INSECTS

Kansas State Teachers College

Emporia, Kansas

THE KANSAS SCHOOL NA TURAllST

Vol. 10, No. 2 December 1963

The Kansas

School Naturalist

Published by

The Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia

Prepared and Issued by

The Department of Biology, with the cooperation of the Division of Education

Editor: John Breukelman Department of Biology

Editorial Committee: Ina M. Borman, Robert F. Clarke, Helen M. Douglass, Gilbert A. Leisman, David F. Parmelee,

Carl W. Prophet

The Kansas School Naturalist is sent upon request, free of charge, to Kansas teachers, school board members and administrators, librarians, conservationists, youth leaders, and other adults inter­ested in nature education. Back numbers are sent free as long as the supply lasts, except Vol. 5, No.3, Poisonous Snakes of Kansas. Copies of this issue may be obtained for 25 cents each postpaid. Send orders to The Kansas School Naturalist, Department of Biol­ogy, Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas.

The Kansas School Naturalist is published in October, December, February, and April of each year by The Kansas State Teachers College, 1200 Commercial Street, Emporia, Kansas. Second-class postage paid at Emporia, Kansas.

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Insects Ronald R. Aeschliman

Department of Biology

"Where the bee sucks, there suck I, In a cowslip's bell I lie." Bees were known long before Shake­speare, as were other insects. Bees are and were important for their honey and wax. Bees are onlv one kind 'of the multitude of insects we know today. Many of the well­known insects are known for the damage done to farm crops, garden crops, and household goods. Yet not all of these other insects are harmful; many help man in his activities.

What is an insect? How are they classified? Where are they found? What do they eat? How would you collect them? What are some of the common repre­sentatives? In the following para­graphs and in the tabular summary on page 10 to 15, these and other questions will be answered.

WHAT IS AN INSECT? "Bugs" is the common term often

used to describe any insect. It is incorrect in general usage because a bug represents one particular group of insects, the "true bugs" of the Order Hemiptera. The box­elder bug (page 12) belongs to this order. Insects are small in­vertebrate animals that are rela­tives of the Kansas crayfish and also of the ocean crabs and lob­sters. The insect body, which is covered by a hard outer layer, has

three sections or regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. A pair of bulging compound eyes are located on the front or upper side of the head. Simple eyes, ocelli, are sometimes present. If wings are present, they are attached to the middle or thoracic region, where the legs are also attached.

The "jaws" or mouthparts, of an insect are in two pairs. Grasshop­per jaws are modified for biting and chewing. Butterflies, on the other had, have a long tube or pro­boscis, formed from these jaws to suck the nectar from flowers. The antennae are located on the head, either above or between the com­pound eyes. The antennae are of varying lengths in different species of insects. Some antennae resem­ble feathers, some movable pieces of string and others so short that they are almost invisible. Most in­sect antennae are used to touch and feel, much as we use our fingers.

Three pairs of walking legs are

"Statement required by the Act of October 1962; Section 4369, Title 39, United States Code, showing Ownership, Management and Circulation." The Kansas School Naturalist is published in October, December, February, and ApriL Editorial Office and Publication Office at 1200 Commercial Street, Emporia, Kansas . (66801). The Naturalist is edited and published by the Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas. Editor, John Breukelman, Department of Biology.

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attached to the thorax or middle body region. The hind pair may be used to jump. The wings are also attached here and may be in one or two pairs.

Reproductive organs of most in­sects are found within the ab­domen and at the end of the ab­domen. The males may have or­gans for clasping the female during fertilization, and the female an ovi­positor through which she lays eggs.

Other animals closely related to insects are spiders, centipedes, and millipedes. These differ from in­sects in body form, number of legs per body segment, mode of repro­duction and number of antennae.

Insects have antennae, three pair of walking legs, tracheal tubes in­stead of lungs for breathing, and three body divisions. Spiders lack antennae, possess four pair of walk­ing legs, "lungs" for breathing, and two body regions.

Centipedes and insects are re­lated, but separated by a number of body divisions and the number of legs and position of the leg at­tachment. Three body regions with the three pairs of legs attached to the middle one characterize in­sects, while the centipedes have many segments not defined into distinct portions and with one pair of legs per each segment.

Millipedes have many s8g;ments with two pairs of walking legs on each and no antennae, while insects have three body regions and an­tennae.

