Insects

Locusts are a kind of grasshopper that form into huge swarms. When they are swarming in such large numbers they can strip crops and gardens completely.

Maggot is the common name for the larvae of flies. Flies typically lay their eggs or put live maggots onto rotting food that they find. Maggots are very commonly seen in carrion. The maggots eat the food, grow bigger and then pupate and turn into flies.

Moths are very similar to butterflies and have a similar lifecycle. They changes completely as they go through their life. A moth starts as an egg, which hatches into a caterpillar or grub. The caterpillar then spins a cocoon and turns into the adult moth. Caterpillars spend all of their time eating. Some moth caterpillars eat leaves, others eat leaf litter on the ground, and others will eat holes through the trunks of trees.
Moths are generally not as brightly coloured as butterflies, and are more likely to be seen at night than during the day. Moths are attracted to light.

A nymph is a larval stage many kinds of insects go through. Nymphs tend to be quite similar to the adult insect, unlike insects like butterflies that have very different larval stage. Nymphs gradually grow to full size, shedding their skin each time they outgrow it, and the final time they shed their skin they make the transformation to their adult form.

Praying mantises can be found all over the world. They can be anything from a centimetre to a few inches long and are generally the same colour as their surroundings, so they can hide. They get their name because they hold their front legs as if they are praying. Praying mantises use their front legs to catch other insects, which they eat.

Silkworms are caterpillars that grow up into silkmoths. They live almost entirely on mulberry leaves. The cocoon they make can be used to make silk, a very attractive cloth that has been valued for thousands of years. A silkworm cocoon is made from a single strand of silk 1000 to 3000 feet long, and it takes 2000-3000 cocoons to make a pound of silk. The caterpillar in the cocoon is not allowed to emerge by itself, as this would damage the silk. The cocoons are boiled with the caterpillar inside.

Termites are insects that live in large colonies. They eat mostly dead plant material, like dead wood or fallen leaves. If they get into your house they may do serious damage to the frame of your house, so people treat their houses with barriers or poison to stop termites getting in.

Weevils are distinctive looking beetles. Many kinds of weevil are pests in cereal crops. Sometimes when you buy flour you find weevils in the packet.