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Creepy-crawlies in the air... dragonflies, wasps, hover flies, bumblebees, gnats, butterflies,
midges, house flies, moths, lacewings, dance flies, mosquitoes, |
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Creepy-crawlies on vegetation... ladybirds, froghoppers, crab spiders, aphids, leaf beetles,
shield bugs, crickets, barklice, grasshoppers, stick insects, |
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Creepy-crawlies on the ground... woodlice, earthworms, millipedes, tiger beetles, scorpions,
earwigs, carrion beetles, wolf spiders, slugs, centipedes, |
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Creepy-Crawly Poetry -
Cardinal Beetles
These insects are also known as 'Fire-coloured Beetles' and it's not difficult to see why - their bodies are bright red, and although some species might have a black head, many also have a red head to match. Their legs are always black, as are the antennae, which are often comb-like with little branches. Like most brightly coloured insects, the eye-catching appearance is to warn predators that they really don't taste very nice - so don't try eating them! Cardinal beetles can be found in deciduous woodland, crawling around on fallen trees and stumps - their larvae live under the bark, so they are never too far away from trees.
Hard as Cardinals
It's a cardinal error
to be frozen with terror
if a hungry predator is ready to pounce.
And it's a cardinal sin
to be caught in a spin
if in a fight you're going to be trounced.
It's a cardinal blunder
to just sit still and wonder
if by a miracle you're going to be spared.
And it's a cardinal mistake
to start trying to make
your escape when you're already snared.
But cardinal beetles
don't care about these details
they need not worry about being attacked.
coz with cardinal colouration
they avoid assassination
predators know they're a vile tasting snack!
Cardinal Beetle
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Cardinal Beetles