Trying to convince my friend that bugs are actually cool

Let’s talk about bugs... Not just any bugs, though, but all bugs. The little critters you might overlook in your daily life (i know you do that). Bugs – or more scientifically, insects and arthropods – are everywhere, and they’ve been around for hundreds of millions of years, shaping ecosystems, evolving alongside other creatures, and doing things that you and I, as humans, could only dream of doing. The fact that they are so small makes them easy to dismiss, but if you think about them for a while – I mean, really consider the world of bugs – you’ll start to realize that they are some of the most mind-blowingly cool creatures on the planet.
In fact, I’m about to tell you why bugs are the coolest animals in the world. You might think I’m exaggerating, but trust me, by the end of this, you’ll be looking at every ant, bee, beetle, and moth with a newfound appreciation.
1. Bugs Are Everywhere
First off, let’s just establish the fact that bugs are the most abundant animals on Earth. Literally everywhere you go, bugs are there. The number of insects is estimated to be somewhere around 10 quintillion. That’s 10 followed by 18 zeros. To put that into perspective, if you were to take all the humans on Earth and pit them against the number of bugs, each human would have to take on over a billion bugs.
But it’s not just their sheer numbers that are impressive. Bugs have adapted to live in almost every environment you can imagine. Whether it’s the freezing cold tundras of Antarctica, the blistering heat of deserts, deep ocean trenches, or even inside your own home, bugs are there. They’ve found ways to survive in places where no other animals dare venture. Take, for instance, the tardigrade – also known as the water bear – a tiny creature often classified among arthropods that can survive in the vacuum of space. Space! If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is.
2. Bugs Have Incredible Superpowers
If you were to give an animal the title of having “superpowers,” I’m sorry, but a cheetah running fast or an eagle flying high wouldn’t come close to the abilities bugs possess. Some bugs can leap distances hundreds of times their own body length, some can lift objects many times their own weight, and others have sensory abilities that border on the supernatural.
Let’s talk about ants, for example. Everyone knows ants are strong – but did you know that some species of ants can carry loads up to 50 times their own body weight? That would be like me lifting a car over my head without breaking a sweat. Ants are the ultimate team players too. They work together in highly organized societies that rival even the most advanced human civilizations. The amount of cooperation and specialization in an ant colony is so complex that we’re still trying to understand how they communicate, divide tasks, and make decisions so efficiently.
Or take jumping spiders, for instance. These tiny arachnids have vision so sharp that they can detect prey from distances much larger than their own size. While most spiders rely on webs, jumping spiders rely on their remarkable agility and eyesight to hunt. And get this – some species of jumping spiders are able to plan routes before they pounce on their prey. They evaluate distances and angles like a tiny, eight-legged architect before making their move. They even have a built-in safety line, a silk thread they shoot out behind them before jumping, just in case they miss their mark and need to climb back up. That’s like parkour with a bungee cord.
And don’t even get me started on mantis shrimps. They aren’t technically insects – they belong to a group of marine crustaceans – but they’re arthropods nonetheless, and they deserve mention here because they’re just that awesome. Mantis shrimps have the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom, with up to 16 color-receptive cones (humans have only three). They can see ultraviolet, polarized light, and even detect cancer cells. Plus, their club-like appendages can strike with the speed of a bullet, capable of breaking through glass aquariums and killing prey with a single hit. Imagine having punch speed faster than a speeding bullet!
3. Bugs Are Environmental Engineers
Think of bugs as nature’s unsung architects. If humans disappeared from the planet tomorrow, bugs would probably be fine, but if bugs were to disappear, ecosystems around the world would collapse. Many insects are what we call keystone species – species upon which other organisms depend heavily. Without these bugs, entire ecosystems would fail.
Consider the humble earthworm. While they might not be as flashy as jumping spiders or as powerful as mantis shrimp, earthworms are crucial for the health of the soil. As they burrow, they aerate the soil, allowing water and nutrients to reach plant roots more easily. Their waste, known as worm castings, is rich in nutrients, making it a natural fertilizer for plants. Without earthworms, our crops would suffer, and food production would plummet.
