tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66782575989702645152024-02-21T05:57:25.250+08:00insects of the worldibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-14590980929918433982009-02-20T13:23:00.003+08:002009-02-20T14:09:42.356+08:00Beetle ( Coleoptera )<table width="400"><tbody><tr><th style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" width="400">What are beetles?</th></tr><tr><td style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid"><ol><li>The main distinguishing characteristic of the Coleoptera (sheath-winged) is the hardened forewings (elytra) six legs and antennae. In some cases the forewings are reduced</li><li>"Sheath" refers to the elytra which forms a protective covering over the membranous hindwings and the relatively soft dorsal abdominal wall.</li><li>All beetles have complete metamorphoses, i.e. egg-larva (several instars)-pupa- adult. It is that feature, complete metamorphosis, in combination with the elytra which characterizes insects of the order Coleoptera.</li><li>In addition to providing food for amphibians, reptiles, fishes, birds and mammals, a role which they share with most other insects, beetles play other important roles in the environment. Many, cantharids, scarabs, byturids, and others, are pollinators). Dung beetles (scarabs, geotrupids, and others) feed on and reproduce in the dung of herbivores, thereby removing millions of tons of dung that would accumulate and destroy valuable pastureland and natural areas. Burying beetles (silphids) inter animal carcasses which are then used as food by the adults and their growing offspring thereby ridding the landscape of carcasses that would otherwise contaminate and foul the environment. Various nest-dwellers (including histerids, trogids, staphylinids) and fur ectoparasites (such as leiodids, leptinines) rid their bird and mammal hosts of parasitic insects, such as fleas, bed bugs, and lice. Some beetles are effective as biocontrol agents which predate plant-feeding insects. Among these are ladybug beetles (coccinellids) which feed on aphids and scale insects. The Vedalia ladybug beetle in California reduced the scourge of the cottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi). Carabid beetles, such as the "caterpillar-hunters" (Calosoma, Carabus spp.) are often helpful in reducing populations of harmful caterpillars, such as gypsy moth and budworm caterpillars. Firefly larvae (glowworms) eat slugs and snails which damage such crops as tomatoes and lettuce.</li></ol><p>by Dr. Lawrence Kaplan.</p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Source : </span><a href="http://www.coleoptera.org/p1058.htm"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.coleoptera.org/p1058.htm</span></a></p></td></tr><tr><td style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid"><p>Beetles or Coleoptera are one of approximately 30 orders of the class of Insecta. The Order of Coleoptera is in many respects sharply distinguished from other insects and is the favourite subject of study of both, professional scientists and naturalists.</p><p>The beetles are the largest order including more species known to science than any other order not only in the Class of Insecta, but also in the entire animal kingdom (Animalia). The most authoritative calculations indicate that already now more than 350,000 species of beetles have been described. Every year approximately 2000 new species are described (<a href="http://www.york.biosis.org/triton/taxstats/coleo.htm">Zoological Record</a>). Taking into account that the entire fauna of the earth is considered to include approximately 1,400,000 species it can be stated that beetles constitute more than a quarter of all known animals. Moreover, recent attempts of total collections of insects from several species of tropical trees in the basin of the Amazon River have shown that 50% of beetles found by this method are new (Erwin, 1982; 1997). Faunae from different species of trees are so very different from one another that it is possible to predict discovery of several hundreds of thousands or even millions of beetle species and according to some evaluations up to 7 million species.</p><p>Beetles are most abundant in the tropics; but at the same time they have got adapted to life at all latitudes and in nearly every habitat, to feeding on any substances of organic origin. Therefore, beetles are nearly ubiquitous. They have not been found on the Antarctic Continent yet, but inhabit the subantarctic islands, they have not been found in the open sea, but are abundant on sea coasts, they have not been found beyond the boundary of eternal snows, but very interesting species of beetles occur high in the mountains in the summer immediately close to this boundary. Many species of beetles attain large numbers. The above explains why the beetles are so well known. Beetles, as well as cats, dogs and birds are the first animals that a small child who begins to talk, learns to recognize.</p><p>Beetles are extremely diverse not only in size and colour, but also in body shape, sculpture of external cover, presence of various outgrowths, etc. Butterflies probably excel beetles in the splendour of colours, however, beetles have no match in the fantastic diversity of forms. Therefore beetles are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for writers, sculptors, artists, ornamenters and pattern-designers. Perhaps for this reason and also due to the extreme simplicity of storage of dead specimens beetles are a favourite object of collecting.</p><p>Many species of beetles are serious pests of agriculture and forestry, stored food, wood, leathers, furs, fabric. Other species, vice versa, are disturbed as a result of man's economic activity; they are permanently declining in numbers or become extinct. Some common species of beetles respond sensitively to the state of natural environment and may serve as convenient indicators of anthropogenic pollution. Therefore, knowledge of beetles is indispensable not only to professional zoologists, but also to plant protection specialists, agriculturists, arboriculturists, museum specialists and workers of food processing industry, ecologists, staff of reserves and specialists in many other areas.</p><p>All insects are studied by a special field of zoology - entomology. The study of beetles in its turn has long ago become a separate branch of entomology, coleopterology. Accordingly, specialists studying beetles are called coleopterists.</p><p>At the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as ZIN) coleopterology has long and famous traditions. Coleopterological study conducted at ZIN is based upon the Institute's collection containing now not less than 6 million of specimens. The collection was started as early as 1714 by Peter the Great when the Kunstkammer was established. A jump in the development of study of beetles is associated with to the name of E. Menetries, a world-famous entomologist . After him a series of prominent coleopterists including A.F. Moravitz, A.P. Semenov-Tian-Shansky, G.G. Jacobson, A.N. Reichardt, A.A. Richter, E.L. Gurjeva, M.E. Ter-Minasian, and O.L. Kryzhanovsky worked at ZIN.</p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Source : </span><a href="http://www.zin.ru/ANIMALIA/COLEOPTERA/eng/intro.htm"><span style="font-size:78%;">http://www.zin.ru/ANIMALIA/COLEOPTERA/eng/intro.htm</span></a></p></td></tr></tbody></table>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-67201803778155377202009-01-25T22:19:00.011+08:002009-01-28T23:33:28.879+08:00Classification Of Bugs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This is a guide to the classes and orders of insects and other arthropods.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The Insecta (insects) are a Class of the large anymal Phylum called ARTHROPODA (arthropods) - a name that refers to the jointed limbs. The other major classes of living arthropods (i.e. animals related to insects) include Crustacea (crabs, lobsters, shrimps, barnacles, woodice, etc.), the Myriapoda (millipedes, centipedes, etc) and the Arachnida (scorpions, king crabs, spiders, mites, ticks, etc). In addition there are several minor classes, the Onychophora (velvet worms), Tardigrada (water bears), Pentastomida (tongue worms) and Pygnogonida (sea spiders), all of witch contain somewhat aberrant living forms of uncertain affinities to the any of the preciding groups, and finally the Class of extinct arthropods, the Trilobita (trilobites), known only from their fossil remains. All these animal are characterised by the though outer body-shell or exoskeleton, with flexible joints between the skeletal plates to allow the animal to move.<br /><br /></span></span><table style="border: 1px solid ; text-align: center;" width="400" border="2" cellpadding="8"><tbody><tr><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Class</span></span></th><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Main Body Region</span></span></th><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Pairs Of Legs</span></span></th><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Pairs Of Antenna</span></span></th><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Wings</span></span></th></tr><tr><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Crustacea</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">two - cephalothorax* and abdomen (some with head and trunk</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">five or more</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">two</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">absent</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Myriaopoda</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">two - head and trunk</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">many - one or two per trunk segment</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">one</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">absent</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Arachnid</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">two - cephalothorax* and abdomen</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">four</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">none (though palps may resemble antennae or legs)</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">absent</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Insecta</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">three - head, thorax and abdomen</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">three</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">one</span></span></td><td style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">usually present (but many wingless form)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">*cephalothorax = fused head and thorax</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Each of the Classes of arthropods, including the insects are split into a number of smaller groups, which reflect progressively more detailed structural similarities between the group member. These smaller groups follow a strict hierarchy. The major class division in descending order of size are called Subclass, Order, Suborder, Family, Subfamily