Visitors to a rain forest quickly see its huge biodiversity. That means variety of life forms.
The number of species of plants and animals is astounding. No group has more biodiversity than insects and other arthropods. Those are invertebrates with jointed legs, segmented bodies, and external skeletons. There may be up to a million different species of insects. We don’t even know how many there are!
Arthropods are a major link in the rain forest food chain. All living things there depend on them in some way. With so many predators hunting them, insects have evolved many defenses: spines, camouflage, and even chemicals. Some species are huge, while others are microscopic. Some insects help us—like those that pollinate crops. Others harm us—like bugs that spread diseases. In the rain forest, big, bizarre, and beautiful insects often live in the same area.
