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It's a bug's life for these colourful insects - whose natural markings resemble incredible smiling faces.

These dazzling insects, with their colourful patterns and markings, look as if they are living a happy bug's life.

Among them are the shield bug from the Pentatomoidea family of creepy crawlies and, with its luminous green body, the Araneus Mitificus spider.

Smiley: A Taiwanese caterpillar (left) and a shield bug that looks a little bit like Elvis, if you consider the jet black quiff

Colourful creatures: The markings on this bright yellow spider's back looks almost like the face of a cartoon tiger

Perhaps the most exotic is the Kidney Garden spider - so named for it's kidney shaped marking on its abdomen.

And then there's the two Taiwanese caterpillars, one orange and one yellow, which have ended up with the biggest smiles of all.

But these weird and wonderful patterns are not just a pretty face - they are integral to the bugs' survival in the wild.

As they scuttle around with brightly coloured markings, predators associate the colour with poison and are less likely to devour these happy critters.

Looks funny: The clown face spider could be mistaken for a circus act

These dazzling insects, with their colourful patterns and markings, look as if they are living a happy bugs life

Not so smiley: Here's a green-legged spider looks a little unhappy, at least according to the markings on its back

A bit like Elvis? The Pentatomoidea bug (left), also known as a giant shield bug, and one (right) that looks like a policeman

Not just a pretty face: These weird and wonderful patterns are integral to the bugs' survival in the wild. Predators associate the colour with poison and are less likely to devour these happy critters