Creepy yet fascinating creatures which belong in an Alien World

It’s easy to forget sometimes, but nature is full of wonders. There are more than one million different species of insect on the planet—that we know of—which accounts for over half the world’s living organisms. So, some of them are bound to be pretty strange. So strange, in fact, that you’ll probably want to forget they exist once you find out about them.

Here are ten insects stranger than anything science fiction could ever dream up.

1. Pink underwing moth

 

This extraordinary "Skull Caterpillar" is the larvae of the pink Underwing Moth, an endangered species fighting for its life in the Australian rainforest. (Source)

2. Pacific Fruit-Piercing Moth

It's hard to believe this image of a fruit-piercing moth in its caterpillar stage is real. Some refer it as 'Cosmos catterpillar' also. You may see them eating the leaves of Erythrina trees. (Source)

3. Ravine Trapdoor Spider

This is a Ravine Trapdoor Spider with scientific name as Cyclocosmia truncata. Can you believe that this the back of a real spider? Really fascinating. (Source)

4. Hercules beetle

The Hercules beetle is a species of rhinoceros beetle native to the rainforests of Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles, and is the longest extant species of beetle in the world. (Source)

5. "Jason's mask" harvestman spider

Say hello to the "Jason's mask" harvestman, the only known species of daddy longlegs to resemble a crazed serial killer from a horror flick. It is found in the rainforest of Ecuador. (Source)

6. Black Widow Spider

Black widows are notorious spiders identified by the colored, hourglass-shaped mark on their abdomens. This spider's bite is much feared because its venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's. (Source)

7. Goliath beetle

The Goliath beetles are any of the five species in the genus Goliathus. Goliath beetles are among the largest insects on Earth, if measured in terms of size, bulk and weight. (Source)

8. Costa Rican Treehopper

Umbelligerus sp., Costa Rican treehopper are best known for their enlarged and ornate pronotum, which most often resembles thorns, apparently to aid in camouflage. (Source)

9. Golden tortoise beetle

The golden tortoise beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata) is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. It is native to the Americas. (Source)

10. Milkweed grasshopper

Phymateus viridipes, also known as the Green milkweed locust or African bush grasshopper, is an African locust in the family Pyrgomorphidae. (Source)

11. Titanus giganteus

 

Titanus giganteus is the world's largest beetle but is one of the most mysterious creatures on the planet. The Titan beetle can grow up to seven inches long and has a jaw so strong that it can snap a wooden pencil in two. (Source)

12. Tailless whip scorpions

The Amblypygi are a group of around 150 species of arachnids commonly known as tailless whip scorpions or whip spiders. Amblypygids are widely distributed in warm, humid regions, where they are typically found in protected situations such as under bark or in leaf litter. Some live in caves. Most species are less than 5 cm long. (Source)

13. Leaf Insects

 

Leaf insect (family Phylliidae), also called walking leaf , any of more than 50 species of flat, usually green insects (order Phasmida, or Phasmatodea) that are known for their striking leaflike appearance. Leaf insects feed on plants and typically inhabit densely vegetated areas. Their natural range extends from islands in the Indian Ocean, across parts of mainland South Asia and Southeast Asia, to Papua New Guinea and Australia in the western Pacific.

14. Army Green Moth

Daphnis nerii (formerly Deilephila nerii), the oleander hawk-moth or army green moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae.

15. Puss Moth Caterpillar

 

Puss moth caterpillars are endemic to the southern US and live in shade trees and shrubbery around homes and schools and in parks. (Source)