Buzz
Numerous taxonomic groups are quite familiar, even to those outside the field of biology. For example, beetles are categorized under Coleoptera, spiders fall under the Aranea order, flies are classified as Diptera, and moths and butterflies belong to Lepidoptera. However, certain orders remain incredibly rare and uncommon, even though they may exist unnoticed right around us.
10. Ricinuleids, Also Known as ‘Hooded Tickspiders’
The term “tickspider” might conjure up images of a terrifying creature, but Ricinuleids are neither venomous nor bloodsucking pests. These minuscule arthropods reside exclusively in the damp, decaying leaf litter of tropical rainforests. Their name is derived from their spider-like appearance and flattened, leathery bodies, along with a unique hinged cover or 'hood' that completely conceals their face.
Although their distant ancestors possessed eyes, modern tickspiders have replaced them with light-sensitive cells. Ricinuleids are predators of smaller invertebrates, particularly mites, and the female is known to carry a single egg beneath her hood at any given time. Apart from this, little is known about the behaviors of these solitary, ancient beings.
9. Polyxenida, Also Known as ‘Bristly Millipedes’
Though these peculiar millipedes can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, they are seldom noticed and are often mistaken for tiny, hairy larvae or caterpillars. In contrast to their larger, heavily-armored millipede relatives, the bodies of Polyxenida are soft and pliable. However, their rigid bristles provide a form of defense against predators. The bristles at the “tail” end are even equipped with microscopic barbs, which can entangle the jaws of attacking ants or other insects like a tangle of barbed wire.
8. Pseudoscorpions
It’s highly likely that these elusive arachnids are present in your own backyard, yet equally likely that you’ll never spot one. They’re not only tiny, but they also prefer living in hidden, dark spaces under the soil or within the crevices of decaying logs.
Pseudoscorpions possess an intriguing array of characteristics. Their claws deliver venom powerful enough to dispatch an unsuspecting mite, while their jaws produce silk—but only for the purpose of building nests. Their courtship involves a complex “dance,” where the two creatures face each other and clasp each other's claws, performing a kind of waltz. They also practice phoresy, a behavior in which they hitch rides on larger creatures. A pseudoscorpion will latch onto the leg of a fly or other flying insect with a single claw and remain attached until dropped off at a new spot.
7. Raphidioptera, Also Known as ‘Snakeflies’
There are only about 250 known species of the order Raphidioptera. This is a relatively small group, and species within it show little variation. Named for their distinctive long necks and heads, adult snakeflies are fierce, territorial predators that hunt tiny, plant-eating insects like aphids. Their larvae, which also possess a snake-like shape, prey on insects and insect eggs found in soil or beneath decaying tree bark. The oldest known snakefly fossils date back to the early Jurassic period, showing little change over the past 140 million years.
6. Archaeognatha, Also Known as ‘Jumping Bristletails’
Jumping bristletails, resembling a mix between a silverfish and a small prawn, are found beneath stones and logs across the globe and are large enough to be easily spotted. Some can grow over 25 millimeters (0.5 in) long, and when disturbed, they use their tails to flip and catapult themselves into the air, similar to tiddlywinks.
The term Archaeognatha means “ancient jaw” and refers to a jaw structure found in very few modern insects. In fact, bristletails are considered to be among the most ancient and unchanged insects still in existence. They first appeared on Earth during the Devonian period, around the same time as the first arachnids. During mating, the male bristletail produces a long strand of silk from which he suspends several sperm packets, resembling a string of Christmas lights. The female collects them during their mating dance.
5. Tricophtera, Also Known as ‘Caddisflies’
You’ve likely seen adult caddisflies fluttering around lightbulbs at night, but these small, dull, moth-like insects are hardly striking. What truly captivates is the larval stage of the caddisfly—a caterpillar-like aquatic creature found in fast-moving rivers and streams. These larvae create silk cases around themselves and lead a variety of lifestyles. Some are algae eaters or scavengers, camouflaging their homes with bits of sand, mud, and pebbles, while others are filter feeders or even predators, using their net-like homes to trap food from the water's current.
Hubert Duprat, a French artist, has even incorporated caddisfly larvae into his distinctive art creations. He provides the larvae with pieces of gold, pearls, and jewels, which they incorporate into their silk cases.
4. Embioptera, Also Known as ‘Webspinners’
Webspinners get their name from the spider-like silk they produce using their enlarged front legs, but these creatures are not interested in capturing prey. They use the webbing exclusively to construct the tubes in which they reside, often weaving them between cracks in wood or soil. Displaying what is known as a 'subsocial' lifestyle, a single wingless female will carefully tend to her offspring and share her home with them throughout their lives. It’s a simpler, less specialized form of social behavior compared to ants, bees, or termites, yet webspinners have thrived with this lifestyle for tens of millions of years.
3. Mantophasmids, Also Known as ‘Gladiators’
Resembling a blend of a walking stick and a wingless preying mantis, these “gladiators” were largely undiscovered by science until 2001. Although common in certain regions of South Africa, they had previously been collected by scientists, yet their resemblance to immature grasshoppers or katydids led people to overlook them as something entirely new.
Initially, these predatory insects were thought to belong to a completely separate order of insects, but it has since been discovered that they belong to something even more remarkable—a distinct branch of the rare icy 'rock crawlers.' These gladiators thrive in much hotter environments and follow a strictly carnivorous diet. It appears that some form of rock crawler will likely continue to exist on Earth for the foreseeable future. Both groups are now classified under a single order, known as Notopotera.
2. Grylloblatta, Also Known as ‘Rock Crawlers’
Fossil records reveal that the Grylloblattids, resembling earwigs, were once a dominant group of insects across the planet. Today, only 34 species of these insects remain, thriving in environments too cold for most other insects. Most of them inhabit cold, temperate forests at high altitudes. Some even live exclusively on the icy surfaces of glaciers, where they feed on thin layers of algae. These ancient creatures are highly sensitive to temperature—becoming either too cold or too warm can be fatal, with even being held in a human hand potentially roasting them to death, making them vulnerable to extinction due to climate change.
1. Psocids, Also Known as ‘Book Lice’
Often preyed upon by the fierce pseudoscorpion, book lice resemble the lice that infest our hair and bodies in size and shape. However, unlike the lice that parents fear will invade their children’s heads, these lice are typically found in old, decaying books. They feed solely on mold and mildew, making them more of a sign of neglect than a source of harm. Before books were better sealed and chemically treated, entire communities of book lice and their predators, including the pseudoscorpions (known as “book scorpions” for their predation), could thrive in musty libraries.
In their natural habitats, book lice thrive in damp, mold-filled caves, while their relatives, the “bark lice,” are commonly found on moss-covered tree trunks.
