The Importance of Insects in Today’s Society

By: Angela Hislip

An Overview

• In this lesson, you should be able to pick out the benefits of several different insects. It will teach you different things about each one and your job will be to make a PowerPoint presentation of your own dealing with the same insects. PowerPoint is important because of visual interpretations.

• Sit back and relax and learn how technology can work with science.

Lesson Plan

• After introducing the lesson the group will be put into 6 groups of 3 to make a PowerPoint presentation over what they have learned. They can use internet, reference books, or any other materials that will help.

• This project will last one week. The daily plan is on the following slide.

Daily Plan

• Day One: Introduce Lesson, Break into groups and discuss project.

• Day Two: Introduce library and computers along with PowerPoint program.

• Day Three: Work on projects in computer lab.• Day Four: Work on projects in computer lab.• Day Five: Put finishing touches on project.• Day Six: Enjoy infested fudge while watching

PowerPoint presentations.

Assessment

• After each project has been given I will grade them on following instructions and the quality of the project (technology wise) and on the correct information they used.

• Their will also be a test over the benefits and consequences of insects. I gave them the benefits and their job was to get the benefits along with consequences.

• If everyone followed each presentation they will know the information they will be tested on.

Table of Contents• How Are Insects Important?• Food for Thought• What Are People Eating?

– Ants– Bees– Moths and Butterflies– Grasshoppers– Wasp

• Good Ol’ Insect Recipes– El Hopper Tacos– Infested Fudge

• Products They Produce for Human Life– Tanning Hides– Inks– Honey– Skin– Silks

• Nutritional Values• Energy Values• Exciting Links to Insects• Projects

How Are Insects Important?

• FOOD FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS• POLLINATION• SILK• NATURAL CONTROL• BIOLOGICAL CONTROL• AESTHETICS• PRODUCTS• GENECTICS• DERMESTIDS FOR CLEANING• WEED CONTROL• DECOMPOSERS• RECYCLERS

What Are People Eating?

• In many countries insects are used as a source of nutrition.

• Many insects are high in protein and can made into several dishes.

• Look inside to “What Are People Eating”?

Their Crawling…

• Ants are eaten by many of the tribes in the Amazon.

• They are also used in Sweden as a flavor to gin.

• They provide protein, thiamine, and riboflavin.

• Ant eggs are commonly found in the Mexico market.

• Usually served in tacos.• Honey pot ants are

served for desert.• Leaf Cutter ants are

served toasted in movie theatres in Columbia

Where are They Flying…

• Bees are consumed by American Indians.

• German children enjoy the taste of honeybees.

• Commonly consumed as a bee brood.

• Becomes like cereal.

• Compare with sunflower seeds.

• Chocolate covered bees are a gourmet item in Mexico.

• These item are also canned for export.

Where are They Going…

• The maguey worm is the most common eaten.

• Usually placed in the bottom of a bottle of mesca.

• Many Indian tribes believe this adds spiritual significance.

• Many adult butterflies and moths can be eaten toasted or in butter.

• They are most eaten in caterpillar stage.

Jumping Where…

• Most commonly consumed insect.

• Sold as a novelty dish in the U.S.

• They can be roasted or grounded into meat.

• They are also eaten as mush or baked in dry cakes.

• Native Americans dry and salt them.

• If dried they are an excellent source of protein.

• Native Americans are know to take them on trails. The desert know as “Desert Fruitcake.”

Stinging Everywhere…

• Wasps have the highest protein content.

• Widely consumed in Mexico.

• Many in Thailand and Laos eat the insect larva.

• Fried wasps, mixed with boiled rice, sugar, and soy sauce was a favorite dish of Japan Emperor Hirohito.

6 Taco Shells1 Cup of Grasshoppers (legs and wings removed)2 cups of water2 onion, peeled, choppedSalt and pepper1 bay leaf1clove garlic, crushed1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauceChopped lettuce1 Tomato, chopped

Making it:Bring grasshoppers, water, salt, pepper,1 chopped onion, and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes. Drain off liquid. Add garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato sauces and simmer about ten minutes. Practically fill taco shells with some of the grasshopper filling. Top with lettuce, onion, cheese, and tomato.

¾ cup of butter3 cups of sugar2/3 cup of evaporated milk1 12 oz package of semi-sweets chocolates17 ounces of marshmallow crème1 cup of dry roasted insects1 teaspoon vanilla

Making it:Combine butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a heavy 2 ½ quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for five minutes over medium high. Remove pan from heat source and add chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Then add marshmallow cream, dry roasted insects, and vanilla. Beat until well-blended. Pour into a buttered nine by twelve inch pan. Let stand at room temperature until firm and then cut into squares.

Best Insects to Use and How to Fix:Ants, crickets, and or grasshoppers are best to use. Put into a 200 degree oven for 1 ½ hours until crunchy.

Tanning Hides

• Useful products insects create for us are tannic acids.

• Which has been used in tanning hides to make leather.

The Importance of Honey

• The earliest sweetener dates back to honey which came from the honeybee.

• Beeswax was the earliest form of wax and is still used by artist's today.

• In the past we have used more than 200 million pounds of honey and three million pounds of bees wax.

The Importance of Ink

• Some insect galls have been used to make inks.

• Scale insects have been the source of red dyes, food coloring, and cosmetics.

• About 9 million dollars worth of shellac, which is made from scale insects.

How Can Insects Affect Skin Beneficially

• Substances from some insects have been used in medicines.

• Blow fly larvae has been used to treat battle wounds.

• Blow fly larvae also is used as treatment for bone infections.

• These larvae feed on dead tissue and secrete a substance know as allantoin which is known to help tissue heal.

Insects Producing Silks

• Silk is also used everyday in different things. • Silk comes from the cocoons of the silkworm in

Asia. • Each cocoon has a single thread that is

unraveled until it is more than a half mile long. • About 3,000 cocoons are required to make one

pound of silk.• About 70 million pounds of silk are produced

every year.

Nutritional Values

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Small Grasshopper

Large Grasshopper

Caterpillar

Water Beetle

Beef

Fish

Energy Value

Insects Energy Iron Thai-mine

Ribo-flavin

Niacin

Termite 613 0.75 0.13 1.15 0.95

Cater-pillar

370 35.5 3.67 1.91 5.2

Weevil 562 13.1 3.02 2.24 7.8

Beef 219 3.5 0.09 2.3 6.0

Fish 170 1.0 0.08 1.1 3.0

Exciting Links to Insects

Helpful Websites:

Websites

BugInfowww.si.edu

U of K entomologywww.uky.edu

Fact Sheetwww.ohioline.osu.edu

Did You Change Your Mind About Insects?

• We will have 6 groups of three , you will create a PowerPoint presentation like the one shown on one particular insect. Make sure to show the benefits and consequences. Use the appropriate worksheet I have handed out.

• Each group this is worth 100 points.