and Genus. A Genus is the smallest group of any real importance in the naming of individual species, although in some classifications generic groups may be further spllit into Subgenera. The scientific name of a species includes, first, the Genus to which it belongs and, second, its specific name, e.g. the European Violet Ground Beetle is called </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Carabus violaceus</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">, meaning the species</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> violaceus</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> in the Genus </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Carabus</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> (by convention, generic and specific names are always printed in italics; the generic name spelt with a capital letter and the specific name with a smaller letter). The full classification of insect would be as follow :</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><table width="400" border="0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">PHYLUM :</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Arthropoda</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">arthropod</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">CLASS :</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Insecta</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">insect</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">SUBCLASS :</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Pterygota</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">winged insect</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ORDER :</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Coleoptera</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">beetle</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">SUBORDER :</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Adephaga</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">carnivorous beetle</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">FAMILY :</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Carabidae</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ground beetle</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">SUBFAMILY :</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Carabinae</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">GENUS :</span></span></td><td><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Carabus</span></span></i></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span></td></tr><tr><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">SPECIES :</span></span></td><td><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Carabus violaceus </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">L.</span></span></td><td><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">violet ground beetle</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The name of author who first describes a species, or recognised of the aurhor's name, is sometimes quoted after the specific name of the animal, in this case L. = Linnaeus (the Swedish naturalist who firmly established the binomial system for naming animal and plant in 1753, and who published the first descriptive account of this particular beetle).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Class Crustacea</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Excluding one or two very small groups of shrimps, the crustaceans are split into 9 main Orders, as listed below. They nearly all live in water and range from minute planktonic shrimp-like creatures, such as water flea, to the large, more familiar, crabs and lobsters. Some members of the Isopoda are the only forms that have really invaded the land and most of these are largerly confined to damp places.</span></span></div><table style="border: 1px solid ;" width="400" border="2" cellpadding="8"><tbody><tr><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" width="35%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ORDER</span></span></th><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" width="65%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">COMMON NAME</span></span></th></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1. Branchiopoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Water Fleas (Daphnia), Fairy, Brine, Tadpole, and Clam Shrimps</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2. Copepoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Water Fleas (Cyclops), Fish Lice, Gill Maggots and Anchor Worms</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3. Ostracoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Seed Shrimps</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">4. Cirrepedia</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Barnacles</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">5. Stomatopoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Mantis Shrimps</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">6. Mysidacea</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Opossum Shrimps</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">7. Decapoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Shrimps, Prawns, Lobsters, Crayfish and Crabs</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">8. Amphipoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Freshwater Shrimps (Gammarus) and Sand Hoppers</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">9. Isopoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sea Slatters, Water Slatters, Water Lice and Hog Lice</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> Isopoda: Oniscoidea (part)</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Woodlice</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Class Myriapoda</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">There are four groups of centipede-like creatures known collectively as myriapods. These are listed here as Orders of the Class Myriapoda, but in many arthropod classification they are given status of separated Classes.</span></span></div><table style="border: 1px solid ;" width="400" border="2" cellpadding="8"><tbody><tr><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" width="35%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ORDER</span></span></th><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" width="65%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">COMMON NAME</span></span></th></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1. Pauropoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2. Symphylia</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3. Diplopoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Millipedes</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">4. Chilopoda</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Class Arachnid</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The arachnids are usually split into 8 main Orders, as listed below.</span></span></div><table style="border: 1px solid ;" width="400" border="2" cellpadding="8"><tbody><tr><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" width="35%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ORDER</span></span></th><th style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align: center;" width="65"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">COMMON NAME</span></span></th></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1. Xiphosura</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">King Crabs or Horseshoe Crabs</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2. Pseudoscorpiones (=Chernetidae)</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Pseudoscorpions or False Scorpions</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3. Scorpionidae</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Scorpions</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">4. Pedipalpi</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Whip Scorpions</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">5. Solifuga (=Solpugae)</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Wind Scorpions or Barrel Spiders</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">6. Opiliones (=Phalangidae)</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Harvestmen or Harvest Spiders</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">7. Acari (=Acarina)</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Mites and Ticks</span></span></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">8. Araneae</span></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">True Spiders</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Class Insecta</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The insects are generally sub-divided into 29 Orders. These are listed below describing general characteristics, recognition features and examples of eact Orders.</span></span></div><table class="MsoTableGrid" style="border: medium none ; border-collapse: collapse; width: 400px; height: 983px;" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"> <tbody><tr> <td style="border: 1pt solid ; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ORDER</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid ; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">COMMON NAME</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid ; width: 274.5pt;" valign="top" width="366"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">SUBCLASSES & FEATURES</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">1. Thysanura</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Bristletails</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td rowspan="4" style="border: 1pt solid; width: 274.5pt;" width="366"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">APTERYGOTA</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">These are wingless insects and their body structure suggests that they never had wings during their evolutionary history. Young stages resemble the adults – little or no metamorphosis</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">2. Diplura</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Two-pronged Bristletails</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">3. Protura</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">4. Collembola</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Springtails</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">5. Ephemeroptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Mayflies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td rowspan="16" style="border: 1pt solid; width: 274.5pt;" width="366"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">PTERYGOTA</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Division EXOPTERYGOTA</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">These are winged insects, although some have lost their wings during the course of evolution. When present, the wing develop externally and there is no marked change (metamorphosis) during the life cycle. The young stages, called nymph, resemble the adult except in seze and in lacking fully-developed wings – simply metamorphosis.