Some Awesome Insect Groups

The Bed Bug

Some cool facts…

Bed Bugs suck blood They feed by following the Carbon

Dioxide expelled by the sleeping host

The make great pets, if you don’t mind feeding them!

Bed Bugs live in Cracks and Crevices…

And usually it’s the cracks and crevices of your

mattress and box springs!

After feeding, bed bugs swell with blood

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don’t let the Bed Bugs Bite!

How did bed bugs find OUR beds? Ancestors of the Bed Bug (the Bat

Bug) fed on our ancestors who lived in caves

As we progressed into houses with beds, so did our little friends

“Traumatic Insemination” When mating, males stab the

female’s body cavity with their penis and ejaculates into the body

The female is left with scars, showing the number of times she has mated

The Praying Mantis!

Some Facts… Females may eat their

mate– Sometimes, they may

even turn on the male before they are finished!

– However, males are STILL capable of mating after their heads have been chewed off!

One egg sac produces 30-300 nymphs

The Sad Saga of the Male…

Raptorial Forelegs

Allow mantis to capture and devour quickly!

Prey Victims

And how cool is it that there is a form of kung fu modeled after

the mantis? This is called the “mantis quan”

Velvet Ant

+ = ?

NO!

Velvet Ants are actually wasps!– The female is wingless– The male has wings

Cool Facts

Velvet Ants are solitary– Males fly around looking for a loner female

Females lay an egg in the nest of a bee or wasp host– The larvae hatches before the host, eats

it, and uses the nest for itself Few, if any animals can eat the velvet

ant Feed on Nectar and Water

Why are they so hard to kill?

Their exoskeleton is pitted (holey) and acts like a suit of armor

“Cow Killers” Wasps can sting over and over –

the sting of some velvet ants is the worst of any insect

Don’t get this close!

The Thistledown Velvet Ant!

Cicadas

Some Cool Facts

Periodical Cicadas only come out every 13 OR 17 years

Dog-Day Cicadas hatch every year Females insert eggs in slits they

cut into tree branches– Nymphs hatch and drop to the

ground, digging underneath the soil until they are ready to emerge…

They are so noisy!

The make sound using “tymbals”, structures that are on their abdomen

13-year Cicadas are found in Alabama

The counties with dots are counties where emergences of the 13-year Periodical Cicadas have been found

Emergence…

Coming up from the ground

Climbing up…

Molting into Adults

Finding a Mate!

Female lays eggs

Young drop to the ground and

the cycle begins again

Emergence Video

Dog Day Cicada – we get these every year

Luna Moth“Moon Moth”

Cool Facts Nocturnal – only active at night Larvae prefer walnut and hickory

leaves Adults have no mouth – eat nothing! Males and Females mate at night for

about 4 hours

So beautiful!

Luna Moth range

Attract mates by using pheromones

Luna moths are Silk moths

Io

Cecropia

Polyphemus

Imperial

A friendly reminder from the Lunesta

moth: Sleep is as important to your health and

well-being as diet and exercise Even a few bad nights can affect your

mood and your physical health!

So tonight…Get a Good Nights Rest!