Giant Isopod

Giant Isopod: Bathynomus giganteus

The largest known member of the isopod family, a group of crustaceans closely related to shrimps and crabs, this monster weighs up to 3.7 lbs and is 12-16 inches long. The giant isopod is also related to the small pillbugs that you can find in the garden. In fact, this insect-like creature is sometimes referred to as the giant pillbug.

The enormous size of the giant isopod is a result of a phenomenon known as deep sea gigantism. This is the tendency of deep sea crustaceans and other animals to grow to a much larger size than similar species in shallower waters.

Credit to: Damien Du Toit

Fun Facts: Just like its land-based counterpart, the isopod has compound eyes, with over 4,000 individual facets. This gives the animal a large field of view, and makes it extremely sensitive to fast movements.

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Orchid Mantis

Orchid Mantis: Hymenopus coronatus

The orchid mantis is a praying mantis that resembles an orchid, with its four walking legs resembling flower petals. Orchid mantis are found in the rainforests of south-east Asia. The diet of juveniles (nymphs) consists of small insects. Adults will eat anything they can catch, including a wide range of flying insects and small lizards.

Female orchid mantis reach about 6cm in length while males are considerably smaller at 3cm in length.

Credit to: Luc Viatour

Fun Fact: Orchid mantis hatchlings resemble ants with black bodies and red legs. After they shed their skin one time, they become white. After a few more sheds they become their final color, either pink or white.

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Striped Love Beetle

Striped Love Beetle: Eudicella gralli

Eudicella gralli, sometimes called the flamboyant flower beetle or striped love beetle, is a brightly colored member of the scarab beetle family, in the subfamily known as flower beetles. Their shells have a prismatic quality which refracts light to give the green of their carapace a rainbow hint.

Striped love beetles live in the rainforests of Africa. Their diet includes the pollen and nectar of flowers.

Fun Fact: Males have a “Y”-shaped horn, used to fight over females. Females have a shovel-like tusk, used for burrowing in wood.

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Camel Spider

Camel Spider: Galeodes arabs

These carnivorous insects grow to be about 6 inches (15cm) in length and weigh about 2oz (56g). They are not deadly to humans but their bite does hurt.

Camel spiders eat rodents, lizards, and small birds. They boast powerful jaws which can grow up to one-third of their body length. Camel spiders are not venomous, but they do utilize digestive fluids to liquefy their victims’ flesh, making it easy to suck the remains into their stomachs.

Credit: Guy Haimovitch

Fun Fact: Camel spiders are not spiders. While still in the arachnid class they are actually categorized as Solpugid.

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Pink Underwing Moth

Pink Underwing Moth: Phyllodes imperialis

This endangered species of moth is found only in undisturbed subtropical rainforests of Australia. Sometimes referred to as the “Big-Headed Caterpillar, it survives exclusively on the vine Carronia multisepalea, a collapsed shrub that provides the food and habitat the moth requires to breed.

Credit to: Lui Weber

Fun Fact: Larvae will sit flat against a vine like a dead leaf or branch. When you place your moving hand close to them or touch them they rear up and bend to reveal the eye spots and white markings which are usually hidden in a fold of skin.

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