Recently, a new species of insect was discovered sheltering under a desk in a school in Gloucestershire. The fire-flopper was then transported to Bristol, where it was studied by a group of entomologists (scientists that study insects). Unfortunately, the insect proved difficult to investigate, as it kept trying to crawl off the table and escape under the door. It took longer than the entomologists had hoped, but a few months later, the fire-flopper had been researched and released back to its home under the desk, much to the delight of the students. Would you like to know more about the peculiar fire-flopper?

Like other insects, the fire-flopper has six twig legs and is about the size of an adult’s thumbnail. Even though, at a first glance, you might thing that this is a non-flying insect, it has tiny, transparent wings. The most surprising thing about the fire-flopper, is that its body is completely symmetrical: if it claims a cut on its left, an identical cut will appear on its left. Impressively, its shiny shell is waterproof, and protects the insect from fire too. Furthermore, its antennae are double the size of its body.

The most alarming thing about the fire-flopper, is that if one comes in contact with human skin, it sizzles, then flops off you to the ground. If there wasn’t a short fall, then it should still be alive. Luckily, the entomologists that were discovering the fire-flopper wore gloves. The weak spot of every fire-flopper is that if it sees snow or sun, it blinds itself. So don’t put them out in bright light!