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You can tell a lot about weird insects from their names. The peanut-head bug gets its name from its strangely shaped head, which looks like a peanut shell. Giraffe weevils, from Africa, are little beetles with very long necks. No one knows for sure why they have them, but scientists think it might have to do with fighting for a mate. Some insects have strange body parts to help them reach their food. Butterflies and moths have a long, thin tube in their mouth called a proboscis. They use it like a drinking straw to suck a sweet juice called nectar out of

flowers. The Darwin’s hawk-moth has a very long proboscis, so it can suck nectar from its favorite orchid.

The giant weta grows up to almost 4 inches (12 cm) long—too big to sit in your hand! 7

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MEGA BUG The giant weta is a kind of grasshopper from New Zealand. Wetas are among the biggest insects in the world, and some giant wetas are so heavy that they cannot even hop!

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