Ancient Ancestors
Beetles
Cool Bug Names
Cool Bugs
Almost Bugs
100
This ancient relative to arthropods lived during the Cambrian period, about 490 million years ago and is largely thought to be the first prey creature to exist! It was first discovered in the Burgess Shale in Canada. They grew to about 6 feet long!
What is Anomalocaris Canadensis!
100
Beetles make up this percentage of all known animal life on earth.
Bonus points if you can name how many species we know of or how many are suspected to exist!
What is 25%!
Bonus answers: 400,000 known species, though scientists suspect there may be 2.1 million!
100
This genus (group of species) of ground beetle are named for their distinctive shape that resembles an instrument. They drop their eggs and larvae in large hard bracket fungi in which they excavate tunnels.
What is the Violin Beetle!
100
This weird little guy is a species of beetle known for its very unique defense mechanism. When threatened, this beetle shoots a hot chemical spray from its pygidial gland (its rear end).
What is the Bombardier Beetle!
100
These myriapods (arthopods with long segmented bodies and lots of legs) are often mistaken for being insects. Though they are arthropods, they are not classified as insects due to having more than six legs. These little guys are venemous and can inflict painful stings!
What are centipedes!
200
This insect is the largest known insect of all time and lived during the Permian period, about 290-283 million years ago. They are part of a genus (a group of closely related species) known by a fantastical name! They had a wingspan of up to 28 inches and a body length of 18.5 inches.
Either guess the insect or the genus!
What is Meganeuropsis or Griffenflies!
200
This beetle is named after a creature from Greek mythology that lived within a labyrinth. It has three horns on its pronotum (the frontmost section of the thorax).
What is the Minotaur Beetle!
200
This little beetle is a woodboring beetle that will sometimes infect and ruin wood in older housing, though they generally only go after trees. They are easily identifies by the knocking/tapping sound they make by banging their heads against the tunnels they create. Historically, this tapping was feared as a harbinger of death approaching.
What is the Deathwatch Beetle!
200
This cool mantis is known for being very good at mimicking the flowers it sits on. It is also one of the largest species of mantis to exist currently, as well as the largest of the flower-mimicking mantis species.
What is the Giant Devil's Flower Mantis!
200
These little guys are often mistaken for being insects but are instead crustaceans (like lobsters, crabs, etc.). They are able to move their bodies into a ball shape, the process for which is called conglobation.
What are pill bugs/rolly-pollies/curly bugs/potato bugs!
300
This myriapod (arthropods with long segmented bodies with many legs) lived in what is now Europe and North America from the Carboniferous period to the Permian period, about 344-292 million years ago. It is the largest known arthropod to have ever existed and grew to be about 8.5 feet long!
What is the Arthropleura!
300
This genus of beetle is named for its resemblence to well-known extinct ocean arthropod that lived in our oceans for 270 million years.
What is the Trilobite beetle!
300
This large family of bugs is named for its ambush-style hunting and stealth. Some sub species have their own names including kissing bugs and thread-legged bugs.
What is the Assassin Bug!
300
This moth is very well known for their appearance and use within many pop cultural media including Silence of the Lambs and Silent Hill 2. They are one of the largest moths alive that we know of!
What is the African Death's Head Hawkmoth!
300
These very cool ocean critters are known for their large size and are considered the largest species of its kind that we know of. They are an example of what is called deep-sea gigantism due to being much larger than other similar groups that live elsewhere.
What is the Giant Isopod!
400
This is the oldest known instect and is from the Denovian period. It is the only species of its kind and is thought to potentially be a type of centipede, though scientists are still researching!
What is Rhyniognatha Hirsti!
400
This species of beetle is one of the largest insects currently alive! They live in African rain forests and eat fruit and tree sap. When raising them from an egg to an adult, people often use protein rich cat and dog foods to make sure they have enough nutrition!
What is the Goliath Beetle!
400
This species of rove beetle has several names that have been around since the Middle Ages, and is often associated with the Devil for its . It is known for being a ferocious and fast and are nocturnal.
Name at least one of its names!
What is the Devil's coach horse beetle, the Devil's footman, the Devil's coachman, or the Devil's steed!
400
This cool subfamily of beetles is known for their very unique looks. The subfamily is named for its resemblance to a modern day near-extinct animal and consists of several species including Atlas beetles and Elephant beetles!
What is the Rhinoceros Beetle!
400
These creatures are often mistaken for bugs though they are gastropods. They move around on a single foot and really like to live in gardens!
What are snails or slugs!
500
This ancient creature from the Cambrian period is considered one of the most ancient ancestors of todays velvet worms, water bears and arthropods (bugs!).
Hint: A paper version sits on the board outside the PC office right now!
What is Hallucigenia!
500
This beetle is the oldest living species of beetle that we know of, the longest species of beetle and is also one of the strongest creatures on Earth for its size! It can carry up to 100 times its body weight!
What is the Hercules Beetle!
500
This ground spider has one of the most ridiculous names, was discovered only in 2024 in China. Its name has to do with both the long, coiling nature of its papal bulb (male spiders reproductive organs).
What is the Hotwheels Sisyphus!
500
These very cool and shiny looking bugs are known for their jewel-like appearance and are found in Costa Rica and Panama. They are quite rare and difficult to find!
What are Chrysina Limbata or Silver Scarab Beetles!
500
These little guys are of the Hexapod subphylum, which has recently been reclassified as being non-insects. They are known for being very helpful in the creation of compost for gardening and breaking down waste.
What are Springtails!
