EcuadorMegadiverso

With their raised wings and the eye-like pattern, metalmark moths look like jumping spiders, which prey on small insects, such as moths. Even their jerky leaps resemble that of a jumping spider. Apparently this gives them an advantage in the struggle for survival because jumping spiders mistake them as fellows and not recognize them as prey. This is a rare example of predator mimicry.

These leafcutter ants filmed near Puyo in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador carry leaves to their colony's fungus garden. The wingless worker ants are females. Each ant can carry up to 50 times its own body weight. This is equivalent to a man carrying a van over his head! Leafcutter ants cut foliage into pieces. Since they cannot digest plants themselves they carry them to their underground colonies, where they grind up the material and inoculate it with a fungus. The harvested fungus is then used as a food source for the ant colony. Therefore leafcutter ants are also called fungus-growing ants. By the way there are more than 1 million ants for each human on Earth and the total mass of all the ants is roughly equal to the mass of all the people on Earth. Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries, it actually has the highest biodiversity per square kilometer of any nation, with over 1660 species of birds, some 4000 species of butterflies and thousands of colorful moths, more than 500 amphibians, as well as a unique flora with e.g. over 4300 species of orchids. See more amazing videos from Ecuador at https://rumble.com/user/EcuadorMegadiverso

Bugs may be nasty, but how can someone call a butterfly “nasty”? They are these delicate, frail creatures that are ever so graceful, making the world a better place with their iridescent existence. In this situation we have this little bug that is just relaxing on a top of a leaf. Now, we can all agree he looks kind of creepy and somewhat scary and a bit disgusting. But if for a moment we take a closer look we see that there is beauty in everything. This little insect has everything, starting from eyes, to a little mouth and even some <a href="https://rumble.com/v2zwb0-scary-glass-bridge-opens-in-china-2.html" target="_blank">scary</a> grapples on top of his head that probably help him hunt. This tree hopper from the Amazon rain forest of Ecuador is an <a href="https://rumble.com/v31g5q-mantis-insect-from-another-planet..html" target="_blank">insect</a> related to cicadas and leaf hoppers. Most tree hoppers have a highly modified pronotum on the back, in this case forming several hollow spines, which make it unpalatable for potential predators and thereby give it an advantage in the struggle for survival. Tree hoppers feed on plant sap which is rich in sugar. In this video the sucking mouth parts of the tree hopper have penetrated the vein of a leaf. In this case, this little guy looks like he is feeding for the last time. Since At the end of the video he is upside down leading us to believe that he has arrived to the end of his days. However, this close footage of its last moments are incredible. At the end of the day, would you dare to get this close to such creepy insect!

This footage from Jardín Botánico "Las Orquídeas" in Puyo, Ecuador shows orchid bees (metallic green) and eulaema (yellow, black and brown) collecting perfume from the tulip orchid in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. These orchids do not produce nectar to attract pollinators, but fragrances which are collected by male orchid bees in order to seduce females. The bees collect perfume with brushes on their forelegs and transfer it in flight via the middle legs to cavities on the enlarged hind legs.

An orchid bee collects perfume from a flower called Stanhopea Florida, which are orchids that do not produce nectar to attract pollinators, but fragrances which are collected by male orchid bees (Euglossini) in order to seduce females. This video shows a bee collecting perfume with brushes on its forelegs and transferring it in flight via the middle legs to cavities on the enlarged hind legs. From Jardín Botánico "Las Orquídeas" in Puyo, Ecuador.

This pretty Shag-carpet caterpillar was filmed near Rio Pastaza in the upper Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. Its bright colors (aposematic coloration) warn potential predators that it is unpalatable or even toxic or has venomous spines.

This cute little beetle is about 6 mm in length and probably belongs to the genus Chlamisus in the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae. Purple is a rare occurring color in nature. This is an example of the enormous richness and beauty of tropical nature. There are millions of different insect species on earth, but most of them remain to be discovered.

