Insects live in just about every habitat on Earth, from the sands of hot deserts to cold snowy mountain streams. Most insects live on land, in fact, about 97% do. Many insects spend all of their life on land, such as bees and caterpillars (which of course become moths or butterflies). However, some insects live in freshwater. Dragonflies begin life in water such as rivers, lakes, and ponds, but then take to the air as adults. And other insects, such as the diving beetle, spend most of their time in the water, but they must return repeatedly to the surface of the water to breathe air.