The wondrous world of insects - Catalina Island Conservancy
2
The wondrous world of insects There are around 900 thousand known species of insect, and there are an additional estimated 2-32 million species undescribed by science! Scientists estimate that at any given time there are over ten- quintillion individual insects alive on earth. Let us put that into perspective. There are 7 billion people on earth, and there are around 200 million insects for every one of us! THE MOST DIVERSE GROUP OF LIFE ON EARTH What is an insect? Insects belong to the phylum Arthropoda, which is a group of animals that have an exoskeleton (hard outer shell) and a segmented body with jointed appendages. Arthropoda includes several different groups of animals that are not insects, such as spiders, scorpions, crabs, and more! Insects are different because they: Have 3 body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen) Have 6 jointed appendages Have Antenna Have 2 compound eyes (most insects) Have wings in the adult stage (most insects) Undergo a processes called metamorphosis BEYOND THESE BASICS, INSECTS DIFFER IN MILLIONS OF EXCITING AND UNEXPECTED WAYS! THIS DIVERSITY HELPS INSECTS SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN ENVIRONMENTS ALL ACROSS THE WORLD, MAKING THEM A CRITICAL COMPONENT OUR WORLD’S ECOSYSTEMS.
Transcript of The wondrous world of insects - Catalina Island Conservancy
The wondrous world of insects
There are around 900 thousand known species ofinsect, and there are an additional estimated 2-32million species undescribed by science! Scientistsestimate that at any given time there are over ten-quintillion individual insects alive on earth. Let us putthat into perspective. There are 7 billion people onearth, and there are around 200 million insects forevery one of us!
THE MOST DIVERSE GROUP
OF LIFE ON EARTH
What is an insect?
Insects belong to the phylum Arthropoda, which isa group of animals that have an exoskeleton (hardouter shell) and a segmented body with jointedappendages. Arthropoda includes several differentgroups of animals that are not insects, such asspiders, scorpions, crabs, and more! Insects aredifferent because they:
Have 3 body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen) Have 6 jointed appendages Have Antenna Have 2 compound eyes (most insects) Have wings in the adult stage (most insects) Undergo a processes called metamorphosis
BEYOND THESE BASICS, INSECTS DIFFER
IN MILLIONS OF EXCITING AND
UNEXPECTED WAYS! THIS DIVERSITY
HELPS INSECTS SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN
ENVIRONMENTS ALL ACROSS THE WORLD,
MAKING THEM A CRITICAL COMPONENT
OUR WORLD’S ECOSYSTEMS.
insects of catalinaCatalina Island is home to more than 1000 species of
insect, with many more yet to be discovered. In fact,there are around 35 known insects that exist on
Catalina and nowhere else in the world! The study ofinsects on Catalina has room for many new
discoveries! Use the Microscope to take a closer lookat five of Catalina’s endemic insects!
This Catalina endemic species may have the smallestdistribution of any insect in the world. This one-inch greybutterfly with faint yellow marking on its hind wings isconsidered to be vulnerable to extinction because it occupiessuch a limited range. Species with restricted natural habitatscan be especially susceptible to human disturbance.
Avalon hairstreak butterfly, Strymon avalona
Painted tiger moth, Arachnis picta meadowsiThe Painted tiger moth is easy to identify by its dusky marbledforewings, which cover its hindwings when resting, and itsbright rosy hindwings. The adult moth emerges during thesummer and will be active through the early fall. All feeding isdone by the caterpillar, as adults do not feed.
Walking stick, Psendosermyle catalinae These insects are masters of camouflage and are easy tooverlook in the wild. The form of their body is thin and twiggywhich enables them to blend in with their surroundings andavoid predators. They are even able to mimic the motion of aplant by either standing perfectly still or swaying gently withthe wind.
Catalina cicada, Okenagana hirsute catalina
Scarab beetle, Phobetus ciliatus
You will likely hear this insect before you see it. The maleCicada produces a high frequency sound from a specializedorgan at the base of its abdomen. The sound produced is likea buzzing electrical wire. Eggs are lain on plants, but when thelarva emerges, it drops to the soil where it will develop as anymph. Nymph development usually takes 2-5 years, but inone species the nymph requires seventeen years beforeemerging from the ground.
Scarab beetles are a large and varied family of insects, whichinclude the sacred scarabs of ancient Egypt. Catalina has fourdifferent endemic scarab beetles. This specimen is commonlycalled the Hairy June beetle. The “hairs” that you see on thisinsect are called seta. Seta can vary considerably and providemany different functions for insects. Seta can provide senses,traction, protection, and more!
