A minimum estimate of the number of species of insects in the world is 750,000. Perhaps then it would not surprise you to see a fly with eyes on stalks as long as its wings, a dragonfly with a wingspread greater than 1 meter, an insect that can revive after being frozen at -35°C, and a wasp that can push its long, hairlike, egg-laying tool directly into a tree. Only the dragonfly is not presently living, but it once was!

What other curious features of this fascinating group can you discover? Have you looked at a common beetle under magnification? It will hold still if you chill it.

The easiest way to approach this question is to actually collect a number of insects and look at them under magnification. Dead insects are often found inside the globes of light fixtures or on windowsills. If you catch insects and place them is the freezer for a few minutes they will become inactive. A simple magnifying glass is useful, but a microscope will give higher magnification. Look at a few insects and write down one interesting characteristic of each.