American Oil Beetle Research Paper
Insect Collection
Tanner Jones
Honors Biology
1st period
Page 1 American Oil Beetle The American Oil Beetle is a type of Blister Beetle. These beetles are referred to as oil beetles. They are called this because they release oily droplets of hemolymph when they feel threatened. When the beetle feels threatened or put under pressure, they will release a chemical called cantharidin, which creates blisters and will irritate the human skin. These beetles have a soft, and stout abdomen with a shell that looks like overlapping plates. The beetle has a slightly bumpy surface. The antennae can be seen on its head. The beetle can be appeared as dull black, or can be even seen as shiny black or dark blue. The American Oil Beetle do not fly, …show more content…
they are slow movers. The American Oil Beetle larvae are devious or deceitful. These beetles sit on flowers waiting for bees to land. They lock on a bee and have a free ride to the bees hive. Once the beetles are there, the larvae feeds on the bee larvae. These beetles are more active when spring hits and are active all year. The American Oil Beetle size and length is 7mm to 17mm. The colors of the beetle are black, and blue. The American Oil Beetle scientific name is Meloe americanus.
Page 2
Ladybug or Ladybird
Ladybugs or Ladybird are recognized as a useful or helpful insect because of their diet. There known to eat aphids, plant-killing insects, this makes them a good way to add them in a farm or garden. They are called ladybugs in the United States and are called ladybirds in the United Kingdom. This species of beetle is originated from China, Japan, and eastern Russia. It’s believed that the Lady Beetle was established in North America in the late 1970s. This species of beetles can adapt to a variety of temperatures and habitats. This species of beetle live in warm places or buildings, a few can get their way in the walls of the buildings. They release a pungent odor, (to defend against predators) which has a very unpleasant smell, which can create the odor in the area of the building of when they come together. This species of beetle can bite. The Ladybug larvae is like a small caterpillar and also have spikes along their body. The adults can appear with shiny, rounded bodies, that can be red, orange, a variety of black spots, and brown or tan. Some details about the ladybug are their scientific name is Harmonia axyridis. Another detail is their size can be from 4mm to 8mm. You can describe this beetle as a harmful, biting, and smelly beetle. Another detail about this beetle is their colors are tan, brown, orange, and yellow. Some interesting facts about the ladybug is, the “lady” in the name is referring to the Virgin Mary. Some more interesting facts about the ladybug is, they practice cannibalism and eat their own kind if food is scarce.
Page 3 American Lady Butterfly
The American Lady Butterfly, or ALB, is part of the Brush-footed butterfly family. This butterfly is closely related to the Painted Lady, Red Admiral, and the West Coast Lady. The front legs of this butterfly are very short and are covered with little hairs. Because of their short front legs, they sometimes appear they have four legs. This butterfly forewings and hindwings are the colors black, orange, and white. You can see two blue eyespots on each of the butterfly wings. You can see this if the wings are open. When the wings are closed, the underside is grayish brown and the forewings are bright pink. The habit the butterflies prefer, are sunny and open like a field, canyon, and meadows. In the summer months, they can be located in the southern parts of Canada and the northern United States. When the winter months come around, they migrate to more warm weather in Mexico and southern United States. Caterpillars in the aster family eat cudweeds, everlastings, and plants. The butterfly can be described as tube-like and the body is described as black with yellow thin bands or stripes forming rings around it. It has reddish-brown or white spots are scattered among of its yellow bands. This type of butterfly can have two to three generations born every year. The scientific name is called Vanessa virginiensis. The size of this butterfly can be from 44mm to 54mm (1.73in to 2.13in). The colors of this butterfly are white, brown, black, gray, orange, pink, and blue.
Page 4 Giant Swallowtail Butterfly This butterfly is the largest butterfly species in North America.
