All About

Bug Bingo Helpful Hints and Links

for the Bug Collection Project

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Table of Contents

Note to Parents and Students 3

Rules of the Project 4

Classification 6

Body Characteristics 10

Metamorphosis and Life Cycle 13

Importance of Bugs 14

Other Helpful Hints 15

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Note to Parents and Students Sixth graders have been doing some kind of bug collecting

project since I started teaching middle school in 2009. I believe it

is a good learning opportunity for many reasons. First, it

incorporates several of the topics in life science that we will begin

the year with – classification, feeding patterns, taxonomy, life

cycles, etc.

Even more importantly, it helps me get to know a group of

new students. I learn where students’ organizational skills are at.

They learn it is OK to approach me with questions. I get a

glimpse of their writing skills and time management skills. I learn

who works well together, and who may need help finding a

partner to work with. The project presents a challenge to students

and encourages them to seek out new resources – books, online

sources, knowledgeable adults.

Finally, students learn that insects and other “creepy crawly”

things can be both good and bad from a human perspective, but

that these animals play an important role our ecosystems. Many

students have actually become less fearful of bugs by doing the

project. I don’t expect all students to become comfortable with

handling bugs, but I think it is important for all of us to appreciate

that they can be fascinating creatures, and recognize their

importance in our world.

Happy Hunting,

Mrs. Anderson

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Bug Bingo Rules Collecting Bugs

Make an attempt to keep your bugs alive, but if you need to collect a dead bug, be sure it is in good enough condition to identify. Use common sense and exercise caution when collecting any bugs that may sting or bite.

You may have more than one bug in a container, but be aware that some bugs will attack and destroy other bugs. Please don’t put more than 3 bugs in a container.

We will talk in class about places to look for bugs.

Parents and others can help you catch bugs, but this should be YOUR project, and YOU need to take responsibility for making tags and handing bugs in.

You may trade or give bugs to other students if you do not need them, but please do so fairly and so that everyone comes out a winner.

Classifying Bugs

Use the Bug Bingo card to decide what item your bug can be used for.

We will be learning about classifying bugs in class, so you might need to wait a week or two to understand some items on the card.

Be sure to use the reference sheets provided to help you with classification. You can also use books or the internet to help you find out what bugs will fit for each item.

You must have a separate bug for each box on the bingo card that you wish to claim. Some bugs could be used for more than one item, so choose the item that might be the hardest to find or that helps you get a Bingo (5 in a row, column or diagonal line).

I will “keep score” of the items you have submitted on a score sheet. You will get a sticker back for every item you have successfully submitted. Place this sticker on your Bingo card. Don’t cross any item out until you know for sure that it was counted.

Submitting Bugs

You will need to attach a tag with each bug you are handing in. Tags can be post-it notes or slips of notebook paper, but make a separate tag for each bug.

You must hand in the following information with each bug: Your name, the item that you are applying this bug to, and any other information requested (some items require an explanation about how you know something).You may shorten what you write, but get the important words down!

Attach your tag(s) securely to each container you are submitting. Use a single piece of scotch tape to hold post-it notes in place.

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Tags and most containers will be returned after the points are scored, along with any stickers you have earned.

All bugs become the property of Mrs. Anderson once submitted. I will release what I can in an appropriate place, and display or dispose of bugs that did not make it. Any jars or containers will be returned if they can be used again and are not too stinky.

Occasionally I will keep a bug as an example of its type to show other students. Do NOT submit a bug that you are emotionally attached to , because you will not get it back.

Unlike the old bug scavenger hunt, it IS possible to get every item on the list, but if you do not, the grade scale is found below. Also new this year, there will be a small prize for every “Bingo” (5 in a row, column or diagonally)

number of items percent

letter

grade

15+ 100% A

14 96% A

13 92% A-

12 88% B+

11 84% B

10 80% C+

9 76% C

8 72% C-

7 68% D+

6 64% D

5 or fewer F

BONUS POINTS – If, at the end of your project, you can turn in your original Bingo Card (even if

it is in rough shape), it will be worth an extra 3% on your grade for the project. Duplicate cards

do not count for this point, but please talk to me early if you have lost your Bingo card.

Sample tags (must be handwritten by the student) …

Joe Schmoe

A male bug

I know it is a male because

of the spot on its hind wing.

Joe Schmoe

Order Coleoptera or

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Classification Several of the items on the list have to do with a bug’s taxonomic classification. Sometimes

people try to correct me and tell me that I should call this an “insect” collection project, but it

truly is a “bug” collection, in the very broad sense of the word, because we will be looking for

more than just insects.

Bug vs. Insect – what is the difference?

