Inspecting Insects

On October 16, 2008, the Natural History Museum in London revealed the world's longest insect ever found. At about 22.3 inches long, this stick insect was discovered in Borneo. Its scientific name is Phobaeticus chani, and its common name is Chan's megastick.

Scientists know very little about this species. However, they believe that this super-sized insect likely lives in the rainforest canopies. Scientists have only scratched the surface of this elevated habitat, so more research in these areas will probably reveal new species in the future.

Insects are the world's most diverse group of animals. Over a million species of insects have been cataloged so far. Stick insects like Chan's megastick account for about 3,000 known species alone. At least one insect species lives in nearly every corner of the world. Some insects, like bees and butterflies, benefit humans and animals by pollinating. Other insects, like mosquitoes and ticks, can be pests and can even make us sick.

In this lesson, you will inspect the world of insects. You will investigate the similarities they share as a group, and you will examine the differences between species. You will also discover how an insect's habits are closely tied to where it lives.

Insect Basics

Begin the lesson at Let's Talk About Insects. Choose English or Spanish to get started. You can read the text on each screen and also listen to the narration, if you have speakers or headphones. Click next to move through the exhibit pages.

Meet C.P. Ant, who will help guide you through the exhibit. Practice pronouncing his proper, or scientific, name. About what fraction of the world's living things are insects? What exactly is a species?

As you discover what makes an insect, write notes and diagrams that describe their characteristics. Also, make sure to note what other arthropods people sometimes think are insects but are not. Use what you know about insects to pick the insects from the wannabes.

What is an exoskeleton? What body parts make an insect? What use are an insect's antennae? In what ways is an insect's vision different from that of a human? Why do you think the mouths of insects vary among species?

You will also soon discover how the thorax, including legs and wings, of insect species are shaped differently for different uses. In the next set of screens, you will find out what makes the abdomen an important body part. For example, what structures in the abdomen help an insect breathe?

Now, get ready to start a "bug collection" by using a stack of index cards. Then, find out how insects have jobs, including recyclers, food makers, composters, predators, and silk makers. For each of the insects listed with jobs, draw or paste a picture of that insect on an index card. Also, write on the card what job each insect has. As you go through the next set of pages, create new bug cards whenever you come across a new type of insect. Add more information to each card as you learn more about that insect.

As you continue through the pages, you will discover why some insects seem like pests. This most often happens when where and how an insect lives conflicts with where we humans live (For example, think about termites, whose job it is to eat wood. On the other hand, humans generally appreciate bees because their jobs benefit humans.) Their relationships with humans usually determine whether insects are seen as good bugs or bad bugs. As you will discover, though, some insects can fall into both bug categories. On your index cards, make sure to include the reasons people like and dislike each of these insects.

Insects may also go through a metamorphosis. What does that word mean? Draw a flowchart that shows a butterfly's life cycle. Also, draw a flowchart of a grasshopper's life cycle. On each of your insect cards, make a note about what type of metamorphosis process—complete or incomplete—that they go through.

Lastly, stop by CP's Fun Place. Here, you can build a New Bug and net the right arthropods in the Am I An Insect? game.

Pest World

Now you are off to your next insect inspecting job at Pest World for Kids. As you already discovered, a lot of insects may be considered pests by humans simply because how and where they live comes into conflict with humans. In the Pest Games collection, you will get even more of a taste of how insects become pests to us.

First, try your hand at being an ant in Archibald's Adventure. You will find both food and life-threatening hazards outdoors and indoors. Keep at it until you have successfully completed level three, returning to the colony not only alive but with food.

As a Pest Detective, investigate The Case of the Collapsing House in the southern United States. Review the details of the case and interview three insect suspects. Check off each of the clues to identify the right suspect and solve the case. What should Danny's family do to avoid making a "nice place to live" for these insects?

In The Case of the Gruesome Bite in the northwestern United States, you will review three other arthropods—are these suspects considered insects?

As a Pest Ranger cadet, help Pest Commander Pete track down and control pests inside the house. Move through the house and the yard to identify where and why these pests are here. For each pest, note the reason the pest is around and also what you used to get rid of it. How does the control solution for each pest remove the reason the pest is there in the first place?

If you have time, play Name That Pest. Answer a series of questions to identify common pests you or your family may encounter. Try several different combinations of characteristics to focus on different pests.

Newspaper Activities

Flip through issues of The Sacramento Bee, looking for photos or descriptions of different kinds of habitats. For example, you may find a wetland, a forest, an urban park, a creek, a subway, and so on. Pick one habitat to investigate. Locate that specific place on a map. Make a list of the kinds of food, shelter, and environment that habitat could provide insects. Then, use your research skills to find out what insect species may live there. Refer to a regional insect guide book, visit your local nature center, or go online to find out what insects would likely find your selected habitat area as a "nice place to live." Create insect cards for each of these species to add to your bug collection. Make sure to include what the insects eat, where they find shelter, and any other important characteristics. Share your findings with classmates.