This type of butterfly is immense or large compared to other butterflies. When you see one it is a treat to see one. They usually can be found in flower gardens, edges of forests, and citrus groves. These butterflies are great pollinators and that reason they are helpful to have in a garden. When they are caterpillars there colors are orange, black, white, and brown. They are called “orange dogs” because of their colors. They are mistaken as bird feces on a leaf. They enjoy eating leaves of citrus trees like oranges and lemons. Because of this, farmers tend to consider them a pest. In warm, southern areas, many generations can live in one year. They are more active year-round, but are less likely to be seen in winter. They usually fly at heights of human heads and low to the ground. In the life cycle they are laid on a plant as a host, then the egg is bright orange and blacken over time. Then the caterpillars eat and grow about to 2 inches before going into a chrysalis. The chrysalis stage takes exactly 10-12 days to emerge from a chrysalis to a butterfly. Some features about the butterfly are, an adult’s wingspan can be the size of 100-160mm (3.9-6.3 in). Their body and wings are the colors dark brown and black with yellow bands. They have a yellow eye in each wing tail. The stomach has bands of yellow with brown in them. The scientific name of this butterfly is called “Papilio cresphontes”. The butterfly …show more content…
can be the length of 86mm to 140mm (3.39in to 5.51in). The colors of butterfly are black, yellow, orange, and blue.
Page 5
Achemon Sphinx Moth
The Achemon Sphinx Moth is a member of the hawkmoth family. This type of moth is very large, strong, and fast. This type of moth is very active at night; they sip nectar from a variety of flowers like Japanese honeysuckle, phlox, and petunias. These moths have wings that can beat so quickly; they are mistakenly for being a hummingbird. They can be found all over the North American continent. The larva or caterpillar is brown, like the adult. They’re quote larger than some of the other families of caterpillar. Some features are, they have seven short white lines that run diagonally from the head to its other end. Some other features are, they are part of the hornworm group of caterpillars that have a horn that is located at the end of its body. When the caterpillar grows and matures, the horn in time is lost and an eyespot is developed. This type of species of moth feeds on leaves of grapevines and is known as a pest in the vineyards. They also eat bugs, like Virginia creeper and woodbine as a caterpillar. The adult moths feed on nectar of various flowers they eat from. You can see these moths during the months August and September. The scientific name for this moth is Eumorpha achemon. Another nickname is called “Grape Sphinx Moth”. The Achemon Sphinx Moth can be the size of 87mm to 96mm (3.43in to 3.78in). The colors of this moth are brown and pink. The larvae can have three forms of color: light reddish, reddish orange, and tan to brown.
Page 6 Asian Tiger Mosquito The Asian tiger mosquito is a member of the mosquito family. It is also called “forest mosquito”. This mosquito is native to Southeast Asia, and they tend to stay in tropical and subtropical areas. It is has been as characterized with its small black-and-white-striped body. The mosquito has now been a serious pest because it is living closely with the human. This mosquito eats and flies in the daytime, and also at dusk and dawn. It is called a tiger mosquito because of its striped appearance of a tiger. This mosquito is an important vector for transferring many viral viruses. Some characteristics about this mosquito is, their length is 2mm to 10mm with a white and black pattern. The body size depends on how big is the larva population, food supply, and breeding water. The average length of its abdomen is 2.63mm, the head is 1.88mm, and its wings is 2.7mm. Like any other mosquito species, the female needs a blood meal to create and develop their eggs. Their different from other mosquito species, because they barley on nectar and more sweet plant juices. For finding a host it has two phases. First the mosquito finds a host to support the eggs. Then it will find a place to feed upon its host. The mosquito bites in forests during the daytime, that is how it is known as the forest day mosquito. They search for human homes, to find a host inside or outside the home, but are more active outside. This type of mosquito can be located in North America, South America, Africa, some parts of Australia, and Southeast Asia. The scientific name of this mosquito is Aedes albopictus.
Page 7 Flower Fly The flower fly is a member of the Syrphidae family. People commonly mistake this fly looks like a wasp. Even though they similar appearances and flying behavior, this fly is just a fly. This fly does not have a sting to inject venom, and is not venomous. This fly is a benefit in the garden and the farm, because it is a terrific pollinator. This fly protects itself from predators by, it has black and yellow coloration that wards them off. If you examine it closely it has no stinger at the top of the abdomen. In Europe they call these flies “Hover Flies” because they hover like a wasp and behaves like one. They are commonly seen in central and western regions of North America. They have also been reported in Africa. This type of species of larva eats aphids. When they become adults, they feed on pollen and nectar. When they eat the aphids, they help maintain the population and other flowers suffer less. This type of fly is the size of 8mm to 20mm (0.31in to 0.79in). They are usually the colors black, white, and yellow. The scientific name is called “Scaeva pyrastri”. Some other names they go by are Wasp Mimic and Hover Fly.
