So Many Insects! Part 1 Worksheet

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Catherine Sanders
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1 Name Date So Many Insects! Part 1 Worksheet 1. Did you know that scientists predict there are anywhere from 6 to 10 million different species of insects around the world? Who knew there were so many insects? Let s explore the world of insects! As you progress through this activity, write down two observations about each insect on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 2. The dragonfly is in the order Odonata. Dragonflies are found near water and feed on mosquitos. Did you know they catch their prey with their legs? They are so efficient at hunting that they catch 90% 95% of their prey. What features make dragonflies such good hunters? 3. Dragonflies have large compound eyes that take up most of their head and two pairs of long, membranous, veined wings. Paleontologists have discovered fossils of dragonflies with wingspans as long as two feet. Modern dragonflies wingspans range from 2 to 5 inches. Why do you think the dragonfly has 2 pairs of large wings? Draw the dragonfly on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 4. The praying mantis is in the order Orthoptera. Praying mantis are found in warmer regions such as grasslands, meadowlands, and rainforests. They prey on moths, flies, crickets, grasshoppers, and sometimes other praying mantis! Do not let their name fool you; this insect is a fierce predator. Its triangular head with a total of 5 eyes, two compound eyes and three smaller ones in between, sits on top of a long thorax. Why would this adaptation be beneficial? 1

2 5. Their triangular heads allow them to view their surroundings in 180 degrees. When they are hunting, their quick reflexes and front arms, equipped with spines, are perfect for capturing prey. Why do you think the praying mantis has adapted to be green in color? Draw the praying mantis on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 6. The walking stick is also in the order Orthoptera. Walking sticks are common in tropical areas and are found on trees or shrubs. Their main food source is plants. They can be wingless with very long and slender bodies that range in size from a half-inch to thirteen inches long! Most remain motionless during the day to hide from predators. If one gets too close, the walking stick uses defense mechanisms such as spiny legs or releasing a rotten-smelling liquid to protect itself. Why do you think it is beneficial for the walking stick to be that shape, size, and color? Draw the walking stick on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 7. The beetle is in the largest order of insects, order Coleoptera. Beetles live all over the world and eat both plant and animal materials. They can be found under bark or rocks, in the ground, in rotting vegetation, and even in water. This is the Asian longhorned beetle. Its notable features are its white spots, blue feet, and long antennae. The antennae can be up to two times longer than its body! It is native to China, Japan, Korea, and the Isle of Hainin. The Asian longhorned beetle is considered an invasive species in the United States because it is non-native and causes harm to native ecosystems. How does being an invasive species increase the beetle s chances of survival and reproduction rate? 8. Invasive species do not have any natural predators, so they survive, reproduce, and spread quickly in their new environment. This beetle feeds on wood and trees and has been responsible for the death of thousands of trees on the East Coast. How do you think the Asian longhorned beetle got to the United States? Draw the beetle on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 2

3 9. The ladybug, also referred to as the ladybird, is also in order Coleoptera. Ladybugs are found all over the world and are welcomed by gardeners and farmers due to their appetite. They eat plant-feeding insects, so they naturally protect crops and gardens. Ladybugs are known for their distinct shape and color. Their bright color and spots are actually a defense mechanism to prevent predators from eating them. Aside from their color, they can also secrete an unappetizing fluid if they feel threatened. Why would bright colors and spotted patterns deter predators instead of attract them? Draw the ladybug on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 10. The butterfly is in the order Lepidoptera. Butterflies are found all over the world and in all types of environments. They feed on nectar and other liquid foods found in flowers, which they collect by using a proboscis, a sucking mouthpart. This is the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterflies migrate to California and Mexico every winter and can travel up to 3,000 miles! Their most recognizable feature is their brightly colored, membranous wings. What is a benefit of this brightly colored adaptation? Draw the butterfly on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 11. The moth is also in the order Lepidoptera and is closely related to butterflies. Moths have hairy bodies and feathery antennae in comparison to the butterfly. Let s look at the peppered moth and the yucca moth. While both are moths, they use different survival strategies. Originally the majority of peppered moths were a speckled color to camouflage with light-colored trees covered in lichen. A few were black but most of those were eaten by birds since they did not blend in with the trees. During the Industrial Revolution, these trees turned black due to pollution in the air. This meant the light speckled moths were no longer camouflaged and were eaten by birds. The black moths were then able to survive, reproduce, and pass along their coloration to their offspring. 3

4 12. After the Industrial Revolution, the trees light color returned, meaning that once again the speckled moths could camouflage and survive. Move the peppered moth that would camouflage better onto the trees and the moth that would get eaten near the bird and take a photo. 13. Here are the yucca moth and yucca flower. The yucca moth is unique in how it lays its eggs. It flies to the yucca plant and lays its eggs inside the seed pod of the flowers. This is a safe place for its eggs to ensure the larvae grow and that they won t get eaten by predators. Explain the different ways these two moths increase their chances of survival and reproduction. Draw each moth on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 14. Continue on to So Many Insects! - Part 2 to learn more about insects! 4

