| Summary: | 3 Stick Insects: Order: Phasmatodea (sometimes called Phasmida or Phasmatoptera). Distribution: Found on every continent except Antarctica. Most diverse in Asia and South America. Generally found in tropic zones, not common in temperate zones. Defense mechanism: Stick insects use camouflage, specifically plant mimicry, to blend in with their surroundings. They imitate sticks or leaves, even swaying back and forth to simulate blowing in the wind. Others perform thanatosis, or faking death. They can stay motionless for hours to avoid the attention of predators. Nocturnal. Diet: Herbivores. Stick insects feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs. Weevil: Order: Coleoptera. Superfamily: Curculionoidea. There are over 60,000 species in several families identified. Weevils tend to be on the smaller side, usually measuring less than 0.24 inches in length. Weevils are known to be highly damaging to crops, particularly grain and cotton. Within Panama, Weevils are found in a variety of locations. Researchers have studied its remarkable adaptability, and they have been found at sea level, all the way up to 7200 feet. Furthermore, they have been sighted both in their natural tropical forest and in areas highly disturbed and inhabited by humans. Mantispids: Order: Neuroptera. Family: Mantispidae. Mantispids are very similar in appearance to the praying mantis. The head, body, and raptorial front arms are the same. The only difference is mantispids have large and distinct wings and are typically brown or yellow instead of green. Distribution: Around 400 species of mantispids found mostly in North America and Australia. However, they can also be found in South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Diet: Carnivores. Small insects are captured by their front appendages. Longhorn Beetle: Order: Coleoptera. Family: Cerambycidae. Subfamily: Prioninae. Size: 25–70 mm. The Longhorn Beetles are a cosmopolitan family of beetles, typically characterized by extremely long antennae. These antennae are frequently as long or longer than the beetle's entire body. There are more than 20,000 known species of the Longhorn Beetle, with slightly over half coming from the Eastern Hemisphere. Known to be a serious pest, they have caused extensive damage to crops. Tailless Whip Scorpion: Class: Arachnida. Order: Amblypygi An order of about 150 arachnids, amblypygi are known as whip spiders or tailless whip scorpions. The name "amblypygid" means "blunt rump", a reference to the lack of a tail. Amblypygids are harmless to humans, possessing no silk glands or venomous fangs. When threatened, they do not sting or bite but flee sideways. Distribution: Found worldwide in hot, humid climates. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/biodiversity/loss-of-habitat/titanus-giganteus/index.html University of Iowa, Department of Entomology, Bug Guide, http://bugguide.net/node/view/74 /// National Geographics, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/stick-insect/# /// Iowa State University Department of Entomology, Bug Guide, http://bugguide.net/node/view/4603/data /// Encyclopedia of Life, http://eol.org/pages/256/overview
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