How ARE INSECTS CLASSIFIED?

The classification system of in­

sects follows the typical zoological grouping into various categories. For example, the honey bee has this scientific classification: Kingdom-Animal Phylum-Arthropoda Class-Insecta Order-Hymenoptera Family-Apidae Genus-Apis

Species-nwllifera Common name-honeybee

The large number of insect species causes great difficulty in the use of specific categorical names ex­cept by expert entomologists. Even experts often use common names for insects.

The Class Insecta is typically characterized by the following: 1. three body regions, 2. three pairs of walking legs 3. wings in the adult stage of the

life cycle, 4. some 'form of metamorphosis in

the development of the indi­vidual. There are some excep­tions to all except the first of these.

Subdivision of the Class Insecta into orders is based on character­istics such as: 1. types of meta­morphosis, 2. number and type of wings, 3. type of "jaws" or mouth­parts, 4. structure of the external portions of the reproductive sys­tem. Further separation into fami­lies, genera, and species is on the basis of more detailed features, such as: 1. type of pupal case, as in caddisflies, 2. shape of antennae, as in beetles, 3. chrysalis or cocoon in the pupal stage, as in moths and butterflies.

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How MANY KINDS ARE THERE?

Insects comprise by far the largest class of animals in the world. More than 600,000 species have been described, and possibly c: s many as a million more species remain to be identified. Most estimates agree that between three­fifths and seven-eights of all the animals in the world are insects. The class Insecta has been divided into about 25 orders; more or fewer, depending on the classification system used. The beetles, one of 25 orders, may include as many as 250,000 species in the world, and are represented by 15,000 to 18,000 species in Kansas. There are more species of beetles than there are of all other species of animals, ex­cluding the insects.

WHERE ARE INSECTS FOUND?

Insects of some kind are found everywhere on the earth with the exception of the cold polar ice caps and the open ocean. Butterflies have been found within the Arctic Circle, and a few primitive insects are known in Antarctica. Large numbers of insects are found in the tropics. Kansas insects are of course characteristic of those of the temperate regions.

Many adult insects, especially beetles, the larval stages of many species, and some pupae are found in the soil. Many beetles, dragon flies, mosquitoes, midges, and caddisflies are found in or near water. Many grasshoppers, katy­dids, true bugs, beetles, flies, and ants are found on plants, telephone and highline poles, and houses. Other insects are found burrowing

into fruit, in plant stems, in garbage dumps, and in the wood of your houses. The clothes in your closet and the papers in your garage are other places where insects may be found.

One of the best places to collect insects is in the flowers of your garden or yard. Flowers attract moths, butterflies, bees, ants, wasps, flies, and even beetles and true bugs. Many different kinds and sizes of insects may be found with a little effort.

Shores of ponds and streams are good places to find dragonflies, damselflies, whirlygig beetles, water striders, toad bugs, scavengers, and water boatmen. Other insects, such as butterflies and moths, may be found here also.

Many beetles and true bugs may be found on the ground; under leaves, boards, and stones, or in rotten logs or dung. Many beetles are associated with decaying flesh, along with fly larvae . .

Parts of plants, other than flow­ers, have many insects associated with them. Many insects may be found resting, laying eggs, or using the plants for shelter.

The most productive place to collect numbers of insects is around a light in the summer. Many flying, crawling, or hopping insects collect around a light and are easily picked up. As many as fifty species of in­sects may be collected in a single evening.

How Do INSECTS REPRODUCE?

Insect reproduction is similar to that of other animals. The sexes of most species are separate, male and

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female. Eggs produced by the female usually develop after fertil­ization, but rarely by partheno­genesis ( development of eggs with­ou t fertilization). The eggs are either laid by the female with hatching occuring later, or the female retains the eggs within the body until they hatch and Jiving young are produced.

The development of the young after hatching follows one of four courses:

1. the young resemble the adult except in size, that is, no meta­morphosis occurs;

2. the young resemble the adults, but wings appear only after a period of development (gradual metamorphosis) ;

3. the egg hatches into a larval nymph or naiad that is markedly different from . the adult (incom­plete metamorphosis);

4. the larva which changes to the pupa develops into the adult after a period of resting (complete meta­morphosis) .

Refer to the accompanying draw­ings for a summary of these types.

WHAT Do INSECTS EAT?

