Bugs are intimidating at first. Their body, designs, and unique color patterns are something that excites you to touch them once. However, not every bug on this planet is safe to touch; some of them can prove to be fatal to you.
Bugs are invertebrate animals without a backbone. They belong to the phylum arthropods as they show unique features like an exoskeleton, jointed appendages, etc.
In total, bugs make up 75% of the total animal species living on earth. Bugs are unique creatures that will boost your serotonin level if you are freaky.
The presence of them in your clothes will surely freak you out as the texture of their skin is quite grainy. The majority of us don’t like insects or bugs because of their creepy appearance and transmitting diseases.
Every year hundreds of species are discovered and categorized under their similar traits. Let’s dive into this article and learn about the 15 unique exotic bugs that you won’t believe exist.
15 Unique Exotic Bugs You Won’t Believe Exist
1. Scorpion Fly
| Scientific Name | Mecoptera |
| Size | 25-30mm |
| Color | Dark Brown or Bronze |
| Location | Southern Asian Countries |
| Diet | Insectivore |
A scorpion fly is seen as a mixture of a flying dragon and a scorpion. Due to its resemblance to the other two creatures, this strange-looking insect made it to the list of unique exotic bugs in the world.
They belong to an ancient order of insects that covers approximately 550 species. However, this specie is rare to find in the world.
The insects get their nutrition from dead insects, and sometimes they are seen stealing food from spider webs.
2. Catacanthus Incarnatus
| Scientific Name | Catacanthus Nigripes |
| Size | 25-30mm |
| Color | Pale Cream or Dark Red |
| Location | Southern Asian Countries |
| Diet | Herbivores |
Catacanthus Incarnatus is among the most famous exotic bugs that you can ever discover. It is a man-faced stink bug that truly resembles a face of a man. Also known as Hitler Bug can be found in several colors like red, yellow, cream, and sometimes pale orange.
It is likely to be found in bold colors to warn predators. The bold colors show that the bug is poisonous and can never satisfy your taste buds.
The face patterns are truly bizarre that will make you feel uncomfortable, it functions as a defense mechanism. Catacanthus Incarnatus is a notorious pet as it targets plant fruit.
3. Spiny Devil Katydid
This is spiny devil katydid speak for: 'Come at me bro!'
[photo: Robert Oelman]#threatdisplay pic.twitter.com/3A3UehxKVL
— Earthling / 🦣: journa.host/@ziya (@ziyatong) July 22, 2014
| Scientific Name | Panacanthus Cuspidatus |
| Size | 2.5-3 inches |
| Color | Green Color |
| Location | America |
| Diet | Insectivores |
Looking for a fearsome bug, here is the Spiny Devil Katydid that has made it to the list of exotic bugs in the world.
It is among the most impressive bugs that have prickly front legs for self-defense and to capture its prey. This bug feeds on vegetation and other insects.
Their spiky body will give you chills as they are found in vegetation. They are experts in camouflage helps them encounter many possible attacks safely from outsiders.
Their most powerful attack is they can shred the flesh with their sharp mouth bites.
4. Pyrops Candelaria
| Scientific Name | Fulgora Candelaria |
| Size | 2-2.5 inches |
| Color | Multicolor |
| Location | South Asian Countries |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Another freaky bug that you can’t discover commonly. Pyrops Candelaria is a planthopper found in South Asian countries like Vietnam, hong kong, Laos, etc. The Pyrops used to live on tree barks.
They belong to the phylum Arthropoda that are sometimes known as lanternflies because of their cephalic process.
They do not emit light and are often sorted out from others based on their features like fore wings and yellow-orange hind wings with a black zone.
They have reddish-colored heads and white spots on their body. You will not feel intimidated at first as they seem to be unnatural.
5. Thorn Treehopper
| Scientific Name | Umbonia Crassicornis |
| Size | 0.5 inch |
| Color | Green, Yellow & Brown Markings |
| Location | North and South America and Southeast Asia |
| Diet | Insectivore |
From a family of Membracidae, treehoppers are bugs related to cicadas. Their unusual appearance gives them exposure to their large pronotum. Bugs show excellent camouflage and mimicry to the world.