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">6. Odonata</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Dragonflies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">7. Plecoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Stoneflies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">8. Grylloblattodea</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">9. Orthroptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Crickets, Grasshoppers and Locusts</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">10. Phasmida</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Stick and Leaf Insects</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">11. Dermaptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Earwings</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">12. Embioptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Web-spinners</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">13. Dictyoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Cockroaches and Mantids</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">14. Isoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Termites</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">15. Zoraptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">-</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">16. Psocoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Psocids and Booklice</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">17. Mallophaga</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Biting Lice</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">18. Siphunculata (=Anoplura)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Sucking Lice</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">19. Hemiptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">True Bugs</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">20. Thysanoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Thrips</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">21. Neuroptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Alder Flies, Snake Flies and Lacewings</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td rowspan="9" style="border: 1pt solid; width: 274.5pt;" width="366"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">PTERYGOTA</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Division ENDOPTERYGOTA</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">These are winged insects, although some have lost their wings during the course of evolution. When present, the wings develop internally (i.e. inside the body of the immature insect) and there is a marked change (metamorphosis) during the life cycle. The young stages are very different from the adults and are called larvae. The change from larva to adult takes place during a non-feeding stage called the pupa (or chrysalis) – complex metamorphosis.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">22. Coleoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Beetles</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">23. Strepsiptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Stylopids</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">24. Mecoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Scorpion Flies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">25. Shiponaptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Flea</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">26. Diptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">True Flies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">27. Lepidoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Butterflies and Moths</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr><td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">28. Tricoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Caddis Flies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 1.75in;" valign="top" width="168"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">29. Hymenoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> <td style="border: 1pt solid; width: 166.5pt;" valign="top" width="222"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Bees, Wasps and Ants</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> </td> </tr></tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Thanks to <a href="http://www.kendall-bioresearch.co.uk/">Dr David Kendall BSc PhD</a></span></span></div>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-83233030736329239372009-01-17T11:25:00.005+08:002009-01-21T00:05:22.108+08:00Mayfly<span style="font-family:arial;">Common names are mays, mayfly, upwings, duns, dippers, spinners. Mayfly belongs to Ephemeroptera or Ephemeridae, suborder Schistonota & Pannota.</span><br /><p style="font-family: arial; ">If there is one aquatic insect that is always associated with the art of Fly Fishing, then the May Fly is that insect. This insect has been referred to as the very foundation of the sport. Since the year 1496, the Mayfly has been known to have a great influence for the angler. Dame Julianna Burners of England described the dressings for a dozen imitations that are known to catch fish. The journal that contained this information was called Treatys of Fyshing with an Angle. In the 1600s both Issac Walton and Charles Cotton wrote on the subject and started a splurge of writings promoting the use of Mayfly imitations and this insect became the symbol associated with the art of fly-fishing. Whether you are watching a film, video, movie or reading a book, magazine, or article on Fly Fishing you will be told that the May Fly is the Holy Grail insect. There are 16 Families, 47 different Genera and over 500 North American species of this important insect but only a very small portion is of importance to the fly angler. In Maine there are over 142 species.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; ">All aquatic insects are under a constant attack from insect predators such as; their own kind, diving beetles, salamanders, frogs, back swimmers, birds and of course the fish.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">These insects have a technical name, (Ephemeridae), which translates into the phase, "lives but a day." These insects emerge from their underwater world without mouthparts and therefore can't eat. Now, you know why they live only but a day.</p> <p style="font-family: arial; ">Another common name is Ephemeroptera, which translates to mean upturned wing.</p><div face="arial" style=" "> </div><a style="font-family: arial; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kidfish.bc.ca/images/mayfly_life_cycle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 279px;" src="http://www.kidfish.bc.ca/images/mayfly_life_cycle.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:arial;">Life Cycle</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The four stages of a Mayflies life cycle are; egg (Ovum, 1 to 3 weeks), Nymph (Nymphal 11 months to 24 months with 20-30 Moults), Dun (Sub-imago 1 to 4 days) and Spinner (Imago about 1 day).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family:arial;">Egg</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The eggs of the insect are deposited on or in water differently depending on the species. In some species the female will skim across the surface of the water in order to dislodge the eggs from her abdomen. Another species will fly across the waters surface and drop yellow or orange egg masses onto the waters surface. Some female mayflies will even use a protruding stem, leaf or other organic structure to crawl into the water in order to safely deposit her eggs at the bottom of the water column and others will actually dive into the waters surface in order to break the surface tension, then release the eggs underwater. Once the egg lying has taken place the exhausted insect will often times fall onto the surface of the water only to be taken by fish that have observed it from below the waters surface.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;">Nymph</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/109/Insect%20rearing/photos/mayfly%20nymph.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 79px;" src="http://www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/109/Insect%20rearing/photos/mayfly%20nymph.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">After time, which in some species can be as little as a few hours and in others the time can be several months, these eggs will hatch and an immature nymph will then crawl under the stones of a riffle or the medium to large rocks or boulder of a run, burrow into the silt or muddy area of the slower currents of pools or the nymph may cling to the under sides of submerged vegetation or the branches of a fallen tree along the banks or shoreline. There are even some species that will be free-swimming aquatic insects that will swim around areas of aquatic vegetation and/or any structure that has been created by fallen shoreline or banking debris. Most of the Mayfly Species have three tails but there are some that only have two. These tails are visible throughout most of the developmental stages. All will have six legs with one sharp claw on each foot. In the adult the tail can be as long as the insect itself. There are generally 10 abdominal segments with moving gills along the sides of the insect.</span><br /><br /><p style="font-family: arial;">The crawlers are variable in size and generally inhabit areas of medium and slower currents; they consist of the prolific Ephemerellidae family, the weak-legged Leptophlebiidae family and the very small insects of the Tricorythidae and Caenidae families.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">The clingers are of the fast-water Heptageniidae family and the very large Baetidae family is made up of fast swimmers, while the burrowing types are of the families Ephemeridae, Potamanthidae and Polymitarcyidae.</p><div face="arial" style=" "> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;">Dun (Sub-Imago)</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/gallery/files/7/3/1/8/PICT5377f.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 103px;" src="http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/gallery/files/7/3/1/8/PICT5377f.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This process of aquatic insects rising towards the surface is called an Emergence. Yes, I know that everyone refers to this event as a Hatch but you know the truth and that is that nymphs hatch from eggs and emerge from the water as duns. Every species has its' own emerging characteristics and time table. As the insects rise toward the surface, they become very vulnerable and fish will feed readily on them. During this emergence, fish</span><span style=""> will become very selective to the physical size, color, shape and actions of the emerging species.