Insects enjoy a variety of food, just as you do. They feed on leaves and stems of plants, juice from the stem, or nectar from the flowers of living plants. Many beetles eat rotten wood, primitive plants found in rotten wood, dung, roots of other plants, and also foliage . Some in­sects, especially wasps, are para­sitic upon other insects. Mosqui­toes and some flies are known to suck blood from animals, including man. For each living or dead plant

or animal, there is an insect waiting to eat it.

How Do You COLLECT INSECTS?

There are many ways to collect insects. You may pick them up by hand, catch them with an insect net, or in a variety of traps.

The simple cloth insect net may be used to catch most flying in­sects. Nearly everyone has seen some happy "bug hunter" chasing a butterfly or dragonfly. Traps of various sorts are simple to con­struct and effective to use.

~/I;,.

, '/:,I

sr€. ,,,r

);'~!,i! \\:~,:~~~,~--' I 1,1 Jill ),'

During what part of the night do you think this device yields most insects - early eve· ning, near midnight. just before daybreak?

The Simplest trap to construct is a sheet of white material draped from a tree with a light bulb be­hind it. Hanging a bulb over a pail of water will collect many insects. A piece of paper attached to a wall, with the outer end bent into a V will funnel insects into a collecting jar. A mixture of molasses and sugar or syrup and sugar will at­

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~~~ ~ ~

-----­ ----------­

-------*~-------­ ~ "----­ -------­

-------,~~ "-./'­

~ . ~ ,, ,.

INCOMPLETE dragon flies damsel flie5

may-flies stone -flies

I t

COMPLETE beetles

bees, ants

wosps, flies,fleas

butterflies, moths

WITUOUT GRADUAL fire brats qrassnoppers

bri5tle tail5 aphid5 , lice

sprinq tails termites, buqs thrips

The types of insect metamorphosis and some representative groups thai pass through each type. From Biology by Alfred M. Elliott and Charles Ray. Ir. Copyright 1960. Appleton· Crofts. Inc. Reproduced by permission of the publisher.

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2"

:¥~i~\ \ I I I

'1/ ' I /

/ /

/ /

/ /

,/CUT 4 PIECES ,/

j(-/

These dimensions for an insect net fit the ordinary coat hanger. but the same kind of net may be made in any desired size.

tract moths if placed on trees on a summer evening.

A pamphlet entitled How to Make an Insect Collection may be obtained from Ward's Natural Science Establishment, Inc., Ro­chester, New York. The Field Book of Nature Activities by William Hillcourt, has an extensive section on insect collections. Both of these references give many ways to con­struct traps.

WHAT GOOD OR HARM ARE THEY?

Not all insects are harmful. On the contrary, only about one per cent of the known species are harmful. In Kansas, the harmful insects for which control measures are used number only 100 species.

The other 99 per cent may be classified as beneficial. The bene­ficial insects are helpful 'in a num­ber of ways; they may feed upon, parasitize, or otherwise destroy the harmful ones; they may furnish us with food ; or they may furnish us

a service that is far more im­portant: pollination.

Pollination of farm, garden, and fruit crops is carried on to a large extent by insects. Bees, flies , and a few other insects carry pollen from one flower to the next in their search of nectar. Without the bees , alfalfa, many garden flowers, and other wildflowers are not pollin­ated. Fruit trees are pollinated by many kinds of insects.

THINGS To Do

1. Collect the insects from the home garden.

2. Collect the insects from a field or woods.

3. Compare the insects from the garden and woods.

4. Construct an insect observation cage.

.'5. Start and maintain an ant colony. 6. Collect the butterflies from your

school yard. 7. Find a butterfly pupal case and

follow its development. 8. Imbed the insects from your area in

plastic.

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9. Visit the insect collection at a college or university.

10. Make an insect net. The one shown is made of a wire coat hanger, a piece of cheesecloth or other open-weave cloth, and a broomstick handle.

11. Make an insect cage. The following instructions are quoted from the December, 1958 issue of The Kan­sas School N attlralist:

MATERIALS

two round cake pans or pie tins screen wire or staples plaster of Paris small branch

PROCEDURE

Make a cylinder of the screen, of the right size to fit into the pan or tin to be used. Overlap the edges of the screen and fasten with wire or staples.

Make a mixture of water and plaster of Paris and pour into one pan or tin. At the point of solidification, press the screen cylinder into the plaster of Paris; also insert the branch into the plaster of Paris, in the position it is to occupy after the plaster hardens.

