The insects form the largest and most successful group of creatures on earth. Of the more than ten million creatures known to exist they outnumber all other groups by at least four to one. Most are as yet unrecorded and numerous species have become extinct before they have been found or studied.

   Insects are found in a vast variety of sizes and forms from the huge Birdwing butterflies which can grow to 28cm, to the tiniest wasps of 0.2mm. The variety of forms is no less spectacular. There are insects without which human life would be unsustainable; for example, the honey bees, which play a major role in the pollination of food plants. At the other end of the scale there are insects such as the malaria-carrying mosquito, Anopheles sp., and the yellow fever transmitter, Aedes aegypti, without which people would be considerably better off. Insects can be both pests of plants and animals and can add to the beauty of the world. Who would want to live in a world without butterflies for example?

3 of 26 Praying Mantis, Blephariopsis mendica

This is a beautiful member of a relatively primitive insect group. Despite the prayerful attitude, this is a predatory creature. When a smaller insect approaches, the mantis can strike and trap it with the spiny front legs. Mating can be dangerous for the male; if he is not recognized in time, the female might eat him, starting at the head, even during copulation.