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Once on the surface the newly emerged Mayflies will either remain in the waters current or attach itself to a partially submerged limb or rock in order to then separate themselves from their skins or shucks - or more appropriately called exoskeleton, spread their wings, pump fluid into the veins causing the wing to strengthen in order to support flight. The Mayfly will float on the surface of the water, like little sailboats, with its newly inflated wings acting as sails being dried and blown around by the wind. This surface activity can last for only a few seconds to only a few minutes. Once the wings are dry enough and strong enough the insect will take flight. After taking flight, the sub-imago usually rests on the shoreline vegetation for 1 or 2 hours or 1 or 2 days depending on the species, while gradually going through the last molt and transforming from sub-imago into adult (imago or spinner).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;">Adult Mayfly</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.aquatax.ca/images/mayflyAdult01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 97px;" src="http://www.aquatax.ca/images/mayflyAdult01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">This adult Mayfly has no functioning mouth and therefore can't eat, and now you know why they, "live but a day." These Mayflies can emerge like this by the thousands and is an experience that will be remembered by any angler encountering it for the first time. These mass emergent patterns are the Mayflies main defense against its natural predators, among them being fish and birds. They will hatch in such great numbers, condensed in both time and location, that the before mentioned predators are unable to rally their troops for a mass consumption.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The sexually mature adult male spinner will mass in swarms over the waters surface. The characteristics and timing of the nuptial flight or mating swarm will vary from species to species. Once the selection and the mating activities have occurred the male will shortly die and the female will wait for low light conditions before depositing her eggs, then she too will die and fall to the surface of the water only to be consumed by a waiting fish. The dead or dying adults will then lie on the waters surface with wings spread and, at that point, is referred to as 'spent' spinners.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div face="arial" style=""> </div><div face="arial" style=""> </div><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><div style="font-family: arial;"> </div><br /><div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Source : <a href="http://www.maineflyfish.com/">www.maineflyfish.com</a> ,<br /></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">image : </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.kidfish.bc.ca/">www.kidfish.bc.ca , </a><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/">Bruce Williams</a></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;"> , </span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.aquatax.ca/">Dale Parker</a></span>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-29878776826537525322009-01-13T20:44:00.010+08:002009-01-13T23:26:08.667+08:00Dragonfly Life Cycle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amonline.net.au/insects/images/insects/250/dragonfly_cycle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 220px;" src="http://www.amonline.net.au/insects/images/insects/250/dragonfly_cycle.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">A </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">dragonfly</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> is a type of insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Anisoptera</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">. It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. Dragonflies are similar to damselflies, but the adults can be differentiated by the fact that the wings of m</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">ost dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest. Dragonfly's</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> life span is more than a year. There are three stage of dragonfly life cycle. The egg, the nymph</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> and adult dragonfly. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Most of the life cycle of a dragonfly is lived out in the nymph stage. Nymph ca</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">n be found underwater in a lake or pond.<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Mating</span><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bfec.kenyon.edu/dragonfly/mhkmate.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 106px;" src="http://bfec.kenyon.edu/dragonfly/mhkmate.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">T<span style="font-size:100%;">he first</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> step in mating occurs when the male grasps the female with his legs. He then clasps h</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">er behind the head with specialized appendages at the end of his abdomen. This head to tail position is called the tandem position. Near ponds dragonfly pair can be often seen cruising this position. The next step occurs w</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">hen the female folds her abdomen under the male and remove a sperm packet. This circular mating position is call the wheel position. In some</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> sp</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">ecies the wheel position can be initiated while they are in flight.<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Egg</span></span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1094/817172356_f3a60da7e7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 106px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1094/817172356_f3a60da7e7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Female</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> dragonfly laid their eggs near </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">or in water, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">often on floating or emergent plants</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">For species that lay their eggs near water, development will not begin until the rains come and th</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">e water level rises. When lying eggs, some species will completely subme</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">rge to find good surface to lay their eggs. Some species will tap their tail on water surface to make the eggs sink, while some species use</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> their ovipositors to pierce to plant material so they can place their eggs inside.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Larva (Nymph / Naiad)</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scientificillustrator.com/art/insects/dragonfly_larva.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 154px;" src="http://www.scientificillustrator.com/art/insects/dragonfly_larva.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Most of a dragonfly's life is spent in nymph (naiad) form, beneth the water's surface. Using extendable jaws they catch other invertebrates or even vertebrates such as tadpoles, fish, etc. They breathe through gills in their rectum, and can rapidly propel themselves by suddenly expeling</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> water through anus. Some nymphs sit and wait for prey, while others are </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">active stalkers. Nymph will mold or shed their skin about 10-15 times</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> before they are </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">mature. The larva stage of large dragonflies may last as long as five years. In smaller species, this stage may last between two months and three years. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">When the larva is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it climbs up a reed or other emergent plant. Exposure to air causes the larva to begin breathing. The skin splits at a weak spot behind the head and the adult dr</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">agonfly crawls out of its solid larva skin, pumps up its wings, and flies</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> off to feed on midges and flies. The adult stag</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">e of larger dragonfly can last as long as four months.<br /><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 181px;" src="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">A new dragonfly emerged from exoskeleton</span><br /></span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 196px;" src="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">By grabing onto its exoskeleton, it pulls the rest of its abdomen out</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 167px;" src="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">A new dragonfly. Totally free from its shell (called exuvia)</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 222px;" src="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">It begins to expand its wings, abdomen and eyes</span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 163px;" src="http://southwestdragonflies.net/nymphemerge7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">New mature dragonfly</span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><span class="Apple-style-span">source : wikipedia.org , </span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.dragonfly-site.com/dragonfly-life-cycle.html"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">www.dragonfly-site.com</span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:78%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> ,<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://bfec.kenyon.edu/dragonfly/lifecycle.htm">bfec.kenyon.edu</a> , <a href="http://southwestdragonflies.net/DRAGONFLY_LIFE_CYLCE.html">southwestdragonflies.net</a></span></div><div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">image : </span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.amonline.net.au/insects/insects/metamorphosis.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">www.amonline.net.au</span></span></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span"> , </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://winterwoman.wordpress.com/">Jennifer Schlick</a> , </span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.scientificillustrator.com/art/insects/dragonfly_larva.jpg">www.scientificillustrator.com</a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;font-size:12;" ><br /></span></span></div></div>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-42627341065837633932009-01-05T13:51:00.006+08:002009-01-05T15:50:09.535+08:00Bug - Lucanus Cervus<strong>Lucanus Cervus Life Cycle</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 293px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 223px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/lcmating.jpg" border="0" /><strong>Identification</strong><br />At an impressive and conspicuous five centimetres in length from tip of mandible to tip of abdomen, male specimens of this dark brown and black beetle have been recorded as the largest native terrestrial beetle found in Great Britain. They grow to about 8cm, but usually about 5 cm. Physical size and the magnificently antlered mandibles are therefore a good guide to the identification of this species when specimens are of this gender, although the female is only around three and a half centimetres in length with much smaller mandibles.