Page 8
Buffalo Treehopper They are easy to recognize because of their green and yellow color. They are also recognizable by, it has a humpback appearance and have large heads like a buffalo. The Buffalo Treehopper is related to cicadas by, they have wings that lets them to move very fast to plant to plant. When they do this, this is where they lay eggs and at their meals. The Buffalo Treehopper feeds on the sap of various plants because the plants have various pats they eat, like leaves, fruit, and etc. Buffalo Treehoppers have a specific appetite when eating, this intends to have garden plants and crop plants to wilt and to die, When this happens they are called pest. The adults are active in the summer and begin to bunch up in autumn and winter. When this happens they live in debris, leaf litter, and other areas that suffer a degree of insulation. Females lay their eggs in new fresh green stems, and lay them inside it or underneath some leaves. When the new larvae are hatched they feed on the sap from the leaves or plants and eat until the stem collapses. The Buffalo Treehopper larvae and adults appear to have the same body appearance. The larva have fewer antennas than the adults. They also have a white powder substance that will wear off later. They are also covered in short spines, that will wear off later. The scientific name for this cicada is Stictocephala bisonia. Another nickname for this cicada is called “Treehopper”. This type of cicada length is around 6mm to 9mm or (0.24in to 0.35in). People have seen this cicada to be the colors green, pink, white, and pink.
Page 9 Carpenter Bee The carpenter bee is a member of the Xylocopinae family. The Carpenter bee can be found all over the world. There have been known to have 500 species of carpenter bee. It has a behavior to build nests in burrows. They build these nests in dead wood, bamboo, and other dead timber. Some characteristics about them are, they are very large, colored black, have yellow markings on their head, and are shiny and sturdy. Sometimes they are mistaken for being a bumblebee. They are different from bumblebees by, they have shiny abdomens, and the bumblebees have hair on their abdomen. Some of their species have the females live alongside with their daughters and sisters. This helps all of them for having a social feel and connection between them. Carpenter bees are important pollinators on flowers and plants. They also have been to known to steal nectar and bring it back to their nest. The females are different from male carpenter bees by, the females can sting, but they rarely sting. Also the males are seen hovering near the nest, and some species have a yellow or white face. Sometimes the carpenter bees are mistaken for being bumblebees. Carpenter bees have many natural predators that are birds. Some of those predators are woodpeckers, bee-strikers, and shrikes. The woodpeckers hear the noise of the beehive and drill holes through the tunnel, then it's feeding time for them. Also some mammals eat carpenter bees, one in particular is ratels. The carpenter bees are attracted to honeydew and eat this.
Page 10 Eastern subterranean termite The eastern subterranean termite is part of the Rhinotermitidae termite family.
This termite can be found all over North America, and is the most common termite in the region of North America. This termite is the most destructive wood eating insect in North America and because of this, they are called pests. They are commonly found in Ontario Canada, and in eastern states of the United States. The termite eats many wood or cellulose materials such as wood buildings, paper, wooden fixtures, and cotton. The colonies consist a minimum of 20,000 workers to over 5 million workers. The queen can lay over 5,000 to 10,000 per year to the colony. Like every other social insects, they divide labor work and share resources in the colony. This helps them work efficiently and this is founded on a caste system. The caste system contains the caste of workers, soldiers, and reproductive caste. Some characteristics of the caste workers are, they are about 3mm long, are wingless, soft-bodied, blind, and colors are grayish-white to creamy white. The soldier caste characteristics are wingless, a large rectangular head, and the heads colors are yellow and brown, The soldier caste primarily protect the colony from ants. They use their mandibles to crush the ants if the ants invade the colony. The reproductive caste are adult winged insects, dark body, and has a beaded antennae. When mating occurs they shed their wings. When its a queen or king the reproductive is neotenic. The life cycle of
newly hatched termites develop many castes. Swarming happens around February to April this is where they atlases.
