by Florin Popescu

This alien poses as a damselfly of the Zygoptera suborder. People often fail to notice that they hold their wings differently when at rest and are also smaller than dragonflies. Oh, and did you notice, their eyes are separated. Though running might be better than waiting to see the blue in their eyes…  

"Give me… FOOD!" This fuzzy yellow alien with black spots is called Dasychira Pudibunda and is the larval form, or caterpillar, of the red-tailed moth.

 

This species of aliens has fooled humans for many years. Popularly known as a bumblebee of the Apidae family, they have donned a fuzzy yellow-and-black fur and spread rumours that some of them are stingless. Right, whatever, just careful with that …!

"Listen to me, Earthling, feel the mighty wrath of Gandalf the Green!" This green bush cricket of the TettigoniidaeLord of the Rings

..

"Hullo there, did I "Hullo there, did I startle you? If I did startle you? If I did

pretty please, will you pretty please, will you be my… ahem… buy be my… ahem… buy

my dinner?" This my dinner?" This praying mantis is one praying mantis is one of 2,000 species in the of 2,000 species in the

mantis order of mantis order of insects. As predatory insects. As predatory aliens, ER, insects, aliens, ER, insects,

they might better be they might better be called preying mantiscalled preying mantis..

"I might look cute but I can "I might look cute but I can sap you out!" Treehoppers sap you out!" Treehoppers

have long fascinated have long fascinated biologists because of their biologists because of their unusual appearance. They unusual appearance. They belong to the Membracidae belong to the Membracidae

family and are closely family and are closely related to cicadas and related to cicadas and leafhoppers. They feed leafhoppers. They feed

upon the sap found in plant upon the sap found in plant stems, which they prick stems, which they prick

with their beaks. with their beaks.

This praying This praying mantis male mantis male

would would certainly certainly

score a role score a role in any alien in any alien movie. His movie. His

acting talent acting talent is undisputed is undisputed as he's part as he's part of the flower of the flower

mantis mantis species - they species - they pretend to be pretend to be flowers and flowers and then attack then attack their prey. their prey. How very How very cunning, cunning, indeed.indeed.

"Who you're calling an "Who you're calling an alien? Our ancestors alien? Our ancestors

have been around since have been around since 350 million BC!" Wasps 350 million BC!" Wasps are said to be terrestrial are said to be terrestrial but some of them look but some of them look

positively extra-positively extra-terrestrial. Though often terrestrial. Though often called pests, they are in called pests, they are in fact very important for fact very important for ecosystems: as food for ecosystems: as food for other insects and birds other insects and birds or as predators limiting or as predators limiting the populations of many the populations of many

other species.other species.

"Call me a "Call me a cricket one cricket one more time!" more time!"

Grasshoppers Grasshoppers have horns or have horns or antennas that antennas that

are shorter are shorter than their than their

body, unlike body, unlike their their

relatives', the relatives', the bush crickets. bush crickets. They may look They may look well shielded well shielded but lose many but lose many a battle when a battle when they end up as they end up as a protein-rich a protein-rich delicacy on delicacy on someone's someone's

plate in many plate in many parts of the parts of the

world.world.

This praying mantis looks straight This praying mantis looks straight out of Alien or Men in Black… No out of Alien or Men in Black… No prizes for guessing who inspired prizes for guessing who inspired

whom.whom.