Their specialized muscles in the hind femora help to generate good jumping force. Tier unusual bodies gave them unique structures under exotic bugs.
Their broad front body with a tail-like structure in the back helps in distinguishing. They feed on plant stems. The young ones can be found on herbaceous shrubs, whereas the adults are seen on hardwood.
Their species is unique and innocuous to humans as some are considered minor pests to the world.
6. Baphomet Moth
Thanks I hate the Creatonotos Gangis moth.
by u/PugLover5533 in TIHI
| Scientific Name | Creatonotos Gangis |
| Size | 4cm |
| Color | Grey and White |
| Location | Southeast Asia and Southern Parts of Australia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Creatonotos Gangis is Australia’s strangest bug that anyone could ever encounter. They belong to the family of moths having beautiful bodies. The unique color combination on their body justifies their uniqueness.
Their abdomen is red, and sometimes it can be yellow too. Males of this species have four colored core math at their backs. However, the distinguished feature is the color of their eggs, as they are round and yellow and are laid in series.
Their body design is quite fascinating. Although they are creepy too because of their size and unusual color combination. However, the presence of four hairy legs at the bottom will freak you out as it makes them look vulnerable.
7. Lychee Shield Bug
| Scientific Name | Chrysocoris Stolli |
| Size | 1.5 cm |
| Color | Green and Red spots |
| Location | Southeast Asia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
A cute bug that you will admire because of its size and loaded cuteness. These exotic bugs are popularly known as Jewel bugs due to their brilliant coloration.
The presence of metallic shields due to the enlargement of their thoracic cavity brings out the unique features in their look.
They are closely related to the stink bugs and often produce offensive odor whenever they encounter any threat around them.
Another name by which they are known is Scutelleridae having characteristics that distinguish them from other members of their family.
However, sometimes they are misidentified as a beetle instead of a bug.
8. Wax-tail Hopper
| Scientific Name | Pterodictya Reticularis |
| Size | 3.2 inches |
| Color | Multicolored |
| Location | North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Wax tail hoppers are not just bugs; they are also quite intimidating. Their freaky exoskeleton gives them a creepy look that you will probably never like.
Between their unusual tail and wings, they are without any doubt one of the most creepy bugs on this planet.
Hoppers rely on plant juice by inserting their mouths into the plants. Their body design somewhat makes you uncomfortable, and you never want to see them again.
Their distinguished feature is they convert nutrients from plants into long, bizarre waxplumes.
9. Brazilian Treehopper
| Scientific Name | Bocydium Globulare |
| Size | 2 mm to 2 cm |
| Color | Blue to Green |
| Location | Tropical Forest regions |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Brazilian Treehopper, commonly known as Bocydium Globulare, is an insect belonging to the treehopper family. They are probably the unique bugs you can ever discover in the world.
Displaying balls on the head is fearsome; it looks like wearing a hat that might stop the predators from eating them. Although, their size is small yet they are unique in every way.
Their unique design on heads is still a mystery. It could b due to their evolving from a peacock’s tail or a sudden change in DNA.
The insect is an excellent mimic of a parasitic fungus known as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis.
The uniqueness of that parasite is that it goes into the host body and bursts out, so no predator dares to eat this bug.
10. Alligator Bug
| Scientific Name | Fulgora Laternaria |
| Size | 10 cm |
| Color | Light Cream colored |
| Location | Tropical forest |
| Diet | Insectivore |
Here’s a bug commonly known as an alligator bug. The unique name of this insect is due to its unusual look of an alligator and has yellow-brown tones with some addition of black shades and white patterns.
The insect has a bulging head giving you strange look. Their head resembles a caiman with a false eye. Their overall wingspan is up to 15 cm which will surely freak you out.
This tropical insect is an expert in camouflage to protect itself from predators and feeds on sucking plant sap. Overall, the alligator bug is intimidating and unique to discover.
