It is not surprising that this family of moths are commonly called woolly bears or woolly worms, as the caterpillars of many species are really very hairy. The larvae can be full of poisonous chemicals acquired from their host plants, advertising that they are bad to eat with bright colours, bad odours and unusual shapes. The adult moths have distinctive wing venation and can also be distasteful when eaten. They produce ultrasonic sounds to warn off predators and confuse bats looking for a tasty treat. There are over 10,000 species worldwide including all the tiger, footmen, wasp and lichen moths. Amazingly, the caterpillars of some species can even survive freezing. ...

The Amazonian giant centipede is the largest centipede alive, reaching lengths of 30 centimeters. They are carnivorous and feed on lizards, snakes, mice, and even bats. While their venom is not enough to kill an adult human, it may cause reactions with the skin.

This pretty little moth from Madagascar, Hemiceratoides hieroglyphica, frequents birds at night and drinks their tears using a specialised harpoon-like proboscis. In the image, H. hieroglyphica prepares to drink tears from a sleeping common Newtonia (Newtonia brunneicauda).

Parasitologist espouses using parasitic worms for treatment of autoimmune diseases – Dr. Joel Weinstock, at Tufts Medical Center in a commentary piece published in the journal Nature, describes work that he and colleagues have been involved in that focuses on studying the possibility of introducing parasitic worms into the guts of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease. The thinking he says, is that modern hygienic lifestyles may be contributing to such diseases and that reintroducing parasitic worms and perhaps certain bacteria into the gut may restore a natural balance in the gut and relieve patients of such symptoms as chronic diarrhea, bleeding and infections.

Source: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-p ...

Some birds, such as woodcreepers and cuckoos, are known to follow army ant raids on forest floors. As the army ant colony travels on the forest floor, they stir up various flying insect species. As the insects flee from the army ants, the birds following the ants catch the fleeing insects. In this way, the army ants and the birds are in a commensalistic relationship because the birds benefit while the army ants are unaffected. ...

Researchers studying a group of wedge-capped capuchin monkeys that live in tropical forests of central Venezuela have discovered that the monkeys protect themselves against the annual merciless onslaught of mosquitoes exactly as humans do: by rubbing themselves with mosquito repellent.

But while humans may reach desperately for spritzers or bottles or laughably overhyped ''protective'' skin-so-softeners, the capuchins have learned to poke around in tree bark or termite mounds to extract a wriggling specimen of Orthoporus dorsovittatus, a millipede rich with powerful defensive chemicals called benzoquinones.

The capuchin monkey will then proceed to anoint itself head to foot with the repellent secretions by massaging the four-inch-long millipe ...

Meet the green jumping spider (Mopsus mormon), Australia’s largest—and perhaps cutest—jumping arachnid. These spiders hunt in the day time, moving fast to attack their prey, and camouflaging against green leaves. If you see one, leave it alone. Although their bite won’t kill you, it’s extremely painful.

The king ragworm is a skilled hunter found in the northern hemisphere. The worm, which can grow over 120 cm long, also uses chemical signals to judge the risk of predation in the area.