Earth’s Tiny, Wonderful Aliens

Written By Junior Vuong

Illustrations and Article - Junior Vuong, 9M

The pond was silent. The sun beamed down from the sky like a beacon, illuminating the water’s surface with joyful light. Dragonflies buzzed lazily through the cattails. It was a non-negotiably beautiful day. Frederick the ant plodded along the water’s edge, pondering his predicament. 

He happened to be a major insectophobe - and an introvert (Ironic, I know). Insects were simply devil spawn. Frederick did everything in his power to stay five meters away from any freaky, multi-armed, hairy abomination that dared a conversation about ‘sports’ with him. And now, after one too many close calls, Frederick had enough. 

Frederick the ant had one simple goal: Read his book in peace - far away from any nasty insects.

His safe haven: The pond.

Underwater, everything was still. Quiet. Empty.

He adjusted his scuba gear and sank beneath the surface.

Finally - blissful silence. No buzzing, no crawling, no interruptions.

He had just hit the climax of the story. Frederick was itching to dig into the mystery realm. Until he heard it.

“What’s up, man! The weather’s great here, isn’t it!” 

Frederick froze.

A spider floated by him, wrapped in a shimmering bubble of air. It was a Diving Bell Spider, one of the only species of spider that lives exclusively under the water. They will create a silk “diving bell” that traps oxygen in a portable underwater bubble. Then, all they have to do is fill the bell with air (using leg hairs to carry bubbles from the surface to their diving bell), and they can officially move in.

Frederick did not stick around to appreciate the science.

Frederick was annoyed, to say the least. However, he was not out of ideas yet. His next idea: the arid deserts of the Kindergarten sandbox. 

Clearly, no bug could live in such a windy, dry, and dangerous place (except for Frederick, he came prepared.) He would finally be undisturbed. Frederick hopped into a dip in the sand, set down his lawn chair, and began to read. He was finally about to witness the battle of a lifetime. The hero vs. the final boss.

Then, he felt a shifting below him. A whirlpool of sliding sand formed underneath his feet, sucking him in. Before he could even twitch, a massive pair of jaws struck, crushing his puny plastic chair and scarring Frederick - and his behind. 

The jaws belonged to a doodlebug. Antlion larvae (also known as doodlebugs) build conical traps in the sand, and wait for unsuspecting bugs (or avid readers) to fall into the trap. Then, they clamp down with their mandibles, deliver a paralyzing toxin, and…

You can guess what happens next. 

Frederick put several miles between himself and the doodle-beast.

Frederick had reached the end of his rope. He only had one option left if he wanted to read in peace. 

His final attempt: The freezing cold. Miles and miles of tundra, where bugs go in, and ice cubes come out. Wrapped in more layers than a burrito, Frederick climbed to the peak, gripping his book in anticipation. Ice whirled and stretched endlessly in every direction. No movement. No others. No sound. Icy wind whipped across his face. Finally, he had made it to the peak.

Perfect.

He opened his book. He found the page. He gripped the corner. He could see the words beckoning to him. He welled up with joy and frenzied excitement.

Tap.

“I love that book!”

Frederick turned slowly. He was in utter shock.

An ice crawler smiled at him. Ice crawlers (also known as Icebugs) have antifreeze proteins in their bloodstream, allowing them to stay warm without 4+ layers of sweater (unlike Frederick). 

Frederick put his novel down.

Insects are not confined to the fields of your backyard. They are engineered by evolution to survive everywhere:

• The depths of the sea,

• The deadly deserts,

• And the ice-cold arctic.

They are strange. Highly specialized. Everywhere.

Like Earth’s own little aliens.

(Unfortunately for Frederick)