<br />The size of both sexes varies considerably, such variety amongst other wood-boring insects being normal due to differences in the nutritive properties of the various trees upon which larvae feed (Imms, 1971).<br /><br /><strong>Eggs</strong><br /><a href="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/lceggs.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 104px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 99px" alt="" src="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/lceggs.jpg" border="0" /></a> 12 to 24 laid in next to rotting wood. The female may take a long time carefully preparing her nursery, digging around, chewing pieces of wood, and compacting them near the dead wood. As each egg is laid she uses her retractable ovipositor to form a hollow around it, exactly like some dung and burying beetles do.<br /><br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong> </p><p><strong>Larva</strong><br /><a href="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/larve2m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 152px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 120px" alt="" src="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/larve2m.jpg" border="0" /></a> Stag Beetle larvae are blind and shaped like a letter "C". They feed on rotting wood in a variety of places, tree stumps, old trees and shrubs, rotting fence posts, compost heaps and leaf mould. The larvae have a cream coloured soft transparent body with six orange legs, and an orange head which is very distinct from the very sharp brown pincers. They have combs in their legs which they use for communication (stridulation) with other larvae.<br /><br /><strong>Instar</strong><br /><a href="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/lc_larva_hcw12.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 111px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/lc_larva_hcw12.jpg" border="0" /></a>The stage in an insect's life history between two moults. When a stag beetle larva first comes out of the egg it is in his first instar (L1). This tiny freshly hatched larva has a rigid head so, in order to grow, it has to shed its skin by moulting. This way the second instar (L2) is the larva after the first moult; the third instar (L3) is the larva after the second moult.Usually stag beetle larvae are expected to reach their third instar before the start of their first winter, and after that will spend a long time fattning up before they are ready to pupate. Very interestingly it was found that with stag beetles reared in captivity a fifth or even a sixth instar might happen<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Picture shows the third instar</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">weight - 21.5 g , length - 8 cm </span></em></p><p><strong>Pupa</strong><a href="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/flc_pupa_ph.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 141px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 82px" alt="" src="http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/flc_pupa_ph.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Between three and six weeks during the summer inside a cocoon, in the soil, made of compacted soil. In the wild prepupation gets well under way before the end of July.<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">female stag beetle pupa</span></em><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Adult stag beetle</strong><br />The adult stab beetle may stay inside the cocoon or not. In any case it will always remain under the ground for several months until it emerges in the summer to fly outside.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">source : www.biodiversitysussex.org , www.websters-online-dictionary.org , maria.fremlin.de</span></p>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-6431728190552586602008-12-17T21:27:00.006+08:002008-12-17T22:46:22.438+08:00Fly life cycle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.infovisual.info/02/img_en/040%20Morphology%20of%20a%20fly%20%28lateral%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="http://www.infovisual.info/02/img_en/040%20Morphology%20of%20a%20fly%20%28lateral%29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The house fly (musca domestica linnaeus) is a well-known cosmopolitan pest for both farm and home. You can find house-fly whenever there is human or animal. Flies like dirty environment or warm environment that left out like garbage. They spit saliva on their food wich liquifies it so they can suck it up for nutrient with their sponge-like mouths.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.flycontrol.novartis.com/images/housefly_life_cycle_big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 322px;" src="http://www.flycontrol.novartis.com/images/housefly_life_cycle_big.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eggs</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">The white egg, about 1.2 mm in length, is laid singly but eggs are piled in small groups. Each female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in several batches of 75 to 150 eggs over a three to four day period. The number of eggs produced is a function of female size which, itself, is principally a result of larval nutrition. Maximum egg production occurs at intermediate temperatures, 25 to 30°C. Often, several flies will deposit their eggs in close proximity, leading to large masses of larvae and pupae. Eggs must remain moist or they will not hatch.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Larva</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.livingwithbugs.com/Images/fly_larva.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 177px; height: 100px;" src="http://www.livingwithbugs.com/Images/fly_larva.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Early instar larvae are 3 to 9 mm long, typical creamy whitish in color, cylindrical but tapering toward the head. The head contains one pair of dark hooks. The posterior spiracles are slightly raised and the spiracular openings are sinuous slits which are completely surrounded by an oval black border. The legless maggot emerges from the egg in warm weather within eight to 20 hours, and immediately feeds on and develop in the material in which the egg was laid.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The larva goes through three instars and a full-grown maggot, 7 to 12 mm long, has a greasy, cream-colored appearance. High-moisture manure favors the survival of the house fly larva. The optimal temperature for larval development is 35 to 38°C, though larval survival is greatest at 17 to 32°C. Larvae complete their development in four to 13 days at optimal temperatures, but require 14 to 30 days at temperatures of 12 to 17°C.<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pupa</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.livingwithbugs.com/Images/fly_pupae.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 100px;" src="http://www.livingwithbugs.com/Images/fly_pupae.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The pupal stage, about 8 mm long, is passed in a pupal case formed from the last larval skin which varies in color from yellow, red, brown, to black as the pupa ages. The shape of the pupa is quite different from the larva, being bluntly rounded at both ends. Pupae complete their development in two to six days at 32 to 37°C, but require 17 to 27 days at about 14°C). The emerging fly escapes from the pupal case through the use of an alternately swelling and shrinking sac, called the ptilinum, on the front of its head which it uses like a pneumatic hammer to break throug the case.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Adult Fly</span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.livingwithbugs.com/Images/house-fly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 101px;" src="http://www.livingwithbugs.com/Images/house-fly.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The house fly is 6 to 7 mm long, with the female usually larger than the male. The female and can be distinguished from the male by the relatively wide space between the eyes (in males, the eyes almost touch). The head of the adult fly has reddish-eyes and sponging mouthparts. The thorax bears four narrow black stripes and there is a sharp upward bend in the fourth longitudinal wing vein. The abdomen is gray or yellowish with dark midline and irregular dark markings on the sides. The underside of the male is yellowish.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">source : <a href="http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/">creatures.ifas.ufl.edu</a><br />image : <a href="http://www.flycontrol.novartis.com/">www.flycontrol.novartis.com</a>, <a href="http://www.infovisual.info/">www.infovisual.info</a>, <a href="http://www.livingwithbugs.com/">www.livingwithbugs.com</a></span><br /></span>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-62632832765430804962008-12-17T12:16:00.004+08:002008-12-17T13:04:59.795+08:00How to Make Natural Outdoor Fly Repellent<a href="http://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/5a/Green-Bottle-Fly-7377.jpg/250px-Green-Bottle-Fly-7377.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/5/5a/Green-Bottle-Fly-7377.jpg/250px-Green-Bottle-Fly-7377.jpg" border="0" /></span></a> <div><span style="font-family:arial;">Tired of fly sprays and unwanted chemicals they contain? Now you can make your ouwn fly repellent. It is a very easy sollution to keeping flies away from your home or outdoor dining area and you can do it yourself.<br /><br /><strong>Steps</strong><br /></span></div><ol><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Clean out a small tin with a lid.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Take a clean piece of cloth or a small piece of dish sponge able to fit into container. Saturate it with one of the following oils :</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Lavender oil</em> - lavender is considered to be particularly effective against flies</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Citronelia oil</em> (dilute with water first)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Eucalyptus oil</em> (dilute with water first)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Pennyroyal oil</em> (dilute with water first, likely more effective against mosquitoes but also considered to work against horse-flies)</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Lemongrass oil</em> (dilute with water first)</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Place the cloth in the tin and shut the lid. Allow to sit for 24 hours</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Use. Whatever u need to use the tin, remove the lid and place on the entertaining table. Make as many as you wish to put around the entertaining area to deter flies.