A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Quiz | Easy like Sunday morning: on bugs
What is this insect that wears the carcass of its favourite prey on its back to disguise itself?
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Born on August 28, 1965, in Tokyo, Satoshi Tajiri grew up collecting insects for a hobby. In school he was known as ‘Dr. Bug’. He wanted to become an entomologist as he saw how Japan’s insects were declining due to urbanisation. He later became fascinated with video games and majored in electronics. In 1990, he developed a game that would allow children to have the feeling of catching and collecting interesting creatures. What game did he develop that took the world by storm?
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These insects get their name from the waste matter that they consume. They are found in a variety of habitats and, as is often recounted, found in every continent except Antarctica. All these insects need to move in a straight line once they get their food. In the day they use polarised light. What unique ability do some species display at night to navigate in a straight line, and what is the general name of these insects?
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This insect, thought of as lucky, is known in English by a name that connects it to Virgin Mary. In India, in some languages, the name of the insect translates to ‘Indra’s cowherd’. What is this pretty insect that is widely popular for eating pests and so is the favourite of gardeners around the world? It has the name of a popular English publisher of children’s books.
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The Acanthaspis petax is an insect found in Africa, which preys on ants, beetles and flies. It has a peculiar characteristic of taking the carcass of its favourite prey and wearing it on its body to disguise itself when it stalks prey. This incredible feature gives the bug a name that refers to an act of killing prompted by political or religious motives.
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These insects construct mounds with amazing architectural feats complete with arches, tunnels, chimneys, insulation and nursery chambers. The mounds are always aligned north to south, to minimise exposure to the sun and thereby control the ambient temperature inside. Due to the almost compass-like nature of the mounds, what is the name given to the insects that build them?
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Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a fungus found in tropical rainforests, which can infect a certain species of ants. Once infected, the ant changes behaviour completely. It leaves the nest and goes to an area that is suitable for fungal growth, where it fixes itself to the vein of a plant. After about 4-10 days, the fungus grows out of the ant’s head. Due to the behavioural change of these ants a certain term is assigned to them, which makes them sound like characters from a horror film. By what name are these infected ants known, as they resemble a corpse being controlled by witchcraft?
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This species of insect is found in many parts of the world. The North American species is famous for its annual migration over 3,000 km to forests in Central America and Mexico. These insects fly in large numbers, often returning to the same spot they’d visited the previous year. Although they look ridiculously light, they alight on trees in such large numbers that they could cause branches to collapse. What are these colourful insects, whose numbers are threatened by logging in Mexican forests?
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Research has shown that a certain toxin called melittin may kill HIV, while leaving other cells intact. This toxin is found in the venom of a certain insect. Researchers are also exploring the use of this venom to alleviate pain in rheumatoid arthritis. Which insect’s venom is this, the components of which may prove highly beneficial to humans (though the act of transmitting it naturally is fatal to the insect)?
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This insect may look harmless, but it can release a boiling, explosive mixture of hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide in a fine spray that can reach temperatures of 100°C. These chemicals are stored in compartments within the body so that they don’t mingle and explode. Some species can direct this spray with stunning accuracy. What beetle is this, whose name may remind you of a certain aircraft?
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These insects have been around for more than 300 million years and are one of the most expert fliers known. They can move straight up or down, fly backwards, stop and hover, and make hairpin turns at full speed (48 km/h) or in slow motion and even mate mid-air. They will starve if they cannot fly, because they only eat prey they catch while in flight. One of the most interesting features about them is that they breathe through their butt. What is this interesting insect?