The term “bug” can be used a couple of different ways. Most people use the term to describe

any very small animal that creeps or flies. People even say they caught a “flu bug” when they

are sickened by a virus. For this project we will be collecting mostly “bugs” that fit into the

Phylum Arthropoda, but there are a few animals that people call bugs which fit outside of this

classification. Many of these Arthropods fit into the Class Insecta, which is where the word

“insect” comes in. Remember that true insects have a three part body, and three pairs of legs.

Some “bugs” are insects and some insects are bugs …

Within the Class Insecta are an order of Insects known as the “True Bugs”. They are classified

as members of the order Hemiptera (meaning half wing). This group has

members such as stink bugs, box-elder bugs, giant water bugs, squash bugs, leaf

footed bugs, water striders, and others. These insects have “piercing”

mouthparts, but these can be hard to see without magnification. One identifying

characteristic of many members of this order is

the appearance of their wings when at rest. The

wings cross over one another and are only

partially covered with a shell. This leaves a

triangle shape on their back (scutellum) and

membranous wings peeking out.

Does it matter?

So, when an item on the card says “insect”, I want only something with 6 legs, but if it says

“bug” other animals, like spiders or millipedes may count for that item. If it says “a member of

the order Hemiptera”, then I will only accept an insect that fits within this specific order – a true

bug.

Should I look up and memorize every bug’s full classification?

No. I guess you could if you want to, but for this project, I just want you to see how

classification works. You only need to know if the bug you collected fits for one of the items on

your card. The following chart may also help you to understand how the hierarchy of

classification works.

See the triangle!

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Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Arthropoda Phylum

Annelida

Phylum

Mollusca

Subphylum

Mandibulata

Subphylum

Chelicerata

Class

Malacostraca Class

Diplopoda

Class

Chilopoda Class Insecta Class

Arachnida

slugs earthworms

Spiders

Daddy-long-legs

Ticks

Pill Bugs

Millipedes

Centipedes

Order Thysanura

Order Collembola

Order Odonata

Order Dermaptera

Order Plecoptera

Order Psocoptera

Order Isoptera

Order Mallophaga

Order Anoplura

Order Ephemeroptera

Order Orthoptera

Order Thysanoptera

Order Hemiptera

Order Homoptera

Order Neuroptera

Order Mecoptera

Order Trichoptera

Order Lepidoptera

Order Coleoptera

Order Diptera

Order Siphonaptera

Order Hymenoptera

Family

Tettigoniidae

Katydids

Family

Pieridae

Sulphurs

&

Cabbage

Butterflie

s

Genus Harmonia

species axyridis

Asian Lady

Beetles

Insects all fit into the Class Insecta, then into one of several

different orders. Then orders are further divided into families and

families are divided into genus and species levels. A couple of

examples of these other levels are given here.

Subphylum Myriapodia Subphylum

Crustacea

Family

Coccinellidae

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So where does ____ fit under this classification scheme?

First of all, I didn’t list all of the orders of insects…just some very common ones. (Keep in mind

any bug can fit into the Kingdom Animalia!) Once you know a common name for a critter you

collected, you can use any one of a number of sources to find out its classification. The list that

follows is for some of the common bugs that kids have collected over the years. You can also

use Identification Guide books from my room or the library. Online sources are good, too, but

remember that taxonomy (naming science) is a fluid science and changes as new information

becomes available. Scientists may disagree over which classification scheme is the best, so

you may get slightly different answers from different sources. I’ve tried to pick some categories

that are tried and true, but you still may find conflicting information. Don’t let this worry you…if

everything was already set in stone, science would be boring.

Bug Classification Information

** remember, all bugs fit under the Kingdom Animalia

Common Name Phylum Subphylum Class Order

ant Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hymenoptera

aphid Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Homoptera

barn spider Arthropoda Chelicerata Arachnida Araneae

bee Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hymenoptera

beetle Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

box-elder bug Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hemiptera

butterfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Lepidoptera

caddisfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Trichoptera

cellar spider Arthropoda Chelicerata Arachnida Pholcidae

centipede Arthropoda Myriapoda Chilopoda

cicada Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Homoptera

click beetle Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

crane fly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Diptera

cricket Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Orthoptera

daddy-long-legs Arthropoda Chelicerata Arachnida Opiliones

damselfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Odonata

dobsonfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Neuroptera

dragonfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Odonata

earthworm Annelida Oligochaeta

earwig Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Dermaptera

flea Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Siphonaptera

fruit fly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Diptera

garden spider Arthropoda Chelicerata Arachnida Araneae

giant water bug Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hemiptera

gnat Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Diptera

grasshopper Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Orthoptera

ground beetle Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

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Common Name Phylum Subphylum Class Order

