About Waterbugs..

An interesting phrase that I hear on Vine a lot can be credited to Alx James. He invented the phrase "water bugs" for sunglasses to avoid haters or people he does not want to see. The video above shows his water bugs and ladybugs.

This got me thinking, what exactly is a "water bug"?  

well, I found one of the most interesting things, a Giant Water Bug! Other common names for this species is Electric Light Bug and Toe Biter. The family that this insect belongs to is Belostomatidae. I love some of their characteristics that make them such a neat insect to discuss on my blog. For example, their back legs are engineered to be paddles, so that they can swim. Also, they can take in air from their hind end of their abdomen. They have developed tubes that can stick out above water. They transfer air to the pocket type bubble that a water bug will keep under its wings. Air then can enter through the spiracles on a water bug's body.

Something else interesting about this species is the way they care for their young. Some species of Giant Water Bugs actually place their eggs on the males. They actually care for the young until they hatch, making sure they get enough oxygen and preventing them from getting over run with fungi. 

Their common name "Electric Light Bug" comes from their love of light. They will fly anywhere they can to find light, because they are attracted to it. Their common name "Toe Biter" comes from their ability to inflict a painful bite. It should be harmless, unless you are allergic. Another interesting thing about their bite is the fact that they inject their prey with a toxin. This toxin can paralyze the prey, and it also changes the format of their body into liquid form. Giant Water Bugs can kill and consume animals that are at least 50x their size. That has got to be a powerful toxin and bite! 

Most Giant Water Bugs could be found in ponds, lakes, or streams. They are adapted to hide themselves from predators very well. Also, they go through incomplete metamorphosis. What this means is that the egg becomes a nymph, and then the nymph finally becomes an adult. A nymph is a smaller, lesser version of the adult. 

Overall, Alx James knows which insects are pretty rad. He should be thanked for bringing our attention to an insect that does not seem to be on the radar for most people. 


**Credit to Alx James for the Vine video**

*All information gathered to make this post was gathered from this website and this webpage*

It's Pinning Time

When I say pinning, insects is not the first thing that probably comes to mind. As a member of greek life at BSC, the first thing that comes to my mind is "getting pinned" by a fraternity boy. This means he gives you his fraternity pin, which is a really big deal. We even have a candlelight ceremony for it and everything! Anyways, back to the point..


pinning....insects??


It sounds pretty simple right? Well, actually it's not. One day during our class, Dr. Van Zandt took us down to the lab to learn how to pin moths.  He proceeded to show us how to properly pin a moth to keep its wings from tearing and losing to many of their scales. For me, one of the hardest part of pinning a moth is getting them onto the pinning board. you can't really hold onto their bodies or wings or either you will risk removing their scales. Their scales are the things that look like hair all over their bodies. You hold them into your hand with a "V" formation on your fingers. You then try to stick a pin as straight as possible through the thorax of the moth. This can be kinda tricky, because the pin needs to be perpendicular.Once you have tried to get them onto the pinning board properly, it is time to spread their wings open so that they can dry. The moths had their wings in a relaxed position, so we had to open them in  curved motion with one of our pins. You have to be very careful during this part to not tear the wing and make big, gaping holes. To keep the wings flattened, we put down wax paper after pinning the wings into place. You then should make an arrangement around the wing to hold the wax paper down. You then want to remove the pins that are actually inside the wing, so they will not show huge holes once dried. Overall, I thought learning how to pins moths was a very fun project. We even got to keep the moths that we had learned to pin. Sure, they weren't perfect. Mine are missing most of their antennae, but it was a learning process. It is something that takes practice, and cannot be learned by only doing it once or twice.

I think Rachel and I had way to much fun trying to figure out how to pin moths over two days. Here are a few photos from the experience. It was truly pretty fun.

Schmidt Pain Index: How bad does that sting REALLY hurt?

In the 1980s, an entomologist posed a question about the order Hymenoptera. This entomologist was named Justin O Schmidt. He wanted to know exactly which species of this order produced the most painful sting, and wanted to be able to describe what different species of this order's sting felt like. He developed the Schmidt Pain Index, which can rank certain species on a scale of 0 to 4. He subjected himself to being stung by countless insects, over 150 species in his lifetime. I would say this makes him an expert on how painful a sting can be.


