insects

Patterns are so pervasive in nature. As this Wikipedia article on Patterns in nature says, Patterns in nature are visible regularities of form found in the natural world. These patterns recur in different contexts and can sometimes be modeled mathematically. Natural patterns include symmetries, trees, spirals, meanders, waves, foams, arrays, cracks and stripes. From the wonderful stripes of tigers and zebras, to the beautiful spots on a leopard’s coat, the magnificent formations of flying birds to the various shapes and designs on many small insects, nature is full of them....

One of the most powerful hunters among all the arthropods is the Praying Mantis. With its two long spiked forelegs, positioned, it lies in wait for its prey to get close. Once the prey gets within reach, the mantis lashes out at it with its forelegs and grasps it to make a meal of it. From Wikipedia, The mantis usually holds its prey with one arm between the head and thorax, and the other on the abdomen....

Recently, got a chance to visit Amboli, a truly fantastic, serene, laid back little hill station, nestled in the Sahyadri hills. A place very rich in a wide variety of flora and fauna. While over there, I kept coming across a lot of shed exoskeletons of Cicadas. They were everywhere. Seemed as though it was their molting season. Many of the Cicada nymphs appeared to have emerged from their underground abode to shed their skins and enter into their adult life....

Mention of the word ‘Bees’, brings to mind, those huge swarms of buzzing insects living in a very well established social setup. Building huge colonies, consisting of thousands of individuals. However, very recently did I learn that, not all bees live in colonies, meaning, live in a social group of many individuals. There are bees that live a very solitary life. One such, are the bees, belonging to the Megachilidae family, more commonly known as the leaf cutter bees....

One of the most numerous and probably one of the busiest creatures on the planet, Ants, seem to be at the helm of a lot of things transpiring not just in the world of insects, but in the whole ecosystem at large. Ants build their long tunneled homes, enabling very efficient movement of air through the soil, thus aerating them. The also act as very efficient cleansing agents, by cleaning up the surroundings of dead and decaying matter....