THE MOST STRANGE

INSECT IN THE WORLD:

Thorn Bug
 What Is a Thorn Bug?
 Have you ever touched a spiky rose bush? Or, a
spiny thistle plant? Ouch! Thorn bugs have
bodies shaped like these spiky plants, which
makes them interesting for us to look at and
hard for birds or bigger bugs to eat! Thorn bugs
are a group of insects that share some common
features. They vary in size and color, but they all
have a tall, thorn-shaped horn on their backs.
Thorn bugs can be found on every continent
except Antarctica, but mostly live in forests in
South and Central America and in Asia.
 Why Do They Have Those Spiny Backs?
Thorn bugs use the spike on their back as
camouflage. Camouflage is when animals'
bodies blend into their surroundings to
hide from potential predators. Birds and
large insects hunt thorn bugs. By looking
like the spiky and painful parts of plants,
thorn bugs can avoid being eaten by
predators like birds or large insects that
Thorn bugs also use color as camouflage. want to have them as a snack.
Though they look bright and colorful up
close, most thorn bugs look green and
brown from far away. This helps them to
blend in with the plant stems and leaves
that they call home.

The group of thorn bugs in the photo

transform a smooth plant stem into a
spiny, spiky place that most birds wouldn't
want to land on!
 What Do Thorn Bugs Eat?
 Thorn bugs eat the plants that they live on.
Using their beak-shaped mouths, thorn bugs
pierce plant stems and feed on the sap inside.
Sap is the sugary, watery liquid that flows
through plants and provides them with the
nutrients they need to survive.
THANK YOU!