Use the other pan or tin to put on top of the cylinder, to serve as a lid. Modifications of this type of container can be made by using different shapes and sizes of pans. Small containers which children can take with them on field trips can be made from pint ice cream cartons, or similar containers:

FOB YOUB LIBBABY

Audubon Nature Bulletins, Published inter­mittently by the National Audubon Society, 1130 Fifth Avenue, New York 28, New York.

Chl.l, 1949. How to Know Immature Insects. Wm. C. Brown Company, Dubuque, Iowa.

E!1rlich, Paul R., and Ann H. Ehrli(;h. 1961. How to Know the Butterflies. Brown Pub­lishir.g Company, Dubuque, Iowa.

Farb, Peter. 1963 The Insects. Time, Inc., New York. (Life Magazine Nature Library Series).

Frost, S. W. 1959. Insect Life and Natural History. Dover Publishing Company, New York.

Gates, DelL and Leroy L. Peters. 1962. In­seots in Kansas (revision). State Printer, Topeka, Kansas.

Gcetsch, Wilhelm. 1957. The Ants. Uni­versity of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, Ki:hiJan.

Eer~ule3 Powder Company. 1956. Hand­book of tr.e Insest World. Hercules Pow­der Company, Wilmington, Delaware.

EElcourt, William. 1950. A Field Book of Noture Activities. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York.

Eow to Make an Insect Collection, Wards Natur::11 Scien:e Establishment, Rochester 5, New York.

Klots, Alexander B. 1951. A Field Guide to the Butte1'flies. Houghton Mifflin Company, B:::ston, Mass. (Peterson Field Guide Series)

Lutz. Frank E. 1948. Field Book of Insects . Tilird Edition. G. D. Putnam's Sons, New York.

Ress, Herbert H. 1981. A Textbook of Ento· mology. John Wiley and Sons, Inc" New York.

Lim, Herbert S. and Clarence Cottam. 1951. lnse:ts. Simon and Schuster, New York. (Golden Nature Guide Series)

THI3 IS THE FIRST 13SUE of The Kansas ~chool Naturalist that was written by an un­der:;r::xduate student. Ronald R. Aeschliman was a senior biology major when he pre· pered the text for "Insects." He is now tak· in J gr::xduate work and looking forward to a cc.reer in wildlife management. The draw­inJs, except those on page 6, were made by Dr. Robert Boles, Assistant Professor of Biology.

THE COVER PICTURE is a photograph, taken by the author, of a rhinocerus beetle of the genus Dynastes, from Costa Rica . The speoimen i!3 in the insect collection of the Department of Eutomology of Kansas State University, Manhattan. The picture is about twL-e the actual size of the insect. Rhino· cerus beetles of other genera are found in the southern states. The family Scarabeidae, to which these belong, also includes the com­mon Kansas June bettles or May beetles, often incorrectly called June "bugs."

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Big Green Darner Rub y Spot Dam­selfly

SilverfishCOMMON NAME

ORDER THYSANURA ODONATA

SCIENTIFIC Lepisma saccharina Anax junius NAME

DESCRIPTION

REPRODUCTION

FOOD

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Length, %"; wing­less, primitive in­sects ; c hewing mouthparts; long e xtension s of tail; long antennae; co m­pound eyes; fast runners.

E ggs laid singly in crack s, crevices, and sec luded places. Young mature slowly in 3 to 24 months, molt an indefinite num­ber of times to reach adult stage. Adults molt. No metamorphosis.

Eat s tarch found in book sizing, old photographs, walJ­paper, a nd other papers.

Night activity causes damage to books , photographs. Control with sprays and powders.

Biggest dragonfly in Kansas. Wings unspo tted. largely yell ow-brown; 2 _3 11

long, wingspread 4". Greenish thorax covered with light brown hair. Com­pound eyes fused. Found early in spr ing .

Eggs laid close to water on vegetation. Nymph lives in water. Moltin g of developing nymph until fin al m olt when adult emerges, at night, on veg etation a bove water. Incom plete metamorphosis.

Ny mph and adult predaceou s. Adult captu res prey while flyin g reg ular beats. As soon as the prey is eaten, the beat is resumed.

Neither h a rmful or helpful as adults. Nymphs are fish food. Esthetic ra t her than func~ tional v a lue.