house fly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Diptera

June bug Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

katydid Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Orthoptera

lacewing Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Neuroptera

ladybug Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

larder beetle Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

leafhopper Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Homoptera

lightning bug Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

mantis Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Orthoptera

mayfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Ephemeroptera

millipede Arthropoda Myriapoda Diplopoda

mosquito Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Diptera

moth Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Lepidoptera

netwinged beetle Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

pelecinid wasp Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hymenoptera

pill bug Arthropoda Crustacea Malacostraca Isopoda

rove beetle Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

sawfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hymenoptera

scale insect Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Homoptera

scorpionfly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Mecoptera

silverfish Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Thysanura

slug Mollusca Gastropoda

spider (other) Arthropoda Chelicerata Arachnida Araneae

springtail Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Collembola

squash bug Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hemiptera

stag beetle Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

stink bug Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hemiptera

stonefly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Plecoptera

termite Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Isoptera

thrip Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Thysanoptera

tick Arthropoda Chelicerata Arachnida Parasitiformes

walking-stick Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Orthoptera

wasp Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hymenoptera

water boatman Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hemiptera

water scorpion Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hemiptera

water strider Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Hemiptera

weevil Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Coleoptera

whitefly Arthropoda Mandibulata Insecta Homoptera

wolf spider Arthropoda Chelicerata Arachnida Araneae

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Body Characteristics I want students to learn to notice details about the body of a bug and start to think about why

those body parts may help that insect to live in its environment.

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/4Hent/stfairorder.pdf

http://www.slideshare.net/cabinganrowena08/zoology-44620131

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Look a little closer at that spider!

One example of looking for details that help classification is the item that asks the difference

between a daddy-long-legs and a cellar spider.

Opiliones is an order of arachnids known as harvestmen or daddy-long-legs. They have a body

shape without a constriction between the cephalothorax and abdomen, so their body appears to

be a single oval.

Cellar spiders are in the family Pholcidae (which is a family of spiders), and are commonly

mistaken for daddy-long-legs because they too have long slender legs. Cellar spiders, however

have a distinctly separate abdomen.

I have even had some kids be fooled by a crane fly and call it a daddy-long-legs, despite the

wings that are never found on spiders.

http://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/myth-daddy-longlegs-kind-spider

The picture above shows a crane fly on the left, a cellar (house) spider in the center, and a

daddy-long-legs (harvestman) on the right. For more information, see the web page in the

picture caption.

Although the crane fly cannot be used for the “daddy-long-legs or cellar spider” item, you can

use it for a couple of other items on the list.

Adapted Coloration

There are lots of ways that bugs use body color to adapt to their environment. Two examples

are camouflage and warning coloration.

Many bugs use camouflage to hide in their environment. Think about where you found your

bug (or at least where it would be found in nature). Did the color of your bug help it to hide from

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its predators or its prey? If so, you can describe this and claim the adapted color item on your

card.

Other bugs show an example of warning coloration. Bright colors on a bug may tell predators

that it tastes bad. Birds or other predators will avoid bugs that are certain colors because they

associate that color with a bad taste or even a toxic meal. Bright yellow, red, and orange bugs

are often using this type of warning coloration. Other bugs that don’t taste bad to their predators

may even mimic this coloration so that birds stay away. (Several species of butterflies and

moths exhibit this type of mimicry.) Does your bug use a bright color to warn away predators?

If so, describe it and claim the adapted color item on your card.

Boy or Girl?

Some insects have body characteristics that help to identify them as a male or female of their

species, while some insects have no difference or only very subtle differences between sexes.

It is easiest to tell a male or female apart if you are looking at an adult of the species

(caterpillars all look the same here). Some common bugs that are distinguishable are listed

below. You will have to look up how to tell the male and female apart and write this down on the

tag. Many times you can search online using the common name of the bug for pictures that

compare the male and female of a species.

Be careful that you don’t use size alone. If a source tells you that the females are larger than

the males, but does not give you any other way to tell them apart, you will have to collect both a

male and a female to prove that you have both.

Bugs that easily show clear differences between adult males and females:

Barn spiders

Monarch Butterflies

Crickets

Earwigs

Garden spiders

Grasshoppers

Katydids

Mosquitos (use the antennae)

Pelecinid wasps (all female)

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Metamorphosis and Life Cycle Most students have learned about how a

caterpillar turns into a butterfly, but not all

bugs go through such a dramatic

metamorphosis. In the life cycle of a bug

the changes in form and habitat may be

subtle or dramatic.

An animal that undergoes complete

metamorphosis has a very different

appearance as an adult and as a

juvenile. The butterfly or moth life cycle

is a great example of complete

metamorphosis, but they are far from the

only bug that transforms this way during

its life cycle. Even beetles and flies go

through a larval stage where they are

very worm-like (maggots) and a pupa

stage where they appear very dormant before

hatching into adults.

