BE AN EXPERT: INSECT STUDY

1. Insect Vocabulary      10 points
Define these words associated with insects

entomology
compound eye
nectar
pollen
exoskeleton
thorax
abdomen
cocoon
chrysalis
nymph
antennae
metamorphosis
chitin
larva
mandible
molt
spiracles

2. Identifying Insect Orders      15 points
Printout Insects found at: http://bogglesworldesl.com/files5/insects2.doc
Sort the insects into their respective insect orders.
Make your own "Insect Classification Chart" by pasting the pictured insects with their common name and their insect order written below them.
Insect Orders found at: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/eoe/StartingMyCollection.pdf#search='insect%20collection%20species'

3. Grasshopper Diagram     5 points
Label the body parts of this grasshopper.
Jumping Leg, Antenna, Oviposter, Wings, Thorax, Head, Eye, Walking Leg, Spiracle, Abdomen
         

4. Metamorphosis      5 points
List the 4 stages of complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult

                                   

List the 3 stages of incomplete or gradual metamorphosis: egg, nymph, adult
          

Name an insect that goes through complete metamorphosis. ___________________

Name an insect that goes through incomplete metamorphosis. _____________________

6. Butterfly Model      10 points
Create a model of a butterfly.
Materials:

Attach to it appendages such as 3 pairs of legs, 1 pair of antenna, 1 pair of compound eyes.
You will then identify and familiarize yourself with the distinct body parts of an insect. 
Display your butterfly in the classroom.

7. Helpful Insects     5 points
Name four insect species that are helpful to people.
Explain how each is helpful.

8. Termites     5 Points
Label the body parts of the three types of termites

9. Food Chains     5 points Create a food chain that includes an insect species. The animal at the end of the chain can be a fish, a bird, or a mammal. Decomposers    --->                               --->                          --->                        --->    in soil

10. Harmful Insects     5 points
Name 5 insect species that are harmful to people.
Explain how each is harmful.

11. Flying Insect Morphology      5 points
Label the body parts of this flying insect.
Antenna, Abdomen, Eye, Fore Leg, Head, Hind Leg, Fore Wing, Hind Wing, Middle Leg, Thorax

12. Insect Control      5 points
Describe two general methods of controlling insect population.

13.Insect Snacks From Around the World      5 points
Many cultures around the globe have evolved to use insects in their diets.
There was probably some trial and error involved because not all insects are edible.
In fact, some insects are poisonous.
But there are lots of insects that are safely eaten by people around the world.

• Make a list of insects that are or have been eaten for food.

• Include the name of the country.

14. Insect Orders     15 points
Describe the characteristics of the 8 most common insect orders.
90% of all insects are found in these eight orders.

15. Beekeeping     10 points
Describe the role in the hive of each bee caste.

• Queen
  
• Drone
  
• Worker

Describe how bees make honey.

What is Colony Collapse Disorder?

Identify four current theories for the death of bee hives.

What do you think is the reason for the death of beehives?

16. Insect Collection      15 points
Collect, mount, and label 25 different species of insects.
You must include a species from each of the most common Insect Orders found above.
Lepidoptera: moths & butterflies
Diptera: flies
Orthoptera: grasshoppers, crickets, roaches, mantids, walking sticks
Odonata: dragonflies & damselflies
Coleoptera: beetles
Hemiptera: true bugs
Homoptera: aphids & cicadas
Hymenoptera: bees, wasps, ants

The label should contain: the common name the scientific name where the insect was caught

     Large Insects                      Small Insects

Insect Pets
17.  Raising a Praying Mantis     10 points
Raising a Praying Mantis from egg can be a fun way to learn about this ferocious predator.
It is the only insect that can swivel its triangular head around to look over its shoulder.
The female makes use of this flexibility during mating.
When the smaller male jumps on her back to mate, she simply turns her head and bites off his head.

To Raise a praying mantis:
Use a quart/ gallon jar or a terrarium.
Put a stick in it.
Fall is the best time to find them.
After you have one in its new home you need to catch food for it.
I have used crickets at the pet store.
Add more praying mantises to encourage mating.
Be sure to feed the female first.
Hopefully you will get an egg case about 1-1 1/2" long.
They will winter over and hatch from May to July.
Feed the babies flightless fruit flies.

