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Category: insects (Page 32 of 89)

The Scoop on a New Children’s Book about House Flies

November 11, 2015 / / 2 Comments

Usually we feature photographs of the Bug of the Week on Wednesdays, but this week for a change of pace we have a new children’s picture book about house flies. It is a nominee for a 2015 Cybils award in the Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction category.

The premise of I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos and illustrated by Jennifer Plecas is that house flies deserve to be studied even though they aren’t as attractive or iconic as butterflies.

At first glance this book does not look like typical nonfiction. The illustrations are cartoons, complete with speech bubbles. The narrator is a stylized fly “speaking” in first person about his mom, brothers and sisters, as well as doing a bit of “trash-talking” about butterflies. Even the yucky/gross aspects are covered with a humorous touch.

Don’t let the fun facade fool you, however. The text is full of carefully organized and well-researched facts about house flies. Readers will learn that house flies go through complete metamorphosis like butterflies, but that their larvae and pupae look very different. Heos slips in facts about house fly flight, anatomy, other flies that are relatives (mosquito, blow fly and fruit fly), and even some problems with flies (they carry disease-causing bacteria). Is it true that house flies throw up on our food? Yes, but only solids and it is more like spitting up.

I, Fly will be highly appealing to children (of that certain age) who are enthralled with all things gross and disgusting. The lighthearted approach will make it palatable to parents, teachers and librarians, as well.

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (March 10, 2015)
ISBN-10: 0805094695
ISBN-13: 978-0805094695

HouseFly2_(PSF)(Image of house fly in Public domain from Wikimedia)

This book would pair well with the fictional picture book Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss. In fact, the pair could be used to compare nonfiction and fiction.

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: HarperCollins (January 8, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0062232983
ISBN-13: 978-0062232984

For more, see our insect-related lists of children’s books at Science Books for Kids, including:

Disclosure: The books were provided by my local library. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

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!

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