What to know: A common pest in southern Florida, the thorn bug has adapted to look strikingly similar to, well, thorns. The insects cling to stems and tree trunks in large clusters, per the University of Florida, making them tough for even humans to spot at first.
What it is: Dryocampa rubicunda
Where it’s from: North America
What to know: Distinguished by pinks, yellows, and purples straight out of a Starburst wrapper, the rosy maple moth is one of the smallest, with just a two-inch maximum wingspan. Butterflies might be the most beloved winged insects, Kawahara says, but moths are just as interesting.
What it is: Phyllium bioculatum
Where it's from: Southeast Asia
What to know: Leaves, meet your doppelg?ngers. These tropical bugs look so much like plants that it’s even tough for us to spot them. The slow-moving herbivores can be green, yellow, orange, or red, and they’re likely unchanged from millions of years ago, per researchers at Virginia Tech.
What it is: Maratus speciosus
Where it's from: Southern Australia
What to know: Like your great-aunt who lives in South Beach, the coastal peacock spider doesn’t believe in dressing down. Made famous by several viral videos, male spiders perform a complex dance routine to court females—and just like their namesake bird, their fabulous colors play a huge role.
What it is: Charidotella sexpunctata
Where it’s from: North and South America
What to know: Found in the vast majority of the United States, the golden tortoise beetle looks like a tiny gold coin with transparent edges. Surprisingly, their brilliant metallic sheen fades when they die, leaving a dull red-yellow color behind.
What it is: Automeris io
Where it’s from: North America
What to know: This guy might look as harmless as moss or artificial turf, but the io moth caterpillar packs a painful sting. Its trademark spines can cause welts, itching, and redness (nowhere near as bad as the puss caterpillar, though).
What it is: Morpho menelaus
Where it's from: South and Central America
What to know: One of the most iridescent creatures anywhere on Earth, the blue morpho butterfly displays a jewel-like hue above and a brown underside below, making them difficult for predators to find and track.
What it is: Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
Where it's from: Southern and eastern Africa
What to know: The spiny flower mantis clearly likes to show off. With green, pink, yellow, and red variations, the species is cannibalistic and feeds mainly on insects snatched from the air, which are wooed by its swirling patterns. They aren’t always so pretty, though: When they first hatch, they look like black ants.
What it is: Poecilotheria metallica
Where it's from: India and Sri Lanka
What to know: Plain old spiders might be creepy, but cobalt-blue ones are gorgeous. Their blue coloring is likely used to find mates. Unfortunately, sapphire tarantulas are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to hunting and loss of habitat.
What it is: Chrysochroa buqueti
Where it's from: Thailand
What to know: Jewel beetles live in every corner of the world, but some of the most spectacular (including this species and its immediate family) call Thailand home. Surprisingly, beetles might actually use vibrant colors as camouflage, not as a warning sign, per a 2017 study.
1) Picasso Bug
What it is: Sphaerocoris annulus
Where it’s from: Tropical Africa
What to know: The aptly named Picasso bug is a stink bug-like insect that uses its distinctive, vibrant markings to warn predators to stay away, per a 2011 study.
These eye-catching bugs won’t give you the heebie-jeebies! Here’s why some insects have vibrant colors and patterns—and the most beautiful insects in the world.
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