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Replenish the oil after each. Once open to the air, the strength weakens and needs to be topped up.</span></li></ol><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Tips</strong><br /></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Wiar gloves when handling the saturated cloth, especially if you are handling food and/or have skin sensitives.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">You can amplify the effect of the essential oils by using candles. Simply add a few drops of the chosen essential oil (or use different ones at different ends of the table) into the melted wax area of a burning candle. The odour will waft out as the candle burns.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">If you are familiar with combining essential oils to produce scents, try a combination of the above suggested essential oils for a pleasant odour and possibly a more powerful fly dissuader.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Note that lavender oil can be used freely without needing to dilute with water. Water dilution should follow the instructions accompanying the essential oil. Providing you do not wear the oil, dilution at a ratio of 1 part oil to 3 parts water will likely prove sufficient for most oils but know the properties of your oils before making assumptions. If you intend to wear any of these oils as a repellent, the advice here does not apply and you should seek information from the appropriate source.</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Warnings</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Always read the warnings accompanying essential oil products and do not use if you are pregnant, have a poor immune system or allergies unless you know the oil to be safe.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Always keep essential oils out of the reach of children. Many are toxic if ingested, especially pennyroyal. Containers should be kept out of reach.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">As with any herbal remedy, you are the best judge of whether or not the herbal solutions are doing what you seek from them. If not, experiment with different types until something meets your needs. Sometimes the effectiveness of oils is dependent on local conditions.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Pennyroyal is a known toxin. It <strong>WILL</strong> cause spontaneous abortions. <strong>DO NOT</strong> use Pennyroyal around pregnant women or dogs. <strong>THE EFFECTS CAN BE VERY DISGUSTING AND SUDDEN.</strong></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Things You'll Need</strong><br /><br /></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Small tin with lid. Ideal tins include confectionery tins, cough drop tins, candle tins, etc.</span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Small piece of cloth, for example, calico, cotton, handkerchief, etc; or cut a piece of dish sponge down to size.</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">Source and image : </span><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;">www.wikihow.com</span></a></p>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-11941616596971381972008-12-16T11:26:00.007+08:002008-12-16T12:37:10.291+08:00Water Bug - Belostomatidae<a href="http://bugguide.net/images/raw/BZSL8ZZL8ZKLGZ7L3HPHWZNH3HGLLR8H4Z4H6Z0LVHIHPZ8LNZ5L3H7HGZXLBZEHRREHHRNHNZ7L.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 366px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 251px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bugguide.net/images/raw/BZSL8ZZL8ZKLGZ7L3HPHWZNH3HGLLR8H4Z4H6Z0LVHIHPZ8LNZ5L3H7HGZXLBZEHRREHHRNHNZ7L.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Belostomatidae is a family of insects in the Order Hemiptera and also known as Toe Biter. Known as the larger insect in order Hemiptera. Accur in worldwide with the most of species in North America, South America and East Asia. They are typically found in fresh water and ponds. Most species are large, about 2 cm or more. The largest is Lethocerus that exeed 12 cm. Giant water bugs are a popular food in Thailand.<br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><strong>Identification<br /></strong><a href="http://www.lepalert.org/LepAlert_2007/AlertUpdate_Images_2007/KEJ_1058%20%20Rapid%20River%20Road%20Bog7x5.25.JPG"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 234px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 165px" alt="" src="http://www.lepalert.org/LepAlert_2007/AlertUpdate_Images_2007/KEJ_1058%20%20Rapid%20River%20Road%20Bog7x5.25.JPG" border="0" /></a>body elongate; front legs raptorial, twice as thick as other legs, usually held in front of head, and used for grasping prey; middle and hind legs point toward rear and are used for swimming; forewings brown, leathery, held flat against abdomen<br />forewings cover all of abdomen except for two tube-like appendages at posterior end that function in breathing atmospheric air which is then stored in a bubble beneath the wings while swimming underwater.</span> <div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Habitat<br /></strong>ponds and shallow margins of lakes containing submerged or emergent vegetation</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Life Cycle</strong><br />During spring and early summer, eggs are laid near or in water attached to aquatic plants, stones, leaves or rotting branches. Males attract the females doing a series of periodic movements near water surface generating ripples in the water known as display pumpingBefore a female begins ovipositing the eggs, she mates with the male. Then a series of intercalated matings and ovipositions occur, females ovipositing 1-4 eggs in each ovipositing bout..The eggs are brownish-gray, 4-5 mm long, laid in rows. Usually 100 are found in each group. Eggs hatch in about 2 to 3 weeks, but their hatching time will decrease as temperature rises. The nymphs look very similar to adults but lack wings and are much smaller; they molt 5 times before becoming adults.<br />Overwinters as an adult in mud at bottom of pond or lake margin.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">source : </span><a href="http://wikipedia.org/"><span style="font-size:78%;">wikipedia.org</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><a href="http://bugguide.net/"><span style="font-size:78%;">bugguide.net</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />image : </span><a href="http://bugguide.net/"><span style="font-size:78%;">bugguide.net</span></a>, <a href="http://www.lepalert.org/"><span style="font-size:78%;">www.lepalert.org</span></a></span></div></div>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-7187746318554194332008-12-15T18:01:00.000+08:002008-12-15T19:38:59.679+08:00Mosquito Life Cycle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.michigan.gov/images/mosquito_65147_7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 226px;" src="http://www.michigan.gov/images/mosquito_65147_7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are over 2500 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world of which 150 species occur in the United States. 52 species occur in California, and 19 species occur in Alameda County. In the course of the District's operation about 10 species are commonly found in the County. Eight of the species account for over 99% of complaints from the public.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each of the species has a scientific name that is latin, such as <cite>Culex tarsalis.</cite> These names are used in a descriptive manner so that the name tells something about this particular mosquito. Some species have what is called "common names" as well as scientific names, such as <cite>Anopheles freeborni</cite>, the "Western malaria mosquito".<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All mosquitoes must have water in which to complete their life cycle, but however eggs can be laid in a dry place were water is likely to come at a later time.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Mosquitoes lay their egg in breeding sites.Breeding site can range in quality from melted snow water to sewage effluent and it can be in any container imaginable. The type of water in which the mosquito larvae is found can be an aid to the identification of which species it may be. Also, the adult mosquitoes show a very distinct preference for the types of sources in which to lay their eggs. They lay their eggs in such places such as tree holes that periodically hold water, tide water pools in salt marshes, sewage effluent ponds, irrigated pastures, rain water ponds, etc. Each species therefore has unique environmental requirements for the maintenance of its life cycle.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The feeding habits of mosquitoes are quite unique in that it is only the adult females that bite man and other animals. The male mosquitoes feed only on plant juices. Some female mosquitoes prefer to feed on only one type of animal or they can feed on a variety of animals. Female mosquitoes feed on man, domesticated animals, such as cattle, horses, goats, etc; all types of birds including chickens; all types of wild animals including deer, rabbits; and they also feed on snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The mosquito goes through four separate and distinct stages of its life cycle and they are as follows: Egg, Larva, pupa, and adult. Each of these stages can be easily recognized by their special appearance.</span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Common groups are separated into four groups of mosquitoes living in the Bay Area. They are <cite>Aedes, Anopheles, Culex,</cite> and<cite> Culiseta.</cite></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/lifecycle2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 363px; height: 301px;" src="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/lifecycle2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>Mosquito Egg</strong><br />Eggs are laid one at a time and they float on the surface of the water. In the case of <cite>Culex </cite>and <cite>Culiseta </cite>species, the eggs are stuck together in rafts of a hundred or more eggs. <cite>Anopheles </cite>and <cite>Aedes</cite> species do not make egg rafts but lay their eggs separately. <cite>Culex, Culiseta, </cite>and<cite> Anopheles </cite>lay their eggs on water while <cite>Aedes </cite>lay their eggs on damp soil that will be flooded by water. Most eggs hatch into larvae within 48 hours. </span><br /><br />Mosquitoes Egg Raft<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/eggraft2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 346px; height: 74px;" src="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/eggraft2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><cite><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Culex </span></cite>mosquitoes lay their eggs on the surface of fresh or stagnant water. The water may be in anything that can hold water like tin cans, barrels, horse troughs, ornamental ponds, swimming pools, puddles, creeks, ditches, or marshy areas. Mosquitoes prefer water sheltered from the wind by grass and weeds.