Q 01/05

Which insect defends itself by firing a near-boiling chemical spray from its rear with an audible pop?

A) Bombardier beetle

B) Red soldier beetle

C) Blister beetle

D) Carrion beetle

Answer · why

A) Bombardier beetle

The bombardier beetle mixes hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide in a chamber in its abdomen, and the reaction heats the spray to near the boiling point...

Q 02/05

African dung beetles roll their balls in a straight line at night by steering with which sky feature?

A) The North Star

B) The Southern Cross

C) The Milky Way

D) The planet Venus

Answer · why

C) The Milky Way

The Milky Way is their compass: dung beetles are the only insects known to orient by its glow. A straight path gets the ball away from the dung pile b...

Q 03/05

The 'lady' in the name ladybird honours which religious figure, often shown in a red cloak in early art?

A) Saint Mary Magdalene

B) Saint Brigid of Kildare

C) Saint Joan of Arc

D) The Virgin Mary

Answer · why

D) The Virgin Mary

The Virgin Mary was known as Our Lady, and in Britain the insects were first called Our Lady's birds. The seven spots of the common European species w...

Q 04/05

Males of which insect group wrestle rivals with hugely enlarged jaws?

A) Rhinoceros beetles

B) Stag beetles

C) Longhorn beetles

D) Ox beetles

Answer · why

B) Stag beetles

Stag beetles are named for the males' oversized mandibles, which resemble a stag's antlers and are used to wrestle rivals off favoured mating sites. T...

Q 05/05

In which country are horned rhinoceros beetles kept as popular pets?

A) China

B) India

C) Japan

D) Indonesia

Answer · why

C) Japan

Japan is so fond of pet beetles that vending machines dispensing live ones were developed there in 1999. Rhinoceros beetles were once gathered from th...