The Most Exquisite Insects Around the Globe

1. Orchid Mantis

Orchid Mantis, scientifically known as Hymenopus coronatus, primarily inhabits tropical environments. Regarded as the epitome of camouflage among all insect species, these creatures are typically found adorning orchid branches. Their vibrant colors and adept mimicry of orchid flowers enable them to both ambush prey and swiftly evade attacks by blending seamlessly into their surroundings. Orchid Mantises consume anything they can catch, demonstrating remarkable predatory skills. Moreover, when confronted with adversaries, they can continuously change colors to instill fear, displaying up to 90 different hues ranging from pink to brown, mirroring the colors of orchid blooms.

Orchid Mantises are highly coveted by insect breeders, yet they remain rare and expensive. Requiring only a small space, they patiently await flying insects to prey upon. Capable of altering their coloration to match orchid blooms, they exhibit a range of 90 hues, depending on the colors of the orchid flowers. These carnivorous insects primarily feed on other insects, with a preference for moth species in laboratory settings. Scientists assert that the Orchid Mantis is the sole species globally to masquerade as a flower to attract prey. As O’Hanlon shared, “While numerous animal species are known for their camouflage abilities among flowers and mimicry of prey, none capture prey quite like the Orchid Mantis.”

2. Human-Faced Beetle

Human-Faced Beetle originates from Southeast Asia and is a species specialized in nectar feeding. They often exhibit bright colors and emit a foul odor when attacked by predators. What's most intriguing about this creature is that it evokes different associations from various angles. When viewed from behind, the human-faced beetle resembles a 'monster'. However, when observed from the front, it resembles the face of a 'Japanese warrior'. This distinctive feature has earned the human-faced beetle another endearing nickname - the 'facial beauty'.

In the insect world, vivid colors serve as warning signals of danger, forcing predators to reconsider before attacking. Natural selection has led to the development of numerous non-toxic species that utilize vibrant colors to deceive adversaries. The bizarre shapes on the back of the Human-Faced Beetle serve as a unique camouflage method, intimidating foes. In some cases, these beetles resemble beautiful faces, offering different interpretations to observers from various perspectives.

3. Ladybug

Ladybug (Coccinellidae) refers to a species of beetle with a round body resembling a drum, covered with a firm shell. These beetles are distinguished by the black spots on their wings, which scientists use for classification. Typically, the most commonly encountered ladybugs on plants are those with red or orange wings adorned with 7 black spots. They are the largest ladybug species and possess exceptional hunting abilities. Their primary prey is aphids, consuming about 100 aphids per day. Ladybugs often hibernate during winter and awaken in spring to forage, as this is when aphids begin hatching from eggs, providing abundant food for ladybugs. Ladybugs are omnivorous insects, capable of consuming various types of food.

Ladybugs are predominantly found in temperate regions, especially in Europe. In spring, as aphids hatch from eggs, ladybugs also awaken from hibernation, ensuring they have ample food supply. Due to their prevalence in Europe, their usefulness, and their distinctive appearance, images of ladybugs are frequently featured in educational and entertainment programs, particularly on television and the internet. Ladybug images are easily accessible and drawable, leading some tropical countries without native ladybugs to incorporate ladybug imagery into early childhood education programs.

4. Butterfly Dragonfly

Differing from the simplicity of most other dragonfly species, this particular dragonfly boasts a pair of wings that are quite vibrant, adorned with black spots on a bright yellow background. No two butterfly dragonflies possess identical wing patterns. This makes their wings a distinctive feature for visually identifying each individual. With its unique wings, the butterfly dragonfly ranks among the most beautiful dragonflies in the world.

Compared to other dragonfly species, the flight pattern of the butterfly dragonfly is not forceful or decisive but rather gentle and graceful. With their appearance and characteristic flight, they are often mistaken for butterflies from a distance. In terms of biological habits, butterfly dragonflies do not differ significantly from other dragonfly species. Besides Vietnam, they are also found in many countries in South Asia. Due to their captivating appearance, butterfly dragonflies are favored by many international collectors.

5. Firefly

Firefly, also known as the 'flying elephant', is a lanternfly species, considered one of the most colorful insects, yet also extremely vicious, particularly unique in the Vietnamese ecosystem. The golden-winged lanternfly, scientifically known as Pyrops caldelaria, is regarded as a masterpiece of nature, a stunning 'flying elephant' species found in Vietnam. However, it is deemed the number one assassin, incredibly vicious in the insect world. This 'flying elephant' species often appears when the early-season rains begin to fall and when darkness envelops the evergreen forests. They are found living in the Binh Phuoc area. It is a remarkably beautiful insect, with a very long 'elephant trunk' protruding from its head and brightly colored wings resembling butterfly wings. With its trunk, the lanternfly resembles a 'miniature elephant' with a long trunk protruding from its head. Its trunk is actually an elongated mouthpart used to suck tree sap. When flying, it resembles a butterfly.

The firefly has the ability to jump very quickly, making it very difficult to catch as well as difficult to capture the moment it begins to spread its sparkling colorful wings in flight. The golden-winged lanternfly primarily lives underground as a larva. This creature molts to become a beautiful firefly in its short adult stage. It is likened to a unique masterpiece of creation.

