Rainforest Insects & Plants
- Rainforests cover only a small area of land along the equator.new zealand rainforest image by Spencer Stoner from Fotolia.com
According to California Technical (Cal-Tech) University's "Learning About Rain Forests" project, "more than two thirds of the world's plant species are found in the tropical rain forests." Mongabay, a leading source of information on rain forests, reports "over 90% of animal species in the Amazon [rainforest] are insects."
While the Amazon is not the only rain forest in the world, this example offers perspective on the world's other rain forests. Given these astounding statistics, it is interesting to note that rainforests themselves occupy only a very small area of land along the equator, from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer. - A purple orchid flower grows in the rain forest.orchid image by Vita Vanaga from Fotolia.com
The orchid is one of the rainforest's most popular and memorable plants. Orchid flowers come in a variety of sizes and colors, but are almost always characterized as having 3 petals, with the bottom petal being distinct in appearance from the others, along with a surrounding 3 petal-like sepals (pod-like coverings for immature seeds and petals.)
According to Cal Tech, "There are over 20,000 known species [of orchids]...[and the] tropical orchids are more often epiphytes-plants that get their nutrients from the air-which grow non-parasitically on trees." - The strangler fig is a plant that starts off as a seed that has been deposited onto larger trees, usually by birds or insects. As the seed grows, it wraps itself around the tree, essentially strangling it, until the tree dies. Once the tree dies and rots away, the strangler fig is left standing alone, appearing to be hollow in the center.
- According to Cal Tech, "ninety per cent of the world's vine species grow in tropical rain forests." Lianas are thick, woody climbing vines that start life on the forest floor and grow upwards by wrapping themselves around trees. Once they have grown high enough, they then extend outwards and wrap themselves around nearby trees as well. This is beneficial because it offers the trees support from high winds coming through the forest, but can also be harmful if the host tree falls over because it can pull down the surrounding trees with it.
- The rhinoceros beetle gets its name from the large horn on the top of its head, giving it the appearance of a rhinoceros. On average this beetle weighs about 20 grams and is approximately 150 mm in length. Despite its size, the rhinoceros beetle is the strongest creature in the world, capable of carrying 100 times its weight.
- An owl butterfly.owl butterfly image by John Saxenian from Fotolia.com
The owl butterfly is a large butterfly, having a wingspan of up to 8 inches. The owl butterfly gets its name from its distinct wing markings. When its wings are spread, the markings resemble the face of an owl. This is used as a defense mechanism for the butterfly to scare off would-be predators, such as lizards and birds. These butterfly predators are prey for owls, which is why the markings deter them from attacking the butterfly. - A stick insect.stick insect image by vladislav susoy from Fotolia.com
Stick insects vary in size from as small as a half-inch to as large as one foot in length. Stick bugs get their name from their uncanny resembles to twigs. Found mainly in the tropic zone, stick bugs are mostly nocturnal and feed on leaves and other foliage. Given the large number of species of stick bugs, it is no surprise that they also vary greatly in coloring, from the standard brown or green, to being brightly colored or covered in stripes.