ODONATA

Hetaerina ameri~ cana

Body length 1 'h ­1 %" ; wingspread 2 ~ 2 Ih " . Copper bronze m e tallic green with brilliant r ed spot at base of win gg in males, females with amber s pots. Veins of wings black in males and - brown in f emales .

SimiJar to g reen darner; eggs de­posited in s tem s of aq uatic plan ts . Na iad aquatic with terminal gi lls. Adult emerges on final molt. Incomplete metamorphos is.

A dults eat soft­bodied insects; Naiads eat decaying vegetation or in~ se~ t s.

Adult s neither helpful or harmful; N a iads valuable fi sh food.

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Termite

ISOPTERA

Reticulitermes tibialis

Small to medium sized, %. 1/; soft. bodjed, social insects resembling ants. Four distinct castes: 1. winged repro­ductives. 2. workers, 3. soldiers, 4. secon­dary reproctuctives.

Queen of colony lays eggs that, upon hatchin g, be­come either workers or soldiers for most of a year, (either fall or spring) the reproductives swarm, mate. and disperse to start new colonies.

Eat wood in sheltered places , especially wood in woouwork of ho"s~R .

Highly destructive. Attacks wooden supports to houses. Weight of building may collapse these parts.

American Cock­roach

ORTHOPTERA

Periplaneta americana

Largest of common roaches. Adult 1 Vz to 2" long. Reddish­brown color. Both sexes have well­developed wings but seldom fly. L egs developed for running. Gradual metamorpbosis. Found around dwellings.

Females "glue" eg"gs together in to two rows. Groups of eggs in dark and humid places. Nymphs active, but grows slowly. Adults are at least 1 year old. Grad ual metamorphosis.

Eat both plant and animal food. Both nymphs and adults eat same food.

Disag'reeable house­hold pest, often a sign of unsanitary conditions. Con­taminates food with fecal matter,

Praying Mantid

ORTHOPTERA

Stagmomantis carolina

Slender, medium­to-large, 2_5/1; green or brown insect with modified front legs; head fully movable on a definite neck; prominent com­pound eyes. Wings held flat over ab- ­dam en. Middle and hind legs long and slender. ­

Eggs laid in frothy mass on branches in the fall. Young mantids emerge in spring. Gradual metamorphosis.

Predaceous on flies, aphids, and other soft-bodied insects.

Mantids are bene­ficial predators; not harmful, either directly or indirectly to man.

Walking Stick

ORTHOPTERA

Diapheromera veliei

Slender, green or brown stick-like. 3/1; long, many­segmented antennae; small compound eyes. Small scale-like forewings, long easily broken legs. move along sticks slow ly .

Eggs are dropped singly as the female moves along a branch; many drop to the ground. Eggs overwin ter, or longer , then hatch. Par'then oe:enesis common, Gradual metamorphosis.

Leaf feeders, but are not abundant.

Walking Sticks are of lit tle economic importance,

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Length, 1 3.,1 1. " •

blacl, chevrons On the thick part of the hind legs. Bod y marked w ith black.

Eggs laid in soil w here they hatch immediately or over­winter. Nymph emerges and with molting develo ps into the ad u lt stage. Gradual metamor­ph :..:sis . .

Leaves of weeds, corn , alfalfa. and other field crops.

If numerous enough. this grasshopper is a pest. Damage to farm crops may be extensive.

Length. 'Va" ex-eluding long egg­byer of the females. Common black­boc.ied or winged ('Tic Ket found throughout Kansas.

Eggs laid in soil in f a ll. Molti ng se veral tim es, de velopment reaches t.he wi nge d adult stage . Adult lives until frost. then dies. Gradual m eLamorplio;-;is.

Stored grains, clothing , draperies , an d animal food. Strong ly omnivorous.

May cause great damage to stored grains, clothes. Pes's in basements and hou ses.

'Coxel"':er Bug

HEMIPTERA

Heptocoriu5 trivitta tus

Len g th, 1/2 If. One of the " true bugs," commonJy fo un d in houses in the spr ing. Adults black with O~ ange markings on the wings. Adults act iv e on warm days and fly or crawl into hous e s.

Female lays eggs in small g roups or singly. Young emerge and resem ble ~d ul ts in g enera l bo y fo ,m. Adults appear after a ser ies of molts. Gradual me tJ.morphosis.

