From the Beautiful to the Bizarre

God loves variety! Nowhere can we see this more clearly than among the insects.

From the beautiful to the bizarre, insects challenge the idea of evolution. The incredible details of color and design stand as spectacular witnesses to our loving and imaginative Creator.

There are over one million identified insect species today, with probably many more to be discovered. God created animals and plants with the ability to adapt to new and changing environments by equipping them with tremendous genetic versatility. This diversity prepared them for the “struggle for survival” that followed man’s sin and the dramatic changes in ecosystems that resulted from Noah’s flood.

Beetles are the single largest group of living things on earth in terms of the number of species and total population. Beetles are just one type of insect. They can easily be distinguished from other types of insects by the straight line down their backs dividing the two forewings, or elytra. These wings are not used for flying but are tough coverings that protect the hind wings used for flight.

The thin, transparent wings underneath the elytra have numerous creases and hinges that allow the beetle to fold them up like a Navy jet fighter parked on an aircraft carrier. This brilliant design allows beetles to drill into trees, plow underground, swim underwater, or squeeze into tight places. But when they need to cover ground in a hurry, nearly all beetles can unfurl their hind wings and fly.

Insect Fossils

The fossil record confirms the biblical account of Noah’s flood. God created insects and other life forms during creation week thousands of years ago, and billions of creatures died in the global flood of Noah’s day.

Preservation Shows Rapid Burial

What happens when an insect, or any animal, dies? It does not usually become a fossil. Something has to stop the normal scavenging and decay processes in order for the animal to be preserved.

The global flood, as recorded in Genesis, explains most of the plethora of fossils found around the world. Everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils, other than those saved on Noah’s ark, died in the year-long catastrophe. Mud, sandstone, and volcanic ash buried the carcasses of billions of dead things, protecting the remains from scavengers and preventing full decay.

Did Noah Take Insects on the Ark?

Obviously, many insects survived the flood, but you may wonder how. The Bible does not specifically say whether Noah was to take insects onboard the ark, but God did command him to take two of every kind of creeping thing and flying thing. Since insects do not have the “breath of life” in their nostrils (they don’t have nostrils), they may not have been included.

If Noah did not specifically load insects on the ark to save them, many certainly went aboard in the wood, supplies, food, and on the other animals. Others could have survived on huge mats of floating vegetation and decaying organic material. During cold or stormy weather, many insects can go through a diapause stage (similar to hibernation) or a long pupa stage between larva and adult, and this ability could have allowed many kinds of insects to survive.

When you visit the Creation Museum, make sure to check out Dr. Crawley’s Insectorium to learn even more about God’s amazing design for this world, including the creepy-crawlies! Start planning your trip today!