Don't Squish This Bug If You See It, Here's Why

The Brazilian treehopper is one strange-looking bug with antenna-like spiky balls on its head—but don’t squish it! Scientists believe those odd spikes might help it scare off predators or even detect its surroundings, making it a fascinating creature to study. There are plenty of other bugs you shouldn’t touch either, like assassin bugs, which can carry diseases, or brightly colored caterpillars, some of which can sting with venomous hairs. Even harmless-looking ladybugs can release a stinky liquid when threatened. Bugs often have unique roles in ecosystems, like pollinating plants or controlling pests, so it’s best to leave them be. Instead of squishing, let these little critters go about their weird and wonderful lives! 🐛🕷️ Credit: Southernms / Reddit ricoimf / Reddit CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... model of a Ball-bearing Treehopper: By Anagoria, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Naturkundemuseum Berlin bocydium globulare: By Anagoria, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Drosera Tentacles: By incidencematrix - https://flic.kr/p/jHonkM, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Drosera Tentacles 2: By incidencematrix - https://flic.kr/p/jHqx2f, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Velella velella: By Tim Buss - https://flic.kr/p/oPjYRt, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Bocydium globulare: By Giancarlo Dessì, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Crinoid on the reef: By Alexander Vasenin, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Museu Nacional: By Takemasa nakamura, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Barbed wire siphonophore: By Peter Southwood, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Eptatretus hexatrema: By Peter Southwood - https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/15..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Eptatretus hexatrema 2: By Peter Southwood - https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/15..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Nyctibius grandis: By Allissondias, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Globe-bearing Treehopper: By Pavel Kirillov - https://flic.kr/p/ogxfLT, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Bocydium globulare: By Pavel Kirillov - https://flic.kr/p/oxZoPy, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Siphonophore: By Bernard DUPONT - https://flic.kr/p/dVA1Uq, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Sixgill Hagfish: By Bernard DUPONT, https://flic.kr/p/2ogzGhq CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Hagfish Slime Predator Deterrence: By Vincent Zintzen, Clive D. Roberts, Marti J. Anderson, Andrew L. Stewart, Carl D. Struthers & Euan S. Harvey, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index... Animation is created by Bright Side. #brightside ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/ Listen to Bright Side on: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD... Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook -   / brightside   Instagram -   / brightside.official   Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.of... Snapchat -   / 1866144599336960   Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices