Insects are one of the most diverse and abundant animal groups on Earth. They represent an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, lifestyles and ecological roles. From buzzing bees to crawling caterpillars, these little creatures play a critical role in our environment – yet many people know very little about them. This article will explore what …
There is a common misconception that spiders are insects. We tend to group them in with other “bugs” and “creepy-crawlies” because they have a lot in common. They are small, they have a similar look, to some degree, and occupy many of the same spaces and purposes. Spiders are arachnids and have eight legs, while …
The tundra is one of the last places you expect to find insects because it is so barren and cold. It isn’t like a wildflower meadow rich in vegetation where all kinds of species could play their part. However, there is more insect life up there than you might think. Dragonflies, mosquitoes, moths, and even …
Swamps are teeming with life as they are the perfect breeding ground for insects. Once you look closer, you start to see the diversity of creatures from many families in the insect world. Some are beautiful, others more functional for the ecosystem, but all are important. A vast range of insect species in the US …
One feature that sets insects apart from many other creatures is their hard exoskeleton. This shell-like structure gives them a tougher exterior to protect their softer tissues. All invertebrates rely on this system instead of an internal skeleton. They also do so in very different ways. Cuticles are made up of three layers. The epicuticle, …
Most insects lay eggs, but how this is done, along with the size, shape, and number of eggs laid by different species, is very different. Egg-laying in insects varies in three different respects. The way they lay the eggs, the number laid, and the shape, size, and pattern of the eggs. In this article, I …
With flying ant day over, I wondered how they fly so efficiently. I wanted to find out and would like to share the information I found with you. Insects use their wings to fly. Muscles move thin layers of sclerotin up and down to allow the insect to hover or move around. Some insects have …
Watching butterflies fly around my garden the other day, I wondered how they and other insects find a mate when they need to reproduce. I was surprised at the information I found. Insects use their senses to find a mate. Many rely on pheromones to attract a mate, while others use their eyesight or sound …
Over a million species of insects have already been discovered, and the Royal Entomological Society estimates that there may be as many as another 10 million species still to be discovered. Insects are the world’s largest group of organisms and the most diverse. I wanted to find out how different insects feed. Insects either use …
Although they may look like fruit on oak trees, the small round galls that can be found are not grown by the tree. When looking at an oak tree with tiny round balls hanging on the branches, you may have noticed it, much like acorns. These balls are known as galls and are not fruits. …
There are over 12,000 types of moths in North America that grow from caterpillars. They usually feed on plants when they are larvae, but some live on dry, dead food. Two moths in North America will eat your clothes; the webbing and casemaking clothes moths. The caterpillars of clothes moths eat clothes to extract moisture …