Tanner Jones
Honors Biology
1st period
Page 1 American Oil Beetle The American Oil Beetle is a type of Blister Beetle. These beetles are referred to as oil beetles. They are called this because they release oily droplets of hemolymph when they feel threatened. When the beetle feels threatened or put under pressure, they will release a chemical called cantharidin, which creates blisters and will irritate the human skin. These beetles have a soft, and stout abdomen with a shell that looks like overlapping plates. The beetle has a slightly bumpy surface. The antennae can be seen on its head. The beetle can be appeared as dull black, or can be even seen as shiny black or dark blue. The American Oil Beetle do not fly, …show more content…
they are slow movers. The American Oil Beetle larvae are devious or deceitful. These beetles sit on flowers waiting for bees to land. They lock on a bee and have a free ride to the bees hive. Once the beetles are there, the larvae feeds on the bee larvae. These beetles are more active when spring hits and are active all year. The American Oil Beetle size and length is 7mm to 17mm. The colors of the beetle are black, and blue. The American Oil Beetle scientific name is Meloe americanus.
Page 2
Ladybug or Ladybird
Ladybugs or Ladybird are recognized as a useful or helpful insect because of their diet. There known to eat aphids, plant-killing insects, this makes them a good way to add them in a farm or garden. They are called ladybugs in the United States and are called ladybirds in the United Kingdom. This species of beetle is originated from China, Japan, and eastern Russia. It’s believed that the Lady Beetle was established in North America in the late 1970s. This species of beetles can adapt to a variety of temperatures and habitats. This species of beetle live in warm places or buildings, a few can get their way in the walls of the buildings. They release a pungent odor, (to defend against predators) which has a very unpleasant smell, which can create the odor in the area of the building of when they come together. This species of beetle can bite. The Ladybug larvae is like a small caterpillar and also have spikes along their body. The adults can appear with shiny, rounded bodies, that can be red, orange, a variety of black spots, and brown or tan. Some details about the ladybug are their scientific name is Harmonia axyridis. Another detail is their size can be from 4mm to 8mm. You can describe this beetle as a harmful, biting, and smelly beetle. Another detail about this beetle is their colors are tan, brown, orange, and yellow. Some interesting facts about the ladybug is, the “lady” in the name is referring to the Virgin Mary. Some more interesting facts about the ladybug is, they practice cannibalism and eat their own kind if food is scarce.
Page 3 American Lady Butterfly
The American Lady Butterfly, or ALB, is part of the Brush-footed butterfly family. This butterfly is closely related to the Painted Lady, Red Admiral, and the West Coast Lady. The front legs of this butterfly are very short and are covered with little hairs. Because of their short front legs, they sometimes appear they have four legs. This butterfly forewings and hindwings are the colors black, orange, and white. You can see two blue eyespots on each of the butterfly wings. You can see this if the wings are open. When the wings are closed, the underside is grayish brown and the forewings are bright pink. The habit the butterflies prefer, are sunny and open like a field, canyon, and meadows. In the summer months, they can be located in the southern parts of Canada and the northern United States. When the winter months come around, they migrate to more warm weather in Mexico and southern United States. Caterpillars in the aster family eat cudweeds, everlastings, and plants. The butterfly can be described as tube-like and the body is described as black with yellow thin bands or stripes forming rings around it. It has reddish-brown or white spots are scattered among of its yellow bands. This type of butterfly can have two to three generations born every year. The scientific name is called Vanessa virginiensis. The size of this butterfly can be from 44mm to 54mm (1.73in to 2.13in). The colors of this butterfly are white, brown, black, gray, orange, pink, and blue.
Page 4 Giant Swallowtail Butterfly This butterfly is the largest butterfly species in North America.
