Insects that Went Viral

Insects that Went Viral

Praying Mantis Vs. Machine

Videos of this wild interaction have been circling in the last few weeks of October 2021. The video depicts a welding machine working away on some job while a praying mantis stands before it, sizing up the machine and engaging in a fighting stance. As sparks fly from the apparatus, the mantis strikes at them aggressively and advances toward the welder. Moments later, a large stream of sparks shoots straight at the mantis. Though it seems like he disappears from being shot back from the sparks, he appears suddenly clinging to the side of the welder. Upon closer inspection, he can be seen leaping with shocking speed to avoid the sparks. The mantis soon jumps down from the welder and seems to abandon his assault, slowly walking away. This shocking interaction has been met by both awe and great amusement as people are dumbfounded by the bold actions of the praying mantis. These viral videos can be found on YouTube, TikTok, and other media platforms.  

Fly on the Wall? Try Fly on a Head!

During the Vice-Presidential Debates in October 2020, it wasn’t just the debate topics that were all the “buzz.” At some point during the proceedings, a fly landed on the head of Mike Pence… and did not leave… for a WHILE. This humorous occurrence led to the fly being the main focus in the aftermath of the debate. Videos, memes, and even merchandise have been made commemorating this fly’s moment in politics.

Angelina Jolie’s Covered in Bees

May 20^th is ‘World Bee Day’ meant to acknowledge, “honeybees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, [that] are increasingly under threat from human activities.” In celebration of this holiday, famed actress Angelia Jolie partnered with National Geographic to do a photoshoot aimed at raising awareness regarding the threat of honeybee extinction. The photoshoot captured Jolie standing still while a swarm of bees covered her body and buzzed around her head. In order for the bees to cooperate for the stunning shots, Jolie was instructed not to bathe or use scented products for three days as soaps, shampoos, perfumes, lotions, etc. can be confusing or unappealing to honeybees. Furthermore, to entice the bees to interact with Jolie special bee pheromones were wiped onto her skin and dress, drawing the bees to land on her. In reflection of the experience, Jolie stated that, “I felt very honored and lucky to have the experience.” These photos went viral and helped spread awareness about the importance of honeybees in our world. As humans depend on honeybees. The U.N. reports that, “nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land,” and the Illinois Department of Public Health states that “more than one half of all fruit and vegetable crops [in Illinois] are pollinated by honeybees.” So, while they’re often lumped in with pests, their contribution to pollination and generally docile nature omit them from pest status and, instead, they are amazing creatures that require protection.

The Invasion of the Murder Hornets

Known scientifically as Vespa Mandarinia, Giant Asian Hornets are well known for causing significant carnage and devastation. In fact, their nickname, ‘Murder Hornet’ was earned due to their tendency to rip off the heads of innocent bees and wipe out entire hives in a matter of a few hours. While these hornets are of Asian origin, they somehow made their way to the United States in December of 2019, leading to wide media coverage. The rouge hornets were initially spotted in Washington State, but were soon found in Canada including a sighting in White Rock, British Columbia and the discovery of an entire hive on Vancouver Island. After expelling the new Canadian hive, scientists and lawmakers launched a widespread hunt for the violent north American invaders which lead to the discovery of a colony in Blaine, Washington in mid-October 2020 on a region of farmland near the Canadian border. The professionals charged with treating this new nest used a specially designed vacuum hose to remove the hornets from the nest. In total 98 worker hornets were captured to used for scientific research, some of which may help to track down remaining hornets in the area.

A Mysterious Creature

In late summer/early fall of 2021, a bizarre looking creature began to be featured across the internet from common news sources to various TikTok videos. A bout of summer rain has led to the emergence of these creatures in some areas of Texas and, as the news of their existence spread, theories sprung up regarding what this creepy crawly could be. Some suggested that it could be a kind of land-dwelling lobster while others assumed that it was a giant insect or scorpion. But, while these are great guesses, it’s actually none of the above… While it closely resembles scorpions, these creatures are actually part of another group of arachnids entirely called vinegaroons. This unique type of arachnid is known for its ability to shoot acid from its rear. There are approximately 120 species of vinegaroons across the globe, most of which inhabit tropical areas, particularly Southeast Asia. But North America is known to be host to at least seven different vinegaroon species. Most notably the Mastigoproctus giganteus (also known as the Giant North American Vinegaroon is known for living in Texas, as well as Arizona and Florida, and is most likely the species of vinegaroon that has been making headlines. Luckily for us, these creepy creatures are not found in Illinois.