18. Ant Farm     10 points
Make an ant farm out of a large and small jar or purchase an Ant Farm.
Start by placing the smaller jar or tube inside the larger glass container. 
Find an ant pile and carefully dig enough ants and dirt to fill your jar within 2-3 inches from the top.
Pack the dirt firmly. 
Capture as many ants as you can.
Look for the queen ant which may have wings.
Scoop up little white eggs and larvae.
Feed the ants small bread crumbs.
For water use a water soaked cotton ball.
Include a top with holes punched for adequate air supply.

• Draw a picture of an ant and label the parts of its body.
• Draw your Ant Jar's or Ant Farm's tunnel complex.
• List the ants' activities and the number (grave diggers, food gathers, tunnel diggers, soldiers)

19. Raise a Butterfly or Moth Larvae    10 points
Watch a butterfly or moth metamorphosis from the larval stage to become an adult.   Neat project.
Go to Butterfly and Moth Farm Kits found at: http://educationalscience.com/butterflyfarmkits.htm   
Live kits can be purchased from $4.00 -$99.00.  
You will feed the caterpillar and watch it go into the pupa stage as it builds a cocoon. 
Draw the changes you see during the 10-14 days from cocoon to adult.

• Draw the larval stage of your butterfly or moth.
• Draw the changes you see during the 10-14 days from cocoon to adult.
• Release your adult butterfly or moth

20. INSECTS A-Z    10 points
Find 26 insect names, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet.

Find the names of specific insects. For instance: since there are lots of different kinds of butterflies, "butterfly" shouldn't be one of your 26 insects, but "monarch" or "eastern tiger swallowtail" would be acceptable. The Internet should be the easiest place to find these names, although other references may be used as well.

21. How Many Bugs Have You Eaten Today?      10 Points
Many foods we eat have insects or insect parts in them, that we don't see. The Department of Health and Human Services has set a standard called the Food Defect Action Levels, which (to quote a publication) "are set on the basis of no hazard to health... These levels are set because it is not possible, and never has been possible, to grow in open fields, harvest and process crops that are totally free of natural defects."

Buy 3 of these products (generics and/or brand names).
Use a microscope to examine the products for parts of insects, rodent hairs, etc.
How many, if any, are found?
Do they exceed the action level?
What would YOUR action level be?

22. Insects, Spiders, and Other Invertebrates..Oh My!     5 Points
Record information about insects and spiders.
Create your own insect and spider.
Found at: http://gk12calbio.berkeley.edu/lessons/insectsspiders_handout.pdf

ONLINE RESOURCES
American Beekeeping Federation found at:
http://www.abfnet.org/

Ant Anatomy found at:
http://www.infowest.com/life/antbody.htm

Ant Terrariums and Habitats found at:
http://www.antcam.com/products/antfarm.html

Ants and Supplies found at:
http://www.infowest.com/life/ants.htm

Bee Death in the USA found at:
http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/info/info/enviro/bee-death-in-the-usa-is-t.shtml

Butterfly Field Guide found at:
http://www.enature.com/guides/select_Butterflies.asp

Butterfly Store found at:
http://educationalscience.com/butterflyfarmkits.htm

Entomological Society of America found at:
http://www.entsoc.org/

Facts About Honeybees found at:
http://www.backyardbeekeepers.com/facts.html

Field Guide to Insects in our Schoolyard found at:
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/bugconnection/teaching/Field%20Guide%206-8.pdf

How to Build a Wooden Ant Terrarium found at:
http://www.antcam.com/antfarm/howtobuild/wood/index.html

How to Pin and Label adult Insects found at:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/4H/insect_pinning4a.html

Insect Field Guide found at:
http://www.enature.com/guides/select_Insects_and_Spiders.asp

Insect Lore found at:
http://insectlore.stores.yahoo.net/

Insect Orders found at:
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/eoe/StartingMyCollection.pdf#search='insect%20collection%20species'

Insect Snacks From Around the World found at:
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ythfacts/bugfood/yf813.htm

Instructions On How to Build an Ant Farm found at:
http://www.essortment.com/all/instructionshow_rgqk.htm

Making an Insect Collection found at:
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/MP-83.pdf

Starting My Insect Collection found at:
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/eoe/StartingMyCollection.pdf#search='insect%20collection%20species'

The Care of Mantids found at:
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/mantids.html

The Praying Mantises found at:
http://homeschool.priswell.com/mantis.htm

Welcome to the Bee Hive found at:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/alienempire/multimedia/hive.html

Wonderful World of Insects found at:
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/six.html

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