Here is the Schmidt Pain Index:

Sweat Bee: 

Schmidt Index- 1.0 

Description of the sting: Light, ephemeral, almost fruity. A tiny spark has singed a single hair on your arm. 






Fire Ant: 

Schmidt Index- 1.2 

Description of the sting: Sharp, sudden, mildly alarming. Like walking across shag carpet and reaching for a light switch.

Bullhorn Acacia Ant:

Schmidt Index- 1.8

Description of the sting: A rare, piercing, elevated sort of pain. Someone has fired a staple into your cheek. 

Bald- Faced Hornet:

Schmidt Index- 2.0

Description of the sting: Rich, hearty, slightly crunchy. Similar to getting your hand mashed in a revolving door. 

Yellow-jacket: 

Schmidt Index- 2.0 

Description of the sting: Hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W.C. Fields extinguishing a  cigar on your tongue.  

Honey Bee and European Hornet:

Schmidt Index- 2.0 

Description of the sting: Like a match head that flips off and burns on your skin. 

Red Harvester Ant:

Schmidt Index- 3.0

Description of the sting: Bold and unrelenting. Somebody is using a drill to excavate your ingrown toenail.




 Paper Wasp: 

Schmidt Index- 3.0 

Description of the sting: Caustic and burning, distinctly bitter aftertaste. Like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric acid on a paper cut. 

Tarantula Hawk: 

Schmidt Index- 4.0

Description of the sting: Blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hairdryer has been dropped into your bubble bath.

Bullet Ant 

Schmidt Index: 4.0+

Description of the sting: Pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail grinding into your heel 






Sounds like Schmidt had a pretty painful life, don't you think? I do not know if I could have done this, even if for the sake of entomology. Props to you, Schmidt. You rock my socks.



** All pictures and details about Schmidt Pain Index come from this link. However, The descriptions, names of insects, and scale number are all credited to the entomologist Justin O. Schmidt. I do not own or take credit for any of this information, pictures, or ideas. **

Lethal Killers: Africanized Bees

Africanized Honey Bees, or more commonly known as killer bees, can be very dangerous. They are known for having a very defensive nature, and are much more apt to sting than a European Honey Bee. Africanized Honey Bees found their start in  North America by European Honey Bees interbreeding with bees that came from Africa sometime in the 1950s. They are so deadly because of the fact that they will do anything to protect their hive, and are rapid to sting anyone who intrudes on their territory. This could mean you just being near the hive without bothering it at all. Also, many more Africanized Honey Bees out of a colony come out when disturbed, thus producing many more stings in a shorter period of time. They are also known to chase people for long distances. This is a recipe for disaster for anyone who might not have a chance to escape. If you disturb an Africanized Honey Bee, be ready for a battle that you are not used to from a typical European Honey Bee. 

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/bees/ahb.htm

If you think these bees are much different than a regular honey bee, then you are right and wrong. They are different in their aggressiveness and defense systems, but they are very similar in appearance. One of the only ways to tell if you have Africanized Honey Bees instead of European Honey Bees is to see them under a microscope. Another way to tell these bees apart is that they have different forms of DNA, which can be analyzed. 

Africanized Bees Are also known for their swarming and nesting techniques. They swarm much more frequently than a European Honey Bee. They also nest in weird areas that are not typical of European Honey Bees. These sites can include places near your home, such as under overturned pots or any open cavities they can find in the ground. This can make them extremely dangerous due to the fact of their aggressive nature and that they are so close in proximity to populated areas. 

These Africanized Bees do not sound like anything you want to run into, unless you want aggression and multiple stings. If you receive enough of these stings, they can kill.  I definitely would not want to see or hear about these bees being anywhere I am living now or in the future. They can become a problem, and can become dangerous if provoked in the slightest. 


