9781422283448

Insects don’t need dentists—they don’t have teeth. Instead, insects have two main types of mouths. Some have a long, thin proboscis for sucking up liquids. Others have jaws, called mandibles, which they use for biting. Many insects need to turn solid food into a liquid before they can eat it. The assassin bug attacks a smaller insect by stabbing it with a long, sharp proboscis. Then it injects special spit that turns the victim’s insides to jelly. The assassin bug sucks up the jelly, leaving the empty insect skin behind.

This female praying mantis is halfway through eating her mate. 7

10.