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Post by mothra on Jul 11, 2011 18:38:31 GMT -8
Hello, I am brand new here. I am not a huge fan of bugs or insects, but I definetly do find them interesting. Anyway, I have some questions I need answered just out of curiosity, and also a bit of research.
Which insects would be considered "friendly", and which would be "aggressive?" Of course there are predatory insects, but I'm really talking about behavior patterns. Like which insects only kill to hunt? Which only kill to protect their young and/or territory, etc.
Thanks!
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Post by Alexander N on Jul 11, 2011 19:58:01 GMT -8
Welcome
The two orders of insects that are completely predatory are Mantodea (praying mantids) and Odonata (dragonflies/damselflies). Both are considered "friendly" to people. These two orders hunt for food and to survive. These two orders only kill to hunt.
As insects are r-selectors they don't exhibit caring for young much.
Ants, wasps, and bees (order Hymenoptera) are well known to defend their territories known as nests and hives. They care for their young and provide what is needed until the larvae is ready as an adult to service the colony.
Your question is very general so I can only provide a general answer. I'm sure there are many exceptions to what I have just said and I'm sure many will have their own input.
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Post by entoman on Jul 11, 2011 21:29:18 GMT -8
Yes, this question is pretty vague. What exactly do you mean by "friendly"? An aphid won't eat other insects, but in terms of destruction of human resources, they are not exactly what man would consider beneficial.
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Post by lordpandarus on Jul 12, 2011 16:35:24 GMT -8
Which insects or spiders are purposefully aggressive towards humans?
Is there any spiders that will leap out to bite people?
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Post by saturniidave on Jul 12, 2011 17:32:16 GMT -8
I don't think any Arthropods are purposely aggressive towards humans, they only attack when they feel threatened. Dave
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rjb
Full Member
Posts: 187
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Post by rjb on Jul 12, 2011 18:34:51 GMT -8
Well I suppose mosquitoes and ticks and lice aren't exactly aggressive, but they like to feed on people for survival. Oh and a bedbug is friendly, it wants to sleep with you! Rick
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Post by mothra on Jul 12, 2011 21:42:55 GMT -8
"Mantodea (praying mantids)"
You mean praying mantis(es?) Man screw those things, they are beyond evil. Yeah they look cool and are pretty tough, but I just hate them, lol. I'm convinced they are an alien species that came to Earth from space along time ago. Aaaannnd that statement is so not going to help what I'm about to say next.
You're going to laugh, but I don't care. Just please know I'm not here on this forum to joke around or make fun of anyone. So let me put it this way:
If all species of insects and bugs were to grow to giant proportions (like 2 foot tall ants. that kind of growth), which would kill humans just for the sake of killing, which would still be neutral, and which may even be on our side? Yes I'm currently writing a sci-fi article that involves survivng different end of the world scenarios. It's a hobby of mine.
What about scorpions? They seem really tough and evil, but I know some species, if not all, carry their young around on their back. So does this make scorpions more friendly then people think? It's also the same for other insects that do this with their young.
btw, thanks for everyone who may think I'm sane. I'm seriously a normal guy, but I guess this was an awkward intro for me here, lol.
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Post by Alexander N on Jul 12, 2011 22:10:44 GMT -8
You're looking at insects in a very subjective light.
Scorpions aren't "bugs" if we're really technical here. What do you mean by "friendly?" Scorpions carry their young around because evolution has favored that type of parental care. They also will consume some of their young in certain cases. If that makes them less "friendly" to you then so be it. We see it as the best way the scorpion can pass on its genes.
In short, the "bugs" that you speak of will behave a certain way to survive. Looking at insects purely from the scientific perspective there is no need to classify an insect as "friendly" or "mean" as those words are very subjective.
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Post by entoman on Jul 12, 2011 23:06:45 GMT -8
I believe you to be sane, just somewhat ignorant as far as insects are concerned; but to the people on this forum, most of whom study insects to some extent, your level of knowledge on the subject, though average as far as the general populace is concerned, seems rather foreign in this venue. Anyway, if you are looking for insects to be feared in a common 1950's science fiction scenario, you might want to look into tiger beetles (or more broadly anything from the family Carabidae), dragonflies (who knows, they might attack planes were they large enough and thought them to be edible), diving beetles and water bugs, assassin bugs, some ant and wasp species, etc. Basically anything that is currently a generalist predator would be a problem. If some species were to be large enough they may not pursue humans at all as they would not be cost effective as far the ratio of quantity of nourishment to energy expended is concerned. These may simply focus their attention on other large insect as a primary food source and so in a manner be on "our side" as you said. I think you may be trying too hard to humanize the insects; as near as I can tell they don't exactly feel, or at least express human-like emotions. Pretty much everything they do seems to be instinctual without much of what we would consider to be "thought". Anyway, long protracted responses always seem to come about when I'm on this sight to late. It is now 3:00 am. Good night.
