Giant Water Bug

Daddy does the babysitting! After the female lays eggs on the male’s back, it is then his job to clean and aerate the eggs, and carry them to safety when threatened. This insect breathes at the surface or from an air bubble held under its wings when submerged, somewhat like a tiny SCUBA diver.

Giant Walking Stick


Giant Spiny Leaf Insect

In this sexually dimorphic species, the female is green or yellow and leaf-shaped, while the male is brown and looks like a dead curled leaf. Both have sharp body spines and can painfully clamp nosy predators with their spiny hind legs. Eggs are laid in the ground and take about a year to hatch.

Giant Jumping Stick

Is this insect a walking stick? Take a closer look at the hind legs—they’re modified for jumping. It actually is a stick-like grasshopper! The large bulging eyes sitting high atop the bizarre head undoubtedly provide a panoramic view of its surroundings, and approaching predators.

Emerald Beetle


Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

The Eastern lubber grasshopper is well-known in Florida and nearby states for its size, color, and large gatherings. This three-inch long, flightless insect has bright colors to warn predators of its toxicity. Its populations sometimes grow large enough to cause serious damage to citrus and vegetable crops.

Bat Cave Cockroach

Bat caves are home to more than bats. This roach dominates a populous bat cave on a large tropical island. Countless roaches cover the cave’s walls and floor, and feed mostly on fresh bat guano (bat droppings).