** All information in this post is credited to and was gathered from this webpage.**

Final Thoughts

When I first signed up for this class, I did so because I wanted to get over my fear of insects. I think I have accomplished my goal. One reason for this is that on one of our very first days in class, I held a live, Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. The funny thing is, I didn't even freak out. Before learning so much about these creatures, I never took the time to even think what purpose they serve or if they are even harmful at all. For instance, most of the time, a yellow jacket or bee will only sting in self defense when provoked. This is also true of spider bites. Most bugs do not just go around harming people, unless they are frightened, or it is vital to their survival. Mosquitoes only bite humans and other mammals because they need blood to survive. I never took time to stop and realize how irrational it is to be afraid of these creatures. Just because they are somewhat different than us does not mean we should fear them. We should appreciate what they do for our world. Some insects keep pests down, and save our crops from being destroyed. Others, such as honey bees, play a vital role in pollinating plants and flowers. Some insects just have rad characteristics. The dragonfly can see 360 degrees around at any given time, and cockroaches can live for weeks without a head. While bugs still give me a little panic, it is not near as bad as before I took this class, and experienced how interesting and neat insects are. I think I will always consider things I have learned in this class when I see any insect. I will always recall the information that I know, and it will help me understand these creatures that can seem so different and creepy to us. 

Eating Insects..

When I think of eating insects, all I think about is those nasty looking worms Willy Wonka had to eat on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He gets them whenever he first finds the Oompa Loompas from the rainforest. They offer him the worm mush as a gift. Johnny Depp made these insects look entirely disgusting. My revulsion for bugs has always been bad enough just thinking about them being around me. I do not think I could imagine intentionally eating one. However according to this webpage in other parts of the world, people think differently. For example, in South America, if you go to a movie theater, instead of eating popcorn, you might eat a carton of roasted ants.  They also eat Cicadas in other parts of the world as meals, because they are a cheap meal. That sure does sound appetizing, am I right?

I also did not know that I was intentionally eating an insect whenever I eat a dyed food. Any red or pinked product that has been dyed, including food, beverages, and lipsticks, can have “Cochineal Extract”, which is code for “Cochineal Scale Insect”.

If I think about eating an insect unintentionally, it does not bother me. I did not intentionally cook an insect and digest him. If something accidently gets ingested, at least I do not know about it at the time, and am not physically conscious of eating the insect. I do not think I could handle eating an insect intentionally, unless I had some major persuasion. I also might eat an insect if it was coated in chocolate, or had some type of seasoning on it. This might hide the taste, and it also makes it seem more appetizing. If I ever had to eat or decided to eat an insect, I do not think I could stomach eating larvae or anything squishy. I think I could handle something with a crunch if it was coated with a lot of flavor. I also could eat an insect if that was the only means of my survival. I think if you were stranded somewhere, or about to starve to death, I would probably catch myself the first insect I could find. Eating a few insects would definitely beat dying from starvation.

I’ve always heard of people eating bugs, and wondered what they may taste like. In no time soon, though, do I wish to find out.  

**All information found from The Earwig's Tail by May R. Berenbaum, and the National Geographic article located at the webpage above**

Evans 10-13

This is embarrassing...

The stills of these videos are just…  great.

Enjoy.

Crickets: The Dynasty

Everyone has seen the scene in Mulan where they talk about crickets being "good luck".

If you haven't…well, you're missing out on not only an interesting insect, but a great movie.

http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2013/02/22/disney-things-that-are-shorter-than-an-oscar/

I've always wondered about one scene that infers that crickets are lucky. It near the beginning of the movie.

I wanted to understand why one insect can affect such a thing as "luck"

In one scene at the beginning, "Grandma" talks about how crickets will bring good luck for Mulan at the matchmaker. She decides to test this by walking across a busy intersection with her eyes covered. When she gets across, she deems that "Cri-Kee" is lucky. I decided I wanted to know where this idea came from, and if cultures actually thought that crickets brought good luck.



 According to this webpage crickets can symbolize many things in different parts of the world.

 In China, crickets symbolize intelligence and luckiness.  If you harm a cricket, bad luck is supposed to be knocking at your door. During the Tang Dynasty, people started believing that the beautiful song made by male crickets should be heard by everyone. Thus they began caging them up.

Also in China, farmers can use crickets to tell when it is time to prepare their fields for harvesting.

In Barbados, if a cricket sings at a loud volume, then it is supposed to represent that money is coming to you, but if it is not a loud chirp, but a soft one, it represents illness and even death.

All of these places have different ways of interpreting what a single insect can mean. Most of these involve the chirp, which can only be made by the male cricket. It is made by one wing filing on the other. This is how they create their beautiful songs. This is also how they find mates. According to Evans, without their wings, it is probable that crickets would not be able to find mates without their songs that they produce.


I never knew so many ideas and beliefs could be formed off of one tiny insect. I definitely have a different outlook on how I view crickets after understanding their meaning and symbolism to all different parts of society in our world.