This footage from Jardín Botánico "Las Orquídeas" in Puyo, Ecuador shows an orchid bee collecting perfume from a Gongora orchid. These orchids do not produce nectar to attract pollinators, but fragrances which are collected by male orchid bees in order to seduce females. The bees collect perfume with brushes on their forelegs and transfer it in flight via the middle legs to cavities on the enlarged hind legs.

This beautiful nymph of a katydid was filmed in the upper Amazon rainforest of Ecuador while feeding on fresh leaves. Such dazzling colors!

This Hairstreak butterfly from the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador not only has striped legs and antennae, but also a false head with orange and black fake eyes and tails that mimic antennae. This creates the illusion that the back is actually the front. Predators, such as birds and jumping spiders, will aim for the hairstreak's tail, rather than its head, and the butterfly may escape in the opposite direction.

A curious video has emerged showcasing the caterpillar larvae of bagworm moth hauling its camouflage on its back. Apparently they construct cases out of silk and materials such as leaves, wood and soil as camouflage from predators. It is incredible that each bagworm makes a case particular to its species, in this case of a Pagoda bagworm the camouflage resembles a Chinese temple. The bagworm extends its head and thorax from the mobile case to devour the leaves of host plants. They also pupate inside their house and adult males take flight to find a mate, while emerged female moths are wingless. Without leaving their bag they are fertilized by a male moth through the tip of the pagoda. The female lays her eggs inside the bag and seals it with saliva, then leaves its home and dies. Caterpillars are <a href="https://rumble.com/v31l8c-must-see-amazing-caterpillar-looks-has-an-incredible-camouflage.html" target="_blank">masters of disguise</a>, they retreat inside their protective mobile shelter on their back to avoid predators. Have you ever bumped into a brown leaf-cocoon object while walking along pavements or on overhead bridges? They usually appear to be tiny and non-existent until you felt something sticky on your face or hands when you knocked into their silky threads holding the cocoons. Bagworm moths are of the Order Lepidoptera, same as the butterflies and family Psychidae. The distinctive feature of bagworms is that their larvae are remarkable architects, building mobile cases made of environmental materials, in this example, the leaves, to hide themselves in. Thus, within each case hides a tiny <a href="https://rumble.com/v3107e-a-colorful-caterpillar-looking-for-a-way.html" target="_blank">caterpillar</a>. For the pagoda bagworm, it scrapes the chlorophyll off the leaf before incising cleanly around the area consumed, creating a circular wound. The excised leaf piece is then added to its protective casing.

This pretty fly was filmed in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. It is feeding on bird droppings in company of a leaf beetle. The color pattern of its eyes is due to interference of light in thin filter layers on top of the hexagonal array of the numerous tiny ommatidia which make up these compound eyes. The purpose of this color pattern is still hypothetical, it may serve as signal in courtship, but it also affects color reception by the fly. The white knobs behind the wings are rapidly oscillating modified hindwings which serve as gyroscopes that provide information about the rotation of the body during flight, helping the fly to execute the most acrobatic maneuvers.

This footage shows the stinging nettle slug caterpillar of a cup moth, about 10mm in size. It's cool to look at but very painful to touch as it has urticating spines!

Lonomia obliqua (or Giant Silkworm Moth) is a species of Saturniid moths from South America. It is famous for its larval form, rather than the adult moth, primarily because of the caterpillar's defense mechanism, articulating bristles that inject a potentially deadly venom. Its venom has also been the subject of numerous medical studies. This is a video of a caterpillar of a Saturniid Moth filmed in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador showing us it’s unique defense mechanism. Its body is covered with venomous spines for self-defense. The adult <a href="https://rumble.com/v484hn-colorful-caterpillar-of-a-lappet-moth-from-ecuador.html" target="_blank">moth</a> is covered in long fur in colors ranging from dull orange to lemon yellow, with hairy legs and fuzzy black feet. The caterpillar has these brightly colored (aposematic coloration) to warn potential predators that it is unpalatable.Exposure to the caterpillar's fur-like spines will lead to an immediate skin irritation characterized by a grid-like hemorrhagic papular eruption with severe radiating pain.The caterpillar is one bad insect you don’t want to mess with! Want to hear another fun fact? The Amazon Rainforest, also known as the Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is the largest rainforest on earth and is home to 427 mammals (e.g. the jaguar,sloth, andriver dolphin), 1,300 birds (like the macaw), 378 reptiles (e.g.anacondaor theJesus lizard), and more than 400 amphibians (e.g.glass frogandpoison dart frog). It covers 40% of the South American continent. Amazing day to learn new stuff about the Amazon <a href="https://rumble.com/v3eqmh-amazing-animals-of-the-rainforest.html" target="_blank">Rainforest</a>!