Nymphs and adu lts f ee d on maple and other seeds in the spring. suck sap from the ne\v growth of boxelder and othe r trees.

Damage to trees ~ nd other pbnts s ligh t. Some damage at times to straw­berries. Does not bite or har m furniture.

Pea Aphid

EOMOPTERA

Macrosiphum pisi

Lengt h . % to %", ti lTI alI green or yellowish insect that frequents many plants from March to Jun e and sorne ­times October.

Differential Grasshopper

ORTHOPTERA

M e lanoplus differentialis

Field Cricket

ORTHOPTERA

Gryllus asimilis

Ap h id s emerge in early spring, from eg g"s fel tilized the Pl evious full . and develop rapidly. From early April Lo fall females Pi o::uce eggs that hatch without f e rtilization. Gradual m e tamorphosis.

S uck juices f(Om s tems and leaves of plants. Found on alfalfa, Peas, clover, and other legumes.

In s uffi cient num­ber~ cause damage to f a l'm a nd g'a rden crop s. O ther ap hids attack melons. citrus fruits, apples, grapes. and c orn .

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Goldeneye Dobson FlyGreen Cicada Lacewing

HOMOPTERA NEUROPTERANEUROPTERA

Tibicen pruinosa Chrysopa oculata

Length, 1 %. " . Green body, black markings. Most brown dried skins found on trees be­long to this species. Incorrectly called locusts. Best-known cicada in Kansas .

Female deposits eggs in a limb of a t:"ee or in the ground. Nymphs live in trround for 1 or 2 years, then emerge, crawl up a tree trunk to shed skin and emerge as an adult. Qr'ldual metamor~ phosis.

Nymphs feed on sap of tree or shrub roots. Adults suck the sap from tree limbs or shrubs .

Adults do little damage. Nymphs may damage some trees if abundant enough. llest known for shr ill cry on summer eve~ nings.

Length, 9 /1·6 to ~~ ," with golden eyes, heavy red and black bands on face. Light green, fragile insect of wheat, alfalfa, and other cereal grain crops.

Stalked eggs attached to leave s of variou s plants. Larva live in a si lk cocoon. Adults emerge in early spring. Further generation s of the year may have naked or camouflag­ed larval stages. In­complete metamorph~ osis.

Corydalus cornuta

Large larvae and adults (to 4") . Frown. faintly mark­ed with differe nt s hades of brown Adult males have greatly enlarged jaws used for prey capture. Larvae called hellgramites.

Life cycle requires 3 years. F<."m a le lays eggs in water. Larvae are found in runni ng water und er rocks. After 2 years the Jarve crawl upon veget2tion, molt a nd emerge as adults. In cOOlplege meta morphosis.

Larvae and adults acti ve predators. Adults and larvae

highly predaceous. Body juices are suck ~ Larvae feed on from prey caught by aquatic on terrestrial curv ed set of jaws. il'!se::!ts. Attack smaller soft-bodied insects.

Not harmful to crops becausE': of small num bers.

Adults not harmful. Larvae, "n important source of food for fishes and fisb bait. May inflict a pain~

ful bite.

Yellow Jacket

HYMENOPTERA

Vespula maculifrons

Length, Vz to %." ; yellow and black banded. Stout bodied, with two spots be­tween the wings.

Female lays eggs in paper cells under­ground, log at the base of stumps, and under rocks. Worker s care for larvae and pupae Adults may remain in the colony. Complete metamor~ phosis.

Eats caterpillars or a form of boney. Also stocks the larval cell with the same.

Workers may jn~

f1ict a painful sting when the colony is threatened.

14

Honey Bee Black Ant Lightning !lUg Caddis Fly

HYMENOPTERA HYMENOPTERA COLEOPTERA TRICHOPTERA

Apis mellifera Monomorium mum

mini- Photinus pyralis Leptocella albida

Best known of Kan sas social in sects; /4 •31" .

Common from Italy. Yellow and brown bodies with four wings. Workers. soldiers and repro­ductives in colony.

j~lleen Jays l"g gS in ~pecially j:-repared wax cells called combs. Larvae feed on pollen nnd noney from workers. Special care gi v~n future queens. Development to adult stage taJ<es place within the cell. Complete m etamor­phosis.

Bees eat honey prepared from flower nectar and pollen.

Valuable as a source for wax and honey. Pollination essential to many farm, garden, and orchard crops .

