A Grand Invertebrate Tour of the Globe Quiz

Answer: Atlas

The atlas moth, Attacus atlas, is native to southern Asia and found in Malaysia and Singapore. It is so named because the markings on its wings are said to resemble the lines on maps. The Atlas Mountains run across north Africa, through Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Mount Toubkal is just under 13,700 feet high.
The Simien Range is in Ethiopia. The Tangra Range is on Livingston Island in Antarctica. The Drakensberg Range is in South Africa.

Answer: United Arab Emirates

Hylaeus emir is the species of bee which was named for the United Arab Emirates, where it was first discovered and cataloged. The UAE was previously known as the Trucial States, and comprised seven Emirates, each governed by a ruling Sheik, but closely politically and economically bound.

Answer: New Zealand

Three Kings Islands lie just over fifty miles to the north of New Zealand's North Island, and are counted among the New Zealand Outlying Island territories. They are uninhabited, although often visited by divers who come to see the abundant sea life in the surrounding waters.

The largest of the group, King Island, is also important to the Maori belief system and is said to be the place where the spirits of the dead return to their spiritual home "Hawaiki".

Answer: Japan

The Japanese beetle Popillia japonica is a pest species in several countries outside Japan. This is because its natural predators are absent from the ecosystems it has been transplanted to, so the beetle can flourish unchecked. It is hard to eradicate once it gets a hold, and it can devastate common crops and flowering plants including tomatoes, grapes, roses, and hops.

Japan is so active volcanically because it lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" at the joint between tectonic plates. Over 3000 islands make up the country of Japan, and almost 70% of the land surface is forested.

Answer: Hawaii

Eidoleon perjurus, sometimes called Distoleon perjerus, is the Molokai or Hawaiian antlion. These creatures are so named because their larval stage has very large strong mandibles, and preys on other ant species. It is thus "a lion among ants". Hawaii is the most remote from the other states, and is in the Pacific Ocean, around 2000 miles southwest of the mainland US.

It became the 50th state to join the Union in August 1959.

Answer: Iraq

The few remaining traces of Babylon are located about 55 miles from Baghdad in Iraq. The Genus Babylonia contains several species of marine snail, some of which, like the Japanese ivory mollusk Babylonia japonica, are poisonous. Babylonia areolata are highly sought after for food, and are even 'farmed' via aquaculture to meet demand in parts of Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and southern Asia.

Answer: Egypt

The Egyptian alfalfa weevil causes around fifteen million dollars' worth of damage to crops in the United States each year. It is distinguished from the closely related American alfalfa weevil by the fact that the Egyptian one estivates (hibernates in the summer months) each year.

Egypt is, of course, home to the River Nile and the Sahara Desert. Mount Catherine, called Jabal Katrinah by the Egyptian people, lies in a range of mountains that run along the coast of the Red Sea, on the Sinai Peninsula. It stands 2642 metres high.

Answer: New Caledonia

The nudibranchs, or sea slugs, of the family Noumea are incredibly beautiful, and there are many pictures available online via search engines. Noumea is located on a peninsula at the southern end of New Caledonia, and is the home of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, an organisation of Pacific island nations and territories.

Answer: Mexico

Phenacoccus gossypii is more commonly known as the Mexican mealybug. Although they are just 3-4mm long, these tiny creatures can breed seven generations in one year, and cause large amounts of damage to any plants they infest.

Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, having been under Spanish control since the early sixteenth century.

Answer: Germany

Closely related to the Asian cockroach, the German cockroach is one of the most common roaches in the world. Germany is the seventh largest country in Europe, and is densely populated.