Check out this leafhopper grooming itself while perched on a leaf. Filmed in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador.

True Weevils, also called snout beetles, are one of the largest animal families with over 80,000 species described worldwide. They feed on plants with their long snout (rostrum), in many cases only living on a single species. Many weevils are damaging to crops, but others are used for biological control of invasive plants. This cute little fellow of the genus Ambates was filmed in the <a href="https://rumble.com/v46jqb-tiny-purple-beetle-from-the-amazon-rainforest-of-ecuador.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=54" target="_blank">Amazon rainforest of Ecuador</a> while cleaning its long geniculate antennae. A weevil is a type of beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than 0.24 inches, and herbivorous. Over 60,000 species are in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae, also called “the true weevils”. Some other beetles, although not closely related, bear the name "weevil", such as the biscuit weevil, which belongs to the family Anobiidae. Many weevils are considered pests because of their ability to damage and kill crops, but others are used for biological control of invasive plants. The grain or wheat weevil damages stored grain, while the boll weevil attacks cotton crops by laying its eggs inside cotton bolls, and the larvae eat their way out. The rice weevil, on the other hand, has the ability to fly. This weevil’s favorite snack is the Aloe plant. Adult snout beetles will leave unsightly marks on the aloe leaves, but it is the chubby, C shaped larvae that are the culprits. Snout beetles lay their eggs at the base of the aloe leaves, the larvae bore into the stem just below the crown of the plant which may cause the entire plant to die.

This leafcutter ant filmed at the Tamandua Ecolodge & Reserve in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador carries the corolla tube of an Ericaceae flower to its colony's fungus garden. The wingless worker ants are females. Each ant can carry up to 50 times its own body weight. This is equivalent to a man carrying a van over his head! Leafcutter ants cut foliage into pieces and occasionally collect flowers as seen here. Since they cannot digest plants themselves they carry them to their underground colonies, where they grind up the material and inoculate it with a fungus. The harvested fungus is then used as a food source for the ant colony. Therefore leafcutter ants are also called fungus-growing ants. By the way there are more than 1 million ants for each human on Earth and the total mass of all the ants is roughly equal to the mass of all the people on Earth. Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries, it actually has the highest biodiversity per square kilometer of any nation, with over 1660 species of birds, some 4000 species of butterflies and thousands of colorful moths, more than 500 amphibians, as well as a unique flora with e.g. over 4300 species of orchids.

