Growing With Science Blog

Page 64 of 561

Bug of the Week: Snail Lungs?

September 12, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Have you ever looked closely at a snail shell?

The shell can be many colors, but it is usually opaque.

When I downloaded this photo, I was surprised to see the channels on the inside of the shell. Can you see the vein-like, branching structures I’m talking about?

Let’s zoom in:


It turns out that in young land snails like this one — with a thinner, more transparent shell — it is possible to see the interior vessels of the mantle and mantle cavity (lung).

In fact, if you look closely you might see some of the other internal organs, as well.

Cool!

Do you like snails? See our previous post about snails:

Snail Q and A and fiction picture book, Escargot

Bug of the Week: It’s All in the Antennae

August 29, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Last month while I was in western New York I found this critter.

It seemed to be a grasshopper, but with very long antennae.

I backed out to try to get all the antennae in the frame. Then it struck me that it felt like trying to take a photograph of katydid nymphs back home (previous post).


The insects we usually think of as grasshoppers don’t have such long antennae.


This little guy is actually a meadow katydid or longhorned grasshopper (genus Conocephalus).

Meadow katydids don’t sing the katy-did, katy-did of regular katydids. They tend to buzz or rattle, instead.

Here’s an example of a common meadow katydid singing.

Did you notice one of its antennae was shorter? Likely it got broken off, which seems it could be a real hazard with such long ones.

Check out all the different meadow katydid songs at the Songs of Insects website including one that sounds like a lawn sprinkler.

Have you heard meadow katydids sing?

Bug of the Week: Ambush Bugs

August 22, 2018 / / 0 Comments

What is this?

It is a true bug because it has a triangle shape in the middle of its back. Let’s take a closer look.

It also has enlarged front legs for grasping prey. This is an ambush bug, Subfamily Phymatinae.

Check out those orange eyes.

Ambush bugs sit on flowers and wait for other insects or spiders to come by. When the unsuspecting prey gets too close, ambush bugs grab it with their front legs. They are a lot like praying mantids.

We’ve never featured ambush bugs for Bug of the Week before because they don’t live in this part of Arizona. The photographs are from western New York.

If you have a minute, this video shows an ambush bug in action (Note:  Video is set to music). You can see the antennae have wider segments at the end, called a club. That is a characteristic of the group. You can also see the wings are part leathery and part membranous like all true bugs.

Did you see its short beak? True bugs have sucking mouthparts.

The ambush bug looks so clumsy and clunky, but it can strike fast.

Have you ever seen an ambush bug?

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Growing With Science Blog

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