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Post by wingedwishes on Jul 13, 2011 14:34:13 GMT -8
Friendly and unfriendly.... You might mean - will it eat me or a plant? Friendly may be interpreted as non predatory. If this is the case, any herbivore good and any predator bad. To me, an insect is unfriendly if it bites me, envenomates me or lays eggs inside me.
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Post by prillbug2 on Jul 13, 2011 16:54:13 GMT -8
Some spiders in the family Ctenidae have been known to purposely climb up broom handles and bite the person wielding the brooms. Phoneutria ssp. are known to be very poisonous and have resulted in a number of deaths because of their aggressive nature. Some Ctenids have been found in banana bunches in the United States. Basically, most people in S.A. do not want to mess around with these spiders, they can kill us, easily. Jeff Prill
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Post by achmeineye on Aug 1, 2011 5:15:16 GMT -8
Look at Giant Waterbugs, "Toe Biters", and they are sometimes called. They are common especially in north america. They are massive, the largest of the "true bugs". They inject their poison into their prey and it basically dissolves their organs and they eat them that way. Their bite is said to be one of the most painful, but they don't go out of their way to attack humans. If threatened by a larger predator they usually play dead, but if you mess with them enough they will bite you and it will be fierce. I remember being a small child and i kept teasing one by putting a leaf in between its mandibles and it isntantly chopped through it and i couldn't get the stick back. if those grew to giant proportions...yikes.
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Post by starlightcriminal on Aug 1, 2011 7:54:53 GMT -8
I agree with wingedwishes for the subject of a sci-fi article- in that paradigm, herbivorous insects would be the only "friendly" insects should they grow to 1950's b-movie proportions with the exception of some of the species-specific predators (of course you could always adapt one to a strictly-human diet). Like most other animals, if it is predatory and you can fit in its mouth (whole or otherwise) it will eat you or at least try to sample.
For an exiting, terrifying giant insect I also like the Tiger Beetles (Cicindilidae). They would be terrifying- so fast and very aggressive. Some of the predatory Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae) would be pretty exciting too. I can already see the movie in my head... fast, jumping and scuttling around a-la "Alien" with the long, piercing rostrum flashing around like a katana. Gruesome death- victims drained like a juice pouch with a straw.
In real life it's the parasites that give me unreasonable heebie-jeebies, but considering the obligate size differences between host and parasite they probably would be hard to reconfigure for such purposes. An elephant sized bot fly maggot would be terrifying to behold, yes, but how successful could it be at hiding under your skin?
It would be funny to read when you are finished- would it be short enough to post here or at least a little blurb just for kicks? Of course we would all have to promise to take it with a grain of salt- put your entomology desk references away, no picking at morphology, etc. It is sci-fi after all.
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ckswank
Full Member
Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Aug 1, 2011 14:45:31 GMT -8
Has anyone seen the series "Monster Bug Wars"? I think it's on the Science or Discovery channel or maybe Animal Planet. The pick two arthropods & film them close up attacking each other, & to make matters worse, they add sound effects as if they had vocal chords! Pretty amusing, but completely inaccurate.
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Post by wingedwishes on Aug 1, 2011 16:22:08 GMT -8
The whip spiders would be great on film. But the most fearsome thing to me would be this......
You're walking through a meadow full of sweet smelling flowers. As you walk, you notice that there are no sounds. No birds cirping. No bees buzzing. A few steps more and you hear a buzzing zound. From amongst the flowers rises a very large tarantula with dragonfly like wings lifting her. 7 more rise lined up in precision next to her. They are all carrying part of a large webbed net. As they overtake you and encircle you, your last thought is "why did I wear hiking boots instead of running shoes?" The buzzing stops and the only thing different is a silken bundle laying in the field of wildflowers..........
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