I’m feeling a bit blue today, so I thought I would do something a bit lighter.  Here are 10 fun facts about insects!

• Insects are on every continent except Antarctica.
• The fear of cockroaches is called Katsaridaphobia.
• Mexican jumping beans are seed pods that have been inhabited by the larva of a small moth and are native to Mexico.
• Adult ladybugs will eat more than 50 aphids per day.
• Throughout history, species of biting ants have been used as sutures to close wounds.
• Blow flies find dead bodies using body fluids and gases; they lay their eggs within 2 days after death.
• Silk comes from the cocoon of a silkworm (a type of caterpillar).  Each cocoon is made up of a filament around 2000- 3000 feet (600-900 meters) in length.  They use 5-8 of the filaments twisted together to make one thread.
• Peanut butter can have an average of 30 or more insect fragments per 100 g in it  (see website here).
• A group of fruit flies were the first animals launched into space.
• Bed bugs have also been known as Cimex, red coates, mahogany flats and wall-lice.