* All information and ideas were  gathered from the website linked, or either Life on a Little Known Planet, written by Howard Ensign Evans*

**All Rights Reserved to Disney for the motion picture Mulan and all related subjects**

Interesting Insects: order Odonata

After watching this "Bug Chicks" video and reading the chapter, "Water Lizards and Aerial Dragons" from Evans' book, Life on a Little Known Planet, I found the order of Odonata to be a quite interesting insect. One thing that I really think is neat about dragonflies is the way that they fly. They do not fly like other insects do, they have their own, unique way. On a normal insect, the body contracts and expands muscles to produce flight, but on a dragonfly, the wings have their own muscles, and do not rely on part of the body to take flight.

"The Bug Chicks" also said that dragonflies are one of the only two animals that are able to fly backwards. The other is a hummingbird.

Another interesting quality found in dragonflies is their eyesight. They have some of the largest compound eyes, and rely mostly on their sight- not touch or smell- to kill their prey. This is why they have very small antennae.  They also have some pretty rad jaws- and is how they got their order- Odonata. Odonto, when translated, means "toothed", and refers to the dragonfly's powerful jaws. They even have grasping mouthparts called labium when they are still immature and not fully adults.

One neat fact from Evans about dragonflies is that sometimes, dragonflies are called snake doctors. This is because they are said to warn a snake of anything approaching that may be danger.

While Evans book made me love dragonflies, when I watched this video, I learned so much more. For example, The Bug Chicks talk about how Japan is known for loving insects, especially dragonflies. The story goes that when the first emperor of Japan saw the country from the top of a mountain, he thought it looked like two dragonflies mating. Since he felt this way, the original name of Japan was Akitsushima- or "The Dragonfly Isles".

Mythology also suggests that Native Americans used to tell which season it was by looking at the color of dragonfly that was flying during the time.

Evans suggests that Odonata can be very territorial, especially the males. They do this to attract a female, so that they can mate. If another male approaches a dragonfly's territory, they will dash about in  a little "dance" until finally the loser is chased off. Dragonflies rarely resort to actual combat because they cannot heal the wounds that they sustain during a battle.

Overall, the order Odonata is one of a kind, and certainly amazing in all their features.



**All Rights Reserved to The Bug Chicks for this video. All information on dragonflies was gained from this video, and from "Water Lizards and Aerial Dragons", from the book Life on a Little Known Planet, written by Howard Ensign Evans**

The Brain-Boring Earwig

http://www.nobuggy.com/blog/earwigs-are-awful-this-year

     When I starting reading Berenbaum's book, The Earwig's tail: A Modern Bestiary of Multi-legged Legends, even the title freaked me out. I have had a fear of Earwigs ever since I was a child, so of course the chapter titled "The Brain-Boring Earwig" scared me to death. The reason being because when I was little, I had an Earwig crawl inside my ear, and stay for a while. I had to end up going to the doctor to get it out. Ironic as it is, the doctor was scared of insects, and had a hard time pulling out the Earwig that was pinching my ear. The chapter discusses the origin of how the Earwig got its name, and why people believe that Earwigs attack people's ears. 

     According to Berenbaum, Earwigs are so unusual they have their own group, called the Dermaptera, which literally means, “skin wing” They are called this because of their thin, flesh-looking front wings. Earwigs are also notoriously known for their pinchers, which are located on the abdomen. They are mostly either black or brown, and try to stay out of the way. What is funny is what people think whenever they hear the common name of an earwig.

 Earwigs get their name from a word from Old English, Ear Wicga, and it translates to Ear Wiggler. People are almost automatically afraid of them because their name suggests that they will get inside your ear and make a home, eat your brains, or lay their eggs for their young to sprout about inside your head forever.

     

     This however is untrue. Although I have had an Earwig inside my ear, after reading Berenbaum’s book, I found that Earwigs normally only stay in damp and musty areas, and they will not procreate in an area that is unfit for their young, such as an ear canal. The most common insect actually found inside people’s ears is actually the common Cockroach, not an Earwig.

     According to this website, EarWigs are as likely to get inside your ears as any other bug, and should not cause alarm in you thinking they are dangerous to your brain. They mostly eat certain types of fruit, not flesh. This makes me feel a whole lot better about the insect that is called the Earwig.

