Arthropods seem to come in any even number of legs above 4, e.g. 6 (insects), 8 (arachnids), ... and so on up to the very many legs of the millipedes.

But are there, or have there ever been, any 4-legged arthropods, and if not, why not? (Particularly given that 4 legs or fewer seems to do just fine for all higher animals)

Most vertebrates have eyelids or some other means of protecting their eyes from strong sunlight, which would otherwise cause irreversible damage. Insects, and many other invertebrates, on the other hand, habitually sit or cruise around with their eyes, or parts of them, pointing upwards towards full sunlight, with no apparent adverse effects. Why does direct sunlight not damage their eyes?

As a supplementary, would photographic flash light damage the eyes of an invertebrate?

On various TV programs about the above phenomena, I've heard people say that the former is flying insects and the latter dust but has anybody ever carried out experiments to prove this, one way or the other? (Hit dusty furniture and film it or release a heap of flying insects and video the result).

On a recent hike in North Carolina's Sauratown Mountains, I came to a viewing platform at 2,572 feet at about 2 in the afternoon on a bright, sunny day and found it covered with thousands of earwigs. The insects seemed agitated, and many of them were flying; several dozen landed on me in the space of a minute. Every reference I've consulted says that earwigs are mostly nocturnal and seldom fly. What was going on here?

I wonder if anybody can help me with answers to a few insect questions. About six weeks ago my wife and I noticed flying insects repeatedly entering and leaving a hole in our slabbed footpath (see Photo one). This was next to were the old root system of a monkey puzzle tree used to be until I removed it 20 years ago. Both my wife and I were convinced that they were bees (see photo 2 & 3) but having rung the pest control were told that they could not be because they don’t nest in the ground. About 2 week ago we then noticed a new insect entering and leaving the hole at the same time as the first (see photo 4). This seems to resemble a hover fly but with orange antennae which now also swarms in some numbers around hole and, while obviously wary of the first insect, seems to enter the hole with relative impunity. My Questions are therefore – 1) Can anybody confirm the identity of the first insect? 2) Can anybody confirm the identity of the Second insect and what is it doing in the hole with insect 1? 3) If insect is a bee, do I need to be concerned for my children seeing as recently a beekeeper was stung to death not far from where we live in Leicester, UK?

I wonder if anybody can help me with answers to a few insect questions. About six weeks ago my wife and I noticed flying insects repeatedly entering and leaving a hole in our slabbed footpath (see Photo one). This was next to were the old root system of a monkey puzzle tree used to be until I removed it 20 years ago. Both my wife and I were convinced that they were bees (see photo 2 & 3) but having rung the pest control were told that they could not be because they don’t nest in the ground. About 2 week ago we then noticed a new insect entering and leaving the hole at the same time as the first (see photo 4). This seems to resemble a hover fly but with orange antennae which now also swarms in some numbers around hole and, while obviously wary of the first insect, seems to enter the hole with relative impunity. My Questions are therefore – 1) Can anybody confirm the identity of the first insect? 2) Can anybody confirm the identity of the Second insect and what is it doing in the hole with insect 1? 3) If insect is a bee, do I need to be concerned for my children seeing as recently a beekeeper was stung to death not far from where we live in Leicester, UK?