<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <cite>Culex </cite>mosquitoes usually lay their eggs at night. A mosquito may lay a raft of eggs every third night during its life span.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <cite>Culex </cite>mosquitoes lay their eggs one at a time, sticking them together to form a raft of from 200- 300 eggs. A raft of eggs looks like a speck of soot floating on the water and is about 1/4 inch long and 1/8 inch wide.<br /><br />Tiny mosquito larvae emerge from the eggs within 24 hours. </span></p> <span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><strong><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Notes:</span> </strong><cite>Anopheles </cite>mosquitoes lay their eggs singly on the water, not in rafts. <cite>Aedes </cite>mosquitoes lay their eggs singly on damp soil. <cite>Aedes</cite> eggs hatch only when flooded with water (salt water high tides, irrigated pastures, treeholes, flooded stream bottoms, etc.).</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>Mosquito Larva</strong><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/larva2.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 146px;" src="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/larva2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The larva (larvae - plural) live in the water and come to the surface to breathe. Most larvae have siphon tubes for breathing and hang from the water surface. <cite>Anopheles </cite>larvae do not have a siphon and they lay parallel to the water surface. The larva feed on micro-organisms and organic matter in the water. On the fourth molt the larva changes into a pupa.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mosquito larvae, commonly called "wigglers" or "wrigglers", must live in water from 7 to 14 days depending on water temperature.<br /><br />During growth, the larva molts (sheds its skin) four times. The stages between molts are called instars. At the 4th instar, the larva reaches a length of almost 1/2 inch.<br /><br />When the 4th instar larva molts it becomes a pupa.</span> <p style="margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal; font-style: italic;">Note</strong> : <i>Anopheles </i>are unlike <i>Culex </i>and <i>Aedes </i> larvae since they do not have a breathing tube, they must lie parallel to the water surface in order to get a supply of oxygen through a breathing opening. </span></p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Mosquito Pupa</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/tumbler2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 80px;" src="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/tumbler2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mosquito pupae, commonly called "tumblers", must live in water from 1 to 4 days, depending upon species and temperature.<br /><br />The pupa is lighter than water and therefore floats at the surface. It takes oxygen through two breathing tubes called "trumpets". When it is disturbed it dives in a jerking, tumbling motion and then floats back to the surface. During this form Pupa does not eat.<br /><br />The metamorphosis of the mosquito into an adult is completed within the pupal case.<br /><br />The adult mosquito splits the pupal case and emerges to the surface of the water where it rests until its body can dry and harden.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Mosquito Adult</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/adult2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 161px; height: 85px;" src="http://www.mosquitoes.org/images/adult2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Only female mosquitoes bite animals and drink blood. Why blood? Becouse female mosquitoes need protein from blood. Male mosquitoes do not bite. They feed on the nectar of flowers.<br /><br /><cite><strong>Aedes</strong></cite><strong> </strong>mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters, attacking during daylight hours (not at night). They do not enter dwellings, and they prefer to bite mammals like humans. <cite>Aedes</cite> mosquitoes are strong fliers and are known to fly many miles from their breeding sources.<br /><br /><cite><strong>Culex </strong></cite>mosquitoes are painful and persistent biters also, but prefer to attack at dusk and after dark, and readily enter dwellings for blood meals. Domestic and wild birds are preferred over man, cows, and horses. <cite>Culex tarsalis</cite> is known to transmit <strong>encephalitis</strong> (sleeping sickness) to man and horses. <cite>Culex</cite> are generally weak fliers and do not move far from home, although they have been known to fly up to two miles. <cite>Culex </cite>usually live only a few weeks during the warm summer months.<br />Those females which emerge in late summer search for sheltered areas where they "hibernate" until spring. Warm weather brings her out in search of water on which to lay her eggs.<br /><br /><cite><strong>Culiseta </strong></cite>mosquitoes are moderately aggressive biters, attacking in the evening hours or in shade during the day.<br /><br /><cite><strong>Anopheles</strong></cite><strong> </strong>mosquitoes are the only mosquito which transmits <strong>malaria</strong> to man.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:78%;">source : <a href="http://www.mosquitoes.org/">www.mosquitoes.org</a><br />image : <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/">www.michigan.gov</a>, </span></span><a href="http://www.mosquitoes.org/"><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:78%;" >www.mosquitoes.org</span></a>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-4253916562851875942008-12-10T23:34:00.000+08:002008-12-12T14:10:43.070+08:00Butterfly Life Cycle<span style="font-size:85%;">The life-cycle of a butterfly (and moth for that matter) is a remarkable series of changes between seemingly very different forms culminating in the emergence of a butterfly. Throughout nature there are fantastic and fascinating occurrences of many kinds. The metamorphosis of an egg to a butterfly is just one of those wonders.<br /><br />The story starts with a pair of butterflies mating. This enables the females eggs to be fertilised. Like many other species in nature there is often a courtship routine preceding the actual mating. Some butterflies fly in spirals, sometimes the female lies with her wings in a certain position.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/incopula.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 324px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/incopula.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Egg or Ovum<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Structure<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">The shape of butterfly eggs is remarkably variable. The examples below show some recurring forms but there are many others, for example swallowtail eggs are smooth and spherical. There is some consistency of shape between closely related species. The egg consists of an outer casing, or <i>chorion</i>, inside which is the females fertilised ovum. There is always a minute opening, the <i>micropyle</i>, which is visible as a small pit at the top of some eggs. This structure allows the male sperm to fertilise the egg and probably allows the developing embryo to breathe.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/commaova.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/commaova.jpg" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/brimova.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/brimova.jpg" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/wallova.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/wallova.jpg" border="0" /> </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/ltblue_ova.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/ltblue_ova.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Through her legs the female butterfly can 'taste' plants by a chemical process and so recognise the species, or groups of species which her young will need to feed on. Some butterflies (termed <i>monophagous</i>) only use a single species of plant for their larvae, while others (<i>oligophagous</i>) will use hostplants of similar species and there are some (<i>polyphagous</i>) which will use hostplants from different genera. Once a suitable site is found egg-laying, <i>oviposition,</i> can take place.<br /><br />Sometimes eggs are laid singly, at other times they may be in bunches, <i>Araschnia levana, </i>lays its eggs in vertical columns. All these tactics have their benefits in terms of survival, a parasite may miss one or two eggs in a large group and similarly may miss one or two widely scattered eggs. Usually the eggs are laid on the foodplant, but some species lay nearby. The Silver-washed fritillary, <i>Argynnis paphia</i>, lays its eggs on the trunk of a tree near to a growth of its foodplant, <i>Viola</i>. Butterfly eggs are attacked by various parasitic wasps so as much as possible must be done to safeguard them.<br /><br />The eggs take a variable amount of time to hatch, indeed some butterflies remain as eggs through the winter, only hatching when the warmth of spring arrives. I guess they are less likely to be eaten when very small and easy to miss. Usually it takes about 10 days for an egg to hatch. There is an easy exit for the tiny first instar caterpillar to escape from the confines of its egg.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/brimhatch.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 297px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/brimhatch.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A number of young larvae actually eat their egg shell. For some it is the fuel for their journey to find the foodplant and for others it is the only meal they have before the winter, without it they don't survive.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">The Caterpillar or Larva</span></span><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">A caterpillar is an eating machine. Its consists of a pair of jaws or mandibles for chewing plant matter followed by a long gut for digestion. It moves using three pairs of true legs (like all insects) and five further pairs of 'prolegs', sucker like structures with hooks on the end for gripping hold of the leaves and stems. Along the side of the larva are small openings, <i>spiracles</i>, nine pairs in all, through which respiration occurs. A modified set of salivary glands, <i>spinnerets</i>, produce silk. All butterfly larvae are hairy, some quite spectacularly covered with bushes of <i>setae</i>, they may well be off-putting to potential predators.</span></div></div><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/cat_diagram.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 359px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 89px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/cat_diagram.