Cool Bug Facts for Kids (2025)

The world is a big place, and it is full of interesting creatures. Here at Fox Pest Control, we know a lot about bugs, and we wanted to share some of our favorite facts with you!

Do All Bugs Have Six Legs?

By definition, insects all have 6 legs. There are some creatures that we group into the bug category that have 8 legs. Arachnids, the proper term for 8 legged animals, is a category that includes spiders, scorpions and ticks.

There are also some insects that appear to have 4 legs, because they use their third pair of legs for modified purposes. For example, the Mantis uses its front set of legs more as arms, to catch and eat their prey. They only use 4 legs to walk. Water bugs, such as Water Striders, are an example of bugs that only use their front legs for hunting.

Do All Bugs With Wings Fly?

All bugs with wings are capable of flight, but some just aren’t very good at it. Beetles, for example, appear to have wings on their outer shell, but these serve as armor and the real wings are underneath. Additionally, they use this outer shell and their legs to help in flight by outstretching them in a Superman pose. Look closely the next time you see a beetle flying and you can see how they do this.

Cockroaches are another species of insect that isn’t good at flying. They are slow fliers, and prefer to walk or run. Typically they use their wings to glide when they’ve crawled to the ceiling and want to get down to the ground quickly.

How Many Bugs are There?

Insects are by far the most prevalent species on earth, with over 900 thousand distinct species. This makes up almost 80% of the world’s species! Within this group, there is the most variety in beetles, who have somewhere between 300 and 400 thousand species.

As far as the actual number of bugs in the world, the Smithsonian Institute estimates that at any given time there are 10 quintillion insects living on the planet. That is 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 Bugs!

Do Bugs Sleep?

The short answer is yes, bugs do sleep. However they don’t sleep like mammals, as they lack eyelids and the ability to lay down. Their rest cycle involves them finding a safe place and being very still for some time, occasionally curling up or slumping their antennas. Flies have been shown to “sleep” for an average of 2.5 hours, only occasionally twitching during this time.

What Happens to Bugs in the Winter?

Bugs have various ways of dealing with the winter cold. Some become pupae or larvae, basically spending the winter under a blanket. Other bugs, such as the Monarch Butterfly, migrate to warmer climates in the winter. For this reason, they are only seen in the north United States in the summer, and southern states during the winter.

Other bugs go into diapause, a state similar to hibernation where their metabolic rate drops drastically and they burn stored fat for warmth.

What is the Strongest Bug?

The Horned Dung Beetle looks very strong in appearance, and lives up to expectations. They are the world’s strongest insects, being able to lift up to 1141 times their body weight. This is the equivalent of a 200lb. man being able to pick up 2 semi trucks!

What is the Fastest Bug?

The Guiness Book of World Records attributes the record of fastest bug to the Australian Tiger Beetle, who is capable of running 2.4 meters per second, or 5.6 miles per hour. In comparison, Usain Bolt, the fastest human alive, has reached a top speed of 27.33 miles per hour. Although that is much faster, he’s also much larger than a beetle.

What is the Smallest Bug?

The world’s smallest insect is a type of parasitic wasp that lays larvae in the bodies of larger bugs to feed and grow. They measure just 0.005 inches in length. To put this in perspective, a human hair is 0.0025 inches in thickness, meaning from tail to head, these wasps are only as big as two human hairs side by side.

What is the Biggest Bug?

Stick Bugs are considered to be the longest insects alive today, as some can measure up to 2 feet in length. Despite their massive size, they are able to hide from predators fairly easily due to their camouflaging abilities.

The heaviest bug in the world is the Giant Weta, a relative of crickets who are massive and can weigh up to 2.5 ounces. This is heavier than many small birds.

Scientists think that the largest insect to ever live were Griffinflies, a species similar to a dragonfly, but with a wingspan up to 2.5 feet! This is similar to the wingspan of a small crow.

Have Bugs Been to Space?

Bugs have been to space! In fact, in 1947, over 20 years before humans landed on the moon, NASA sent a rocket with fruit flies on it up into space. Other bugs that have been to space include spiders, silkworms, and a colony of ants.

Cool Bug Facts for Kids (2025)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Chrissy Homenick

Last Updated:

Views: 6013

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Chrissy Homenick

Birthday: 2001-10-22

Address: 611 Kuhn Oval, Feltonbury, NY 02783-3818

Phone: +96619177651654

Job: Mining Representative

Hobby: amateur radio, Sculling, Knife making, Gardening, Watching movies, Gunsmithing, Video gaming

Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.