Insectoid
Encyclopedia
Insectoid denotes any creature or object that shares a similar body or traits with common earth insect
s and arachnid
s. The term is a combination of "insect" and "-oid" (a suffix denoting similarity). Compare "humanoid
".
Insectoids are also hypothetical and fictional extraterrestrial beings which have a similar body with earth insect
s or arachnid
s. They appear in science fiction
and ufology
.
In real life, insectoid robots such as hexapods
have been designed for scientific or military uses. Research continues to miniaturize these robots to be used as flying spies or scouts. Insectoid features may also increase the effectiveness of robots in traversing various terrains.
claims that a nurse acquaintance of his reported that during 1957 in Cincinnati she encountered a 3 foot (0.9144 m) praying mantis-like entity two days after a V-shaped UFO sighting. This mantis-like creature is reminiscent of the insectoid-type entity reported in some abduction accounts. He related this report to fellow researcher Leonard Stringfield. Stringfield told him of two cases he had in his files where separate witnesses reported identical circumstances in the same place and year.
Abduction researcher Karla Turner in Into the fringe reported that a man called David remembered an encounter with a giant mantis during an hypnosis session.
Linda Moulton Howe
in Glimpses of Other Realities describes some claims of alien mantis. The book includes the cases of Linda Porter and David Huggins. In 1988 Linda Porter remembered an abduction by alien mantis which she said took place when she was a child. In the same year 1988 David Huggins remembered an encounter with alien mantis that he said took place in the 1950s, when he was a child. The book report also the case of Jeanne Robinson, which said she have received messages by an alien similar to a mantis. According to Ms Robinson, these aliens are a branch of Greys.
Vicki Cameron in UFO experience in Canada reported a case of an abduction by an insectoid alien similar to a grasshopper.
Martin Kottmeyer argue the phenomenon of mantis alien may be explained by the effects of cultural factors. He remembered that in the movies The Deadly Mantis (1957) and Son of Godzilla (1968) appeared giant mantises, though they are not aliens. Kottmeyer remembered too that in the Saturday morning kid show Space Ghost (1966) appeared an alien mantis named Zorak.
, being featured in classic sci-fi novels like Starship Troopers
and Ender's Game
, as well as television shows such as Star Trek
and Doctor Who
. They also make an appearance in classic games such as Starflight
, modern games like StarCraft
and Warhammer 40,000
as well as the Star Wars
universe. Examples of insectoid aliens in sci-fi anime
are the "Uchuu Kaijuu" ("Space Monsters") from Gunbuster
and the "Vajra" from Macross Frontier
.
Green Lantern
comics usually refer to races that resemble insects as Insectoids.
The 2009 film District 9
features Insectoid aliens known as "Prawns".
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and arachnid
Arachnid
Arachnids are a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek words , meaning "spider".Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial...
s. The term is a combination of "insect" and "-oid" (a suffix denoting similarity). Compare "humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
".
Insectoids are also hypothetical and fictional extraterrestrial beings which have a similar body with earth insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s or arachnid
Arachnid
Arachnids are a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek words , meaning "spider".Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial...
s. They appear in science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and ufology
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
.
In real life, insectoid robots such as hexapods
Hexapod (robotics)
A six-legged walking robot should not be confused with a Stewart platform, a kind of parallel manipulator used in robotics applications.A hexapod robot is a mechanical vehicle that walks on six legs. Since a robot can be statically stable on three or more legs, a hexapod robot has a great deal of...
have been designed for scientific or military uses. Research continues to miniaturize these robots to be used as flying spies or scouts. Insectoid features may also increase the effectiveness of robots in traversing various terrains.
In ufology and conspiracy theories
Abduction researcher Brian ThompsonBrian Thompson
Brian Thompson is an American actor.Brian Thompson may also refer to:*Brian Thompson , reporter and anchorman for WNBC-TV*Brian Thomson , senior correspondent for SBS World News *Brian B. Thompson, British writer...
claims that a nurse acquaintance of his reported that during 1957 in Cincinnati she encountered a 3 foot (0.9144 m) praying mantis-like entity two days after a V-shaped UFO sighting. This mantis-like creature is reminiscent of the insectoid-type entity reported in some abduction accounts. He related this report to fellow researcher Leonard Stringfield. Stringfield told him of two cases he had in his files where separate witnesses reported identical circumstances in the same place and year.
Abduction researcher Karla Turner in Into the fringe reported that a man called David remembered an encounter with a giant mantis during an hypnosis session.
Linda Moulton Howe
Linda Moulton Howe
Linda Moulton Howe, born January 20, 1942, is an American investigative journalist and documentary producer-writer-director-editor who is currently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.-Early life and education:She was born as Linda Moulton in Boise, Idaho...
in Glimpses of Other Realities describes some claims of alien mantis. The book includes the cases of Linda Porter and David Huggins. In 1988 Linda Porter remembered an abduction by alien mantis which she said took place when she was a child. In the same year 1988 David Huggins remembered an encounter with alien mantis that he said took place in the 1950s, when he was a child. The book report also the case of Jeanne Robinson, which said she have received messages by an alien similar to a mantis. According to Ms Robinson, these aliens are a branch of Greys.
Vicki Cameron in UFO experience in Canada reported a case of an abduction by an insectoid alien similar to a grasshopper.