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">When first hatched the larva or caterpillar is very small indeed, just a few millimeters long. These first <i>instar</i> larvae look similar regardless of which species they belong to. Usually the caterpillar immediately searches out food and starts to eat, although some species overwinter at this stage.</span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/com1-2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 149px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/com1-2.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Due to the nature of the skeleton of insects they cannot grow in the same way that we do. Every so often the caterpillar sheds its skin so that it can expand and grow to a larger size. This process is known as <i>ecdysis</i> and each time it happens the caterpillar moves on to a new <i>instar</i>. Most European species molt four times and so their final stage is usually the fifth instar.</span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Caterpillars feed for a large part of their time, consuming an ever increasing amount of foodplant as they get rapidly larger. Some species prefer the cover of night to avoid unwanted attention, the Comma, <i>Polygonia c-album</i>, spends most of its time underneath leaves for the same reason. Their excrement, usually called frass, is dropped all over the place in small lumps.</span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Caterpillars produce a silken thread from organs beside their jaws. This is used for a variety of purposes. It gives the caterpillars a good hold on their foodplant and some use it to rest between bouts of feeding<b>.<br /></b></span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">When a caterpillar is fully grown it takes time to wander in search of a suitable pupation site. This stage is sometimes known as the prepupa. The larva will let all frass clear its system before pupation.<br /></span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></p><p style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Chrysalis or Pupa</span></p><p style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/pup_diagram.gif"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 342px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/pics/pup_diagram.gif" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">The word chrysalis is derived from the Greek work </span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal;font-family:Symbol;font-size:85%;" >crusoz</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"> meaning gold, referring to the colour of some Nymphalid pupae, whereas pupa is the scientific word describing this stage of a butterflies life.</span></span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Most of the adult body parts can be seen in the pupa (See image)</span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">Once the caterpillar has transformed into a pupa a remarkable process occurs transforming the contents of the pupa into an adult butterfly. This can take as little as two weeks, but some species over-winter (hibernate) in this stage, only hatching in the warmth of spring. As the pupa is unable to avoid any potential predators they tend to be quite well camouflaged, indeed some are form under the ground.</span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;">The pupa hangs onto the silken pad using its cremaster, rather than the anal claspers of the caterpillar. Just before the adult butterfly hatches the pupal skin becomes transparent and the wing pattern is visible inside.</span></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">source and image : www.butterfly-guide.co.uk</span><br /></span></p>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-1116047554235737782008-06-13T19:42:00.000+08:002008-06-13T19:50:54.498+08:00Grasshopper<b>Phylum</b>, Arthropoda; <b>Class</b>, Insecta; <b>Order</b>, Orthoptera<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://universe-review.ca/I10-82-grasshopper.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://universe-review.ca/I10-82-grasshopper.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p> </p> <big><b>Identifying Features</b></big><br /><p> <b>Appearance (Morphology)</b><br /></p><ul type="disc"><li> Brown, with some darker markings </li><li> Black herringbone pattern on hind femur </li><li> Big hind legs for jumping </li><li> 2 pairs of wings: forewings narrow and relatively hard; hind wings large, membranous </li><li> Antennae not very long, 20-24 segments </li><li> Conspicuous eyes </li><li> Cerci (pair of appendages at end of abdomen) unjointed </li></ul> <p> <b>Adult Males and Females</b><br />Males have a single unpaired plate at the end of abdomen. Female has two pairs of valves (triangle shapes) at end of abdomen used to dig in sand when egg laying. </p><p> <b>Immatures (different stages)</b><br />In very young stage, the grasshopper has no wings. In later stages, wings are visible as small pads at end of thorax.<br /></p><p> <big><b>Natural History</b></big> </p><p> <b>Food</b><br />Many species of grasshoppers are general herbivores feeding on a variety of plants. Some species only like grasses. </p><p> <b>Habitat</b><br />Widespread in U.S. </p><p> <b>Predators</b><br />Birds, lizards,mantids, spiders, and rodents eat grasshoppers. </p><p> <b>Interesting Behaviors</b><br />Feeding: Although they eat many things, they still have preferences. Mating behavior: See how male courts female. Egg-laying: Female digs hole with abdomen. Some grasshoppers spit a brown bitter liquid as a defensive behavior in response to being handled. Use a piece of white paper and gently wipe the grasshopper's mouth if the spit is not evident. Before molting, grasshoppers do not eat and become less active. During the molt, they swallow air to build up pressure to split the old cuticle. </p><p> <big><b>Impact on the Ecosystem</b></big> </p><p> <b>Positive</b><br />As herbivores, grasshoppers link plants to the rest of the ecosystem. Frass (droppings) contribute to nutrient turnover by returning nutrients as fertilizer for the plants. They provide food for birds and other arthropods. </p><p> <b>Negative</b><br />Sometimes some species of grasshopper occur in very large numbers and cause serious crop damage and loss of plants in pastures. </p><p> <big><b>Collecting Live Insects</b></big> </p><p> <b>Where to find</b><br />Grasshoppers are around in the spring and summer, but are most noticeable in the autumn. Areas with many grasses, small "vacant" lots and gardens are good places to start looking. Look at the area as you walk through. If you can hear the plants moving as you walk there are most likely grasshoppers around. Look during the middle of the day for best results. At night, use a flashlight to find grasshoppers roosting on the leaves. In the summer and autumn, some grasshoppers fly into porch lights. </p><p> <b>How to collect</b><br />Encourage students to bring in grasshoppers. Catching grasshoppers may require patience and determination. Once grasshoppers have wings, many species can fly faster than you can run. Those without wings are easier to chase. Grasshoppers are perceptive and can sense you when you are several feet away. If they are on a plant and you try to grab them, they will move around the stem and often drop off the plant. You can swing an insect net or place the net over the plant while holding up the bottom of the net. With your hand gently coax grasshoppers into the net. They will walk or jump up into the net. Once in the net, gently pick up the grasshopper and place it in a container. It is also possible to collect grasshoppers by very slowly moving a glass or plastic vial towards the grasshopper's head and they will jump into it.</p><br /><p><span style="font-size:78%;">source : insected.arizona.edu<br />image : universe-review.ca<br /></span></p>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6678257598970264515.post-27766817097881828442008-06-10T17:14:00.000+08:002008-06-13T20:06:24.562+08:00Green Tree Ants<p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;" >The green tree ant found in Northern Australia is a type of weaver ant found in many parts of the world. The Australian species (Oecophylla smaragdina) is commonly referred to as either a green tree ant or weaver ant. They are called weaver ants because they weave a nest together out of leaves.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;" >In Australia they are only found in the Northern regions. They occur in forested areas both in Northern Western Australia and also in the Northern Territory and Queensland. In Queensland they spread down the coastal fringe as far south as Rockhampton, and can often be found in fruit orchards.</span></span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;" ><p><span style="font-size:100%;" ><img src="http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/collies_clicks/fauna/TreeAnts/oecophylla_map.gif" align="bottom" height="193" width="223" /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;" >Weaver Ants build nests by joining leaves together with a sticky substance produced from their lavae. Many ants work together to construct these nests which can finish up being 300 - 500 mm long in a roughly oval shape. As they are made from the leaves of the tree in which the nest is, they are quite well camouflaged.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;" ><br /><p><img src="http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/collies_clicks/fauna/TreeAnts/nest.jpg" useimagewidth="" useimageheight="" align="bottom" height="240" width="320" /></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;" > Tree ants aggressively defend their nests biting intruders. Acid from the tip of their abdomen causes pain and discomfort which generally drives off the invader.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;" ><p><span style="font-size:100%;" >The ant's body is a green or even a pale yellow, and its mandibles (Jaws) have 10+ teeth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;" >Green tree ants forage both for vegetation (eg nectar) and for invertebrates (insects), both on the ground and on vegetation. The ants also feed on excretions from aphids and scale insects.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;" ><br /><p><img src="http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/collies_clicks/fauna/TreeAnts/ant.jpg" useimagewidth="" useimageheight="" align="bottom" height="217" width="320" /></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;" > The Queen Ant is located in one nest, but her eggs are distributed through the other nests of the colony. </span> </p></span></p></span></p></span></p></span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"></p> <p face="arial"><span style="font-size:100%;" >Green Tree Ants have few preditors but jumping spiders, which look and smell like them, can invade the nests and eat the ants and the larvae.</span></p><p face="arial"><br /></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-size:78%;">source : www.cap.nsw.edu.au</span><br /></span></p>ibanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00428930871867043100noreply@blogger.com0