A 3,s1 If black-bodied ant with long antennae. Very powerful. Caste system s have work­ers that m ay have a faint sting pro­duced by the injection of formic acid upon biting. A common visitor to picnics .

Eggs laid by the queen in under­ground homes, hatch and are cared for by workers . Larvae pupate and adults emerge in a short time. Worker s care for young, forage for and care for the colony. Complete metamorphosis.

Ants are sea vengers eating bits of plant and animal matter found while roaming near the colony.

A pest at outings but not economically valuable or worthless to man.

Common firefly of Kan sas ; 7/16 to 9/16" ; reddish-yellow shield over the head; distinctive black spot in center of shield . Intermittently a "cold light" is flashed.

Larval stages of firefly emerge from eggs and liv e in the soil or in trash. PQpal stage 10 day s long and occu rs underground. Adults emerge after a final molt. Complete meta­morphosis.

Both larvae and adu lts predaceous, feeding upon soft-bodied insects fOQnd in the so il or in bushes or shrubs.

Little economic im­portance except a recent interest in t he production of cold light. Larvae commonly called glow worms.

Pale %" insect with long, narrow forewings containing pale veins and scattered blackish spots. Body cov ered with long. fine , ,,,hite hair. Lon g antennae.

Larvae hatch from eggs laid in water. Found en clos ed in cases of wood , stones, or sille Live in moving water. Adults swarm upon em ergence. Incomplete meta­morphosis.

Larvae eat small aquatic insects captured with well-developed jaws. Some eat decaying vegetation. Adults predaceous .

Important source of food for fishes, in lar va l but not in adult stage.

15

MosquitoLuna Moth Monarch Butterfly Horse Fly

DIPTERALEPIDOPTERA LEPIDOPTERA DIPTERA

Actias luna Danaus plexippus Tabanus atratus

Light green moth with 3 to 4/1 wing spread. An eye-like spot is found on the upper surface of the wing. Fore­wings bordered with purple.

Female moth after fertilization deposits eggs from which a glossy green caterpillar emerges. After a period of feeding it will spin a cocoon, pupate. and eventually will produce an adult by cutting the end from the s ifk cocoon. C9mplete meta­rllorphosis.

Adults feed on nectar if they feed at all. Larvae eat leaves of many types of trees.

Of little economic importance. Beautiful and desirable in insect collection. Larvae may damage trees.

Dull, brownish yellow-winged butterfly with 3" wing spread. Many white spots on wings. Migratory; wintering in south. Leisurely journeys north in ones or twos.

Female lays eggs on the milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Caterpillars feed on tender upper leaves. Chrysalis is formed from outer skin of the caterpillar. Mayor may not overwinter, but after a time the adult emerges. Complete metamorphosis.

Caterpillars eat young milkweed leaves. Adults suck nectar from its flowers and flowers of other plants.

Not important to man except for its beauty. Numbers may be sufficient during migration to break small tree limbs.

Common % to 1/1 black wooly fly found around cattle or horst!s. Covered with short, fine, almost in­visible hair.

Female lays large numbers of eggs in flesh or man ure. Larvae (maggots) emerge and are found in open sores and on dead or decaying flesh. Pu­pation occurs and the adults emerge within one or two weeks. Several gen­erations per year. Complete meta­morphosis.

Female sucks blood from warm-blooded animals. Larvae and male eat flesh and decaying vegetation.

Persistent biter causes this fly to be a pest. Summer infestation serious at times. Sprays are used in treat­ment.

Aedes vcxans

Dark brown. body about 3/16" long; white banded legs and abdomen, nose blackish, females persi~tent biters around stagnant or standing water.

Female lays eggs in water where they hatch and give rise to larvae or wigglers. Wigglers pupate, break the skin and the adults emerge. Several generations pro­duced each year. Complete meta­morphosis.

Female sucks blood from warm-blooded animals. Males secre­tive and lack the bloodsucking habit. feeding on plant juices.

Serious pests in areas of standing water. Other species transmit diseases.

AUDUBON SCREEN TOlJR SERIES

series consists of of wildlife, plant and conservation personally narrated by leading naturalists.

will be shown in p.m. on the listed below. group single available;

further information write Dr. W. Department of Biology, Roy E. Coy, Manitoba Memories, Jan.

Pederson, Village Beneath The MclvliIlan, Land That I Love,

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