Then there’s the bee, specifically the honeybee. Bees are vital pollinators, responsible for pollinating around 75% of the world’s crops. Without them, we wouldn’t have apples, almonds, blueberries, or countless other foods. In fact, a world without bees would be a world where humans struggle to survive. And it’s not just bees – other insects like butterflies, moths, beetles, and even flies contribute to pollination, supporting both agriculture and natural ecosystems.
Bugs are also crucial for decomposition. Without bugs like beetles, ants, and flies to break down dead plant and animal matter, we’d be living in a world of rot and decay. Bugs are the ultimate recyclers, breaking down organic material and returning it to the soil, ensuring that life can continue. It’s an essential process that keeps ecosystems healthy, and bugs are the primary drivers of it.
4. Bugs Have Metamorphoses
One of the most remarkable things about bugs is their ability to completely transform themselves during their life cycles. The process of metamorphosis is not only fascinating but also one of nature’s most impressive evolutionary tricks.
Take the butterfly, for example. Everyone knows about the classic story – a caterpillar forms a chrysalis, and out comes a butterfly. But have you ever stopped to really think about how miraculous that transformation is? Inside that chrysalis, the caterpillar’s body basically liquefies, breaking down into a kind of biological soup, and then reforms into a completely different creature. It’s like if you went into a cocoon and came out with wings, new legs, and a completely new body structure. That’s wild.
And butterflies aren’t alone. Many insects go through metamorphosis, like beetles, flies, and moths. The dragonfly, which starts its life underwater as a nymph, eventually emerges into the air as one of the fastest flying insects, with amazing aerial abilities. It’s like an underwater creature transforming into a fighter jet.
5. Bugs Have Crazy Defense Mechanisms
Bugs are tiny, and for the most part, defenseless compared to larger animals. Yet, they’ve evolved some of the most creative and effective defense mechanisms in the animal kingdom. These defenses are so cool that they almost seem like something out of a sci-fi movie.
Take the bombardier beetle. When threatened, this little guy mixes chemicals inside its abdomen to produce an explosive reaction. It sprays a boiling hot, noxious liquid at its predators, often scaring them off. Imagine having your own built-in flamethrower as a defense mechanism. That’s essentially what the bombardier beetle has.
Then there’s the orchid mantis, an insect that uses mimicry as its main form of defense (and offense ofc). This mantis looks exactly like an orchid flower, blending in so perfectly with the surrounding flora that both predators and prey are tricked. It’s a master of disguise, waiting patiently for an unsuspecting insect to approach, thinking it’s landing on a flower, only to become the mantis’s next meal.
And let’s not forget stick insects. These incredible bugs have evolved to look like twigs, blending seamlessly with their surroundings. Some species can even change color to match the environment better. When predators come sniffing around, stick insects remain motionless, effectively becoming invisible.
6. Bugs Are The Best Survivors
In terms of resilience, bugs are unrivaled. They’ve been around for over 400 million years, surviving multiple mass extinction events, including the one that wiped out the dinosaurs. They’ve outlived giant reptiles, massive mammalian predators, and countless other threats. Bugs have mastered the art of survival, adapting to changing environments better than any other group of animals.
Consider the cockroach. The mere mention of the word might make some people squirm, but you have to admit – these critters are survivors. They’ve been around for over 300 million years, and they’re notorious for being able to withstand extreme conditions, even radiation. There’s a reason why people joke that cockroaches will inherit the Earth after a nuclear apocalypse.
But cockroaches aren’t the only survivors. Tardigrades (those water bears I mentioned earlier) take survival to a whole new level. Tardigrades can withstand extreme temperatures, from just above absolute zero to over 300°F. They can survive without water for decades, can endure crushing pressures, and can even survive the vacuum of space.

So stop hating on this little guys, they are much better than humans.