This type of butterfly is immense or large compared to other butterflies. When you see one it is a treat to see one. They usually can be found in flower gardens, edges of forests, and citrus groves. These butterflies are great pollinators and that reason they are helpful to have in a garden. When they are caterpillars there colors are orange, black, white, and brown. They are called “orange dogs” because of their colors. They are mistaken as bird feces on a leaf. They enjoy eating leaves of citrus trees like oranges and lemons. Because of this, farmers tend to consider them a pest. In warm, southern areas, many generations can live in one year. They are more active year-round, but are less likely to be seen in winter. They usually fly at heights of human heads and low to the ground. In the life cycle they are laid on a plant as a host, then the egg is bright orange and blacken over time. Then the caterpillars eat and grow about to 2 inches before going into a chrysalis. The chrysalis stage takes exactly 10-12 days to emerge from a chrysalis to a butterfly. Some features about the butterfly are, an adult’s wingspan can be the size of 100-160mm (3.9-6.3 in). Their body and wings are the colors dark brown and black with yellow bands. They have a yellow eye in each wing tail. The stomach has bands of yellow with brown in them. The scientific name of this butterfly is called “Papilio cresphontes”. The butterfly …show more content…
can be the length of 86mm to 140mm (3.39in to 5.51in). The colors of butterfly are black, yellow, orange, and blue.
Page 5
Achemon Sphinx Moth
The Achemon Sphinx Moth is a member of the hawkmoth family. This type of moth is very large, strong, and fast. This type of moth is very active at night; they sip nectar from a variety of flowers like Japanese honeysuckle, phlox, and petunias. These moths have wings that can beat so quickly; they are mistakenly for being a hummingbird. They can be found all over the North American continent. The larva or caterpillar is brown, like the adult. They’re quote larger than some of the other families of caterpillar. Some features are, they have seven short white lines that run diagonally from the head to its other end. Some other features are, they are part of the hornworm group of caterpillars that have a horn that is located at the end of its body. When the caterpillar grows and matures, the horn in time is lost and an eyespot is developed. This type of species of moth feeds on leaves of grapevines and is known as a pest in the vineyards. They also eat bugs, like Virginia creeper and woodbine as a caterpillar. The adult moths feed on nectar of various flowers they eat from. You can see these moths during the months August and September. The scientific name for this moth is Eumorpha achemon. Another nickname is called “Grape Sphinx Moth”. The Achemon Sphinx Moth can be the size of 87mm to 96mm (3.43in to 3.78in). The colors of this moth are brown and pink. The larvae can have three forms of color: light reddish, reddish orange, and tan to brown.
Page 6 Asian Tiger Mosquito The Asian tiger mosquito is a member of the mosquito family. It is also called “forest mosquito”. This mosquito is native to Southeast Asia, and they tend to stay in tropical and subtropical areas. It is has been as characterized with its small black-and-white-striped body. The mosquito has now been a serious pest because it is living closely with the human. This mosquito eats and flies in the daytime, and also at dusk and dawn. It is called a tiger mosquito because of its striped appearance of a tiger. This mosquito is an important vector for transferring many viral viruses. Some characteristics about this mosquito is, their length is 2mm to 10mm with a white and black pattern. The body size depends on how big is the larva population, food supply, and breeding water. The average length of its abdomen is 2.63mm, the head is 1.88mm, and its wings is 2.7mm. Like any other mosquito species, the female needs a blood meal to create and develop their eggs. Their different from other mosquito species, because they barley on nectar and more sweet plant juices. For finding a host it has two phases. First the mosquito finds a host to support the eggs. Then it will find a place to feed upon its host. The mosquito bites in forests during the daytime, that is how it is known as the forest day mosquito. They search for human homes, to find a host inside or outside the home, but are more active outside. This type of mosquito can be located in North America, South America, Africa, some parts of Australia, and Southeast Asia. The scientific name of this mosquito is Aedes albopictus.
Page 7 Flower Fly The flower fly is a member of the Syrphidae family. People commonly mistake this fly looks like a wasp. Even though they similar appearances and flying behavior, this fly is just a fly. This fly does not have a sting to inject venom, and is not venomous. This fly is a benefit in the garden and the farm, because it is a terrific pollinator. This fly protects itself from predators by, it has black and yellow coloration that wards them off. If you examine it closely it has no stinger at the top of the abdomen. In Europe they call these flies “Hover Flies” because they hover like a wasp and behaves like one. They are commonly seen in central and western regions of North America. They have also been reported in Africa. This type of species of larva eats aphids. When they become adults, they feed on pollen and nectar. When they eat the aphids, they help maintain the population and other flowers suffer less. This type of fly is the size of 8mm to 20mm (0.31in to 0.79in). They are usually the colors black, white, and yellow. The scientific name is called “Scaeva pyrastri”. Some other names they go by are Wasp Mimic and Hover Fly.
