Take a Trip to a Zoo of Insects Many insects are known by common
names that may be based on behavior or refer to some obvious
characteristic of the insect. Some of these names are suggestive
of other animals — animals that are common in zoos. There are
insects called water scorpions. They are among a group of
insects that live in water but must come to the surface for air.
Water scorpions possess an appendage at the rear that functions
as a tube through which air is drawn. They are also predators
and catch their prey with grasping front legs. Grasping front
legs and a rear appendage are characteristics of real scorpions,
thus the name. Another insect is named after the scorpion. The
scorpion fly gets its name because of an abdomen that resembles
that of a scorpion. It actually curls the tip of its abdomen
over its back, but unlike its namesake, the scorpion fly can't
sting! There are also lions and tigers in the insect world,
including a group of moths known as tiger moths. These moths get
their name because