"New Life"

Below consists a few photos from Ingo Arndt who won the 2012 Fritz Polking Award. These photos entitled new life explores the birth of new insects. 

The first Image captured the moment a fly breaks through its puparium, which is the hardened larval skin that encloses the pupa.

World's Heaviest Cockroach

The world's heaviest cockroach is the Australian burrowing cockroach can grow up to three and half inches long, and they weigh about the same as a parakeet. 

They can weigh up to 35g and measure up to 80 mm

Believe it or not these insects are becoming popular pets in Australia!

The Australian burrowing cockroach eats dry Eucalyptus leaves, and by doing so they serve an important function in Australian ecology; they recycle nutrients from the dry Eucalyptus leaves back into the earth.

Though wingless and slow moving, they can live for up to ten years. And unlike the cockroaches you’re used to, these creatures bear live young.

Mothers & Their Young

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Damselfly Dew Drops

Image: David Chambon via The Scientist

Ever wonder how this happens?

Insects  have waterproof exoskeletons which cause the water to ball up on their surfaces. 

You can see the small balls of  morning dew on the damselfly pictured above

Terminology

Exoskeleton: is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body

How does a bee stop the queen mating with other bees ?