Another interesting fact about the Earwig is another idea of where their moniker could have come from. The back wings of the Earwig, when stretched out, look somewhat like the shape of an ear. This could have been the whole reason as to why they are called an Earwig. It would be a whole lot better of a reason- for humans and Earwigs- for them to have truly gotten their name this way. 

** All information, except the information from the website, was taken from chapter three: "The Brain-Boring Earwig", from the book The Earwig's Tail: A Modern Bestiary of Multi-legged Legends by May R. Berenbaum. **

     

     

On Being a "Cold Bug"

The last time I can remember being very cold was today. My friend Ansley and I went to workout outside. We were running around the track and running bleachers, but we were literally so cold that our hands and ears were stinging. It was very uncomfortable. Imagine being an insect in winter. They are outside, during the cold weather, all winter. They have no protection from harsh climates, like humans do. If we are cold, we can just go inside and turn on the heat, wrap up in a toasty blanket or warm our insides with a hot cup of coffee. Insects cannot do any of these things. This makes them quite remarkable.  They can stand under freezing temperatures with a variety of ways. They are very remarkable creatures, as I am learning in my Winter Entomology class.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/100738/Mourning-cloak-butterfly

One interesting insect is the Mourning Cloak Butterfly.  The caterpillars normally feed on willow in the summer, and pupate and become adults before the beginning of winter. How they survive is very interesting. The adults live through the winter during hollow tree. They just stay there all winter and eat on sap that is produced by the tree.

Another interesting insect is the Woolly Bear Caterpillar. They are in the larva stage during the winter. They use the tactic of supercooling. Supercooling is when a bug puts itself in a below freezing state, but does not freeze. They do this by producing an alcohol called Glycerol. You might know it better as antifreeze. Like keeping your car from freezing, glycerol also keeps a insect from freezing. As long as they do not come into contact with ice, the Woolly Bear Caterpillar will stay unfrozen, even at harsh temperatures. If a supercooled insect comes into contact with ice, it will freeze because the lattice of the crystals will grab onto the insect. This would cause the insect to suffer an awful death of freezing from the inside, because the frozen water would get inside their cells and destroy their bodies.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/forecast-for-the-winter-of-20052006-part-i-the-woolly-bears

I find both of these overwintering strategies amazing. If I had to be an insect outside during the winter, I would want to be one of these two. They both have awesome ways of surviving the winter outdoors. Even though I could not imagine living outdoors in the winter, being a insect during winter would not be quite as bad.

Thoughts on Insects

http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/stingingcaterpillars.php

           The first thought that comes to my mind when I think of insects is fear. I have always been very afraid of any kind of thing that even resembled a bug or insect. I know that it sounds childish, but that is just the way I am. I have always blamed it on the fact that a bee stung my mother when she was pregnant with me, even though I know this is not truly the reason I am afraid. The bug that I am most afraid of would have to be a Wasp or Yellow Jacket. This would be because of their sting. My fear is a little irrational, seeing as the sting does not hurt that much. This makes me wonder sometimes why I am afraid at all in the first place.

https://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg340.html

          Another thought that comes to my head with insects is fascination and appreciation. My father owns his own small business, and it is a nursery. When you grow up in a nursery, you begin to appreciate what bugs and insects can do for it. An example would be a Honey Bee. Although I would still associate fear with Honey Bees, I appreciate what they do to pollinate flowers and help my father’s business literallygrow. Butterflies are also a good source of pollination, and less scary than Bees. In the nursery business, you also learn about insects that are bad. Insects such as Aphids or Caterpillars can be detrimental to flowers or plants.  They can literally destroy flowers and plants in the blink of an eye. This causes problems for a nursery, and sometimes we begin to think of certain insects as pests and a nuisance. There is a good side and a bad side of insects in the nursery business.

http://www.buzzingacrossamerica.com/2013/06/honeybee-or-wasp.html

When I signed up for this class, I hoped that it would help me learn more about insects and not be so afraid of them. I want to appreciate them more, and understand their nature. After watching Bug Bits, I have already learned more about bugs than I knew from my entire lifetime of being outside in the nursery. While I saw bugs and insects on a daily basis, I never really paid any specific attention to them, other than wanting them to get away from me. I never wanted to understand what insects are like until now. I am happy that I got this class so maybe I can overcome my fear, and see insects in a new and appreciative light. 

http://theflyingscorpion.webs.com