Martin Kottmeyer argue the phenomenon of mantis alien may be explained by the effects of cultural factors. He remembered that in the movies The Deadly Mantis (1957) and Son of Godzilla (1968) appeared giant mantises, though they are not aliens. Kottmeyer remembered too that in the Saturday morning kid show Space Ghost (1966) appeared an alien mantis named Zorak.
Insectoids in fiction
Insectoid aliens are commonly found in science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, being featured in classic sci-fi novels like Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
and Ender's Game
Ender's Game
Ender's Game is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional...
, as well as television shows such as Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. They also make an appearance in classic games such as Starflight
Starflight
Starflight is a computer game published by Electronic Arts and developed by Binary Systems in 1986. Originally developed for DOS and Tandy, it was later released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh and Commodore 64...
, modern games like StarCraft
StarCraft
StarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
and Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
as well as the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
universe. Examples of insectoid aliens in sci-fi anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
are the "Uchuu Kaijuu" ("Space Monsters") from Gunbuster
Gunbuster
Gunbuster, known in Japan as is a six episode anime OVA series created by Gainax in 1988. It was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, best known as the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title is a combination of the titles of classic tennis anime Aim for the Ace!, whose plot inspired...
and the "Vajra" from Macross Frontier
Macross Frontier
is a Japanese animated science fiction space drama that aired in Japan on MBS from April 3, 2008 to September 25, 2008. It is the most recent Japanese anime television series set in the Macross universe. Animated by Satelight, premiered Japan on MBS on April 3, 2008...
.
Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
comics usually refer to races that resemble insects as Insectoids.
The 2009 film District 9
District 9
District 9 is a 2009 South African science fiction thriller film directed by Neill Blomkamp. It was written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James...
features Insectoid aliens known as "Prawns".
Television
- Empress of the Racnoss (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - Malmoox (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - Time Beetle (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - Vespiform (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - Viperox (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - Wirrn (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - Zarbi (Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
) - Xindi (Star TrekStar TrekStar Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
) - Than (AndromedaAndromeda (TV series)Andromeda is a Canadian-American science fiction television series, based on unused material by the late Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, developed by Robert Hewitt Wolfe, and produced by Roddenberry's widow, Majel Barrett Roddenberry. It starred Kevin Sorbo as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt...
) - Invader Zim (Irken)
Film
- Bugs (Starship TroopersStarship Troopers (film)Starship Troopers is a 1997 American military science fiction film, written by Edward Neumeier , directed by Paul Verhoeven, loosely adapted from Starship Troopers, a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It is the only theatrically released film in the Starship Troopers franchise...
) - Bugs (Men in BlackMen in Black (film)Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
) - Martians (Quatermass and the PitQuatermass and the Pit (film)Quatermass and the Pit is a 1967 British science fiction horror film. Made by Hammer Film Productions it is a sequel to the earlier Hammer films The Quatermass Xperiment and Quatermass 2. Like its predecessors it is based on a BBC Television serial – Quatermass and the Pit – written by Nigel Kneale...
) - Prawns (District 9)
- Xenomorph (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurresction, Alien Vs Predator, Aliens Vs Predator Requim)
Literature
- Bugs (Starship TroopersStarship TroopersStarship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
) - Thranx (Humanx CommonwealthHumanx CommonwealthThe Humanx Commonwealth is a fictional interstellar ethical/political entity featured in the science fiction novels of Alan Dean Foster. The Commonwealth takes its name from its two major sapient species, who jointly inhabit Commonwealth planets and administer both the political and...
series) - FormicsFormicsThe Formics, also known as Buggers, are a fictional insectoid alien species from the Ender's Game series of science fiction novels by Orson Scott Card.The term "Formic" is derived from formica, the Latin word for ant...
(Ender's GameEnder's GameEnder's Game is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional...
)
Games
- Arachnids (Battlelords of the 23rd CenturyBattlelords of the 23rd CenturyBattlelords of the Twenty-Third Century is a paper and pencil science fiction role-playing game designed by Lawrence R. Sims and first published in 1990. The game's tagline is Roleplaying in a dangerous future. The Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century license was later sold by Optimus Design...
) - Tyranids (Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
) - Klackons (Master of OrionMaster of OrionMaster of Orion is a turn-based, 4X science fiction computer strategy game released in 1993 by MicroProse on the MS-DOS and Mac OS operating systems. The purpose of the game is to lead one of ten races to dominate the galaxy through a combination of diplomacy and conquest while developing...
) - Mantis (Conquest: Frontier WarsConquest: Frontier WarsConquest: Frontier Wars is a real-time strategy engine released in 2001 by Ubisoft and Fever Pitch Studios. The bulk of the development was done at Digital Anvil in Austin, Texas, a startup developer originally owned by Chris Roberts.-Gameplay:...
) - Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah (Star ControlStar ControlStar Control is a science fiction computer game that was developed by Toys for Bob and published by Accolade in the early 1990s. Star Control still enjoys a cult following...
) - Ur-Quan Kzer-Za (Star ControlStar ControlStar Control is a science fiction computer game that was developed by Toys for Bob and published by Accolade in the early 1990s. Star Control still enjoys a cult following...
) - Zerg (StarCraftStarCraftStarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
) - Collector, Rachni (Mass Effect 2Mass Effect 2Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011...
) - Vrusk (Star FrontiersStar FrontiersStar Frontiers is a science fiction role-playing game produced by TSR beginning in 1982. The game offered a space-opera action-adventure setting.- Setting :...
)