11. Golden Tortoise Beetle
| Scientific Name | Charidotella sexpunctata |
| Size | 5.0 to 7.0 mm |
| Color | Golden or Light Green |
| Location | Eastern North America |
| Diet | Herbivores |
Resembling a tortoise, this bug is among the most beautiful bugs in the world. The beautiful shiny golden color on the body makes it significant and easy to identify.
The golden tortoise beetle is associated with sweet potatoes in a beetle family. It is native to America. The golden bug is one of those bugs that has its body fully covered in golden color.
They are tiny herbivore member of the beetle family that shows a uniform golden color that changes with every stage of their lives.
The wildlife is truly amazing as you never know how many species are yet to discover and their unique characteristics.
12. Luna Moth
| Scientific Name | Actias Luna |
| Size | 3 to 4 inches |
| Color | Bright Green, or white |
| Location | North America |
| Diet | Herbivore |
A beautiful surreal creature that will give you goosebumps once you see it. Commonly known as the American Moon Moth from the family of Saturniidae.
This bug munches on walnut leaves, hickory and sweet hum also sometimes on paper birch trees. Their bright green wings make them stand out among other unique bugs in the world.
This eye-catching feature makes them easily recognizable because of their wings. As they are born from a cocoon, they live for a few weeks and they also don’t eat.
13. Beautiful Demoiselle
| Scientific Name | Calopteryx Virgo |
| Size | 3.5 to 4.6mm |
| Color | Males: Metallic Blue, Females: Green |
| Location | Western UK |
| Diet | Insectivores |
Another beautiful insect among the exotic bugs list is none other than the Beautiful Demoiselle. They are truly immense with their unique color combination and design.
Demoiselle is often found in fast-flowing water as they mostly spend their lives there. The females lay up to 300 eggs at one time and have a life cycle incorporating 10-12 stages to become the beautiful demoiselle.
They rely on catching insects or on anything they can catch as they are excellent hunters.
However, the main threat to their lifestyle is habitat loss through the changes in land and water surroundings in the area.
14. Domino Cockroach
| Scientific Name | Therea Petiveriana |
| Size | 3 cm |
| Color | Blackish grey with seven white spots on back |
| Location | India and Sri Lanka |
| Diet | Decaying organic matter |
A cute little insect showing a unique dotted pattern on its body here is the domino cockroach, a species of cockroach found in India and Sri Lanka.
The expert mimic pattern shows aggressive nature for strong defense including the ability to spray chemicals that irritate the predators. The upper body of the cockroach is orange-yellow and covered by black coat-type wings.
They use chemical pheromones to communicate with other insects. However, for showing a threat to the predator, they raise their wings and induce specific alarming chemicals.
As usual, they live on other insects for nutrition and are easy to keep as a pet.
15. Orchid Mantis
| Scientific Name | Hymenopus Coronatus |
| Size | 6 to 7 cm |
| Color | Pink |
| Location | Tropical Forest of Southeast Asia |
| Diet | Insectivore |
Have you ever heard about a bug similar to a flower? If not, Orchid Mantis is on the list to impress you. It is one such bug that will not terrify you to the extreme as they are a pleasant-looking creature.
With a beautiful pink and white mantis lobe on the legs that resemble the flower petals, this bug is exotic in every way.
It is a species of praying mantis that shapes itself as a flower. However, it is one such exotic bug that is extremely expensive and difficult to breed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these unique exotic bugs are truly worth watching. However, not everyone is a big fan of these bugs. These 15 exotic bugs are treasured for their uniqueness from color to habitat to location.
While having one of these exotic bugs comes with a lot of caring and expenses to keep them alive in varied surroundings. Before purchasing these bugs, do proper research.
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An engineering student turned into a writer. Expressing thoughts into words is what i prize the most. Being able to conclude my thoughts through my articles is my prime intention. If i am not engaging myself with animal content, you can always find me doing coding. I am an engineer by profession but a writer by heart.