Even though some pests are creepy, the world is filled with the most beautiful bugs. We pest experts even catch a little lovebug for these precious little pests at times. Some are beneficial to the environment and pretty, too! Check out our list of the most beautiful bugs to celebrate the most lovely day of the year.
Most Beautiful Bugs
Some handsome little bugs are safe and friendly; others are stealthy enemies. Regardless, we find beauty in all. Here are a few of the most beautiful bugs around:
- Orchid mantis
- Green milkweed locust
- Spiny flower mantis
- Stick bug
- Rosy maple moth
Orchid Mantis
Features: The orchid mantis is Valentine ready! It gets its name from its resemblance to a flower. They’re pink and white with petal-like lobes on their legs. Orchid Mantises even change color to blend into their surroundings.
Habits: Orchid mantises latch onto branches and sway with the wind, hiding in camouflage to ambush their prey. They eat other insects.
Location: They’re native to Southeast Asia.
Is it dangerous? They aren’t harmful to humans, but they can decimate pollinator populations.
Green Milkweed Locust
Features: These locusts are bright green and flash beautiful, rainbow-colored wings to warn predators.
Habits: When threatened, these locusts secrete a noxious fluid derived from the milkweed plant. They feed en masse on highly toxic plants.
Location: They’re native to Africa.
Is it dangerous? They’re not dangerous to people, but the fluid they secrete can smell awful, and uncontrolled, they can do a great deal of damage to local plant life.
Spiny Flower Mantis
Features: This mantis has brilliantly colored pink, red, and yellow variations, though freshly hatched larvae look a lot like black ants.
Habits: Spiny flower mantises use their compelling colors to attract other insects, which they snatch right out of the air to eat.
Location: These insects are native to Southern and Eastern Africa.
Is it dangerous? These mantises aren’t dangerous to humans, but they make a hazardous date. The females eat the males after mating!
Stick Bug (Achrioptera Fallax)
Features: This variety of stick bug is electric blue with green tints and reddish-orange spines along its legs
Habits: Stick bugs feed on plants. In captivity, they favor bramble, eucalyptus, oak, and raspberry.
Location: They are native to Madagascar.
Is it dangerous? Stick bugs are not dangerous at all. They’re just lovely-looking insects!
Rosy Maple Moth
Features: This unusual moth makes our list of the most beautiful insects because it looks like a miniature stuffed animal, with brilliant pink, yellow and purple colors and covered with fur. It’s also tiny; its wings have only a maximum 2-inch wingspan.
Habits: Rosy maple moths host in and feed on maple trees, and their caterpillars eat the leaves, though the adults don’t eat at all.
Location: They are endemic to North America.
Is it dangerous? These creatures aren’t dangerous at all, and even their larvae cause only cosmetic damage to the trees they inhabit.
Need Help Identifying Insects?
As beautiful as these insects are, some aren’t as harmless, and if you’re not sure what the bug is that you see, it’s best to keep your and your pets’ distance until you’re sure what it is. That’s where the professionals come in. Contact Dr. Death Pest Control today!