Growing With Science Blog

Category: insects (Page 32 of 88)

Bug of the Week: A Mix of Leaf-Footed Bugs

October 28, 2015 / / 2 Comments

Often when you see an insect, only one life stage is present.

leaf-footed-bugs-on-datura-271

That wasn’t true with the leaf-footed bugs we spotted today. There’s an adult on the right. It has full wings and big flaps on its hind legs, which gives it the name “leaf-footed bug.” On the left is a large nymph with smaller flaps and stubby wing pads. So, what is the smaller orange insect?

young-leaf-footed-bug-nymph282

Turns out that is a small leaf-footed bug nymph. Isn’t it amazing how different it looks from the adult. It doesn’t have flaps on its legs at all.

The adult looks like it is standing over the nymph and protecting it. A little research reveals that leaf-footed bugs are an example of insects that exhibit parental care. In fact, when scientists removed leaf-footed bug adults from their young and placed them on a nearby plant, the adult bugs flew back to the nymphs and stayed with them.

In case you were wondering, these leaf-footed bugs are feeding on the fruit of a datura or moonflower plant.

If you are interested in learning more, here’s a .pdf of a Scientific American article about parental care in insects (hosted at Colorado). Very cool!

Bug of the Week: Mealybugs on Potatoes

September 23, 2015 / / 2 Comments

Sometimes we find insects in places we did not expect.

mealybugs-on-sprouts-294Take these red potatoes from the grocery store. When they started to sprout, I set them aside to plant in the garden. A short time later, they looked like they were beginning to mold.

mealybugs-on-potato-sprout-301Looking closer, it became apparent it wasn’t mold at all. Insects called mealybugs were feeding on the sprouts.

mealybugs-pile-55Mealybugs are relatives of aphids and cicadas. Like some of their relatives, they are covered with a waxy powder, which gives them the white color.

freshly-molted-mealybug-44Can you spot the nymph in this photograph that has recently molted and lost its waxy covering temporarily?

sticky-mealybugs-29Mealybugs suck the juices from plants. They excrete the excess plant juices in the form of honeydew, which is a wet, sticky fluid. Scientists speculate the waxy covering helps prevent them from drowning in their own honeydew.

It turns out that scientists have already discovered that different species of mealybugs have an affinity for sprouting potatoes. In fact, people rearing mealybugs for experiments, or to produce biological control agents, use sprouting potatoes to maintain their laboratory colonies.

Looking for an easy insect to rear for a science project? Consider the humble mealybug!

Bug of the Week: Dragonfly Names

September 16, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Dragonflies have such delightful common names.

If you have ever seen dragonflies flying over a pond, you know why many have the common name “skimmer.”

flame-skimmerTake the flame skimmer, so called because the mature males have a orange to red head and abdomen. This newly-emerged male hasn’t developed his full coloration yet.

roseate-skimmer-back-closeThe male roseate skimmer has a magenta or purplish hue.

dragonfly-on-redbird

Other dragonflies named for their colors include the Mexican amberwings, which are smaller than flame skimmers.

The name darner seems appropriate, given their long, slender body.

green-darner-dragonfly(Public domain photo courtesy of PDPhoto.org.)

Take this common and widespread species, the green darner.

Here’s a list of other whimsical dragonfly names:

  • pondhawk
  • meadowhawk
  • dasher
  • glider

How about the black-winged dragonlet at the Arizona Dragonflies website?

What is the name of your favorite dragonfly?

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Want to learn more? Consider picking up a field guide, such as Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Dragonflies

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