Nature is so beautiful and so are all the living creatures in it! If you are someone who is frightened by insects or bugs this might not be the one for you! If you do like insects and how beautiful they can be, then you will definitely enjoy this short video showing off an Ecuadorian insect! They can look kind of creepy but they also look very elegant at the same time! Hope you enjoy this little video showing of this little <a href="https://rumble.com/v6a07n-treehopper-meeting-in-ecuador.html" target="_blank">treehopper</a> ! The Amazon Rainforest is actually located in 9 different countries, mainly in Brazil but it also located in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Venezuela. It is the largest rainforest on Earth and actually has one of the largest river systems with the main one being the Amazon River. The Amazon is home to some of the most unique, scary, beautiful, and strange creatures. Some of the most dangerous creatures reside in this giant forest such as Poison Dart Frogs, Anaconda, Jaguars, and all sorts of insects and spiders! Definitely not somewhere to explore alone and with no professional help! Always have to remember to be careful in the habitat of wild animals and remember that you are invading their space now. The treehopper in this video definitely looks very unique. It can be found in the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador and it has such vibrant colors! Actually, it can be mistaken for a butterfly that has its wings closed ready to fly! Treehoppers are insects related to leafhoppers and cicadas. Leafhoppers are very similar to grasshoppers but are much smaller and do not jump as far as a grasshopper. I imagine most people have seen a grasshopper maybe in their garden or in the grass but definitely haven’t seen one like the Amazon has to offer! A cicada is a family of insects that usually jump and are small and round. They have wings to fly and are usually pretty frightening. They have been around since ancient times and you can see they have an old mythological look to them! Wide eyes and small wings and they can be pretty noisy! They usually appear at night to avoid predators and mostly live in trees and feed off sap. Since this treehopper is a member of the cicada family it shares similar traits! This colorful treehopper has a very pronounced pronotum. It is the colorful part of its body and its seen like a big hump on its back. In fact, this is what makes it look like a butterfly with closed wings! Even though these are actually not its wings but part of its body. The treehopper has 6 legs and feed off plant sap to get a high sugar intake! This is quite an amazing insect. One of the more pleasant insects to look at with its butterfly like appearance. Maybe if it was flying towards you it might be a different story, but in this video, it looks very elegant. There is many more surprising and strange creatures in the <a href="https://rumble.com/v4a9sz-leafcutter-ants-crossing-a-bridge-in-the-amazon-rainforest-of-ecuador.html" target="_blank">Amazon</a> !

This is a subspecies of the Red Postman butterfly from the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. Its bright colors warn predators such as birds that it is unpalatable. There are close to 4,000 species of butterflies and some 10,000 moths in Ecuador, one of the countries with the highest biodiversity on earth!

This cute and colorful little beetle was filmed in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. It is about 6 mm in length and belongs to the genus Chlamisus or Fulcidax in the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae. These warty beetles are supposed to mimic caterpillar droppings, which gives them an advantage in the struggle for survival by protecting them from being eaten by birds. So cool!

This little Green Jumping Spider named Lyssomanes lives in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. Jumping spiders, Salticidae are the largest family of spiders. They do not build a web to trap insects, but jump on their prey and grab it with the jaws. Jumping spiders still produce silk for safety lines while jumping and also to build a tent as shelter from bad weather and to sleep at night. As most spiders they have four pairs of eyes, which give them a 360-degree view of the world. Their large frontal eyes are build like telescopes and provide them with very sharp vision. A mobile retina allows them to scan the object they are looking at, which is why the frontal eyes turn black as the retina gets into focus.

These white treehopper nymphs, filmed in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, feed upon sugar containing sap of a plant. Excess sap is excreted as honeydew through an extensible tube (see video at 0:55) that prevents contact with the treehopper nymph, as otherwise it would promote fungal growth. The honeydew is collected by the ants that feed upon the sugar and, in return, protect the treehoppers from predators. This is an example of mutualism, a form of symbiosis where both species benefit.

Jumping spiders, Salticidae are the largest family of spiders. They do not build a web to trap insects, but jump on their prey and grab it with the jaws. This little fellow from the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador was filmed shortly after it had caught a fly. Jumping spiders still produce silk for safety lines while jumping and also to build a tent as shelter from bad weather and to sleep at night. As most spiders they have four pairs of eyes, which give them a 360-degree view of the world. Their large frontal eyes are build like telescopes and provide them with very sharp vision. A mobile retina allows them to scan the object they are looking at.

This cute little Jumping spider in the family Salticidae was filmed in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. They do not build a web to trap insects, but jump on their prey and grab it with the jaws. They still produce silk for safety lines while jumping and also to build a tent as shelter from bad weather and to sleep at night. As most spiders they have four pairs of eyes, which give them a 360-degree view of the world. Their large frontal eyes are build like telescopes and provide them with very sharp vision. A mobile retina allows them to scan the object they are looking at.

This footage from the the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador shows a juvenile slender-legged tree frog. This is just one of more than 500 species of frogs in Ecuador!