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar often inhabits forests, marshy areas, and feeds on tree leaves. They are primarily distributed in the Southeastern region of North America. This butterfly species has a very unique camouflage. When newly hatched, they are only brown, but gradually their bodies acquire various vibrant colors. Especially, they have two large spots on their head resembling two 'fake eyes' with black, yellow, and dark green streaks, making them look more intimidating to enemies. However, they are actually incredibly adorable and are affectionately called 'pokemon pets' by today's youth because they resemble a pokemon. However, after a while, they will transform into large black butterflies with prominent orange spots. This feature makes them look like adorable 'mini snakes'.

Spicebush Swallowtail, or sail-winged butterfly, is easily found in European forests, meadows, and gardens, especially in the wet meadows of Slovakia. The vibrant beauty of this butterfly is clearly evident on the alternating dark yellow-black color patches resembling zebra stripes. Additionally, the hind wings are contrasted by iridescent green with red borders. The richness of this species is an indicator of the richness of the grassland fauna. However, they are currently listed as critically endangered due to deforestation and leveling of grasslands for soil extraction.

Pink Moon Moth belongs to the Saturniidae family, is a North American moth species and they often inhabit deciduous forests. The Pink Moon Moth is now considered the cutest moth species in the family of butterflies thanks to its rarely seen pink wings with an added touch of a small yellow triangle.

Bearing an impressive name, the Pink Moon Moth scientifically named Dryocampa rubicunda possesses a velvety coat with vibrant colors all over its body, making many mistake it for a toy of young children. Unlike the dull colors of other moth species, the Pink Moon Moth has small bright yellow wings and large wings in bright pink, with a yellow border in between. Additionally, its tiny legs are also pink, making them incredibly glamorous. They are truly worthy of being one of the most beautiful insect species in the world.

The name 'pink moon' comes from its favorite food, maple leaves. The Pink Moon Moth is relatively small with an average wingspan ranging from 3.2 - 4.4cm in males and 4 - 5cm in females. The female moth lays pale yellow eggs in clusters of 20 - 30 eggs on the leaf stem. When the larvae are mature, they dig a hole in loose soil and curl up inside a cocoon. And then from the silk cocoon, a colorful butterfly with bright wings emerges.

Queen Alexandra's Butterfly is a tropical butterfly species. They are mainly found in northern Papua New Guinea. With a wingspan of up to 30 cm, they are considered the largest butterfly species in the world. These butterflies typically feed on pipervine, a plant containing toxins that make them harmful to their predators. This species was first recorded by European scientist Albert Stewart Meek in 1906. Then in 1907, it was decided to name it after Queen Alexandra - the wife of King Edward VII of England - to honor her. However, they are currently facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild due to overexploitation and environmental changes. Female Alexandra Birdwing butterflies are usually larger than males with broader and rounder wings.

The female butterfly has brown wings with white patches, a cream-colored body, and a small part on the chest with red hair. The male butterfly is smaller, with wings typically brown but also showing signs of green or light yellow. A distinctive feature of the male butterfly is the yellow spots on the hindwings...

Glasswing Butterfly, scientifically known as Greta oto, belongs to the Brush-footed Butterfly family. This species is commonly found ranging from Central America to Mexico. They possess transparent wings, with veins in between resembling glass, presenting a stunning and sparkling appearance. These butterflies typically choose to lay eggs on poisonous plants to ensure the safety of their offspring.

Upon closer inspection, one can observe a thin membrane capable of seeing through the veins in the middle of the butterfly's wings. This delicate beauty thrives in regions extending from Mexico down to Panama in Central America, and sometimes they are even spotted in the Florida region of the United States. Greta oto butterflies prefer to lay eggs on toxic plant species to safeguard their offspring. The caterpillars, marked with red and purple stripes upon hatching, raised by these plants, store alkaloid compounds within themselves, making them unappetizing to predators until they mature into adult butterflies. They are commonly referred to in English as The Glasswinged Butterfly, while in Spanish, they are called “Espejitos” – meaning “little mirrors”. Adult butterflies exhibit fascinating behaviors such as long-distance migration and competition among males to attract females.

Not only possessing a beautiful appearance, but the monarch butterfly is also one of the few insect species capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The monarch butterfly, or monarch, is the most famous butterfly species in North America. Its scientific name is Danaus plexippus. The wings of the monarch butterfly have patterns of orange and black. The wingspan ranges from 8.9 to 10.2 cm. Every August, monarch butterflies migrate from North America to the south. They return north in the spring. The veins on the wings of female monarch butterflies are darker than those of males. The body of the male monarch butterfly is slightly larger than that of the female.

Like many other insect species, the monarch butterfly has 6 legs but usually only moves with 4 legs, as the two front legs adhere to the body. This is the only butterfly species that migrates in both directions, north-south and south-north, like birds. Every year, in the pine forest of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico, the familiar sight of thousands of butterflies 'flying' thousands of kilometers to overwinter here has attracted the curiosity of nature lovers and tourists.