Page 8
Buffalo Treehopper They are easy to recognize because of their green and yellow color. They are also recognizable by, it has a humpback appearance and have large heads like a buffalo. The Buffalo Treehopper is related to cicadas by, they have wings that lets them to move very fast to plant to plant. When they do this, this is where they lay eggs and at their meals. The Buffalo Treehopper feeds on the sap of various plants because the plants have various pats they eat, like leaves, fruit, and etc. Buffalo Treehoppers have a specific appetite when eating, this intends to have garden plants and crop plants to wilt and to die, When this happens they are called pest. The adults are active in the summer and begin to bunch up in autumn and winter. When this happens they live in debris, leaf litter, and other areas that suffer a degree of insulation. Females lay their eggs in new fresh green stems, and lay them inside it or underneath some leaves. When the new larvae are hatched they feed on the sap from the leaves or plants and eat until the stem collapses. The Buffalo Treehopper larvae and adults appear to have the same body appearance. The larva have fewer antennas than the adults. They also have a white powder substance that will wear off later. They are also covered in short spines, that will wear off later. The scientific name for this cicada is Stictocephala bisonia. Another nickname for this cicada is called “Treehopper”. This type of cicada length is around 6mm to 9mm or (0.24in to 0.35in). People have seen this cicada to be the colors green, pink, white, and pink.
Page 9 Carpenter Bee The carpenter bee is a member of the Xylocopinae family. The Carpenter bee can be found all over the world. There have been known to have 500 species of carpenter bee. It has a behavior to build nests in burrows. They build these nests in dead wood, bamboo, and other dead timber. Some characteristics about them are, they are very large, colored black, have yellow markings on their head, and are shiny and sturdy. Sometimes they are mistaken for being a bumblebee. They are different from bumblebees by, they have shiny abdomens, and the bumblebees have hair on their abdomen. Some of their species have the females live alongside with their daughters and sisters. This helps all of them for having a social feel and connection between them. Carpenter bees are important pollinators on flowers and plants. They also have been to known to steal nectar and bring it back to their nest. The females are different from male carpenter bees by, the females can sting, but they rarely sting. Also the males are seen hovering near the nest, and some species have a yellow or white face. Sometimes the carpenter bees are mistaken for being bumblebees. Carpenter bees have many natural predators that are birds. Some of those predators are woodpeckers, bee-strikers, and shrikes. The woodpeckers hear the noise of the beehive and drill holes through the tunnel, then it's feeding time for them. Also some mammals eat carpenter bees, one in particular is ratels. The carpenter bees are attracted to honeydew and eat this.
Page 10 Eastern subterranean termite The eastern subterranean termite is part of the Rhinotermitidae termite family.
This termite can be found all over North America, and is the most common termite in the region of North America. This termite is the most destructive wood eating insect in North America and because of this, they are called pests. They are commonly found in Ontario Canada, and in eastern states of the United States. The termite eats many wood or cellulose materials such as wood buildings, paper, wooden fixtures, and cotton. The colonies consist a minimum of 20,000 workers to over 5 million workers. The queen can lay over 5,000 to 10,000 per year to the colony. Like every other social insects, they divide labor work and share resources in the colony. This helps them work efficiently and this is founded on a caste system. The caste system contains the caste of workers, soldiers, and reproductive caste. Some characteristics of the caste workers are, they are about 3mm long, are wingless, soft-bodied, blind, and colors are grayish-white to creamy white. The soldier caste characteristics are wingless, a large rectangular head, and the heads colors are yellow and brown, The soldier caste primarily protect the colony from ants. They use their mandibles to crush the ants if the ants invade the colony. The reproductive caste are adult winged insects, dark body, and has a beaded antennae. When mating occurs they shed their wings. When its a queen or king the reproductive is neotenic. The life cycle of
newly hatched termites develop many castes. Swarming happens around February to April this is where they atlases.