Citations

  Baker, M. (2020) ‘Murder Hornets’ in the U.S.: The Rush to Stop the Asian Giant Hornet, The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/02/us/asian-giant-hornet-washington.html (Accessed May 2020). Barth, Z., Kearns, T. and Wason, E. (2013) Vespa Mandarinia, Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Available at: https://ainmaldiversity.org/accounts/Vespa_mandarinia/ (Accessed: May 2020). Bees and Wasps (no date) Illinois Department of Public Health. Available at: https://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/structural-pest-control/bees-wasps (Accessed: May 21, 2021). Brisco, E. (2021) Angelina Jolie is covered in bees and calls it ‘lovely’: See the photo, USA Today. Available at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/05/20/angelina-jolie-poses-bunch-buzzing-bees-world-bee-day/5180907001/ (Accessed: May 21, 2021). EPA Actions to Protect Pollinators (2021) EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/epa-actions-protect-pollinators (Accessed: May 21, 2021). The Giant North AMERICAN Vinegaroon? It’s actually seven different SPECIES: AMNH (no date) American Museum of Natural History. Available at: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/research-posts/the-giant-north-american-vinegaroon-it-s-actually-seven-different-species (Accessed: September 3, 2021). Judkis, M. (2020) Life imitates art, and so a fly landed on Mike Pence’s head, The Washington Post. WP Company. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/life-imitates-art-and-so-a-fly-landed-on-mike-pences-head/2020/10/08/07bb328e-0918-11eb-9be6-cf25fb429f1a_story.html (Accessed: October 11, 2021). Lakshmanan, I. (2021) Angelina Jolie embraces bees-and female beekeepers as environmental guardians, National Geographic. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/bee-conservation-women-entrepreneurs-angelina-jolie (Accessed: May 21, 2021). Levenson, M. (2020) Murder Hornet Nest, First in U.S., Is Removed in Washington State, The New York Times. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/23/us/-murder-hornet-nest-washington.html (Accessed: February 3, 2021). Lewis, S. (2021) Acid-spraying, scorpion-like insects spotted in Texas, CBS News. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vinegaroon-texas-whip-scorpion-acid-shooting-land-lobster/ (Accessed: September 3, 2021). Madani, D. (2020) ‘Murder Hornet’ Nest had Potential to Spawn Almost 200 Queens in Washington State, NBC News. NBC Universal News Group. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/murder-hornet-nest-had-potential-spawn-almost-200-queens-washington-n1247302 (Accessed: February 3, 2021). Martin, W. (2020) ‘Murder Hornets’ Spotted in the U.S. Here’s What You Need to Know, Science Alert. Business Insider. Available at: https://www.sciencealert.com/this-is-a-murder-hornet-and-it-s-currently-taking-over-the-us (Accessed: May 2020). Miranda, G. (2021) Summer rains in this national Park draw OUT acid-spraying, scorpion-like creatures, USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network. Available at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/07/22/summer-rain-brings-out-acid-spraying-scorpion-like-insect-texas/8053060002/ (Accessed: September 3, 2021). Praying Mantis Fights An Industrial Welding Machine (2021) YouTube. Salty Guppy. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyilAEkWg_M (Accessed: October 11, 2021). Rosane, O. (2020) ‘Murder Hornets’ Spotted in the U.S. for the First Time, EcoWatch. Available at: https://www.ecowatch.com/murder-hornets-honeybees-us-2645912097.html?rebelltitem=2#rebelltitem2(Accessed: May 2020). Sulleyman, A. (2021) Acid-spraying, scorpion-like vinegaroons looking for love emerge in Texas, Newsweek. Available at: https://www.newsweek.com/acid-spraying-scorpion-like-vinegaroons-looking-love-emerge-texas-1611388 (Accessed: September 3, 2021). World Bee Day (no date) United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day (Accessed: May 21, 2021).