5 So Many Insects! Part 2 Worksheet 1. Hopefully you had fun learning about insects. You are one step closer to becoming an entomologist! The fly is in the order Diptera. Flies are another insect that is found all over the world and in all habitats. Flies have one pair of membranous wings and relatively soft bodies. If you were to walk outside, you would probably see many flies. They seem to be everywhere! A female fly lays eggs in a life cycle. And one trashcan can serve as the breeding ground for up to 30,000 flies!! While they seem like pests to many, they help recycle organic matter, such as decaying waste, dung, and dead animals. They are a crucial component of the food web because they are a food source for many other animals. Why do you think one female fly lays so many eggs? Draw the fly on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 2. The termite is in the order Isoptera. They live in colonies in the ground or in wood. They eat mainly wood and other plant materials. The body of the termite varies depending on the caste of the termite. There are five castes: queen termite, king termite, worker termite, soldier termite, and winged termite. The termite queen is much larger because she is responsible for laying eggs. She can lay over a thousand eggs a day! Termite queens are so large that they cannot move and depend on their children to take care of them. The termite king is larger than the workers but smaller than the queen and is responsible for mating with the queen. Compare the size of the king and queen termite. Which one is larger and why? 3. The soldiers have large jaws to bite intruders and large heads to block off passageways to prevent enemies from entering the hive. Their task is to defend the mound from predators. Worker termites are the most numerous termites in a colony. They take care of the everyday tasks of running the colony, such as finding food, cleaning, and taking care of the babies and the queen. Winged termites are at the reproductive stage of their life cycle and fly off to start new colonies. Why do you think termites have caste differentiation? Draw each termite on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 5

6 4. The ant is in the order Hymenoptera. Antarctica and a few isolated islands are the only places on the planet that do not have ants. Ants have segmented bodies, are usually a black or brown color, and range in size from to 2 inches. But do not let their small bodies fool you, for they can carry up to 20 times their own weight! Ants are a social insect and live in colonies in the ground. An ant colony can range in size from 100 ants to 1,000,000 ants. Each colony includes queen ants, who are responsible for laying eggs. Male ants, called drones, are responsible for mating with the queen. Ants who do not reproduce have the role of a worker or soldier. Their responsibilities include gathering food, caring for the queen and offspring, and building or defending the colony. An ant searching for food can travel up to 700 feet from its colony and find its way back through scents left by fellow ants. Compare the social structure and responsibilities of ants and termites. Draw the ant on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 5. The bee is also in order Hymenoptera. Bees are found almost everywhere and are an important pollinator. Most species are solitary insects, with the exception of the bumble bee and honey bee, who are social animals. Here is the honey bee, the most well-known bee! The honey bee is known for being covered in branched plumose hairs and having distinct color patterns on its abdomen. Not only are these bees important pollinators, but they provide us with honey and beeswax. They are cooperative insects and live in hives with three castes: workers, drones, and the queen. Workers are very busy looking for food and nectar and building and protecting the hive. While all the workers are female, they do not lay eggs. The queen is responsible for laying all the eggs for the hive. If the queen dies, the workers must raise a new queen by providing a larva with a special food called royal jelly. This will cause the developing larva to be fertile. Drones are the males of the hive. Why is it important to be able to create a new queen? Draw the bee on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 6

7 6. The wasp is also in the order Hymenoptera. Like a lot of the insects you have learned about today, wasps are found all over the world. Their narrow waists and pointed abdomens are a couple of the observable features that differentiate them from bees. There are two types of wasps: social and solitary wasps. Social wasps live in colonies and build nests. When they are agitated they can release pheromones to attract nearby wasps and use their stingers to defend themselves. Solitary wasps do not live in colonies, but they also use venom to defend themselves and to hunt. But not all wasps are bad! In fact, they are known as being a great form of pest control because their diet includes spiders, bees, ants, flies, and caterpillars. Why is it important for wasps to have stingers, release pheromones, and secrete venom? Draw the wasp on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 7. Compare the bee and wasp. How are their physical and behavioral adaptations similar and different? Provide at least one example of each. 8. A common misconception is that spiders are insects, but that is not the case! Spiders are an arachnid and in the order Araneida. Spiders have eight legs, unsegmented bodies, and six to eight eyes, and lack wings and antennae. They are found all over the world, except Antarctica, and live in all terrestrial habitats. With the exception of one herbivore species, spiders are predators and feed on a wide variety of insects. Here is the black widow. These spiders are known for their signature marking: a red hourglass on their abdomen. They are a comb-footed spider, meaning they have microscopic bristles on their legs with which to cover their prey in silk. Females are venomous and release a neurotoxin, called latrotoxin, which attacks the nerves. While female bites can be dangerous to humans, they are rarely fatal. Since there are male and female black widows, how do you think the spider got its name? Draw the spider on your Entomologist for a Day Worksheet. 7

8 9. Congratulations! You are on your way to becoming an entomologist! In this activity you learned about the physical and behavioral adaptations of insects and arachnids. Create an argument using specific evidence from this activity about how their physical and behavioral adaptations can affect their survival rate. 8

Let s Learn About Insects!

Let s Learn About Insects! All photos and text by Kris H. Light Copyright 2008 All rights reserved What is the difference between an insect and a spider? Insects: have 3 body parts have 6 legs can have