Animals that undergo incomplete or

gradual metamorphosis have more subtle

changes as they go through their life

cycle. The young look like miniature

adults (but often lacking the wings of

adults), with the same number of legs and

the same basic body shape. The young

are just basically smaller versions. Each

time they increase in size, they go through

a molting phase where they shed their old

exoskeleton and crawl out of it with a new,

larger exoskeleton that expands and

hardens. This happens between 5 and 60

times for different species during a

lifetime. The Madagascar Hissing

Cockroaches in the classroom go through

about 6 molts before they are adults. The

young stages can be called nymphs or

instars. Other Arthropods like spiders and

pill bugs also go through incomplete

metamorphosis.

A list of the type of metamorphosis for several orders of insects can be found using the following

link: https://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ythfacts/4h/unit2/metavari.htm or by consulting

several of the bug books in the classroom or library.

http://s3.thingpic.com/images/AV/h8h8Cy8J1xztFUYAH8VHfsy3.jpeg

http://www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionImages/animal-plant/aplc/locust/lifecycle/ctlifecycle.gif

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Importance of Bugs “If Noah had been truly wise, he would have swatted those two flies.” Sometimes insects and

other bugs can be so annoying that we wonder what life would be like without all the bugs of the

world. Some say that mosquitoes are the deadliest animals because they spread diseases that

kill so many people worldwide. However, it is important to remember that insects play vital roles

in many food chains and act as important decomposers to help dead material be recycled in

nature.

This project asks you to identify an insect (not just any bug) that is a pest, or commonly

considered to cause harm to humans, crops, or livestock. When submitting this insect, I want

you to write a short sentence or two to describe why this insect is considered harmful.

But, I also included an item to identify an insect that is considered beneficial or helpful to

humans. It may be a predator of harmful insects or an important decomposer. It could be an

important pollinator of food crops. Include a sentence or two describing how this insect is

considered helpful.

Often our opinion of an insect depends on what it eats and

where it lives. (I really don’t mind ants until they get into my

house.) One of the more important roles that insects play in

ecosystems is that of a primary consumer. This means that

they get energy by eating plant material. One item on the list is

to identify an insect that is primarily an herbivore and describe

what it usually eats. You may witness this directly, or you

might have to do a little research to find out what types of plant

material a particular insect eats.

Insects truly are everywhere you go. They are found on every

continent (there’s a species of fly that lives in Antarctica) and in

every ecosystem. Up to 90% of the named species on the

planet fit into Class Insecta. One goal of this project is to get

students outside in a way that they can observe the full diversity of nature around

them…including bugs.

http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/szocki/projects/spring_09/22/images/insect_foodweb.jpg

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Other Helpful Hints 1. Use your classmates. I will be posting a huge spreadsheet in the classroom that shows

which items from the list you have submitted successfully. One way to use this list is to look who in your class has found an item that you are still trying to claim. Ask them what type of bug they used to fill that square. Remember, all the cards are in different order, but they have the same 25 items.

2. Seek and accept help. Let friends and relatives know that you are on the hunt for bugs. They can help you collect. The only things they cannot do for you are write tags and hand the bugs in.

3. Use all the resources available to you. I have several good insect books in my classroom, and there are books in both the school and public library. There are also countless websites that can help with bug identification or information. A couple of good links to bug ID sites are listed below… http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/4Hent/stfairorder.pdf

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/bug_club/bug_ID/index.shtml

…and one site that just had some awesome facts about insects!

http://www.livescience.com/52022-startling-facts-about-insects.html

4. Be organized. Mark on your card as much as you want. You can pencil in suggested bugs that may fit for that item. You need to put the stickers I give you on items that you have submitted. Keep your old returned tags in a baggie or envelope, just in case there is a question about my record keeping. Use your suggested bugs to make a list of the types of bugs you are looking for, so you can let helpers know what to hunt for.

5. Start early. In the past, kids that struggled the most with this are the ones that did get started right away. As the weather turns cooler, the number and type of available bugs will decline. If you collect bugs faster than you can make tags, be sure to keep them from decomposing beyond recognition. If you have tagged all the bugs you have, one good way to use your class time is to make tags for bugs you know you can get. Then the tag is ready to go when you do find the bug.

6. Cheap containers. Don’t use your mom’s best canning jars. Plastic food jars work great, as do cheap zipper sandwich bags. Please do NOT make cute little mini habitats for your live bugs. As the grass you picked for your bug decomposes, it produces gases that will kill your bug anyway. And those cute rocks and sticks you gave it to climb on, can roll around inside the jar in your backpack and squash the poor little bug.

7. Dead bugs count, too. Although you do not need to kill bugs for no good reason, don’t feel too bad about handing in a dead bug (even one in identifiable condition from the grill of a car). Many of these bugs are destined to die with the first frost. For the sake of students who are allergic to bee stings, it might be safer to bring bees and wasps in only after they have died.