Continuing our unofficial "Stop Being Afraid of Insects" series, here are 16 pictures of ladybugs. Granted, most people aren't afraid of ladybugs, but they've probably never seen that video of a ladybug taking off in super-slow motion. Or had a house infested with them. They can be pretty disturbing when they're part of a throbbing ladybug mass. But not like this. This is adorable.
Listen, don't read this while you're eating. Come back when you've finished though. It's just that reading about parboiling insects might have a negative effect on your appetite. See, the 17-year cicadas have already started to emerge from the ground, and there are going to be billions of them. BILLIONS. So, you may as well eat some, right?
Generally, when we think of beetles we imagine something black and vaguely menacing, slowly crawling towards our foot. GAH! It turns out, not all beetles are that way.
Generally speaking, we think of moths as the unsettling, night-flying creepster cousin of the butterfly. But *look* at this Emperor Gum Moth! It is at least as cute as a candid shot of a dog. At least
Well, it's finally happened -- someone died after gorging themselves in an eating contest. But here's the kicker: The 32-year-old man in question passed away after scarfing down dozens of roaches and worms. Ick! Why couldn't it have been something tasty like hot dogs or buffalo wings?
Cockroaches are bad enough, but just imagine if you found one of these newly-discovered bioluminescent critters crawling on your bathroom floor one late night. We're not ashamed to admit we'd probably shriek and run. The only saving grace for this freaky-looking new species is that they resemble Jawas from 'Star Wars.' So, you know, that's something.
A Rube Goldberg-like contraption harnesses the energy of bugs, and powers a smart phone.
When baby spiders are huddled together in their nest, they may appear to be a ball of tiny black-eyed peas. But when disturbed they will scatter, much like how these eight-legged creatures did when poked at by a homeowner.
How would you deal with a giant wasp infestation? If you're like us, your strategy would consist mostly of running away at top speed shouting, "NOPE NOPE NOPE!"
But not this guy. He created a sweet wasp-capturing machine. Wasps check in, but they don't check out.
It's unclear if this cat allowed a beetle to climb atop its head because of an affinity for the enormous bug, or because it is just too tired and lazy to deal with the bold encroachment.
It's probably the second reason, but it's fun to think that a cat and a beetle could beat the odds and be best friends.