Hubbard's angel insect facts for kids

Hubbard's angel insect, also known as Zorotypus hubbardi, is a tiny insect. It belongs to a special group of insects called Zoraptera. This insect originally lived in warm, tropical places in Central and South America. But now, it has spread to the eastern United States. In warmer areas, it lives under the bark of old, rotting logs. In cooler places, like parts of the U.S., you might find it in piles of sawdust. This insect was named after Henry Guernsey Hubbard, an American scientist who found it.

What Hubbard's Angel Insect Looks Like

Adult Hubbard's angel insects are very small, only about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. They have nine parts on their antennae, which are like feelers. Younger insects, called nymphs, have eight parts on their antennae.

Some adult insects have wings and eyes. Their wings are thin and clear, shaped like paddles. The front wings are bigger than the back ones. Other adult females do not have wings and cannot see. The back legs of these insects have stiff spines underneath. Their body has eleven segments, and at the very end, they have two short parts called cerci. Young nymphs are white, but they turn brownish as they grow.

Where Hubbard's Angel Insects Live

Zorotypus hubbardi first lived in warm, wet areas of Central and South America. These are called tropical and subtropical regions. Over time, this insect has moved north into the United States. This probably happened because winged females flew to new places. They might even survive winter by hiding in large piles of sawdust.

Normally, these insects live under the loose bark of logs that are breaking down. Hubbard's angel insect is one of only two insects from its group found in the United States. The other is Zorotypus snyderi, which lives in southern Florida. Most other insects in this group live in tropical areas. Hubbard's angel insects have been found in many U.S. states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas.

How Hubbard's Angel Insects Live

Hubbard's angel insects like to live together in small groups. You can often find them under bark. They eat tiny things like fungal spores and parts of fungi called hyphae. They also scavenge for dead mites, nematodes (tiny worms), and other small invertebrates.

These insects often clean themselves or each other. They use their mouthparts to clean their own antennae, legs, and the back of their bodies. Other insects in the group might clean the chest area and front of the body. This cleaning, called allogrooming, might help them avoid getting sick from fungi. If their home under the bark is disturbed, these small, pale insects quickly scurry away to hide. They might look like termites, but they move much faster.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

When living conditions are good, only female insects are present. These females can lay eggs without a male, which is called parthenogenesis. They hide their eggs under chewed food bits and guard them. After a few weeks, the eggs hatch into nymphs. These nymphs grow by shedding their skin four or five times.

If conditions become difficult, like when there are too many insects or not enough food, the females lay different eggs. These eggs hatch into nymphs that grow into winged males and winged females. These winged insects then fly off to find better places to live. Once they arrive, they shed their wings and mate many times. During courtship, the male offers the female a small drop of liquid from glands on his head.